Usina Hidrelétrica de Belo Monte: o campo de forças no licenciamento ambiental e o discurso desenvolvimentista dos agentes políticos

Esta dissertação desenvolve uma análise sobre a dinâmica do campo de relações estabelecido em torno da construção da hidrelétrica de Belo Monte, observada a partir das ações empreendidas no processo de licenciamento ambiental. O objetivo principal foi desvelar as lógicas que organizam ações e relações entre agentes e instituições e determinam o desenrolar dos procedimentos de licenciamento da hidrelétrica. Ficou evidenciado pela análise o enfraquecimento deste instrumento da política ambiental, em razão da produção de uma desregulamentação das regras estabelecidas para licenciar a obra que foi identificada durante o acompanhamento do processo. Reforçando a argumentação do que foi observado, o trabalho analisa elementos e conteúdos presentes nos discursos que comprovam a reprodução da ideologia desenvolvimentista enquanto visão predominante nas políticas nacionais para a Amazônia. Através de revisão bibliográfica, consulta documental e pesquisa de campo, a dissertação mostra que quem mobiliza um grande capital político em favor do projeto e tem mais força no interior do campo de relações são os agentes e instituições em maior aproximação com as questões apontadas como estratégicas nas políticas de desenvolvimento. Neste contexto, segundo as reflexões produzidas neste trabalho, o desequilíbrio entre a força de instituições como Casa Civil, Ministério de Minas e Energia, Setor Elétrico Brasileiro, Ibama, Ministério Público e Movimentos Sociais marca a produção da desregulamentação do licenciamento ambiental, às custas do uso deturpado dos instrumentos nele contidos e dos conceitos nos quais se baseia a sua condução. O resultado desse enfraquecimento vai se refletir, na forma de uma irresponsabilidade institucionalizada, sobre um conjunto mais amplo de direitos presentes na ordem jurídica e no regime democrático brasileiro.

Plano Municipal de Educação de Rio Claro - SP: desafios e perspectivas na garantia do direito à educação

Pós-graduação em Educação - IBRC

Plano Municipal de Educação de Rio Claro - SP: desafios e perspectivas na garantia do direito à educação

Pós-graduação em Educação - IBRC

Informational Barriers to Energy Efficiency - Theory and European Policies. Bruges European Economic Research (BEER) Papers 15/2009

This BEER addresses informational barriers to energy efficiency. It is a widely acknowledged result that an energy efficiency gap exists implying that the level of energy efficiency is at an inefficiently low level. Several barriers to energy efficiency create this gap and the presence of asymmetric information is likely to be one such barrier. In this article a theoretical framework is presented addressing the issues of moral hazard and adverse selection related to energy efficiency. Based on the theoretical framework, European policies on energy efficiency are evaluated. The article is divided into two main parts. The first part presents the theory on information asymmetries and its consequences on energy efficiency focusing on the problems of moral hazard and adverse selection. Having established a theoretical framework to understand the agency barriers to energy efficiency, the second part evaluates the policies of the European Union on energy efficiency. The BEER finds that problems of moral hazard and adverse selection indeed can help explain the seemingly low levels of energy. In both presented models the cost to the principal from implementing high energy efficiency outcome is increased with the informational asymmetries. The theory reveals two implications to policies on energy efficiency. First, the development of measures to enable contractual parties to base remuneration on energy performance must be enhanced, and second, the information on technologies and the education of consumers and installers on energy efficiency must be increased. This could be complemented with certification of installers and energy efficiency advisors to enable consumers to select good agents. Finally, it is found that the preferred EU policy instrument on energy efficiency, so far, seems to be the use of minimum requirements. Less used in EU legislation is the use of measuring and verification as well as the use of certifications. Therefore, it is concluded that the EU should consider an increased use of these instruments, and in particular focus on a further development of standards on measurability and verification as well as an increased focus on education of consumers as well as installers and advisors on energy efficiency.

Odüsszeuszi utazás – az előretekintő iránymutatás tapasztalatai = An Odysseian journey - experience with forward guidance

Az alsó kamatkorlát melletti előretekintő iránymutatás a kamatpolitika helyettesítője, a várakozások és a pénzpiaci hozamok befolyásolásának nem konvencionális monetáris politikai eszköze. A jegybank a piaci szereplők számára előre jelezheti az alacsony kamatkörnyezet tartós fennmaradását (delphoi típus), és kötelezettséget is vállalhat erre (odüsszeuszi típus). Ez utóbbi esetben megváltozik a jegybanki reakciófüggvény: a jegybanki kamatdöntésekben nem az inflációs kilátások és az inflációs cél közötti eltérés, illetve a kibocsátási rés jut kitüntetett szerephez, hanem valamilyen állapotváltozó alakulása vagy az időtényező. A reakciófüggvény változásának hitelessége esetén a hozamok csökkenésére lehet számítani. Ha a jegybank a kamatszint fenntartásának feltételéül az állapotváltozók olyan értékeit jelöli meg, amelyek teljesülése esetén az inflációs célkövetés szabályai szerint amúgy sem emelt volna kamatot, akkor az előretekintő iránymutatás „üres beszéd”, és a hozamokra gyakorolt hatás is elmaradhat. Egyelőre nem eldönthető, hogy az előretekintő iránymutatás a kamatpolitika átmeneti helyettesítőjéből annak tartós kiegészítő elemévé válik-e. _____ Forward guidance is a substitute for interest-rate policy where the zero lower boundary applies. It is an unconventional monetary policy instrument intended to influence market yields and expectations. The central bank may give signals (forecasts) to the market on lasting maintenance of a low interest-rate environment (Delphi type) or may commit itself to do so (Odysseus type). In the latter case the reaction function changes: instead of inflation prospects and output gap, the main role in central bank rate decisions becomes the evolution of given macroeconomic state variables or the time factor. If changes of the reaction function are credible, a drop in security yields are expected. Forward guidance is just cheap talk if such values in economic state variables are set as conditions for keeping interest rates unchanged, which based on the rules of inflation targeting would not trigger an interest rate increase, regardless. In that case, no impact on yields may occur. For the time being it cannot be decided whether forward guidance is transitory or a lasting instrument of monetary policy.

Development and testing of the Elderly Social Vulnerability Index (ESVI): A composite indicator to measure social vulnerability in the Jamaican elderly population

Over the last two decades social vulnerability has emerged as a major area of study, with increasing attention to the study of vulnerable populations. Generally, the elderly are among the most vulnerable members of any society, and widespread population aging has led to greater focus on elderly vulnerability. However, the absence of a valid and practical measure constrains the ability of policy-makers to address this issue in a comprehensive way. This study developed a composite indicator, The Elderly Social Vulnerability Index (ESVI), and used it to undertake a comparative analysis of the availability of support for elderly Jamaicans based on their access to human, material and social resources. The results of the ESVI indicated that while the elderly are more vulnerable overall, certain segments of the population appear to be at greater risk. Females had consistently lower scores than males, and the oldest-old had the highest scores of all groups of older persons. Vulnerability scores also varied according to place of residence, with more rural parishes having higher scores than their urban counterparts. These findings support the political economy framework which locates disadvantage in old age within political and ideological structures. The findings also point to the pervasiveness and persistence of gender inequality as argued by feminist theories of aging. Based on the results of the study it is clear that there is a need for policies that target specific population segments, in addition to universal policies that could make the experience of old age less challenging for the majority of older persons. Overall, the ESVI has displayed usefulness as a tool for theoretical analysis and demonstrated its potential as a policy instrument to assist decision-makers in determining where to target their efforts as they seek to address the issue of social vulnerability in old age. Data for this study came from the 2001 population and housing census of Jamaica, with multiple imputation for missing data. The index was derived from the linear aggregation of three equally weighted domains, comprised of eleven unweighted indicators which were normalized using z-scores. Indicators were selected based on theoretical relevance and data availability.

Development and Testing of the Elderly Social Vulnerability Index (ESVI): A Composite Indicator to Measure Social Vulnerability in the Jamaican Elderly Population

Over the last two decades social vulnerability has emerged as a major area of study, with increasing attention to the study of vulnerable populations. Generally, the elderly are among the most vulnerable members of any society, and widespread population aging has led to greater focus on elderly vulnerability. However, the absence of a valid and practical measure constrains the ability of policy-makers to address this issue in a comprehensive way. This study developed a composite indicator, The Elderly Social Vulnerability Index (ESVI), and used it to undertake a comparative analysis of the availability of support for elderly Jamaicans based on their access to human, material and social resources. The results of the ESVI indicated that while the elderly are more vulnerable overall, certain segments of the population appear to be at greater risk. Females had consistently lower scores than males, and the oldest-old had the highest scores of all groups of older persons. Vulnerability scores also varied according to place of residence, with more rural parishes having higher scores than their urban counterparts. These findings support the political economy framework which locates disadvantage in old age within political and ideological structures. The findings also point to the pervasiveness and persistence of gender inequality as argued by feminist theories of aging. Based on the results of the study it is clear that there is a need for policies that target specific population segments, in addition to universal policies that could make the experience of old age less challenging for the majority of older persons. Overall, the ESVI has displayed usefulness as a tool for theoretical analysis and demonstrated its potential as a policy instrument to assist decision-makers in determining where to target their efforts as they seek to address the issue of social vulnerability in old age. Data for this study came from the 2001 population and housing census of Jamaica, with multiple imputation for missing data. The index was derived from the linear aggregation of three equally weighted domains, comprised of eleven unweighted indicators which were normalized using z-scores. Indicators were selected based on theoretical relevance and data availability.

Essays in International Finance and Macroeconomics

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Washington, 2016-08

The Europeanisation of the measurement of diversity in education: a soft instrument of public policy

Faced with an increasing number of data and rankings, the author questions the roles of the different groups of actors who were originally involved in questioning the use of statistical indicators as a means of addressing issues of access to higher education. The comparison and nature of these international (UNESCO, OECD, EUROSTAT) and national (Germany, England, France, Switzerland) indicators in matters of inequalities of access to higher education question the tension between the discourses and the indicators they generate, and their recording at the national level. Who says what and with what consequences? What range of actors are involved in this process? What kind of power relations forms them? The author discusses how the issue of inequalities of access to higher education got on to the agendas of European organisations, identifies the policies that were defined, and sets them against an array of indicators, showing the discrepancy between the discourses and what the indicators reveal, the gap between the recommendations and the available tools. Why is there such a contrast? What are the mechanisms at work? Is it a technical or a political problem? What does this discrepancy reveal as far as national specificities within the construction of social inequalities are concerned?

Poverty measurement as an instrument to design, monitor and evaluate health policy in Chile

Includes bibliography

Instrument for the sensitisation of policy makers about the value of science and technology

Pretende crear conciencia en los encargados de la toma de decisiones de la importancia de integrar los programas de ciencia y tecnologia en los planes nacionales de desarrollo.