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THE LAW AND POLICY OF THE WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION by Peter Van den Bossche. August 2008. This book provides both a detailed examination of the law of the World Trade Organization and a clear introduction to the basic principles and underlying logic of the world trading system. It explores the institutional aspects of the WTO together with the substantive law. New to this edition are examinations of the WTO rules on the protection of intellectual property and the rules on technical barriers to trade and sanitary and phytosanitary measures. Assignments are integrated throughout to allow students to assess their understanding, while chapter summaries reinforce learning. In addition further-reading sections have been added to each chapter and exercises have been included to draw on primary sources and real-life trade scenarios, enabling students to hone their practical and analytical skills. For more information please refer to http://www.cambridge.org/uk/catalogue/catalogue.asp?isbn=9780521727594
THE PRINCIPLES OF SUSTAINABILITY by Simon Dresner. August 2008. This new fully revised edition covers the latest on the climate change front, particularly the advances in scientific understanding and political awareness of climate change. Other updates include more recent economic analyses, particularly the Stern Report, and the global shift away from faith in markets over the past five years. At a time of increasingly rapid environmental deterioration and climate change, sustainability is one of the most important issues facing the world. Can we create a sustainable society? What would that mean? How should we set about doing it? How can we bring about such a profound change in the way things are organised? This text tackles these questions directly. It covers historical development of the concept of sustainability; contemporary debates about how to achieve it; and obstacles and the prospects for overcoming them. For more information please refer to http://www.earthscan.co.uk/?TabId=33941&v=404651
THE NEW GLOBAL FRONTIER: URBANIZATION, POVERTY AND ENVIRONMENT IN THE 21ST CENTURY by George Martine, Gordon McGranahan, Mark Montgomery and Rogelio Fernández-Castilla. August 2008. The world’s developing countries will be experiencing massive increases in their urban populations over the 21st century. If managed intelligently and humanely, this growth can pave the way to sustainable development; otherwise, it will favour higher levels of poverty and environmental stress. The outcome depends on decisions being made now. The principal theme that runs through this volume is the need to transform urbanization into a positive force for development. Part I of this book reviews the demography of the urban transition. Part II asks how urban housing, land and service provision can be improved. Part III analyses the challenges and opportunities that urbanization presents for improving living environments and reducing pressures on local and global ecosystems. These social and environmental challenges must be met in the context of fast-changing demographic circumstances; Part IV explores the range of opportunities that these transformations represent. These challenges and opportunities vary greatly across Africa, Asia and Latin America, as detailed in Part V. For more information please refer to http://www.earthscan.co.uk/?TabId=4379&v=405789
TRADE AND DEVELOPMENT REPORT 2008 - United Nations. September 2008. Subtitled “Commodity Prices, Capital Flows and the Financing of Investment,” this report highlights the paradox that the “capital poor” developing world is exporting capital to the “capital rich” developed countries. This ‘puzzle’, which defies mainstream economic theory, is all the more intriguing as many capital-exporting countries have been achieving higher rates of investment and growth than those that continue to rely on net capital imports. Against this background, the report suggests to shift the focus in financial policies from households putting more money aside and imports of foreign savings, to the reinvestment of profits and credit creation through the domestic banking system. For more information please refer to http://www.unctad.org/Templates/webflyer.asp?docid=10438&intItemID=1397&lang=1&mode=highlights
ENERGY EFFICIENCY IN BUILDINGS FACTS & TRENDS by the World Business Council for Sustainable Development. September 2008. Fourteen companies headquartered in 9 countries have studied and synthesised an exceptional data set reflecting more than 100 billion square metres of building floor space and two-thirds of world energy demand. The result is a significantly more detailed view of the current state of energy demand in the building sector than has previously been compiled. Importantly, it concludes that all participants can immediately drive down world energy demand and reduce carbon emissions using technologies and knowledge available today. The EEB vision is a world in which buildings consume zero net energy. For more information please refer to http://www.wbcsd.org/
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