The energy sector is a pillar of Québec’s regional competitiveness, and the province is also making investments to improve its specialisation in renewable energy.
Puglia is the leading region in Italy in renewable energy production. Renewable energy deployment in rural Puglia has contributed to rural development, though not on the scale anticipated, and not without generating distortions in the rural economy.
Poverty reduction and economic growth can be sustained only if natural resources are managed on a sustainable basis. Greening rural development can stimulate rural economies, create jobs, help maintain critical ecosystem services and strengthen climate resilience of the rural poor.
Hydropower, biomass, and wind dominate the regional energy profile in Middle Norrland. Regional specialisation in energy is mirrored by the presence of locally-owned utilities, which provide the Middle Norrland economy with cheap energy and ancillary services.
Iowa continues to be a largely rural state dominated by agriculture and associated industries, and is the largest producer of corn in the US.
North Karelia (NK) in Finland is a forerunner in the field of sustainable energy. Being a remote region with extremely cold winters, NK requires a lot of heating, but energy is expensive to import. In these conditions, the region’s vast wood reserves offer clear potential for fuel wood.
This case study concentrates on the island of Lolland in the Region Zealand in Denmark, home to 46,000 people. It used to be a manufacturing and agricultural powerhouse due to its shipbuilding industry and intensive sugar beet production, supported by Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) subsidies.
The policy guidance note Greening the Rural Economy and Green Jobs focuses on a number of areas that are at the heart of rural economies and could be engines for a sustainable economic transformation.
Enhancing energy efficiency and increasing the use of renewable energy constitute essential components of global policies to achieve the Millennium Development Goals. UNIDO recognises sustainable energy as both a precondition and catalyst for economic and social development.
Oregon covers a vast territory that is well endowed with natural resources, supporting early specialisation in the energy sector. This case study has a specific focus on Wallowa County, which is a predominantly rural region at the eastern edge of the state.