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This executive summary describes a study by the Climate Policy Initiative on the adoption of the Direct Planting System (PD) in Brazil. The research identifies social learning—learning from neighbors and colleagues—as a key driver of technology diffusion, while noting that soil heterogeneity acts as a significant barrier. The document argues that public policy should focus on information dissemination and temporary training centers, particularly in areas with homogeneous soils, rather than relying solely on financial subsidies like the ABC program.

This policy brief by the Institute for Security Studies evaluates population projections for South Africa up to 2050, comparing the National Development Plan (NDP) 2030 with simulations from the International Futures (IFs) model. The analysis highlights significant discrepancies in population forecasts, primarily driven by differing assumptions regarding international migration, and explores the impact of fertility and mortality trends, including the role of antiretroviral therapies (ARTs) in increasing life expectancy.

This report evaluates the costs and benefits of the United Kingdom's biofuel industry and its associated support policies, focusing on employment, emissions abatement, and the role of biofuels in meeting EU renewable energy targets.

This report evaluates the costs and benefits of Spain's biofuel policies, focusing on industry support, employment, emission abatement, and the role of biofuels in meeting EU renewable energy targets.

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 executive summary by the Climate Policy Initiative (CPI) evaluates the impact of command-and-control policies on deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon, specifically focusing on the role of the Real-Time Deforestation Detection System (DETER). The study finds that DETER-based enforcement was the primary driver of deforestation deceleration in the 2000s, preventing significant forest loss without negatively impacting local agricultural production.

This report, produced by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) for the UNDP, evaluates climate risks and management capacities within Nicaragua's health sector. It identifies a strong correlation between extreme weather events—such as floods and droughts—and the prevalence of waterborne and vector-borne diseases, while highlighting systemic vulnerabilities in water access, sanitation, and health infrastructure. The document recommends integrating climate risk management into national health policies and improving inter-institutional coordination to protect public health and achieve broader development goals.

This policy brief by the Stockholm Environment Institute evaluates the implementation of the European Union's Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) in the Baltic Sea Region (BSR) from 2007 to 2013 and assesses proposed reforms for the post-2013 period. It argues that the CAP has had limited success in reducing environmental impacts and suggests that future reforms should better embrace the region's agricultural diversity and foster transboundary cooperation to protect common water bodies.

This policy paper by the Stockholm Environment Institute and other experts evaluates the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) framework for standardized baselines. The authors argue that the current approach is too rigid, potentially leading to both under-crediting and over-crediting of emission reductions, and recommend a more flexible, data-driven, and sector-specific methodology to ensure environmental integrity and practical applicability.

This executive summary from the Climate Policy Initiative provides a snapshot of climate finance in Germany for the year 2010. It analyzes the volume of investments, the primary sources of funding, and the effectiveness of policy instruments, while highlighting significant gaps in data collection and monitoring (MRV) systems.

This report evaluates the first year of the Indian Renewable Energy Certificate (REC) market, launched in March 2011 to help meet the National Action Policy on Climate Change target of 15% renewable electricity by 2020. The authors find that the market has failed to attract significant investment or drive cost reductions due to low participation, poor enforcement of Renewable Purchase Obligations (RPO) by states, and a lack of long-term price signals. While the conceptual design is deemed adequate in some areas, the execution is hampered by the financial instability of State Electricity Boards and a preference among developers for traditional feed-in-tariffs.

This policy brief examines the implementation and impacts of Iran's Targeted Subsidies Reform Act, which began in December 2010 to phase out energy subsidies and replace them with cash transfers. It details the challenges of price adjustments, the fiscal burden of universal cash payments, and the complicating effects of international sanctions on inflation and the foreign exchange market.

The Socio Bosque programme is a voluntary, incentive-based conservation scheme managed by Ecuador's Ministry of Environment (MAE). It provides annual per-hectare payments to private and communal landholders, including indigenous groups, in exchange for maintaining forest cover. While not originally designed for REDD+ funding, the programme aligns with climate mitigation goals by reducing deforestation and improving the socioeconomic resilience of the rural poor.

This briefing by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) evaluates the impact of British Columbia's carbon tax and provides recommendations for its future. The document argues that the tax has successfully reduced emissions without hindering economic growth and suggests maintaining the current policy structure while addressing emerging challenges such as natural gas expansion and price misalignment with the United States.

This research paper by the South African Institute of International Affairs examines the economic impact of Chinese trade, investment, and construction firms in Kenya. It highlights a significant trade imbalance, the proliferation of counterfeit Chinese goods, and the competitive pressures faced by local construction firms, while evaluating the effectiveness of Kenyan legislative responses such as the Anti-Counterfeit Act of 2008 and the National Construction Authority Act of 2010.

This policy brief describes the integration of the Water Evaluation and Planning (WEAP) and Long-range Energy Alternatives Planning (LEAP) systems to analyze the water-energy-climate nexus. Using a case study in California, the document demonstrates how integrated modeling can quantify the tradeoffs between reducing water imports through desalination and the resulting increases in electricity demand and greenhouse gas emissions.

This policy brief by the Stockholm Environment Institute evaluates the allocation of resources by the Adaptation Fund as of June 2012. It argues that the lack of a clear, agreed-upon definition of "particularly vulnerable" undermines the fund's ability to ensure equity and efficiency in distributing scarce adaptation finance.

This policy brief evaluates China's efforts to establish a domestic carbon trading system during its 12th Five-Year Plan (2011-2015). It describes the transition from top-down command-and-control measures to market-based instruments, highlighting the role of regional pilots and the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) while identifying significant structural and administrative challenges to achieving a functional national system by 2016.

This policy brief describes the Comprehensive Disaster Management Programme (CDMP) in Bangladesh, a two-phase initiative designed to shift the national approach from disaster response and relief to proactive risk reduction and climate change adaptation.

This policy note by the Stockholm Environment Institute evaluates whether revisions to the ACM0013 methodology can resolve systematic flaws in awarding Certified Emission Reductions (CERs) to coal power projects under the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM). The authors argue that while some technical fixes are possible, fundamental challenges regarding data noise, additionality, and long-term climate goals make it unlikely that revised methodologies can ensure coal power CERs are real, measurable, and additional.