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Cutting Special Interests by the Roots: Evidence from the Brazilian Amazon
The paper examines the political agency of 'farmer mayors' in the Brazilian Amazon before and after the 2004 implementation of the PPCDAm. Using a regression discontinuity design, the authors find that prior to the policy, municipalities governed by farmers had significantly higher deforestation rates, CO2e emissions, and land-related conflicts. After the PPCDAm's introduction of real-time satellite monitoring (DETER), these effects largely disappeared, suggesting that tighter enforcement reduced the electoral and personal returns of promoting deforestation.
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Document type: Research paper
G20: Developing countries need climate finance now to halve emissions by 2030
The author asserts that the failure of developed nations to meet the 2010 commitment to mobilise $100bn per year by 2020 for climate action in developing countries erodes international trust and hinders the transition to a net-zero world. Fulfilling this commitment is presented as a catalyst to trigger large-scale private investment in low-carbon solutions and climate-resilient industries, particularly within supply chains where 65-90 per cent of company emissions originate. The text emphasizes that only 21 per cent of these funds currently support adaptation, and argues that increasing this share would protect global economic stability by building resilience in developing nations. The author calls for G20 leadership to combine this funding with mandatory climate risk disclosure and carbon pricing to support the goal of halving global emissions by 2030.
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Document type: Statement
HEALTHY NDCs SCORECARD
The Global Climate and Health Alliance (GCHA) developed the HealthyNDCs Scorecard to analyze and rank 40 NDCs from 66 countries, assessing how health is incorporated into climate commitments and the level of climate ambition. The document serves as a guide for a Twitter campaign to pressure governments to set ambitious emissions targets and embed health protections into their national climate plans. GCHA identifies specific countries as failing to consider health or lacking ambition, while others are praised for leadership in this area.
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Document type: Guide
What’s next in Canada’s net-zero journey?
The adoption of Bill C-12 legislates Canada's net-zero target and establishes a framework for accountability and governance. The federal government is now required to develop an emissions reduction plan for the 2030 target, including an interim objective for 2026, focusing on 'safe bet' solutions like energy efficiency and electrification.
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Document type: Statement
Atoms for Africa's Development: The Case for Nuclear Power Generation in Africa
The paper advocates for the adoption of nuclear power in Africa to combat energy poverty and meet climate goals, noting that nuclear energy is a zero-emission source with a high capacity factor. It addresses safety concerns by comparing death rates and highlighting new reactor designs, while suggesting that Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) could mitigate high upfront costs and long construction times. The author emphasizes the need for robust national regulatory frameworks and international cooperation through bodies like the IAEA and FNRBA to ensure safety and security.
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Document type: Research paper
HarvardDivestment_Letter_8Jul2021
A letter from a Stockholm Environment Institute scientist to the Massachusetts Attorney General arguing that Harvard's fossil fuel investments are misaligned with the Paris Agreement and contribute to global health and environmental crises.
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Document type: Statement
Methane: A Threat to People and Planet
Methane is a potent warming agent and health hazard that leaks frequently from oil and gas systems, coal mines, landfills, and livestock. RMI advocates for the use of remote sensing and the MiQ voluntary standard to create a market for low-methane gas and eventually establish mandatory standards to achieve a 1.5-degree future.
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Document type: Briefing
health and environment impacts of food consumption
The document introduces a new integrated modelling framework to assess the simultaneous impacts of agricultural systems on climate change and human health. Using data from 2014–2018, the model estimates global emissions of methane, nitrous oxide, and ammonia, while quantifying deaths associated with dietary risks, malnutrition, obesity, and air pollution. The results are consistent with previous independent studies, suggesting the model can be used to evaluate agricultural strategies that balance food demand with the minimization of health and climate impacts.
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Document type: Research paper
Cutting Emissions Through Fossil Fuel Subsidy Reform and Taxation
The report uses the GSI-IF model to analyze 32 countries, representing 77% of global CO2 emissions, to determine the impact of removing fossil fuel subsidies and implementing a 10% fossil energy tax by 2030. It finds that subsidy reform alone could save nearly USD 3 trillion and abate 5.4 GtCO2e, while combining reform with taxation and sustainable energy investment could increase average emission reductions from 6% to 11.8% by 2030.
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Document type: Report
Climate Benefits the US Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal Leaves Out
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Framework is criticized for cutting up to a trillion dollars in climate and clean energy spending compared to the American Jobs Plan. Key omissions include large-scale electric vehicle incentives, building energy efficiency retrofits, direct renewable energy deployment, and industrial decarbonization. The author contends these gaps make it impossible for the U.S. to reach its 2030 greenhouse gas reduction goals and suggests using budget reconciliation to restore these investments.
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Document type: Briefing
Integrated assessment of global climate, air pollution and dietary malnutrition and obesity health impacts of food production and consumption between 2014 and 2018
The document presents a new modelling framework that integrates the assessment of food consumption-related health risks with the quantification of greenhouse gas and air pollutant emissions from food production. Applied to the 2014–2018 period, the model demonstrates that integrated strategies can mitigate climate change while improving human health, though it also identifies potential trade-offs where expanded agricultural production may increase emissions.
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Document type: Research paper
COMMENTS ON POTENTIAL IMPACTS OF PROPOSED NEW COAL GENERATION UNDER THE SOUTH AFRICA 2019 INTEGRATED RESOURCE PLAN
The report argues that the 2019 IRP's goal of adding 1500 MW of new coal generation is technically and environmentally problematic. It concludes that 'clean coal' is a myth, as even high-efficiency, low-emission (HELE) technologies cannot eliminate significant air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. The author finds that advanced ultra-supercritical plants and carbon capture technologies are currently unproven or cost-prohibitive at scale, making them unlikely to be implemented. Furthermore, the report asserts that the 2023 timeline for the first 750 MW is unrealistic and that new plants would inevitably cause harm to human and environmental health through emissions of toxic organic compounds, trace metals, and acid gases, as well as impacts from the broader coal supply chain.
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Document type: Report
National Framework Climate Laws Performance and key learnings
The document advocates for a comprehensive EU directive on corporate due diligence to prevent environmental harm. It argues against size-based thresholds for companies, citing the seafood and timber industries as examples where small and medium enterprises (SMEs) can cause significant damage. It emphasizes the necessity of a 'life cycle' approach to value chains, particularly for fossil fuels (addressing Scope 3 emissions and methane leakage) and plastics (addressing pellet pollution). Finally, it calls for mandatory, detailed public reporting to ensure corporate accountability, using the automotive sector's emissions and battery supply chains as a case for transparency.
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Document type: Briefing
TCFD Consultation: Proposed Guidance on Climate-related Metrics, Targets, and Transition Plans
ClientEarth argues against the use of materiality assessments for climate metrics, advocates for mandatory Scope 3 emissions disclosure, and calls for transition plans to include science-based targets aligned with national commitments and a 1.5°C pathway.
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Document type: Statement
Methodology for Climate Central WeatherPower (Wind and Solar Electricity Forecaster)
The document describes the technical framework of WeatherPower v3.4, which uses a 0.05° grid of wind speed and solar irradiance data from MESO to estimate electricity generation. It details the integration of utility-scale and residential solar data (from EIA860, Tracking the Sun, and Project Sunroof) and wind turbine data (from USWTDB). The tool calculates primary metrics like electricity generated and indices (SPI and WPI), as well as comparative metrics such as CO2 emissions avoided and equivalent homes powered. A validation exercise using ERCOT data indicates that wind generation estimates are reasonably accurate, though on average about 10% higher than reported data.
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Document type: Report
Proposals to Reduce Fossil Fuel Subsidies (2021)
The document details U.S. fossil fuel subsidies, estimated at $20.5 billion in direct annual costs and $649 billion when including externalities. It outlines administrative efforts under President Biden to eliminate these subsidies through the repeal of 13 tax preferences, the pausing of new public land leases, and the redirection of Department of Energy R&D funding toward climate-centric activities. Additionally, it lists several bills from the 117th Congress aimed at reforming tax subsidies and updating royalty rates.
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Document type: Fact sheet
STUDIES CONVERGE ON BENEFITS OF A RAPID CLEAN ENERGY TRANSITION
A meta-analysis of eight recent studies indicates that the United States can achieve approximately 80% clean electricity by 2030 at minimal cost. The findings suggest that such a transition would drive 500,000 to 1 million net new jobs, avoid up to $3 trillion in health and climate damages by 2050, and is essential for meeting the Biden administration's GHG emissions reduction targets. The analysis concludes that a strong national clean electricity standard (CES) is the most effective policy mechanism, primarily driving the deployment of wind, solar, and battery storage.
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Document type: Policy brief
How Can Indonesia Foster Sustainable Infrastructure Solutions That Deliver Low-Carbon Development and Bring Additional Benefits?
The document introduces the Sustainable Asset Valuation (SAVi) methodology, a simulation-based tool designed to calculate environmental, social, governance, and climate risks, as well as externalities in infrastructure projects. It details the three-pronged modelling approach—system dynamics, project finance, and spatially explicit models—to provide a more comprehensive cost-benefit analysis than traditional financial valuations. The report provides sector-specific examples (energy, buildings, roads, wastewater, irrigation, and natural infrastructure) and outlines how these modules can be integrated into Indonesia's Vision 2045 (IV2045) system dynamics model to bridge top-down national strategy with bottom-up project implementation.
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Document type: Report
Cutting Emissions Through Fossil Fuel Subsidy Reform and Taxation
The report finds that the complete removal of fossil fuel consumption subsidies across 32 modelled countries could reduce greenhouse gas emissions by an average of 6.09% by 2030. When combined with a 'subsidy swap' (reinvesting savings into energy efficiency and renewables) and a 10% energy tax, the average national emission reduction increases to 11.84%. The analysis highlights that while some countries like Venezuela see reductions over 30%, G20 nations provide the largest absolute reductions due to their economic scale. Financially, fossil fuel subsidy reform (FFSR) alone could generate USD 2.99 trillion in cumulative savings by 2030, offering a cost-effective mechanism for a 'green recovery' from the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Document type: Report
How Can Indonesia Foster Sustainable Infrastructure Solutions That Deliver Low-Carbon Development and Bring Additional Benefits?
The document argues that Indonesia must shift from carbon-intensive 'grey' infrastructure to sustainable solutions to meet its low-carbon development goals and recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. It identifies key barriers to this transition, including a lack of bankable project pipelines, inadequate valuation methods that ignore ESG risks, and a mismatch between infrastructure and budget planning. The author recommends adopting integrated planning, utilizing the Sustainable Asset Valuation (SAVi) methodology to quantify externalities, and establishing project preparation facilities to attract private investment. The brief also highlights international examples from Malaysia, the Netherlands, Saint Lucia, and South Africa to illustrate successful sustainable infrastructure strategies.
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Document type: Policy brief