India is expected to grow at such a rapid rate over the next two decades that it could build approximately 80 per cent of the physical assets—including infrastructure, commercial and residential real estate, vehicle stock, and industrial capacity—that will constitute the India of 2030.
Growth of this magnitude will bring tremendous benefits, but it also poses many challenges, particularly regarding sustainability. Demand for resources will increase dramatically, for example, raising the country’s dependence on imports for commodities such as crude oil and driving commodity prices higher in general. And India will need to expand its capacity to generate electricity to meet increasing industrial and residential demand, which will impel a corresponding increase in greenhouse-gas (GHG) emissions.
The transition to a low-carbon, resource-efficient Europe is a key objective of the EU as set out in the Europe 2020 Strategy, related Roadmaps and other strategic documents. Some EU Member States have already started to take steps towards this transition with the adoption of supporting political decisions and implementation of related instruments. These efforts are welcome and should be further encouraged. However, there are also contradictory decisions being taken or delays that hinder or slow down progress. Overall, despite some positive steps in a number of policy areas, further efforts are needed to create stronger momentum towards a low-carbon, resource-efficient Europe. Consideration of resource efficiency related issues (including resource productivity, municipal waste management, environmental taxation, reform of environmentally harmful subsidies, water and air quality) within the European Semester process should also be strengthened.
This study forms part of the European Commission’s on-going analysis of the opportunities to be gained from improving resource efficiency and how best to help businesses realise the economic potential, as well as environmental and social benefit. The study has examined the main resource efficiency measures available to EU business using a top-down review of literature on resource efficiency together with a bottom-up review of industry data and examples from case studies. Preliminary conclusions on measures were validated through limited industry consultation with EU-based businesses. The scope for businesses to improve resource efficiency has been assessed and the opportunity to business quantified through a business lens as new estimates of direct economic benefits. This research provides a new economic perspective to complement other published studies, a better insight into the impact on businesses of policies and programmes on resource efficiency, and an understanding of the relative effectiveness of resource efficiency measures and of the measures which might best suit particular businesses or sectors of the economy.
Climate change is becoming more evident and, as it increases, will alter the productivity of fisheries and the distribution of fish stocks. From an economic point of view, the changes will have impacts on fisheries and coastal communities in different ways. These expected changes require adaptable and flexible fisheries and aquaculture management policies and governance frameworks. However, the forms of future climate change and the extent of its impact remain uncertain. Fisheries policy makers therefore need to develop strategies and decision-making models in order to adapt to climate change under such uncertainty while taking into account social and economic consequences.
Against the background of a projected doubling of world greenhouse gas emissions by mid-century, this book explores feasible ways to abate them at least cost. Through quantitative analysis, it addresses key climate policy issues:
• What would an ideal set of climate policy tools look like?
• How large are the economic and environmental costs of incomplete country or sector coverage of climate change mitigation policies? What are the pros and cons of policy tools to broaden that coverage, such as international sector-wide agreements or border-tax adjustments? What are the main challenges in incorporating a mechanism to reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation?
• How can we concretely develop a global carbon market?
• What is the case for, and what can we reasonably expect from, R&D and technology support policies?