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This briefing analyzes the World Bank Group's (WBG) risk mitigation instruments for climate change, finding that while the WBG offers comprehensive explicit, implicit, and indirect risk coverage, climate-specific instruments have not kept pace with investment needs. Between 2010 and 2012, climate-related risk commitments averaged USD 570 million annually (14% of total risk mitigation). The report highlights that IBRD has provided the most financial resources for climate risk mitigation, while IFC is the most active by number of initiatives. It recommends a clear mandate to expand these instruments, particularly guarantees and index-based tools, to better support low-carbon projects.

This summary report details a September 2013 briefing in St. Paul, Minnesota, regarding 'America’s Power Plan' (APP), a policy roadmap for achieving a high-renewables energy future. The document outlines the regional context of the Midwest, discusses the need for new utility business and regulatory models to accommodate distributed energy resources (DERs), and highlights Xcel Energy's experience in integrating variable wind power.

This report by Friends of the Earth International documents 'environmental Nakba' in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, specifically the West Bank. It details how the Israeli occupation utilizes land expropriation, water control, toxic waste dumping, and nature conservation designations as tools for colonization and ethnic cleansing.

This report by Friends of the Earth International details ecological injustices and environmental violations committed by Israeli occupants in Palestine, specifically within the West Bank. The authors argue that environmental destruction—including water theft, toxic waste dumping, and the misuse of nature reserves—is an integral part of a broader project of colonization and ethnic cleansing, which they term an "ecological Nakba."

This report by Friends of the Earth International (FoEI) documents environmental injustices and human rights violations resulting from the Israeli occupation of Palestine, specifically in the West Bank. Based on a 2012 observer mission, the report argues that land grabs, water appropriation, toxic waste dumping, and the use of nature reserves for ethnic cleansing constitute an 'environmental Nakba'—an ongoing project of colonization and dispossession.

This fact sheet describes an initiative by the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research to strengthen adaptive management capacity and water security in the arid Americas through science-policy dialogues and integrated assessments of surface and groundwater use.

This briefing by the International Institute for Sustainable Development outlines policy tools for transitioning to a green economy, focusing on financing mechanisms. It uses Costa Rica's Payments for Ecosystem Services (PES) as a case study to illustrate how direct financial support, funded by taxes and international agreements, can reduce deforestation and create green jobs, while discussing the challenges of securing public funding in Manitoba.

This briefing note from the International Institute for Sustainable Development outlines fiscal policy instruments as tools to facilitate the transition to a green economy, providing case studies from Germany and Canada to illustrate how taxes, subsidies, and levies can incentivize sustainable practices.

This briefing note from the International Institute for Sustainable Development outlines institutional and policy processes (IPPs) that can facilitate a transition to a green economy, using case studies from Ontario and Manitoba to illustrate their application and limitations.

This report by the Institute for Security Studies analyses the vulnerability and resilience of Niger in the face of rising religious extremism and terrorism following attacks in May 2013. It evaluates Niger's three-pronged national strategy—military, socioeconomic, and legal—and examines the effectiveness of regional cooperation frameworks in the Sahel-Saharan region.

This report, published by the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) in September 2013, reviews 16 benefit and cost studies of distributed photovoltaics (DPV) conducted between 2005 and 2013. It aims to establish a foundation for valuing distributed energy resources (DERs) by identifying methodological best practices and gaps in how the electricity sector quantifies the costs and benefits of DPV.

This report details the findings and recommendations from a two-day workshop conducted by the Electricity Innovation Lab (e-Lab) and Naval Facilities Engineering Command Southwest (NAVFAC Southwest) in April 2013. The document examines the technical, economic, and regulatory challenges of implementing microgrids on U.S. Navy bases to improve energy security and integrate renewable energy.

This research paper by the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA) evaluates the alignment of the G-20 food security agenda with the interests of the African continent. The analysis finds that while the G-20's commitments broadly align with African policy processes—particularly regarding food-price volatility, agricultural productivity, and nutrition—the G-20 has been slow to implement regulatory reforms and provide significant funding for African agriculture. The author argues that the G-20 often overlooks systemic issues requiring internal reform, such as biofuel policies and commodity speculation, which significantly impact food security in developing regions.

This policy briefing by the South African Institute of International Affairs evaluates the G-20's global food security agenda and its effectiveness in Africa. While the G-20 has established frameworks to address price volatility and agricultural productivity, the document argues that a lack of implementation of regulatory reforms and the persistence of protectionist trade practices within G-20 member states limit the actual impact on African food security.

This guide by RMI provides building owners and managers with a framework for specifying and procuring building energy modeling (BEM) services for new construction, renovations, and operational improvements. It details the benefits of BEM, the different purposes for modeling (comparison, compliance, and prediction), the role of the modeler, and the contracting process, including a sample Request for Proposal (RFP).

The Centre for Environmental Rights (CER), representing several community and environmental groups, submitted comments on August 23, 2013, regarding uMoya-NILU Consulting's Plan of Study (PoS). The PoS was designed to support Eskom's applications for exemptions and postponements of Minimum Emission Standards (MES) for its power stations. The CER argues that the PoS is too narrow in scope, fails to include critical pollutants like PM2.5, uses inappropriate modelling software for near-field impacts, and lacks a mechanism to verify model outputs against real-world ambient measurements.

This article advocates for a 'nexus' approach to soil and land management to reverse the cycle of land degradation. It highlights that while agriculture is essential for feeding 7 billion people, it often causes the degradation of 24% of global land. The nexus approach seeks to replace the narrow focus on crop yields with a system that manages synergies and tradeoffs between water, energy, food, and natural resources.

An open letter from Friends of the Earth Africa and various NGOs addressed to the Prime Minister of Denmark, protesting statements made by Minister for Development Cooperation Christian Friis Bach. The letter rejects the imposition of failed development models from developed nations and asserts Africa's right to food sovereignty and sustainable, self-determined development.

The Help My House pilot project in South Carolina provided no-upfront-cost energy efficiency upgrades—including heat pumps and insulation—to electrical cooperative members. The program reduced average electricity use by 34%, saving participants an average of $288 annually during loan repayment and projected savings of over $1,100 annually thereafter, with over 90% of participants reporting satisfaction.

This research paper analyzes Ethiopia's foreign policy and domestic transition following the death of Prime Minister Meles Zenawi. It argues that while Ethiopia has maintained economic growth and regional security stability, its ability to play a more strategic and transformational role in the Horn of Africa is hindered by a gap between its stated democratic doctrines and its domestic political reality.