This report explores in detail material flows in the economy which have a possible influence on the environment. It attempts to define the parameters that need to be taken into account to steer human development towards ecological sustainability. The report proposes a measure for resource...

This report covers three different but related issues in international trade and climate change. First, by comparing the climate impacts of specific EU-produced goods with their imported counterparts, the report quantifies some of the ways in which international trade contributes to increased...

The EU recently emphasised the need to speed up the pace of reforms to improve the state of the environment both in Europe and internationally. This becomes in particular challenging, as the "Lisbon Strategy" defines the general goal of an annual economic growth rate of 3%. Decoupling of...

Most concepts of environmental policy do not consider adequately the complexity of nature and society. While neoclassical economics seems to fall into the trap of steering illusion, evolutionary economic concepts that consider societal complexity are too optimistic about the favours of...