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543 results
Uncertain Futures: The Changing Global Context of the European Arctic
The report details a workshop in Pajala, Sweden, where local stakeholders and researchers co-created four future narratives for the region based on global Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSPs). Participants identified climate change, national-local power relations, and international security as primary drivers of change. The resulting narratives explore a range of futures, from a sustainable 'Green Road' focused on circular economies and bio-production to a 'Rocky Road' characterized by resurgent nationalism and state withdrawal from municipal welfare. The study emphasizes the interconnection between local Arctic conditions—such as mining and reindeer herding—and global trends in migration, resource demand, and climate change.
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Document type: Research paper
Agricultural investment and rural transformation: a case study of the Makeni bioenergy project in Sierra Leone
The report evaluates the Makeni Project, a 400 million EUR sugarcane bioethanol investment by Addax Bioenergy Sierra Leone (ABSL). While the project has introduced infrastructure, formal wage labour, and high-productivity rice cultivation through its Farmer Development Programme, it has also created challenges including labour scarcity during growing seasons, price inflation, and increased competition for water and food. The study concludes that while FDI can provide significant capital and technology, it cannot replace the public sector, and the transformative potential of such investments is diminished without supporting government investment and strong governance.
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Document type: Report
Agro-industrial foreign investment and rural transformation: Lessons from the Makeni Project in Sierra Leone
The Makeni Project has provided significant infrastructure, employment, and agricultural training in Sierra Leone, but its transformative potential is limited by poor government oversight and risks to local resource access.
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Document type: Policy brief
Achieving 50 Percent Renewable Electricity in California
The report analyzes the impact of raising California's Renewables Portfolio Standard (RPS) to 50 percent by 2024. It finds that while this transition reduces GHG emissions and production costs, it increases renewable curtailment, primarily driven by downward reserve and regional generation requirements. The study concludes that non-fossil flexibility—including electricity storage, advanced demand response, and allowing renewables to provide reserves—is significantly more effective at reducing curtailment and emissions than increasing the flexibility of natural gas power plants.
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Document type: Report
Tres herramientas para fomentar el financiamiento de usos sostenibles de la tierra
The report addresses the challenge of redirecting hundreds of billions of dollars spent annually on high-emission 'business-as-usual' (BAU) land-use activities toward sustainable 'green' alternatives. It argues that limited understanding of current financial flows inhibits effective public intervention. To solve this, the authors propose three tools: Land Use Finance Mapping to visualize current spending and identify gaps; Financial Viability Gap Analysis to determine why sustainable activities are not financially attractive and how public incentives can bridge that gap; and Public Incentive Mapping to ensure coherence across government policies and align them with sustainable production goals.
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Document type: Executive summary
Three Tools to Unlock Finance for Land-Use Mitigation and Adaptation
The report argues that while land use generates approximately a quarter of global greenhouse gas emissions and is highly vulnerable to climate change, current financial flows are predominantly 'business-as-usual' (BAU). To address this, the authors introduce three tools: the Landscape of Land Use Finance, the Financial Viability Gap Analysis tool, and the Public Finance Mapping tool. These tools are designed to help low and middle-income countries identify financial blockages, assess the viability of green projects, and ensure policy coherence to scale up private sector investment in climate-resilient agriculture and forestry.
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Document type: Report
EU LULUCF consultation
A coalition of environmental organisations urges the European Commission to adopt 'Option 1' for the 2030 Climate and Energy Framework, which establishes a separate LULUCF pillar. They argue that including Land Use, Land Use Change and Forestry (LULUCF) in the general 'at least 40 per cent' reduction target would dilute ambition by 3-7 percentage points. The authors call for the removal of fungibility between pillars, the use of base-period accounting instead of reference levels for forest management to expose bioenergy emissions, and the maintenance of agricultural non-CO2 emissions within a strengthened Effort Sharing Decision (ESD).
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Document type: Statement
The End of Coal: Ontario’s coal phase-out
Ontario eliminated coal-fired electricity generation by the end of 2014, a process described as the "single largest GHG reduction measure in North America." The transition was primarily driven by public health concerns and the influence of a coalition including the Ontario Medical Association and the Ontario Clean Air Alliance. Key enabling factors included the public ownership of coal plants, which allowed the government to absorb shutdown costs, and the lack of local coal reserves, which minimized economic resistance from producers. While the phase-out significantly reduced greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 34 megatonnes since 2007, the report notes that coal was largely replaced by natural gas rather than renewables. The experience highlights the importance of credible messengers, realistic timelines, and multi-party political consensus in achieving large-scale energy transitions.
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Document type: Report
RESPONSE TO CRITIQUES FROM M. WANG AND J. DUNN (ARGONNE LABORATORY)
The document refutes claims that WRI miscalculated biomass energy potentials and solar efficiency comparisons, arguing that solar PV is significantly more land-efficient than bioenergy. It challenges the existence of abundant 'marginal land' for biofuels, asserting that such lands often provide critical carbon storage or face economic and legal constraints. WRI further argues that bioenergy does not inherently reduce greenhouse gas emissions unless it drives yield increases beyond what is already required to feed the global population, and that it does not reliably reduce poverty or increase food availability.
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Document type: Statement
A Resurgence We Can’t Afford
California is working toward supplying 33 percent of its electricity from renewables by 2020 and considering a 50 percent target by 2030. To maintain grid reliability without relying on carbon-emitting natural gas plants for ancillary services, the state must address 'overgeneration'—where renewable supply exceeds demand—which currently leads to the curtailment of clean energy. The document proposes several grid integration solutions: targeting energy efficiency during evening hours, diversifying the renewable fleet (wind, solar, bioenergy, and geothermal), increasing coordination between regional grid operators, deploying energy storage (pumped hydro, compressed air, and batteries), and using demand response technologies to shift electricity consumption to peak renewable output periods.
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Document type: Fact sheet
Net phase out of global greenhouse gas emissions
The document defines a net phase out of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions as reducing anthropogenic emissions to a level equal to or smaller than anthropogenic removals. To maintain a likely chance of meeting the 2°C target, global GHG emissions must be net zero by 2100, while CO2 emissions specifically should reach net zero around 2070. If action is delayed until 2020, these deadlines accelerate to 2080 for all GHGs and 2065 for CO2. The briefing notes that technological options already exist for approximately 90% of current GHG sources, though the remaining 10% require further innovation or offsetting. It highlights the critical role of bio-energy and carbon capture and storage (CCS) for achieving these targets, noting that limiting bio-energy significantly increases mitigation costs and reduces the number of models that find the 2°C target feasible.
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Document type: Briefing
Obama Administration FY 2016 Budget Proposal: Sustainable Energy, Buildings, Transportation and Climate
The Obama administration's FY 2016 budget proposal emphasizes an "all of the above" energy strategy and the Climate Action Plan, proposing significant funding increases for the Department of Energy (DOE), Department of Transportation (DOT), and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Key investments include $7.4 billion for clean energy technology, a proposed $4 billion Clean Power Plan Incentive Fund, and $1.29 billion for the Global Climate Change Initiative. The budget targets specific greenhouse gas emission reductions by 2020, 2025, and 2050, while funding diverse initiatives ranging from solar and wind energy to sustainable transportation and international climate finance.
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Document type: Policy brief
TomorrowNow— Manitoba’s Green Plan: Toward a New Provincial Climate Change and Green Economy Plan Consultations Background Paper
The document outlines Manitoba's current emissions profile, its history of climate action, and the need for a new integrated plan for mitigation and adaptation. It examines policies from other jurisdictions regarding larger emitters and proposes principles for Manitoba's future strategy, including the development of mandatory GHG reporting regulations.
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Document type: Briefing
AVOIDING BIOENERGY COMPETITION FOR FOOD CROPS AND LAND
The paper examines the conflict between bioenergy production and the global need for food, feed, and carbon sequestration. It argues that dedicated land use for bioenergy—including crop-based biofuels and cellulosic energy crops—exacerbates a projected 70 percent crop calorie gap by 2050. The authors contend that bioenergy is an inefficient use of solar radiation compared to solar photovoltaics (PV), which can produce over 100 times more energy per hectare. Furthermore, the document identifies a systemic 'double counting' error in greenhouse gas accounting that erroneously treats biomass as carbon-free. It recommends phasing out subsidies and mandates for land-dedicated bioenergy while prioritizing 'additional' biomass sources such as municipal waste and specific residues.
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Document type: Research paper
LA REVOLUCION ENERGETICA ES POSIBLE
The report asserts that the combined fortunes of the world's wealthiest individuals could fund a total transition to renewable energy in the Global South by 2030. It estimates that $5.15 trillion is required to meet the energy demands of Africa, Latin America, and non-OECD Asia (excluding India and China). The authors argue that the energy transition must go beyond substituting fuel sources to include democratic ownership of resources and the dismantling of corporate power to address the intersecting crises of climate change and extreme inequality.
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Document type: Executive summary
AN ENERGY REVOLUTION IS POSSIBLE
The report by Friends of the Earth International asserts that a 100% renewable energy revolution is financially feasible, noting that the personal fortunes of the world's 782 wealthiest people (approximately $5,149 billion) could fund this transition for Africa, Latin America, and much of Asia by 2030. Using International Energy Agency (IEA) demand projections, the authors calculate that $5,148 billion in additional investment is required to meet electricity needs in these regions using renewables. The document emphasizes that the transition must be guided by principles of democratic control, energy access as a human right, and community consent to avoid further human rights violations. It concludes that the primary barrier is not finance, but a lack of political will, and recommends ending fossil fuel subsidies, repaying climate debt from developed nations, and implementing global feed-in tariffs to facilitate a just energy transition.
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Document type: Executive summary
TARISTU JA ENERGIASEKTORI KLIIMAMUUTUSTEGA KOHANEMISE RIIKLIK STRATEEGIA AASTATEKS 2017–2030
The strategy assesses the vulnerability of Estonia's energy and infrastructure systems to climate change, identifying the electricity distribution network and small ports as particularly susceptible. It outlines a comprehensive set of adaptation measures across technical support systems, buildings, transport, and energy resources, with an estimated total implementation cost of approximately 1.3 billion EUR for the 2017–2030 period. The plan emphasizes increasing energy independence through domestic renewable sources and improving the resilience of buildings and transport networks to temperature extremes and flooding.
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Document type: Report
Improved cookstoves in Central America: health impacts and uptake
The document examines the use of improved cookstoves in Central America, noting that while many models meet WHO emission targets in labs, they often fail to significantly reduce personal pollutant exposure in the field due to 'stove stacking' and improper use. It identifies the 'plancha' as the most common model and highlights that successful adoption depends on user-centered design, training, and cost-sharing. The report calls for standardized performance measures and national certification bodies to ensure health benefits are actually realized.
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Document type: Briefing
Climate change adaptation in Swedish forestry: Driving forces, risks and opportunities
The document examines the drivers and barriers to climate change adaptation in the Swedish forestry sector, emphasizing that social and cultural factors are as critical as scientific data. While forest owners recognize increasing productivity and risks from extreme weather, many adopt a "wait and see" approach due to the gradual nature of climate change and distrust of scientific communication. The research highlights the importance of social networks, the role of indirect global climate impacts on export markets, and the need for relevant, credible, and legitimate science communication to foster proactive adaptation.
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Document type: Briefing
Agricultural investment and rural transformation: a case study of the Makeni bioenergy project in Sierra Leone
The report evaluates the Makeni Project, a 400 million EUR sugarcane-to-ethanol investment by Addax Bioenergy Sierra Leone (ABSL). While the project has introduced formal wage labour, new infrastructure, and agricultural support through the Farmer Development Programme (FDP), it has also created pressures on natural resources, such as fuelwood and water, and highlighted significant gaps in local skills and government governance. The study concludes that while FDI can catalyze development, it cannot replace the public sector, and the transformative potential of the project is limited by weak institutional capacity and a lack of coordinated public investment to complement private efforts.
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Document type: Report