Publications

Financing climate objectives in cities and regions to deliver sustainable and inclusive growth

The investment choices we make in the coming years will either lock-in a climate-compatible, inclusive growth pathway, or a high-carbon, inefficient and unsustainable pathway for decades to come. Cities and regions, responsible for 60% of public investment in OECD countries, are significant contributes to spending and investment related to climate. With high levels of inequalities in many cities, the success of the transition will depend on the ability of local governments to engage in a “just” transition. This paper focuses on how national and sub-national governments can align subnational financial flows to transition towards low-carbon, resilient and inclusive cities. The paper is a contribution from the OECD Champion Mayors for Inclusive Growth initiative and to the OECD Programme on Subnational Finance and Investment.

Jones Act Externalities to US Offshore Wind Development

For nearly a century, the Merchant Marine Act of 1920 (aka The Jones Act), has been the lodestar of the US Maritime industry. Its legislation shapes the boundaries and reality of all commercial activities that function within the context of American cabotage. America’s nascent offshore wind industry requires adherence to the Jones Act, bringing with it uniquely American challenges and constraints. This paper analyzes the economic implications that the Jones Act imposes on the US Offshore Wind Industry by means of a comparison of existing price competitive offshore wind farms in Europe and the developing American offshore wind industry. Economic theory is used to provide ample analysis of current fleet data and project activity and to provide recommendations for a path forward.

Neogene biomarker record of vegetation change in eastern Africa

Carbon isotopes in mammalian teeth were used as a proxy for east African environmental conditions spanning the past 10 million years. This data was synthesized with ocean sediment core sample analysis from the Gulf of Aden to build a detailed history of regional climate change.