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Friends of the Earth criticizes President Obama's May 9, 2014, visit to a Walmart in Mountain View, California, arguing that the company's environmental claims are misleading and inconsistent with the president's goals for economic equity and climate action.

This case study examines how the province of Manitoba improved the resilience of its winter road network to mitigate the economic and social impacts of warmer winter temperatures and fluctuating ice levels.

Earthjustice issued a statement responding to the release of the Third National Climate Assessment, emphasizing the urgent need for carbon pollution safeguards and the transition to clean energy despite opposition from the fossil-fuel industry.

Carroll Muffett of the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) argues that industry proposals for stricter data protection and confidential business information (CBI) standards within the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) negotiations would hinder public health, consumer safety, and environmental protections by limiting access to critical information.

This report provides an overview of nanomaterials, their impacts on health and the environment, the current market for nanoproducts, and regulatory initiatives for their management, with a specific focus on the Global South.

This case study describes the development and implementation of the Heat Action Plan in Ahmedabad, India. Led by the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation in partnership with academic and environmental groups, the plan established the first comprehensive early warning system and heat preparedness strategy in South Asia to protect vulnerable populations from extreme heat.

This research paper by the African Centre for Cities and the Climate and Development Knowledge Network proposes a framework for 'climate compatible development' in African cities, specifically focusing on informal settlements. It argues that because a significant portion of Africa's urban growth occurs in slums, climate resilience must be integrated with poverty alleviation and in situ upgrading to avoid exacerbating existing inequalities.

This case study examines a CDKN-START action research programme in Gorakhpur, India, which aimed to integrate climate change considerations into the district's disaster management planning. The programme successfully moved beyond research recommendations to publish a climate-sensitive District Disaster Management Plan (DDMP) by utilizing 'Shared Learning Dialogues' and the Climate Resilience Framework to build capacity across government departments.

This case study examines Chiang Mai's transition toward sustainable urban tourism through the implementation of a non-motorised transport (NMT) system. Facing high greenhouse gas emissions from the tourism sector—specifically ground transport—the city developed a participatory plan to increase bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure. The initiative aims to reduce CO2e emissions by 0.6–1.6% of ground transport totals while creating green jobs for the urban poor. The project has served as a catalyst for further low-carbon policies, including a GEF-funded pilot project and the planned creation of a City Council for Climate Change.

This case study examines the Public Private People Partnerships for Climate Compatible Development (4PCCD) project (2011-2013), which used a participatory planning methodology to address climate change in the Chamanculo C neighborhood of Maputo, Mozambique. The project aimed to integrate local perspectives into municipal planning, resulting in the creation of a Community Plan for Climate Change Adaptation and the establishment of a Climate Planning Committee (CPC) to lead local action.

This case study examines the 'Sustainable Urban Tourism through Low Carbon Initiatives' project in Hue, Vietnam, which aimed to reduce the carbon footprint of the city's tourism sector while promoting local economic development. The initiative identified the promotion of traditional 'garden houses' as a primary strategy for climate mitigation and job creation, leveraging their role as carbon sinks and their ability to support non-motorised transport.

This briefing by the Climate and Development Knowledge Network (CDKN) examines the challenges of integrating disaster risk reduction (DRR) and climate change adaptation policies in India, specifically focusing on the arid regions of Barmer and Leh. Based on action research by SEEDS India, the document highlights how a lack of coordination between government ministries leads to ineffective implementation and potential maladaptation, while advocating for the use of local multi-stakeholder platforms and post-disaster 'windows of opportunity' to drive policy convergence.

This briefing describes how the Western Province of Sri Lanka is integrating urban and peri-urban agriculture and forestry into its climate change adaptation strategies to mitigate flood risks, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and improve food security.

The Pixley Ka Seme District Spatial Development Framework (2013-2018) provides a strategic spatial plan for a region in the Northern Cape, South Africa, characterized by vast landscapes and significant socio-economic challenges. Key priorities include leveraging the SKA project in Carnarvon, developing a renewable energy hub (particularly solar), and optimizing transport corridors (N1, N8, N10, N12) and the Orange River corridor. The plan emphasizes sustainable water management in a water-scarce region, the promotion of Karoo-based agro-tourism, and the integration of local municipalities to foster economic growth and poverty eradication.

This research paper analyzes the PROINFA feed-in tariff scheme in Brazil, finding that its nonlinear pricing structure incentivized wind farm operators to misreport capacity factors. This led to a 14% shortfall in expected energy production and 12% over-payments in the first year of operation. The authors demonstrate through modeling that while a linear price would increase over-reporting, an interest rate penalty of 1% on overpayments would effectively eliminate the incentive to misreport.

This executive summary from the Climate Policy Initiative outlines the structural and financial barriers hindering the transition to low-carbon electricity systems in the U.S. and Europe. It argues that current business models for investor-owned utilities and independent power producers are ill-suited for renewable energy and proposes a comprehensive evolution across generation, transmission, market operation, distribution, and customer management to reduce costs and improve system reliability.

This media briefing from Friends of the Earth International describes a victory for the indigenous Jogbahn clan in Liberia, who successfully forced the UK-based company Equatorial Palm Oil (EPO) to retreat from their land following government recognition of their customary land rights.

This report by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) assesses a pilot program for Direct Benefit Transfer of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) subsidies in the Mysore district of India. Based on surveys and focus groups conducted in October 2013, the report finds that the scheme faced significant administrative hurdles, caused financial instability for poor households, and led some users to return to biomass fuels, ultimately resulting in the program's suspension by the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas on January 30, 2014.

This guide, published by Natural Justice in May 2014, provides an introduction to the social and environmental safeguards and standards associated with REDD+ (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation). It is designed for forest-dependent communities and facilitators to help them understand international frameworks, identify their rights and responsibilities, and engage in national safeguard development processes to mitigate risks such as land dispossession and ensure equitable benefit sharing.

This research paper examines the relationship between South Africa's normative foreign policy goals—centered on democracy, human rights, and good governance—and its economic diplomacy within the Southern African Development Community (SADC). The author argues that there is an inconsistent linkage between these two areas, as South Africa often prioritizes economic interests and historical political alliances over the enforcement of its normative values.