Suchergebnisse

Worldwide, urbanization is steadily increasing, yet many modern cities are becoming less and less able to accommodate the growth in their population. Congestion, pollution, low-quality housing, social fragmentation, noise, crime and inadequate social services all contribute to a declining quality of urban life. Planners and policy makers are battling to alleviate the problems with a variety of urban renewal initiatives, and energy-environmental policies have become central to their quest for urban sustainability.Sustainable Cities in Europe gives a comprehensive introduction to the available u

Worldwide, urbanization is steadily increasing, yet many modern cities are becoming less and less able to accommodate the growth in their population. Congestion, pollution, low-quality housing, social fragmentation, noise, crime and inadequate social services all contribute to a declining quality of urban life. Planners and policy makers are battling to alleviate the problems with a variety of urban renewal initiatives, and energy-environmental policies have become central to their quest for urban sustainability. Sustainable Cities in Europe gives a comprehensive introduction to the available u.

A review study of the impacts of the economic crisis on the environment and environmental policy in Nordic countries indicates that the short run economic slowdown translates into a levelling or decline of various emissions in the Nordic countries. The extent of greenhouse gas emission reductions vary by countries' economic structures. Some other emissions, e.g. of sulphur dioxide, have not been affected by the crisis. In general, emissions curtailed by well established policies, appear to have been extensively decoupled from economic growth. In contrast, emissions for which policy is still evolving, such as for climate mitigation, seem more sensitive to variations in economic growth. Effective decoupling is essential to the sustained fulfilment of environmental objectives. Long term effects of the economic crisis are threatening. In the absence of new policy initiatives, the reduced need and investment capability will slowdown the renewal of production capacities and structures. In due course, also environmental R&D efforts may decelerate and postpone eco-efficient innovations. Considering the strains on public budgets, creative policy solutions need to be found. Green, as other stimulus applied in response to the crisis, cannot be sustained for long. Though the effectiveness of some efforts may be doubtful, the idea of a green transformation in society and the economy is vital for sustained efforts and achievement of goals. The vigorously growing economies in Asia and Latin America offer significant export potential for environmental innovations. Such technology transfers are indispensable for the achievement of global climate policy objectives. Export success, however, frequently requires proven performance. Hence, Nordic innovation policies should promote joint demonstration projects to overcome small home market size. Despite their progress in the greening of the fiscal system, Nordic countries maintain considerable scope in (fossil) energy and natural resource use taxes, and environmentally harmful subsidies. New incentives such as feebates and tradable certificate systems also merit consideration. Moreover, emerging systems for tailored monitoring and feedback systems for companies and households regarding energy use, transport performance, and embodied emissions, can address untapped potential at moderate costs. The report has been commissioned by the Working Group on Environment and Economics under the Nordic Council of Ministers. The study was conducted by the Government Institute for Economic Research (VATT) in Helsinki.

This article presents a green roof cost-benefit analysis (CBA). Green roofs are roofs which are partially or completely covered by vegetation. We discuss the benefits and costs of light self-sustaining vegetated roofs. The benefits of the ecosystem services (ES) provided by green roofs can be classified into private and public benefits. We apply the selected valuation methods first in Helsinki, Finland and subsequently explain how results can be transferred to other urban locations. Past research and this study show that private benefits are usually not high enough to justify the expensive investment for a private decision maker. However, when the public benefits are added to the private benefits, social benefits are higher than the costs of green roofs in most cases.Past research quantified most types of the benefits, excluding scenic and biodiversity benefits. Scenic benefits denote the intangible benefits that people derive from the presence of green space, including at least aesthetic and psychological ones. In this article, special emphasis is placed on the valuation of the scenic benefits; these are among the most challenging benefits to valuate in monetary terms. We employ hedonic pricing theory, implemented via spatial regression models, and green roof implementation scenarios in order to estimate the aggregate willingness to pay for a "unit" of green roof. The results show that the scenic benefits can be a significant attribute in cost-benefit calculations. Yet, the amount of benefits strongly depends on the green roof design.

This deliverable presents a review of occurrence of delay in air travel, of the role of weather, and of policy guidelines to reduce delays, notably when caused by adverse weather. Furthermore, the EU is compared to the US, China and Australia.