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The report examines the 'water-energy nexus' in the western United States, specifically the eleven states of the Western Electric Coordinating Council (WECC). It models eight scenarios from 2008 to 2100, varying by carbon emission goals, water conservation mandates, and energy efficiency levels. The primary finding is that while power plants require water, their total consumption is small compared to agricultural and urban use, making the water-energy nexus a secondary concern in the region's broader water crisis. The analysis suggests that carbon pricing (around $70 per ton) is a more likely driver for shifting energy strategies than water pricing, as water prices would need to exceed $4,000 to $7,000 per acre-foot to make water-conserving energy scenarios the least-cost option.

The EPA has introduced new GHG permitting standards under the Clean Air Act, requiring large power plants and refineries to undergo a Best Available Control Technology (BACT) analysis. While states typically issue these permits, the EPA has taken over this role in Arizona and Texas due to non-compliance. The program targets facilities adding more than 75,000 tons of CO2 (or equivalent) and will expand in July 2011 to include all new facilities emitting over 100,000 tons per year. The BACT process involves a five-step evaluation of technology availability, feasibility, effectiveness, and impact to determine the best emission control options.

The author supports the EPA's plan to propose carbon performance standards for power plants by July 2011, arguing that such regulations are necessary in the absence of federal legislation to drive clean energy investment and reduce harmful emissions. The text emphasizes that while coal-fired plants are a major source of pollution and 40% of U.S. carbon emissions, phased-in regulation and the development of a robust carbon capture and storage (CCS) industry are the most effective paths toward climate stabilization.

The Cancun Climate Summit is characterized as a moderate success that restored faith in the multilateral process following the Copenhagen summit. Key outcomes included the first official UN agreement to keep global temperature increases below 2°C, the recognition of voluntary emission reduction plans for 2020, and the establishment of financial mechanisms for developing countries, including a 30 billion dollar transfer for 2010-2012 and the creation of the Green Climate Fund. While the summit made progress on measurement, reporting, and verification (MRV) and forest protection (REDD+), it left the decision on a second Kyoto Protocol period to the 2011 Durban summit. The authors attribute the success to the leadership of the Mexican government and the UNFCCC Executive Secretary.

The document critiques carbon markets, specifically the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) and the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS), as tools that perpetuate dependence on fossil fuels and facilitate 'carbon colonialism'. It highlights how offsetting allows rich nations to outsource their climate responsibilities to developing countries, often resulting in human rights violations, land grabbing, and the funding of projects like coal plants or gas flaring. The author advocates for a systemic transformation based on energy efficiency, renewable energy, and public climate finance instead of market-based mechanisms.

The document outlines four decades of activism by Friends of the Earth International, highlighting specific successes in banning commercial whaling in Spain, prohibiting open-pit mining in Costa Rica, and establishing the first climate change law in the UK. It details diverse campaigns against coal power in Germany, oil pollution in Nigeria, and genetically modified organisms in Europe, while emphasizing the role of grassroots mobilization and legal action in achieving environmental protections and human rights.

This report highlights the achievements of Friends of the Earth International (FoEI) over four decades, detailing specific campaigns against extractive industries, pollution, and unsustainable development. It documents legal victories, such as the ban on open-pit mining in Costa Rica and the recognition of water as a human right in Uruguay, as well as grassroots successes in reforestation in Belgium and the protection of eucalyptus forests in Australia. The text emphasizes the role of international solidarity and legal action in challenging neoliberal globalization and protecting the rights of indigenous peoples and local communities.

The report documents various environmental and social justice campaigns led by Friends of the Earth (FoE) member groups across the globe. Key achievements include the 2008 UK Climate Change Act, a ban on open-pit metal mining in Costa Rica (2010), and the cessation of commercial whaling in Spain (1985). The document also details ongoing resistance against coal-fired power plants in Germany and Scotland, gas flaring in Nigeria, and the impact of large-scale dams in Mozambique, South Korea, and the Philippines. It emphasizes a strategy of combining grassroots mobilization, legal challenges, and international solidarity to combat corporate globalization and protect indigenous and community rights.

The document reports that only 40% of the original tropical dry forests in the Americas remain, with only 4.5% (23,417 km2) under protection. Satellite data from 1982 to 2006 shows divergent productivity trends: increases in the Llanos of Venezuela and Colombia, northern Mexico, and the Chaqueña region of Argentina and Bolivia, but decreases in other parts of Mexico and the Brazilian Caatinga. These shifts are linked to global warming's impact on precipitation and humidity. The text warns that declining productivity reduces carbon storage and water retention, while increased productivity may inadvertently encourage further deforestation and agricultural intensification. It advocates for expanded protection, sustainable land management, and economic incentives like payments for environmental services and REDD+ to preserve biodiversity and ecosystem services.

The document argues that technological innovation, particularly in the electricity sector, is essential for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, but is currently hindered by high risks and long investment cycles. It highlights that while solar PV has seen rapid growth driven by European feed-in tariffs and US tax incentives, carbon capture and storage (CCS) remains stalled in the 'valley of death' due to insufficient funding and political commitment for large-scale demonstration. The authors emphasize the need for a combination of 'push' (R&D) and 'pull' (market creation) mechanisms to ensure sustainable technological scaling and suggest that market formation must expand beyond Europe to ensure global stability for these industries.

The study evaluates the representation of ecosystem services across different conservation strategies in England, finding that tiered strategies consistently align with high stored carbon but not with high recreational value. It notes that tiering is prevalent in England and skewed toward upland areas, suggesting that future effectiveness evaluations must account for the overlap between different conservation strategies.

The report criticizes the Copenhagen Accord for promoting private finance and market mechanisms over binding public commitments. It highlights how investment banks like Barclays and Santander, and companies like Shell and Lafarge, use carbon trading and REDD projects to generate profit or 'greenwash' their images. The authors advocate for a transition to climate justice, proposing a 'Robin Hood Tax' on financial transactions and the replacement of REDD with UN-wide negotiations to stop deforestation.

The document criticizes the 'Copenhagen Accord' for shifting the burden of climate action to developing nations and promoting private finance over public obligations. It highlights how global banks like Barclays and Santander, and corporations like Shell and Lafarge, use carbon markets and REDD projects for 'greenwashing' and profit. The report concludes that climate finance should be mandatory, public, and managed by the UN to ensure it serves the most vulnerable populations rather than corporate interests.

The document details Climate Strategies' transition to a new research programme for 2011, focusing on eight themes including the low carbon economy and adaptation finance. It reviews 2010 projects on carbon pricing, power sector decarbonisation, and the EU's 2020 emissions targets. A significant portion of the text argues for a steel-specific negotiation forum within the UNFCCC to address carbon leakage and competitiveness, and proposes 'Climate Innovation Centres' (CICs) to facilitate technology transition in developing countries through multi-disciplinary coordination.

The report outlines a proposed sectoral approach for the Japanese steel industry to meet a projected 50% emission reduction by 2050. It presents two variants: one based on a fully-resourced research, development, demonstration, and deployment (RDD&D) plan, and another based on regulating CO2 limits for steel plants. The document emphasizes that sustainable reductions require breakthrough technologies or CCS, noting that while the Japanese sector has the financial resources to scale up RDD&D, the high cost of full CCS implementation could lead to competitiveness issues and carbon leakage without international coordination or protective measures like border taxes.

The document asserts that pending EPA greenhouse gas (GHG) regulations under the Clean Air Act (CAA) will have a minimal negative economic impact on U.S. manufacturing while incentivizing significant energy efficiency gains. It argues that for most manufacturers, environmental compliance costs are negligible compared to other business expenses and market volatilities, and that the transition to more efficient technologies will ultimately reduce operational costs and improve global competitiveness.

The report estimates that the federal and provincial governments of Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Newfoundland and Labrador provide over $2.8 billion in annual subsidies to the upstream oil sector. Using a definition based on the WTO's Agreement on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures, the study identifies 63 subsidy programs, with development subsidies (reducing capital expenditures) comprising 59% of the total value. Alberta receives the largest share of support (73% of total subsidies), which exceeds its share of crude oil production (67%). Macroeconomic modelling suggests that these subsidies increase national oil production by approximately 5% and GHG emissions by 2% by 2020, while negatively impacting government balances in the federal government, Alberta, and Saskatchewan.

The document argues for a tiered MRV approach for geologic carbon sequestration to avoid creating barriers to commercialization. For low-risk sites, it suggests starting with narrow monitoring to verify reservoir models, escalating to advanced monitoring only if triggers like plume migration or cap rock failure occur, and finally moving to post-injection monitoring if necessary.

The document argues that while China has political support and some adaptable laws for CCS, it lacks a comprehensive regulatory framework for geologic storage. It proposes eight key criteria for such a framework, including site-specific data for selection, adaptive monitoring plans, and clear post-closure stewardship. The brief highlights the role of various Chinese ministries and suggests a pilot regulatory approach to manage technical uncertainties.

The policy brief argues that the steel sector, responsible for 5% of global CO2 emissions, requires a dedicated international negotiation forum within the UNFCCC to overcome competitiveness fears and leakage. It proposes a 'bottom-up' approach where existing national policies—such as China's energy efficiency targets and India's 'Perform, Achieve and Trade'—serve as building blocks. The author identifies six abatement categories ranging from closing inefficient plants to developing breakthrough technologies, noting that carbon pricing alone is insufficient to realize these opportunities. The brief recommends that the UNFCCC establish a steel-specific forum involving both government and industry to coordinate technology transfers, minimum standards for new plants, and funding for Carbon Capture & Storage (CCS).