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Options and potentials for energy end-use efficiency and energy services : summary ; final report
(2006)
Information and communiction technologies (ICTs), as a crosscutting evolving technology, can contribute to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). This opinion is not only voiced by business, but also expressed in specific MDG targets as well as from a range of stakeholders, e.g. NGOs, intergovernmental organisations and financial institutions. However, ICT implications are not only beneficial, a range of stakeholders raises critical issues. Quantified information on ICT contribution to the MDGs available today on both micro and macro level does not meet the expectations. Business actors thus need solid and balanced sustainability information to accurately get the implications of ICT and to promote and assess their voluntary activities. In this context the project "A Comprehensive Approach for Assessing Risks and Opportunities of the ICT sector and ICT applications" addressed the contributions of the ICT sector to the achievement of the MDGs. The project's core objective has been to develop a discussion paper on the assessment of risks and opportunities of ICT. The scope of the paper is to raise awareness for a balanced approach of sustainability information (regarding the contribution to the MDGs, at micro and macro level, risks and opportunities) and to provide best practice examples for a comprehensive approach in the ICT sector. Therefore, research questions have been addressed such as: How can ICT contributions to the MDGs be quantified? What are the demands on sustainability information for the ICT sector? What are the business implications from this?
After considerable improvements of wastewater treatment, the loads of nutrients and plant protection agents, deriving from agriculture and heavy metals from urban drainages effluents as well as from erosion of agricultural soils are the main sources of nutrients and harmful substances in the loads of water bodies. The targets of the project were on the one hand the analysis of the political and legislative framework of both policy fields and on the other hand the evaluation of several, selected water protection measures with regard to their contribution to reduce water pollution, their economical effects as well as their political enforceability. The focus was laid on diffuse water pollution caused by agriculture. As main reasons for the diffuse water pollution stagnating at high level, the analysis of the political framework identified a lack of implementation discipline of water law, followed by the fragmented and insufficient water protection legislation itself and the previous design of the common agricultural policy slanted towards increasing productivity. For the future co-operation of agricultural and water authorities in implementation of their reforms and better definition of "Good Farming Practice" are recommended. The second investigation level focuses on the analysis and assessment of selected measures to reduce the input of nutrients and plant protection agents. This part was done with help of calculation models focussing on the specific cost/benefit ratios for water protection. In detail the following measures have been analysed: decoupling of direct payments, coupling of livestock farming to areas, tax on mineral nitrogen, pesticide levy, buffer stripes alongside of watercourses, all season crop cover on arable land, soil cultivation procedures, changing the use of arable land, optimisation of animal nutrition, optimisation of manure storage and application, co-operative agreements, education and training. Co-operations and water protection related education and training can be highly recommended, since they improve knowledge and freedom of action. As the results on county level show, the measure "Decoupling of direct payments" would not lead to appreciable changes as far as the nutrient surpluses on farmland is concerned. "Coupling livestock farming to areas" would decrease the surpluses substantially. For this measure and Tax on mineral nitrogen, varying adaptation reactions could be expected depending on the regional specialisation in cropping or livestock farming areas. On single farm level the measures, protein adapted feeding, optimisation of manure storage and application showed the best cost-efficiency to reduce nutrient surpluses. All season crop cover on arable land and conservation tillage are highly efficient, too, and should be included in farming practice. A stronger limitation of livestock density could mean a reduction of manure, but the implementation of this measure would lead to high losses of income for farmers specialised in animal production. For reduction of diffuse water pollution caused by urban drainage political approaches as well as detailed technical measures are examined. In the area of urban drainage storm water management (especially infiltration and constructed wetlands), unsealing of paved areas and small wastewater treatment structures (for phosphorus reduction) showed best cost-effectiveness.
Women and transport : study
(2006)