Download or read book Indicators to Measure the Decoupling of Environmental Pressure from Economic Growth written by Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development Staff and published by . This book was released on 2002-01 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Measuring Sustainability and Decoupling written by Nordic Council of Ministers and published by Nordic Council of Ministers. This book was released on 2006 with total page 72 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: There is growing interest among policymakers for the prospects of decoupling economic growth from environmental degradation, in order to achieve improved environmental quality without compromising economic growth. However, whilst decoupling indicators give a reasonably good measure for potential or progress towards sustainability, decoupling is neither a sufficient nor a necessary condition for sustainability. Decoupling indicators, unlike many other statistical efforts related to the environment, are not meant to summarise the general state of the environment, but rather to measure countries' progress towards mitigating or alleviating particular environmental pressures from relevant driving forces.
Download or read book Cents and Sustainability written by Michael H. Smith and published by Earthscan. This book was released on 2010 with total page 465 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Cents and Sustainability is a clear-sighted response to the 1987 call by Dr Gro Brundtland in Our Common Future to achieve a new era of economic growth that is 'forceful and at the same time socially and environmentally sustainable'. The Brundtland Report argued that not only was it achievable, but that it was an urgent imperative in order to achieve a transition to sustainable development while significantly reducing poverty and driving 'clean and green' investment. With some still arguing for significantly slowing economic growth in order to reduce pressures on the environment, this new book.
Download or read book Sustainability Indicators written by Tomás Hák and published by Island Press. This book was released on 2012-09-26 with total page 448 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: While the concept of sustainability has been widely embraced, it has been only vaguely defined and is exceedingly difficult to measure. Sustainability indicators are critical to making the broad concept of sustainability operational by providing specific measures by which decision makers and the public can judge progress. Sustainability Indicators defines the present state of the art in indicator development. It presents a comprehensive assessment of the science behind various indicators, while placing special emphasis on their use as communications tools. The contributors draw on their experience as academics and practitioners to describe the conceptual challenges to measuring something as complex as sustainability at local, regional, national, and global scales. The book also reviews existing indicators to assess how they could be better employed, considering which indicators are overused and which have been underutilized. Sustainability Indicators will help planners and policy makers find indicators that are ready for application and relevant to their needs, and will help researchers identify the unresolved issues where progress is most urgently needed. All readers will find advice as to the most effective ways to use indicators to support decision making.
Download or read book Decoupling Natural Resource Use and Environmental Impacts from Economic Growth written by United Nations Environment Programme. International Resource Panel and published by UNEP/Earthprint. This book was released on 2011 with total page 60 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: By 2050, humanity could devour an estimated 140 billion tons of minerals, ores, fossil fuels and biomass per year three times its current appetite unless the economic growth rate is decoupled from the rate of natural resource consumption. Developed countries citizens consume an average of 16 tons of those four key resources per capita (ranging up to 40 or more tons per person in some developed countries). By comparison, the average person in India today consumes four tons per year. With the growth of both population and prosperity, especially in developing countries, the prospect of much higher resource consumption levels is far beyond what is likely sustainable if realised at all given finite world resources, warns this report by UNEP's International Resource Panel. Already the world is running out of cheap and high quality sources of some essential materials such as oil, copper and gold, the supplies of which, in turn, require ever-rising volumes of fossil fuels and freshwater to produce. Improving the rate of resource productivity (doing more with less) faster than the economic growth rate is the notion behind decoupling, the panel says. That goal, however, demands an urgent rethink of the links between resource use and economic prosperity, buttressed by a massive investment in technological, financial and social innovation, to at least freeze per capita consumption in wealthy countries and help developing nations follow a more sustainable path.
Download or read book Environmental Indicators written by Allen L. Hammond and published by . This book was released on 1995 with total page 70 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Drawing on illustrative examples and case studies, this work provides a conceptual model for designing empirical indicators of environmentally sustainable development. It proposes specific and highly aggregated indicators at a national level.
Download or read book Economic Growth and the Environment written by Sander M. de Bruyn and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2012-12-06 with total page 250 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Is economic growth good for the environment? A number of economists have claimed that economic growth can benefit the environment, recruiting political support and finance for environmental policy measures. This view has received increasing support since the early 1990s from empirical evidence that has challenged the traditional environmentalist's belief that economic growth degrades the environment. This book reviews the theoretical and empirical literature on growth and the environment, giving an in-depth empirical treatment of the relationship between the two. Various hypotheses are formulated and tested for a number of indicators of environmental pressure. The test results indicate that alternative models and estimation methods should be used, altering previous conclusions about the effect of economic growth on the environment and offering an insight into the forces driving emission reduction in developed countries.
Download or read book Towards Sustainable Development written by Philipp Schepelmann and published by . This book was released on 2010 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Economic performance of a country is generally being measured through GDP (Gross Domestic Product), a variable that has also become the de facto universal metric for "standards of living". However, GDP does not properly account for social and environmental costs and benefits. It is also difficult to achieve sustainable decision-making aiming at sustainable progress and well-being if welfare is being considered from a purely financial point of view. The study highlights the benefits and some of the shortcomings of GDP. It serves as a helpful and practicable instrument for monetary and fiscal policies. The real problem presumably is that GDP growth is too often confused with (sustainable) welfare growth in people's minds. While there certainly is a correlation between the two, this study shows that this is a highly conditional correlation, void of substantial causality for GDP levels observable in the European Union. In order to be able to assess people's well-being and general sustainable development in the sense of sustainability, an alternative instrument going beyond GDP is necessary. Using so called SWOT analyses, several alternative progress indicators have been assessed in the context of this study. On the one hand it was analysed how far ecological and social factors can be integrated in the GDP measurements. Thereby difficulties arose then trying to monetise these factors. As a further possibility indicators were analysed which are to replace GDP as a whole. The category supplementing GDP seems to be the most realistic and acceptable option for going beyond GDP. Within this approach, GDP is being complemented with additional environmental and/or social information. In order to make this kind of solution feasible the study claims the establishment of an overarching and transparent indicator system for improving economic decision-making in support of sustainable development.
Download or read book Using the Right Environmental Indicators written by Julie L. Hass and published by Nordic Council of Ministers. This book was released on 2012-07-20 with total page 87 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Finding and using indicators that are most suited for tracking progress, raising awareness and supporting analysis is a challenge. Indicators need to be used in appropriate contexts and should ideally be fit-for-purpose. For example, indicators which are best used for awareness-raising cannot be used for monitoring policy goals. This report presents a short review of different indicators typically encountered by environmental policy makers. General advice is provided regarding their uses. In the second part of the report, an overview of the environmental-economic accounting work of the Nordic statistical institutes is presented. Lessons learned from the development of these accounts as well as ideas for future work are described. These types of environmental accounts provide a framework for developing information about the connections between the economy and the environment. The study was commissioned by the Nordic Council of Ministers and conducted by the national statistical agencies in the Nordic countries, led by Statistics Norway and Statistics Sweden.
Download or read book OECD Green Growth Studies Towards Green Growth Monitoring Progress OECD Indicators written by OECD and published by OECD Publishing. This book was released on 2011-05-25 with total page 147 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book provides measurement tools, including indicators, to support countries’ efforts to achieve economic growth and development, while ensuring that natural assets continue to provide the resources and environmental services on which well-being relies.
Download or read book Expanding the Measure of Wealth written by and published by World Bank Publications. This book was released on 1997-01-01 with total page 122 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This volume is part of a recently completed research project at the World Bank that reviewed the macroeconomic experience of 18 developing countries from the mid-1960s. The period encompassed two oil shocks, two world recessions, a sharp rise in world interest rates, the debt crisis, and changes in exchange rate regimes. In this context, Colombia provides an almost unparalleled example of steady long-term economic growth despite external shocks, political crises, civil strife, reliance on a single, dominant commodity (coffee), and the rising importance of illicit drugs in the economy. Courting Turmoil and Deferring Prosperity looks at how Colombia managed to avoid major prolonged economic crises against all odds. Its economy has confronted several external and internal shocks from the mid-1960s, mainly due to the country's reliance on exports of coffee, the price volatility of which can greatly affect the economy. The period also witnessed major policy changes, including a long-term shift from an essentially inward-oriented development strategy, based on industrialization through import substitution, to an outward-oriented, export-led strategy. The authors' analysis differs from most existing literature on the Colombian economy in two important ways: it evaluates policy responses to shocks in terms of their success in achieving short-run stabilization, as well as their impact on long-run growth; and it explores the intimate links between economic policies and the specific political and social ideologies, institutions, and structures in Colombia that have historically conditioned government policymaking. The report also highlights the role of prudent macroeconomic policies for crisis avoidance and analyzes the links between fiscal policy, trade policy, and exchange rates.
Download or read book Life Cycle Impact Assessment written by Michael Z. Hauschild and published by Springer. This book was released on 2015-03-24 with total page 339 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book offers a detailed presentation of the principles and practice of life cycle impact assessment. As a volume of the LCA compendium, the book is structured according to the LCIA framework developed by the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO)passing through the phases of definition or selection of impact categories, category indicators and characterisation models (Classification): calculation of category indicator results (Characterisation); calculating the magnitude of category indicator results relative to reference information (Normalisation); and converting indicator results of different impact categories by using numerical factors based on value-choices (Weighting). Chapter one offers a historical overview of the development of life cycle impact assessment and presents the boundary conditions and the general principles and constraints of characterisation modelling in LCA. The second chapter outlines the considerations underlying the selection of impact categories and the classification or assignment of inventory flows into these categories. Chapters three through thirteen exploreall the impact categories that are commonly included in LCIA, discussing the characteristics of each followed by a review of midpoint and endpoint characterisation methods, metrics, uncertainties and new developments, and a discussion of research needs. Chapter-length treatment is accorded to Climate Change; Stratospheric Ozone Depletion; Human Toxicity; Particulate Matter Formation; Photochemical Ozone Formation; Ecotoxicity; Acidification; Eutrophication; Land Use; Water Use; and Abiotic Resource Use. The final two chapters map out the optional LCIA steps of Normalisation and Weighting.
Download or read book Environment at a Glance OECD Environmental Indicators written by OECD and published by OECD Publishing. This book was released on 2006-05-30 with total page 159 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book includes key environmental indicators endorsed by OECD Environment Ministers and major environmental indicators from the OECD Core Set.
Download or read book Spationomy written by Vít Pászto and published by Springer Nature. This book was released on 2019-11-06 with total page 325 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This open access book is based on "Spationomy – Spatial Exploration of Economic Data", an interdisciplinary and international project in the frame of ERASMUS+ funded by the European Union. The project aims to exchange interdisciplinary knowledge in the fields of economics and geomatics. For the newly introduced courses, interdisciplinary learning materials have been developed by a team of lecturers from four different universities in three countries. In a first study block, students were taught methods from the two main research fields. Afterwards, the knowledge gained had to be applied in a project. For this international project, teams were formed, consisting of one student from each university participating in the project. The achieved results were presented in a summer school a few months later. At this event, more methodological knowledge was imparted to prepare students for a final simulation game about spatial and economic decision making. In a broader sense, the chapters will present the methodological background of the project, give case studies and show how visualisation and the simulation game works.
Download or read book Sustainable Development Indicators in Ecological Economics written by Philip A. Lawn and published by Edward Elgar Publishing. This book was released on 2006-01-01 with total page 476 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The book covers a wide range of concepts pertaining to the sustainable development and successfully captures the inter-connectivity of environmental preservation and sustainable development. International Journal of Ecological Economics and Statistics . . . this book is authoritative, objective and essential reading for academics and policymakers concerned with the application of indicators of sustainable development. It takes great care to emphasize what has worked, what has not and what should be our future priorities for research; the combination of these features certainly sets it apart from some other texts in the field. Lee M. Stapleton, Journal of Environmental Planning and Management This book presents a comprehensive collection of essays from some of the world s leading experts, surveying and highlighting both the potential and the limitations of a number of indicators specifically designed to measure sustainable development. Illustrative applications are presented throughout in order to demonstrate the value of the approaches discussed. This book is highly recommended for all those who are interested in a better understanding of what sustainable development is and its likely associated indicators, and ultimately aims to contribute to a better foundation for public decision-making. Paulo A.L.D. Nunes, Venice International University, Cà Foscari University, Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei, Venice, Italy and Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands Since the late 1980s and early 1990s, national governments have introduced a range of policy measures designed to steer their economies along a more sustainable path. Yet how are we to know how successful these have been? This significant new book discusses the ways in which sustainable development indicators can be improved in order to both assess the impact of past policies and avoid the repetition of previous failings. Covering a broad range of indicators relating to national accounts, aggregate welfare, natural capital, ecosystem health and human environment interactions, this volume provides an important assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of each. With contributions from some of the most eminent scholars in the field, the book competently analyses the various methods of measuring the sustainable development performance of nations, and suggests many ways in which these can be developed and improved. While the contributors might offer conflicting views, the message they convey is universal the quest for appropriate sustainable development indicators is critically important if we are ever to bring about a fairer, sustainable and more efficient world.
Download or read book In Search of Indicators of Sustainable Development written by Onno J. Kuik and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2012-12-06 with total page 129 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In 1989 the Dutch government published a National Environmental Policy Plan (Dutch abbreviation NMP). This NMP is based on the book Concern for Tomorrow. a national environmental survey by RIVM (the National Institute of Public Health and Environmental Protection). A major conclusion of the RIVM study was that emissions of many pollutants had to be cut by 70 - 90 % in order to reach environmental quality goals. The government accepted the RIVM analysis and consequently ClUTent Dutch environmental policy aims at large reduction of pollutants. Another conclusion of the RIVM study was that such high reduction goals would not be easy to achieve by technological means alone, and that thus structural changes would be required. These changes could eventually lead to sustainable development, which now forms the major focus of Dutch government national environmental policy. This being so, the Dutch government requested that RIVM in subsequent issues of Concern for Tomorrow should investigate the options for sustainable development.
Download or read book Measuring Environmental Degradation written by Statistical Office of the European Communities and published by Edward Elgar Publishing. This book was released on 2001 with total page 392 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A comprehensive yet concise overview of the key issues of environmental significance addressed as part of the Eurostat Environmental Pressure Indicators Project. The work is part of the Towards Environmental Pressure Indicators for the EU (TEPI) series that has resulted from the project.
