This paper considers the extent to which the Northeast Asian countries - China, Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan - are collaborating as a legitimate group to produce “green” R&D. Forcing a revision of traditional institutional analysis, such collaboration efforts can overlap with existing policies of regional coordination, but they can also pave the way for future, formal coordination efforts. Employing a mixed methods approach which triangulates data based on expert interviews as well as green patenting output over the last 33 years, it is confirmed here that the presence of the Northeast Asian environmental regime is strongly associated with the development of green R&D among countries in the region. It can be further confirmed that Northeast Asia is on the cusp of becoming a genuine counterweight to the existing dominance of the U.S. and Western Europe.
The paper examines the significance of social policy towards growth of a green economy with particular reference to South Africa. As such, the roles identified are that social policy: constructs ideological foundations which enhance growth of a green economy, promotes efficiency of green economy advancement, improves competitiveness of green economy emancipation and enables sustainability participation required of private firms and financial entities thereby enhancing establishment of a green economy when adopting economic market policies. Further, the paper outlines specific recommendations which are essential towards constructing a green economy by developing an efficient social policy in South Africa.
This policy brief looks at the impacts of environmental regulations on regulated companies. It presents an overview of what competitiveness means, at the level of firms, sectors and countries; and explains how competitiveness effects occur, why it is important to assess them and how they are measured. The main focus of the policy brief is a review of the exisiting evidence. The authors focus on ex post evaluation studies. Ex ante modelling studies are not included. They discuss the impact of environmental regulations on productivity, employment, trade, industry location and innovation. And they conclude by discussing what the literature teaches about improving environmental regulations and identifying priorities for future research.
Key findings from the policy brief include:
In the first dispute on renewable energy to come to World Trade Organization (WTO) dispute settlement, the domestic content requirement of Ontario’s feed-in tariff was challenged as a discriminatory investment-related measure and as a prohibited import substitution subsidy. The panel and Appellate Body agreed that Canada was violating the GATT and the TRIMS Agreement. But the SCM Article 3 claim by Japan and the European Union remains unadjudicated, because neither tribunal made a finding that the price guaranteed for electricity from renewable sources constitutes a ‘benefit’ pursuant to the SCM Agreement. Although the Appellate Body provides useful guidance to future panels on how the existence of a benefit could be calculated, the most noteworthy aspect of the new jurisprudence is the Appellate Body’s reasoning that delineating the proper market for ‘benefit’ analysis entails respect for the policy choices made by a government. Thus, in this dispute, the proper market is electricity produced only from wind and solar energy.
