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318 results
Watershed Level Baseline Assessment in the Nariarlé Watershed, Volta Basin, Burkina Faso
The assessment identifies four primary livelihood strategies in the Nariarlé watershed: rainfed agriculture, irrigated gardening, pastoralism, and fishing. Rainfed agriculture is the most dominant activity, covering 60-70% of the watershed, but suffers from low yields and high climatic risk. Irrigated gardening provides higher financial returns, with up to 90% of harvests sold, though it faces challenges from dam siltation and pesticide pollution. Pastoralism serves as a critical financial safety net, though grazing lands are being reduced by the expansion of Ouagadougou and agri-business. Fishing is a minor activity involving less than 3% of the population, threatened by invasive plants and non-compliant fishing nets.
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Document type: Report
SEI Strategy 2010 - 2014
The SEI Strategy 2010-2014 establishes a framework for the institute to act as a leading provider of systems understanding and policy solutions for sustainable development. The strategy reorganizes research into four multidisciplinary themes: managing environmental systems, reducing climate risk, transforming governance, and rethinking development. SEI aims to increase its institutional core funding to 40% by 2014 to enhance strategic flexibility and independence. The institute leverages a distributed structure of research centres across Africa, Asia, Europe, and the USA to link global expertise with local implementation, specifically targeting the needs of poor regions and the development of leadership capacities in the South.
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Document type: Report
Question Five: How Can Information for Adaptation Decision Making Be Collected and Disseminated?
The document establishes a framework for exploring how climate risk and vulnerability information can be effectively gathered and shared. It emphasizes that the mere existence of data is insufficient; information must be translated into usable formats and distributed through systems that connect national and local levels. The briefing identifies the need for long-term political will, community buy-in, and innovative distribution methods—such as cell phone text messages for rural areas—to ensure that data reaches the most vulnerable populations and decision-makers.
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Document type: Briefing
Question Six: What Types of Information Are Needed for Adaptation Decision Making?
The document argues that effective climate change adaptation requires accurate data on climate risks, population vulnerability, and adaptation options. It categorizes information needs into three frameworks: responsive policymaking for sudden disasters (e.g., flooding in Pakistan), proactive planning for long-term threats (e.g., sea level rise in West African coastal cities), and robust planning for uncertain outcomes (e.g., glacier melt in Europe). The briefing seeks to determine what specific information sets, including non-climatic data, are sufficient to advance interventions and which stakeholders should define these needs.
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Document type: Briefing
Climate Risk Impacts and Adaptation in Southern Africa
The report details a seminar on climate risk in Southern Africa, highlighting the vulnerability of agriculture, water, and health sectors. It emphasizes that while the region is least responsible for emissions, it is highly susceptible to climate-induced instability due to weak governance and reliance on rain-fed agriculture. Proposed solutions include multi-sectoral adaptation strategies, improved urban management, and strengthening governance capacities across the SADC region and the broader African continent.
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Document type: Report
Local Clean Power: GEORGIA
The document identifies that Georgia has the potential to generate an additional 49,451 GWh of electricity from renewable resources by 2025, which would represent approximately 40 percent of current electricity sales. It highlights biomass as the largest potential source of renewable power and recommends the establishment of a renewable electricity standard (RES) with a target of 25 percent by 2025, alongside financial incentives and grid infrastructure improvements.
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Document type: Fact sheet
Portfolio screening: support mainstreaming adaptation to climate change in development assistance
The document evaluates the initial efforts of at least six development agencies to screen their project portfolios for climate risks and vulnerabilities. It argues that while agencies recognize climate change as a threat, they often overlook how development patterns influence vulnerability. The paper advocates for a comprehensive approach to integrating adaptation into sectoral decision-making and provides guidance for systematic portfolio screening.
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Document type: Research paper
Report of the IAI Directorate
The IAI Directorate report for 2006-2007 outlines the institute's efforts to integrate global change science with policy, specifically focusing on land-use change in the La Plata Basin and the impacts of biofuels. The report highlights the implementation of Collaborative Research Networks (CRN I and II), the success of Training Institute Seed Grants (TISG) in fostering multidisciplinary networks across 19 countries, and new strategic partnerships with organizations like IDRC, NCAR, and the Asia-Pacific Network. It also details capacity-building efforts through summer schools and internships, and fundraising initiatives targeting the MacArthur Foundation for biodiversity research in the Andes.
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Document type: Report
The Energy Challenge: A New Agenda for Corporate Real Estate
The report identifies a significant gap between the perceived importance of energy efficiency and the actual implementation of management structures in corporate real estate. While executives view sustainability as a priority, fewer than half of surveyed companies have formal energy policies or quantitative targets. The document argues that most barriers are perceived and can be overcome through integrated design, senior leadership, and the adoption of comprehensive energy management systems. It highlights that 'low-hanging fruit'—such as retro-commissioning and schedule adjustments—are often overlooked in favor of more expensive system replacements. Through case studies of companies like Adobe, Toyota, and ABN AMRO, the report demonstrates that integrated solutions and real-time data tracking can lead to substantial cost savings and carbon reductions. It concludes with action plans for corporate stakeholders and service providers, urging the adoption of the 2030 Challenge targets to achieve carbon neutrality in the building sector.
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Document type: Report
DEBT RESTRUCTURING UNDER THE G20 COMMON FRAMEWORK AND ALTERNATIVE POLICY SOLUTIONS
The document critiques the G20 Common Framework and prior initiatives like HIPC, MDRI, and DSSI, claiming they provide minimal relief while encouraging new borrowing. It highlights the negative impact of credit rating agency biases and the lack of private creditor participation. The authors propose a shift toward an African-led financial system, including a gold-backed currency called the African Financial Asset (AfA), and call for unconditional debt cancellation.
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Document type: Research paper
Towards a Decolonial African Feminist Theory of Debt and the Climate Crisis
The paper argues that the current international financial architecture and neoliberal debt sustainability frameworks ignore gender and ecological dimensions, disproportionately burdening women and nature in Sub-Saharan Africa. It proposes a decolonial African feminist approach based on six principles—epistemic liberation, historicity, specificity, intersectionality, dignity, and justice—to shift the focus from capital-centric growth to social and ecological reproduction.
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Document type: Research paper
DivestInvest for Health
The document argues that continued investment in fossil fuels contradicts the medical commitment to 'do no harm' and provides a five-step process for health organizations to transition their assets. It highlights the financial risk of 'stranded' carbon reserves and the economic opportunity of renewable energy, citing the fossil fuel sector as the worst performing in the S&P500 since 2007. The guide recommends using the Carbon Underground 200 to identify divestment targets and suggests reinvesting at least 5% of portfolios into climate solutions.
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Document type: Guide
Locally-Led Adaptation: From risk to resilience, a story from Ghana's Upper West Region
Communities in Ghana's Upper West Region are implementing locally-led adaptation strategies, such as dry season gardening and the use of Zai pits, to combat inconsistent rainfall and food insecurity. While facing financial constraints and gender disparities in information access, these communities leverage local leadership, by-laws, and community radio to enhance their adaptive capacity.
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Document type: Case study
Alto Maipo: A Fight for Justice, A Legacy of Harm
The Alto Maipo Hydroelectric Project in Chile, funded by the IFC, IDB, and OPIC, resulted in severe environmental degradation and human rights violations, including threats to the water security of millions in Santiago. Despite these harms, the project's financiers used procedural loopholes and premature divestments to avoid accountability. However, strategic campaigns by Chilean activists and CIEL leveraged Independent Accountability Mechanisms (IAMs) to force institutional changes, resulting in the repeal of the IDB's legal exclusion clause and the creation of the IFC's Remedial Action Framework and Responsible Exit Approach.
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Document type: Case study
FAQS ABOUT THE CLIMATE RISK ASSESSMENT LETTER
The Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) has developed a Climate Risk Assessment Letter to help pension fund beneficiaries engage trustees on the management of climate-related financial risks. The guide argues that failing to monitor these risks—which include regulatory, technology, and litigation risks—may constitute a breach of fiduciary duty. It highlights that global financial institutions and some national funds, such as those in Norway and Ireland, are already reassessing or divesting from fossil fuel assets to protect long-term returns.
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Document type: Guide
To the shareholders of Interpublic Group and Omnicom Inc.
Clean Creatives warns shareholders of Interpublic Group and Omnicom that their proposed merger consolidates significant risks linked to fossil fuel clients, including legal liabilities, reputational damage, and future revenue losses as energy markets transition.
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Document type: Statement
Sustainable Finance Policies for 1.5°C
The report argues that a rapid transition to a 1.5°C pathway is more economically beneficial than a slow one, as renewable energy costs are now lower than fossil fuels. It proposes three policy pillars—speed, steering, and simplification—to mobilize private capital and align economic development with climate goals. Key recommendations include establishing national carbon budgets, mandating transition plan disclosures, reforming carbon pricing, and utilizing blended finance and guarantees to reduce risks for investors, particularly in emerging markets.
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Document type: Report
market-standards-on-climate-related-risk-by-asset-owners-clientearth-sustineri-coll-en-18b7fa4993ead56b.pdf
The report finds that climate risk is increasingly viewed as a material financial risk rather than a niche ethical concern, driving asset owners to improve governance and risk management. While 67% of the sampled asset owners have divestment policies and many are adopting TCFD-aligned reporting, there is a significant gap between public and private sector disclosure. Most asset owners focus on long-term risks and equity portfolios, with limited progress in quantifying risks or performing scenario analysis across all asset classes.
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Document type: Report
DUE NORTH: Facing the costs of climate change for Northern infrastructure
Northern Canada is warming three times faster than the global average, exacerbating a pre-existing infrastructure gap. Permafrost thaw, extreme weather, and sea level rise threaten runways, roads, and building foundations. The report argues that while early investments can reduce costs, incremental repairs are insufficient; transformative adaptations and a commitment to Indigenous self-determination are required to build resilient infrastructure.
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Document type: Executive summary
Accelerating Adaptation Finance – Africa and Global Perspectives
The document highlights a severe shortfall in adaptation finance for Africa, where annual flows of USD 11.4 billion (2019-2020) fall far short of an estimated need of at least USD 52.7 billion. It warns that missing these investments could result in USD 6 trillion in foregone economic benefits by 2035. The brief notes that 53% of adaptation finance to Africa is debt-based, increasing the burden on vulnerable nations. It also identifies significant data gaps in tracking and a lack of ambitious, specific adaptation targets among public financial institutions, calling for a 'north star' goal for adaptation to mobilize private and public capital.
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Document type: Policy brief