Central to the goals of competitiveness and sustainable development is the issue of energy. Is there enough? Where will it come from? What will it costs? Is its production and use environmentally sustainable? Many of these questions are now discussed under the general topic commonly referred to...

This paper addresses a set of conflicting national objectives, that between economic competitiveness and environmental quality. In lower-income economies, the perceived benefits of improved environmental quality may be valued less than in richer economies while the perceived opportunity costs of...

As a complementary activity to the WTO’s Doha Round of trade negotiations, the Sixth Ministerial Conference in Hong Kong, China, in 2005 mandated that technical assistance and capacity-building activities needed to be expanded so that developing countries could take better advantage of the...

The focus of this essay is to enquire as to what role UNECE can play in conflict prevention and peacebuilding. The historic role of the UNECE in bridging the East-West divide and guiding the transition process of the former planned economies is testimony to the importance of this type of...

An overview of current institutional cooperation, economic conditions and challenges in the Mediterranean region.

This paper dealing with financing development addresses how public infrastructure can be paid for and managed in an environment where public resources are limited but the investment needs for these services are great. This is a characteristic that succinctly describes many of the emerging...

This paper examines the link between the issue of competitiveness and innovation and their role in fostering higher living standards. The analysis is carried out at the level of both the firm and the country and then outlines some important policy implications. It appears that the innovative...

This paper examines the two-way interaction between transport systems and several mega-trends that have been and are likely to continue to characterize the world. These trends include globalization, technological change, increased intergovernmental cooperation, the changing role of the public...

A significant percentage of greenhouse gas emissions results from the need to heat and cool buildings and to provide power to household appliances. The potential for energy savings in this sector is considerable with estimates that energy use could be cut by almost a third simply by implementing...

This essay provides a broad methodological framework for thinking about what is needed policy-wise for addressing climate change due to increased carbon emissions. Climate change will require mankind to decide whether it is best to adapt to higher temperatures or attempt to mitigate the increase...