3. Economic Growth, Technological Development, and Environmental Performance

The very countries that are the biggest sources of environmental risk are also doing the most to mitigate it, at least in terms of research and development (R&D). This is not surprising given that they are among the most capital intensive and technologically advanced in the world. This chapter continues to the discussion of the seven countries —China, France, Germany, Japan, Korea, the UK, and the USA. The focus of this chapter is on technological R&D, especially in environment-related technologies, as well as renewable energy (RE) production and consumption. These factors together explain how well their economies are transitioning toward a greater reliance on renewable sources of energy, in order to effectively lower greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and additional sources of environmental risk.