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Copyright of OECD Statistics Working Papers is the property of Organisation for Economic Cooperation & Development and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of OECD Statistics Working Papers is the property of Organisation for Economic Cooperation & Development and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of OECD Social, Employment & Migration Working Papers is the property of Organisation for Economic Cooperation & Development and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This working paper develops a methodology for the estimation of Energy Physical Supply and Use Tables (E-PSUTs) based on the IEA's World Energy Balances (WEB). The tables are similar in nature to those proposed by the United Nations (UN) System of Environmental Economic Accounting (SEEA). However, unlike the SEEA system, the proposed methodology is able to fully exploit, and be consistent, with the information on fuel transformation processes available in the WEB, a significant improvement. The E-PSUTs, by themselves, can be used to derive robust energy indicators in physical units. However, the final goal of the modelling strategy is to use the estimated E-PSUTs as a key input into a hybrid methodological approach, an Energy Multi-Factor Input-Output (MF-IO) model, which links global energy production and consumption in physical units with global production and consumption in monetary units, allowing the development of novel indicators to provide a richer understanding of the multiple links between global energy systems and the global economy and, contribute to ongoing discussions related to climate change. Furthermore, complementary analyses can be undertaken by linking the MF-IO model with other relevant variables such as industry value added and employment data. Additionally it can be used to estimate energy-related CO2 emissions indicators, allowing for improved estimates of "embodied" carbon emissions. The document is a result of joint work between the IEA and the OECD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of OECD Statistics Working Papers is the property of Organisation for Economic Cooperation & Development and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of OECD Social, Employment & Migration Working Papers is the property of Organisation for Economic Cooperation & Development and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

A country report for Japan is presented from publisher Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, with topics including economic growth, GDP growth, and climate transition.

Examines the specific issues of sustainable development that are important for Great Britain, including climate change, improving living standards in developing countries and sustainable retirement income. Measures instituted to contain emissions of greenhouse gases; Details of the climate change strategy; Key factor to achieving a globally sustainable development; Projection for public pension spending.

Denmark's green growth strategy focuses on moving the energy system away from fossil fuels and investing in green technologies, while limiting greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. On the whole, current policies should allow Denmark to reach near-term climate change targets, but may not be sufficient to achieve its most ambitious targets. The challenge is to achieve objectives in a cost-effective manner and to ensure that these ambitions contribute as much as possible to global GHG emissions mitigation and to stronger and greener growth in Denmark. Better exploiting interactions with EU and international policies, finding the appropriate way to support green technologies and reducing GHG emissions in sectors not covered by the EU emission trading scheme are key issues which need to be addressed to meet this challenge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The New Growth Strategy aims to create demand and jobs through regulatory reform and fiscal measures. The Strategy focuses on key challenges, notably climate change and population ageing, which can be turned into sources of growth. Given Japan's precarious fiscal position, it is essential to co-ordinate spending related to the Strategy with the medium-term fiscal plan, in part by increasing the emphasis on regulatory reform. Such measures should cover the entire economy, rather than being limited to the seven areas identified in the Strategy. Among those areas, effectively promoting green innovation will require market-based instruments to place a price on carbon, preferably through a mandatory and comprehensive emissions trading system, to promote private investment, accompanied by a range of other policies. Achieving deeper economic integration with Asia depends on reducing support for agriculture to facilitate more bilateral and regional trade agreements, while bringing down barriers to foreign direct investment and foreign workers. Policies to expand venture capital would help launch innovative firms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The United Kingdom started to pursue policies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions at a relatively early date and now has a comprehensive set of measures in place. It has set clear targets for emission reductions consistent with international goals of limiting global warming and has pioneered statutory underpinning of target-setting. On the international stage, it has been an active protagonist of a global deal to limit human-induced climate change. The new government has endorsed the direction of previous policies in this area and is introducing further measures, despite heavy fiscal pressures. The United Kingdom is likely to reduce emissions by more than its near-term domestic targets and its target under the Kyoto Protocol, outperforming many OECD countries in the latter respect. But some of the success has been due to "one-off" factors such as the "dash for gas", reductions in non-CO2 greenhouse gases in the 1990s and the recent recession, rather than explicit climate-change policies. The pace of decarbonisation of the power sector has been slow and the spread of renewable energy technologies limited. Implicit carbon prices vary across sectors, and should be harmonised and thus more efficient. The unevenness partly reflects the way in which policies have proliferated and overlap and a simplified structure would be desirable. A step-change in the pace of emission reductions is required to put the UK on the path towards its ambitious 2050 target. Given the central role of the EU emissions trading scheme, a key element of the UK strategy should be to seek tighter quotas within the EU scheme. Preparations to adapt to climate impacts also need to be stepped up, focusing on the provision of more information, better risk-assessment frameworks and more advanced metrics for monitoring and evaluation of adaptation planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sweden has developed an extensive and sound policy framework to limit greenhouse gas emissions. It is now one of the OECD countries with the lowest greenhouse gas emissions per capita and it has successfully managed to decouple GDP growth from emissions growth. However, as Sweden has already significantly lowered its greenhouse gas emissions, the cost of reducing them further could be very high, making it urgent to improve the cost-effectiveness of Sweden's climate change policies. A strategy to enhance the cost-effectiveness of this policy framework would include: i) reducing differences in carbon prices between sectors and increasing even further the role of market-based instruments; ii) limiting overlap between targets and policies; iii) raising Sweden's participation in greenhouse gas emission reductions abroad; and iv) improving the assessments of the policy framework. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the past 15 years, water management issues have come to the fore in economic policy discussions. Over-exploitation of water and harmful environmental effects have become major concerns, while water is not used efficiently, particularly in rural areas. Water extraction levels that are ecologically sustainable have been breached in a number of regions. Guaranteeing water security and diversifying supply for the major urban areas has become a major policy challenge. Difficulties are likely to grow because demand will rise further, while climate change is likely to further reduce available water resources. The authorities have recently stepped up reforms aimed at remedying over-exploitation, stopping wastage caused by deficient water delivery systems and directing water use towards the most productive activities. This chapter reviews the challenges posed by water management, assesses the policies to meet them and suggests ways to make them more effective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A long period of record high growth in Canada appears to have now ended with the global financial market dislocation and cyclical slowdown. A positive terms-of-trade shock (well over $100 oil and exchange-rate parity with the US dollar) has meanwhile boosted incomes and energy-sector prospects but also dragged down export values, especially in manufacturing. A key macroeconomic policy challenge will be to balance upside risks to inflation in the medium term and downside risks to growth in the short run, while ensuring that symptoms of Dutch disease do not develop. Realising Canada's full potential in the face of imminent demographic ageing requires later retirements and overcoming a persisting productivity gap vis-à-vis the United States via structural policies. Looking further into the future, Canadian and world welfare will depend on curtailing present levels of greenhouse gas emissions. The highly emitting energy sector, in particular, is not sustainable on current development patterns. Outdated policies in the agricultural sector also distort Canada's natural comparative advantage in food while denying domestic market access for poorer food-producing nations. Given its many advantages, there is no reason Canada cannot successfully deal with the challenges posed by new terms of trade, ageing and climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deals with environmental issues which affect the sustainable economic development in Turkey in 2004. Main indicators of climate change across the world; Profitability of investments in air pollution control; Main concerns on the sustainable use of natural resources. INSET: The integration of policies across sustainable development areas.

Reports on the elements of sustainable development in the Netherlands. Balance between economic, environmental and social outcomes at domestic and international level; Risks associated with climate change and water pollution; Need for sustainable use of natural resources.

Looks at three specific issues of sustainable development that are of particular importance for Poland. Climate change; Air pollution; Sustainable retirement income.

Discusses the approach of Sweden to environmental issues in line with its goal of sustainable development. Details of the environmental policy making; Efforts to reduce airborne emissions affecting acidification and climate change; Action taken to address the damage from eutrophication.