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This research paper examines the perceptions of roles and responsibilities among four key stakeholders in Australian flood risk management: local councils, the insurance industry, the State Emergency Service (SES), and local residents.

This research paper assesses the impact of climate change on the Gilgel Abay River in Ethiopia's Upper Blue Nile Basin using the Statistical Downscaling Tool (SDSM) and the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT). The study projects fluctuating precipitation and flow volumes between 2010 and 2100, ultimately predicting an overall annual increase in flow volume that could benefit local irrigation and dam projects.

This research paper examines the application of shared socioeconomic pathways (SSPs) and their combination with representative concentration pathways (RCPs) within climate change impacts, adaptation, and vulnerability (IAV) research. It identifies limitations in previous social-environmental scenarios and proposes an expanded set of indicators for SSPs to increase their utility for future research.

The executive summary of 'The Global Landscape of Climate Finance 2013' reports that global climate finance flows have plateaued at USD 359 billion, a figure significantly lower than estimated investment needs. The document emphasizes that public policies and resources act as the 'engine room' of the system, necessary to reduce risks and costs to attract private capital, which is essential for scaling low-carbon and climate-resilient growth.

Friends of the Earth South Africa and groundWork issued a letter to President Jacob Zuma opposing the lifting of the fracking moratorium, citing environmental risks, lack of public consultation, and the potential for increased greenhouse gas emissions.

This research paper presents results from a survey of national climate change mitigation legislation and strategies across nearly all United Nations member states from 2007 to 2012, highlighting a global increase in policy coverage and a regional shift toward non-Annex I countries.

An unpublished letter from RMI to The Economist argues that European electric utilities' financial losses are the result of failed investment strategies and a failure to adapt to disruptive renewable technologies, rather than the fault of renewables themselves. The author contends that renewables provide significant macroeconomic benefits and that grid stability is manageable at high penetration levels, as demonstrated in several European countries.

A statement by the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) marking the 20th anniversary of the World Bank's Inspection Panel, arguing that the Panel's role is increasingly critical as the Bank pursues a strategy of greater risk-taking in fragile states and private sector engagement.

An open letter from RMI to hard goods retailers arguing that promoting and procuring energy-efficient electronics and appliances can unlock significant financial savings for consumers and reduce overall energy consumption.

The Minamata Convention on Mercury is a global treaty established to protect human health and the environment from the adverse effects of mercury.

The Centre for Environmental Rights (CER), representing several community and environmental groups, submitted a letter to the South African Minister of Water and Environmental Affairs and the National Air Quality Officer. The letter challenges Eskom's applications to postpone or be exempt from Minimum Emission Standards (MES) for sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and particulate matter across 17 power stations, arguing that the current application process lacks necessary health risk assessments and adequate public participation.

This briefing by the World Resources Institute (WRI) analyzes the June 2013 fires and haze crisis in Riau Province, Sumatra, using high-resolution satellite imagery. It argues that ASEAN leaders should use the 23rd ASEAN Summit to commit to collaborative actions, such as making concession maps public and establishing a blue ribbon panel, to prevent recurring environmental and public health disasters.

This briefing by the World Resources Institute outlines five priority areas for the Green Climate Fund (GCF) Board to address during its fifth meeting in Paris to ensure the fund can effectively mobilize and distribute finance for low-carbon, climate-resilient development in developing countries.

This briefing by Natural Justice discusses the introduction of the Wildlife Protection (Amendment) Bill, 2013 in India, detailing its objectives to strengthen wildlife law enforcement and CITES compliance, while critiquing specific provisions regarding penalties in tiger reserves and research permits.

This policy brief examines how the Green Climate Fund (GCF) can achieve its objective of initiating a 'paradigm shift' towards low-carbon and climate-resilient development. It argues that such a shift requires moving from small, project-by-project approaches to programmatic ones, ensuring strong country ownership, and providing significant financial resources. The document discusses the challenges of defining 'paradigm shift' and 'transformational change', the role of performance indicators, and the need for funding conditions that incentivize higher ambition while respecting national priorities.

This document compares over 40 studies on regional GHG reduction targets based on various effort-sharing approaches. It finds that targets vary significantly by approach and region; for a 450 ppm CO2e stabilization level by 2030, OECD 1990 allowances would be roughly half of 2010 levels, while other regions like Asia and Latin America would see different relative reductions. The author notes that current literature covers only a small fraction of possible allocation approaches and calls for more in-depth modelling.

This report evaluates the impact of Typhoon Nari on Da Nang city and assesses the effectiveness of a storm-resistant housing project implemented by ISET-Vietnam and the Da Nang Women's Union. While the city suffered extensive damage to infrastructure and the ecosystem, 100% of the project's beneficiary households remained safe, demonstrating that investment in preparedness is more cost-effective than post-disaster recovery.

This research paper compares the socio-economic profiles and disaster coping mechanisms of low-income persons in the agriculture and tourism sectors across the Caribbean (Belize, Grenada, Jamaica, and St. Lucia) and the South West Indian Ocean (Mauritius and the Seychelles). The study evaluates the demand for microinsurance as a tool to reduce vulnerability to extreme weather events.

This executive summary analyzes the adoption of the Direct Planting System (DPS), a no-till farming method in Brazil. The study finds that social learning—farmers learning from peers—is a primary driver of adoption, but this process is hindered by soil dissimilarity within municipalities. The authors argue that public policy should focus on disseminating information and providing temporary training in areas with high soil similarity to trigger social learning mechanisms.

This research paper examines the diffusion of the Direct Planting System (DPS) in Brazil, a high-productivity agricultural technique that reduces soil erosion and greenhouse gas emissions. The authors argue that while DPS offers higher revenues and lower costs without significant upfront financial barriers, its adoption is hindered by the need for site-specific adaptation. Using data from the 2006 Brazilian agricultural census and soil maps, the study demonstrates that geographic soil heterogeneity acts as a barrier to social learning, reducing adoption rates most significantly at intermediate levels of technology penetration.