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This transcript of a virtual briefing hosted by the Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) in April 2020 examines the threats to coastal resilience in Alaska. Panelists discuss the compounding effects of permafrost thaw, sea ice loss, and extreme precipitation on infrastructure and food security, while highlighting the critical need to integrate indigenous knowledge with western science and overcome systemic barriers to funding and coordination.

This report analyzes electric generation procurement by vertically integrated utilities in the United States, contrasting 'all-source' procurements—which are technology-neutral—with single-source processes. Using case studies from states like Colorado, Georgia, and New Mexico, the authors argue that utilities often exercise monopsony power to favor self-built, gas-fired generation over cheaper renewable alternatives. The report provides five best practices for regulators to ensure fair, competitive, and cost-effective procurement of power plants.

Energy Innovation's analysis finds that a $0.25 federal gas tax increase would generate $1.1 trillion in revenue through 2050, reduce fuel consumption by over 1.3 billion barrels, and add 2.5 million electric vehicles to U.S. roads by 2050. The tax is equivalent to a carbon tax of $25-$29 per ton, exceeding current U.S. pricing schemes like the California-Quebec and Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative systems.

This briefing by Global Energy Monitor argues that Japan's policy of financing 'best available technology' for overseas coal power is outdated and counterproductive. It contends that ultra-supercritical plants still emit too much carbon to meet Paris Agreement goals, that Japan's absence would not prevent the use of inferior technologies, and that these investments pose significant financial and environmental risks.

This executive summary reports on the 2019 air quality monitoring in the state of Acre, Brazil, utilizing a network of 30 low-cost PurpleAir sensors across 22 municipalities. The study focused on particulate matter (PM2.5) concentrations between June and December 2019, identifying significant violations of World Health Organization (WHO) air quality standards primarily driven by biomass burning from deforestation and pasture management.

This report by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) and the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) analyzes national agricultural support trends and proposes reforms to World Trade Organization (WTO) rules on internal support to promote equitable and sustainable food systems.

This policy brief by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) provides practical guidance for World Trade Organization (WTO) members on implementing potential agreements to prohibit harmful fisheries subsidies. It outlines general benchmarking and planning steps, specific implementation strategies for three proposed WTO disciplines—IUU fishing, overfished stocks, and overfishing/overcapacity—and discusses the necessary role of technical assistance for developing countries.

This report examines the practice of requiring sitting presidents to resign or step aside before seeking re-election to mitigate the abuse of incumbency. Using case studies from Cabo Verde and Madagascar, the author argues that this mechanism helps level the electoral playing field and reduces post-electoral violence by improving the perceived integrity of the process.

This policy brief by the Public Affairs Research Institute (PARI) proposes reforms to the appointment and removal processes of senior leaders within South Africa's criminal justice system. It argues that political interference and patronage have eroded the independence and legitimacy of key institutions, and suggests the implementation of independent selection panels and standardized criteria to ensure professionalism and insulation from partisan politics.

This report, published by the Alliance for Renewable Electrification (ARE) in April 2020, outlines a roadmap to ensure the survival and growth of the decentralized renewable energy (DRE) sector during the COVID-19 pandemic. It argues that the crisis threatens the viability of DRE companies and the delivery of electricity to rural communities, potentially hindering the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG 7) by 2030. The document provides specific financial, political, and technical recommendations for governments, donors, and charities to protect the sector and leverage the crisis to accelerate universal electrification.

The Alliance for Rural Electrification (ARE) issued a call to action in April 2020 to protect the decentralised renewable energy (DRE) sector from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. The report argues that the sector is critical for achieving universal electricity by 2030 and proposes a series of financial, policy, and technical interventions to prevent sector collapse and accelerate sustainable electrification.

This briefing paper by the Stockholm Environment Institute analyzes the Green Climate Fund's (GCF) allocation of energy finance between 2015 and July 2018. It finds that the GCF significantly underfunds energy access projects compared to large-scale renewable energy and energy efficiency projects, and that funding largely bypasses 'high-impact' countries and low-income nations most in need of energy access.

This briefing from the World Resources Institute argues that the United States can create significant employment and economic growth while advancing climate goals by investing in tree restoration. It proposes specific federal policy changes to fund reforestation on private, municipal, and state lands and critiques the Trillion Trees Act for potentially increasing emissions and causing a net loss of trees.

This written testimony from the Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) to the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Appropriations requests at least level funding for fiscal year 2021 for several U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) programs focused on climate change mitigation and adaptation.

This report provides a comparative analysis of legal texts governing artisanal gold mining within the UEMOA zone, proposing legislative reforms to support innovation and virtuous practices.

This research paper quantifies the potential 2030 impact of greenhouse gas emission reduction commitments made by non-state and subnational actors (NSAs)—including regions, cities, and businesses—within ten major emitting economies.

This research paper examines the immediate and long-term impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on Africa, arguing that the crisis accelerates the decline of the liberal international order and increases the vulnerability of smaller nations. The author outlines five key long-term risks—the unravelling of multilateralism, increased trade protectionism, the decline of development cooperation, a potential retreat from climate goals, and restricted human mobility—and proposes a coordinated African response focused on regional integration and proactive global governance reform.

This knowledge brief from Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL), produced in support of the Kigali Cooling Efficiency Program (K-CEP), examines the challenges and opportunities associated with financing sustainable cooling solutions across diverse user needs.

The Centre for Environmental Rights, acting for the Life After Coal Campaign, submitted a letter to the IPP Office of the Department of Energy requesting urgent clarification on the status of coal-fired power projects in relation to a draft determination for new generation capacity.

The Centre for Environmental Rights, writing on behalf of the Life After Coal Campaign, sent a letter to the Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy on 30 March 2020 seeking urgent clarity on draft determinations for new generation capacity. The letter questions the public participation process regarding these determinations and the specific status of coal-fired power projects Thabametsi and Khanyisa within the proposed 1500 MW coal allocation.