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Planning Cities for People
The document argues that high-density cities cannot be designed around the car and must instead prioritize public transport, walking, and bicycling. It proposes eight principles for sustainable urbanization: developing walkable neighborhoods, prioritizing bicycle networks, creating dense street networks, supporting high-quality transit, zoning for mixed-use, matching density to transit capacity, creating compact regions, and regulating parking and road use. The guide provides specific metrics for implementation, such as limiting block lengths to 150 meters and ensuring housing is within 400 meters of local transit. It highlights the redesign of Chenggong as a model for applying these principles to avoid the pitfalls of superblock patterns.
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Document type: Guide
THE GREAT REINVENTION OF THE ELECTRIC UTILITY
The report examines the 'death spiral' facing traditional U.S. electric utilities caused by falling costs of renewables, energy efficiency, and declining demand. It proposes a regulatory shift by Public Utilities Commissions (PUCs) toward 'performance-based regulation,' where utilities are rewarded for meeting reliability, affordability, and environmental goals rather than the volume of electricity sold. The author suggests that utilities, given their infrastructure and market reach, are the ideal vehicles for decarbonization if incentivized to prioritize system optimization over electron supply.
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Document type: Report
Advisory Memo: Fossil Fuel Commitments in Nationally Determined Contributions under the Paris Agreement
The document argues that fossil fuel production is the primary driver of the climate emergency and must be directly addressed in NDCs to meet the 1.5°C temperature limit. It proposes a comprehensive framework of commitments, including phasing out extraction, ending new licenses, and redirecting subsidies, while emphasizing a just transition for workers and developing nations. The memo justifies these inclusions through the Paris Agreement's purpose, the UNFCCC's precautionary principle, and recent outcomes like the COP28 Global Stocktake.
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Document type: Briefing
3,000 SCIENTISTS AND ACADEMICS CALL FOR A FOSSIL FUEL TREATY
The document argues that current climate policies focus too heavily on demand-side restrictions and must be supplemented by a binding global treaty to constrain the production and supply of fossil fuels. It highlights that fossil fuels have contributed nearly 80% of carbon dioxide emissions since the industrial revolution and that air pollution from their combustion caused nearly one in five global deaths in 2018. The authors call for an equitable transition where wealthier nations reduce production faster and provide financial and technological support to poorer countries.
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Document type: Statement
150+ CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANIZATIONS CALL ON CALIFORNIA TO ENDORSE THE FOSSIL FUEL NON-PROLIFERATION TREATY PROPOSAL
A coalition of more than 150 civil society organizations is urging California to support Senate Joint Resolution (SJR) 2 (Gonzalez). This resolution calls for an end to fossil fuel expansion, a fair phase-out of coal, oil, and gas, and the establishment of an international Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty to address the climate crisis at its root. The signatories argue that because fossil fuels are omitted from the Paris Agreement, a specific international mechanism is required to stop production expansion and ensure a just energy transition, particularly for Indigenous Peoples and communities of color.
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Document type: Statement
Letter for a Fossil Fuel Treaty
A coalition of 624 global faith institutions argues that the continued expansion of fossil fuels threatens the 1.5°C goal of the Paris Agreement and disproportionately harms vulnerable populations. The signatories call for a binding global treaty to end the expansion of coal, oil, and gas production and to facilitate a global just transition to 100% renewable energy, emphasizing the moral imperative of stewardship and equity.
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Document type: Statement
AMAZON: THE FIRST FOSSIL FUEL NON-PROLIFERATION ZONE
The fact sheet advocates for a Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty to stop the expansion of coal, oil, and gas, specifically proposing that the Amazon biome become the first non-proliferation zone. It highlights the environmental and social damage caused by extractive activities in the region and outlines four key measures for the Amazon States: suspending new hydrocarbon exploration, guaranteeing indigenous participation and consent, generating local economic alternatives, and transitioning to a fair energy model. The document notes that a significant percentage of the Amazon rainforest in several countries overlaps with oil lots, with Ecuador having the highest overlap at 51.5%.
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Document type: Fact sheet
AMAZONÍA: LA PRIMERA ZONA DE NO PROLIFERACIÓN DE COMBUSTIBLES FÓSILES
The fact sheet advocates for a Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty to stop the expansion of coal, oil, and gas, specifically proposing that the Amazon region become the first zone to prohibit such activities. It highlights the severe environmental and social impacts of extraction in the Amazon, noting that a significant percentage of the biome in several countries overlaps with oil blocks, with Ecuador having the highest proportion at 51.5%. The document calls for the suspension of new hydrocarbon exploration, the protection of indigenous rights through prior consultation, and a just transition to a new energy model supported by international financial cooperation.
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Document type: Fact sheet
BUILDING ON SUCCESS: LESSONS FROM HUMANITARIAN TREATY MOVEMENTS FOR A FOSSIL FUEL NON-PROLIFERATION TREATY
The document argues that fossil fuels act as weapons of mass destruction, contributing to 86% of CO2 emissions in the last decade. It analyzes the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, the Chemical Weapons Convention, the Mine Ban Treaty, and the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons to provide a roadmap for a similar global fossil fuel regime. The brief identifies four pivotal areas for success: building an evidence base through civil society reporting, igniting conversations via city and parliamentarian advocacy, shifting the narrative from defense to humanitarian issues, and convening pioneering countries through regional bans and strategic conferences. It also details treaty elements such as prohibitions, victim assistance obligations, and the role of implementation agencies like the IAEA and OPCW.
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Document type: Policy brief
The summons of the climate case against Shell summarized in 4 pages
The document outlines a legal case brought against Shell in The Hague, asserting that the company is responsible for approximately 1.8% of historical human-caused CO2 emissions and currently contributes around 1% of global annual emissions. The claimants argue that Shell has known about the dangers of climate change since the 1950s but continues to invest heavily in fossil fuels, including shale gas and tar sands, thereby breaching its legal duty of care under the Dutch Civil Code. The summons demands that Shell reduce its CO2 emissions by at least 45% by 2030 and reach net zero by 2050, based on IPCC scenarios, claiming that Shell's own 2017 ambition of a 50% reduction in carbon intensity by 2050 is inadequate.
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Document type: Fact sheet
Easing Kenya’s Transport Burden: Transforming Mobility with Innovative Electric Motorcycles
EcoBodaa is a Kenyan tech startup developing electric motorcycles tailored for the local market to replace petrol-powered bikes. Supported by Persistent Energy, the company has developed bikes with localized battery configurations and GPS systems, achieving maintenance costs up to 80% lower than petrol alternatives. While the company has struggled to recruit women as riders, it has appointed five women to leadership roles. EcoBodaa utilizes a rent-to-own model and an energy micropayment system to improve financial accessibility, and it is now 90% ready for scaling after selling 37 units.
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Document type: Case study
Greening transport in Ghana: Transforming mobility with electric vehicles
SolarTaxi is a Ghanaian electric vehicle manufacturer founded in 2018 that designs, assembles, and leases low-cost solar-powered two-wheel and four-wheel vehicles. By utilizing an assembly plant in Accra with a mix of imported and local components, the company has achieved a 40% cost reduction, making its vehicles price-competitive with used foreign imports. The business has created over 100 full-time jobs and maintains a workforce where 70% are engineers, 90% of whom are women. SolarTaxi provides training through a driver academy and has secured contracts to supply solar electric buses to Burkina Faso and Cote d’Ivoire. Its vehicles are currently used for deliveries by companies such as Jumia and Bolt in Accra.
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Document type: Case study
Impact Stories
The document outlines systemic financing barriers in Africa, noting that climate tech start-ups, nature-based enterprises, and women entrepreneurs—particularly in Francophone West Africa—struggle to access necessary investment. It highlights that Africa receives only 6% of global biodiversity funding and that in Senegal, only 3.5% of women entrepreneurs access formal finance. A specific case study focuses on Saglan Wajee General Hospital in Ethiopia, which, supported by FSD Africa's BimaLab, launched 'Efoy', a micro-health insurance product. Efoy 1.0 attracted over 1,200 customers in its first year, and the subsequent Efoy 2.0 has reached 900 new clients, providing affordable coverage for low- and middle-income families.
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Document type: Case study
Hydrogen as a Gas Turbine Fuel
The document examines the transition from natural gas to hydrogen in gas turbines, detailing the physical differences between the fuels and the resulting engineering requirements. It highlights that while low-percentage hydrogen blends (~20% or less) can often be used with minimal modifications, higher blends require significant changes to combustion systems to manage NOx emissions and prevent flashback. The paper reviews the current capabilities and development roadmaps of major OEMs, including Ansaldo Energia, General Electric, Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems, and Siemens, most of whom target 100% hydrogen capability by 2030.
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Document type: Research paper
Decentralising the Just Energy Transition
The document examines the role of the private sector in South Africa's just energy transition (JET), specifically focusing on the Mpumalanga province. It highlights a gap in citizen perception, where the private sector is not seen as a key stakeholder in mitigating climate change. By comparing the Govan Mbeki and Bushbuckridge local municipalities, the report demonstrates how public-private partnerships can improve essential services like water and electricity, which in turn enhances climate resilience and public health. It recommends that businesses invest in sustainable infrastructure and community engagement to decentralise climate knowledge and support a low-carbon economy.
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Document type: Briefing
US gas can’t certify away its climate and environmental justice problems
The report examines the rise of "responsibly sourced gas" certification, specifically focusing on the certifier MiQ and its clients ExxonMobil and EQT. It contends that these certifications focus narrowly on methane emissions to create a "responsible" image for companies with poor environmental justice records, while the goal of certifying the entire global gas market by 2030 necessitates an increase in production that is incompatible with limiting global warming to 1.5°C.
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Document type: Research paper
Amazon Lautan Indonesia Terancam oleh Demam Nikel untuk Kendaraan Listrik
The document details how the 'nickel fever' for electric vehicle batteries is threatening the biodiversity and indigenous communities of Raja Ampat, Papua. It highlights the ecological destruction of coral reefs and mangroves caused by sediment runoff from open-pit mining, the violation of indigenous land rights, and the contradiction of a 'green transition' powered by coal-fired smelters. The report identifies specific companies operating in the region and calls for the Indonesian government and international stakeholders to halt mining in small islands and enforce strict human rights and environmental due diligence.
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Document type: Report
Como empresas brasileiras de carne bovina e seus financiadores internacionais são cúmplices da destruição da Amazônia
The report exposes the failure of voluntary zero-deforestation policies among Brazil's largest beef producers—JBS, Marfrig, and Minerva—and the inadequacy of audits by DNV-GL and Grant Thornton. It highlights that these companies continue to source cattle from illegally deforested lands and farms linked to land grabbing and human rights abuses, while receiving continued funding from global banks such as HSBC, Barclays, and Santander.
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Document type: Executive summary
Loss and damage is not enough: why we need climate reparations
The statement by Global Witness advocates for climate reparations to address historical injustices and the disproportionate impact of climate change on low-income countries. It distinguishes climate reparations, which include liability for past harm, from 'loss and damage' compensation, which focuses on current unavoidable impacts. The text highlights the vulnerability of 3.6 billion people and the debt burden on countries like Mozambique, urging COP27 negotiators to establish a transparent fund financed by heavy polluters and to provide grants and debt forgiveness instead of loans.
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Document type: Statement
Hot under the collar
The EastMed gas pipeline, a proposed €7 billion project to transport Israeli gas to Europe via Cyprus and Greece, is criticized for its reliance on Energean, a company whose co-founders allegedly profited from a banking scheme that contributed to Cyprus's 2013 financial crisis. The project is further condemned for risking military tensions between Greece and Turkey and for its high carbon footprint, which would undermine the EU's goal to reduce gas consumption by 90 percent by 2050. Global Witness calls for the EU to remove all gas projects from its Project of Common Interest (PCI) list and amend the TEN-E Regulation to end support for fossil gas infrastructure.
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Document type: Executive summary