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Renegotiation of NAFTA: An opportunity for sustainable development / La renegociación del TLCAN: una oportunidad para el desarrollo sostenible
The author contends that NAFTA's original framework treated environmental and labour issues as parallel agreements rather than integral components. While Mexico developed robust environmental legislation and institutions like the Secretariat of Environment and Natural Resources following NAFTA, economic growth has still led to environmental degradation costing 7% of Mexico's annual GDP. The author highlights the investor-state dispute mechanism in Chapter 11 as a critical area for reform, noting it has been used to challenge environmental regulations as de facto expropriations, resulting in $170 million in claims against Canada and $240 million against Mexico. The document suggests that the renegotiation should align the treaty with the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals and empower the Commission for Environmental Cooperation to lead a regional environmental agenda.
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Document type: Statement
sei_vanguard_letter_apr26_scan-d4f66909dd427c7a.pdf
The Stockholm Environment Institute U.S. has called on Vanguard to move away from a passive approach to shareholder voting regarding climate risk. The letter argues that the transition to a low-carbon economy, consistent with a 2 degrees C warming limit, poses material risks to the business models of fossil fuel companies like Exxon Mobil, Chevron, and ConocoPhillips. It highlights that these companies are not systematically disclosing such risks, which could lead to stranded assets and market volatility. Consequently, the institute requests that Vanguard require its invested companies to provide annual disclosures on climate and transition risks.
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Document type: Statement
10 key signs of climate change
The document outlines twelve key signs of climate change, including rising global, ocean, and soil temperatures, increasing ocean acidity, and rising sea levels. It attributes these phenomena to the buildup of heat-trapping gases caused by the burning of fossil fuels and the destruction of tropical forests. The text highlights specific regional impacts, such as the rapid warming of the Gulf of Maine and the thawing of permafrost in the Arctic, and notes the resulting increase in extreme weather events and shifts in species ranges.
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Document type: Fact sheet
We accuse! BNP Paribas is the one that belongs in the dock
Friends of the Earth International and over 150 organizations condemn BNP Paribas for financing fossil fuels and facilitating tax evasion. The statement specifically opposes the legal action taken by the bank against activist Florent Compain for a non-violent protest in 2015. The document argues that the bank's financial activities exacerbate the climate crisis and violate human rights, calling for the redirection of funds from tax havens toward an ecological and social transition.
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Document type: Statement
Still a long way to go - Energy security and green growth in Indonesia
The document argues that Indonesia's current energy trajectory is unsustainable due to rapidly growing demand and increasing greenhouse gas emissions, while structural political challenges impede the adoption of green growth solutions.
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Document type: Policy brief
Energy security as positive force for green growth in Indonesia?
The report identifies that Indonesia's energy security is deteriorating while investments remain focused on fossil fuels. It argues that green growth opportunities are underutilised due to structural political challenges, including policy inconsistency caused by proportional democracy and internal pressure to exploit domestic fossil resources. The authors suggest that win-win outcomes for energy security and green growth are more likely as clean technology costs decrease and government reforms improve the environment for climate-compatible investments.
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Document type: Report
Commodity prices and investment prospects for African countries in a brave new world
The paper argues that African countries should pivot away from fossil fuels and nuclear energy toward minerals and metals essential for the Fourth Industrial Revolution, such as copper and platinum. It highlights a decline in mineral exploration in Africa, particularly South Africa, and warns against the 'resource curse' associated with oil wealth. The author contends that the falling cost of renewables and the rise of smart technologies make fossil fuel investments risky, urging African policymakers to align industrial policies with the demand for green energy minerals to avoid premature de-industrialisation.
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Document type: Research paper
DEVELOPMENT TRENDS REPORT FOR SOUTHERN AFRICA
The report analyzes development trajectories for 14 Southern African countries, forecasting that while GDP is expected to grow, extreme poverty will persist due to rapid population growth and governance challenges. It uses scenario modeling to demonstrate that integrated policy interventions in governance, health, education, and infrastructure can significantly improve regional outcomes, with governance capacity identified as the primary catalyst for economic growth.
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Document type: Report
UNDERSTANDING THE LANDSCAPE
The report finds that current financial commitments for energy access are significantly below the levels required to meet 2030 universal access goals. For electricity, annual commitments averaged $19.4 billion, far short of the estimated $45 billion needed, with 90% of funds targeting centralized grid infrastructure. Clean cooking investment is critically low, averaging only $32 million per year against a minimum estimated need of $4.4 billion. The analysis highlights a heavy reliance on international public finance and a significant gap in tracking domestic private investment.
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Document type: Report
ENERGIZING FINANCE: SCALING AND REFINING FINANCE IN COUNTRIES WITH LARGE ENERGY ACCESS GAPS
The report finds that finance for energy access is significantly below the levels required to meet SDG 7 by 2030. While electricity commitments averaged $19.4 billion annually in 2013-14, this is far short of the estimated $45 billion needed. Clean cooking finance is described as 'shockingly low', averaging only $32 million per year for residential use. The analysis highlights a heavy bias toward grid-connected infrastructure and a critical lack of funding for decentralized solutions, which receive only 1% of electricity finance. It recommends integrated policy approaches, the scaling of market-based clean cooking strategies, and the removal of financial barriers for small energy enterprises.
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Document type: Report
Energy security as positive force for green growth in Indonesia?
Indonesia faces imminent energy security challenges, with demand for electricity and transport fuel expected to grow rapidly by 2030. While the government has set ambitious targets for renewable energy (23% by 2025) and emission reductions (29-41% by 2030), current investments follow a 'business as usual' fossil fuel path. Structural barriers include policy inconsistency, limited fiscal space, and a political culture of transactional politics and decentralisation that often favours the exploitation of domestic coal. However, opportunities exist in geothermal energy, waste-to-energy, and energy efficiency, alongside governance reforms like the 'One Map' initiative and increased foreign direct investment to mitigate the financial risks of transitioning to a low-carbon economy.
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Document type: Report
TRILLION DOLLAR TRANSFORMATION
The report examines the intersection of climate change and fiduciary duty for public pension fund trustees. It identifies four primary financial risks—physical impact, carbon asset, transition, and litigation—and argues that these risks necessitate the exercise of duties to inquire, monitor, diversify, and act impartially. The document suggests that failure to account for these risks may lead to lawsuits for breach of fiduciary duty, particularly regarding the interests of future beneficiaries. Recommended actions include modifying investment principles, divesting from climate-vulnerable assets, active shareholder engagement, and investing in clean energy.
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Document type: Report
COMPREHENSIVE WEALTH IN CANADA
The report finds that Canada's comprehensive wealth grew by only 0.19% annually from 1980 to 2013, significantly lagging behind real per capita consumption growth of 1.36%. While produced capital grew by 1.68% annually, this was heavily concentrated in housing and oil and gas extraction. Conversely, market natural capital declined by 0.93% annually, and human capital—the largest component of wealth—remained flat. The authors argue that this divergence suggests underinvestment in the asset base and a risky reliance on natural resource depletion, recommending that Statistics Canada begin regular reporting of comprehensive wealth to guide sustainable policy.
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Document type: Report
LE PATRIMOINE COMPRÉHENSIF AU CANADA - MESURER CE QUI IMPORTE À LONG TERME
The report analyzes Canada's comprehensive wealth—comprising natural, human, social, and produced capital—finding that while Canada remains wealthy, its wealth growth (0.19% annually) has lagged significantly behind consumption growth (1.36% annually) between 1980 and 2013. The study highlights a 25% decline in the market value of natural capital and a lack of growth in human capital, suggesting that Canada's development model relies heavily on the depletion of natural resources and a concentrated produced capital base dominated by housing and oil and gas.
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Document type: Executive summary
COMPREHENSIVE WEALTH IN CANADA - MEASURING WHAT MATTERS IN THE LONG RUN
This executive summary argues that Canada's reliance on GDP masks a lack of long-term sustainability in its comprehensive wealth portfolio. Between 1980 and 2013, real per capita comprehensive wealth grew by only 7%, while individual consumption grew by 54%. This divergence was driven by a 25% decline in market natural capital and stagnant human capital, with produced capital growth heavily concentrated in housing and oil and gas extraction. The report recommends that the federal government fund Statistics Canada to regularly measure comprehensive wealth, with a priority on human, social, and non-market natural capital, to guide a transition toward a diversified, low-carbon economy.
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Document type: Executive summary
It’s All About Building a Clean Energy Future
The statement asserts that the shift toward renewable energy is an economic inevitability, citing corporate commitments from companies like Walmart and General Mills and the cost-competitiveness of wind and solar power over fossil fuels in various global regions. It emphasizes that the drive to decarbonize the US energy economy will persist through the actions of states, cities, and businesses, and calls for bipartisan cooperation to protect climate policies like the Clean Power Plan.
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Document type: Statement
Politics & Global Warming
The report finds broad support among US registered voters for international climate agreements, greenhouse gas emission reductions, and the transition to renewable energy. While political divisions exist, majorities across party lines support taxing or regulating pollution, funding renewable energy research, and investing in national infrastructure, particularly roads, bridges, and water systems.
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Document type: Report
Politics & Global Warming
The report finds broad support among U.S. registered voters for participating in the Paris COP21 agreement, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and transitioning to renewable energy. While political divisions exist, majorities across party lines support taxing or regulating pollution, funding renewable energy research, and investing in national infrastructure, particularly roads, bridges, and water systems.
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Document type: Report
Energía: Acceso y Suficiencia
The document examines the global disparity in energy consumption, contrasting energy poverty in the Global South and parts of the North with excessive consumption in industrialized nations. It proposes 'energy sufficiency' as a paradigm shift away from orthodox economic growth and purely technocentric efficiency, which can lead to the 'Jevons paradox' (increased overall consumption). Through case studies in Gaza, Cameroon, and the Isle of Eigg, the report demonstrates how community-led, small-scale renewable energy projects can meet basic human needs and empower local populations while maintaining ecological limits.
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Document type: Report
Énergie : Accès et autosuffisance
The report by Friends of the Earth International examines the global disparities in energy consumption, distinguishing between energy exclusion in the Global South and energy poverty in the Global North. It proposes 'energy sufficiency'—defined as using neither more nor less energy than is sufficient for a dignified life—as an alternative to energy efficiency, which can lead to the 'Jevons paradox' or 'rebound effect' where efficiency increases overall consumption. The document illustrates this through case studies: solar PV projects in Gaza to counter electricity shortages; community solar lighting in rural Cameroon to bypass centralized, polluting grids; and a community-owned mini-grid on the Isle of Eigg in Scotland that uses consumption caps to maintain sustainability.
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Document type: Report