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Poland’s second BEŁCHATÓW
The report finds that Poland was responsible for 70% of methane leaks from Europe's operational coal mines in 2018. These emissions, totaling 659 kilotonnes, have a 20-year climate impact equivalent to 56.7 million tonnes of CO2, which exceeds the 2018 CO2 emissions of the Belchatów power plant. The analysis identifies two companies, JSW and PGG, as responsible for 90% of leaks from operational hard coal mines, with the Budryk deep mine identified as the largest emitter in Europe. The report recommends accelerating methane reduction plans, prioritizing the closure of methane-intensive mines, banning the release of captured methane, and integrating coal mine methane into the EU Emissions Trading Scheme by 2030.
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Document type: Report
Vision or division?
The report finds that while renewable electricity generation in the EU is projected to nearly double by 2030, the region is not on track to meet the European Commission's recommended 55% emissions reduction. Seven countries—Belgium, Bulgaria, Czechia, Germany, Italy, Poland, and Romania—are identified as the primary barriers to the transition, collectively accounting for 80% of projected 2030 power sector emissions.
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Document type: Report
Doubling Back and Doubling Down: G20 scorecard on fossil fuel funding
G20 governments provided an annual average of $584 billion in support for fossil fuels from 2017 to 2019, with oil and gas production receiving the largest share. While overall support dropped by 9% compared to 2014–2016, this decline was inconsistent across countries and partly driven by lower oil prices. The report finds that state-owned enterprise (SOE) investment is the only support mechanism that increased overall, and that COVID-19 recovery packages have introduced at least $170 billion in new commitments to fossil fuel-intensive sectors, threatening to undo previous progress.
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Document type: Report
Taking stock 2020 - are TACs set to achieve MSY?
The report finds that the EU missed its 2020 deadline to end overfishing, with nearly half of the analyzed TACs for 2020 still exceeding scientific advice. It highlights a systemic failure to follow precautionary advice for data-limited stocks and a tendency to prioritize target stocks over bycatch stocks. The analysis identifies specific Member States—including France, Ireland, and Spain—as frequently pushing for unsustainable catch limits based on unsubstantiated socio-economic claims. The document also criticizes the lack of transparency in the TAC-setting process and the potential for misleading reporting by the European Commission.
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Document type: Report
Just transition or just talk?
The report finds that 11 of 18 EU coal-using countries lack Paris-compatible phase-out plans, with seven not planning to exit coal by 2030 and four replacing coal with increased fossil gas. It argues that the Just Transition Fund's current allocation methodology risks funding 'climate laggards,' as nearly two-thirds of the fund would go to countries without 2030 phase-out plans. The authors recommend making fund access conditional on ambitious coal phase-out dates and strictly excluding all fossil fuels, including gas, from the fund's scope.
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Document type: Report
Correcting Course: The Emission Reduction Potential of International Cooperative Initiatives
The analysis finds that the full implementation of 17 major international cooperative initiatives (ICIs) could reduce global emissions in 2030 by 18 to 21 GtCO2e/year beyond current national policies. This would help align the global emissions trajectory with a 2°C-consistent pathway, although a gap remains for a 1.5°C-consistent pathway. The most significant contributions come from cities, regions, businesses, and forestry initiatives.
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Document type: Research paper
Green bond market summary H1 2020
The global green bond market saw a 26% year-on-year decline in issuance volume during H1 2020, totaling USD 91.6 billion, likely due to the COVID-19 pandemic. While green issuance slowed, there was a surge in 'pandemic' labeled debt (approximately USD 75 billion) and social/sustainability bonds (USD 94.4 billion). Developed markets dominated the landscape, contributing 82% of issuance, with the US and France leading. Government-backed entities and non-financial corporates were the most prominent issuer types, and energy remained the most popular use of proceeds category at 34%.
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Document type: Report
American Adolescents’ Knowledge, Attitudes and Sources of Information on Climate Change
The report analyzes a May 2018 survey of 1,257 American adolescents to determine how they learn about climate change, their level of scientific understanding, and their emotional responses to the issue. Key findings indicate that while a large majority of teens recognize climate change is happening and trust NASA scientists, their understanding of the underlying science is often incomplete. Social media and television are the most common general news sources, while science teachers are the most frequent source of climate-specific information. The report also highlights a significant level of worry among teens, with many believing their generation will suffer more harm than their parents' generation and feeling that adults are not doing enough to protect them.
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Document type: Report
Zwei neue Klimaschutzziele für Deutschland
The document argues that Germany's existing climate targets, specifically the goal to reduce emissions by 55% by 2030 compared to 1990 levels, are outdated because they were based on the assumption of stagnating global emissions and a higher temperature limit of 2°C. The analysis finds that Germany has nearly exhausted its fair CO2 budget and would need to reach zero emissions by 2030 to make a just contribution. Since zero emissions by 2030 is deemed politically unrealistic, the author proposes a dual strategy: achieving net-zero emissions domestically well before 2050 (e.g., by 2040) and establishing an ambitious goal to help other countries reduce their emissions through financial support, innovation, or atmospheric greenhouse gas removal.
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Document type: Research paper
carbon-footprints-brazil-soy
The document introduces a high-spatial-resolution life cycle assessment approach to quantify greenhouse gas emissions in agricultural supply chains. Applying this method to Brazilian soy exports between 2010 and 2015, the authors found significant variability in carbon footprints based on sourcing areas and destinations. The highest emissions were linked to soy from Pará and the MATOPIBA states due to natural vegetation loss, with exports to the European Union showing the highest carbon footprint per ton. Total GHG emissions for Brazilian soy exports in this period were estimated at 223.46 million tons, with China as the largest importer.
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Document type: Research paper
Survey Bias in Clean Cooking
The research identifies a significant discrepancy between self-reported and actual LPG consumption, finding that 78% of respondents over-reported their usage, which challenges the reliability of face-to-face survey data commonly used in developing countries.
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Document type: Research paper
Which racial/ethnic groups care most about climate change?
Based on two 2019 surveys, the report finds that Hispanics/Latinos and African Americans in the U.S. are more likely to be 'Alarmed' or 'Concerned' about global warming and more willing to engage in climate activism than Whites. While a majority of Hispanic/Latino registered voters view global warming as 'very important' to their 2020 vote, the issue ranks lower in priority for African Americans and Whites. The authors suggest these differences may be driven by higher exposure to environmental hazards among people of color and differences in political party identification.
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Document type: Research paper
Beyond national climate action: the impact of region, city and business
The analysis assesses the impact of commitments from 79 regions, approximately 6,000 cities, and nearly 1,600 companies within ten major emitting economies. If fully implemented, these individual commitments could reduce 2030 emissions by 3.8%–5.5% compared to current national policy projections. The study finds that such action could lead the European Union, Japan, and India to overachieve their nationally determined contributions (NDCs), and could serve as a primary driver for climate action in the United States following national policy rollbacks.
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Document type: Research paper
繁荣与衰落
The report finds that while global coal capacity grew by 34.1 GW in 2019, this was primarily driven by China, as capacity in the rest of the world continued to shrink. Global coal plant utilization hit a record low of 51% in 2019. The report highlights a shift in financing, with Western commercial banks largely exiting project finance for coal, while Japanese and Chinese public finance continue to support new developments. Significant retirements occurred in the US and EU, though some OECD nations like Japan and South Korea continue to develop new capacity.
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Document type: Report
Expert Consultation with Financial Service Providers: Understanding the sustainability issues agricultural producers need to consider to be investment-ready and access finance
The report identifies that financial service providers (FSPs) prioritize economic factors—specifically governance and business management—over environmental and social themes when assessing financial risk for agricultural investments. Key priorities include management experience, existing buyer relationships, land tenure, and projected cash flows. While climate change is the most important non-economic theme, with a preference for adaptation measures, social and biodiversity issues are often viewed as having more impact on sustainability than on financial risk reduction. The document recommends that agricultural producers seek capacity-building in business management and that voluntary sustainability standards (VSSs) integrate more economic criteria to help producers become more bankable.
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Document type: Report
2019 Green Bond Market Summary
The global green bond and green loan market reached a record USD 257.7 billion in 2019, a 51% increase over 2018. Growth was primarily driven by Europe, which accounted for 45% of global issuance. The USA, China, and France remained the top-ranked countries, together representing 44% of the market. Energy and Buildings were the dominant sectors for use of proceeds, each holding approximately 30% market share. Certified Climate Bonds grew by 86% to reach USD 45 billion, with cumulative certified issuance surpassing the USD 100 billion milestone. The market also saw increased diversification with debut issuances from emerging markets including Kenya, Barbados, and Saudi Arabia.
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Document type: Report
Green bonds: a mechanism for bridging the adaptation gap?
The paper finds that while green bonds can finance adaptation, they do so to a very limited extent, with mitigation receiving approximately 95% of current funding. Between March 2010 and April 2019, only 5% of all green bonds issued included adaptation as an eligible project category. The study identifies significant mismatches in geography, project scale, and the types of activities funded, noting that adaptation needs are often too small-scale or lack the revenue streams required for traditional bond issuance. Furthermore, a low level of corporate understanding of physical climate risk limits the adoption of these instruments. The author concludes that green bonds alone will be too slow to close the adaptation finance gap but can serve as awareness-raising tools to encourage broader risk management and investment.
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Document type: Research paper
Endangering Generations
The document outlines the technical approaches used to estimate children's exposure to chlorpyrifos and PFAS, the process for tracking children's product recalls, and the use of EPA Regulatory Impact Analyses to quantify the health benefits lost when air pollution standards were weakened or repealed.
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Document type: Report
Modelling water stress vulnerability in small Andean basins: case study of Campoalegre River basin, Colombia
The study focuses on the Campoalegre River basin in Colombia, where diverse water uses and inter-basin transfers—particularly from hydropower—have reduced downstream supply. The research aims to create a water balance and decision-making tool for regional authorities to manage water stress and governance challenges caused by fragmented planning units.
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Document type: Case study
Modelación de la vulnerabilidad al estrés hídrico en pequeñas cuencas andinas: estudio de caso de la cuenca del río Campoalegre, Colombia
The study focuses on the Campoalegre river basin in the Colombian coffee region, where water use conflicts are exacerbated by complex governance and water transfers between adjacent basins. By developing a quantitative water balance, the study seeks to provide regional environmental authorities with a decision-making tool to identify current and future water stress and potential rationing needs. It highlights how the diversion of water for hydroelectric power and other human activities reduces downstream supply, a problem complicated by the fact that these transfers often cross different administrative planning units.
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Document type: Case study