The Economics of 1.5°C Climate Change

The economic case for limiting warming to 1.5°C is unclear, due to manifold uncertainties. However, it cannot be ruled out that the 1.5°C target passes a cost-benefit test. Costs are almost certainly high: The median global carbon price in 1.5°C scenarios implemented by various energy models is more than US$100 per metric ton of CO2 in 2020, for example. Benefits estimates range from much lower than this to much higher. Some of these uncertainties may reduce in the future, raising the question of how to hedge in the near term. Maintaining an option on limiting warming to 1.5°C means targeting it now. Setting off with higher emissions will make 1.5°C unattainable quickly without recourse to expensive large-scale carbon dioxide removal (CDR), or solar radiation management (SRM), which can be cheap but poses ambiguous risks society seems unwilling to take. Carbon pricing could reduce mitigation costs substantially compared with ramping up the current patchwork of regulatory instruments. Nonetheless, a mix of policies is justified and technology-specific approaches may be required. It is particularly important to step up mitigation finance to developing countries, where emissions abatement is relatively cheap

Combating Acid Violence in Bangladesh, India and Cambodia

This Report is the first comprehensive, comparative study of acid violence that examines the underlying causes, its consequences, and the multiple barriers to justice for its victims. Acid attacks, like other forms of violence against women, are not random or natural phenomena. Rather, they are social phenomena deeply embedded in a gender order that has historically privileged patriarchal control over women and justified the use of violence to “keep women in their places.” Through an in-depth study of three countries, the authors of the Report argue that the due diligence standard can be a powerful tool for state and non-state actors to prevent and adequately respond to acid violence with the aim of combating it. In this respect, they identify key ways in which acid violence can be addressed by governments and corporations

Challenges Faced by Sri Lankan e-Commerce Providers

13p. This is the formatted version of this report. An unformatted version is also available in the KMS.This Country Update Note illustrates the perceptions of e-commerce providers in Sri Lanka on the most pressing issues they face when undertaking cross-border trade. The objective is to understand specific barriers they face in e-commerce participation, so that WTO negotiators may address these concerns. The note briefly looks at existing legislation relating to e-commerce in Sri Lanka. It goes on to discuss the concerns raised by e-commerce providers regarding laws, regulations and policies, competition with global companies, and internal and external capacity constraints. Information was gathered through secondary research over the web and surveys and interviews with e-commerce providers

Mapping of Health Services Sector and the Current National Regulations in Sri Lanka

21p. An unformatted version of this report is also available in the KMS.The note provides an overview of the current structure and status of the health service sector in Sri Lanka (including medical and health services). It also illustrates the challenges faced by, and regulations that govern the sector

Trading with China: Challenges and Policy Issues faced by MSMEs

14p. An unformatted version of this report is also available in the KMS.The note illustrates the views of, and challenges faced by Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in exporting to China, with a focus on China’s trade policy and trade standards that may have hindered exports

Export Challenges Faced by S&SEA e-Commerce Providers

14p. An unformatted version of this report is also available in the KMS.This Country Update Note addresses the most pressing issues faced by e-commerce providers in exporting their products or services. The note incorporates the views of the public and private sectors, and covers general business challenges as well as policy and regulatory aspects. The objective is to understand the export challenges they face in operating in the e-commerce sector, so that WTO negotiators may address these concerns. For the purpose of this note, an ‘e-commerce provider’ is defined as any private enterprise that engages in trade through electronic means. The note specifically looks at e-commerce providers engaged in cross-border trade i.e. e-exporters. Examples of such trade include: online sales and marketing, accommodation booking, any mode of transport booking, digital financial services, medical services, provision of digital goods such as graphics, e-books, and online courses

S&SEA Rice Exports: Challenges in relation with the new EU MRL

10p. An unformatted version of this report is also available in the KMS.This Country Update Note provides the views of rice exporters and government agencies in Sri Lanka on their perceptions of the issues they face in complying with EU MRL requirements. The MRL regulations effective at the time of the writing of this Note were brought into force in September 2008. The objective is to understand the challenges faced in exporting rice products in the face of these regulations, so that WTO negotiators may address these concerns

Predictors of risk of alcohol-exposed pregnancies among women in an urban and a rural area of South Africa

The study sought to determine the prevalence and predictors of being at risk of an alcohol-exposed pregnancy (AEP) among women of child-bearing age in an urban and rural location in South Africa. We conducted a cross-sectional household survey of 1018 women aged 18–44 years in one urban (n ¼ 606) and one rural (n ¼ 412) site. The women were interviewed using a structured questionnaire. We defined the primary dependent variable, being at risk of having an AEP, as current alcohol use, not being pregnant, being fertile, and no effective use of contraceptives. The independent variables included demographic, substance use, health perceptions, psycho-social, and partner characteristics. The rural women (21.84%) were more likely than their urban counterparts (11.22%) to be at risk of an AEP. In multiple logistic regression analyses, significant predictors of being in the ‘‘at risk’’ group for the urban women were (a) being ‘white’ as opposed to ‘black/African’, and being ‘coloured’ as opposed to ‘black/African’; and (b) current smoking. For the rural women, significant risk factors were (a) current smoking and (b) early onset of alcohol use. The significant protective factors were (a) education; (b) knowledge about Fetal Alcohol Syndrome; (c) parity. Use of stricter alcohol use criteria (i.e., three or more drinks and five or more drinks per sitting) in the definition of risk of an AEP yielded slightly different patterns of significant predictors. The results revealed high levels of risk of an alcohol-exposed pregnancy, especially amongst the rural women, and a need for location-specific prevention programmes. The high burden of AEP in South Africa calls for the establishment of national AEP prevention strategies and programmes as a matter of urgency