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REVIEW OF INTERNATIONAL ASSESSMENTS
The report analyzes how global trends in climate change, energy, and biotechnology affect the competitiveness, social priorities, and risk management of Canadian agriculture. It finds that while warming trends may increase yields and competitive advantage, these gains are offset by increased vulnerability to extreme weather and emerging social demands for sustainable and healthy food systems.
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Document type: Report
Achieving low carbon and sustainable transport systems in Yorkshire and Humber
The report investigates the feasibility of reducing transport-related CO2 emissions in Yorkshire and Humber using the REAP model. It tests three scenarios: Business as Usual, Step Change, and Accelerated. Findings indicate that while a combination of practical measures (such as Bus Rapid Transit, teleworking, and rail improvements) can flatten emission growth, they are insufficient to meet the theoretical targets of the Stabilising Carbon Trends scenario. Aviation is identified as a major driver of emissions that remains largely outside regional policy control. The report concludes that the scale of investment required for these reductions is unprecedented and likely unaffordable under current funding mechanisms.
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Document type: Report
THE ROLE OF CARBON CAPTURE AND STORAGE TECHNOLOGY IN ATTAINING GLOBAL CLIMATE STABILITY TARGETS: A LITERATURE REVIEW
The report reviews multiple global and regional studies to determine the necessity of carbon capture and storage (CCS) for climate mitigation. It concludes that most experts view CCS as a key technology for reducing greenhouse gas emissions to stabilization levels by 2030-2050, often serving as a cost-effective alternative to massive nuclear expansion or extremely ambitious energy efficiency and renewable targets.
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Document type: Report
THE POLITICAL ECONOMY OF A CYPRUS SETTLEMENT
The report analyzes four scenarios for the Cyprus settlement: a bizonal bicommunal federation, the continuation of the status quo, a two-state solution, and a functional federation with loose bizonality. The author argues that a functional federation with loose bizonality is the most economically viable option as it encourages integration, respects individual rights, and leverages market forces to achieve socioeconomic convergence. In contrast, the report suggests that strict bizonality and the current stalemate create economic bottlenecks, sustain socioeconomic gaps, and risk political instability. The analysis emphasizes the impact of Cyprus's membership in the EU and the Eurozone, noting that these frameworks necessitate a more integrationalist approach to fiscal and monetary policy.
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Document type: Report
Carbon Footprint of Housing in the Leeds City Region – A Best Practice Scenario Analysis
The report identifies that the Leeds City Region must reduce housing-related CO2e emissions by 38 million tonnes by 2026 to align with national 2050 targets. The most impactful measure is the major retrofit of existing homes, which could provide 53.2% of the required reduction. Other essential measures include behavioural change (22%), low and zero carbon technologies (12.4%), and stricter new build standards (9%). The study concludes that a combination of these measures, supplemented by either external wall insulation, additional LZC installations, or selective demolition and rebuild of inefficient properties, is necessary to meet the target.
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Document type: Report
The Tees Valley Footprint Report
The Tees Valley Footprint Report evaluates the environmental impact of residents in the Tees Valley, UK, using Ecological and Carbon Footprint analysis. It finds that the region's ecological footprint is more than double the world average, and that 'business as usual' trends in housing and transport are likely to increase per capita carbon emissions over the next 20 years. The report uses the REAP software to model alternative scenarios, suggesting that significant reductions in housing emissions are possible through combined energy efficiency and renewable energy measures, while transport emissions require large-scale structural shifts and behavioral changes to see meaningful declines.
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Document type: Research paper
Confronting Climate Change in the U.S. Northeast
The report details how the U.S. Northeast is warming, with winter temperatures rising faster than summer ones, leading to reduced snowpack, rising sea levels, and shifting species habitats. It compares a higher-emissions scenario with a lower-emissions scenario, finding that while some warming is inevitable, aggressive emissions reductions can significantly mitigate severe risks to the region's economy, ecosystems, and public health.
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Document type: Report
Climate change and forced migration: Observations, projections and implications
The document examines the complex relationship between anthropogenic climate change and forced migration, arguing that while precise numerical predictions (such as 200 million migrants by 2050) are tentative, the 'carrying capacity' of many regions will be compromised. It distinguishes between slow-onset climate processes and sudden climate events, noting that non-climate drivers like governance and poverty are equally critical. The author outlines three scenarios—'The Good', 'The Bad', and 'The Ugly'—based on IPCC emission storylines, and highlights that the poorest countries will bear the heaviest burden of displacement. The paper concludes that forced climate migrants currently 'fall through the cracks' of international law and national adaptation strategies, which often view migration as a failure of adaptation rather than a tool for it.
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Document type: Research paper
Climate Change Fact Sheet
The document outlines Dr. James E. Hansen's testimony on climate change, highlighting that the United States is the largest source of CO2 emissions and that current 'Business-as-Usual' trends could lead to at least 5°C of warming by 2100. It warns of non-linear ice sheet disintegration in Greenland and West Antarctica, potentially causing sea level rises of 25±10 meters if warming reaches 2-3°C. Hansen argues that abrupt climate changes are practically certain under current emission trends, but an 'Alternative Scenario' could keep warming below 1°C if CO2 emissions are moderately reduced by mid-century and peak by 2100.
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Document type: Fact sheet
Our Changing Climate
The report warns that California faces significant risks from global warming, with projected temperature increases between 3°F and 10.5°F by the end of the century. These changes threaten to severely reduce Sierra Nevada snowpack, increase the frequency of large wildfires, degrade air quality, and disrupt the state's $30 billion agriculture industry. The document emphasizes that while some changes are unavoidable, the most severe consequences can be avoided by reducing heat-trapping emissions to levels that keep warming within the lower range of 3 to 5.5°F.
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Document type: Report
Future Scenarios for the Democratic Republic of Congo
The report analyzes the Democratic Republic of Congo's transition toward national elections scheduled for 2006. It details the legislative progress, the operational challenges of the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC), and the critical role of security sector reform. The authors identify significant security threats from armed groups in Ituri, North Kivu, and Katanga, as well as political tensions involving the UDPS. Three scenarios are presented: a successful transition under the current '1+4' leadership, a transition with new leadership, or a total breakdown of order.
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Document type: Report
Food System Scenarios: Exploring Global/Local Linkages
The document argues that existing 'top-down' global food system scenarios often fail to capture the multi-scale nature of vulnerability and the specific dynamics of local livelihoods. To bridge this gap, the authors propose using 'livelihood systems' as an intermediate scale to link global drivers—such as climate change and market forces—to local food security outcomes. The paper demonstrates this approach through case studies in India and South Africa, using data from the Global Scenario Group's PoleStar system and national food security frameworks. It concludes that a 'bottom-up' participatory approach, which maps the exposure of specific livelihood groups (e.g., nomadic pastoralists or smallholder farmers) to various stressors, provides a more realistic basis for adaptation and policy intervention than aggregated global projections.
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Document type: Research paper
Carbon Dioxide Emissions Reduction Potential in Japan’s Power Sector
The report evaluates a 'Power Switch' scenario for Japan's power sector, which emphasizes renewable energy, natural gas substitution for coal, energy efficiency, and a gradual nuclear phase-out. Compared to a Business As Usual (BAU) scenario, the Power Switch approach could reduce 2020 GHG emissions by 31%, avoiding nearly 2.0 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent between 2000 and 2020. The net cost of this transition is estimated at 1.1 trillion yen over the period, or 850 JPY per tonne of CO2 equivalent, largely offset by reduced fuel import costs.
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Document type: Report
An Energy Resource Investment Strategy for the City of San Francisco
The report evaluates three energy scenarios for San Francisco: 'Central Generation', 'More Imports', and 'Distributed Resources'. It compares these paths based on capital and operating costs, electricity supply reliability, environmental impacts, and local economic development. The analysis finds that while all scenarios can ensure reliability and allow the closure of the Hunter's Point Power Station, only the 'Distributed Resources' scenario significantly reduces CO2 emissions and promotes environmental equity. The 'Central Generation' path is identified as potentially the least expensive but carries risks related to market power and higher in-city emissions.
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Document type: Report
Great Transition
The document analyzes the current 'Planetary Phase' of human history, characterized by global interconnectedness and accelerating change. It presents six potential scenarios for the future: Market Forces, Policy Reform, Breakdown, Fortress World, Eco-communalism, and the New Sustainability Paradigm (the 'Great Transition'). The authors argue that while current trends favor a risky market-driven path, a transition to a sustainable world is possible through a combination of technological 'dematerialization' and a fundamental shift in human values away from consumerism toward solidarity and ecological health. The report outlines specific strategies for this transition, including the role of civil society, the need for a 'science of sustainability,' and the implementation of renewable energy and ecological farming.
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Document type: Report
Economics of Greenhouse Gas Limitations COUNTRY STUDY SERIES Ecuador
The report analyzes Ecuador's energy sector, focusing on its heavy reliance on oil and the potential for reducing CO2 emissions. It proposes a mitigation scenario involving increased energy efficiency in households, industry, and transport, alongside a shift toward renewable energy in power generation.
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Document type: Report
ANGOLA - At the Precipice
The report warns that Angola is on the verge of a return to war due to the failure of the Lusaka Peace Accords and the refusal of UNITA to hand over territory. It highlights a precarious economic state for the Luanda government, characterized by a US $10 billion debt and falling oil prices, which may motivate a military push to secure diamond wealth. The analysis suggests that while the government (FAA) possesses air and armor superiority, the terrain of the Central Highlands and poor troop discipline could lead to a costly or stalled offensive. Three scenarios are presented: a successful government victory, a protracted stalemate, or a decisive UNITA victory leading to renegotiated peace terms.
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Document type: Research paper
Visions of Sustainability in the Baltic Sea Region: Beyond Conventional Development
The report examines the Baltic Sea Region's trajectory toward 2030, contrasting a business-as-usual scenario with a sustainability vision. It argues that conventional development will lead to increased environmental pressure and persistent socio-economic disparities, whereas a sustainability vision requires decoupling economic growth from resource throughput through aggressive technological innovation and a shift in human values.
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Document type: Report
Bending the Curve: Toward Global Sustainability
The report argues that current global development trends are environmentally and socially unsustainable, risking ecological collapse and persistent poverty. It proposes a 'Policy Reform' pathway that maintains the framework of economic globalization but introduces aggressive policy interventions to meet sustainability goals. These goals include halving hunger, unsafe water, and illiteracy by 2025 and again by 2050, while stabilizing atmospheric CO2 concentrations at less than 450 ppmv by 2100. The analysis demonstrates that such a transition is technically feasible through massive improvements in energy and water efficiency, a shift toward renewable energy, and the adoption of sustainable agricultural practices, provided there is sufficient political will to implement these reforms.
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Document type: Report
WATER FUTURES: ASSESSMENT OF LONG-RANGE PATTERNS AND PROBLEMS
The report examines future water requirements through a 'Conventional Development Scenario' (CDS), which assumes a continuation of current demographic and economic trends. It finds that global water withdrawals are projected to increase from 3,700 cubic kilometers in 1995 to 5,000 cubic kilometers by 2025 in a mid-range case, with the most significant growth in developing regions. The study introduces several indices—including use-to-resource ratio, reliability, and coping capacity—to map water vulnerability. Results indicate that by 2025, a substantial portion of the world's population will live in water-stressed conditions, particularly in Asia, North Africa, and the Middle East. The report argues that this 'business-as-usual' path is unsustainable and proposes a transition toward a sustainable water future based on efficiency, equity, and ecosystem protection.
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Document type: Report