The deployment of technologies for the mitigation of greenhouse-gases (GHGs) is dependent on a wide range of services, including those that are imported. Business services, telecommunications services, and construction and related engineering services figure prominently. This paper aims to develop a better understanding of the specific roles that these services play in helping to mitigate GHG emissions, and to identify the major suppliers and consumers. It presents examples and mini-case studies that explore how particular services complement the deployment of GHG mitigating technologies. With respect to the four modes of services trade, instances of mode 1 (cross-border trade) trade taking place over the Internet appear to be more commonplace, often complementing movement of personnel. Examples of mode 2 trade (consumption abroad) typically involve training of a client’s personnel. Mode 3 trade (commercial presence) is critical for the provision of services that entail construction and operation of production facilities. The temporary movement of natural persons (mode 4) is also common, especially where expert judgement or supervision is required for a short period of time.
This paper provides an overview of existing measures relating to non-product-related processes and production methods (PPMs) adopted in the context of climate-change-mitigation policies, especially those linked to the life-cycle greenhouse-gas (GHG) emissions of particular products. Such domestic PPM-related requirements and schemes are important policy tools for promoting sustainable development and are aimed at addressing GHG emissions resulting from the activities involved in producing, processing and transporting the product to the final consumer. Their ostensive purpose is to promote better environmental outcomes and to ensure that domestic climate-change policies and incentives do not inadvertently undermine other environmental objectives. Even though the general objectives of the reviewed regulations and private schemes are comparable (e.g. the promotion of renewable-energy sources, or provision of information on the carbon footprint of goods), the approaches, level of detail, choices of instruments and targeted environmental characteristics vary considerably from country to country and from scheme to scheme.
Companies are increasingly aware of the need to address climate change. However, while many companies are taking action to address climate change, many others are still lagging behind. This report surveys responsible business practices addressing climate change and driving the shift to a low-carbon economy. It summarises policies, regulations and other instruments in support of alow-carbon economy in OECD countries and emerging economies, and analyses corporate responses to these drivers.
Using the principles of responsible business conduct identified in the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises, this report reviews three key areas of corporate action:c
- Acounting for greenhouse gas emissions
- Achieving emissions reductions
- Engaging suppliers, consumers and other stakeholders
Does nature have a price ? How to maximise the monetary value it represents to build another relationship between man and his environment? Can we make the ecological imperative and prosperity of the economy compatible?
This book breaks with the traditional economic thinking, which views nature as a limited stock of resources, for which depletion threatens growth. According to this view based on scarcity, Christian de Perthuis and Pierre-André Jouvet advocate regulatory actions: the services provided by nature, whether they concern climate stability or biodiversity, cannot remain free if one wants to maintain the possibility of growth. Exploring the experimental fields already open on climate and biodiversity, the authors show that there is a pool of innovation and investment for sustainable growth. They bring a new perspective to the issues of energy and environmental transition.
The Bank of France organised on 21 March 2013 a conference on the theme of “green growth”. This concept implies finding a balance between the environment and growth in order to maximise welfare – present and future. This involves applying a weighing-up approach for the present and future through an appropriate discount rate. Given this discount rate, it is up to decision makers to develop and to implement policies to combat climate change, in the most effective way possible.
To achieve this, it is necessary to develop assessment tools for climate policies. In addition, greater global coordination seems necessary today. Although the main responsibility for the increase in greenhouse gas emissions (GHG ) lies currently with developed countries, if emerging and developing countries follow the same pattern of growth, this could significantly worsen the situation; thus a global agreement is paramount.
On a smaller scale, and in the absence of a binding global agreement for the moment, it is up to everyone to try to be more respectful of the environment and businesses have a role to play in addressing the challenge of sustainable development.
Improving information about individual opportunity costs of deforestation agents has the potential to increase the efficiency of REDD when it takes the form of a payment for environmental services scheme. However, objectives pursued in REDD projects may vary across policy makers. Within a theoretical framework, this paper explores the impacts of different policy objectives under two opportunity cost settings: asymmetric and full information. For a policy maker aiming to maximise net income from REDD, having full information may not increase the amount of forest conserved but could lead to a redistribution of rents away from agents. By contrast, for an environmental policy maker focused on maximising the amount of forest conserved under REDD having full information increases the amount of forest conserved while reducing the rents received by agents. For a policy maker pursuing poverty alleviation objectives in REDD-affected communities, having full information makes no difference to overall welfare as rents remain with agents. The amount of deforestation avoided will at least be as high as under asymmetric information.
The need for environmentally sustainable modes of production and a more efficient use of resources i.e. Green Industry, is becoming increasingly evident. This is especially so in the developing world, which has the unique opportunity of avoiding the environmental pitfalls that the developed world has fallen into in the course of its industrial development; it can use past experience to build a Green Industrial infrastructure at the very outset. This paper provides an insight into how an increased focus on Green Industry for sustainable industrial development in developing and transition countries can contribute to the attainment of global Sustainable Development (SD) objectives. The paper seeks to elaborate on the need for and value of approaches that target industry specifically, and to promote a more equitable access to the knowledge, technologies and production processes that are needed in developing and transition countries, in order to achieve SD there and elsewhere.
This report shares the results of holistic assessments of opportunities and constraints for solving some of Viet Nam’s most pressing industrial environmental problems, paying due attention to their socioeconomic context. These served to inform and guide the development of a policy framework for widescale deployment of Green Industry approaches to ultimately achieve Green Growth in Viet Nam. A total of three replicable pilots were undertaken, from which lessons learnt and best practices were brought together to form the basis for overall policy recommendations and quantified targets. Firstly, benchmarking against good international practices in the Electric Arc Furnace (EAF) steel sector was combined with a sectoral voluntary agreement and technology roadmap, to offer a highly innovative yet equally feasible approach for Green Industry development in resource- and energy-intensive sectors.
This book presents the research and analysis carried out during the first phase of the OECD Project on Sustainable Manufacturing and Eco-innovation. Its aim is to provide benchmarking tools on sustainable manufacturing and to spur eco-innovation through better understanding of innovation mechanisms. It reviews the concepts and forms an analytical framework; analyses the nature and processes of eco-innovation; discusses existing sustainable manufacturing indicators; examines methodologies for measuring eco-innovation; and takes stock of national strategies and policy initiatives for eco-innovation. This book is part of the OECD Innovation Strategy and is also one of the first contributions to the OECD Green Growth Strategy.