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The report 'HOW NOT TO PARACHUTE MORE CATS' by Hunter and Amory Lovins of the Rocky Mountain Institute argues that global resource crises—including energy, water, and climate change—can be solved by understanding interconnections and prioritizing resource efficiency over the expansion of supply. The authors advocate for a 'least-cost' approach, demonstrating that energy efficiency and renewable technologies are often cheaper and more effective than fossil fuels or nuclear power. They suggest that these technical solutions can simultaneously improve economic health, reduce nuclear proliferation, and enhance global security by reducing dependence on volatile resources like Mideast oil.

This report chapter explores 'green development,' demonstrating how the integration of resource efficiency, environmental sensitivity, and human well-being can lead to superior financial performance in real estate. Through various case studies of commercial buildings, residential developments, and hotels, the text argues that intelligent design reduces operating costs, increases labor productivity, and enhances property value while restoring community and ecological health.

This research paper examines the trade reform of the Southern African Customs Union (SACU), focusing on the challenges and opportunities for regional integration among its member states. Through eight case studies of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, and Swaziland (BLNS), the paper identifies significant regulatory, infrastructure, and systemic barriers that hinder the development of cross-border value chains. It argues that the current SACU structure is dominated by South Africa and that a regional development fund could be a critical tool to finance infrastructure and reforms necessary to deepen economic integration and alleviate poverty.

This research paper analyzes the dynamics of South African foreign direct investment (FDI) and trade within Africa from 2006 to 2018. It finds that while South Africa remains a dominant intra-African investor, its relative influence is declining due to increased competition from global actors, particularly China, and other African nations. The paper highlights South Africa's role as a regional distribution hub and suggests policy shifts toward deeper trade liberalization and better public-private collaboration to maintain its economic footprint.

This policy brief by Jayati Ghosh for the South African Institute of International Affairs examines the drivers of global food insecurity, specifically the 'ratchet effect' where domestic food prices in low- and middle-income countries remain high even after global prices fall. The author argues that recent price spikes were driven by financial speculation and agribusiness profiteering rather than supply shortages, and proposes a series of strategic interventions including public buffer stocks, financial regulation of commodity markets, and capital flow management to protect vulnerable economies.

This executive summary outlines the economic and environmental imperatives for Indonesia, the Philippines, and Vietnam to transition toward a zero-carbon economy. It highlights the region's growing reliance on coal, the potential for renewable energy to create jobs and reduce import costs, and proposes a five-step framework for shifting financial flows toward low-carbon development.

This executive summary, based on a 2009 report prepared for the Swedish Government Offices, outlines an integrated approach for the European Union to combine climate change mitigation and energy security with economic competitiveness. It advocates for an 'eco-efficient economy' through resource efficiency, the development of new technology markets, and the establishment of stable global carbon prices.

This research paper evaluates the impact of the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) and Joint Implementation (JI) on nitrous oxide (N2O) abatement in the adipic acid sector. While the carbon market successfully incentivized abatement levels of 98% to 100%, which exceed previous technical benchmarks, the authors find that the CDM created significant economic incentives that led to carbon leakage. Specifically, production shifted from non-CDM plants to CDM plants during the 2008-2009 economic downturn, resulting in an estimated 13.5 MtCO2e of issued credits that did not represent real emission reductions.

This executive summary of a Stockholm Environment Institute working paper evaluates nitrous oxide (N2O) abatement projects at nitric acid plants under the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM). The study concludes that while the CDM has successfully driven innovation and emission reductions in a sector that previously lacked abatement practices, the current methodologies are overly complex and may inadvertently reward high-emitting plants. The authors recommend transitioning to a benchmark factor for baseline emissions to simplify processes and enhance environmental integrity.

This white paper by the Stockholm Environment Institute critiques the U.S. government's use of the 'social cost of carbon' (SCC) to guide climate regulations. The authors argue that the administration's 'central' estimate of $21 per ton of CO2 is dangerously low due to a reliance on flawed economic models, inappropriately high discount rates, and the omission of catastrophic climate risks. They advocate for a shift toward science-based targets and cost-effectiveness analysis rather than narrow cost-benefit calculations.

This report by the Stockholm Environment Institute and UNECE analyzes the potential for enhanced energy connectivity in Central Asia. Through scenario modelling, it demonstrates that transitioning from national self-sufficiency to integrated regional power trading can lower electricity production costs, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and improve energy security by leveraging the diverse renewable and low-carbon resources of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.

This policy brief by the Stockholm Environment Institute describes the application of an integrated water-energy-food-ecosystems (WEFE) nexus modeling approach (LEAP-WEAP-MACRO) to the Syr Darya River Basin. It argues that integrated modeling provides more realistic results than siloed approaches and demonstrates that international cooperation among Central Asian countries can increase water availability, boost agricultural production, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions compared to business-as-usual scenarios.

This policy brief analyzes the economic dependence of Paipa, Colombia, on coal mining and coal-fired power generation. It evaluates the risks posed by the energy transition and proposes a productive reconversion strategy focused on tourism, traditional manufactures, and the agricultural sector to diversify the local economy.

This policy brief by Transforma analyzes the economic dependence of Barrancabermeja, Colombia, on the hydrocarbon sector, specifically the Ecopetrol refinery. Using an input-output model, the document evaluates the risks of the energy transition and proposes a diversification strategy focusing on agro-industry, bio-energy from oil palm, and ecotourism to avoid a structural crisis after 2035.

This policy brief by Transforma outlines strategies to integrate the forestry sector into Colombia's economic recovery following the COVID-19 pandemic. It identifies critical systemic failures in information management, institutional coordination, and financing, while highlighting the sector's potential for greenhouse gas mitigation and rural poverty reduction. The document provides specific recommendations to formalize the sector, combat illegal logging, and optimize commercial plantations to increase the forestry sector's contribution to the national GDP.

A World Resources Institute analysis outlines low-cost policy options for Mexico to meet its Paris Agreement commitments and long-term climate goals, highlighting significant public health and financial benefits from reducing air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.

This working paper by the World Resources Institute argues that climate policy and low-carbon infrastructure investments can stimulate the U.S. economy, create jobs, and revitalize rural communities, while delaying action risks significant GDP losses and public health crises.

This World Resources Institute fact sheet provides a framework for comparing the cost-effectiveness of utility-scale renewable energy systems against traditional electricity supply options, focusing on the concept of cost parity from different economic perspectives.

Testimony by Deborah Seligsohn of the World Resources Institute regarding China's energy transition, focusing on the outcomes of the 11th Five-Year Plan, the goals of the 12th Five-Year Plan, and the resulting business opportunities for international investors.

This research paper by the World Resources Institute uses a national agro-environmental production model to analyze the environmental and economic consequences of creating a market for corn stover to support the ethanol industry. The study warns that harvesting agricultural residues for feedstock can increase soil erosion and greenhouse gas emissions, challenging the sustainability of harvest levels suggested in some government reports.