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Sustainable Development in OECD Countries: Getting the Policies Right summarises the lessons learned from the 30 country reviews of sustainable development that have been published since 2002 as part of OECD Economic Surveys. This publication also looks at the concrete action that countries have taken to promote sustainable development while concentrating on the results that have been achieved and the efficiency of achieving the results. The publication focuses on major policy areas including the improvement of environmental policies, raising living standards in developing countries, and ensuring sustainable retirement income policies. Numerous tables provide detailed data and sustainable development indicators that have been used to gauge performance and assess costs.
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How to obtain this publication
Executive Summary
Part 1: Principal Conclusions
Chapter 1. Achieving environmental objectives in a cost-efficient way
Since the early 1990s, OECD countries have renewed their efforts to preserve the environment, adopting ambitious objectives and introducing new policy instruments. This chapter reviews performance and objectives in five key environmental areas: climate change, air pollution, water pollution, waste management and natural resource management, and provides data on the costs of environmental policies. On the basis of thirty country reviews, the chapter then examines the extent to which the various instruments used for environment protection (such as voluntary agreements, regulation, environmental taxes and tradable permits) have been efficient. It also presents the recommendations adopted as a result of the peer reviews with a view to reducing the economic costs of environmental improvement.
Chapter 2. Attaining Social objectives in a cost efficient way
Achievement of social goals is central to sustainable development. In this respect, OECD countries are faced with the challenge of ensuring adequate retirement income for the elderly in a way that is financially viable over the long term despite population ageing. Based on 14 country reviews that dealt with this issue, this chapter presents the main lessons that have been drawn from reforms in this area and the recommendations that have been made for further progress. On a global scale, the improvement of living conditions in developing countries is a vital part of the sustainable development agenda. The chapter presents the main findings from seven country reviews that have looked at how OECD countries can participate to achieving this goal through their trade and development assistance policies.
Part 2: Syntheses of country policies
Chapter 3. Reducing emissions of greenhouses gases
Climate change may impose very large costs in the second half of the century and later unless greenhouse gas emissions are kept under control. Given the magnitude of the emission reductions that are required in the long run, it is of paramount importance to ensure that the most cost-efficient measures are used. For this reason, the twenty country reviews dealing with the issue have focused on the capacity of climate change policies to deliver the highest possible amount of emission reductions for the cost incurred. The chapter reports the findings and recommendations from country reviews based on analysis for each policy instrument: voluntary agreements, regulations, schemes to promote the use of renewable energy sources, carbon taxes and tradable permits. It also includes data comparing actual emissions against adopted objectives and provides insights about the extent to which emission trends have been decoupled from economic growth.
Chapter 4. Reducing air pollutants
Air pollution inflicts considerable damage to human health and ecosystems. The data presented in the chapter show that great strides have been made in recent decades to cut emissions. However, further efforts remain warranted, as is apparent from the estimates of pollution costs reported in the chapter. The chapter then examines the various policy instruments the fifteen reviewed countries have used to reduce emissions, discussing their efficiency. It also presents recommendations on how to minimise the trade-off between the costs and benefits of cutting air pollutant emissions.
Chapter 5. Reducing Water pollution and improving natural resources management
Adequate clean water is a precondition to human and ecosystem life. Eighteen country reviews looked at policies affecting the management of water resources and the control of water pollutant emissions. The chapter reports the conclusions from the country reviews as regards developments in water use, in the quality of water bodies with a focus on the capacity of policy instruments to encourage sustainable use and to reduce pollution in an efficient fashion. It also provides data and analysis on sustainability issues in fisheries management.
Chapter 6. Reducing and improving management of waste
Reducing waste generation and increasing recycling rates have been considered as central objectives of many sustainable development strategies. This chapter provides data on performance towards these goals and on the associated costs, notably for recycling programmes. It examines which waste disposal options enable to prevent negative effects on the environment at least cost and then presents recommendations drawn from peer reviews on ways to increase the efficiency of strategies to reduce waste-related environmental degradation.
Chapter 7. Policy integration for sustainable development areas
Sustainable development requires that policy decisions aimed at a specific goal take proper account of their effects in the environmental, economic and social dimensions. All country reviews of sustainable development have briefly reviewed the arrangements in place to promote policy integration. The chapter reports on the main findings and recommendations from the reviews which examined the extent to which sustainable development plans and institutions facilitate policy integration. It includes specific analysis on the role of various instruments such as cost-benefit analysis, cost-effectiveness analysis, systematic evaluation of legislation and environmental impact assessment.
To access the full version of Sustainable Development in OECD Countries: Getting the Policies Right:
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Government officials can go to OLISnet's Publication Locator.
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Go to the OECD Sustainable Development Homepage
Go to the OECD Economics Department Homepage
See the OECD Economics Department Working Papers on Sustainable Development
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