The call comes in a major review of key environmental challenges to 2020, to be considered by OECD environment ministers May 16. Only with such widespread use of economic instruments will it be possible to tackle the more complex, interrelated and international environmental problems of the future, says the organization which groups 30 member countries that produce two-thirds of the world's goods and services. In this, environmental pressures, environmental states and society's responses are classified as red light, yellow light or green light issues. The main conclusions were finalized over a year ago. What has been added since then, according to Waller-Hunter, is a series of policy simulations designed to show whether and how red light issues such as deteriorating groundwater quality, greenhouse gas emissions, local air pollution and rising waste generation can be tackled and how much it would cost.
Tropical deforestation continues at alarming rates.
Non-OECD regions will lose another 10 percent of their forests by 2020. Human induced climate change already affects weather patterns worldwide. This will worsen as OECD CO2 emissions increase by a projected one-third to 2020. Urban air quality and associated health problems are deteriorating in many OECD countries. Energy use and transportation are already the main contributors to greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution.