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Economic textbooks predict that taxes and emission trading systems are the cheapest way for societies to reduce emissions of CO2. This book shows that this is also the case in the real world. It estimates the costs to society of reducing CO2 emissions in 15 countries using a broad range of policy instruments in 5 of the sectors that generate most emissions: electricity generation, road transport, pulp & paper and cement, as well as households’ domestic energy use. It finds wide variations in the costs of abating each tonne of CO2 within and among countries, as well as in the sectors examined and across different types of policy instruments. Market-based approaches like taxes and trading systems consistently reduced CO2 at a lower cost than other instruments. Capital subsidies and feed-in tariffs were among the most expensive ways of reducing emissions.
This book includes key environmental indicators endorsed by OECD Environment Ministers and major environmental indicators from the OECD Core Set. These indicators reflect environmental progress made since the early 1990s and thus contribute to measuring environmental performance. Organised by issues such as climate change, air pollution, biodiversity, waste or water resources, they provide essential information for all those interested in the environment and in sustainable development.
This report studies green growth trends, challenges and opportunities in the City of Kitakyushu, Japan. It firstly analyses socio-economic trends and the environmental performance of Kitakyushu; secondly reviews urban policies for land use, transport, buildings, waste, energy, water and industries that contribute to economic growth and reduce pressure on the environment; thirdly identifies innovation assets and actors in Kitakyushu and the northern Kyushu region and assesses Kitakyushu’s potential to bolster a regional green innovation system; and finally examines local, regional and national institutions, including horizontal and vertical co-ordination mechanisms that strengthen cross-sectoral and multilevel governance for green growth.
This report studies green growth trends, challenges and opportunities in the City of Stockholm, Sweden. It first analyses socio-economic trends and the environmental performance of the city and the county of Stockholm; then it reviews urban policies for land use, transport, buildings, waste, energy and water that contribute to economic growth and reduce pressure on the environment; thirdly assesses Stockholm’s green innovation potential in areas such as cleantech, ICT and university to business linkages; and finally it examines local, regional and national institutions, including horizontal and vertical coordination mechanisms that strengthen cross-sectoral and multilevel governance for green growth.
This document provides additional detailed guidance on testing of chemicals according to OECD Test Guideline No. 505: Testing of Chemicals on Residues in Livestock. Specifically, it describes current differences in OECD countries in livestock feeding practices and diet composition and factors influencing the determination of dietary burden and dose selection, and provides guidance for interpreting results (including example calculations for dietary burdens and MRL setting) from OECD Test Guideline No. 505 studies. Furthermore, it provides an update of the OECD Table of Feedstuffs Derived from Field Crops found in the Guidance Document on Overview of Residue Chemistry Studies (Series on Pesticides No. 32).
The objective of OECD Test Guidelines for the pesticide residue chemistry is to assess pesticide exposure by identifying these residues in food or animal feedstuffs for purposes of dietary risk assessment and setting Maximum Residue Levels. They have been developed and are based on guidelines in use for many years in OECD countries and by the Food and Agriculture Organisation. Because of the unique nature of each study, the pesticide expected use, and the particular methods needed to elucidate the metabolic pathway for each chemical, the description of the test method cannot be as prescriptive as usually required for other OECD Test Guidelines. Pesticide residue studies are complex; guidelines cannot specify all parameters in advance, but each study must be designed individually. Given these characteristics, the guidelines in Part A of Section 5 include elements that differ from those in the other sections (1-4) of the OECD Guidelines for the Testing of Chemicals.
The report provides evidence-based assessment and policy recommendations in support of Mexico’s water reform. It analyses implementation bottlenecks and identifies good practices in four key areas considered as essential drivers for change in the water sector of Mexico: multi-level and river basin governance; economic efficiency and financial sustainability; and regulatory functions for water supply and sanitation.
This report is the result of a one-year policy dialogue between the OECD and Mexico, after the adoption of the 2030 Water Agenda as a strategic and long-term vision for Mexico’s water sector.
This report considers the potential of marine biotechnology to contribute to economic and social prosperity by making use of recent advances in science and technology. It discusses scientific and technological tools at the centre of a renewed interest in marine biotechnology, contributing to a new bioeconomy sector in many countries, and offering potential new solutions to global challenges. It also examines how these advances are improving our understanding of marine life and facilitating access to, and study of, marine organisms and ecosystems, and it considers the largely untapped potential of these bioresources.
This promise is considered alongside the challenges associated with the development of these resources which exist with complex ecosystems and fluidly distributed in a vast, largely shared environment. The report makes the case for a new global framework for the sustainable development of marine biotechnology and identifies some areas that will benefit from focused attention as governments develop policies to support it. In addition to this prospective view, this report identifies some early policy lessons learned by the governments which are leading attempts to benefit from bioresources.
Meeting the growing demand for energy, and electricity in particular, while addressing the need to curb greenhouse gas emissions and to ensure security of energy supply, is one of the most difficult challenges facing the world’s economies. No single technology can respond to this challenge, and the solution which policy-makers are seeking lies in the diversification of energy sources.
Although nuclear energy currently provides over 20% of electricity in the OECD area and does not emit any carbon dioxide during production, it continues to be seen by many as a controversial technology. Public concern remains over its safety and the management of radioactive waste, and financing such a capital-intensive technology is a complex issue. The role that nuclear power will play in the future depends on the answers to these questions, several of which are provided in this up-to-date review of the status of nuclear energy, as well as on the outcome of research and development on the nuclear fuel cycle and reactor technologies.
Agriculture can have significant impacts on the environment as it uses on average over 40% of water and land resources in OECD countries. The impacts occur on and off farm, including both pollution and degradation of soil, water and air. But agriculture also supplies ecosystem services, such as biodiversity, provides a sink for greenhouse gases, and contributes to flood control and the aesthetic value of landscapes.
This compendium updates the data issued in Environmental Performance of Agriculture at a Glance and provides comprehensive data and analysis on the environmental performance of agriculture in OECD countries since 1990, covering soil, water, air and biodiversity and looking at recent policy developments in all 34 OECD countries.
The OECD Environmental Performance Review Programme provides independent assessments of countries’ progress in achieving their domestic and international environmental policy commitments, together with policy relevant recommendations. They are conducted to promote peer learning, to enhance countries’ accountability to each other and to the public, and to improve governments’ environmental performance, individually and collectively. The Reviews are supported by a broad range of economic and environmental data. Each cycle of the Environmental Performance Reviews covers all OECD member countries and selected partner countries. The most recent reviews include: Mexico (2013), Germany (2012) and Slovenia (2012).
This report is the third OECD review of Italy’s environmental performance. It evaluates progress towards sustainable development and green growth, with a focus on policies that promote more effective and efficient water management and provide better incentives to tackle climate change.
This report is the first OECD review of South Africa’s environmental performance. It has been carried out as part of the OECD dialogue with South Africa as Key Partner. The report evaluates South Africa's progress towards sustainable development and green growth, with a focus on policies that provide incentives to protect South Africa's exceptionally rich biodiversity and promote more effective and efficient environmental management across different levels of public administration.
This report synthesises the experience of OECD countries in developing and implementing policies, programmes and initiatives related to green growth in the agricultural sector, based primarily on material provided by governments. It discusses the overall approach that countries are taking towards establishing a green growth strategy in agriculture; the implementation of the OECD framework for monitoring progress towards green growth in agriculture; and the various policy instruments used.
A key conclusion is that, while most countries have some policies in place that relate to the concept of green growth, the degree of ambition shows considerable variation. A wide range of instruments and a variety of “policy mixes” are currently applied across OECD countries, with the majority of countries appearing to have strategic objectives covering a wide range of subjects related to green growth, particularly in the area of improving energy efficiency and reducing the carbon footprint of agriculture. A coherent overall policy framework that has clear objectives, sets R&D priorities, and policy measures that are targeted and implemented at the appropriate levels are essential to establish a comprehensive strategy for green growth in agriculture.
This study analyses the promotion of collective action for agri-environmental public goods and addresses externalities by reviewing the experience of various OECD member countries. Twenty-five cases from
13 countries (Australia, Belgium, Canada, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom) are examined. The study shows that collective action should be given serious consideration as a means of addressing many agricultural and natural resource issues, and in some cases collective action should be actively promoted.