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The document asserts that renewable energy is significantly cheaper than coal when air pollution externalities are included. It highlights that coal producers in Indonesia received at least IDR 12.4 trillion (USD 946 million) in subsidies in 2014, which is more than five times the total subsidies provided to renewable energy between 2010 and 2015. The text warns that continuing coal reliance could lock in emissions and pollution for 25 years and notes that large renewable investments are required to provide electricity access to millions of households in Indonesia.

This policy brief examines China's expanding economic role in the Mekong region, specifically its investments in natural resources, energy, and infrastructure in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia. It highlights China's strategic shift toward securing foreign resources to fuel its domestic industrial growth and the resulting environmental and social challenges in host countries.

While the MENA region has low direct exposure to US tariffs, it faces significant indirect risks including energy price volatility, trade diversion (specifically 'dumping' of Chinese steel and aluminium), and inflationary pressures. Certain countries are more exposed than others, with Jordan facing risks to its garment exports, while Türkiye may gain competitiveness in textiles. The region's long-standing policy of non-alignment between the US and China is under pressure as trade is increasingly weaponized, though the Gulf's strategic geography and investments in digital infrastructure offer paths toward resilience.

Recent research indicates that while ex-combatants in the Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, and South Sudan engage in diverse economic activities—primarily small businesses in the informal sector—their success is hindered by dilapidated infrastructure, predatory taxation, and limited access to credit. The study finds that sustainable peace is possible if reintegration continues, though risks remain higher for young unmarried males who may resort to criminal activities or re-militarization. The presence of mineral wealth in ungoverned spaces offers wealth accumulation opportunities but exposes ex-combatants to violence and extortion by armed groups.

The paper examines how Zambia manages competing public needs through macroeconomic reforms and growth stimulation. It details the transition from state-led economic management to a liberalised system, focusing on GDP growth, inflation control, and interest rate reductions to expand the state's resource envelope.

The document identifies the primary threats to human security in Zimbabwe as a political impasse following the March 2008 elections and a severe economic collapse. It highlights the role of state control over the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission, the impact of the Fast Track Land Resettlement Programme on political polarization, and hyperinflation exceeding 100,000% in January 2008. While noting a lack of open ethnic conflict, it observes that racial and ethnic prejudices are often mobilized for political gain during periods of turbulence.

The briefing examines the tense pre-electoral environment in Angola, highlighting accusations of election rigging by the MPLA and the potential for social unrest driven by youth and war veterans. It notes the limited influence of SADC and the muted response of international partners like the US and EU, which are driven by strategic and economic interests, particularly oil. The document also emphasizes the need for Angola to diversify its oil-dependent economy to ensure long-term stability.

The report analyzes the evolution of the Forum on China–Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) from its inception in 2000 through the 2006 Beijing summit. It argues that FOCAC provides a 'win-win' framework for South-South cooperation, contrasting China's pragmatic, non-interference approach with Western conditional aid. The document details China's economic model, its strategic need for African raw materials (particularly oil), and the specific financial commitments made to African infrastructure, health, and debt relief. It concludes that while China offers significant opportunities for growth, African nations must improve their own governance and strategic coordination to maximize these benefits.

The Institute for Policy Integrity and other organizations challenge the Bureau of Land Management's (BLM) proposal to delay the 2016 Waste Prevention Rule, asserting that the agency's economic analysis—specifically regarding the social cost of methane—is inconsistent with scientific and legal standards. They state that the rule's annual benefits exceed its costs by up to $200 million.

The report details a conference in Brussels where representatives of Greek Cypriots (GCs) and Turkish Cypriots (TCs) discussed the legal, normative, and economic challenges of property restitution and compensation. Key tensions include the GCs' emphasis on the right of the legal owner to choose the remedy and the TCs' focus on the rights of current users and the principle of bizonality. The proceedings explore the role of the Immovable Property Commission (IPC), the impact of European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) rulings, and the financial impossibility of full market-value compensation, suggesting alternative market-based exchange mechanisms and the need for social reconciliation.

The author describes the U.S. nuclear power industry as the "greatest collapse of any enterprise in industrial history," attributing this failure to a combination of institutional hubris, skewed economic data, and a federal policy focus on hardware over energy efficiency. The text details how the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) and the Department of Energy (DOE) promoted myths regarding the cost-competitiveness of nuclear power compared to coal and ignored the potential of energy productivity improvements. It further examines the failure of the breeder reactor and reprocessing programs, arguing that the federal government continues to subsidize an uncompetitive technology while ignoring cheaper, more efficient alternatives.

Amory Lovins defends his position that nuclear power lacks a viable business case, noting that new U.S. reactors cannot attract private capital despite significant subsidies. He contrasts this with the growth of renewables, which attracted $131 billion in global private investment in the previous year.

This document is a rebuttal by Amory B. Lovins of the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) to an article and subsequent response by Charles C. Mann in The Atlantic. Lovins argues that Mann ignores the role of efficiency and technological innovation in reducing oil demand and misrepresents the reliability and economic viability of renewable energy, specifically in Germany.

The report distinguishes between 'growth' (increase in size) and 'development' (increase in quality), arguing that rapid community expansion often leads to higher taxes and degraded public services. It identifies a 'growth subsidy' where existing taxpayers fund infrastructure for newcomers, creating a cycle of dependency on further expansion. The authors propose sustainable development alternatives, such as import replacement and energy efficiency, to build local wealth without increasing community size.

The report advocates for a 'solve for pattern' approach to global crises, using energy efficiency and renewable technologies as a model for broader resource management. It argues that the U.S. and other nations can achieve significant reductions in oil and electricity use through technical innovations like 'hypercars' and efficient lighting, which are often cheaper than expanding supply. The authors contend that these efficiencies can simultaneously improve economic health, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, slow nuclear proliferation by removing the need for civilian nuclear power, and enhance global security by reducing dependence on foreign oil.

The report posits that climate change is an artifact of resource inefficiency and that mitigating it can be done at a profit. It highlights that energy efficiency, switching to low-carbon fuels, and improving forestry and farming practices can reduce greenhouse gas emissions while lowering costs for businesses and governments. The text argues against the necessity of nuclear power, citing its high cost and market failure, and instead promotes wind, solar, and combined-cycle gas turbines. It suggests that market-oriented policies, such as those established by the Kyoto Protocol and the Montreal Treaty, can incentivize carbon reductions through trading mechanisms. The document concludes that the transition to a low-carbon economy can be managed without net job losses, provided there is transitional support for displaced workers in the fossil fuel sector.

The text analyzes 'industrial metabolism,' contrasting the circularity of biological systems with the linear, wasteful nature of industrial production. It quantifies the massive scale of material waste in the United States, the social waste of unemployment and incarceration, and the financial waste embedded in the GDP. The author contends that GDP is a flawed metric because it counts environmental and social decay as economic growth, and calls for a new economic model that values natural and human capital to ensure long-term viability.

The text presents 'green development' as a superior paradigm for real estate, demonstrating through case studies that integrating passive design, high-efficiency technology, and human-centric planning reduces costs and increases financial returns. It highlights the economic benefits of improved labor productivity due to better indoor environments and argues that current market incentives for architects and developers are 'perverse' because they reward inefficiency. The document details specific technical innovations in lighting, insulation, and appliances, while advocating for 'New Urbanism' to reduce infrastructure costs and restore community vitality.

The paper examines the barriers preventing the automotive industry from adopting advanced composite materials in the body-in-white (BIW) and proposes a "leapfrog" strategy. Instead of incremental component substitution, the authors advocate for a clean-sheet, all-composite monocoque design. This approach is presented as essential for the "hypercar" concept, where extreme mass reduction creates synergies with hybrid-electric drivetrains, reducing the size and cost of propulsion systems. The document analyzes various manufacturing technologies, such as resin transfer molding (RTM) and E-beam curing, and argues that the high cost of carbon fiber can be offset by significant mass reductions and reduced assembly complexity. It concludes that the primary obstacles are cultural inertia and a lack of familiarity among automakers rather than intractable technical limits.

The paper proposes a 'hypercar' design based on the synergy of advanced-polymer-composite monocoques, ultralow drag, and hybrid-electric propulsion. It argues that this approach can increase fuel economy by 4–10 times compared to conventional cars, potentially reaching 60–120 km/l with fluid fuels or 250 km/l with fuel cells. The author emphasizes that the primary barriers to adoption are cultural rather than technical, as the industry relies on incremental steel-based design. Strategically, the shift to composites would lower fixed tooling costs, reduce reliance on oil, and enable a transition to distributed energy systems via fuel-cell vehicles acting as power plants.