The goal of the book is to discuss environmental policy and present northern and southern technologies and scientific methods that address specific environmental problems affecting humanity in general, but more specifically, people and ecosystems in developing countries. The book contains selected, refereed papers submitted to or presented at the First International Conference on Environmental Research, Technology and Policy held in Accra, Ghana, July 17-19, 2007. The primary goal of the conference was to provide a forum for policy makers, scientists, practitioners, and civil society advocates to discuss grass-root environmental issues, assess efforts by government machinery and identify what communities and corporate entities can do as a social responsibility to mainstream environmental protection for sustainable development. It is acknowledged that environmental research, technology applications and policy implementation have been demonstrated to improve environmental sustainability and protection in several developed economies. The book argues that similar gains can be achieved in developing countries and countries in transition

The current, unprecedented loss of global biodiversity resulting from anthropogenic interference in the worlds ecosystems is affecting human well-being across the globe with increasing severity. This book examines two issues that are at the center of the public discussion on biodiversity. First, it examines whether genetic information derived from biodiversity can be used to create incentives to effectively preserve biodiversity. Second, it examines whether establishing and managing protected areas can be accomplished effectively on an international level by using transfer payments. It concludes that, although both approaches have their strengths, neither of them can provide a degree of preservation that is sufficient from a global perspective.

The journal has two major thrusts. Clean Technologies and Environmental Policy

Biofuels received USD 15 billion in subsidies in OECD Member countries in 2007, but did they deliver benefits in terms of climate change or oil security? Present policies make no link between support for biofuels and their environmental performance, and biofuels do not all perform equally well. In fact, much of the current ethanol and biodiesel production may result in higher overall emissions of greenhouse gases than using conventional transport fuels – gasoline and diesel. The papers published in this report examine the economics of biofuels and assess the potential of conventional biofuel production in OECD countries, Brazilian ethanol exports and some second generation biofuels to supply world markets with transport fuels.

This Round Table analyses the critical issues for governments in determining support for biofuels, particularly the level of greenhouse gas emissions throughout the life-cycle of these fuels and the wider environmental impacts of farming biomass. It also reviews recent progress in developing certification systems for biofuels ? an essential tool for tying support to achievement in reducing greenhouse gas emissions, although certification cannot be expected to prevent rainforest destruction for the development of biofuel crop plantations. The report concludes with a short list of recommendations for policy reform if support for biofuels is to contribute effectively to mitigating greenhouse gas emissions.

This is the third book of selected papers on environmental management accounting (EMA) which has been developed by the Environmental Management Accounting Network – Europe (EMAN-Eu), drawn primarily from papers presented at EMAN-Eu conferences, to bring together several examples of leading thinking and practice internationally in this rapidly developing area. The authors include academics and practitioners from industry and the subjects covered range from individual company experiences with implementing EMA to national experiences regarding the adoption and diffusion of EMA practices. The papers included in the book provide several examples of how EMA can be applied in practice both in large corporations and in small and medium-sized enterprises, and of various tools and techniques applied in this process.

The book is intended for all those interested in EMA as either researchers or practitioners. It will also be of interest both to those interested in how well-established management accounting methods can be adapted and extended in order to meet new demands on companies, and also to environmental managers interested in learning how accounting techniques can be of value in achieving environmental management objectives.

Written for:
Universities and institutions teaching/ researching environmental management, accounting or financial management, environmental managers, professional accountancy institutes, environmental policy makers in government and regulatory bodies

Keywords:
EMA
Environmental management
Environmental management accounting
Flow cost accounting
Management accounting

The tourism sector, a vital driver of job-creation and growth, is under pressure. Facing an increasingly competitive landscape, tourism in many OECD countries has started to lag, in both growth rate and productivity. This book defines the major trends and challenges facing tourism in the next decade ? from globalisation to environmental issues. To address these challenges, the book then provides specific policy guidance and recommendations for making tourism more competitive and environmentally sustainable. Tourism data from 42 countries are presented and analysed including all OECD countries, and fast-growing tourism centres such as Brazil, Chile, China and India.