BIOFUELS PRODUCTION, TRADE AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT: EMERGING ISSUES. By Annie Dufey. International Institute for Environment and Development, November 2006. Concerns about global warming, high oil prices and energy security have all contributed to a renewed global interest in biofuels as an alternative to oil for transport. This interest is reflected in the rapid expansion of biofuel markets. But what are the implications of this expansion for sustainable development? This paper seeks to provide a preliminary identification of the main sustainable development issues involved in the debate about the production and trade of biofuels. For more information about accessing this report, visit http://www.iied.org/pubs/display.php?o=15504IIED&n=2&l=6&a=A%20Dufey&x=Y.
DOING BUSINESS 2007: HOW TO REFORM. World Bank and International Finance Corporation, September 2006. This volume is the fourth in a series of annual reports investigating global regulations that enhance business activity and those that constrain it. This year’s report measures quantitative indicators of business regulations and analyzes their enforcement across 175 countries, from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe, over time. The ten indicators are: starting a business, dealing with licences, hiring and firing, registering property, getting credit, protecting investors, trading across borders, paying taxes, enforcing contracts, and closing a business. The indicators are used to analyze economic and social outcomes, such as informality, corruption, unemployment, and poverty. The report is meant to enable policymakers to measure regulatory performance in comparison to other countries, to learn from the comparisons, and to prioritize reforms. For information on how to access this report, visit http://publications.worldbank.org/ecommerce/catalog/product?item_id=5363808.
THE MAGNITUDE AND DISTRIBUTION OF FUEL SUBSIDIES: EVIDENCE FROM BOLIVIA, GHANA, JORDAN, MALI, AND SRI LANKA. By David Coady et al. International Monetary Fund, November 2006. With the recent jump in world oil prices, the issue of petroleum product pricing has become increasingly important in developing countries. Because many governments are reluctant to pass these price increases onto energy users, energy price subsidies are absorbing an increasing share of scarce public resources. This paper identifies the issues that need to be discussed when analyzing the fiscal and social costs of fuel subsidies. Using examples from analyses recently undertaken for five countries, it also identifies the magnitude of consumer subsidies and their fiscal implications. The results of the analysis show that in all of these countries energy subsidies have significant social and fiscal costs and are badly targeted. To access this paper, visit http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/cat/longres.cfm?sk=19912.
INTERNATIONAL TRADE STATISTICS, 2006. WTO, November 2006. This annual report provides comprehensive, comparable and up-to-date statistics on trade in merchandise and commercial services in 2005. It contains detailed assessments of world trade flows by country, region and main product groups or service categories. To access the report, visit http://www.wto.org/english/res_e/statis_e/statis_e.htm.