Why were participant countries in the Rio+20 conferences (2012) not able to find any common ground on the role of intellectual property rights (IPRs) as they sought to identify a path for achieving “green economy” in the decades ahead? The current policy brief seeks to answer this question by examining the evolution of the global debate on IPRs and green technologies from the Earth Summit in 1992 to Rio+20.
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This publication is the Synthesis for Policy Makers of UNEP's Green Economy Report. Compiled by UNEP’s Green Economy Initiative in collaboration with economists and experts worldwide, the report demonstrates that the greening of economies is not generally a drag on growth but rather a new engine of growth; that it is a net generator of decent jobs, and that it is also a vital strategy for the elimination of persistent poverty. The report also seeks to motivate policy makers to create the enabling conditions for increased investments in a transition to a green economy.
This paper fills a gap in the macroeconomic literature on renewable sources of energy. It offers a definition of green investment and analyzes the trends and determinants of this investment over the last decade for 35 advanced and emerging countries. We use a new multi-country historical dataset and find that green investment has become a key driver of the energy sector and that its rapid growth is now mostly driven by China. Our econometric results suggest that green investment is boosted by economic growth, a sound financial system conducive to low interest rates, and high fuel prices. We also find that some policy interventions, such as the introduction of carbon pricing schemes, or “feed-in-tariffs,” which require use of “green”energy, have a positive and significant impact on green investment. Other interventions, such as biofuel support, do not appear to be associated with higher green investment.
The natural world has a lot to teach us. Above all, it teaches us about systems and cycles; that altering one component of a system, however small, can have wider implications within and beyond a given cycle. Human society, the planet and the economy are all systems and are all bound together in intricate relationships. Only when we begin to understand this bigger picture can we tackle the systemic problems facing us. Here we take a short journey through planetary science to grasp some of the dimensions of those relationships, and posit a series of solutions for affecting the kind of systemic transformation that we urgently need to ensure the health of the planet and of people.
Economic theory (and common sense) tells us that when something is valuable, and it is free, its use tends to infinity – this explains why trees, biodiversity, freshwater and atmospheric space for carbon are all being used ‘like there is no tomorrow’. It also assumes that when something is exhausted (or too expensive), a substitute is almost certain to be found.
This edition of the Southeast Asian Economic Outlook examines the macroeconomic situation, policies and medium-term growth prospects for countries in the region; structural challenges; green growth strategies, policies and institutions; and environmental taxes. It finds that growth for the region will moderate in the near term but solid growth performance will continue until 2016. To sustain this favourable outlook, countries need to meet considerable structural challenges. Green growth offers an alternative growth strategy in the long term.
This report is concerned with challenges and opportunities to grow local economic activity, employment and skills in response to climate change.