New Labour, new environment? An analysis of the labour government's policy on climate change and biodiversity loss

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Assessment of Policy Instruments Toward a Sustainable Traffic System -A backcasting approach for Stockhom 2030

Finding strategies for preventing the process of global warming is growing urgent. Our intention is to highlight the future requirements and expectations on transport related sustainability measures (e.g. mobility management services, road tolls, CO2-taxes and renewable fuel systems) assisting the reaching of a long-term sustainability target of greenhouse gas emissions at the year 2030. We will employ the transport demand model SAMPERS and the traffic assignment model EMME/2 in order to investigate the effect from specific changes to the traffic network of Stockholm 2030, e.g. the environmental and socioeconomic impact from reduced number of commute trips, reduced car ownership, and new price structures and restrictions on private vehicle travel. In connection to this, we also quantify negative side effects (so-called rebound effects) coupled to efficiencies in the traffic network. We use an appraisal framework, influenced by backcasting, in order to assess the impact from the specific policies in relation to the United Nation’s (IPCC) requirements for a sustainable level of CO2-emissions. The findings from this study point at the inevitable need for at least a 50% renewable fuel mix in the traffic system if reaching the target 2030. Single-handedly, travel demand measures are insufficient to accomplish the CO2-emission target for 2030. Nevertheless, reducing traffic volumes by just a few percent might contribute to savings in emission costs, accident costs and aggregate travel time costs in the traffic system. Such measures are needed in order to mitigate the transition from fossil- to renewable fuels.

Bridging the Gap Between Energy and Climate Policies in Brazil: Policy Options to Reduce Energy-Related GHG Emissions

Brazil is facing a series of important policy decisions that will determine its energy future over the next several decades, with important implications for the country's economic competitiveness, the well-being of its citizens, and the global climate. The decisions concern the direction of approximately 0.5 trillion U.S. dollars of anticipated investment in energy infrastructure over the next decade -- which can either lock in carbon-intensive infrastructure, or advance Brazil's position as a leader in the low-carbon economy. This report examines Brazil's key energy-related GHG emitting sectors through a climate lens in order to offer recommendations for a more integrated approach that can more effectively reconcile energy and climate needs. It begins with an overview of Brazil's past energy and GHG emissions profiles, current pledges and future trends, and a discussion of the implications for a possible allocation of the remaining global carbon budget. Next, it reviews available scenarios for Brazil's energy-related GHG emissions in order to identify key drivers and results and compare them to a given allocation of the global carbon budget. It then focuses on the top emitting subsectors -- transport, industry, and power generation -- to identify key abatement opportunities. The report concludes with recommendations regarding a portfolio of policies and measures that could achieve both climate and energy objectives

The Use of Transferable Permits in the Transport Sector

This report focuses on the potential use of domestic transferable permit (TPs) systems in the transport sector, in order to address the issue of mobility needs management and especially the reductions of airborne pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. Firstly the context of the transport sector is briefly reviewed, the main arguments for or against the use of TPs in the sector are analysed and relevant areas are identified. Secondly four case studies of past, present or possible future permits systems are presented and evaluated. The main conclusions are: TPs applied to mobile sources are technically feasible at acceptable financial costs for protecting sensitive geographic areas. TPs schemes applied to automakers for unit vehicle emissions are also viable. Clarity, simplicity in target and pragmatism in scheme design help for their success. Regarding the broader GHG issue end-user TPs would currently involve significant administrative costs when compared with fuel tax system. Given the social resistance encountered by increase in fuel taxes in several countries, end-user TPs with free allocation may intrinsically have potential greater effectiveness and acceptance and should be thoroughly evaluated case-by-case as an alternative.Domestic transferable permits ; Emissions reduction ; Mobile sources ; Transport Sector

China and East Asian Energy - Prospects and Issues Volume II Part I

This collection of papers in two volumes is the second in a series on China and East Asian Energy, a major project which is an initiative of the East Asia Forum in conjunction with the China Economy and Business Program in the Crawford School of Economics and Government at the Australian National University (ANU). The first volume was published in April 2007. The research program is directed at understanding the factors influencing Chinas energy markets. It also involves high-level training and capacity building to foster long-term links between policy thinkers in China and Australia. It provides for regular dialogue with participants from the energy and policy sectors in the major markets in East Asia and Australia. The backbone of the dialogue is an annual conference, the location of which has thus far alternated between Beijing and Canberra. The objective is to advance a research agenda that informs and influences the energy policy discussion in China, Australia and the region. This special edition of the Asia Pacific Economic Papers brings together papers presented at the second conference in the series. Due to their number and length, papers from that second conference are published across two volumes of the Asia Pacific Economic Papers. This volume includes the first half of the papers, while the next volume includes the second half. The third conference in the project is scheduled for July 2008.China, Energy, East Asia

Automotive air pollution : issues and options for developing countries

Air pollution constitutes an ominous threat to human health and welfare. Its adverse effects are pervasive and may be disaggregated at three levels: (a) local, confined to urban and industrial centers; (b) regional, pertaining to transboundary transport of pollutants; and (c) global, related to build up of greenhouse gases. These effects have been observed globally but the characteristics and scale of the air pollution problem in developing countries are not known; nor has the problem been researched and evaluated to the same extent as in industrialized countries. Air pollution, however, can no longer be regarded as a local or a regional issue as it has global repercussions in terms of the greenhouse effect and depletion of the ozone layer. This paper discusses the contribution of motorized land transport to air pollution problems, with special reference to developing countries. It assesses the adverse effects of air pollution from transport sources, primarily motor vehicles, and reviews possible approaches to bring about improvements. The paper identifies key issues and research needs related to land transport and air pollution in developing countriesTransport and Environment,Environmental Economics&Policies,Montreal Protocol,Energy and Environment,Roads&Highways

Responding to Climate Change: The Economy and Economics - Part of the Problem and Solution

The Climate Change Starter’s Guide provides an introduction and overview for education planners and practitioners on the wide range of issues relating to climate change and climate change education, including causes, impacts, mitigation and adaptation strategies, as well as some broad political and economic principles. The aim of this guide is to serve as a starting point for mainstreaming climate change education into school curricula. It has been created to enable education planners and practitioners to understand the issues at hand, to review and analyse their relevance to particular national and local contexts, and to facilitate the development of education policies, curricula, programmes and lesson plans. The guide covers four major thematic areas: 1. the science of climate change, which explains the causes and observed changes; 2. the social and human aspects of climate change including gender, health, migration, poverty and ethics; 3. policy responses to climate change including measures for mitigation and adaptation; and 4. education approaches including education for sustainable development, disaster reduction and sustainable lifestyles. A selection of key resources in the form of publication titles or websites for further reading is provided after each of the thematic sections

Our Planet

Our Planet is the United Nations Environment Program's magazine for environmentally sustainable development. Each issue focuses on one particular theme and contains articles authored by a variety of people, including leaders of UN organizations, non-governmental organizations, and businesses. Site contains every issue dating back to May 1996 and allows full access to the articles. Topics cover a range of disciplines and viewpoints. Educational levels: General public, Undergraduate lower division, Undergraduate upper division, Graduate or professional

Climate or development: Is ODA diverted from its original purpose?

We analyze the interaction of climate and development policy that has taken place since the early 1990s. Increasing dissatisfaction about the results of traditional development cooperation and the appeal of climate policy as a new policy field led to a rapid reorientation of aid flows. At the turn of the century, over 7% of aid flows were spent on greenhouse gas emissions mitigation. However, the contribution of emissions mitigation projects to the central development objective of poverty reduction as specified in the Millennium Development Goals is limited and other project types are likely to be much more effective. Adaptation to climate change can be expected to have higher synergies with poverty alleviation than mitigation, primarily through its impact on health, the conservation of arable land and the protection against natural disasters. An analysis of the Clean Development Mechanism shows that projects addressing the poor directly are very rare; even small renewable energy projects in rural areas tend to benefit rich farmers and the urban population. Use of development aid for CDM projects and / or their preparation via capacity building is thus clearly not warranted. --ODA,climate policy,poverty reduction,MDGs,CDM,mitigation,adaptation