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The International Transport Forum 2009 on the “Challenges and Opportunities in the Downturn” took place at a very difficult time, with finances drying up, companies failing, supply chains weakened, and protectionism on the increase.
There are real fears that the transport sector will be seriously damaged by this sudden and profound downturn, with important implications for economies and societies. One certainty is that transport is more important than it has ever been – in business, in the lives of citizens and in the world economy.
The transport sector is at the heart of globalisation. At the same time it is clear that the crisis does not alter fundamental challenges, particularly for transport to be more sustainable and show more concrete results in the lead up to and after the December 2009 UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen.
This publication condenses the main findings of workshops and round tables bringing together leading figure from politics, industry, research and civil society on key questions linking transport, economic recovery, global trade flows and sustainable development.
The International Transport Forum 2010, entitled “Transport and Innovation: Unleashing the Potential”, took a close look at the role of innovation in shaping transport systems of the future. It highlighted the crucial importance of innovation in the transport sector for our common future in a globalised world.
Through continual innovation, the mobility sector has met the increasing volume demands of a transport-intensive globalised economy while achieving better quality of service. But the sector and those who rely on it face extraordinary challenges. Transport needs to be versatile to respond to the evolving economic and societal context. Demographic changes, notably ageing and fast growth in emerging economies, are shaping future demand for mobility solutions.
The structure of global economic development is changing rapidly, and this is having a major impact on transport needs. The environmental impact must be reduced. Congestion needs to be managed better. And safety cannot be compromised.
These challenges are often global in scope, and the responses must be as well. Close collaboration across borders and among all stakeholders is required. The International Transport Forum 2010 provided the platform to take this global dialogue forward.
This publication condenses the main findings of expert panels and round tables bringing together leading figures from politics, industry, research and civil society.
Transport is intrinsic to societal activity, and one of its greatest enablers. It allows people to reach their workplaces; provides individuals with access to education and services; and is increasingly important for leisure. It drives trade and creates jobs.
A world without the very real daily benefits of mobility has become unimaginable. But all too often transport is taken for granted, and societal demands on transport are constantly increasing. Transport systems must be adapted to better serve us all, but these systems are complex, and not easy to change. Opportunities for more open, effective dialogue on the development of transport systems should be pursued in order to facilitate a better understanding throughout society of transport issues.
So how can transport provide even more benefits for our citizens and societies? How can all transport modes – for passengers as well as freight – contribute to growth that is sustainable? Transport Ministers and business leaders, mayors of major cities, top researchers and representatives of non-governmental organisations met together at the International Transport Forum’s annual summit on 25-27 May 2011 in Leipzig, Germany, to examine these strategic issues. This publication condenses their main findings.
Seamlessness in transport is the physical expression of one of the megatrends of the 21st century: complete connectivity. Seamlessness is about better connecting people and markets, but also about linking sectors, businesses and ideas. Being able to move between geographic locations and transport modes with minimal impediments is a prime desire of all transport users.
Yet the structure of our transport systems with modal transfers, different ownership, international border crossings and security threats makes overcoming the inherent friction in our transport system a permanent challenge. How can we improve seamlessness? To what extent is complete connectivity ultimately feasible? What approaches should be taken politically, institutionally, and technologically?
These are the issues that transport leaders from government, public administration, business and academia explored at the International Transport Forum’s Annual Summit on 2-4 May 2012 in Leipzig, Germany. This publication condenses their main findings.
Demand for mobility around the globe is growing rapidly. Motorisation in emerging economies continues at breath-taking pace, with the number of motor vehicles on the world’s streets rising, according to some estimates, from just over 1 billion today to 2 billion in 2020. Air passenger travel could double, air freight could triple and container handling in ports could quadruple within the next 15 years or so, according to OECD projections.
If we do not want to stifle trade and economic growth and the opportunities these bring for our citizens, we must invest in infrastructure - and we must do so now. Global investment needs to 2030 for key global transport infrastructure alone is estimated by OECD at USD 11 trillion. But policy makers face a difficult dilemma: Almost everywhere public budgets are squeezed as never before in the wake of the global financial and economic crisis. And they are likely to remain tight for quite some time.
The International Transport Forum’s Summit brought together Ministers from ITF member countries and many business leaders in total 1 000 delegates from 79 nations to test ideas, to engage with experts, to align perceptions on the funding issue and explore ways to address it. This publication presents the essence of this substantive debate.
Fuel transuranics (TRU) multi-recycling is a mandatory feature if both the resource sustainability and the waste minimisation objectives for future fuel cycles are to be pursued. The resulting TRU transmutation can be implemented in fast neutron spectrum reactors according to two main options commonly referred to as the homogeneous and heterogeneous modes. In this study, the two alternatives have been compared in terms of reactor core feasibility, fuel development and impact on the fuel cycle. The multi-criteria analysis indicates that there are major challenges in minor actinide-loaded fuel development, its experimental validation and possibly in its reprocessing. Both modes of recycling have an impact on the overall fuel cycle, even if at different stages, for example complex target fabrication and handling in the case of heterogeneous recycling and full core fuel fabrication in the case of homogeneous recycling. The study finds that an economic evaluation according to specific implementation scenarios should still be undertaken.
While the full effects of the COVID-19 crisis on housing affordability in cities in the Czech Republic remain to be seen, the pandemic has reinforced the urgency of tackling pre-existing challenges, such as a consistent shortage of housing supply in cities and structural obstacles for urban households to access affordable housing. While the Czech national government has taken a number of emergency measures to help people keep their homes during the COVID-19 crisis, this report recommends that Czech national and local governments need to implement both direct and indirect policy instruments more effectively to shape a more sustainable and inclusive urban paradigm. Direct policy instruments consist in targeting housing affordability specifically, for example by providing more social housing to households most in need. Indirect instruments such as local land-use planning can help increase the supply of affordable housing. This report also contains the results from an innovative survey that the OECD and the Ministry of Regional Development conducted on more than 1 800 municipalities to collect data on the housing market and housing policies at the municipal level.
Housing in Korea has been part of the government policy development agenda for the past three decades contributing to reducing the historical housing shortage and improving the quality of dwellings. Despite its achievements, Korea now faces a housing affordability challenge as prices are too high for several social groups (i.e. newly wedded), owner occupancy levels are decreasing, and social housing is struggling to meet demand. Korea has a complex social housing system largely focused on low-income households, who still suffer from housing poverty in terms of housing stability, affordability and quality.
A holistic view on housing policy to promote a more inclusive society and sustainable economic growth is needed. To overcome the current housing challenge requires expanding the network of public housing providers by including the private and community sectors that could alleviate the government’s financial burden. Korea is linking housing and urban regeneration strategies to respond to the complex challenges of social inclusion, job creation, housing and economic revitalisation. Korea has been at the forefront of smart city development for more than a decade, which has brought benefits to Korean cities such as integrated transport systems, and it is now committed to applying the concept as a vehicle for inclusive growth.
Housing finance markets in Central and Eastern European countries are typically small in scale and under-developed, though it is generally recognised that fostering housing finance markets contributes to economic development and brings social benefits to the public. This book presents a comparative study on housing finance markets in the Central and Eastern European countries. It is based on an OECD market survey conducted in 2004 and on selected country data prepared for the OECD workshop on housing finance in transition economies held in December 2004. It reports on the progress and challenges in housing finance markets in Croatia, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Lithuania, Latvia, Poland, Romania, the Slovak Republic, Slovenia and Ukraine.
Housing policies of the central and eastern European countries are changing dramatically. Governments as suppliers of housing for the public are being replaced by market mechanisms in the private sector. To facilitate the development of housing markets, establishing well-functioning housing finance systems has emerged as an important policy issue for transition economies. This publication contains selected papers originally submitted to the workshop on housing finance in transition economies organised by the OECD in June 2000. It provides the first in-depth survey of current situations and challenges in the development of housing finance in major transition economies, in particular, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, the Slovak Republic and Slovenia. It also reviews current trends in housing finance in advanced market countries and their implications for transition economies.
Housing Taxation in OECD Countries provides a comparative assessment of housing tax policies in OECD countries and identifies options for reform. The study starts with an overview of recent housing market trends and challenges and an analysis of the distribution of housing assets. It then examines the different types of taxes that are levied on housing in OECD countries, assessing their efficiency, equity and revenue effects. It also evaluates the role of specific tax policy instruments in addressing current housing challenges. Based on the assessment, the study outlines a number of reform options that governments could consider to enhance the design and functioning of their housing tax policies.
Housing is key to inclusive growth. It is the biggest spending item of household budgets, the main driver of wealth accumulation and biggest source of debt for most households. Housing and the neighbourhood in which people live also have important implications for individual health, employment and educational outcomes – effects that can begin in childhood and can last a lifetime. Nevertheless, the housing market may also present a barrier to inclusive growth for some groups, such as low-income households, children, youth, seniors and the homeless.
The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted even more abruptly just how important housing issues are to people, and prompted governments to introduce a range of emergency housing supports. However, the pandemic has also underscored the need for governments to develop more structural responses to address persistent housing challenges.
This report assesses the key underlying pre-COVID-19 housing policy issues and proposes a series of recommendations to support more inclusive housing outcomes. These include measures to address some of the structural barriers to inclusive growth in the housing market, as well as measures to address the specific housing challenges facing vulnerable groups.
As in most OECD countries, obtaining good-quality housing in a location facilitating access to jobs, public services and amenities can be very challenging for Italian households with low or unstable income. This book sheds light on access to housing in Italy from two different, complementary vantage points. First, it puts the Italian housing market in international perspective using OECD statistics and analysis to compare housing policies and outcomes in Italy to other OECD countries. Second, it zooms in on selected Italian innovative housing projects, where it asks residents and other stakeholders about their experiences with these initiatives: what were their difficulties, how have the projects been designed and developed, what did the projects bring to them?
This report takes the reader into the lives of young people in Finland, Greece, Israel, the Netherlands and Portugal to explore the question: how do 15-year-olds learn English? Gone are the days when learners only encountered English for a couple of hours a week in a classroom. For today's teens, English is often the preferred language of communication in increasingly diverse online and offline communities. Yet relatively little is known internationally about how students learn English inside and outside school, and the resources available to help them. This report presents country findings from interviews with 15-year-olds, English-language teachers and school principals and wider background research, as well as a comparative chapter on key international insights. The report also explores how today’s digital technologies can support learners to develop foreign language proficiency. These findings support the forthcoming PISA 2025 Foreign Language Assessment through which the OECD will generate comparable data on students’ proficiency in English in different countries and on the factors related to it.
In the Accra Agenda for Action (2008), donors and developing country governments committed to deepening their engagement with civil society organisations (CSOs). This requires a broad understanding of CSOs as development actors in their own right, and as aid donors, recipients and partners. The book, How DAC Members Work with Civil Society Organisations: An Overview, examines why donors think it is important to work with CSOs, the ways they provide funds and the challenges they encounter.
Although donors have made progress in developing policies and strategies for working with CSOs, clarifying and streamlining processes, strengthening mutual accountability and engaging in meaningful dialogue on development policy remain challenging. The book points to areas where donors, developing country governments and CSOs from developing and developed countries can improve the way they work together towards development objectives.
This report highlights recent initiatives to inspire policy action at a time when innovation leadership by the public and private sectors is critical to meeting the net zero challenge. Countries around the world strive to become home to the next major company emerging from a start-up with a disruptive clean energy invention, and with good reason. Whilst aiding innovation in support of climate and energy goals, nurturing innovative start-ups to maturity can also create local economic prosperity because clean energy transitions will be a major market opportunity for all countries, all century long. Already, the number of government policy measures to help start-ups get new clean energy technologies to market has risen sharply since the Paris Agreement was signed in 2015. This is extremely encouraging given that energy technology start-ups continue to face challenges attracting patient capital and governments possess some unique resources to speed them through the phases to reach technical maturity while staying in business. Based on 14 detailed case studies and in-depth interviews, this report presents a range of impressive policy measures from a variety of different country contexts, and identifies eight key insights for effective policy to support clean energy start-ups.
Household choices – such as what to eat, how to get to work and how to heat our homes – have significant implications for the environment. With the urgency of environmental action and the need to shift to more sustainable consumption patterns, making more sustainable choices holds great potential to reduce environmental impacts. Yet in the context of interlocking crises, governments face challenges in supporting households with policies that realise this potential.
How Green is Household Behaviour? presents an overview of results from the 2022 OECD Survey on Environmental Policies and Individual Behaviour Change. The survey investigates household attitudes and behaviour with respect to energy, transport, waste and food systems. It was carried out across more than 17 000 households in 9 countries, including Belgium, Canada, Israel, France, the Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States. The data collected also include information on self-reported motivations and barriers to change, providing a unique source of empirical evidence to inform policy efforts to shift to more sustainable consumption patterns.
The recent effects of immigration on the Argentine economy appear to be limited but positive. On average, immigration is not associated with job losses or income declines for the population born in Argentina. High-skilled immigration is on the contrary even associated with rising labour incomes among university graduates and female low-skilled immigration is associated with a higher labour-force participation of low-skilled native-born women. The estimated contribution of immigrants to value added is below their labour force participation share but above their population share. The estimated contribution of immigrants to public finance in 2013 was small. Additional migration and non-migration policies and better co-ordination between various policy areas could further improve the integration and economic contributions of immigrants.
How Immigrants Contribute to Argentina’s Economy is the result of a project carried out by the OECD Development Centre and the International Labour Organization, with support from the European Union. The project aimed to analyse several economic impacts – on the labour market, economic growth, and public finance – of immigration in ten partner countries: Argentina, Costa Rica, Côte d'Ivoire, the Dominican Republic, Ghana, Kyrgyzstan, Nepal, Rwanda, South Africa and Thailand. The empirical evidence stems from a combination of quantitative and qualitative analyses of secondary and in some cases primary data sources.
A better understanding of how immigrants shape the economy of Costa Rica can help policy makers formulate policies to boost positive effects and mitigate negative effects of immigration. This report finds that immigration has a limited, but varying, economic impact in Costa Rica. Immigration tends to reduce the employment rate of the native-born population, but does not affect labour income. The estimated share of value added generated by immigrants is above their share of the population. In 2013, immigrants’ contribution to the government budget was below that of the native-born population, while expenditures for both groups were similar. Policies aimed at immigrant integration, by increasing de facto access to public services and to the labour market, could enhance immigrants’ economic contribution.
How Immigrants Contribute to Costa Rica's Economy is the result of a project carried out by the OECD Development Centre and the International Labour Organization, with support from the European Union. The project aimed to analyse several economic impacts – on the labour market, economic growth, and public finance – of immigration in ten partner countries: Argentina, Costa Rica, Côte d'Ivoire, the Dominican Republic, Ghana, Kyrgyzstan, Nepal, Rwanda, South Africa and Thailand. The empirical evidence stems from a combination of quantitative and qualitative analyses of secondary and in some cases primary data sources.