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High‐Performance Manufactured Housing
This policy brief from the Environmental and Energy Study Institute examines the potential for high-performance manufactured housing to provide sustainable, affordable housing in the United States. It highlights the energy inefficiency of older mobile homes, the advantages of factory-built construction, and recommends federal actions to update energy standards and improve financing options.
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Document type: Policy brief
Can “Green” Buildings have Negative Health Effects?
This RMI fact sheet responds to claims that "green" buildings could harm human health, clarifying that an Institute of Medicine report on climate change and indoor environments does not actually discuss "green" buildings, but rather focuses on the impact of tighter, energy-efficient building envelopes.
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Document type: Fact sheet
Jobs in Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency
This fact sheet from the Environmental and Energy Study Institute provides employment estimates for the United States energy efficiency and renewable energy sectors, detailing direct, indirect, and induced jobs across wind, solar, hydropower, geothermal, and biomass industries.
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Document type: Fact sheet
Jobs in Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency
This June 2011 fact sheet from the Environmental and Energy Study Institute provides estimates for employment in the United States energy efficiency and renewable energy sectors, drawing on data from government agencies and industry associations.
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Document type: Fact sheet
Applied Hope
Amory Lovins' 2011 commencement address at the University of California at Berkeley advocates for "applied hope," a pragmatic approach to solving global crises through systemic, scalable, and resource-efficient solutions. He envisions a future where fossil fuels and nuclear energy are replaced by distributed renewables and efficiency, leading to stabilized climates, reduced conflict, and a circular economy.
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Document type: Statement
Update from the Director
A statement from EESI Executive Director Carol Werner detailing the organization's role in providing non-partisan energy analysis amidst various environmental disasters and political challenges in the United States.
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Document type: Statement
Erfüllung der Ziele des Energiekonzepts für Wohngebäudesanierungen
This 2011 briefing by the Climate Policy Initiative (CPI) analyzes the economic feasibility and financial requirements for achieving the German government's energy concept goals for residential building renovations. The report focuses on the costs of comprehensive renovations, the subsidies needed to increase the renovation rate to 2%, and the resulting energy savings.
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Document type: Briefing
Getting to Zero: A Pathway to a Carbon Neutral Seattle
This report, prepared by the Stockholm Environment Institute and partners for the City of Seattle, develops a 'Carbon Neutral' scenario to demonstrate a pathway for the city to achieve net zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2050. The analysis focuses on 'core' emissions—buildings, transportation, and waste—where the city has the most direct policy influence. The scenario suggests that aggressive implementation of efficiency and fuel-switching strategies could reduce per capita GHG emissions by 90% by 2050 relative to 2008 levels.
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Document type: Report
Sustainable public procurement assessment in Vietnam: A reference to the timber industry
The International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) conducted an assessment of sustainable public procurement (SPP) preparedness in Vietnam, focusing on the timber industry as a potential entry point for implementation.
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Document type: Report
Learning from Japan’s nuclear disaster
A statement by Amory B. Lovins of the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) arguing that the Fukushima nuclear disaster demonstrates the inherent dangers and economic obsolescence of nuclear power. Lovins contends that nuclear energy is uniquely risky, costly, and slow to deploy compared to renewable energy, cogeneration, and efficiency measures, which he presents as superior alternatives for climate protection.
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Document type: Statement
Review of Low Carbon Development in China: 2010 Report
The 2010 report by the Climate Policy Initiative reviews China's progress during its 11th Five-Year Plan (FYP), which aimed to reduce energy intensity by 20%. The study finds that China was on track to meet this target, with energy intensity decreasing by 15.6% by the end of 2009. While significant gains were made in the power and industrial sectors through plant closures and technology upgrades, the building and transport sectors saw energy use increase due to urbanization and economic growth. The report notes that many policies were top-down administrative measures that may not be cost-effective for future goals, as much of the 'low-hanging fruit' for efficiency gains has already been utilized.
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Document type: Report
Obama Administration FY 2012 Budget Proposal
This fact sheet by the Environmental and Energy Study Institute details the Obama administration's fiscal year (FY) 2012 budget proposal, focusing on investments in clean technology, energy efficiency, and transportation infrastructure to drive economic growth and climate protection.
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Document type: Fact sheet
Global Ecology Center at Stanford University
This case study describes the design and performance of the Global Ecology Center (GEC) at Stanford University, an 11,000-square-foot laboratory facility. Using the '10xE' integrative design approach by Factor Ten Engineering, the project achieved significant energy and resource savings through passive design, innovative cooling systems, and strategic spatial planning, resulting in a building with nearly half the operating costs of a comparable existing facility.
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Document type: Case study
The Water-Energy Nexus in the Western States: Projections to 2100
This report by the Stockholm Environment Institute and Synapse Energy Economics models the water-energy nexus in the eleven-state Western Electric Coordinating Council (WECC) through 2100. It examines how different electricity generation pathways—ranging from business-as-usual to aggressive carbon and water reductions—impact water consumption, greenhouse gas emissions, and system costs. The analysis concludes that while power plants require water, their total consumption is significantly lower than agricultural and urban use, suggesting the water-energy nexus is a secondary driver of regional water stress compared to other sectors.
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Document type: Report
Carbon Pricing Project - CPI
This executive summary outlines a joint study by the Climate Policy Initiative (CPI) and Climate Strategies regarding the effectiveness of the EU ETS in driving low-carbon investment. It identifies that while the EU ETS provides a foundation for investment, its impact is hindered by the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), current International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), and short corporate payback expectations, suggesting a need for increased stringency and complementary policies.
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Document type: Executive summary
Reinventing Fire
This document is a technical guide and methodology supplement for the book 'Reinventing Fire', published by the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI). It outlines a roadmap for transitioning the United States energy system from oil and coal to efficiency and renewables by 2050, emphasizing a business-led, profit-driven approach that avoids reliance on new inventions or legislative acts.
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Document type: Guide
Sustainable Transport Perspectives for Estonia
This 2011 policy brief by the Stockholm Environment Institute evaluates transport and mobility trends in Estonia, concluding that current trends are unsustainable due to rising private car use and road freight. The document analyzes three development scenarios (BASE, TECHNO, and EFFECT) to meet EU greenhouse gas (GHG) emission limits by 2020 and provides recommendations for land use planning, financial measures, and mobility management to transition toward a more sustainable transport system.
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Document type: Policy brief
2011 Greenhouse Gas Inventory and Sustainability Report
The World Resources Institute's (WRI) 2011 Greenhouse Gas Inventory and Sustainability Report details an 18 percent increase in GHG emissions for fiscal year 2011 (October 2010 to September 2011) compared to 2010, driven by organizational growth. To address this, WRI has established absolute reduction targets for 2020 and a three-part plan focusing on reducing existing emissions, avoiding future emissions during growth, and improving data collection through primary sources and sub-metering.
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Document type: Report
EPA, Clean Air Act, and U.S. Manufacturing
This WRI fact sheet argues that EPA regulations of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions under the Clean Air Act (CAA) will likely drive energy efficiency investments and improve the competitiveness of U.S. manufacturers rather than harming them. It contends that the costs of environmental compliance are relatively low compared to other business expenses and that the initial rollout of GHG rules will affect only a small fraction of facilities.
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Document type: Fact sheet
University Data Centres: Policy and business case for reducing greenhouse gas emissions
This report evaluates the feasibility of reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from university data centres in Canada by analyzing three relocation or modification scenarios and proposing a 'green community cloud' alternative. The study focuses on three institutions: Dalhousie University, the University of Ottawa, and the University of Alberta.
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Document type: Report