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This research paper proposes 'transition compacts'—negotiated, sector-specific packages bundling trade disciplines, investment, technology transfer, and transition timelines—as a more equitable alternative to the current patchwork of unilateral green industrial policies and carbon border adjustments. The author argues that existing frameworks, including the WTO and Just Energy Transition Partnerships (JETPs), suffer from structural flaws or a lack of binding equity provisions, whereas transition compacts would link market access to verified emissions performance and binding support for developing nations.

This research paper, prepared for the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality by the Stockholm Environment Institute, discusses the rationale and methodology for setting consumption-based greenhouse gas emission reduction goals. It argues that supplementing Oregon's existing sector-based targets with consumption-based goals would provide a more comprehensive and equitable approach to climate mitigation by accounting for the full carbon footprint of goods and services consumed within the state.

This report by RMI discusses the challenges of decarbonizing existing buildings and outlines efforts in Massachusetts to create a viable regional market for equitable energy retrofits, specifically focusing on affordable housing and 'lighthouse projects' to serve as scalable models.

This report analyzes the potential impacts of border carbon adjustment (BCA) schemes, specifically the EU's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), on Brazil. Based on research and stakeholder dialogues, it identifies challenges regarding export competitiveness, compliance costs, and the need for international collaboration to balance climate goals with economic equity.

This document provides a collection of case studies and resources intended to help State Energy Offices (SEOs) design and implement home energy rebate programs under the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). It highlights specific tools, frameworks, and programs that address equity, workforce development, consumer education, and supply chain coordination to optimize residential energy retrofits and electrification.

This policy brief from the Stockholm Environment Institute examines the equity implications of emerging 'anti-fossil fuel norms' in international climate governance. It argues that while simple moral norms—such as phasing out coal, oil, gas, and subsidies—are effective for political mobilization, they often overlook the distributional impacts on marginalized communities and low-income countries in the Global South. The authors recommend using 'norm clusters' that pair phase-out goals with financial support, technology transfer, and a recognition of the different capacities of the Global North and Global South to transition.

This executive summary outlines research by the Tyndall Centre at The University of Manchester on phaseout pathways for oil and gas production to align with Paris-compliant carbon budgets and the 1.5°C goal.

This guide by RMI provides strategic advice for municipalities to renegotiate franchise agreements with electric and gas utilities to advance climate, equity, and resilience goals. It emphasizes moving beyond narrow legal scopes to incorporate specific climate actions, equitable funding, and infrastructure resilience, while highlighting the importance of overcoming informational asymmetries during negotiations.

This policy brief argues that U.S. economic recovery efforts following COVID-19 must prioritize low-carbon investments and a 'fair transition' for fossil fuel workers to avoid locking in polluting infrastructure and to mitigate the economic disruption caused by decarbonization and automation.

Sivan Kartha, a Senior Scientist at the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI), argues that an equitable approach to the energy transition is the only practical way to address the climate crisis. Speaking at COP25, Kartha warns that a 5-degree Celsius increase in global temperature would represent an existential risk to humanity, comparable in scale to the transition out of the last Ice Age, and emphasizes that wealthy nations must lead in reducing emissions and supporting less privileged populations to achieve global net-zero emissions.

In a transcribed set of remarks delivered at COP25, SEI Senior Scientist Sivan Kartha argues that the only practical and fair way to achieve global zero emissions is for the world's most privileged populations to eliminate their own emissions and provide financial and technological support to less privileged populations.

This commentary by the World Resources Institute argues that climate action is only politically viable if it is 'people-centered,' meaning it purposefully unlocks social and economic benefits, targets them to enhance equity, and ensures a just transition for workers and vulnerable communities. The document provides evidence that bold climate action can deliver significant global economic gains, job creation, and public health improvements while mitigating the disproportionate impacts of climate change on the poor.

This report by the NewClimate Institute assesses the potential for seven specific countries to increase their greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets to align with the Paris Agreement's goals of limiting global warming to well below 2°C and pursuing 1.5°C.

This research paper proposes principles and a framework for the equitable distribution of costs during the decarbonization transition and provides guidance on prioritizing the remaining extraction of fossil resources.

This synthesis note summarizes a September 2014 practitioners' workshop focused on the design, reporting, and evaluation of Intended Nationally Determined Mitigation Contributions (INDCs) for the post-2020 climate agreement. The discussions centered on aligning national pledges with global temperature targets, integrating equity and effort-sharing, and establishing transparency standards for reporting.

The CAIT Equity Explorer is an online visualization tool designed to inform UNFCCC climate negotiations by allowing users to compare countries across various climate equity indicators, such as emissions and vulnerability, using radar and column charts.

This report by the Stockholm Environment Institute examines the relationship between economic development in low-income countries and global greenhouse gas emissions budgets. It argues that many climate-economics models rely on overly pessimistic growth projections for the poorest nations, which inadvertently weakens the urgency for high-income countries to reduce their own emissions. The author proposes three scenarios—Without Development, Development with Carbon, and Development without Carbon—to demonstrate how rapid economic growth in the developing world, if not coupled with strong decarbonization policies and funding from rich nations, could lead to a failure of global climate targets.

This policy brief introduces the Climate Impact Equity Lens (CIEL), a tool developed by the Stockholm Environment Institute to analyze climate change impacts on individuals rather than relying on aggregate regional or global economic models. CIEL identifies 'winners' and 'losers' by comparing the costs of climate damages against the savings gained from not investing in emission reductions. The brief argues that while many currently benefit from inaction, the majority of the global population will suffer net losses by 2100, and almost everyone will be a net loser by 2150, necessitating more stringent and fair climate policies to protect the most vulnerable.

This policy brief by the Stockholm Environment Institute compares greenhouse gas mitigation pledges made by developed (Annex 1) and developing (non-Annex 1) countries under the Copenhagen Accord and Cancún Agreements. By analyzing four detailed studies, the brief concludes that developing countries have pledged more absolute mitigation than developed countries, yet global pledges remain insufficient to limit warming to 2°C.

This research paper examines the relationship between greenhouse gas emissions and human well-being, using China as a primary case study. It analyzes how income per capita, energy production mixes, and geography correlate with CO2 emissions across 174 countries and 30 Chinese provinces, arguing that current high-consumption lifestyles in rich countries are incompatible with low-emission stabilization targets.