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The paper examines how urban development decisions regarding buildings and transport infrastructure can 'lock in' future greenhouse gas emissions. By comparing a reference scenario with an aggressive 'urban action' scenario, the authors estimate that urban policy-makers can avoid committing approximately 45 Gt CO2 of cumulative future emissions by 2030 through energy-efficient technologies and compact urban design. The analysis emphasizes that current infrastructure already commits roughly 800 Gt CO2, meaning the 1,000 Gt CO2 global carbon budget for limiting warming to 2°C could be exceeded before 2020 if current trends continue.

The report investigates food waste in Estonia's retail and food processing industries, finding that while overall waste levels are lower than in more developed European nations, significant 'food loss' occurs due to retail forecasting difficulties and consumer behavior. In retail, approximately 12,000 tonnes of food are written off annually, valued at 22 million euros, with fruits and vegetables making up the largest share by weight. In the food industry, waste is heavily concentrated in the meat sector, though much of the output is classified as by-products rather than waste. The report identifies transport costs, labor shortages, and legal ambiguities regarding taxes and hygiene as primary barriers to donating surplus food to the Food Bank (Toidupank).

The report finds that AFOLU mitigation potentials for eight major emitters—the United States, Indonesia, China, India, Brazil, the European Union, Mexico, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo—could reduce the 2020 emissions gap by approximately three-fourths and the 2030 gap by nearly half. The United States has the highest individual potential at 23 Gt CO2eq, while Indonesia, China, and India also show substantial potentials between 0.75 and 1.75 Gt. These potentials are derived from three primary activities: reducing emissions from deforestation and peatland clearing, decreasing agricultural emissions (such as methane and nitrous oxide), and increasing carbon sequestration through reforestation and ecosystem restoration.

The document assesses how city-level interventions in sectors like urban planning and public transport can significantly lower global GHG emissions. It finds that urban actions could reduce emissions by 3.7 Gt CO2e by 2030 and 8.0 Gt CO2e by 2050, primarily through residential building energy efficiency and a shift to efficient public transport. The authors suggest these actions could increase the ambition of national climate pledges, provided there is sufficient national policy support and new financing.

The report argues that Norway's fair share of the global climate effort is significantly larger than its population size suggests due to its high wealth and historical emissions. Using the Greenhouse Development Rights (GDR) framework, the analysis finds that Norway's combined Responsibility and Capacity Indicator (RCI) for 2020 is 0.84% of the global effort, despite representing only 0.07% of the world's population. To meet a 'Strong 2°C pathway', the report suggests Norway must combine ambitious domestic cuts—approximately 50% by 2030 relative to 1990 levels—with substantial international financial and technological support to achieve further reductions in other countries.

The document proposes a framework for determining 'fair shares' of global mitigation based on national capacity and responsibility. Using the Climate Equity Reference Calculator, it analyzes the United States, China, the EU-28, and India, finding that wealthy, high-emitting nations often have fair shares exceeding their domestic mitigation potential, necessitating international support for others. It concludes that current pledges, such as the EU's 40% target, fall significantly short of what would be required for a 2°C pathway if matched by comparable global efforts.

The SEforALL Global Tracking Framework asserts that current efforts are insufficient to meet sustainable energy goals. It identifies 20 high-impact countries in Asia and Africa as critical for expanding electricity and clean cooking access, and another 20 countries as essential for doubling the global share of renewables and energy efficiency. To meet 2030 targets, the report argues that annual energy investments must increase by at least $600 billion, focusing on energy efficiency, renewables, and access expansion.

The document assesses the impact of international GHG offsets on global emission-reduction pledges, warning that double-counting reductions could significantly dilute climate ambition.

The report assesses worldwide methane emissions from the oil and gas sector, estimating 2010 emissions at 1,554 MMTCO2e. It argues that methane is a critical target for short-term climate mitigation due to its 20-year global warming potential (GWP) being 72 times that of carbon dioxide. The document details over 80 abatement technologies, such as vapor recovery units and infrared leak imaging cameras, while analyzing barriers including government price controls, lack of industry knowledge, and the complexities of the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM).

The Clean Air Task Force and analyst Steve Brick found that the additional 4.5 billion gallons of corn ethanol mandated by the RFS between 2010 and 2015 result in lifecycle GHG emissions 28% higher than an equivalent amount of gasoline, totaling 1.4 billion tons CO2e compared to 1.1 billion tons CO2e. The document notes that these emissions will not be lower than gasoline until 2054 and argues that such frontloaded emission increases complicate global climate mitigation efforts.

The report provides a comprehensive inventory of state support for Russia's oil and gas sector, identifying 30 federal subsidy schemes. It quantifies 17 of these at 8.1 billion USD in 2009 and 14.4 billion USD in 2010, noting a significant increase driven by tax breaks for new fields in Eastern Siberia. The analysis highlights a policy bias toward the extensive development of new fields, particularly in the Arctic, over intensive improvements in energy efficiency and recovery rates. It argues that such subsidies increase environmental risks in fragile ecosystems and contradict Russia's international commitments to phase out inefficient fossil fuel subsidies.

The authors identified 14 emission control measures targeting methane and black carbon that could reduce projected global mean warming by approximately 0.5°C by 2050. These measures are estimated to prevent 0.7 to 4.7 million premature deaths annually from outdoor air pollution and increase annual crop yields by 30 to 135 million metric tons from 2030 onwards. The economic benefits of methane reductions (USD 700 to USD 5,000 per metric ton) significantly exceed their marginal abatement costs (under USD 250). Combining these short-term pollutant controls with carbon dioxide reduction measures substantially lowers the risk of exceeding the 2°C warming threshold.

The report finds that U.S. thermoelectric power plants withdrew between 60 billion and 170 billion gallons of freshwater daily in 2008, with coal plants accounting for the majority of this use. It identifies significant regional disparities in water intensity, noting that plants in the East generally withdraw more water due to a higher prevalence of once-through cooling. The analysis reveals that power plants contributed to water-supply stress in 20% of the 400 stressed watersheds identified. Furthermore, the report highlights critical gaps and inaccuracies in U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) data, including the total absence of reporting from the nuclear fleet. It argues that climate change and population growth will exacerbate these stresses, urging a shift toward low-water cooling technologies and low-carbon energy sources to ensure grid reliability and ecosystem health.

The report finds that U.S. power plants withdraw massive volumes of freshwater, with coal and nuclear plants being the most water-intensive. This demand contributes to water-supply stress in hundreds of watersheds and is exacerbated by droughts and heat waves. The authors highlight significant gaps and inaccuracies in EIA reporting and advocate for 'water-smart' energy choices, such as dry cooling and low-water renewables, to ensure energy reliability and water security.

The research evaluates the transition from voluntary to mandatory emissions trading in Japan using the CASE-ASIA model. It compares two primary designs—one including the electricity sector in the ETS and one applying a CO2 tax to it—across various allocation modes including full auctioning, border adjustments (BA), and output-based allocation (OBA). The findings highlight a critical trade-off between electricity prices and industrial product prices, noting that border adjustments for exports are essential for Japan due to its high export volume of steel and cement. While OBA is most effective at limiting production decreases, the study concludes there is no single superior design, and policy choices will depend on government priorities regarding revenue and competitiveness.

The report assesses how a 30% GHG reduction target by 2020 would affect EU energy security compared to a 20% target and a business-as-usual scenario. It finds that more ambitious targets generally improve primary energy security by reducing overall energy demand and fossil fuel imports, particularly oil. However, it notes that the transition may increase risks for specific countries like Poland due to a shift from coal to imported gas, and could negatively impact electricity grid security due to the intermittency of renewables and the need for significant new capacity investments.

The report documents a severe decline in Sumatra's natural forests, which shrank from 25.3 million hectares in 1985 to 12.8 million hectares by 2008/9. This deforestation, driven largely by oil palm and pulpwood plantations, has resulted in massive CO2 emissions from biomass loss and peatland degradation, particularly in Riau Province. The loss of habitat has led to significant population declines in the Sumatran elephant, orangutan, rhinoceros, and tiger, while 17 of 38 eco-floristic sectors are now categorized as threatened. The authors argue that protecting remaining peatland forests and restoring degraded areas are critical for meeting Indonesia's emission reduction targets.

The report argues that while precise surgical assessment of comparability is currently impossible, a common set of core indicators is necessary to define fairness and support domestic and international negotiations. It proposes an 'apples with apples' anchoring point based on economy-wide emissions excluding LULUCF and introduces 'trajectory indicators' to align 2020 targets with 2050 goals. The analysis categorizes Annex I Parties into 'New World' economies, 'Old OECD economies', and 'Transition economies' based on emissions, population, and GDP trends. Finally, it emphasizes the need for harmonized economic modelling to provide a rational basis for cost-comparability, especially following the global financial crisis.

The report evaluates two scenarios for the UK transport sector's CO2 emissions by 2050: Business-as-usual (BAU) and Maximum Impact (MI). While road and rail transport can achieve total decarbonisation through a combination of demand reduction and a shift to carbon-neutral electricity, aviation and shipping remain problematic. The MI scenario achieves a 76% overall reduction in transport CO2 emissions compared to BAU, but falls short of zero carbon due to the technical challenges of the aviation and shipping sectors. Key recommendations include the re-introduction of a fuel price escalator, urban densification, and the complete electrification of the rail network.

The paper examines the challenges of defining 'comparable effort' for Annex I Parties, arguing that a simple set of transparent indicators is more conducive to political agreement than complex fairness models. It analyzes proposed 2020 targets against emissions, population, and GDP data, introducing 'trajectory indicators' to assess the consistency of short-term targets with 2050 goals. The authors highlight that Annex I countries fall into three distinct economic groups—'New World' economies, 'Old OECD' economies, and 'Transition economies'—which must be recognized for any target-setting to be feasible. Finally, the document reviews cost-based indicators, concluding that current model results are too inconsistent and outdated, particularly following the global financial crisis, to provide a reliable basis for cost-comparability without further harmonization.