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Written Submission for the Pre-Budget Consultations in Advance of the Upcoming Federal Budget
The Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (CAPE) urges the Government of Canada to adopt a 'planetary health' framework in its federal budget, arguing that climate change is the most significant global health threat of the 21st century. Key recommendations include reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 140% below 2005 levels by 2030, phasing out fossil fuel subsidies by 2023, and redirecting public finance from Export Development Canada (EDC) away from fossil fuels. CAPE also advocates for a 'wellbeing economy' that defines success beyond GDP, increased funding for the National Adaptation Strategy, and an additional $200 million for the Chemicals Management Plan to protect vulnerable populations from toxic pollution.
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Document type: Statement
IMPLEMENTING THE INFLATION REDUCTION ACT: A ROADMAP FOR STATE ELECTRICITY POLICY
The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) of 2022 provides significant tax credits and financing to lower the cost of clean electricity and facilitate the retirement of fossil fuel infrastructure. Independent modeling suggests the IRA could make 73% to 76% clean electricity the lowest-cost pathway for the U.S. by 2030, potentially reducing electricity sector GHG emissions by 67% to 78% from 2005 levels. However, the report argues that realizing these benefits requires proactive state-level policy, including updated procurement assumptions by Public Utility Commissions, increased clean electricity standards from legislators, and strategic coordination by governors to address transmission and supply-chain constraints.
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Document type: Report
FACT SHEET: NEGOTIATING A SOUTH AFRICAN RENEWABLE ENERGY MASTERPLAN (SAREM)
The Institute for Economic Justice (IEJ) critiques the SAREM draft for lacking definitions of 'decent work', failing to provide a robust framework for monitoring local content compliance, and ignoring the potential for a local recycling industry. The document argues that the current market-led approach risks a 'race to the bottom' on price, which undermines local manufacturing. To counter this, the IEJ recommends aggressive local content requirements (LCRs) of 50% for future public procurement, the use of import tariffs to protect nascent industry, and the provision of low-cost public debt to offset the higher costs of locally produced components. It further advocates for a Technology Transfer System (TTS) to build local technical capacity and the establishment of municipal-level recycling depots for solar PV modules to prevent environmental damage and create jobs.
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Document type: Fact sheet
TEN PRIORITIES FOR THE 2022 MEDIUM TERM BUDGET POLICY STATEMENT
The Institute for Economic Justice (IEJ) proposes a shift away from fiscal consolidation toward a macroeconomic framework that prioritizes social infrastructure, public services, and a just energy transition. Key recommendations include expanding the Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant into a Universal Basic Income Guarantee (UBIG), increasing public infrastructure investment to R900 billion, and restructuring Eskom's R400 billion debt to facilitate renewable energy investment. The IEJ also advocates for progressive taxation, including reversing the Corporate Income Tax reduction and utilizing windfall taxes to fund industrial policy and social protection.
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Document type: Policy brief
TOURISM SECTOR MASTER PLAN RESEARCH REPORT
The report assesses the South African tourism sector's employment landscape, highlighting the severe job losses caused by Covid-19 and the systemic barriers to inclusive growth. It argues that the sector is dominated by small, often informal businesses and white-owned enterprises, leading to precarious working conditions for the predominantly Black, female, and youth workforce. The document critiques the government's recovery efforts, such as the Tourism Relief Fund and the Tourism Sector Recovery Plan, for lacking a 'decent work' framing and insufficient fiscal support. It recommends a 'whole of government' approach, including visa reform, domestic market stimulation, and a just transition to a green economy, to ensure a more sustainable and inclusive recovery.
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Document type: Report
Navigating Energy Transitions
The report finds that limiting global warming to 1.5C requires a rapid decline in oil and gas production, with a minimum 65% reduction by 2050. It argues that developing new oil and gas fields is incompatible with this goal and would likely create stranded assets. To replace fossil fuels, the world must significantly scale up wind and solar deployment; the annual investment gap for these technologies is estimated at USD 450 billion until 2030, a sum that could be covered by redirecting funds currently slated for new fossil fuel exploration (USD 570 billion annually). The report also examines the 'dash for gas' in Europe following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, concluding that existing infrastructure can meet medium-to-long-term demand if consumption is reduced. Finally, it highlights legal risks from investment treaties, which could cost governments up to USD 340 billion in compensation claims, and criticizes the lack of transparency and ambition in corporate net-zero targets.
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Document type: Report
Ensuring that COP27 is Truly an ‘African COP’
The document outlines Africa's objectives for COP27, focusing on the African Group of Negotiators' (AGN) demands for increased climate finance and the recognition of the continent's special circumstances. It highlights a tension between the African Union's (AU) support for natural gas as a transition fuel and the goals of renewable energy activists. The brief also details the roles of specific 'climate champion' countries and the impact of global geopolitical tensions, such as the US-China standoff and the Russia-Ukraine war, on climate negotiations.
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Document type: Policy brief
Air pollution and the world of work
The report examines the intersection of air pollution and labor markets in East and Southeast Asia, highlighting a significant gap in research and policy regarding informal workers. It finds that while formal sectors are regulated, informal workers—including street vendors and agricultural laborers—face high exposure with minimal social protection. Health burdens are highest in China and Mongolia for ambient pollution, and in Cambodia, Lao PDR, and Myanmar for household pollution. The report argues that current solutions are overly technocentric and fail to address the social inequalities and structural vulnerabilities that determine exposure levels.
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Document type: Report
CLIMATE TRANSITION ACTION PLANS
The guide defines Climate Transition Action Plans (CTAPs) as forward-looking, near-term action plans distinct from backward-looking ESG disclosures. It establishes four core components for a comprehensive CTAP: emissions reduction strategies, governance and business strategy integration, public policy advocacy, and just transition. To support implementation, the document provides a foundations checklist, a CTAP template, and a progress template, emphasizing that these plans must be iterative and grounded in science-based targets to ensure corporate climate credibility.
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Document type: Guide
Aligning Policy-Based Finance with the Paris Agreement
The paper examines how multilateral development banks (MDBs) use policy-based operations (PBOs)—unearmarked budget support provided in exchange for policy reforms—and finds that current risk screening is insufficient to prevent these operations from undermining climate goals. Through an analysis of 126 PBOs and six case studies, the authors argue that policy actions can create path dependence in fossil-fuel-reliant activities and delay urgent climate spending. The document recommends that MDBs integrate long-term climate risks into macro-fiscal assessments, include at least one climate results indicator in every PBO, and provide more concessional finance, such as grants, to support ambitious climate action in vulnerable countries.
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Document type: Research paper
Delivering Climate Targets
The document argues that while the EU's Fit for 55 Package is essential for reducing greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55% by 2030, its mitigation policies risk disproportionately affecting vulnerable citizens and workers in carbon-intensive industries. It recommends a progressive approach to fiscal reform, including the redistribution of carbon revenues and the use of the Social Climate Fund, to maintain political support and protect living standards. The paper emphasizes the need for targeted energy policies to address high energy prices and active reconversion policies for regions dependent on fossil fuels, noting the role of the Just Transition Fund in supporting coal-dependent areas.
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Document type: Research paper
DEMANDS OF AFRICAN ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENDERS DRAFTED IN KILIFI, KENYA 28 SEPTEMBER 2022
The document presents a series of demands from African Environmental Defenders, calling for the recognition of their rights as equal rights holders, the implementation of the Paris Agreement, and an end to large-scale investment in oil and gas. It advocates for a global mandatory legal framework to protect defenders from harassment and killings, reparations for climate-induced loss and damage, and the integration of Traditional Knowledge into climate change solutions.
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Document type: Statement
UK scenarios for the phase-out of oil and gas
The document outlines the need for co-created transition pathways for the UK's oil and gas sector to align with net-zero emissions goals, presenting results from a May 2022 workshop that examined a "median anticipated pathway" and a "rapid exit" scenario.
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Document type: Report
COMMENTS ON WESTERN CAPE CLIMATE CHANGE RESPONSE STRATEGY IMPLEMENTATION PLAN
The Centre for Environmental Rights (CER) critiques the Western Cape's draft climate plan, arguing for greater urgency, transparency, and meaningful public participation. The CER strongly opposes the use of fossil gas as a transition fuel due to methane leakage and warns against the potential misuse of 'Net Zero' targets. They propose a comprehensive set of 27 guiding principles for the plan's implementation, emphasizing climate justice, the phase-out of fossil fuels, and the protection of vulnerable groups, particularly those in informal settlements.
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Document type: Statement
Can Indonesia really achieve a net zero power sector by 2040?
The document argues that Indonesia can technically achieve a net zero power sector by 2040, which would accelerate the broader national net zero target to 2050. This transition requires phasing out unabated coal, significantly increasing annual electricity investment to USD 40 billion this decade and USD 80 billion in the next, and addressing grid flexibility and inter-regional connectivity. While the transition would result in a net gain of 265,000 jobs, it would cause 230,000 losses in coal mining, necessitating just energy transition policies. The author notes that Presidential Regulation No. 112/2022 is a positive step toward attracting renewable investment and retiring coal plants.
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Document type: Briefing
COMMENT ON THE PROPOSED CONCURRENCE WITH THE MINISTERIAL DETERMINATION ON THE PROCUREMENT OF NEW GENERATION CAPACITY OF 3000 MW FROM GAS
The document argues that the procurement of 3,000 MW of gas power is irrational, unlawful, and environmentally harmful. It claims the process was 'tailor-made' for an existing Eskom project, lacked adequate public consultation, and ignores the availability of cheaper, cleaner renewable energy alternatives. The authors assert that gas is not a 'bridging fuel' due to high methane leakage and that such infrastructure risks becoming a stranded asset, thereby threatening South Africa's climate commitments and constitutional rights to a healthy environment.
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Document type: Statement
Why we need a global treaty to phase out fossil fuels and protect lives
A coalition of over 1,000 health professionals and 200 organizations, including the WHO, is calling for a legally binding global plan to phase out fossil fuels. The group highlights that major economies are increasing support for coal, oil, and gas, which undermines climate goals and causes severe health issues, including air pollution and occupational diseases. They propose a fossil fuel non-proliferation treaty based on three pillars: stopping new production, winding down existing use, and ensuring a just transition for affected workers and communities, with high-income countries providing necessary support to developing nations.
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Document type: Statement
PRESENTATION NOTES: PARLIAMENTARY PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENT, FORESTRY AND FISHERIES
The Centre for Environmental Rights (CER) argues that the Climate Change Bill requires stronger enforcement mechanisms, more ambitious emissions targets, and greater transparency to effectively address the climate crisis in South Africa. The CER emphasizes that climate change is a human rights and gender justice issue, noting that women and girls face disproportionate risks. Key recommendations include the introduction of criminal and administrative penalties for exceeding carbon budgets, the adoption of a 'near zero' emissions target by 2050, and the creation of a public web-based information portal for climate data. The CER also calls for more inclusive public participation, particularly for remote communities, youth, and women, and suggests establishing an inter-departmental body to coordinate the climate response across government.
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Document type: Statement
International Thematic Study on the Global Stocktake
The report examines the role of the Global Stocktake (GST) in enhancing national climate action and international cooperation, specifically focusing on the alignment of finance flows under Articles 2.1c and 9 of the Paris Agreement. It highlights a significant shortfall in international climate finance for developing countries, particularly for adaptation and loss and damage. The study suggests that the GST could improve progress by standardising reporting metrics, bridging the gap between long-term strategies (LT-LEDS) and near-term Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), and developing a registry for the demand and supply of climate finance. However, it notes that countries have not yet initiated preparations for the GST, indicating a need for better communication regarding its relevance.
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Document type: Report
Climate Justice for Pakistan
Recourse advocates for climate justice for Pakistan, which has suffered record heatwaves and floods affecting 33 million people. The organization demands that the World Bank and IMF provide grants rather than loans for reconstruction, cancel Pakistan's debt, and support a just energy transition based on sustainable renewable energy instead of imported fossil gas.
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Document type: Statement