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Public communication is an essential element of government policy and crucial for transparency, integrity, accountability and stakeholder participation. This OECD Review analyses public communication in Lebanon, by reviewing the relevant governance structures and procedures across the public administration, along with the prevailing use of core competencies for this function and their application to support transparency and stakeholder participation in public life. The recommendations in this report highlight important opportunities to shift towards a more strategic approach to public communication that can better serve policy goals and help respond to citizens’ needs and expectations.
Public communication is an essential part of government policy and an important contributor to transparency, integrity, accountability and stakeholder participation. This Citizens’ Voice in Jordan Report provides an analysis of internal and external communications processes, examining progress achieved to date and remaining challenges. It provides recommendations for the Government of Jordan for making a strategic use of public communication and strengthening the media ecosystem in the interest of promoting a more open government.
This handbook offers government officials practical assistance in strengthening relations between government and citizens. It combines a brief review of basic concepts, principles, concrete examples of good practice, tools (including new information and communication technologies) as well as tips from practice. The approach and activities shown in this handbook support and complement formal institutions of democracy, and strengthen the democratic process.
Many combinations of policies have been employed to stimulate local renewable energy development. These policies include: local governance by authority; providing resources; enabling private actors; leading by example; allowing self-governance. Mega-city mayors, down to small-town officials, have successfully introduced such policies, although these vary with location, local resources and population. Cities, Towns and Renewable Energy – “ Yes In My Front Yard “ includes several case studies chosen to illustrate how enhanced deployment of renewable energy projects can result, regardless of a community’s size or location.
The goals of this report are to inspire city stakeholders by showing how renewable energy systems can benefit citizens and businesses, assist national governments to better appreciate the role that local municipalities might play in meeting national and international objectives, and help accelerate the necessary transition to a sustainable energy future.
Cities are not only home to around half of the global population but also major centers of economic activity and innovation. Yet, so far there has been no consensus of what a city really is. Substantial differences in the way cities, metropolitan, urban, and rural areas are defined across countries hinder robust international comparisons and an accurate monitoring of SDGs. The report Cities in the World: A New Perspective on Urbanisation addresses this void and provides new insights on urbanisation by applying for the first time two new definitions of human settlements to the entire globe: the Degree of Urbanisation and the Functional Urban Area. Based on the definitions, the report presents new evidence of recent and future urbanisation trends and sheds light on the evolution of metropolitan areas around the globe. It examines whether and why quality of life differs between cities and other types of settlements. It analyses the relationship between economic development and the metropolitan system in countries around the world. Finally, it presents new evidence on the changing shape of cities and its impact on sustainability. The report demonstrates how globally consistent definitions of cities and metropolitan areas can contribute to more effective policy design.
In OECD countries, metropolitan areas often enjoy above-average rates of growth; they compete for foreign direct investment, have a leading position in the knowledge-based economy, and attract a disproportionately large share of immigrants. Yet they also are burdened with many problems including congestion, and the renewal of infrastructure, the spread of distressed urban areas. Better strategies for the development of metropolitan areas are vital if their rate of economic growth is to remain strong, but the governance structures currently in place are often outdated and ill-adapted to the tasks they face, especially given the sprawl of many metropolitan cities across many jurisdictions.
Drawing on the lessons from successful and unsuccessful attempts at the reform of metropolitan governance, this book identifies ways by which central and metropolitan governments can work better to optimise the potential of each urban region.
Is there a "new learning economy"? Do regions and cities play new roles in terms of governance and intervention in order to promote learning, innovation, productivity and economic performance at the local level? Such questions are high on the political agenda everywhere. This publication, which views the debate from the perspective of a regional learning economy, clearly answers in the affirmative. Of central importance is the idea that learning regions and cities, which are especially well attuned to the requirements of the new learning economy, may be fostered through the development of appropriate strategies of public governance and intervention. The relationships between various forms of learning and economic performance at the regional level are analysed and provide strong evidence of the importance of individual and firm-level organisational learning for regions’ economic performance. Case studies of five regions and cities indicate that social capital affects both individual and organisational learning.
As the hubs of economic activity, cities drive the vast majority of the world’s energy use and are major contributors to global greenhouse gas emissions. Because they are home to major infrastructure and highly concentrated populations, cities are also vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, such as rising sea levels, warmer temperatures and fiercer storms. At the same time, better urban planning and policies can reduce energy use and greenhouse gas emissions and improve the resilience of urban infrastructure to climate change, thus shaping future trends.
This book shows how city and metropolitan regional governments working in tandem with national governments can change the way we think about responding to climate change. The chapters analyse: trends in urbanisation, economic growth, energy use and climate change; the economic benefits of climate action; the role of urban policies in reducing energy demand, improving resilience to climate change and complementing global climate policies; frameworks for multilevel governance of climate change including engagement with relevant stakeholders; and the contribution of cities to “green growth”, including the “greening” of fiscal policies, innovation and jobs. The book also explores policy tools and best practices from both OECD and some non-member countries.
Cities and Climate Change reveals the importance of addressing climate change across all levels of government. Local involvement through “climate-conscious” urban planning and management can help achieve national climate goals and minimise tradeoffs between environmental and economic priorities at local levels. The book will be relevant to policy makers, researchers, and others with an interest in learning more about urbanisation and climate change policy.
Many countries will likely face the need to increase tax revenues, as part of fiscal consolidation, during the next few years. But how is this best done? And what are the considerations when choosing between raising tax rates and broadening the tax base by scaling back or abolishing targeted tax provisions (such as allowances, exemptions and preferential rates)? This report aims to answer such questions by taking a close look at the economic and political factors that influence governments’ tax decisions.
Although many countries have broadened their tax bases over the past 30 years, targeted tax provisions, notably tax expenditures, continue to be significant. Like public expenditure, targeted tax reliefs mean that (other) tax rates need to be higher in order to finance these reliefs. This report therefore discusses whether such tax provisions continue to be worthwhile. It includes an annex covering country-specific revenue forgone estimates of tax expenditures for selected OECD countries.
This report also identifies political factors, including the lobbying of influential interest groups, as the main obstacles to base-broadening reforms, and it considers how reforms can be best packaged and presented to overcome such obstacles.
The People’s Republic of China (“China”) has become one of the major providers of capital, construction services, and equipment to the energy sectors of developing and emerging economies. It has contributed to the power systems as well as the oil and gas sectors in the countries of these regions. Chinese energy and energy infrastructure companies, largely state-owned, are active across the energy sector in most fuels and through diverse modalities.
This report analyses the construction services, equipment, and investments provided by Chinese energy and energy infrastructure companies in the power, coal, oil, and gas sectors in non-OECD emerging Asian countries. It uses an integrated approach to provide a fact-based quantitative overview across the energy sector that complements existing research efforts. It identifies the main Chinese stakeholders, highlights major trends, and analyses strategies and drivers.
Findings reveal that, while the construction services, equipment and investments provided by Chinese companies are significant, they supply only part of emerging Asian economies’ energy sector needs; their role remains relatively modest compared to those of other companies.
The study provides a major reassessment of the scale and scope of China’s resurgence over the past half century, employing quantitative measurement techniques which are standard practice in OECD countries. It uses a comparative approach to explain why China’s role in the world economy has changed so dramatically in the last thousand years. It concludes that China is likely to resume its natural role as the world’s largest economy by the year 2015, thus regaining the position it had held until 1890. A dynamic link (StatLink) is provided for each table and graph, which directs the user to a web page where the corresponding data are available in Excel® format. Except for Appendix A, this edition has been revised and updated and Chapter 4 is completely new.
"..ambitious in scope and packed with facts. Highly recommended."
-Choice
"The book is a must for anyone who wants to understand the past and the future of the Chinese economy."
-Justin Yifu Lin, Founding Director, China Center for Economic Research,
Peking University.
"This second edition is a very impressive and important contribution to a subject that has deep significance for the world economy."
-Professor Lawrence Klein, Nobel Laureate.
"A welcome update to a dazzling essay."
-Nicholas Eberstadt, American Enterprise Institute.
"This review of a millenium of Chinese economic history and its implications for the future of China and the World is a remarkable achievement. A must read for anyone interested in China."
-Dwight H. Perkins, Harvard University.
"A great masterpiece in the field of economic history, the shoulders of a giant on which new generations of scholars from all over the world will stand. We Chinese scholars will benefit as greatly from this second edition as we have from the first."
-Li Bozhong, Professor of History, Tsinghua University, Beijing.
Angus Maddison is Emeritus Professor of Economic Growth and Development at the University of Groningen. He held a number of senior posts at OEEC and OECD between 1953 and 1978, and has been a policy advisor to governments in Brazil, Ghana, Greece, Mexico and Pakistan. He is the author of 20 books on the long run performance of nations, and their interactions within the world economy. He has built up an international network of scholars working in this field. He is a fellow of the British Academy, a member of the American Academy of Arts and Science, and an honorary fellow of Selwyn College, Cambridge.
This book is unique in its depth of perspective. It uses a comparative approach to explain why China’s role in the world economy has changed so dramatically in the last thousand years. It concludes that China is likely to resume its natural role as the world’s largest economy by the year 2015, thus regaining the position it had held until the end of the nineteenth century.
The study provides a major reassessment of the scale and scope of China’s resurgence over the past half century, employing quantitative measurement techniques which are standard practice in OECD countries, but which have not hitherto been available for China.
Written by the author of many studies on comparative economic history, including two best sellers for the OECD Development Centre, this book is essential reading for all those who seek to understand the role of China in the world economy, in the past, as well as in the present and the future.
This brochure is published within the framework of the Scheme for the Application of International Standards for Fruit and Vegetables established by OECD in 1962. It comprises explanatory notes and illustrations to facilitate the uniform interpretation of the Chinese Cabbage. This brochure illustrates the standard text and demonstrates the quality parameters on high quality photographs. Thus it is a valuable tool for the inspection authorities, professional bodies and traders interested in international trade in Chinese Cabbage.
In 2017, the People’s Republic of China (hereafter, “China”) decided to implement a national emissions trading scheme (ETS) to limit and reduce CO2 emissions in a cost-effective manner. Set to start in 2020, the ETS will initially cover coal- and gas-fired power plants. It will allocate allowances (also known as permits), based on the plant’s generation output, with a different benchmark for each fuel and technology. China’s ETS, set to expand to seven other sectors, will be the world’s largest by far, covering one-seventh of global CO2 emissions from fossil-fuel combustion.
This book provides an overview of the key challenges faced by China and OECD's main policy recommendations to address them. Drawing on the OECD’s expertise in comparing country experiences and identifying best practices, the book tailors the OECD’s policy advice to the specific and timely priorities of China, focusing on how its government can make reform happen.
China’s rapid growth over the past twenty years has sparked a surging demand for energy. The Chinese made strenuous efforts to exploit their domestic resources; but growth eventually overwhelmed them and led to rising oil imports. Within the next decade, China’s oil imports are expected to grow rapidly and outstrip those of many OECD countries. Gas imports are also projected to increase as China switches to cleaner energy. Aware of its growing dependency on imported energy, China seeks a more prominent position in the existing global system of energy production and trade. Where it can, China seeks to open new connections in global markets. Increasingly, external energy policies are entwined in foreign economic and security policies in general. This book documents how China is creating energy relationships across the Middle East, Southeast Asia, Russia, Central Asia and Africa. The Chinese are also intensively studying how the rest of the world operates in the energy sector. The position of this vast nation in the global energy markets can only grow stronger as time passes. Trade and investment are the main elements in China’s energy policy toward the rest of the world today. Before long, the Chinese may seek to participate in the actual management of overseas energy facilities.
In 2005, China added the equivalent of all the power plants in Norway and Sweden to its electricity generating capacity - and its remarkable demand growth shows no sign of abating. But how can the government best assure affordable and environmentally sustainable electricity supply in the future? Assessing the current state of electricity regulation in China, this report draws on experience elsewhere to explore how better to develop and communicate strategy, how to moderate growth in demand through increased efficiency, how to integrate environmental goals into planning and operation, how to ensure sufficient supply when and where it is needed, and how to handle institutional and governance challenges.
The world’s largest energy consumer and producer as well as the top oil importer and carbon dioxide emitter,
the People’s Republic of China is in the centre of the global energy landscape – and at a turning point towards a
low-carbon future. There is an increasingly clear congruence of China’s domestic interests and the world’s
collective interests in terms of energy security, economic development and sustainable growth. In global energy
governance, the country is gradually transforming from outsider to insider and from follower to influencer, with
instrumental implications for the country and the world. This book provides a historical perspective on China’s
approach to global energy governance and highlights how greater positive and constructive Chinese
engagement can be a step towards a better energy future for all.
Chinese decision-makers are grappling with policy choices that will optimise the gains from China’s integration into the international trading system in harmony with social, regional and sustainable development goals. Trade liberalisation can significantly enhance the reform process underway and bring great benefits to China. But the agricultural sector faces the greatest challenges and potential hardships of any economic sector from this process. Significant domestic policy reform and structural adjustment will be critical to enable China to realise its comparative advantage in agriculture and to redeploy an estimated 150 million redundant farmers. To sharpen understanding of the policy options, the OECD invited Chinese and international experts to reflect together upon the likely impacts of freer trade on China’s agricultural sector. Based on the results of China’s WTO negotiations with key trading partners, they assessed the compatibility of China’s WTO commitments with domestic policies and the need for specific changes. They analysed the effects of likely policy changes on cereal, oilseeds and livestock markets in China and OECD countries. And they examined the implications of China’s WTO accession on rural enterprises, regional development and the domestic and international political economy. These proceedings offer the reader the fruits of timely analytical and strategic thinking and joint reflection on some of the most important agricultural policy issues for China and the world.