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Strategic Environmental Assessment of the Hydropower Master Plan in the context of the Power Development Plan VI
The document details the methodological framework for conducting a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) of hydropower development in Vietnam. It outlines scenario development techniques, the use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) for spatial analysis, and multi-criteria analysis (MCA) for weighting alternatives. The text provides a comprehensive environmental and social baseline for Vietnam, including data on river basins, forest types, and the socio-economic status of ethnic minorities. It specifically analyzes the impacts of hydropower on displaced populations and local communities through the creation of 'Social Impact Coefficients' and adjusted social mitigation costs. Additionally, it presents power demand forecasts and the 'Least Cost Expansion Plan' from Power Development Plan VI, comparing various energy supply scenarios from 2006 to 2025.
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Document type: Report
A Literature Review on Sustainable Lifestyles and Recommendations for Further Research
The report examines the environmental consequences of unsustainable lifestyles, particularly in industrialised nations, and explores the interplay between sustainable production and consumption. It evaluates accounting methods like Life-Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Multi-Regional Input-Output (MRIO) models to capture embedded emissions in trade, argues for an equitable global burden-sharing framework for climate mitigation, and analyses the psychological and institutional drivers of consumer behaviour. Key findings highlight the 'rebound effect' where efficiency gains are offset by increased consumption, and the potential of the 'functional economy' to reduce resource throughput via product lifetime optimisation and product-service systems.
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Document type: Report
biofuels: an important part of a low-carbon diet
The Union of Concerned Scientists advocates for a 'count carbs and make carbs count' approach to transportation fuels, emphasizing the need for life cycle emissions analysis to distinguish between high-carbon fuels like liquid coal and low-carbon alternatives like cellulosic ethanol. The report highlights that while some biofuels can significantly reduce emissions, others may increase them depending on feedstock and land use. It promotes the adoption of Low Carbon Fuel Standards, citing California's model, to drive the market toward sustainable, low-carbon fuels and avoid the high emissions associated with liquid coal and tar sands.
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Document type: Executive summary
Global SME reporting practices on ESG
The report analyzes the ESG reporting practices of 70 SMEs globally, categorized by size (micro to medium+) and sector. It highlights strengths in local community impact, water reporting in water-scarce regions, and detailed life-cycle analyses (LCAs) for specific products. While many SMEs use global frameworks like the SDGs, the report notes gaps in Scope 3 GHG emissions reporting and a continued reliance on narrative rather than quantitative disclosures in some cases.
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Document type: Report
EARLY ADOPTERS’ CSRD REPORTING
The We Mean Business Coalition analyzed 30 early adopters of the EU's Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) to showcase innovative solutions for challenging disclosure requirements. The report highlights diverse approaches to double materiality assessments, TCFD-aligned climate risk quantification, Scope 3 emissions 'hot-spotting', and supply chain due diligence. It emphasizes that while many early adopters are only partially aligned with the regulation, their methods for reporting on internal controls, whistleblower cases, and climate transition action plans serve as practical guides for companies facing mandatory reporting from 2024.
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Document type: Report
Square Your Circle: How to Assess the Environmental Impact of Reuse Business Models in Apparel
The guidebook outlines a framework for apparel companies to transition to circular reuse models while avoiding greenwashing. It emphasizes increasing garment utilization, ensuring a lower lifecycle impact compared to traditional models, and displacing the sale of new clothing to decouple business success from resource consumption.
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Document type: Guide
Defining the Shale Gas Life Cycle
The document introduces a proposed life cycle boundary for shale gas to address inconsistencies in environmental impact studies. WRI notes that variations in how studies define life cycle stages—such as omitting exploration or combustion—lead to differing estimates of greenhouse gas emissions, water use, and wastewater production, thereby hindering constructive dialogue on impact reduction strategies.
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Document type: Research paper
Comparing the Life Cycle Greenhouse Gas Emissions of Dairy and Pork Systems Across Countries Using Land-Use Carbon Opportunity Costs
The research evaluates the lifecycle greenhouse gas (GHG) costs of dairy and pork production across multiple countries, utilizing a carbon opportunity cost method for land use. It finds that emissions variability is driven by feeding conversion efficiency, manure management, and temperature, while noting that developed agricultural countries show similar emission levels, suggesting a need for innovation over the adoption of existing methods to achieve further reductions.
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Document type: Research paper
Remedying Discord in the Accord
The document argues that the Conference of the Parties (COP) must establish consistent, transparent, and accurate accounting rules to maintain the integrity of post-2012 climate agreements. It specifically recommends that the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA) develop measurement, reporting, and verification guidelines based on existing National Communications guidelines and the Copenhagen Accord. To clarify Annex I pledges, the paper suggests using a supplemental form to gather detailed information on greenhouse gas coverage, sectors, land use (LULUCF), offsets, and surplus allowances from the Kyoto Protocol's first commitment period. The author asserts that these harmonized rules are essential for tracking aggregate performance against global temperature targets and for comparing emissions reductions across parties.
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Document type: Research paper
CarbonShot: Federal Policy Options for Carbon Removal in the United States
The document identifies critical infrastructure and policy needs for scaling carbon removal in the United States, including the requirement for low-carbon energy to power direct air capture, the need for independent life-cycle assessments, and the expansion of geologic storage and CO2 pipeline networks. It emphasizes the importance of improving monitoring systems for natural carbon capture and increasing land use efficiency to balance food production with ecosystem restoration.
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Document type: Report
RESPONSIBLY SCALING DIRECT AIR CAPTURE
The document outlines the role of direct air capture (DAC) as a complement to greenhouse gas emission reductions to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees C. It asserts that while DAC plants have resource usage impacts similar to other industrial infrastructure, they can have lower on-site emissions if powered by renewable energy. The author recommends that federal funding for DAC be contingent on social and environmental assessments, community engagement, and the use of local labor. It further calls on the U.S. Congress to leverage purchasing power and increase appropriations for research and development to ensure equitable and cost-effective deployment.
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Document type: Fact sheet
Kipster’s Journey toward US Expansion
Kipster is expanding its circular egg production model from the Netherlands to the US, partnering with MPS Egg Farms and The Kroger Co. The model focuses on using surplus food for feed, achieving carbon neutrality through renewable energy and offsets, and improving animal welfare by raising roosters for meat instead of culling them. In the US, the operation is based in Indiana, utilizing pasta surplus and other by-products to reduce land use and greenhouse gas emissions.
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Document type: Case study
How Nutrecoades RoadMap 2025 Could Be a Game Changer for Animal Feed Sustainability
Nutreco has implemented 'RoadMap 2025', a sustainability framework organized into three pillars: health and welfare, climate and circularity, and good citizenship. The company has set Science-Based Targets (SBTs) for 2030, including a 30% absolute reduction in Scope 1 and 2 emissions and a 58% reduction in Scope 3 emissions based on value-added economic intensity. To reduce reliance on traditional commodities that drive deforestation and overfishing, Nutreco aims for 5-10% of its feed ingredients to be 'novel' by 2025, though the document notes that global availability of such ingredients is currently limited to likely under 200,000 metric tons. The company is also adopting Life Cycle Assessments (LCAs) to provide carbon transparency to clients and has established a Marine Ingredients Responsible Sourcing Policy requiring certifications such as ASC or MSC. In terms of social impact, Nutreco targets improving the livelihoods of 12,000 small farmers, with active projects in Nigeria and Guatemala.
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Document type: Case study
No Food Left Behind
The report evaluates the environmental impacts of replacing conventional hen feed with three alternatives: black soldier fly larvae (BSFL) meal, processed food waste feed, and bakery by-product meal. While bakery meal is the only option that does not increase overall environmental impacts, BSFL and food waste feed show significant benefits in reducing land use. The study highlights a critical trade-off where novel ingredients often increase greenhouse gas emissions and water consumption due to processing energy, though they can reduce the pressure to convert native habitats like the Northern Great Plains into commodity cropland.
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Document type: Report
WWF-US Aquaculture Strategy
The WWF-US Aquaculture Strategy aims to transition global aquaculture toward sustainable models by prioritizing alternative feed solutions, reducing environmental footprints, and ensuring social equity. Key goals include a 30% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from aquaculture and feed supply chains by 2030 and the elimination of forage fish in feeds. The strategy emphasizes the adoption of precision feeding via AI, the use of alternative proteins such as insect and microalgae, and the implementation of circular economy principles to recover nutrients from waste.
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Document type: Report