In recent years the manufacturing of renewable-energy technologies has become truly global. The associated rise in international investment and trade in goods and services related to renewable energy has been rapid, but it has not always been smooth. Already there have been challenges at the...

Quoting a joint analysis undertaken by the OECD and the IEA, G-20 leaders committed in September 2009 to “rationalize and phase out over the medium term inefficient fossil-fuel subsidies that encourage wasteful consumption.” This report draws on previous OECD work to assess the impact on...

An important source of political opposition to measures aimed at reducing emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs) arises from concerns over their negative effects on the competitiveness of domestic firms, especially those that are energy-intensive and exposed to competition from foreign producers....

This paper, the second in a series, examines the implications of liberalising trade in three forms of renewable energy: biodiesel, solar-thermal water heaters, and geothermal energy systems. Eliminating tariffs on renewable energy and associated goods — which are 15% or higher on an ad valorem...

This report assesses conceptually and empirically the extent to which the stringency of environmental regulations drives international trade in environmental goods. Many of the measures governments adopt to address issues such as local air and water pollution or GHG emissions take the form of...

This paper examines the synergistic relationships between trade in environmental services and trade in environmental goods. It forms part of a series of OECD studies that analyse various issues related to Paragraph 31(iii) of the World Trade Organization’s 2001 Doha Development Agenda, which...

This study presents a synthesis of 17 country studies on environmental goods and services (EG&S) commissioned by the OECD, UNCTAD and the UNDP. The countries examined are Brazil, Chile, China, Cuba, the Czech Republic, the Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Honduras, Israel, Kenya, Korea, Mexico,...

It addresses the issue of environmentally preferable products (EPPs) in the context of the Doha Development Round and the Johannesburg Plan of Implementation. It reviews available definitions; describes existing compilations of products and identifies broad categories of EPPs; and offers case...

The uptake of renewable energy (RE) has been identified by a number of governments as a primary means for mitigating CO2 emissions from the electricity sector, and for making the transition to a low-carbon economy. The electric power output of some RE technologies, however, including those based...

The deployment of technologies for the mitigation of greenhouse-gases (GHGs) is dependent on a wide range of services, including those that are imported. Business services, telecommunications services, and construction and related engineering services figure prominently. This paper aims to...