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Climate Change Toolkit for Health Professionals
The Climate Change Toolkit for Health Professionals, published by the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (CAPE), is a comprehensive guide designed to empower healthcare workers to act as educators and advocates. It details the science of anthropogenic climate change, the disproportionate health risks faced by vulnerable populations, and the specific regional vulnerabilities across Canada. The document emphasizes 'health co-benefits'—the immediate health improvements resulting from climate mitigation, such as reduced air pollution from phasing out coal and improved cardiovascular health through active transportation. It provides a framework for health care facilities to assess their own climate resiliency and reduce their carbon footprints, while offering strategies for health professionals to engage patients, peers, and policymakers in the transition to a low-carbon economy.
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Document type: Guide
Climate Change Toolkit for Health Professionals
The report argues that transitioning away from fossil fuels through carbon pricing, energy efficiency, active transportation, and plant-based diets can simultaneously reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve public health outcomes. It highlights that in Canada, air pollution from fossil fuels causes 14,400 premature deaths annually, and that shifting to low-carbon energy and urban design can significantly reduce chronic diseases and healthcare costs.
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Document type: Report
LIFE AFTER COAL FACT SHEET AND TECHNICAL REPORT ON THE MYTH OF “CLEAN COAL”
The Centre for Environmental Rights asserts that "clean coal" technology is a misnomer used by vested interests to sustain the coal industry despite its severe environmental and health impacts. The letter argues that coal-fired power is unsustainable and that South Africa must transition to wind and solar power to meet global climate targets and avoid stranding its workforce.
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Document type: Statement
treatment-of-electricity-in-the-obps-march-6-2019-3831d4c78a6f8744.pdf
The Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment and other partners urge the Canadian government to tighten electricity standards within the Output-Based Pricing System (OBPS). They argue that the proposed standards for coal and natural gas are too lenient, effectively subsidizing the coal industry and undermining Canada's commitment to the Powering Past Coal Alliance. The authors propose a standard of 370 t of CO2e/GWh for existing facilities and 0 for new ones, suggesting that the Climate Action Incentive be increased to protect consumers from potential price increases resulting from more stringent standards.
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Document type: Statement
Boom and Bust 2019
The report finds that most indicators of global coal power growth declined in 2018, with significant drops in new construction starts and permits in China and India. While global retirements reached near-record levels, led by the US, China remains a major exception by resuming construction on previously shelved plants and proposing a high coal power cap for 2030. The document argues that current operating coal plants already exceed the limits necessary to meet IPCC global warming targets of 1.5°C or 2°C.
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Document type: Report
Successfully Shaping the Clean Energy Transition
The briefing outlines the transformational shifts in the US energy landscape as of 2018, highlighting the move toward 100 percent clean energy goals by states and utilities. It identifies six critical areas requiring urgent attention: the revision of grid and resource planning to accommodate new technologies, the reform of utility business models, the integration of beneficial electrification for heating and cooling, the proper valuation of distributed energy resources (DERs), the assurance of equity for low- and moderate-income customers, and the financial management of uneconomic fossil fuel assets, particularly coal.
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Document type: Briefing
Deutschland: Annullierung von Emissionslizenzen und Kohleausstieg müssen Hand in Hand gehen
The document assesses the German Coal Commission's plan to be coal-free by 2038, noting that while it avoids up to 1.8 GtCO2e of emissions, it is insufficient to meet the 2°C target. It emphasizes that the EU-ETS is a vital but insufficient tool on its own, and warns of a "waterbed effect" where allowances from closed German plants are used by other EU entities unless they are explicitly cancelled. The author advocates for a "just transition" where public funds support affected workers and communities rather than compensating private shareholders of utility companies like RWE.
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Document type: Statement
Germany: emission permit cancellation and coal phase-out must go hand in hand
The German coal commission's plan to be coal-free by 2038 aims to avoid up to 1.8GtCO2e of emissions compared to a business-as-usual scenario. However, the author contends that the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) alone is insufficient to force a phase-out and warns that closing plants without cancelling permits allows other polluters to use them, known as the 'waterbed effect'. The document advocates for using public funds to support workers and communities in a Just Transition rather than compensating private shareholders of utilities like RWE.
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Document type: Statement
Principles for aligning U.S. fossil fuel extraction with climate limits
The document argues that the United States, as a top fossil fuel producer with a resilient economy, must phase out extraction faster than the global average to meet Paris Agreement goals. It introduces three principles: reducing production at a pace consistent with climate protection, accelerating phase-outs in economically resilient communities, and safeguarding human rights and the environment. The authors apply these principles to U.S. coal and onshore oil, identifying the Appalachian Basin and California's San Joaquin basin as high-priority areas for rapid wind-down due to high carbon intensity, lower relative economic dependence, and significant environmental or social harms.
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Document type: Research paper
Realizing the Promise of Paris: Roadmap to a Safer Climate
The policy brief identifies 24 key actions to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, noting that implementing 19 specific 'On Track' and 'Scale Up' actions can align the world with a pathway to hold warming below 2°C. Full implementation of all 24 actions, including five 'Need Focus' aggressive measures, could reduce annual global emissions by 19 gigatonnes per year by 2030.
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Document type: Policy brief
Consultation response: Proposals for technical amendments to the Capacity Market
ClientEarth criticizes the UK government's proposal to continue operating parts of the Capacity Market (CM) during a European Commission (EC) State aid investigation. The organization argues that the government has not provided sufficient information on the legal and commercial risks if the EC rejects the scheme. ClientEarth highlights evidence from Ofgem suggesting that the UK's security of supply has been maintained at a higher cost to consumers than necessary due to overestimated capacity gaps. The response calls for a fundamental reassessment of whether the CM is still justified, urging a transition toward a technology-neutral, low-carbon energy system that prioritizes demand-side response and storage over long-term contracts for conventional generators.
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Document type: Statement
IMPLEMENTING JUST TRANSITION AFTER COP24
The document argues that for climate transitions to be successful and socially acceptable, they must be both fast and fair. It emphasizes that Just Transition should be integrated into NDCs and national planning through participatory social dialogue and multi-scalar action. The brief highlights the importance of the Silesia Declaration and the role of the ILO in providing frameworks for decent work. It specifically identifies the Central and Eastern European (CEE) region as requiring greater support due to high fossil fuel dependence. Key recommendations include pre-emptive planning, skills development, and the use of targeted social protection tools like pension guarantees and retraining. The author calls for more empirical research, including quantitative evidence of net job gains, to inform decision-makers.
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Document type: Policy brief
Halfway There – Sandbag March 2019
The report finds that currently agreed EU and Member State policies are on track to deliver a 50% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 compared to 1990 levels, surpassing the existing 40% target. Using the E3ME model, the analysis suggests that further adjustments to coal phase-outs, energy efficiency, and electric vehicle penetration could increase this reduction to 58%. However, the report warns that the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS) remains vulnerable to a growing surplus of allowances as emissions fall faster than the current cap, necessitating reforms such as a one-off cap reset in 2026 to maintain a meaningful carbon price.
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Document type: Report
Real People, Real Change
The report argues that early action on just energy transitions can minimize negative impacts on workers and communities while maximizing opportunities in low-carbon sectors. It outlines a 'How-To' framework consisting of four key stages: understanding the political economy context, identifying champions, making the case through inclusive communication, and implementing complementary policies such as retraining and economic diversification. The document emphasizes that a just transition is not a fixed set of rules but a negotiated process based on social dialogue and tripartism. Through case studies, it demonstrates various approaches: Canada's use of a high-level Task Force, Egypt and Indonesia's reallocation of fossil fuel subsidies into social and infrastructure programs, and Poland's use of 'golden handshakes' and regional support for mining communes. It concludes that overcoming 'carbon lock-in' requires transparent communication, tangible short-term benefits, and the mobilization of dedicated funding from sources like energy taxes or subsidy reforms.
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Document type: Report
REQUEST FOR UPDATE ON AND PRIORITISATION OF THE CLIMATE CHANGE BILL, 2018
The Centre for Environmental Rights, representing the Life After Coal/Impilo Ngaphandle Kwamalahle Campaign, is urging the South African government to prioritise the promulgation of the Climate Change Bill, 2018. The authors argue that delaying climate legislation is unacceptable given South Africa's extreme vulnerability to climate change and the urgent need for 'rapid and far-reaching' transitions to limit global warming to 1.5°C. They assert that the state has a Constitutional obligation to protect the environment and prevent pollution, citing the Dutch Urgenda case as a legal precedent for the state's duty to pursue ambitious greenhouse gas emission reduction plans.
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Document type: Statement
Last Gasp
The report finds that ten companies were responsible for an estimated two-thirds of the health damage caused by EU coal power plants in 2016, including 7,600 premature deaths. RWE is identified as the most harmful company, with health costs of €5.4 billion in 2016. The analysis highlights that for many companies, the health costs imposed on society are similar in magnitude to the revenues they earn from selling coal-fired electricity. The report argues that companies are 'clinging to coal' through lack of retirement plans, continued investment in old plants, and lobbying for subsidies, and recommends a full phase-out of coal by 2030.
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Document type: Report
PUBLIC PARTICIPATION IN RESPECT OF THE DRAFT INTEGRATED RESOURCE PLAN FOR ELECTRICITY 2018
The Centre for Environmental Rights (CER), representing several environmental and community organisations, sent a letter to the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (NERSA) on 19 November 2018. The letter demands that NERSA conduct a formal public participation process regarding the draft Integrated Resource Plan for Electricity 2018 (draft IRP 2018), arguing that NERSA is legally required to do so before concurring with the Minister of Energy.
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Document type: Statement
The G20 transition to a low-carbon economy
The report finds that G20 countries are not on track to meet Paris Agreement goals, with energy-related CO2 emissions increasing again in 2017 and 82% of energy supply still coming from fossil fuels. It highlights significant gaps in sectoral actions—particularly in power, transport, and industry—and notes that fossil fuel subsidies in the G20 nearly doubled between 2007 and 2016. While some countries are implementing 'just transition' initiatives for workers, others lack dialogue or action.
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Document type: Report
Consultation response: Capacity Market Review – Call for Evidence 1
ClientEarth argues that the UK's Capacity Market (CM) may be over-procuring capacity and risks subsidising fossil fuels, thereby undermining the coal phase-out and the Paris Agreement. The organisation recommends making Emissions Performance Standard (EPS) and LCP BREF compliance mandatory for CM entry, removing very long-term contracts to prevent fossil-fuel lock-in, and reducing financial barriers for demand-side response (DSR) and storage. It further suggests introducing a specific 'climate and competition' objective for the CM and reforming the cost-recovery methodology to provide sharper price signals for DSR. ClientEarth also calls for an independent resource adequacy assessment that accounts for the growth of distributed energy resources and interconnection.
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Document type: Statement
Soot to Solar
The Fisk Generating Station in Chicago closed in 2012 following community activism. While the city has proposed a bus garage or park, the Union of Concerned Scientists suggests the site could support a 9 megawatt solar farm and a 10 megawatt storage facility, leveraging the Future Energy Jobs Act and brownfield incentives to create local jobs.
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Document type: Fact sheet