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2,854 results
Converging Crisesin North Korea: Security, Stability & Climate Change
The report assesses the intersection of climate change and national security in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK). It projects that by 2030 and 2050, intensified extreme rainfall, sea level rise, and crop yield failures will stress the regime's ability to provide public goods, potentially leading to domestic upheaval or regional conflict. Specific risks are identified for the Yongbyon Nuclear Scientific Research Center, the capital city of Pyongyang, and key coastal military and commercial hubs. The authors argue that these climate stressors could lead to miscalculations in military posture, increased migration, and strained bilateral relations with China and South Korea, while suggesting that climate cooperation could offer a new avenue for diplomatic engagement.
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Document type: Report
TOWARD A GLOBAL PATHOGEN EARLY WARNING SYSTEM: BUILDING ON THE LANDSCAPE OF BIOSURVEILLANCE TODAY
The report analyzes the fragmentation of current biosurveillance systems and proposes a transition to a global early warning ecosystem. It highlights the role of emerging technologies like metagenomic sequencing and CRISPR-based diagnostics in reducing detection timelines. Through regional case studies and historical vignettes of outbreaks like COVID-19, SARS, and Ebola, the document identifies critical gaps in infrastructure, political will, and data interoperability, while providing a roadmap for future investments and diplomatic coordination.
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Document type: Report
CLEANING UP COAL ASH FOR GOOD
The document advocates for the complete removal of coal ash from storage ponds ("clean closure") rather than capping them in place. Based on studies of three power plants in South Carolina, Indiana, and Montana, the authors find that clean closures generate 2 to 7.5 times more positive economic impact for local communities than cap-in-place alternatives. The text highlights that 92 percent of coal ash ponds pollute groundwater above federal drinking water standards and that these burdens disproportionately affect low-income communities and people of color. It calls on the EPA, state officials, and Congress to enforce the 2015 Coal Combustion Residuals (CCR) Rule and provide financial resources for a just transition.
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Document type: Fact sheet
Recommendations for USDA on Executing Executive Order on Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities, Executive Order 13,985
The report argues that the USDA has a "long and painful history of racism and discrimination" that has led to massive land loss for Black, Indigenous, Latino, and Asian American farmers. To fulfill the mandates of Executive Order 13,985, the authors propose structural reforms including the creation of an Equity Action Plan, the establishment of an interagency task force, and the implementation of legislative set-asides for BIPOC groups. Key recommendations include increasing land access through subsidized sales and loans, improving protections for farmworkers against pesticide exposure and heat stress, and reforming the USDA's civil rights office to ensure prompt resolution of discrimination claims. The document also calls for reducing the funding of Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs) due to their disproportionate impact on communities of color and expanding eligibility for federal nutrition programs.
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Document type: Report
Briefer: Key U.S. Initiatives for Addressing Biological Threats (Part 2)
The document argues that the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and its National Laboratories are underutilized resources in the biological risk space. It highlights the DOE's history of responding to crises—including the COVID-19 pandemic through genomics, epidemiological modeling, and supply chain support—and proposes specific initiatives to enhance biosecurity, such as establishing a Biosecurity Reserve Corps and positioning the Labs as leaders in engineering biology.
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Document type: Briefing
Key U.S. Initiatives for Addressing Biological Threats
The briefing assesses the role of the 17 U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) National Laboratories in addressing biological threats. It highlights the Labs' contributions to the 2001 anthrax attacks investigation and the COVID-19 pandemic via the National Virtual Biotechnology Laboratory (NVBL). The authors argue that the Labs are currently underleveraged due to a lack of clear authorities and a historical focus away from human biology. To move from a reactive to a proactive biosecurity posture, the document recommends that the DOE lead in engineering biology, establish a Biosecurity Reserve Corps for nongovernmental experts, re-establish the Chemical and Biological Nonproliferation Program (CBNP), and better integrate the Labs into the private-sector bioeconomy.
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Document type: Briefing
Agenda Item 6.A—Regulatory Amendment to Address Impact on Oceanic Whitetip Shark Stocks by Fisheries in the Western and Central Pacific
Earthjustice, on behalf of the Conservation Council for Hawai'i and Moana Ohana, advocates for the adoption of 'Alternative 3' in a regulatory amendment to mandate monofilament leaders and the removal of trailing gear for oceanic whitetip sharks. The document argues that monofilament leaders alone are insufficient and should be combined with the elimination of shallow hooks, the use of corrodible circle hooks, and mandatory crew training to maximize survival rates. It further recommends that the U.S. leverage these domestic measures to advocate for similar international requirements through Regional Fishery Management Organizations, including increased observer coverage and a ban on shark lines.
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Document type: Statement
The Role of Biomass in Achieving Net Zero Call for Evidence
Ember's response to the UK government's call for evidence on biomass argues that the assumption of carbon neutrality for biomass power is scientifically unsupported and that such generation is more expensive than alternatives. The organization advocates for tightening sustainability regulations to exclude feedstocks from high-carbon or biodiverse forests and suggests that limited sustainable biomass should be diverted from the power sector toward construction and hard-to-abate industries. Ember also recommends unbundling residual and negative emissions budgets in UK carbon accounting and exploring lower-risk negative emissions routes, such as nature-based solutions and domestic energy crops on degraded land, over large-scale BECCS projects.
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Document type: Statement
Canada's climate finance can do better
The Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (CAPE) criticizes Canada's low climate finance contributions relative to its wealth and emissions, urging the government to double its annual funding to $5.2 billion and prioritize adaptation for the most vulnerable communities.
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Document type: Statement
To the G7: Invest in nature for a green economic recovery
The Economics For Nature initiative argues that current economic recovery plans largely ignore the dependency of all economic activity on nature. It asserts that investing in nature to meet Sustainable Development Goals could generate $40-50 trillion in value and calls on G7 ministers to embed nature's values into economic decisions and reward nature-positive outcomes.
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Document type: Statement
iom3_letter_from_sgr-1b5a1d924fc2bfba.pdf
SGR acknowledges IOM3's move to a fund excluding arms and high-carbon fossil fuels but argues that the Institute maintains insufficient transparency and continuing financial links to the fossil fuel sector. The letter demands a rapid phase-out of all ties to companies not aligned with the Paris Agreement's 2°C goal, the adoption of a formal responsible investment policy, and the reporting of the investment portfolio's carbon footprint.
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Document type: Statement
royal_meteorological_society_letter_sgr-c5da7af342866366.pdf
Scientists for Global Responsibility (SGR) has called on the Royal Meteorological Society to phase out financial ties to the fossil fuel and arms industries. While acknowledging the Society's commitment to becoming a net zero organisation, SGR identifies critical gaps in transparency regarding investments and a lack of a formal environmental policy. The letter demands the disclosure of corporate payments over £1,000 and investments over £5,000, alongside a transition to fossil-fuel-free indexes. SGR benchmarks these demands against other professional bodies, such as the British Medical Association and the Geological Society, which have already implemented divestment or restrictive investment policies.
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Document type: Statement
geological_society_letter_sgr-277615c093bdaa58.pdf
SGR acknowledges The Geological Society's recent updates to exclude arms and high-carbon emissions from its investment policy but argues that financial ties to fossil fuels persist through corporate patronage and sponsorship. The letter demands a rapid phase-out of investments in companies not aligned with the 2C Paris goal, the adoption of a formal environmental policy, and the disclosure of corporate payments over 1,000. SGR cites other UK professional bodies that have divested from fossil fuels as benchmarks for the Society's expected progress.
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Document type: Statement
iop_letter_sgr-888a922eca9b909d.pdf
Scientists for Global Responsibility (SGR) has called on the Institute of Physics (IOP) to end its financial ties to the fossil fuel and arms industries. SGR identifies ongoing concerns regarding the IOP's lack of transparency in investments and its acceptance of sponsorship from arms companies. The letter demands a rapid phase-out of investments in companies whose activities are not aligned with the Paris Agreement's 2°C goal, the adoption of fossil fuel-free indexes, and the elimination of links to the military technology sector, citing examples of other professional bodies that have already divested.
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Document type: Statement
Dear G7 Heads of State and Government
The We Mean Business Coalition, representing over 1,800 companies with a combined market cap of US$24.8 trillion, calls on G7 heads of state to adopt specific climate policies. Key recommendations include phasing out coal by 2030, ending fossil fuel subsidies by 2025, and mandating climate-related financial disclosures. The coalition argues that a green recovery will better boost GDP and employment than traditional stimulus measures and urges the G7 to lead by example ahead of G20 and COP26.
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Document type: Statement
Transparenz bei den Verhandlungen über Fischerei-Fangquoten zwischen der EU und Drittländern, insbesondere dem Vereinigten Königreich und Norwegen, und Teilnahme von Interessengruppen an der Arbeit des Sonderausschusses Fischerei
A coalition of environmental NGOs is calling on the German government to grant NGOs equal access to fisheries quota negotiations and the Special Committee on Fisheries. The letter argues that current transparency is insufficient, as industry members have more access than environmental groups, and proposes the establishment of a formal observer status and proactive documentation publication to align with the Aarhus Convention.
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Document type: Statement
Why EPA Must Address Appliance Pollution
Fossil-fuel burning appliances in the US contribute significantly to outdoor and indoor air pollution, climate change, and public health disparities. Gas appliances are particularly problematic, emitting more than twice as much NOX as gas power plants. RMI proposes that the EPA implement a NOX standard of performance under Clean Air Act Section 111(b), requiring all new appliances to be electric by 2030. This transition could avoid over 500,000 tons of NOX and 14,400 tons of PM2.5 annually by 2045, potentially saving over 3,750 lives per year and providing $21 billion in annual economic benefits. The document emphasizes that electric appliances are cost-effective and that policies should include incentives to ensure low-income consumers can access these technologies.
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Document type: Fact sheet
Initial recommendations for strengthening Bill C-28
The Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment and other organizations urge the passage of Bill C-28 with specific amendments to better protect human health and the environment. Key recommendations include establishing a non-qualified right to a healthy environment, prioritizing the prohibition of carcinogenic and mutagenic substances, and requiring assessments of aggregate and cumulative exposures. The authors also call for legally binding air quality standards, GMO food labelling, and alignment with the Basel Convention on plastic waste.
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Document type: Statement
Sintetici Anonimi
The report finds that the fashion industry is heavily reliant on synthetic fibres, which account for 69% of all textile materials and are projected to reach nearly 75% by 2030. Analysis of 46 brands reveals a significant lack of transparency and widespread greenwashing, with many companies using recycled PET bottles as a 'false solution' rather than pursuing true fibre-to-fibre circularity. A study of 4,028 products from 12 major retailers showed that 67% contained synthetic fibres, and 59% of products with eco-claims violated UK Competition Markets Authority guidelines. The report argues that voluntary commitments are insufficient and calls for EU legislation on extended producer responsibility and mandatory rules against misleading environmental claims.
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Document type: Executive summary
粤港澳大湾区绿色基础设施投资机遇报告
The report highlights significant investment potential in the Greater Bay Area's green infrastructure, particularly in low-carbon transport, renewable energy, water management, waste management, green buildings, and new infrastructure. It emphasizes the need to move beyond public funding and PPPs by leveraging green bonds, green ABS, and international capital markets, while recommending the unification of green definitions across the region to attract global investors.
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Document type: Report