Browse by: "2010"

Le succès de l'approche développée par le Sorell Foundation réside dans l'utilisation d'une bonne conception qui tient compte avant tout des besoins du client. Grâce à ces modèles conceptuels, les consommateurs deviennent des clients mieux informés et cernent mieux les retombées positives qu'une bonne conception peut avoir sur leurs vies...

The practice of cost-benefit analysis (CBA) has a long tradition in France, dating back to Dupuit (1849), but is still a topical subject. This practice is in fact the result of the combination of economic theory and decision processes regarding project choices. Both of these are constantly changing: advances and progress in the theory mean that the technical methods and tools used are constantly improving, while changes to decision processes and institutional organisations are transforming evaluation requirements. In some countries, the process of constant change has been very fast indeed. This is currently true in France, where major transformations are occurring. We are now leaving a period during which the doctrine was based on the strict application of…

Market-based mechanisms offer a number of advantages to other regulatory approaches for GHG mitigation such as technology or performance standards and feed-in tariffs. Advantages include their ability to attain an emissions goal at lower cost and to create incentives for innovation among sources covered by the mechanism (i.e. static and dynamic efficiency). Beyond these critical cost benefits, these mechanisms provide a potential revenue source for governments. This paper examines essential elements of “market readiness” for possible new mechanisms, looking at the necessary technical, policy and institutional frameworks that a country and/or its entities need to develop market mechanisms for accessing private and public financing for low-carbon development.

The three main categories of market readiness building blocks covered in the paper are: i) technical readiness, including coverage of emitters, monitoring and verification and establishing registries; ii) policy readiness, including setting clear goals, choosing appropriate instruments and distributing benefits; and iii) institutional and legal readiness, including establishing responsibility for collection of emissions data, issuance of allowance and credits, and handling legal compliance issues. Whilst some of these elements of readiness will be developed in parallel, the paper suggests a phased approach beginning with assessing mitigation potential and feasibility studies of different policy instruments, then establishing the technical framework before the necessary legal and institutional framework, and finally entering a piloting phase with a critical review process. The establishment of existing market mechanisms such as the EU ETS and the CDM provide some lessons on the capacity building challenges encountered in developing market tools, and the time it took to overcome these. However, with the prospects of a more bottom-up and fragmented carbon market post-2012, efforts to harmonise and develop international minimum requirements for some of the market readiness building blocks such as MRV and transaction registries may be required. Such harmonisation efforts would facilitate market access and integration, as well as the development of an international post-2012 accounting framework.

Through practical design projects, the Sorrell Foundation has demonstrated the advantages of involving children and young people as the main consumers of their school. It counts on good design to bring its customer to the forefront of the product; these in turn become better informed clients and understand the benefits that good design can have on their lives...

Economic regulation is a controversial issue, especially in the transport sector. This paper analyses a number of general transport and mode-specific issues that can provide indications for setting up regulatory bodies and orienting their strategies. It also looks at a specific national case study (Italy) where no specific regulatory institution for the transport sector has existed until now.

This paper provides evidence on and discussion of recent developments in global transport markets and analyzes what policies look most promising for stabilizing CO2- emissions from light-duty vehicles. In the aftermath of the economic crisis, recovery is uncertain and unevenly spread across the globe. This has potential impacts on global trade patterns and commodity flows, and hence on key freight transport flows. For the management of future greenhouse gas emissions from transport, our analysis strongly suggests that technologies to improve fuel economy and ultimately transform the energy basis of transport are the key, as there are very strong upward pressures on demand volumes. This of course does not mean that demand…

This article explores the architecture of a network of education centres located in underprivileged communities in Mexico. The centres provide an environment conducive to learning through spaces that are sustainable, comfortable and secure...

The transport sector is currently responsible for 23% of energy-related CO2 emissions, and transport associated CO2 emissions will more than double by 2050. This working paper evaluates the potential costs and benefits of using natural gas as a vehicle fuel for road transportation, as well as the policy related to its market development.

A strengthened social contract in Latin American countries relies on the improved quality of public services such as health and education, which would build a constituency for a broader tax base. Latin American middle-income sectors express strong support for democracy but they are critical of how it works, largely due to the low quality of public services. Fiscal policy is at the heart of the state's relationship with its citizens - all the more so in Latin America, given the weak social contracts and the consolidation of its democracies.

La réglementation économique est par essence une question très controversée, en particulier dans le secteur des transports. La présente étude analyse plusieurs questions relatives aux transports dans leur ensemble ou à certains modes en particulier dont il est possible de tirer certains enseignements au sujet de l’établissement des organes réglementaires et de l’orientation de leur stratégie. Elle présente dans sa deuxième partie une étude de cas portant sur un pays (Italie) qui n’a pas encore d’instance réglementaire pour le secteur des transports.

o Les revenus sont très inégalement répartis en Amérique latine, de même que les possibilités de mobilité sociale ascendante. o Le développement de la petite enfance est un puissant mécanisme égalisateur du champs social. o Une éducation secondaire plus généralisée et de meilleure qualité est un élément clé. Les réformes devront s'appuyer sur une meilleure administration des écoles qui associe flexibilité et transparence à un système moderne d'évaluation et d'incitations pour les gestionnaires d'établissements scolaires et les enseignants.

If the transport sector is to make deep cuts to its carbon emissions, it is necessary to reduce the carbon-intensity of travel. Reducing travel itself, at some times and places, is sometimes justified but it is extremely unlikely that under expected global economic development patterns overall demand will decline. This holds true even if there is saturation in some markets and demand management policies are widely adopted. Technological change is therefore crucial. The emerging view is that the focus for decarbonising transport should be first to improve the fuel efficiency of conventional engines and then gradually introduce alternative technologies…

La ville de la Nouvelle Orléans a entrepris de mettre en oeuvre un plan ambitieux pour la rénovation systémique, la reconstruction des programmes et des infrastructures communautaires. Au minimum, chacun de ces sites scolaires deviendra un établissement communautaire...

How can designers create more innovative and sustainable learning environments? This paper argues in favour of challenging best practice” generally accepted by the architectural profession by embracing a responsive design approach. Such an approach accepts that the environment shapes the learner, and that learners influence their environment...

o Le travail informel reste omniprésent en Amérique latine et aux Caraïbes. o De nombreux " travailleurs des couches moyennes " (qui se situent au milieu de l'échelle de distribution des revenus) sont employés dans le secteur informel et cotisent de manière irrégulière à un régime public ou privé de retraite. o Les pouvoirs publics doivent envisager d'élargir les prestations sociales et de stimuler (même financièrement, à travers des régimes coordonnés à cotisations déterminées) l'épargne individuelle.

Electric vehicles are often presented as a green solution to the transport problem. They offer, it is argued, the benefits of the private car without its costs. They make it possible for individuals and families to move around easily, rapidly, comfortably, at any moment in time, which makes them more consumer friendly than public modes of transportation. Yet, unlike classical cars, they do not consume scarce and dwindling fossil fuel resources and do not reject greenhouse gases, nor local pollutants....

Mexico´s public investment process is strengthened by an institutional framework that ensures that projects with a high social return are given preference. The Federal Law of Budget and Financial Responsibility establishes as prerequisite for federal investments the obligation to present a Cost-Benefit Analysis (CBA), and to get the Investment Unit approval. This paper describes the use of CBA for the social and economic evaluation of transport infrastructure in Mexico and is made from the point of view of the role of the Ministry of Finance’s Investment Unit in the appraisal process.

The heated debate on the regulatory framework for airports has highlighted the importance of creating good institutions for air transport in general. This paper defines the concept of effective regulatory institutions for air transport. It also describes the value chain for air transport and how the state intervenes with what type of regulatory institution. The paper concludes by highlighting the institutional reforms necessary to make regulation effective.

A brief review of long run projections of demand for road transport suggests that problems related to road network congestion and greenhouse gas emissions are likely to become more pressing than they are now. Hence we review, from a macroscopic perspective, popular policy measures to address these problems: stimulating modal shift, regulating land use to reduce car use, and boosting low carbon technology adoption to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. We find that these policies can produce tangible results, but that they may have unintended consequences that drive up costs considerably.

The Round Table addressed the broad question of what research and experience tell us about how to arrive at a successful introduction of congestion charging schemes. Attention was limited mostly to urbanized areas where road traffic congestion is or may become an issue. “Success” means (a) that a policy is implemented, (b) that it works, (c) that it is accepted by actual and potential users, and (d) that it generates benefits for society overall. In order to shed light on these dimensions of success, lessons are drawn from more and less successful attempts to implement charges. In addition, we ask if and how the evolving understanding of the economics of road traffic congestion charging might affect the assessment of congestion charging policy. The…