The environment poses substantial challenges for public policies. Foremost of these is to counter climate change and its effects, accompanied by the continuing need to tackle pollution, address the unsustainable use of natural resources and halt the decline of biodiversity. GHK’s work in the climate change field includes:

• scenario building

• evaluation of existing interventions including legislation and the Structural Funds

• assessment of the energy savings of prospective policies

• impacts of climate change policies on international competitiveness and industrial restructuring.

GHK’s expertise includes:

• knowledge of the linkages between economic development, ‘green jobs’ and the environment;

• regulatory impact assessment

• economics of biodiversity conservation

• ecosystem services

• pollution control

• waste management

• water management.

GHK applies a variety of policy appraisal and evaluation techniques, including:

• valuation of environmental effects

• cost benefit analysis

• cost-effectiveness analysis

• multi-criteria analysis

• analysis of the costs of policy inaction

• development and use of environmental indicators.