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SGR/AESR Response to the Consultation on the UK Climate Change Programme
AESR and SGR argue for more aggressive domestic emission reductions in the UK, specifically targeting the transport sector through higher fuel duties and a renewable transport fuels obligation. They advocate for redirecting military R&D funding toward sustainable energy, implementing mandatory energy-efficiency ratings for home sales, and expanding the Emissions Trading Scheme to non-energy intensive sectors. The response emphasizes the need for a highly trained workforce for micro-CHP installation and warns against ocean-based carbon storage due to environmental risks.
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Document type: Statement
The Negawatt Revolution: Electric Efficiency and Asian Development
The paper contrasts the 'business-as-usual' approach of Asian utilities, which focus on increasing electricity sales and capacity, with a model adopted by some U.S. utilities that prioritizes customer efficiency and renewable energy. The authors argue that investing in efficient technologies—such as compact-fluorescent lamps and 'superwindows'—is significantly cheaper than building power plants and is essential for sustainable economic development in Asia.
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Document type: Research paper
Urban trees, air quality and human health
The research paper examines how urban forests influence air quality and public health. It highlights that trees improve air quality by directly removing gaseous pollutants and particulate matter, and indirectly by reducing urban heat island effects and building energy demand. However, it notes that trees can also emit volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and pollen, and may trap pollutants near emission sources like roadways if not designed correctly. The paper concludes that while the overall effect is positive, local forest design is critical to maximize health benefits.
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Document type: Research paper
ceh_briefs_en-1e43171b1d54cbec.pdf
The document outlines twelve projects (SG-CEH-01 to SG-CEH-12) focused on the climate-environment-health nexus. Key research areas include the expansion of dengue and diarrheal diseases in Peru, Argentina, Colombia, and Cuba; the impact of extreme heat on older adults and urban populations in Mexico City, Buenos Aires, and Chile; and the effects of climate change on nutrition and agroecology in Bolivia and Uruguay. The projects emphasize the need for intersectoral coordination, community participation, and the integration of climate data into public health surveillance and urban planning to build resilience against climate-driven health risks.
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Document type: Policy brief
ENERGY MODELING AT EACH DESIGN PHASE: STRATEGIES TO MINIMIZE DESIGN ENERGY USE
The document outlines how energy modeling can be transformed from a late-stage accounting tool into a strategic design driver. It advocates for an integrated design process where modelers engage from the concept phase to influence fundamental decisions on building size, orientation, and passive loads. By utilizing 'theoretical minimum' energy models and Life Cycle Cost Analysis (LCCA), modelers can provide economic justifications for efficiency measures, potentially reducing both first costs and lifetime energy consumption.
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Document type: Research paper
Pre-Read for BEM Innovation Summit
The document analyzes the U.S. building energy modeling (BEM) sector, identifying a lack of credibility, fragmented software tools, and a shortage of skilled practitioners as primary barriers. It details the evolution of BEM from early computer programs to modern BIM integration and examines the role of market drivers like LEED and ASHRAE standards. The text proposes a collaborative roadmap to standardize methods, improve education, and enhance the accuracy of energy predictions to support low-energy building solutions.
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Document type: Report
Promoting Energy Efficient Lifestyles and Decision-Making
The report argues that technical and rational arguments for energy efficiency are insufficient on their own and should be paired with emotion-based narratives to drive systemic change. It highlights the 'Lifestyle for Environment' (LiFE) movement launched by India and provides a series of case studies from G20 nations—including India, the USA, Italy, Brazil, Mexico, Indonesia, and Japan—across the sectors of buildings, industry, and transport. These examples illustrate how leveraging feelings of pride, empowerment, and community responsibility can accelerate the adoption of energy-efficient technologies and behaviours.
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Document type: Report
China’s Sustainable Energy Future
The report analyzes three scenarios—Ordinary Effort, Promoting Sustainability, and Green Growth—to model China's energy demand and carbon emissions through 2020. It finds that while industry will remain the primary energy consumer, aggressive policies in energy efficiency, fuel switching to natural gas, and the expansion of renewables and nuclear power can significantly decouple GDP growth from energy consumption and carbon emissions. Specifically, the Green Growth scenario demonstrates that carbon emissions could increase by only 50% compared to more than doubling under a business-as-usual approach, provided there is substantial investment in clean energy infrastructure and rigorous enforcement of efficiency standards across the industrial, transportation, and building sectors.
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Document type: Executive summary
Unlocking the potential of climate solutions in the Baltics, Poland and Ukraine
The document identifies ten proven climate solutions that, if scaled up in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, and Ukraine, could reduce emissions by approximately 150 million tonnes by 2030 and save up to 1.2 billion euros.
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Document type: Fact sheet
What cities do best
The briefing identifies that city governments could reduce annual GHG emissions by up to 8 Gt CO2e by 2050 through coordinated action with national governments. It proposes a framework where cities lead in areas like spatial planning and transit (20% of potential), implement national standards in buildings (40%), and act as strategic partners for technology adoption like electric vehicles and solar PV (40%). The report emphasizes that national governments must remove financial, technical, and legal constraints to unlock this potential, providing specific examples of opportunities in China, the United States, and Brazil.
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Document type: Briefing
简报文件 5——能源效率
The document analyzes energy efficiency as a 'first fuel' for decarbonization, detailing the historical decline in energy intensity for both the US and China. It outlines specific national targets, such as China's goal to reduce energy intensity by 13.5% by 2025 and the US goal of net-zero emissions by 2050. Additionally, it reviews the history of US-China bilateral cooperation, including the Energy Efficiency Action Plan and the US-China Clean Energy Research Center, noting a recent agreement in November 2023 to restart the US-China Energy Efficiency Forum.
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Document type: Briefing