Page 103 - Module_5_en

Module
5

? Identify policy types and/or specific policies that are currently absent, but might have
significant potential for positive effect.

? Discuss opportunities and barriers for optimizing the policy mix, either by adding new
or discontinuing existing policies or policy types.

Time: 45 minutes group, 30 minutes plenary. Abu Dhabi, UAE

There are certainly policy gaps other than those identified above. For example:
? Policy developed, but not implemented or enforced.

? Policy not functioning properly (e.g., relevant actors ignored, policy theory not accurate, etc.).

? Policy effect reduced or negated because of the effects of another policy.

The first two of these gaps require additional analysis, which is not within the scope of this module and
training manual. The last one, policy effect negated because of the effects of another policy, is the focus
of the next section.

6.6.2 Assessing policy coherence

Analysis of policy effectiveness focuses on comparing the actual and expected performance of a given
policy, based on relevant performance criteria. As neither environmental issues nor policies can exist
in isolation, any given environmental trend will be a combined result of interacting policies and natural
factors, some of which are outside the control of human decision making.

For example, energy subsidies and increased energy consumption may have implications for air quality,
overall material use and waste production, but also for global climate change. It may well be that a given
policy deals well with one particular type of environmental impact, but fares poorly with another.

One tool for assessing these types of combined effects is an action-impact matrix (AIM). An example
of an AIM is illustrated in Table 13. The AIM lists specific policy instruments in the first column, then
assesses the effect of the policy, intended and unintended, on a range of environmental issues. Through
such a thought process it is possible to identify interlinkages among policy effects, many of which will
not be intuitive. In some instances, the positive effect of one policy might be completely neutralized by
the negative effect of another policy.

IEA Training Manual Workshop for the National Reporting Toolkit (NRT) 101