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236 results
Sustainable Electronics and Electrical Equipment for China and the World: A commodity chain sustainability analysis of key Chinese EEE product chains
This report analyzes the sustainability of China's electronics and electrical equipment (EEE) product chains, highlighting the environmental impacts of energy-intensive manufacturing and the challenges posed by informal e-waste recycling.
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Document type: Report
Statement of Friends of the Earth President Brent Blackwelder
A statement by Friends of the Earth President Brent Blackwelder outlining specific policy demands and questions for President Bush regarding the recovery from Hurricane Katrina and energy policy.
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Document type: Statement
WTO Subsidy Notifications
This report, prepared by the FiFo Institute of Public Economics for the Global Subsidies Initiative (GSI) of the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD), tests a proposed standardized notification template for subsidies to be used by World Trade Organization (WTO) Members. Using Germany as a case study, the authors demonstrate a significant discrepancy between official WTO notifications and the actual volume of specific subsidies granted by the federal government and the sixteen Länder (states). The report proposes technical improvements to the notification process, including a unique subsidy identifier, to increase transparency and compliance with the Agreement on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures (ASCM).
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Document type: Report
Trading Green
This briefing, published by the Socialist Group in the European Parliament, examines the tensions and potential synergies between international trade policy and climate change mitigation. It features contributions from the Socialist Group, Friends of the Earth, and the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL), arguing that while trade can drive emissions through transport and unsustainable consumption, it can also support climate goals through the liberalisation of environmental goods, the implementation of high energy efficiency standards, and the alignment of WTO rules with multilateral environmental agreements.
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Document type: Briefing
Report of the Standing Committee for Rules and Procedures
The Standing Committee on Rules and Procedures of the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) submitted a report on June 6, 2007, detailing proposed amendments to the Conference of the Parties (CoP) Rules of Procedure. These proposals aim to clarify party representation, refine the election process for the Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC), and update administrative procedures regarding meeting actions and resolutions.
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Document type: Report
What can we do to fix the climate problem?
This research paper by Amory B. Lovins argues that climate protection is profitable rather than costly, primarily through energy efficiency and the adoption of decentralized 'micropower' systems. The author contends that market-driven transitions to energy productivity and low-carbon supplies can eliminate oil dependence and reduce carbon emissions without requiring new taxes or mandates.
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Document type: Research paper
Environmental Improvement Zones (EIZ): A Model for Engaging Winnipeg neighbourhoods in local action
The report proposes a model for implementing Environmental Improvement Zones (EIZs) in Winnipeg to engage neighbourhoods in local environmental action. It suggests a service-innovation and delivery focus, anchored by existing community-based organizations and supported by a multi-partite agreement between the City of Winnipeg, Environment Canada, and the Province of Manitoba.
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Document type: Report
IISD Model International Agreement on Investment for Sustainable Development
The IISD Model International Agreement on Investment for Sustainable Development is a proposed legal framework designed to replace traditional international investment agreements (IIAs). It seeks to balance the protection of foreign investors with the rights of host states to regulate for sustainable development, introducing binding obligations for investors and a reformed dispute settlement mechanism.
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Document type: Report
AN INUIT PETITION TO THE INTER-AMERICAN COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS
This research paper, presented at the 10th Conference of the Parties to the Framework Convention on Climate Change in 2004, proposes a petition to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) against the United States. The authors argue that the U.S., as the world's largest emitter of greenhouse gases, has violated the human rights of the Inuit and other Arctic indigenous peoples by failing to curtail emissions, leading to the destruction of homes, loss of vital resources, and the potential erasure of ancient Inuit culture.
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Document type: Research paper
Action Targets: A New Form of GHG Commitment
This briefing proposes 'action targets' as a method for greenhouse gas (GHG) emission commitments. Unlike fixed or intensity targets, action targets require an entity to reduce emissions by an agreed percentage of its actual emissions during a commitment period, providing greater predictability regarding the 'level of effort' required regardless of economic growth scenarios.
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Document type: Briefing
A Nordic Research Agenda On Environment and Trade
This background paper, produced by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) for a 2004 MISTRA workshop in Malmö, Sweden, proposes a research agenda for Nordic countries on the intersection of trade and environment. Based on a survey of 315 publications from 2002 to 2003, the document identifies significant research gaps, particularly regarding the Doha Development Agenda and southern perspectives, and suggests priority areas for future academic and policy research to support sustainable development.
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Document type: Research paper
Funciones de la Mesa Directiva del EC
This briefing outlines the proposed central work axes and specific functions of the Executive Committee (EC) Bureau for the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI), based on Article VI of the IAI Agreement.
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Document type: Briefing
A Cotonou Investment Agreement
This report by Konrad von Moltke for the Commonwealth Secretariat argues for the creation of a Cotonou Investment Agreement to amplify the investment provisions of the Cotonou Partnership Agreement (CPA). The author contends that existing bilateral investment treaties (BITs) are too narrow, focusing primarily on investor protection without empirical evidence of benefiting developing countries. The proposed agreement would balance investor rights with host state development goals, incorporate principles of good governance, and establish a Cotonou Investment Fund and an Observatory for ACP Investment to monitor progress toward sustainable development and poverty eradication in ACP countries.
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Document type: Report
On Clustering International Environmental Agreements
This research paper by Konrad von Moltke explores the concept of "clustering" as a method to reform international environmental management. Rather than pursuing the daunting task of merging existing international environmental agreements (MEAs), the author proposes grouping related regimes to increase efficiency and effectiveness through shared tools, coordinated governance, and joint institutional frameworks.
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Document type: Research paper
Hybrid Liability Revisited: Bridging the Divide Between Seller and Buyer Liability
The Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) proposes a hybrid liability rule for Article 17 emissions trading under the Kyoto Protocol to resolve disputes between seller and buyer liability. The proposal centers on a 'commitment period reserve' to ensure environmental integrity and market liquidity while preventing a 'domino effect' of non-compliance.
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Document type: Research paper
Compliance Institutions for the Kyoto Protocol: A Joint CIEL/WWF Proposal
A joint proposal by the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) and WWF emphasizing the need for a carefully designed compliance system for the Kyoto Protocol to ensure greenhouse gas emission reduction targets are met.
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Document type: Report
Supercars
This research paper by the Rocky Mountain Institute proposes a radical redesign of the light-vehicle industry, moving away from incremental improvements of steel cars toward 'supercars': ultralight, hybrid-electric vehicles constructed from net-shape polymer composites. The authors argue that integrating advanced materials, switched reluctance motors, and hybrid drives could increase fuel efficiency by up to ten times compared to 1990 US production cars, while simultaneously improving safety, reducing production costs, and transforming the industrial structure of automotive manufacturing and sales.
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Document type: Research paper
MAKING MARKETS IN RESOURCE EFFICIENCY
This 1989 research paper by Amory B. Lovins of the Rocky Mountain Institute argues for the creation of markets in resource efficiency to combat the economic tendency to treat natural resource depletion and pollution as free goods. Lovins proposes treating saved resources—such as 'negawatts' of electricity—as commodities that can be traded, auctioned, and hedged, providing a market-based alternative to regulatory mandates. He asserts that efficient technology is generally cheaper than producing new resources, creating a significant profit opportunity for those who sell efficiency rather than the resource itself.
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Document type: Research paper
Appendix_9 _strategic_pillars_for_cmmssa
This document outlines the nine strategic pillars of the Critical Minerals Mission for Sustainable Strategic Advantage (CMMSSA), a framework designed to transform South Africa's critical minerals sector. The strategy focuses on moving from raw mineral exports to local beneficiation, enhancing geoscience mapping, improving infrastructure, and fostering regional integration within Southern Africa to support the global energy transition.
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Document type: Report
Backgrounder: Phasing Out Alberta's Coal Plants
This fact sheet by the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment and partners advocates for the phase-out of coal-fired power plants in Alberta by 2030. It details the environmental and health impacts of Alberta's coal reliance, compares the province's energy targets with other jurisdictions, and proposes a replacement strategy based on energy efficiency and renewable energy.
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Document type: Fact sheet