Resources

A new report by the Global Subsidies Initiative (GSI) quantifies government support for biofuels in Canada, and analyzes whether this expenditure represents good value for Canadian taxpayers. Biofuels – At What Cost?

A policy brief from the Global Development and Environment Institute (GDEA) at Tufts University examines the link between bloated U.S. farm subsidies and expanding waistlines in the United States. Consumer advocates have argued that US farm subsidies that lower the cost of corn are a key reason why consumption of high fructose corn syrup (HFSC) has sky-rocketed over the last four decades.

A network of developing country research institutes that examine trade policies has published two reports that highlight the impacts, negative and positive, of subsidies designed to attract investment.

Three recent reports by the Global Subsidies Initiative (GSI) survey subsidy policies for biofuels in China, Malaysia and Indonesia. The reports marks a shift in focus for the GSI’s “Biofuels At What Cost?” series, from biofuel subsidy policies in OECD countries—which account for the lions share of global government support for biofuels—to that of certain developing countries that have stood poised to capitalize on heightened interest in these renewable fuels.

The Global Subsidies Initiative (GSI) has published a report revealing that China provided a total of RMB 780 million (US$ 115 million, roughly US$ 0.40 per litre) in biofuel subsidies in 2006. Total support is expected to reach approximately RMB 8 billion (US$ 1.2 billion) by 2020, according to official sources.

An interview with Leticia Armenta Fraire, Centre for Economic Analysis, Mexico.

What is your opinion on the US$ 700 billion bailout of U.S. financial institutions passed earlier this month by the U.S. Congress?

The non-profit Renewable Energy Foundation — known for its firm stance against on-shore wind farms —warns that “political enthusiasm for wind power” does not reflect the high-cost and inefficiencies of large-scale wind farms in the United Kingdom.