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Bogotá and Medellín, Colombia, and Santiago, Chile, Adopt Latin America’s Largest Electric Bus Fleets
WRI supported the procurement of electric bus fleets in Santiago, Bogotá, and Medellín to reduce emissions and operating costs. By developing scalable contractual and procurement mechanisms with partners like C40 and the Inter-American Development Bank, WRI helped these cities overcome the high upfront costs of e-buses. Santiago and Bogotá are procuring the two largest e-bus fleets globally outside of China, with Medellín adding 64 vehicles.
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Document type: Case study
PROVISION OF WATER TANKS AND RELIABLE WATER SUPPLY TO EMALAHLENI COMMUNITIES AS A MATTER OF URGENCY
The Centre for Environmental Rights (CER) has petitioned Minister Lindiwe Sisulu to urgently provide water tanks and tankers to communities in eMalahleni, including Extension 11, Empumelelweni, Extension 14, and Coronation. These areas have lacked reliable water supply since September 2019, forcing residents to rely on contaminated streams polluted by coal mines and industry. The CER argues that this lack of water violates constitutional rights and severely hinders COVID-19 prevention efforts, as residents cannot perform essential handwashing. The letter calls for immediate government intervention to provide both emergency relief and sustainable long-term water access.
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Document type: Statement
REQUEST FOR REASONS FOR THE AMENDMENT OF SUBCATEGORY 1.1: SOLID FUEL COMBUSTION INSTALLATIONS IN THE LISTED ACTIVITIES AND ASSOCIATED MINIMUM EMISSION STANDARDS
The Centre for Environmental Rights, acting for groundWork and Earthlife Africa NPC, has formally requested written reasons from the South African Minister of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries regarding an amendment to the Minimum Emission Standards (MES). The amendment, published on 27 March 2020, doubles the permissible sulphur dioxide (SO2) limit for existing solid-fuel combustion installations, which the authors argue is unconstitutional and unlawful.
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Document type: Statement
Japan’s Continued Support for Ultra-Supercritical Coal Power is Outdated
Japan has provided over US$17.5 billion in public finance for 21 GW of coal power abroad since 2013, often justifying this by claiming to support "best available technologies" like ultra-supercritical plants. However, the document asserts that these plants are still too polluting to meet Paris Agreement goals and that Japan's withdrawal would not prevent the use of inferior technologies, as China and South Korea are also major funders. Furthermore, the briefing notes that Japanese-funded overseas projects often use inferior emission controls compared to domestic standards and that coal is increasingly an unsafe investment compared to cheaper solar and wind power.
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Document type: Briefing
RISKS GROW FOR SOUTH KOREA’S OVERSEAS COAL INVESTMENTS WITH PRIVATE FUNDERS AVOIDING COAL AND COVID-19 CREATING CONSTRUCTION DELAYS, SOUTH KOREA’S PUBLIC FINANCE INSTITUTIONS FACE NEARLY $6 BILLION IN POTENTIAL STRANDED ASSETS
South Korean public finance institutions have invested $5.6 billion in overseas coal plants, primarily in Vietnam and Indonesia, creating a significant risk of stranded assets. This trend persists despite the Democratic Party's Green New Deal promising a phase-out of such financing and a global decline in private coal funding. The economic viability of coal is deteriorating as solar and wind power costs fall, with projections that renewables will be cheaper than existing coal in Southeast Asia by 2028. Additionally, the COVID-19 pandemic has depressed electricity demand and caused construction delays, further destabilizing these investments.
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Document type: Briefing
Mapping India’s Energy Subsidies 2020
The report finds that while India has shifted resources toward clean energy since FY 2014, subsidies for fossil fuels remain over seven times larger than those for renewables and electric vehicles. Oil and gas subsidies rose by over 65% between FY 2017 and FY 2019, driven by higher oil prices and LPG use, while renewable energy subsidies fell by 35% in the same period. Electricity transmission and distribution subsidies doubled, primarily due to under-priced electricity for residential and agricultural users. Electric vehicle subsidies grew over 400-fold since FY 2014. A special analysis of coal indicates a massive net cost of INR 3,36,446 crore in FY 2018 when accounting for social costs like air pollution and GHG emissions, far outweighing tax revenues and charges.
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Document type: Report
Manufacturing Electric School and Transit Buses: Creating Jobs and Economic Growth
The briefing argues that expanding the U.S. electric bus fleet would create manufacturing jobs, reduce carbon emissions by 7 million tons annually, and improve public health by replacing diesel engines. It proposes utilizing $20 billion in federal grants to replace 60,000 buses—approximately 10% of the national fleet—through existing programs like Clean Cities and the Low and No Emission Vehicle Program.
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Document type: Briefing
Climate Change vs. Economic Growth in a Time of Crisis
The Canadian Climate Institute asserts that neither halting economic growth nor pausing climate action is a viable strategy for addressing the COVID-19 crisis. It argues that lasting emission reductions require growth-compatible innovation and that Canada's long-term economic interest lies in transitioning to a low-carbon economy to avoid stranded assets and maintain global competitiveness, particularly in the oil and gas sector.
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Document type: Statement
The Mongolian electricity sector in the context of international climate
The report examines the Mongolian electricity sector's transition toward the Paris Agreement goals and the public health costs of coal power. It highlights that planned coal capacity expansions, particularly the Shivee Ovoo plant, would significantly increase premature deaths and years of life lost by 2050, while noting that Mongolia requires international financial and technical support to implement renewable energy and decouple heat and electricity supply.
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Document type: Report
2 billion trees to go, please
The author advocates for integrating urban forests into Canada's national tree-planting goals, highlighting their role in carbon sequestration, heat reduction, and flood mitigation. The text emphasizes that urban tree success depends on biological diversity, connectivity, and long-term maintenance rather than just the number of trees planted.
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Document type: Statement
Yükseliş ve Çöküş 2020: KÜRESEL KÖMÜRLÜ TERMİK SANTRAL TAKİBİ
The report finds that while the global coal fleet grew by 34.1 GW in 2019, this was primarily driven by China, as the rest of the world saw a net decrease in capacity. It highlights a continuing decline in new project starts and a significant increase in retirements in the US and EU, though it warns that current trends are insufficient to meet the IPCC's 1.5°C goal, which requires an 80% reduction in coal-fired power by 2030.
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Document type: Report
BÙNG NỔ VÀ THOÁI TRÀO 2020: GIÁM SÁT CÁC NHÀ MÁY ĐIỆN THAN TOÀN CẦU
The report finds that while global coal capacity saw a net increase of 34.1 GW in 2019, this was driven almost entirely by China. Excluding China, the global coal industry declined for the second consecutive year. The report highlights a significant shift in financing, with Western commercial banks withdrawing direct funding for new coal, while Chinese and Indian state-backed institutions continue to provide critical capital. Regional analysis shows sharp declines in pre-construction capacity in Southeast Asia, Latin America, and Africa, though some countries like Japan and Turkey continue to pursue coal development despite international pressure.
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Document type: Report
Transpordi ja liikuvuse arengukava aastateks 2021-2030
The document establishes the framework for a strategic environmental assessment (SEA) of Estonia's Transport and Mobility Development Plan for 2021-2030. It defines the SEA's purpose as identifying significant environmental effects, exploring alternatives, and finding mitigation measures to ensure the transport plan aligns with EU and Estonian environmental policies. The assessment covers a 10-to-15-year horizon and focuses on key environmental elements including greenhouse gas emissions, biodiversity, water quality, and human health. The methodology involves a compliance analysis, an external effects analysis, and the proposal of mitigation measures. The document also lists the stakeholders involved and provides a timeline for the SEA process, which includes public consultation and inter-agency coordination.
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Document type: Report
Endangering Generations
The document outlines various ways the Trump administration has allegedly harmed children by ignoring scientific advice and weakening regulations. Key areas of concern include the failure to regulate neurotoxins like lead and chlorpyrifos, the lack of action on PFAS and asbestos, reduced food and product safety oversight, and the dismissal of climate science and child welfare standards at the US-Mexico border.
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Document type: Fact sheet
New York Can Meet Its Energy Needs without a New Pipeline
The policy brief contends that the proposed $1 billion Northeast Supply Enhancement Project (NESE) gas pipeline is incompatible with New York's Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA). It argues that a 'no infrastructure' approach—combining energy efficiency, electrification (specifically heat pumps), and demand response—is a more cost-effective and reliable path to meeting energy needs while reducing emissions. The author asserts that National Grid's cost analysis underestimates the benefits of customer-focused solutions by ignoring air conditioner cost savings, externality costs of pollution, and the long-term savings beyond a 15-year net present value calculation.
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Document type: Policy brief
The Air We Breathe
The research indicates that imagery of air pollution is more effective at communicating the health impacts of climate change to the UK public than images of floods, heat stress, or infectious disease. The document recommends using the high salience of air pollution to build a relatable visual narrative that introduces other climate-health links, while combining vulnerability-focused images with solution-oriented photos to foster a sense of efficacy.
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Document type: Executive summary
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
HOW-TOS SCIENCE ADVOCACY TOOLKIT
The document outlines a framework for scientists to engage with communities disproportionately affected by pollution, emphasizing listening, accessibility, and the navigation of power dynamics to ensure productive advocacy.
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Document type: Guide
COMMENTS ON THE BACKGROUND INFORMATION DOCUMENT FOR ESKOM’S APPLICATION FOR ALTERNATIVE LIMITS TO THE MINIMUM EMISSION STANDARDS (MES) FOR THE MEDUPI AND MATIMBA POWER STATIONS
The Life After Coal campaign, comprising the Centre for Environmental Rights (CER), groundWork, and Earthlife Africa Johannesburg, submitted formal objections on 29 January 2020 to Eskom's applications for alternative emission limits at the Medupi and Matimba power stations. The campaign argues that the applications are procedurally and substantively unlawful, violate the South African Constitution and environmental laws, and rely on a flawed air quality modelling approach in a priority area already suffering from poor air quality.
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Document type: Statement
Health Co-Benefits from NDC Implementation in China
The report highlights that achieving NDC targets in China could prevent between 225,000 and 368,000 premature deaths by 2050, with health co-benefits exceeding the cost of climate policy implementation. It notes that fossil fuel subsidies remain a significant challenge, costing USD 1.79 trillion in externalities and representing a substantial portion of the budgets otherwise allocated to health and environmental protection.
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Document type: Report