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This new web format for Environment at a Glance Indicators provides real-time interactive on-line access to the latest comparable OECD-country data on the environment from the OECD Core Set of Environmental Indicators – a tool to evaluate environmental performance in countries and to track the course towards sustainable development. The web version allows users to play with the data and graphics, download and share them, and consult and download thematic web-books. These indicators provide key messages on major environmental trends in areas such as climate change, biodiversity, water resources, air quality, circular economy and ocean resources. They are accompanied by a short Environment at a Glance report that presents a digest of the key messages stemming from the indicators.
Environment at a Glance in Latin America and the Caribbean: Spotlight on Climate Change focusses on climate change, looking at trends in greenhouse gas emissions, exposure to climate-related hazards and climate policies. It provides key messages on past progress and remaining efforts to be made in Latin America and the Caribbean. The report draws on the OECD’s expertise in environmental data and indicators, on the work of the International Programme for Action on Climate (IPAC) and is part of the OECD Latin America and the Caribbean Regional Programme. The indicators presented come from OECD and other international databases, and reveal substantive gaps in the availability of data on the environment and climate in the region. This interactive report allows users to play with the data and graphics and to download and share them.
Severe environmental problems were a key issue in the protests that marked the end of communist regimes in Central and Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union. This groundbreaking book provides new insights into the interaction between economic policy reforms, environmental protection efforts and environmental conditions in the region's subsequent transition to market-based economies and democratic societies over the past eight to ten years. The unique contribution of the book is its synthesis of a vast amount of information and cumulative experience together with detailed examples and case studies to provide a coherent analysis of the challenges and achievements in institutional strengthening and policy reform, environmental policy instruments, environmental financing, and environmental management in enterprises. It also reviews the development of domestic public participation and international co-operation for the safeguarding of the region's environment and discusses trends in industrial pollution and biodiversity protection. The book shows that economic reforms provided a crucial stimulus for environmental improvement, leading to reductions in high pollution levels. Moreover, several countries have strengthened their domestic environmental policies, institutions, and financing, resulting in further improvements. Nonetheless, many serious problems remain, and others have grown worse over the transition period: in many countries of the former Soviet Union in particular, economic crises and political stagnation have impeded environmental protection efforts. Continued partnerships between governments of the region, OECD donor countries, international financial institutions and organisations, environmental NGOs, businesses and trade unions, as well as public support for these, will be essential to reinforce the environmental improvements achieved thus far.
China's endowment of water resources is extremely low, poorly distributed, and increasingly polluted. With agriculture being one of the main consumers of water, China's future development depends on initiatives that will raise the efficiency and efficacy of water use. These workshop proceedings examine the current situation in China, look at what is being done in OECD countries to manage water resources, and suggest policy options for China.
Environmental activities in uranium mining and milling are becoming increasingly important owing to: - the stricter requirements for new facilities being imposed by many countries in the form of environmental clearance approvals; - the large number of uranium production facilities which have been taken out of operation recently; - and, the restoration and reclamation measures that are being considered for many old sites which have been closed permanently.
This book provides an overview of environmental activities related to uranium production based on survey responses from 29 countries. It discusses environmental and safety activities related to the closure and remediation of formerly utilised sites; the operation, monitoring and control of producing sites; and the planning, licensing and authorisation of new facilities. It includes an overview of the reported interests of specialists working in the field, including sensitivity of ecosystems, environmental impact assessment, emissions to air and water, work environment, radiation safety, waste handling and disposal, mine and mill decommissioning and site restoration, and the regulation of these activities.
This paper reviews some general strategies used by OECD Member countries when assessing exposure in the context of risk assessments for existing industrial chemicals. It is intended as an initial overview, not as a comprehensive review. Strategies for source assessment, one of the elements of environmental exposure assessment, are in particular not fully described.
In Russia, there has been a severe lack of financing for environmental projects in recent years. Traditional sources of financing, such as government budgets, lack resources in this time of crisis, while new sources have yet to develop their potential. How can Russia finance the projects and programmes to tackle its most serious environmental problems?
This volume brings together papers from an OECD workshop that assessed the challenges and opportunities of environmental financing in Russia today. Its case studies focus on the regional and local levels of government, which have taken over the main work of implementing environmental policy in Russia today. The book also looks at the water sector, which has traditionally required large public investments. The papers examine how current financial mechanisms can be used more effectively and consider opportunities for new sources of financing in Russia's current transition to a market economy. Furthermore, they point to key areas for reforming Russia's environmental policy framework.
This DAC Reference Paper outlines key issues faced when designing Environmental Fiscal Reform (EFR). EFR refers to a range of taxation and pricing measures which can raise fiscal revenues while furthering environmental goals. The objective is to provide insights and “good practice” on how development co-operation agencies can help developing countries take advantage of EFR approaches in both their development and poverty reduction strategies.
Following a review of the instruments of EFR and related technical issues, Environmental Fiscal Reform for Poverty Reduction focuses on the political economy and governance aspects of EFR. This includes an examination of the precondition for successful design and implementation, the various steps involved through the EFR Policy Cycle, the challenges faced at each stage, and the main stakeholders involved. The role of donors in supporting EFR processes is also outlined.
Subsequently, these issues are reviewed in relation to sectors of particular relevance for developing countries: forestry, fisheries, fossil fuel, electricity, drinking water and industrial pollution control.
While efficient ports are vital to the economic development of their surrounding areas, the related ship traffic, the handling of the goods in the ports and the hinterland distribution can cause a number of negative environmental impacts.
This book examines the environmental impacts of international maritime transport, and looks more in detail at the impacts stemming from near-port shipping activities, the handling of the goods in the ports and from the distribution of the goods to the surrounding regions. It focuses on five ports: Los Angeles and Long Beach, California, the United States; Rotterdam, the Netherlands; Port Metro Vancouver, Canada; and Busan, Korea.
The book provides examples of the environmental problems related to port activities (such as air pollution and emissions of greenhouse gases, water pollution, noise, spread of invasive species, etc.) and highlights a number of different policy instruments that can be used to limit the negative impacts. It is a valuable resource for policy makers and researchers alike.
This book is the first comprehensive study to review and take stock in OECD countries of progress in developing indicators to measure the environmental performance of agriculture. Using standard indicator definitions and methods of calculation, the book provides results of the state and trends of environmental conditions in agriculture; interprets trends and highlights linkages between indicators; and, outlines the limitations and key challenges for their future development.
This first volume, of the series Environmental Indicators for Agriculture, outlines an analytical framework to further the analysis of agri-environmental linkages and sustainable agriculture. It describes the main environmental concepts in agriculture of relevance to OECD policy-makers and the indicators that need to be calculated: the use of nutrients, pesticides, and water; land conservation; water and soil quality; greenhouse gases; biodiversity; wildlife habitats; landscape; and environmental impacts related to farm management practices, the availability of farm financial resources, and rural socio-cultural issues.
This book, the result of the OECD York Workshop in the United Kingdom attended by some of the leading experts in the field, examines two key aspects of developing environmental indicators for agriculture. One discusses the identification and design of suitable indicators, the methodology to be used in their measurement and issues relating to interpretation. The other looks at how governments and other users would use indicators for policy purposes.
This report presents an overview of existing environmental credit lines in the EU’s Eastern Partnership (EaP) countries (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine), which are mostly supported by International Finance Institutions and donors and disbursed by local commercial banks. Lessons learned from this type of credit-line implementation provide useful insights for spurring the banking sector into financing green investments.
This book brings together the findings of key sector- and media-specific analyses of the environment in the Eastern Europe, Caucasus, and Central Asia (EECCA) area and puts forward a set of indicators to provide a one-stop, concise and up-to-date assessment that is accessible also to a non-specialist audience. It systematically looks at environmental legislation, policies, and institutions; pollution prevention and control; natural resources management; environmental policy integration; financial resources for the environment; environmental information and public awareness; and co-operation on transboundary issues.
It finds that the problems are serious, but they vary across countries. A significant burden of environmental disease persists – one out of 1 000 children born in Tajikistan dies before the age of five due to diarrhoeal diseases closely associated to lack of safe water. Despite low income levels, natural resources are under heavy pressure – nine out of twelve countries forming the region are water-stressed. To confront those problems, institutional development and policy responses would need to be stepped up. This assessment finds that current policies are often ineffective in stimulating significant improvements, scarce resources are spent without clear programmatic frameworks, and policy integration is very limited.
This document presents the conclusions and recommendations of the OECD Environmental Performance Review of Japan for 2002.
In OECD countries, agriculture uses on average over 40% of land and water resources, and thus has significant affect on the environment. This report provides the latest and most comprehensive data and analysis on the environmental performance of agriculture in OECD countries since 1990. It covers key environmental themes including soil, water, air and biodiversity and looks at recent policy developments in all 30 countries.
In OECD countries, agriculture uses on average over 40% of land and water resources, and thus has significant affect on the environment. This report provides the latest and most comprehensive data and analysis on the environmental performance of agriculture in OECD countries since 1990. It covers key environmental themes including soil, water, air and biodiversity and looks at recent policy developments in all 30 countries.
Over recent years the environmental performance of agriculture has improved in many countries, largely due to consumer pressure and changing public opinion. Many OECD countries are now tracking the environmental performance of agriculture, which is informing policy makers and society on the trends in agri-environmental conditions, and can provide a valuable aid to policy analysis. The indicators in this report provide crucial information to monitor and analyse the wide range of policy measures used in agriculture today, and how they are affecting the environment.
Did You Know? In OECD countries, agriculture uses on average 40% of land and water resources.
This toolkit, based on existing good practice, aims to help governments in the EU’s Eastern Partnership (EaP) countries (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine) to design and implement key instruments to promote environmental compliance and green business practices among small and medium-sized enterprises. Reducing the environmental impact of SMEs in both manufacturing and services is a key success factor in greening the economy. At the same time, improving environmental performance is a significant business opportunity for SMEs as important suppliers of goods and services. Developed under the EaP GREEN project, this report will be of interest to environmental and economic ministries, as well as business associations and non-governmental and academic institutions in EaP countries.
Provides an in-depth empirical analysis of an industrial survey undertaken in seven OECD countries (Japan, France, Germany, Hungary, Norway, Canada and the United States), spanning 4000 facilities in all manufacturing sectors, including small and medium-sized enterprises. The authors use their findings to illustrate the links between public (government) environmental policies and private (firm and facility) environmental management, investments, innovation and performance. With a specific focus on the public policy implications of the empirical findings, the book provides a foundation upon which to formulate public and corporate policy in the environmental sphere.