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This research paper introduces a qualitative assessment framework designed to help policy makers analyze their country's progress in decarbonizing the electricity sector. It focuses on the technical and regulatory challenges associated with integrating variable renewable energy sources (vRES), such as wind and solar, and emphasizes that power sector transformation occurs in phases requiring timely planning and country-specific regulatory frameworks.

This report analyzes the feasibility and costs of Estonia achieving climate neutrality by 2050. It concludes that the goal is technically and strategically possible, requiring an estimated investment of 17.3 billion euros between 2021 and 2050, with the majority funded by the private sector. The analysis emphasizes that early action in energy efficiency and renewable energy is critical to avoid higher future costs and risks.

The Integrated Resource Plan (IRP 2019) is a strategic electricity infrastructure development plan for South Africa, designed to balance least-cost electricity supply and demand while considering security of supply and environmental impacts. The document updates the previous IRP 2010–2030 to reflect lower-than-expected GDP growth, declining electricity demand, and the deteriorating performance of Eskom's existing power plants.

The Climate Policy Initiative (CPI) and PUC-Rio are implementing a project (July 2019 – December 2020) to improve the socio-environmental and economic risk assessment of infrastructure projects in the Amazon. By combining economic and regulatory analysis, the project seeks to integrate these variables during the feasibility study phase to reduce environmental and social impacts and improve government planning processes.

This technical note explains the changes brought by Law 13.887/2019 to the Brazilian Forest Code, specifically regarding the Rural Environmental Registry (CAR) and the Environmental Regularization Program (PRA). It highlights that while CAR registration is now permanent, a December 31, 2020, deadline exists for those wishing to access the more flexible regularization rules of the PRA. It also clarifies that CAR registration remains mandatory for accessing rural credit.

This technical briefing analyzes Law 13.887/2019, which amends the Brazilian Forest Code (Law 12.651/2012) regarding the Rural Environmental Registry (CAR) and the Environmental Regularization Program (PRA). The law removes the final deadline for CAR registration, making it a permanent registry, but establishes a critical deadline of December 31, 2020, for producers to register if they wish to access the more flexible regularization rules of the PRA. The document highlights remaining uncertainties, such as the starting point for the two-year PRA adhesion window and the potential legal conflicts arising from a proposed federal PRA for states that fail to implement their own by the end of 2020.

This technical note by the Climate Policy Initiative (CPI) and the Núcleo de Avaliação de Políticas Climáticas da PUC-Rio (NAPC) argues for an integrated approach to several bills currently under discussion in the Brazilian National Congress. The authors contend that treating infrastructure and environmental licensing legislation in isolation risks creating contradictory rules and missing opportunities to improve project quality and investment security.

This briefing describes the 'Sustainable Infrastructure in the Amazon' project, an initiative by the Climate Policy Initiative (CPI/PUC-Rio) supported by the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation. The project aims to integrate socio-environmental risk assessments into the decision-making and lifecycle of infrastructure projects in Brazil, specifically focusing on the Amazon region, to ensure economic growth does not compromise vital ecosystem services.

This technical note by the Climate Policy Initiative (CPI/NAPC PUC-Rio) argues for an integrated legislative approach to infrastructure development in Brazil. It suggests that strengthening Technical, Economic and Environmental Feasibility Studies (EVTEA) and coordinating several pending bills would improve investment security, project quality, and environmental protection.

This research paper analyzes the growth of secondary vegetation in the Brazilian Amazon from 2004 to 2014, investigating whether this regeneration was a result of policy spillovers from law enforcement targeting primary forest loss. The authors find that increased enforcement in a cell's neighborhood significantly increases the probability and area of forest regrowth within that cell, suggesting a deterrence mechanism where offenders abandon deforested land due to higher perceived risks.

This briefing transcript from the Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) features experts discussing coastal resilience strategies in the Northeast United States. The discussion focuses on nature-based adaptation solutions, the challenges of rural and urban planning, and the necessity of coordinated funding and governance to protect communities, infrastructure, and fisheries from sea level rise and storm surges.

This market study, published in October 2019 by FSD Africa, EAVCA, and the IFC, examines the barriers and opportunities for pension funds in East Africa to invest in private equity. While regulatory frameworks in Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda generally allow such investments, actual allocation remains low due to knowledge gaps, risk perceptions, and a strong preference for government bonds. The report recommends tailored capacity building for trustees and regulators to increase the adoption of private equity as a growth asset.

This 2019 guidebook by WWF France provides a comprehensive overview of tools for measuring and managing natural capital. It categorizes tools into six types—biodiversity footprints, mapping, qualitative/quantitative, monetary, absolute ecological performance, and integrated accounting—and advocates for the adoption of 'strong sustainability' frameworks that respect scientific ecological boundaries rather than treating nature as a substitutable economic asset.

This report by the International Peace Institute and the Institute for Security Studies examines the strategic partnership between the United Nations (UN) and the African Union (AU) regarding conflict prevention and crisis management. It analyzes the political dynamics between the UN Security Council (UNSC) and the AU Peace and Security Council (AUPSC), the operational coordination between the UN Secretariat and AU Commission, and the thematic effectiveness of their collaboration across areas such as mediation, elections, and the 'Silencing the Guns' initiative.

The October 2019 Peace & Security Council Report by the Institute for Security Studies examines critical security and governance challenges facing the African Union (AU), focusing on the threat of foreign terrorist fighters, the internationalisation of the Libyan conflict, the implementation of the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance, and the political crisis in Guinea-Bissau.

This report examines the operational independence of South Africa's National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) and the Office of the Public Protector (PP), arguing that both have been compromised by political interference and the appointment of partisan leaders.

The 'Consumer Protection Principles for Clean Energy Mini-Grids', launched in October 2019 by the Alliance for Rural Electrification (ARE) and partners, establishes a global framework of minimum standards to safeguard consumer rights in the mini-grid sector, particularly in poor and remote villages.

This research paper evaluates the suitability of the Global Compact on Refugees (GCR) for the African context. It examines the GCR's objectives, the Comprehensive Refugee Response Framework (CRRF), and the challenges of implementing these non-binding frameworks in countries like South Africa and Tanzania, highlighting a critical gap between international policy and the fiscal and political realities of host states in the Global South.

This SEI report analyzes the efforts of Swedish municipalities to promote sustainable consumption based on a 2018 survey of 119 municipalities. It finds that while over 50% work systematically on sustainable consumption within their own operations, only 30% target households and even fewer target businesses. Key barriers include a lack of political support, financial resources, and tools for monitoring consumption-based environmental impacts. Economic motives are the primary driver, and the report recommends that the government task county administrative boards (länsstyrelserna) with coordinating municipal efforts to improve knowledge exchange.

This fact sheet by the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) describes a study on enhancing the climate resilience of water and energy infrastructure in Sub-Saharan Africa. Using the Water Evaluation and Planning (WEAP) system and the Open Source Energy Modeling System (OSeMOSYS), SEI evaluated seven major river basins to estimate the economic risks posed by climate change to hydropower and irrigation, providing recommendations for robust investment decision-making.