#

Competition policy and green growth : interactions and challenges : a joint report by the Nordic competition authorities.

Skoða venjulega færslu

dc.contributor Samkeppniseftirlitið is
dc.contributor Nordic Competition Authorities is
dc.date.accessioned 2014-10-31T13:45:09Z
dc.date.available 2014-10-31T13:45:09Z
dc.date.issued 2010-10
dc.identifier.isbn 9788290043495
dc.identifier.uri http://hdl.handle.net/10802/7961
dc.description Samkeppniseftirlitið er aðili fyrir hönd Íslands is
dc.description There is a strong and growing policy emphasis on the development of a new and fresh economic and social framework that would enable low-carbon economic growth and development, prevent environmental degradation and enhance quality of life. Reflecting this, Ministers of 34 countries at the OECD Ministerial Council Meeting of June 2009 endorsed a mandate for the OECD to develop a Green Growth Strategy.

In their semi-annual meeting in the Faroe Islands in March 2010, the Directors General of the Nordic competition authorities discussed some of the challenges the competition authorities face in respect of the shift towards green growth.

The Directors emphasised the importance of competition, cost efficiency and coherent policies in a successful shift towards green growth. A crucial element in the shift towards a green growth economy is to remove or reform policies that undermine the transition. The Directors emphasised that assessment of environmental policies must take into account inter alia barriers to entry and limitation of opportunities for effective competition.

In order to establish a common background for addressing future challenges in this context, it was agreed to produce a joint Nordic report which would focus on the relationship between environmental and competition policy.

This is the background to this report. The mandate outlined by the Directors-General calls for a discussion on the relationship between environmental and competition policy, followed up by an overview of environment-related cases faced by the Nordic competition authorities in the last few years and what can be learnt from them in relation to future enforcement, advocacy focus and the development of a green growth strategy.

The members of the working group were:
• Martti Virtanen (Martti.Virtanen@kilpailuvirasto.fi)

• Ólafur F. Þorsteinsson (olafur@samkeppni.is)

• Kjell J. Sunnevåg (kjsu@kt.no) (head)

• Mikael Ingemarsson (Mikael.Ingemarsson@kkv.se)

• Anders Johansson (Anders.Johansson@kkv.se)

We hope the report will contribute positively to the development of green growth strategies and establish a useful underpinning for the competition authorities’ work on environment-related competition cases in the future.
is
dc.description.abstract Green growth is a concept that involves rethinking economic growth. It is mainly concerned with how economies can grow in a more sustainable way. It evolved out of a strong and increasing policy emphasis on the development of a new economic and social framework designed to enable economic growth and development while preventing environmental degradation and enhancing quality of life. Thus, it has been argued that together with innovation, going green can be a long-term driver of economic growth through, for example, investment in renewable energy and improved efficiency in the use of energy and materials. Reflecting this new policy focus, the OECD has been given a mandate to develop a Green Growth Strategy.2

A successful shift towards the ambitions underlying the green growth strategy can only be achieved through cost efficient and coherent policies. Competition policy has an important role in this context. It is up to the competition authorities to ensure that this relationship receives due attention.

Economic theory and empirical evidence support the view that competition is desirable as it contributes to efficiency in economic activity, thereby increasing the welfare of consumers and society. Healthy rivalry between competing firms ensures that only the most efficient and innovative firms develop and stay in the market. While it is difficult to measure the degree to which effective competition affects productivity and the economy more generally, a number of extensive studies have found a link between stronger competition and higher productivity growth. So competition contributes to economic growth.

There are also important links between competition and environmental policy. Using market mechanisms is important in green growth strategies as it allows appropriate prices to be determined. Price signals reflecting environmental externalities ensure that the correct incentives are in place for pollution abatement and innovation in green technology. Ensuring effective competition is important in this context, since otherwise the price signals cannot be effectively transmitted.

Effective competition and low barriers to entry are also crucial to innovation and market dynamics, which again play an important role in achieving environmental goals at a lower cost. Thus, given a well designed environmental policy, competition supports the achievement of environmental goals in a cost-efficient way.

Environmental regulations, practices or enforcement may affect competition negatively. This in turn may increase the social costs of achieving environmental goals. However, pro-competitive legislation is becoming stronger and is being more effectively enforced in many countries. Thus, one of the challenges the competition authorities face in this regard is helping to ensure that green legislation will not affect competition negatively and that pro-competitive legislation is employed instead. Various advocacy channels can be used to achieve this aim.

Perhaps the most important conclusion to be drawn from the report is that competition policy has an important role to play in the development and implementation of a green growth strategy and in facilitating a successful shift to green growth.

The report is composed of three main chapters. In Chapter 3, the relationship between competition policy and environmental policy is explored. In the remaining parts of the report we have made a distinction between the application of policy instruments and practices. The former refers to tools and means as applied in policies in the environmental sphere. The latter refers to the behaviour and practices of companies in the markets. In some cases, these practices are endorsed by the authorities. Accordingly, in Chapter 4, a closer look is taken at certain aspects of environmental policies and some of the conflicts that have arisen or might arise between these and competition policy. In Chapter 5 an account is given of how environmental policies are reflected by the practices of market participants through different green schemes. The report concludes with some forward looking perspectives in Chapter 6.
is
dc.format.extent 68 s. is
dc.language.iso en
dc.publisher Nordic Competition Authorities is
dc.relation.ispartofseries Nordic Competition Authorities., Report ; 1/2010
dc.relation.uri https://d1d6zxt0xmx99c.cloudfront.net/media/1695/competition_policy_and_green_growth.pdf
dc.subject Samkeppnislög is
dc.subject Markaðsmál is
dc.subject Umhverfismál is
dc.subject Norræn samvinna is
dc.subject Norðurlönd is
dc.title Competition policy and green growth : interactions and challenges : a joint report by the Nordic competition authorities. en
dc.type Bók is
dc.identifier.gegnir 991010166519706886
dc.description.ix Islandia extranea is


Skrár

Skrá Stærð Skráartegund Skoða
Competition Policy and Green Growth.pdf 1.168Mb PDF Skoða/Opna

Þetta verk birtist í eftirfarandi flokki:

Skoða venjulega færslu

Leita


Fletta