Search Climate Insights Directory

This briefing from Friends of the Earth, dated January 20, 2011, outlines the mounting political, legal, and grassroots opposition to the proposed Keystone XL tar sands oil pipeline. It details failures in the State Department's environmental review process, conflicts of interest involving Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and the environmental risks associated with tar sands oil extraction and transport.

A fact sheet from the Environmental and Energy Study Institute detailing the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) implementation of greenhouse gas (GHG) permitting standards under the Clean Air Act, focusing on new and modified large power plants and refineries.

This technical paper details the modeling methodology used by the World Resources Institute for the 'Reefs at Risk Revisited' analysis. It describes how the project quantified and mapped global threats to coral reefs by integrating over 50 data sources into a geographic information system (GIS) to create indices for local and global pressures, including coastal development, pollution, overfishing, thermal stress, and ocean acidification.

This executive summary by Friends of the Earth International argues that large-scale jatropha plantations are neither economically viable nor sustainable, contradicting claims by investment companies that the crop is a solution for the energy crisis, climate change, and poverty.

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.

This report, prepared by EnviroEconomics Inc. for the International Institute for Sustainable Development's Global Subsidies Initiative, estimates the value and impact of government subsidies for upstream oil activities in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Newfoundland and Labrador, and at the Canadian federal level. Using a definition based on the WTO's Agreement on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures, the study identifies 63 subsidy programs totaling approximately $2.8 billion annually. The report analyzes the distribution of these subsidies, their financial impact on well-level production, and their broader macroeconomic and environmental effects through 2020.

This IISD study evaluates the feasibility of reducing greenhouse gas emissions from university data centres in Canada by analyzing three scenarios: relocation to zero-carbon facilities, relocation to low-emission urban grids with waste heat utilization, or modifying existing centres to capture waste heat. The study concludes that generating revenue through carbon credits is generally not economically attractive for individual universities, though a green community cloud operated by CANARIE is presented as a more viable alternative.

This briefing from Friends of the Earth analyzes the geopolitical dynamics surrounding the October 2010 UN climate negotiations in Tianjin, China. It argues that the lack of domestic climate legislation in the United States has eroded its international bargaining power, potentially leading other nations to pursue mitigation efforts without U.S. involvement and increasing the leverage of developing countries.

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.

This policy brief by RMI advocates for the implementation of 'feebates' in the United States to reduce oil dependence and accelerate the adoption of efficient vehicles. It defines the feebate mechanism, proposes specific design goals based on a 2007 expert forum, and analyzes the success of France's 'bonus-malus' program as a case study.

This report analyzes the failure of market-based energy reforms in Argentina, which led to a high dependency on non-renewable resources and a depletion of natural assets. It argues that relying solely on private and foreign capital for strategic energy decisions was ineffective and recommends a more active public sector role, price policy reform, and strategic agreements with Brazil and Bolivia to secure energy supply and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

This research paper describes the development and results of a multi-region input-output (MRIO) model used to calculate the UK's national carbon footprints from 1992 to 2004, highlighting a growing gap between producer and consumer emissions.

This 2010 WRI policy brief argues that while China has strong political will and some applicable laws to support Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS), it lacks a comprehensive regulatory framework for geologic storage. Given China's heavy reliance on coal, the brief suggests that CCS is necessary to reduce emissions post-2030. It proposes eight key safety and environmental criteria for storage regulations and suggests a pilot regulatory approach to manage the transition from demonstration projects to commercial deployment.

This research paper analyzes the drivers of per capita carbon dioxide emissions across U.S. states, identifying specific socioeconomic and climatic factors that contribute to higher emissions levels.

The document contains the minutes of the 16th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties (CoP-XVI) of the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI), held in Bogotá, Colombia, on May 19-20, 2009. The meeting focused on administrative updates, the approval of the 2009-2010 operating budget and annual plan, and extensive revisions to the standing rules of both the Executive Council (EC) and the Conference of the Parties. It also included reports on national climate policies from member states and a decision to decline a request from the United Kingdom to evaluate the South American Climate Change Network.

This executive summary, published by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) in April 2010, synthesizes five research papers on the economic, environmental, and political dimensions of fossil-fuel subsidies. It argues that these subsidies lock economies into fossil-fuel reliance, increase greenhouse gas emissions, and divert funds from social services. The document provides a framework for reform, emphasizing the need for transparency, political strategy, and a two-track approach involving both domestic reporting and a new international data-gathering regime.

A joint submission by various civil society organizations to the International Finance Corporation (IFC) criticizing its Social and Environmental Sustainability Policy, Performance Standards, and Disclosure Policy. The document argues that the IFC relies too heavily on unverified client data, fails to protect human rights—particularly those of indigenous peoples and women—and lacks transparency in its dealings with financial intermediaries and the extractive industry.

This report analyzes the opportunities and barriers for clean energy, specifically Non-Conventional Renewable Energies (NCRE), in Chile's electricity sector. It examines the current energy matrix, regulatory frameworks, investment trends, and the impact of climate change policies, identifying a transition from a fossil-fuel-dependent system toward a more diversified one supported by legal quotas and financial incentives.

This 2010 report by the International Institute for Sustainable Development analyzes the causes of energy insecurity in Argentina, focusing on the long-term impacts of 1990s privatization and macroeconomic reforms. It details how a shift toward private investment and a reliance on natural gas for electricity generation created a precarious supply system, exacerbated by the strategies of multinational corporations like Repsol-YPF and the failure of regional gas agreements.

This 2010 report by the International Institute for Sustainable Development examines the tensions between South Africa's reliance on coal for energy security and its commitments to climate change mitigation. It analyzes the dominance of the state utility Eskom, the challenges of transitioning to a low-carbon economy, and the potential for regional energy cooperation within Southern Africa to diversify the electricity supply mix.