This report attempts to shed light on whether nations can prosper without actually achieving sustainable growth. It also questions whether the benefits of continued economic growth still outweigh the costs, and scrutinises the assumption that growth is essential for prosperity. The paper argues that prosperity can only be conceived as a condition that includes obligations and responsibilities to others and that rising prosperity is not the same thing as economic growth. It further notes that the conventional response to the growth dilemma is to appeal to the concept of ‘decoupling’. This is where production processes are reconfigured, goods and services are redesigned, and economic outputs become progressively less dependent on materials. In this way, it is hoped that the economy can continue to grow without breaching ecological limits.
This report, (March 2009) prepared by UNEP proposes recommendations, objectives and suggestions for implementing a GGND as a response to the multiple crises the world is now facing. UNEP splits its proposals into three categories; targeted stimulus spending in 2009-2010, changes in domestic policies, and changes in international policy architecture. UNEP outlines a GGND with three objectives: revive the economy and create jobs, promote sustainable growth and reduce carbon dependency and environmental destruction. Section four and the annexes look at the different green economy sectors that could be used to stimulate economic recovery and reduce environmental impact through investment in five main areas.
Investment in network infrastructure can boost long-term economic growth in OECD countries. Moreover, infrastructure investment can have a positive effect on growth that goes beyond the effect of the capital stock because of economies of scale, the existence of network externalities and competition enhancing effects. This paper, which is part of a project examining the links between infrastructure and growth and the role of public policies, reports the results on the links with growth from a variety of econometric approaches. Time-series results reveal a positive impact of infrastructure investment on growth. They also show that this effect varies across countries and sectors and over time. In some cases, these results reveal evidence of possible over-investment, which may be related to inefficient use of infrastructure. Bayesian model averaging of cross-section growth regressions confirm that infrastructure investment in telecommunications and the electricity sectors has a robust positive effect on long-term growth (but not in railways and road networks). Furthermore, this effect is highly nonlinear as the impact is stronger if the physical stock is lower.
This report constitutes the findings of a study on the potential of market pull instruments for promoting innovation in environmental characteristics. The study was conducted by COWI A/S in collaboration with Ecotec Ltd.
The study aims at providing an insight into and an enhanced understanding of the extent to which demand pull instruments promote innovation and to investigate the assumption that greater demand lead to greater innovation.
The study builds on the outcome of an extensive literature review; nearly 40 interviews conducted with industry representatives across a total of six industrial sectors, including business associations; researchers; and a workshop.
This policy brief provides the first-ever public expenditure review for the environment and natural resources in Rwanda. It was written under the theme: “Putting environment on budget.”
The scope of this study includes a review of public expenditure in the environment and natural resources sector, encompassing expenditure incurred by ministries, government departments and other agencies, and the local administration at the Dzongkhag and Geog levels on environment-related interventions along with all donor-supported projects of the environment sector.