OECD Climate Change Documents

THE ORGANISATION FOR Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) was established in 1960 and is based in Paris, France, with a membership of 30 countries. The organization continued the activities [Page 745]of the Organization for European Economic Cooperation (OEEC), which had administered the American and Canadian funds of the Marshall Plan for the reconstruction of Europe after World War II. OECD's main commitment is to foster cooperation among countries that adhere to the principles of democracy and free market economy. OECD's aims are to support sustainable economic development, to expand the job market, to raise living standards and contribute to the growth of global trade. In addition to working with its member countries, OECD also lends its expertise to more than 100 other countries.

One of OECD's branches is the Environment Directorate, which aims to supply governments with the analytical information to develop policies that are effective and economically efficient, as well as respectful of the environment. The Directorate compiles country performance reviews, data collection, policy analysis, projections, and modeling, and encourages the development of common approaches. Within the Environment Directorate, the Department of Climate Change, Energy, and Transport specifically assesses the impact of global climate change on economies, societies and the environment in the 21st century. The Department supports the integration of climate policy targets within larger policy areas. OECD also works closely with the Annex I Expert Group on the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the group of government officials from Environment, Energy, and Foreign Affairs ministries from countries that are listed in Annex I to the UNFCCC, and those that have accepted the Annex I commitments. OECD provides secretariat support to the Annex I Expert Group. It offers analytical papers on issues relevant to the ongoing climate change negotiations, but that can also be useful to national policymakers and other decision-makers. In particular, OECD has suggested ways to share information under the Convention on greenhouse gases emission performance among countries, for example, through standardized reporting of national emission inventories and on greenhouse gases mitigation policies.