Our energy system is under stress and future environmental policy targets are challenging; a comprehensive and sustainable reform should be triggered.
The Itinera Institute offers interested readers a selection of recent and topical publications and presentations from external sources, with a relevant angle towards the Institute’s key issues for Belgium. The selection is updated regularly and readers have the opportunity to stay on track through RSS for each issue. The selection in no way reflects a policy preference on behalf of the institute and is done for information purposes only.
Suggestions for publications or presentations are welcome and can be sent to info@itinerainstitute.org
Electricity from the North Sea needs investments in a backbone grid
24 October 2008
| Electricity, not oil, is the heart of our energy economy. Electricity is relatively cheap and we have sufficient technologies and energy supplies to generate it – just think of the advances in renewable energy technologies. The production of electricity will be less centralised and, according to the Manhattan Institute, this evolution will only be possible if investments in a backbone grid are made. With the start of energy production in the North Sea this challenge is particularly relevant for Belgium.
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The labour market can benefit from a greener economy
06 October 2008
| According to the International Labour Organisation (ILO), the green growth is promising for the labour market: 2 to 3,5 millions jobs could for example be created in Europe and in the United States if big energy efficiency construction sites were launched in the construction sector. This is what comes out of this report which estimates, at the horizon 2030, the job creation potential from a shift towards a less polluting economy. ILO agrees however that the evolution towards a green economy may encounter financing and manpower problems in several developed countries. |
The social cost of carbon: towards a bankrupt or collectivised economy?
22 September 2008
| Nowadays, very few people doubt the effects of dioxide emissions on climate change. The measures taken to slow the process down and limit as much as possible irreversible damages are costly, but its effects might well be priceless. In this article, Richard Tol estimates polluting effects inflicted to and borne by the society as a whole – the so-called social cost. His conclusion: “if everyone were to pay a carbon price equal to the social cost of carbon […], there is a fair chance that annual taxes would exceed annual income for many people. If the carbon price is a liability, this would imply bankruptcy. If the carbon price is a tax, this would imply complete collectivisation of the economy”. This definitely justifies greenhouse gas reduction today! |
Sustainable development needs the support of everyone
22 September 2008
| This working paper of the Bureau du Plan discusses two different scenarios which should both lead to a sustainable development. The first one, "the pyramid", emphasizes a strengthened international cooperation and large-scale technical progress. The second, "Mosaic", rests on national ambitions and the change of individual behavior. Whatever is the scenario, the Bureau du Plan insists on the indispensable support from the citizens for the project of sustainable development. Remember: consuming is to choose the world in which one wants to live. |
European energy markets lack integration
25 July 2008
| Ten years after the process started, the full liberalization of the European energy market is still far from being achieved. And this is not only due to technical difficulties, but also because of the weak political support to the process of integration. This Bruegel report underlines that the new energy policy developments should consider how to bypass national incentives to guarantee domestic energy supply, to protect access to domestic sources of energy and to protect national industry from the impact of stricter environmental regulation. It stresses that the effective fight against climate change requires common action and that a single market for energy is the basis for a common approach to EU climate policy. |
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