Search Climate Insights Directory

This research paper examines the risk of stranded assets in Africa's extractives sectors as the global economy transitions toward low-carbon energy and a circular economy. It analyzes the economic threats to fossil-fuel-dependent nations, the potential for 'premature deindustrialisation', and the opportunities presented by the rising demand for critical minerals. The author argues for a 'just transition' that prioritizes social and developmental goals through economic diversification and improved governance to avoid the 'resource curse'.

This case study profiles Trinitan Green Energy Metals (TGEM), an Indonesian company utilizing Step Temperature Acid Leach (STAL) technology to produce high-purity nickel for the global electric vehicle (EV) battery industry. The document details TGEM's efforts to implement closed-loop refining ecosystems to reduce the environmental footprint of nickel production.

The policy brief argues that the 2020s represent a critical window for International Finance Institutions (IFIs) to prevent emerging economies—particularly India, Nigeria, Pakistan, and Indonesia—from locking in high-carbon steel capacity. It proposes five intervention areas: providing policy knowledge, facilitating green hydrogen roadmaps, de-risking first-mover investments (including SMEs), utilizing green procurement in IFI operations, and scaling scrap-based circular production to reach a target of 50% of global output.

This report details the 'From Waste to Traffic Fuel' (W-Fuel) project, which investigated the sustainable production of biogas and its upgrading to biomethane for use as transport fuel in two Estonian counties: Harju and Lääne-Viru. The study compared the environmental and economic impacts of using biogas for combined heat and power (CHP) versus upgrading it to vehicle fuel, while also proposing waste prevention strategies for biowaste and sludge.

This report presents the results of a composition study of mixed municipal waste, separately collected paper and packaging waste, and electronic waste in Estonia conducted between August 2012 and May 2013. The study aimed to analyze waste composition across different regions and settlement types to evaluate the effectiveness of collection systems and the awareness of the population.

This guide, produced by the Stockholm Environment Institute's Tallinn Centre and the Ministry of the Environment, provides comprehensive recommendations for reducing food waste and food loss in Estonian schools. It targets school caterers, canteen staff, teachers, students, and school administrations, offering practical strategies for procurement, meal preparation, and educational integration to minimize waste.

This policy brief examines the use of gypsum, an industrial by-product from phosphorus fertilizer extraction, as a soil amendment to reduce phosphorus run-off from agricultural fields into the Baltic Sea, specifically focusing on applications in Finland.

This briefing by the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) advocates for a transition from a linear 'take>make>waste' economy to a circular economy to address environmental degradation and resource depletion. It outlines the principles of circularity, the economic and environmental benefits of such a transition, and provides examples of corporate implementation and SEI's own related projects.

This briefing from the Stockholm Environment Institute outlines pathways for the global steel sector to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. It highlights the necessity of transitioning away from conventional blast furnaces by 2025 to avoid stranded assets and catastrophic climate impacts, emphasizing a mix of hydrogen-based direct reduced iron (HDRI), carbon capture and storage (CCS), and increased recycling. The document stresses the critical role of policy-makers in providing clean energy, creating lead markets, and fostering international cooperation, specifically mentioning the Glasgow Breakthrough on Steel.

This report, published by the Stockholm Environment Institute in May 2020, analyzes the flows of new and used clothing and textiles in Estonia. It maps consumption, collection systems, and waste management, highlighting Estonia's role as a significant importer and sorter of used textiles in Europe and the critical lack of domestic textile recycling capacity.

This market study, conducted in December 2020 by a consultant for the Unité de Coordination de la Gestion des déchets solides (UCG) under the Senegalese Ministry of Urbanism, Housing and Public Hygiene, analyzes the potential for organic waste valorization through composting in the Dakar and Thiès regions. The report identifies a significant market potential of approximately 426,503 agricultural producers, particularly in the Niayes zone, but notes that the sector is hindered by a total lack of local regulation, high production costs, and a strong preference for subsidized mineral fertilizers. It proposes a strategic action plan focusing on institutional regulation, financial incentives, and technical capacity building to transition from a linear to a circular economy.

The European Green Office (EGO) Handbook is a comprehensive guide developed by a consortium of European organisations, funded by the European Union, to help offices reduce their environmental impact. It provides a structured framework for implementing a 'light' Environmental Management System (EMS) based on the Plan-Do-Check-Act cycle, covering management principles, sustainable procurement, energy efficiency, resource consumption, waste management, sustainable mobility, and healthy work environments.

This guide, produced through a partnership between the Stockholm Environment Institute and the Vatican, outlines the interconnected ecological and social crises facing the planet. Inspired by Pope Francis's encyclical Laudato si’, the document identifies the fossil-fuel-driven economic system as the primary cause of global warming and biodiversity loss, while calling for urgent systemic changes in energy, agriculture, and consumption to protect the 'common home' and ensure social justice.

This technical annex, published by the Stockholm Environment Institute in November 2018, identifies research needs to support Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production) and a related target from SDG 8. Using a combination of literature reviews and an expert workshop, the report focuses on three key themes: cross-cutting issues, natural resource management, and food waste and loss, with a particular emphasis on the Swedish context while considering both developed and developing country perspectives.

This briefing describes UrbanCircle, an initiative by the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) designed to help urban centres transition from linear waste systems to a circular economy. The project focuses on converting organic waste—including sanitation wastewater, excreta, and food waste—into commercial products like fertilisers, biogas, and dry fuels to generate revenue and improve public health.

This report details a study tour conducted from November 12 to 16, 2012, in the Aguié department of the Maradi region in Niger. Organized by EAA and funded by the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) as part of the Triple Green project, the tour aimed to train a working group of government officials and researchers on 'productive sanitation' (AP). The mission focused on the use of hygienized human urine (Takin Ruwa) and feces (Takin Boushashé) as ecological fertilizers, visiting pilot sites in Gazaoua and Madaoua to observe application methods, yield comparisons, and community acceptance.

The 'Exercice Flux des Ressources (FdR): Guide de Mise en Oeuvre' is a practical guide published by the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) in November 2023. It describes a participatory mapping exercise designed to help rural households, specifically in Burkina Faso, recognize 'natural' household waste as valuable agricultural resources. The guide provides a step-by-step methodology for facilitators to map the flow of resources—from production and consumption to waste generation and management—to identify system weaknesses and explore sustainable valorization options.

This session brief summarizes a Think2030 Dialogue Sweden event held on 20 April 2023, which focused on the green industrial transition within the European Union. The discussion centered on the need to decouple economic growth from resource use, the limitations of current production-based models, and the policy interventions required to mobilize finance and innovation for heavy industry decarbonization.

This guide, a joint initiative by the Holy See and the Stockholm Environment Institute, provides a framework for environmental stewardship inspired by Pope Francis's encyclical 'Laudato si’'. It outlines the interconnected crises of climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution, arguing that these are rooted in excessive consumption and fossil-fuel-based economic models. The document calls for a fundamental transformation of societal behaviors and economies to ensure social justice and the survival of the planet.

This briefing note from the Forum on Trade, Environment, & the SDGs provides recommendations for integrating human health protections into the development of a global instrument to end plastic pollution, specifically referencing the draft text in NP3.