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This volume details more than 200 new policies and measures that were taken in the year 2000 to address energy-related emissions in IEA member countries. Actions are listed for each of the 26 IEA Member countries under five major headings: fiscal policy, tradable permits, regulatory instruments and voluntary approaches, R&D policy, and policy processes. In addition, policies are classified according to energy source and end-use. The volume’s introductory analysis puts current national activities into context. It provides an overview of current emissions and emissions-related policy trends, and also reviews other energy policy initiatives, including those in energy taxation, that have an effect on overall emissions and energy paths. The conclusion is that, while considerable action is being taken, more needs to be done.
The events of 11 September have strengthened the conviction that a world without violence, terrorism and conflict also means a world freed from exclusion, vulnerability and inequality, a world where opportunities exist for all. The 2001 Development Co-operation Report highlights the work over the last year of the OECD’s Development Assistance Committee on the multiple challenges of creating such a world.
Chapter I suggests that the international community has now created the consensus and the instruments needed to address these challenges and that what is needed now is a dynamic process of implementation. Chapter II discusses policy coherence issues. In this respect, the adoption in the DAC last year of the Recommendation on Untying ODA to the Least Developed Countries is a breakthrough.
In the perspective of the March 2002 International Conference on Financing for Development, Chapter III considers the means and structures needed to generate the financing required to support the Millennium Development Goals and thus attack global poverty. Chapter IV describes recent developments in the policies and aid programmes of DAC Members and outlines the work of the new DAC Task Force on Donor Practices.
Chapter V shows how preventing violent conflict can bring enormous benefits in terms of poverty reduction and growth, and in terms of world-wide security. Chapter VI focuses on the Information and Communication Technology - a vital tool for development -, and on its immense potential to change the "aid business" and create new models for development.
This year’s report also includes a "Special Module" on monitoring progress on the Millennium Development Goals and a new section - "The DAC at Work" - which provides information on the structure and work of the Development Assistance Committee, its subsidiary bodies, and the Development Co-operation Directorate.
This Detailed Review Document (DRD) presents an overview of classification systems/guidelines used in OECD Member countries relating to the mutagenicity of chemicals, based on responses to a questionnaire. Several OECD Member countries have implemented legislation, including classification systems and lists of mutagens; these countries include Canada, Japan and EU Member States. The United States has implemented mutagenicity risk assessment guidelines for determination of potential human germ cell mutagens. Several countries, including the Czech Republic, Norway and Switzerland, intend to apply the EU legislation in the near future. New Zealand is moving towards harmonization with Australia, with respect to establishing guidelines for mutagenicity assessment.
This document focuses on the health and environmental hazards of mixtures. The ILO/UNCETDG joint committee has elaborated criteria for classification of Physico-Chemical Hazards which are applicable to substances or mixtures. The classification of
mixtures for Physico-Chemical Hazards is not being dealt with separately. The final proposal for a harmonised system for the classification of mixtures will include the physical, the health and environmental hazards. In cases where existing systems have environmental criteria for mixtures they are included for information in an annex.
This detailed review document examines member country hazard classification systems for specific target organ systemic toxicity following single or repeated exposure.
This review paper is based on the compilation of more than 600 pelagic and benthic testing methods. It has been created to assist the OECD National Co-ordinators in their discussions regarding the identification of aquatic toxicity text methods to be included in the OECD Test Guidelines programme.
This detailed review document examines member country classification systems for skin irritation/corrosion.
This detailed review document examines member country classification systems for eye irritation/corrosion.
This document serves as the basis for the first step in the consideration and development of OECD Test Guidelines for the testing of chemicals for endocrine-disrupting effects. OECD Test Guidelines play a critical role in ensuring that efficient and effective procedures are available to identify chemical hazards. The focus of this paper is on test methods for sex hormone-disrupting chemicals capable of affecting the reproductive process. Other hormone systems which are also important in the control of reproduction, such as the thyroid and adrenal systems, are not considered. In addition, test methods for the effects of sex hormones on non-reproductive processes such as brain development and behaviour are considered to be beyond the scope of this document. Accordingly, the DRP makes an inventory of existing OECD test methods relevant to the assessment of the effects of sex hormone-disrupters on the reproductive systems of humans and wildlife; describes relevant non-regulatory test methodologies used by the research community; makes a critical assessment of existing test methodologies to detect sex hormone-disrupting chemicals; identifies possible enhancements to existing test methodologies; and identifies both those non-regulatory test methodologies suitable for further development and outstanding research requirements.
This detailed review document examines member country classification systems for reproductive toxicity.
This detailed review document examines member country classifications for sensitising substances.
Promoting innovation requires innovative government policy. Innovation through the creation, diffusion and use of knowledge has become a key driver of economic growth and provides part of the response to many new societal challenges. However, the determinants of innovation performance have changed in a globalising, knowledge-based economy. Government policy to boost innovation performance must be adapted accordingly, based on a sound conceptual framework. Synthesising the results of a multi-year OECD project on national innovation systems (NIS), this publication demonstrates how the NIS approach can be implemented in designing and implementing more efficient technology and innovation policies.
Who finances educational facilities? What are the criteria used and how are they applied? Each country has its own system; however, the general trends are towards diversification of funding sources and decentralisation of responsibility. This publication examines the links between decentralisation and new means of financing. Although local control can guarantee greater effectiveness and responsiveness to local needs, central government remains responsible for ensuring access to equity and equality of educational opportunity. The greatest challenge in education funding consists of achieving compatibility between these objectives and technological development.
Electric power in OECD countries is mostly produced by large central generating stations, then transmitted along high voltage lines to local distribution systems that carry it to final consumers. Distributed generation plants are different. They produce power on an electricity consumer’s own site or at the local distribution substation and can supply power directly to the customer or to the local distribution network. Distributed generation technologies include engines, small turbines, fuel cells, and photovoltaic systems.
Distributed generation technologies are already having a large impact, particularly for high- reliability applications, as a source of emergency capacity or as a way of deferring the expansion of a local network. In some markets, these plants are displacing more costly grid electricity. Globally, more capacity for distributed generation was ordered in 2000 than for nuclear power.
This book provides a guide to energy policy makers on this growing phenomenon. It surveys the current situation and market status of distributed generation in selected OECD countries, including the impact of current energy policies.
Debt Management and Government Securities Markets in the 21st Century reviews recent trends in the structure of OECD government securities markets and public debt management operations, and highlights the generic structural policy issues in emerging debt markets.
Over the years, OECD debt managers have developed best practices for raising, managing and retiring debt at the lowest possible price and acceptable risk, largely in the presence of persistent large deficits. New techniques have been developed to cope with the adverse consequences of running surpluses (pricing anomalies and lower liquidity in traditional benchmark markets).
This report analyses the impact of advanced electronic systems on primary and secondary markets. In the future, sophisticated electronic auction systems will enable institutional investors to bid directly in auctions, thereby by-passing primary dealers. Electronic trading systems will inevitably reshape secondary fixed-income markets.
Underlying these challenges is the growing number of OECD sovereign issuers granting greater independence to debt management operations, accompanied by an increased emphasis on risk assessment and risk management.
The report also addresses the introduction of new instruments (index-linked bonds and derivatives), as well as policies related to investor relations.
Achieving the economic development of poor countries remains, even in the third millennium, a formidable challenge which increasingly preoccupies OECD countries. The Organisation's Development Centre was founded in 1962 as one means to study and to try to confront the problems of comparative development and to relate them to experiences in the more advanced economies. This book provides a compendium of that experience and looks forward to future policies and strategies which might provide some solutions to the problems facing developing countries. Some reflections are also included on a remarkable institution which has evolved and been transformed better to synchronise with the OECD's overall efforts in favour of the poorer countries, regions and peoples.
Good governance in modern times requires attention not only to shifting relations between governments, citizens and parliaments, but to the effective functioning of government itself. One important issue is 'Distributed Governance' - a term coined in this publication to capture the notion of proliferating public organisations operating with some degree of separateness from core government ministries. Despite the fact that in many countries more than half of public employment and central public expenditure is carried out through such bodies, they have not been comprehensively studied from a governance perspective. Some important questions concerning these organisations that need to be addressed are: Does government have adequate oversight of them? How accountable are they? and To whom should they be accountable?
Distributed Public Governance: Agencies, Authorities and other Government Bodies presents the experience of nine countries with the governance of these bodies. It also draws preliminary conclusions from the work carried out on this topic by the OECD’s Public Management Service (PUMA).
In 2001 the 26 IEA Member countries took or planned over 200 energy-related policies and measures to tackle climate change caused by greenhouse gas emissions. This volume reviews the actions taken and describes them in detail. It shows how developed countries implement the commitments made under international agreements or at national level to reduce their emissions. The policies have been classified under six major headings: fiscal polices, tradable permits, regulatory instruments, voluntary agreements, R&D policies and policy processes. The introductory analysis provides an overview and assessment of recent policy trends.
This document reviews the area of biodegradability testing in order to identify whether, in the light of scientific developments, there was a need to revise existing OECD Test Guidelines or to develop new Guidelines.
This detailed review document examines member country classifications systems for substances which pose an aspiration hazard.