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King County Greenhouse Gas Emissions
The report finds that King County's 2008 emissions were 23.4 million MTCO2e via geographic accounting and 55 million MTCO2e via consumption accounting. Transportation and buildings are the primary local sources, while consumption-based emissions are driven by imported goods and services. The report recommends a 'Core' tracking framework focusing on buildings, transportation, and waste.
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Document type: Report
Global miljöpåverkan från konsumtion på lokal och regional nivå
The report explains the difference between traditional and consumption-based emissions accounting, noting that Sweden's consumption-based emissions are approximately double its national emissions. It introduces REAP, a tool developed by the Stockholm Environment Institute that uses multi-regional input-output (MRIO) models and geodemographic data to calculate the environmental footprint of Swedish consumption at national, regional, and local levels. The document provides case studies from Luleå, Härjedalen, and Lund to demonstrate how REAP's scenario function can model the impact of policy changes in transport, energy, and food waste on greenhouse gas emissions and the ecological footprint.
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Document type: Report
Living Planet Report 2012
The Living Planet Report 2012 documents a significant global decline in biodiversity and a growing ecological overshoot, where human demand exceeds the Earth's regenerative capacity. It highlights the disproportionate impact of biodiversity loss in tropical and low-income regions and the role of carbon emissions in driving ecological deficits. The report advocates for a paradigm shift toward managing natural capital within planetary limits through 16 priority actions focused on preserving natural capital, producing better, consuming more wisely, and redirecting financial flows and governance.
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Document type: Report
Consumption-Based Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory for Oregon - 2005 Summary Report
The report finds that Oregon's consumption-based emissions footprint in 2005 was 78 million metric tons of CO2e, which is 47 percent greater than the emissions released within state boundaries. The largest contributors to these emissions are personal vehicles, appliances, and food and beverages, which together account for half of the total impact. The analysis highlights that a significant portion of Oregon's emissions (54%) are released outside the state due to international and national supply chains. The authors recommend that Oregon adopt regular consumption-based inventories and set specific emissions-reduction targets for consumption to maximize global climate benefits.
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Document type: Report
York Green Neighbourhood Challenge
The York Green Neighbourhood Challenge was a three-phase initiative conducted between May 2009 and September 2010 in the City of York. The project aimed to reduce household carbon emissions, raise awareness of low-carbon lifestyles, and foster community cohesion. By profiling neighbourhoods based on carbon footprints, environmental attitudes, and infrastructure, the project targeted 'high potential' areas—specifically South Bank Central and Holgate East—and recruited six teams (including neighbourhood, school, and church groups). Participants received personalised carbon footprint assessments and pledged pro-environmental actions over a six-month period, supported by mentors and external experts. The evaluation found that 49 participants achieved an average carbon footprint reduction of 2.0 tonnes of CO2e per year, representing an 11.3% decrease. The most significant reductions occurred in shopping and housing, while transport reductions were not statistically significant. The total projected emission reduction was 98 tonnes of CO2e per year, at a cost of £472.57 per tonne. The report concludes by proposing a model for community engagement that emphasizes quality of life, targets responsive audiences, and utilizes existing community networks.
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Document type: Report
University Data Centres: Policy and business case for reducing greenhouse gas emissions
The report evaluates three scenarios for reducing the carbon footprint of university data centres: relocation to zero-carbon facilities, relocation to low-emission urban grids with waste heat recovery, and modifying existing centres for waste heat capture. Analysis of three universities showed that only the University of Alberta's waste heat capture scenario yielded a positive net present value (NPV) from carbon credit sales. The combined annual carbon footprint for the studied centres was 11,305 tonnes of CO2e. The study concludes that while individual university projects are generally not economically attractive via carbon credits, a green community cloud operated by CANARIE offers a more viable economic and leadership opportunity.
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Document type: Report
Uncertainty analysis in multi-region input-output models: a case study of the UK's carbon footprint
The research employs Monte Carlo techniques and error propagation to analyze stochastic variation in a global MRIO model. Based on 5,000 simulation runs, the study estimates an 89% probability that the UK's carbon footprint increased between 1994 and 2004.
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Document type: Research paper
Carbon footprint time series: UK results from a multi-region input-output model
The document details the construction of an MRIO model to track the UK's carbon footprint between 1992 and 2004, finding a significant increase in consumer emissions and a growing gap between producer and consumer emissions. By 2004, the total UK carbon footprint reached 730 Mt for CO2 and 934 Mt CO2 equivalents for all greenhouse gases.
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Document type: Research paper
Opportunities and Domestic Barriers to Clean Energy Investment in Chile
The report analyzes Chile's transition toward non-conventional renewable energy (NCRE), noting that while installed capacity in the Central Interconnected Grid (SIC) nearly doubled between 2007 and 2009, the sector remains hindered by high market concentration and financial risks. It details the impact of Law No. 20.257, which mandates a clean energy quota of 5% by 2010 and 10% by 2024, and evaluates CORFO's incentive programs. The document highlights a critical tension between the growth of clean energy and a simultaneous increase in coal-fired generation, which threatens Chile's climate goals and long-term competitiveness.
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Document type: Report
Oportunidades y Barreras Domesticas a Las Energías Limpias en Chile
The report analyzes the Chilean electricity sector's transition toward clean energies, specifically Non-Conventional Renewable Energies (NCRE). It details the current dominance of fossil fuels and large hydro, the impact of the 2008 Law 20.257 establishing renewable quotas, and the role of CORFO in providing pre-investment incentives. While noting a positive investment climate and growing interest from foreign investors, the document identifies significant barriers, including high economic risk due to the lack of stable long-term pricing, high market concentration, and limited access to financing for small developers. It concludes by recommending a more comprehensive national strategy that internalizes environmental externalities and enhances technical and human capital.
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Document type: Report
Carbon Footprint of Agricultural Development: the Potential Impact of Uptake of Small Electric and Diesel Pumps in Five Countries in Sub Saharan Africa
The study finds that carbon emissions from smallholder irrigation pumps in five Sub-Saharan African countries are currently a negligible fraction of national agricultural emissions and are unlikely to become significant even under high-adoption scenarios. However, the study warns that increased pump uptake may pose a more immediate threat to local water resources, particularly in semi-arid regions like Burkina Faso.
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Document type: Research paper
Introducing the Resources and Energy Analysis Programme (REAP)
The Resources and Energy Analysis Programme (REAP) is a software tool developed by the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) that uses an environmentally extended input-output model to track greenhouse gas emissions, air pollutants, and ecological footprints based on consumption rather than just production. By distinguishing between domestic and imported goods across 178 sectors, REAP allows users to create quantifiable scenarios based on the IPAT formula (Population, Affluence, and Technology) to test policy interventions. The tool has been applied to various UK sectors, including the NHS and tourism, and used in regional planning, such as housing scenarios in the Tees Valley. SEI is expanding the tool's application to EU-27 members, Sweden, and the Basque Country.
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Document type: Research paper
Older People and Climate Change
The report examines the relationship between an ageing population and climate change in the UK, noting that older adults—particularly 'baby boomers'—often have the highest carbon footprints. It identifies a gap in public engagement, as older people frequently feel they are neither affected by climate change nor capable of taking personal action. The document critiques top-down communication strategies and recommends a shift toward peer-to-peer interaction, the use of trusted community brands, and positive framing to encourage sustainable behavioural change among the over-50s.
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Document type: Report
A Consumption Approach for Emissions Accounting - the REAP Tool and REAP Data for 2006
The REAP (Resources and Energy Analysis Programme) tool uses environmentally extended input-output analysis to calculate the carbon, greenhouse gas (GHG), and ecological footprints of residents across UK local authorities and regions. Unlike territorial accounting, which measures emissions where they occur, REAP allocates emissions to the consumers of products and services. The tool allows policy makers to model future scenarios by adjusting variables such as household energy demand, food consumption, and production efficiency. The 2006 data release includes a historical time series from 1992 to 2006 and introduces GHG footprints as a new indicator. The document also compares SEI's input-output methodology with the Global Footprint Network's (GFN) trade-volume and life-cycle coefficient approach, noting that while GFN estimates for the UK are typically 5% to 15% higher, the SEI approach provides more detailed supply chain analysis for manufactured goods and services.
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Document type: Guide
Understanding Changes in UK CO2 emissions 1992-2004: A structural decomposition approach
The report finds that while UK producer emissions remained relatively stable due to the 'dash for gas' and a transition to a service economy, consumer emissions increased significantly. This growth was primarily driven by rising final consumption levels, which outpaced technological efficiency gains. The analysis highlights that the UK's shift toward services shifted carbon-intensive production to other regions, particularly non-OECD countries, and that services are a major driver of indirect emissions through their global supply chains.
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Document type: Report
BIOFUEL TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER IN IBSA: LESSONS FOR SOUTH AFRICA AND BRAZIL
The policy brief examines how Brazil's success in bioethanol production can be leveraged through the IBSA Forum to support biofuel development in South Africa and Africa. It identifies key barriers in South Africa, including a lack of a coherent national strategy and concerns over food security and land reform. The authors recommend that South Africa develop a balanced biofuel strategy, pursue collaborative R&D on second-generation biofuels, and create specific investment incentives to attract Brazilian expertise and capital.
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Document type: Policy brief
Green Streets
The study finds that the average York resident has a carbon footprint of 12.58 tonnes of CO2 per year, with housing and transport accounting for 60% of this total. Analysis of Lower Layer Super Output Areas (LSOAs) reveals significant variation: the highest footprints are found in city centre, rural, and commuter areas, while the lowest are in disadvantaged urban areas or student-heavy neighbourhoods. The report identifies a gap between green attitudes and actual behaviour, noting that some neighbourhoods with strong green attitudes still maintain high footprints. By combining data on emissions, resident attitudes, and local infrastructure, the report identifies specific neighbourhoods with the 'highest potential' for change. For housing, these include Heworth Without Rural and South Bank Central; for transport, the Holgate and Osbaldwick areas are highlighted. The findings support the 'York Green Streets Challenge', a project targeting 100 households to achieve a 10% reduction in their carbon footprint in 2010.
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Document type: Report
Social Networking and Governance for Sustainable Development
The report examines the role of social networking sites (SNSs) in advancing sustainable development, categorizing them into mainstream, niche, and professional platforms. It argues that while mainstream sites often 'dumb down' sustainability to low-cost virtual actions, niche and professional networks can foster deeper expertise and collaboration. The author contrasts two governance perspectives: rational democratic governance, which views SNSs with caution due to their lack of structure, and adaptive governance, which sees them as essential tools for social learning and breaking institutional silos. The document concludes that for SNSs to improve governance, there must be a shift toward open data, diverse platforms, and a move beyond simple fundraising applications.
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Document type: Report
Comercio y el Desarrollo
The report analyzes Chile's transition from a protectionist to a liberal trade regime, highlighting the country's active inclusion of environmental and labor commitments in 12 of its 19 trade agreements. While Chile has aligned its foreign policy with multilateral environmental agreements and the ILO, the author notes a significant gap in the regulation of foreign direct investment (FDI), which largely ignores sustainability. The document identifies critical weaknesses, including the lack of a comprehensive strategic vision for sustainable development, the nascent state of climate change integration in trade (specifically regarding carbon footprints), and persistent labor challenges such as high informality. It concludes by proposing a research agenda to shift FDI toward knowledge-intensive sectors and to improve the enforcement of environmental and labor clauses through better data and cooperation.
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Document type: Report
Comercio para el Desarrollo: La importancia creciente del desarrollo sostenible en la agenda comercial Sudamericana
The report analyzes the shift in South American countries from a defensive posture toward sustainable development in trade to a more integrated approach. It examines four case studies (Argentina, Brazil, Chile, and Peru), identifying how structural dependencies on natural resources and the influence of developed markets—particularly the US and EU—drive the adoption of environmental and labor standards. While Chile and Peru have integrated these themes through Free Trade Agreements (FTAs), Brazil and Argentina have remained more resistant officially, though private sectors in Brazil are increasingly adapting to international certifications. The document highlights risks such as 'carbon leakage' (the shift of high-emission industries to the region) and new trade barriers related to biofuels and chemical regulations.
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Document type: Report