A succinct examination of the concept of sustainable development: what it means; how it is impacted by globalisation, production and consumption; how it can be measured; and what can be done to promote it.

In the crowded field of climate change reports, 'WDR 2010' uniquely: emphasizes development; takes an integrated look at adaptation and mitigation; highlights opportunities in the changing competitive landscape; and proposes policy solutions grounded in analytic work and in the context of the political economy of reform.

How can we design more sustainable industrial and urban systems that reduce environmental impacts while supporting a high quality of life for everyone? What progress has been made towards reducing resource use and waste, and what are the prospects for more resilient, material-efficient economies? What are the environmental and social impacts of global supply chains and how can they be measured and improved? Such questions are at the heart of the emerging discipline of industrial ecology, covered in Taking Stock of Industrial Ecology. Leading authors, researchers and practitioners review how far industrial ecology has developed and current issues and concerns, with illustrations of what the industrial ecology paradigm has achieved in public policy, corporate strategy and industrial practice. It provides an introduction for students coming to industrial ecology and for professionals who wish to understand what industrial ecology can offer, a reference for researchers and practitioners and a source of case studies for teachers.

This impressive study compares the adoption of environmentally sound technology in industrial sectors in eight developing countries. In combining a variety of quantitative and qualitative methodologies on rich empirical data the authors open the technological change black box and are able to formulate clear conclusions on the drivers and barriers for technological change. A major contribution to better understanding and governing environmentally-sound technological change. Arthur P.J. Mol, Wageningen University, The Netherlands All theory is gray, but the golden tree of life springs ever green , says Goethe. This book is very green (that is empirical) about a green topic: the adoption of environmentally sound technologies in developing countries, using triangulation for assessing the factors behind such choices. A very nice study on an important topic. René Kemp, UNU-MERIT, Maastricht, The Netherlands Industries located in developing countries have made major improvements in environmental performance since the Rio Earth Summit of 1992. More specifically, their record in reducing energy-use and water-pollutant intensities has been better than developed countries. This significant new book investigates what motivates industries in developing countries to adopt environmentally sound technology (EST) a subject about which very little is actually known. The authors present the findings of a United Nations study of the factors that determined EST adoption by 105 manufacturing plants in four different sectors within eight developing countries. They explore both factors internal to the plants as well as external factors including governments, markets and civil society. Environment and Industry in Developing Countries will be of great interest to development assistance agencies supporting programmes for industrial environmental management in developing countries, and also to graduate school programmes in economic development, technology management, as well as in international business.

Technology and globalization are threatening manufacturing’s traditional ability to deliver both productivity and jobs at a large scale for unskilled workers. Concerns about widening inequality within and across countries are raising questions about whether interventions are needed and how effective they could be. Trouble in the Making? The Future of Manufacturing-Led Development addresses three questions: - How has the global manufacturing landscape changed and why does this matter for development opportunities? - How are emerging trends in technology and globalization likely to shape the feasibility and desirability of manufacturing-led development in the future? - If low wages are going to be less important in defining competitiveness, how can less industrialized countries make the most of new opportunities that shifting technologies and globalization patterns may bring? The book examines the impacts of new technologies (i.e., the Internet of Things, 3-D printing, and advanced robotics), rising international competition, and increased servicification on manufacturing productivity and employment. The aim is to inform policy choices for countries currently producing and for those seeking to enter new manufacturing markets. Increased polarization is a risk, but the book analyzes ways to go beyond focusing on potential disruptions to position workers, firms, and locations for new opportunities. www.worldbank.org/futureofmanufacturing

Global value chains (GVCs) powered the surge of international trade after 1990 and now account for almost half of all trade. This shift enabled an unprecedented economic convergence: poor countries grew rapidly and began to catch up with richer countries. Since the 2008 global financial crisis, however, the growth of trade has been sluggish and the expansion of GVCs has stalled. Meanwhile, serious threats have emerged to the model of trade-led growth. New technologies could draw production closer to the consumer and reduce the demand for labor. And trade conflicts among large countries could lead to a retrenchment or a segmentation of GVCs. World Development Report 2020: Trading for Development in the Age of Global Value Chains examines whether there is still a path to development through GVCs and trade. It concludes that technological change is, at this stage, more a boon than a curse. GVCs can continue to boost growth, create better jobs, and reduce poverty provided that developing countries implement deeper reforms to promote GVC participation; industrial countries pursue open, predictable policies; and all countries revive multilateral cooperation.