This paper aims to present a snapshot of some of the best practices in the promotion and use of renewable energy and provide practical examples of the development of renewable energy markets that countries in Latin America and the Caribbean can replicate. It examines current and potential renewable energy markets in Latin America and the Caribbean, economic development benefits of expanding renewable energy markets, policy tools and mechanisms that have been used to build and promote renewable energy in the United States, as well as the role of governments and the private sector.
This summary was prepared by Eldis.
The value of nature is increasingly visible as business demand for natural capital grows. This demand can cause environmental events and phenomena such as water scarcity, directly linked to lower profitability. Indirect effects can include social pressure that prompts changes in demand and regulation, with little or no warning. This study builds on The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity in Business and Enterprise and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development’s Guide to Corporate Ecosystem Valuation by estimating in monetary terms the financial risk from natural capital that is currently unpriced, across specific business sectors at a regional level, and through supply chains. It demonstrates that opportunities from sustainable business practices can be private as well as collective, and therefore how, by taking pre-emptive action, businesses may gain a competitive advantage while meeting corporate sustainability goals.
This report describes an evolving policy landscape in Asia and the Pacific characterised by a changing economic reality, rising demand for resources, increasingly apparent impacts of climate change and increased risk and uncertainty. It provides insights into Asian and Pacific resource use trends and outlines key actions that governments can pursue to help bring economic growth strategies in closer alignment with the objective of sustainable development. It also provides examples of strategies for improving resilience to help deal with the increasing levels of risk faced by societies and economies. The report is the product of a combined effort by three institutions: the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
This summary was prepared by Eldis.
This Working Paper analyses opportunities and threats for low-income countries, and the business case for low carbon investment. The study sets out to answer the following questions:
i) How will climate change, international mitigation, and scarcity of natural resources affect trade opportunities and the competitiveness of the most important economic sectors in low-income countries?
ii) How can policymakers and businesses in those countries best respond to the opportunities and threats identified?
iii) When do these three competitiveness-related drivers create a business case for low carbon investment, and when do they create a trade-off? What are the implications for policy?
Over 20% of the global population – 1.4 billion people – lack access to electricity. Some 40% of the global population – 2.7 billion people – rely today on the traditional use of biomass for cooking. In this report, the IEA estimates that an investment of $36 billion per year is needed to ensure that every person in the world benefits from access to electricity and clean cooking facilities by 2030.
This report was originally presented on 21 September 2010 on the sidelines of the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDG) Summit in New York at a dinner hosted by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon.