Towards a Sustainable Economy The Introduction of Ecological Premises into Long Term Planning in Norway

About this book

This work presents a study of the potential for a "sustainable economy" in Norway. With support from the Research Council of Norway and the Ministries of Finance and the Environment, the research team structured a dialogue between leading economists, environmental NGO's and politicians. The goal of the project was to integrate ecological indicators proposed by a so called "Green Parliament" into the macro-economic models and projections used by the official governmental planning apparatus. The book recounts in detail the structure of the project and the results of the analysis, laying particular weight on the fact that a more sustainable economy is clearly possible without serious disruptions of consumption or welfare. The implications of factoring in more stringent ecological demands for a number of sectors are explored, providing thereby specific parameters and scenarios for a more sustainable economy.

Contents

Preface - PART I: BACKGROUND AND NATURE OF THE 'PROJECT FOR A SUSTAINABLE ECONOMY' - The World is Not What it Used to Be - The Aims of the Project - PART II: TOWARDS AN OPERATIONALISATION OF SUSTAINABILITY - Will Green GNP Provide Better Resource Management? - Sustainability from an Economic Perspective - Operationalisation of Sustainable Development: Economic Principles for Resource Management - Compensatory Investment - Environmental Evaluation as a Basis for Environmental and Resource Management - Opportunities for- and Obstacles to- Public Action - The Premises for Ecologically Sustainable Development - From Premises to Parameters - PART III: QUESTIONS CALLING FOR MORE DETAILED SECTOR ANALYSES - Indicators Which Cannot be Handled by the Macro-Models - Green Policies and Employment Incentives: Can More Stringent Environmental Demands Lead to 'Double Dividends'? - The Environmental Impact of Deregulated Agriculture - Transport - The Impact of More Stringent Environmental Demands on Resource Intensive Industry - What Determines Economic Development in Norway? - The Analysis Framework of the Alternative Scenarios - Comparison of Governmental Projections with Environmentally-Adjusted Projections - PART V: ADDITIONAL FUTURE PERSPECTIVES WITH COMPLEMENTARY ANALYSES - More About the Presumed Impact of CO2 Taxation on Various Sectors - Agriculture, the Environment and Employment - Possible Consequences for the Transport Sector of Increased CO2 Taxation - More Efficient Taxation from Environmental Policy - PART VI: CONCLUSIONS ON THE ENVIRONMENTAL POSTULATES - The Achievement of Sustainability Goals in the Five Alternative Projections - Notes - Bibliography - Index

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Biography

STEIN HANSEN is an economist. Associate Professor, Mxre Regional College 1971-74. Research Fellow, Harvard Institute of International Development 1975-77, Vice President Norconsult Ltd. 1977-74. Partner Nordic Consulting Group since 1984. Appointed to several boards and scientific committees. - PEL FXYN JESPERSON is Research Associate with the consulting firm Asplan Viak AS, Sandvika, Norway. He specialises in problems relating to resource use and sustainable production and consumption. - INGEBORG RASMUSSEN is Research Associate with the consulting firm Asplan AS, Sandvika, Norway. He has worked as a member of the governmental 'Green Tax Commission' in Norway.