Economics, technology, and environment in Hungary

Journal Article · Fri Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1993 · Technology in Society; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/0160-791X(93)90032-J· OSTI ID:6770783

Kerekes, S ^[1]

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1. Budapest Univ. of Economic Sciences (Hungary)

While Western economies were making a transition away from high-polluting industries in the 1970s, Eastern European countries were making investments in industries and in mass-production technologies that are environmentally harmful and, besides, are not internationally competitive in an age of high energy and raw material costs. Recent improvements in the environment in Hungary are mostly due to the closing of these plants for purely economics reasons. As trade with the West grows, there is some danger that it will be based largely on environmentally harmful industries. In the present transition from a centrally planned economy with captive markets to a market-oriented economy, long-term investments in environmental protection must compete with more obvious and compelling short-term investments needed to counter the painful aspects of liberalization (unemployment, bankruptcy, heavy debt, etc.). Too much emphasis on environmental protection could fatally retard the transition, and too little attention to high revenue-high growth areas, such as tourism, could result in long-term environmental damage that would also defeat the process and goals of liberalization. The proposed path calls for steady, practical reforms to create the proper incentives, carried out under government supervision and with aid from external investors, lenders, and development agencies. 10 refs.

• OSTI ID: 6770783
• Journal Information: Technology in Society; (United States), Vol. 15:1; ISSN 0160-791X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

29 ENERGY PLANNING
POLICY AND ECONOMY
HUNGARY
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY
INDUSTRY
ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS
RAW MATERIALS
COST
EASTERN EUROPE
TOURISM
DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
EUROPE
GOVERNMENT POLICIES
MATERIALS
290200* - Energy Planning & Policy- Economics & Sociology
290300 - Energy Planning & Policy- Environment
Health
& Safety