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The report examines domestic policy reforms in developing countries focused on price reform, energy efficiency, and low-carbon fuels to mitigate climate change. It analyzes the political and economic barriers to price reform, the necessity of legal frameworks and specialized agencies for energy efficiency, and the role of financial incentives and standards. The document also evaluates the use of input, output, outcome, and impact indicators for monitoring, reporting, and verification (MRV) of Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Actions (NAMAs), concluding that only impact indicators provide a reliable basis for financial rewards, despite significant data gaps in developing countries.

The document examines the intersection of environmental governance and climate change in Africa, highlighting the continent's high vulnerability due to low adaptive capacity and 'multiple stresses'. It analyzes specific case studies on land degradation and gender in Uganda, informal institutions in the Lake Victoria Basin, and renewable energy policies in Nigeria and Uganda. It further critiques the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) from an African perspective, suggesting reforms to increase participation and sustainable development. Finally, it argues for a human rights-based approach to climate mitigation and adaptation to protect the most vulnerable populations.

The report presents a mitigation scenario for the EU27 to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 40% in 2020 and 90% by 2050 relative to 1990 levels. This is achieved through radical energy efficiency, a shift to renewables, and the phase-out of fossil fuels, nuclear power, and carbon capture and storage. The analysis also estimates that Europe's fair share of international climate finance for developing nations would range between €150 billion and €450 billion by 2020.

The document analyzes the Brazilian freight transportation sector, which is heavily reliant on road transport. It evaluates the National Plan for Logistics and Transport (PNLT), estimating that an 'ideal' modal shift toward rail and waterways by 2025 could reduce GHG emissions by over 40% compared to a business-as-usual scenario. However, the study identifies significant barriers, including a complex dual-taxation system on multimodal transport, a deeply embedded 'road culture' supported by a strong truck manufacturing industry, and regulatory inconsistencies between transport agencies. It proposes a set of input, process, output, and outcome indicators to monitor the plan's progress and the resulting energy efficiency and emission reductions.

The document outlines the job creation potential of the clean energy economy, citing that renewable energy (RE) and energy efficiency (EE) industries created over nine million jobs in the U.S. in 2007. It provides specific employment projections for various technologies, including wind, solar, bioenergy, and geothermal, across U.S. states and international markets such as Germany, Brazil, and India. The text also compares these figures to employment trends in the fossil fuel and nuclear sectors and details U.S. legislative efforts, such as the Green Jobs Act of 2007 and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, to support workforce training and clean energy deployment.

Friends of the Earth criticizes the Kerry-Boxer draft climate bill for failing to meet scientific requirements for emissions reductions and for including unreliable offsets and subsidies for 'dirty energy' technologies.

The report details a systemic failure of governance in Ketapang District, West Kalimantan, where oil palm expansion—driven by EU biofuel targets—has led to widespread illegal land clearing, deforestation of protected forests, and severe social conflicts. It highlights that the Ketapang government issued permits for approximately 40% of the district's land in just three years, often bypassing legal requirements for Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) and forestland release approvals. The document argues that voluntary certification schemes like the RSPO and the EU's Renewable Energy Directive (RED) are insufficient to prevent these abuses, as they lack rigorous legality checks and fail to address 'replacement effects' where certified oil is diverted to energy, pushing the food sector toward unsustainable sources. Socially, the expansion has resulted in land grabs from indigenous communities and precarious labor conditions, including the non-payment of smallholders and chemical poisoning of workers.

The report argues that the increasing commercialisation of science and technology, driven by government policy in the UK and USA, has eroded the traditional academic ethos of openness and objectivity. Through case studies of the pharmaceutical, tobacco, military/defence, oil and gas, and biotechnology sectors, the authors demonstrate that corporate funding often leads to 'sponsorship bias', where results are skewed to favour funders. The document highlights the marginalisation of public-interest research—such as disease prevention, sustainable agriculture, and renewable energy—in favour of profit-driven goals. It concludes with recommendations for universities to adopt ethical standards for partnerships and for the UK government to decouple science policy from purely economic objectives.

The report examines how commercial involvement in science and technology introduces bias, marginalises public-interest research, and erodes academic objectivity. It focuses on the pharmaceutical, tobacco, military/defence, oil and gas, and biotechnology sectors, arguing that the 'corporate' mindset encouraged by UK policy undermines the traditional ethos of openness and objectivity in universities.

The briefing argues that municipal solid waste (MSW) is an underutilized renewable energy resource that can reduce greenhouse gas emissions and landfill reliance. It details five primary conversion technologies—landfill gas capture, combustion, pyrolysis, gasification, and plasma arc gasification—noting that while landfill gas is widely accepted, others face technical or regulatory hurdles. The text highlights that modern waste-to-energy facilities have significantly reduced toxic emissions and can complement recycling by recovering metals. However, it notes that MSW-to-energy receives substantially lower federal subsidies than other energy sources, which hinders commercial expansion.

The American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009 (ACES) proposes a cap-and-trade system to reduce US greenhouse gas emissions to 17% below 2005 levels by 2020 and 83% by 2050. While power plants and fossil fuel producers are capped, bioenergy from renewable biomass is exempt, and agriculture and forestry sectors can generate carbon offsets. The bill introduces a combined Efficiency and Renewable Electricity Standard requiring 20% renewable energy by 2021, expands the definition of renewable biomass for the Renewable Fuels Standard, and authorizes funding for woodstove replacements, the National Bioenergy Partnership, and strategic tree-planting.

The report analyzes energy-related greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation potentials for six major developing countries through 2030. It projects that baseline energy-sector emissions for these nations could double to approximately 17 metric gigatons of CO2 equivalent by 2030, representing over 40% of global energy-related GHG emissions. The study identifies high-potential mitigation options across four sectors: electricity production, transportation, buildings and appliances, and industry. Common high-potential strategies across all six countries include renewable energy development, vehicle efficiency standards, and the enforcement of building and appliance energy codes. The report emphasizes that while many low-cost options exist, significant barriers remain, including high up-front capital costs, limited technical capacity, and the need for international technology transfer.

The report claims Shell is the most carbon-intensive oil company globally, with its production intensity projected to rise by 85% due to a shift toward oil sands, oil shale, and liquefied natural gas (LNG). It documents a history of gas flaring in Nigeria, alleging that internal documents show Shell prioritized profit over ending the practice. The report further asserts that Shell engages in 'greenwashing' by promoting limited renewable initiatives while lobbying against fuel quality directives and emissions trading reforms in the European Union and climate legislation in the United States.

The statement advocates for a shift from industrial agricultural models to 'food sovereignty,' defined as the capacity of peoples to decide what to produce and how to market it. It supports UN Special Rapporteur Olivier De Schutter's call for a human-rights-based approach to agriculture that prioritizes the most vulnerable, protects small-scale farmers' access to land and seeds, and promotes agroecological systems to mitigate climate change. The authors explicitly reject the influence of transnational corporations and international financial institutions like the World Bank and IMF, characterizing their policies and certain 'green' initiatives—such as REDD and biofuels—as 'false solutions' that threaten food sovereignty.

The IAI's 2009/10 program focuses on synthesizing transdisciplinary research from Collaborative Research Networks and Human Dimensions projects, managing specific projects on biofuels in the La Plata Basin and biodiversity in the Andes, and organizing science-policy forums in Ecuador and Chile. The institute also aims to finalize its strategic plan and engage with the UNFCCC SBSTA on adaptation and mitigation related to biofuels and land quality.

The IAI's 2009/10 annual plan focuses on transdisciplinary research, synthesis of the CRN II program, and specific projects regarding land use, biofuels, and biodiversity in the Andes and the Plata basin. Key planned events include a scientific-policy forum in Ecuador and a training institute in Chile, alongside strategic planning and institutional capacity building.

The IAI's operational budget for the 2009/2010 fiscal year is proposed at US$ 1,163,117, maintaining a level similar to the previous year. The budget supports the administration of scientific programs such as CRN II and SGP-HD, capacity-building initiatives in the Andes and Chile, and the institute's observer status at the UNFCCC. Key financial adjustments include a reduction in salary supplements for locally contracted staff following negotiations with Brazil and an increase in the Director's Special Fund to US$ 60,000 to support activities in Cuba. The budget is primarily funded by member country contributions, with the United States providing the largest share at US$ 691,000.

The report challenges the promotion of jatropha as a 'wonder crop' for biofuels, using evidence from Swaziland to argue that it may compete with food production, require significant water and chemical inputs, and offer marginal economic benefits to small-scale farmers. It highlights concerns over unfair contracting practices by D1 Oils and the lack of environmental risk assessments, concluding that jatropha is not a sustainable 'silver bullet' for meeting EU and UK biofuel targets.

The report examines the rise of foreign land and water acquisitions driven by food, energy, and water security concerns. It highlights a shift from market-driven comparative advantage to 'long-distance farming' to meet home-state needs. The authors analyze how the interaction between domestic law, international investment contracts, and international investment agreements (IIAs) often prioritizes foreign investor rights over local users and sustainable development goals, potentially limiting host governments' ability to regulate for public health, environment, or food security.

The document highlights that 2.5 billion people lack modern energy services, primarily in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. It argues that energy access is a prerequisite for economic development and climate adaptive capacity. The authors advocate for a shift toward decentralized energy systems—including both renewables and LPG—to reduce the health and environmental burdens of traditional biomass, while emphasizing that energy access should be integrated into climate financing and development goals to avoid compromising poverty reduction in the pursuit of climate mitigation.