Green Services and Emergence and Recovery from the Global Economic Slowdown in Developing Asian Economies

The global economic slowdown has again highlighted the vulnerability of export-led development models and economies to downturns in export markets. Economic deepening or “rebalancing” with an emphasis on service-sector development should be—and is becoming—one long-term response to the crisis by Asia's emerging economies. In the long run, sustainable economic development will depend in part on achieving a “green” trajectory of service sector development, in which services help green the “product economy.” In the short run, however, can services help address short- and medium-term challenges of emergence and recovery from the crisis—particularly those of at least resuming historic rates of poverty alleviation and inclusive growth? Meeting these challenges will require that export sectors deal successfully with challenging market conditions. There is a class of closely related business-to-business services which act to green the product economy, and which would improve the competitiveness of export sectors and husband scarce public resources by optimizing the efficiency of infrastructure utilization. These are functional procurement/efficiency services, which transform procurement of environmentally problematic goods and services—such as waste disposal, energy, chemicals, and transport—into performance-based services in which service providers profit by increasing the customer's eco-efficiency. Energy Service Companies (ESCOs) are the best-known of these service models. These services appear to have strong potential among the larger, more sophisticated institutions and commercial and industrial enterprises in developing Asian states, particularly in Asia's more advanced developing economies.green service sector; energy service companies asia

Green Services and Emergence and Recovery from the Global Economic Slowdown in Developing Asian Economies

The global economic slowdown has again highlighted the vulnerability of export-led development models and economies to downturns in export markets. Economic deepening or rebalancing with an emphasis on service-sector development should beand is becomingone long-term response to the crisis by Asias emerging economies. In the long run, sustainable economic development will depend in part on achieving a green trajectory of service sector development, in which services help green the product economy. In the short run, however, can services help address short- and medium-term challenges of emergence and recovery from the crisisparticularly those of at least resuming historic rates of poverty alleviation and inclusive growth? Meeting these challenges will require that export sectors deal successfully with challenging market conditions. There is a class of closely related business-to-business services which act to green the product economy, and which would improve the competitiveness of export sectors and husband scarce public resources by optimizing the efficiency of infrastructure utilization. These are functional procurement/efficiency services, which transform procurement of environmentally problematic goods and servicessuch as waste disposal, energy, chemicals, and transportinto performance-based services in which service providers profit by increasing the customers eco-efficiency. Energy Service Companies (ESCOs) are the best-known of these service models. These services appear to have strong potential among the larger, more sophisticated institutions and commercial and industrial enterprises in developing Asian states, particularly in Asias more advanced developing economies.global economic slowdown, export-led development models, sustainable economic development, Energy Service Companies, Asia

Innovations for a Low-Carbon Economy in Asia: Past, Present, and Future

Low-carbon technology development is crucial for country’s economic and social transformation. It is often influenced by policy factors and multiple actors, both internal and external. This chapter explores the journey of low-carbon energy policymaking in four Asian countries: Based on critical analysis, three major conclusions are arrived in, about the dynamics of innovations in low-carbon energy policy making. First, a transition into a low-carbon energy economy involves distinguishable temporal and developmental phases, often characterized by hierarchy, aggregation, and space. In the initial period, technology policy choices are made to meet the growing concerns of energy security and access, later of reliability, and then of climate change. Past policies, technology-oriented top-down, are gradually being replaced or complemented by market-oriented policies. A second conclusion is that the ongoing low-carbon economic transition is enhanced by regional cooperation. Adoption of an action plan for regional energy cooperation created enabling environment for paradigm shifts in national energy policy making. Third, the flying geese model of economic integration points to a new way of regional cooperation to solve low-carbon energy policy dilemmas, with no formal involvement of policy institutions, but works according to market principles. To benefit as much as possible from that niche, developing countries need and create an environment more conducive to smooth the flow of low-carbon technology and services

Impact of Global Recession on Sustainable Development and Poverty Linkages

The global financial crisis and the resulting economic slowdown may be assumed to have at least the benefit of also reducing environmental degradation in the individual countries. This paper discusses the consequences of the crisis for energy use, pollution prevention, and land use in Asia and the associated emissions of greenhouse gases-the principal global warming pollutants-as well as their linkage with poverty. There are some short-term benefits to the global environment from the economic slowdown. Such benefits include reduction in the rate of air and water pollution from reduced energy use-which has direct implications for the urban poor's health. However, modest benefits to global and local environments arising from the economic slowdown are likely to be much smaller than the costs associated with many environmental conservation measures, related to energy savings, natural resources protection, and water environment. Both supply and demand side investments in energy and environment are being affected. Many ongoing projects are being slowed and a number of downward revisions are being made in expected profitability. Meanwhile, businesses and households are spending less on energy efficiency measures. Tighter credit and lower prices make investment in energy savings and environmental conservation less attractive financially, while the economic crisis is encouraging end users to rein in spending across the board. This is delaying the deployment of more efficient technology and equipment. Furthermore, solution providers are expected to reduce investment in research, development, and commercialization of more energy-efficient models, unless they are able to secure financial support from governments. The economic slowdown is likely to alter land use patterns by increasing the pressure to clear forests for firewood, timber, or agricultural purposes-the livelihood opportunities available with the rural poor. Further, the likely additional delay in many countries in the construction of effluent treatment plans for limiting the discharge of pollutants into the rivers is expected to harm the water environment. Thus on balance, the modest benefits to global and local environments arising from the economic slowdown are likely to be much smaller than the costs of many environmental conservation measures for improving the livelihood conditions of the poor. Natural resources and ecosystem services provided by the environment are essential to support economic growth and better livelihood conditions of the poor. Inaction on key environmental challenges, such as climate change, could lead to severe economic consequences in the future. These concerns justify government action to support investment in green growth measures, promoting direct investment or fiscal incentives for energy efficiency and clean environment low-carbon technologies. But much more needs to be done. The investment needed to put national economies in low-carbon green growth pathways far exceeds what is expected to occur. Governments should be looking to increase the new funds they commit to long-term energy and environmental policies to improve livelihood conditions and to shift our development trend into an environmentally sustainable future. Hence a commitment that extends well beyond the economic stimulus packages is needed.poverty reduction; greenhouse gas emissions; global financial crisis

Leveraging Environment and Climate Change Initiatives for Corporate Excellence

This paper reviews selected initiatives taken by Asian countries to comply with emerging global sustainability standards, reporting, and management systems, and tracks the response of Asian businesses to global environmental concerns, examines market based innovations including new regulations that augmented corporate excellence, and identifies future directions for business that lead low carbon society. It recommends governments and business to join forces in supporting low carbon initiatives, drawing upon market mechanisms through reconfiguring national environmental policies and strategies.climate change initiatives; global sustainability standards; low carbon initiatives; environmental policies

Measuring the Environmental Impacts of Changing Trade Patterns on the Poor

It is an empirical fact that it is very difficult to balance economic growth, poverty reduction, and environment protection, particularly for developing and transitional economies. While the economic environment of a country is influenced by conditions within the country, it is also influenced by external shocks such as the recent global financial crisis depending on how integrated the country is with the rest of the world. Thus, it poses a continuing challenge for policy makers in developing and transitional countries to readjust the economic environment in a way that leads to better and more effective targeting of the chronic issue of poverty reduction without causing damage to the natural environment. It is in this context that this paper attempts to measure the environmental impact of changing trade patterns on the poor. The recent financial crisis has discouraged United States (US) private consumption, which in turn has significantly reduced exports from Asia. However, Asia’s private consumption is at a very low level even when compared with the current reduced US private consumption. Therefore, it is possible for Asian countries to focus more on improving regional trade and domestic consumption to compensate for the revenue losses that resulted from the reduction in global demand. This paper argues that energy-efficient production methods and service-led growth, particularly trade in environmental goods and services, provide good opportunities for Asian countries to enjoy “inclusive growth” without damaging the natural environment.asia economic growth; asia trade and environment; asia poverty reduction

Information Disclosure Strategies for Green Industries

Environmental information disclosure strategies, which involve corporate attempts to increase the availability of information on pollution and emissions, can become a basis for a new wave of environmental protection policy that follows and has the potential to complement traditional command and control and market-based approaches. Although a growing body of literature and operational programs suggest that publicly disclosing the information can motivate improved corporate environmental performance, this phenomenon remains poorly understood. This paper reviews the economic and legitimacy theory behind information disclosure and analyses the current practice and programs adopted in industrialized and industrializing countries.environmental information disclosure; toxic release inventory; government disclosure programs; materials accounting; sector facility indexing; pollution and emissions; environmental performance

Effect of Trade Liberalization on Low-Carbon Energy Technology Dissemination in Asia

The production and use of low-carbon energy technology and services, such as renewable energy, are imperative for Asia’s emerging economies (which are heavily dependent on imported energy and resources) to tackle global environmental issues like climate change. Acknowledging this fact, recently, governments in the Asian region individually have been taking effective actions in the form of voluntary targets and policy commitments to improve the production and use of low-carbon technology, such as solar, wind, geo-thermal, and so forth. Nevertheless, the diffusion of these technologies has been through liberalized trade, which has been low compared with trade and investment in other energy intensive sectors. Though effective tariffs are low, non-tariff barriers or behind-the-border constraints are very high. In this exploratory study, the potential for increased exports in low-carbon technology and services under a grand regional coalition, partial regional coalition, and stand alone scenarios is studied. We find that production, trade, and investment in renewable energy technologies are very low regionally. There is a large gap between the demand for and the supply of low-carbon energy technology and associated pollution abatement services. Behind-the-border constraints that exist within the exporting country, such as poor infrastructure and inefficient institutions, create this gap between actually realized and potentially possible exports. This supply gap provides an opportunity for those emerging Asian economies, which have the potential to contribute to the manufacturing of such technologies individually and collectively pooling their physical and human capital

Information Disclosure Strategies for Green Industries

U ovom diplomskom radu obrazložena je važnost proračuna kao temeljnog akta kojim se procjenjuju prihodi i primici te utvrđuju rashodi i izdaci za proračunsku godinu svih proračunskih subjekata u koje spadaju i javne ustanove socijalne skrbi. S ciljem razumijevanja uloge proračunskog računovodstva objašnjen je sustav proračuna, njegovi elementi, proračunski proces, proračunski korisnici te njegova načela, ciljevi i klasifikacije. Poslovni događaji proračuna te proračunskih i izvanproračunskih korisnika bilježe se u računovodstvu prema propisanim pravilima i zakonitostima proračunskog računovodstva. U tom smislu definirani su, a u radu i predstavljeni, obveznici primjene proračunskog računovodstva, računski plan proračuna, sustav poslovnih knjiga i računovodstvene isprave. Također, sadržajno i formalno prikazani su i eksterni financijski izvještaji koje korisnici proračunskog računovodstva moraju sastavljati i javno prezentirati zainteresiranim korisnicima. U radu su objašnjene i proračunske osnove priznavanja poslovnih događaja te proračunski nadzor koji se obavlja u svrhu povećanja djelotvornosti sustava, postignuća željenih rezultata i ostvarivanja zacrtanih ciljeva. Provedeno je istraživanje o načinu djelovanja sustava socijalne skrbi u Republici Hrvatskoj, odnosno tko su korisnici socijalne skrbi, tko je zadužen za provođenje djelatnosti te koja su prava koja pojedinac može uživati na temelju svoje pripadnosti sustavu socijalne skrbi. Kao konkretan primjer primjene proračunskog računovodstva analiziran je računovodstveni sustav ustanove socijalne skrbi, konkretno javne ustanove Dječji dom „Tić“ Rijeka. Objašnjen je način na koji se Dom financira te godišnji plan i program rada za 2019. godinu. Također, prikazan je i analiziran plan nabave za 2018. godinu, kao i financijska izvješća Ustanove za istu godinu