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The document details Climate Strategies' transition to a new research programme for 2011, focusing on eight themes including the low carbon economy and adaptation finance. It reviews 2010 projects on carbon pricing, power sector decarbonisation, and the EU's 2020 emissions targets. A significant portion of the text argues for a steel-specific negotiation forum within the UNFCCC to address carbon leakage and competitiveness, and proposes 'Climate Innovation Centres' (CICs) to facilitate technology transition in developing countries through multi-disciplinary coordination.

Scientists for Global Responsibility (SGR) critiques the UK's Strategic Defence and Security Review for excluding nuclear weapons and maintaining an oversized military budget. SGR advocates for a 25% reduction in military spending, the cancellation of the Trident replacement system, and the retirement of various offensive conventional weapons. The organization argues that funds should be redirected toward tackling the roots of insecurity, such as poverty and unsustainable natural resource consumption, to improve energy security and mitigate climate change.

The report argues that South American countries currently struggle with domestic energy security despite vast resources, often opting for high-cost domestic solutions over cheaper regional trade due to perceived risks of supply cuts. It positions Brazil as a decisive leader for regional integration due to its geographical location, market size, and leadership in both fossil fuels and renewable energy. The author proposes the creation of a Multilateral Energy Security Reserve (RMSE) treaty to provide a legal framework for accessing reserves and infrastructure during shortages, while noting that the lack of a legal basis for private investment remains a primary obstacle to integration.

The document argues that South Africa must transition from a coal-dependent energy system to a low-carbon economy to ensure energy security and maintain competitive advantage. It highlights the need for institutional and regulatory reform to allow clean electricity suppliers to enter a market currently dominated by coal and the national utility. The text notes that current energy and climate policies are undermined by a lack of coherence across government departments. Additionally, it identifies a significant funding gap for local infrastructure, noting that South African municipalities receive less than 10% of the country's climate finance.

The paper examines historical cases from the Roman Empire, Early Modern Europe, and the Far East to argue that long-term economic growth is possible within renewable energy systems if demand, supply, and trade are managed through sound government policy. It contrasts successful management in Germany and Japan with failures in China, and assesses the technical potential of global renewable resources compared to current energy consumption.

The document analyzes the risk of carbon leakage in the Basque economy, defining vulnerability as a combination of high carbon costs and high trade intensity with non-EU countries. Using 2005 data, it finds that 11 sectors are at risk, representing 4-6% of productive activity and 6.5% of the total Gross Value Added (GVA). Key vulnerable sectors include oil refining and steel, while the majority of the economy (77.4% of GVA) remains unaffected. The author recommends protecting vulnerable sectors while transitioning toward a value-based rather than volume-based production model.

The report examines the environmental, social, and economic impacts of unconventional oil extraction, focusing on tar sands and oil shale. It highlights that these resources produce significantly higher greenhouse gas emissions than conventional oil and cause severe local ecological damage, such as boreal forest destruction in Canada. The document criticizes the EU's Fuel Quality Directive for potentially underestimating the carbon intensity of these fuels and urges the EU to discourage their import and investment. It also details the involvement of European companies in projects across Venezuela, Madagascar, Congo, Russia, Jordan, and Morocco, warning that such developments in countries with weak governance risk exacerbating the 'resource curse' and undermining Millennium Development Goals.

The document analyzes fourteen historical energy substitutions in the UK, concluding that transitions are complex, sector-specific processes rather than single events. It finds that most transitions were driven by the promise of 'better' services (e.g., cleaner or more flexible) but only achieved broad diffusion once the cost of the service became competitive with incumbents. The author argues that a transition to a low carbon economy is likely to be very slow, as historical data since the Industrial Revolution suggests an average innovation chain of over 100 years and a diffusion phase of nearly 50 years.

The report argues that while South America possesses vast energy resources, national regulations and a lack of multilateral frameworks prevent countries from achieving adequate energy security. It highlights that the region is well-positioned for a transition to a low-carbon economy but is hindered by a shift from an 'institutions-market' approach to an 'empire-regions' approach, where energy is used as a geopolitical tool. The author proposes the creation of a Multilateral Energy Security Reserve (RMSE) treaty to provide legal and pricing mechanisms for accessing regional reserves during supply crises. Brazil is identified as a key coordinator for this process due to its market size, oil resources, and leadership in renewables. Major obstacles to integration include the coordination of hydropower output, environmental licensing in the Amazon, and a legal deficit affecting private investment.

The report examines South Africa's energy security, highlighting a critical over-reliance on coal-fired power generated by the state utility Eskom. It argues that this dependency creates a conflict with the country's climate mitigation goals and international commitments. The author identifies structural and institutional barriers—specifically Eskom's market dominance and a lack of coordinated government policy—that hinder the adoption of renewable energy. The report suggests that South Africa must shift from a 'business as usual' fossil-fuel path toward a 'business unusual' approach, leveraging regional hydroelectric and gas potential within the Southern African Power Pool (SAPP) to ensure a sustainable and secure energy future.

The 3C-SEI Partnership Programme (March 2010 – February 2012) is a collaboration between the business leaders' initiative 3C – Combat Climate Change and the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI). The programme conducts research at the intersection of climate policy and business across three thematic areas: technology development for a low-carbon economy, the impact of resource scarcity, and the analysis of global trade and financial flows related to emissions mitigation.

The briefing outlines three strategic pillars for leaders to address the dual challenges of climate change and poverty: utilizing sound scientific evidence to drive political action, establishing a comprehensive global climate agreement, and correcting market failures through emissions pricing and redistribution from developed to developing nations.

In a statement to the U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce, World Resources Institute President Jonathan Lash advocates for immediate national climate legislation. He cites accelerating climate impacts, such as record Arctic sea ice loss and pine beetle outbreaks in British Columbia, as evidence of the need for urgent action. The statement proposes an economy-wide, market-driven cap-and-trade program combined with investments in energy efficiency, grid modernization, and carbon capture to stimulate economic growth and ensure technological competitiveness.

The 'Economics of Climate Change – Towards a Low-carbon Economy in China' project, running from October 2007 to November 2009, sought to shift the Chinese government's perspective on climate change from a cost-based reactive position to an opportunity-driven one. Through a collaboration between Chinese and international economists, the project produced 13 action-oriented background papers and a synthesis report to explore alternative low-carbon development paths and international cooperation mechanisms.

The paper examines various target-setting regimes, including the UN Millennium Development Goals and the US Government Performance Results Act, to identify critical success factors for policy implementation. It argues that successful target regimes require a combination of outcome-based indicators, strong local ownership, and integration with budgeting processes. The authors suggest that these insights can help climate policy by translating long-term emissions goals into achievable intermediate outcomes and robust governance frameworks.

The National Chairman of the South African Institute of International Affairs argues that South Africa's global credibility depends on its domestic stewardship and responsible leadership. The statement identifies key tests for the country, including maintaining institutional integrity and collaborating on global issues like climate change and poverty reduction. It emphasizes the need for African states to manage relations with emerging powers like China and India through good governance and to actively participate in the transition to a low-carbon economy.

Jonathan Lash, representing the US Climate Action Partnership (US CAP), advocates for a federal cap-and-trade program and a long-term emissions roadmap to transition the United States to a low-carbon economy. He emphasizes that clear federal rules are necessary to avoid a regulatory patchwork of state laws and to provide the market certainty required for large-scale private investment in clean energy technologies.

Scientists for Global Responsibility (SGR) submits that the UK faces no current military threats justifying the replacement of the Trident nuclear weapons system. The organization argues that maintaining nuclear weapons contradicts the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and that the financial and technical resources required for a successor should instead be redirected toward mitigating climate change and developing a low-carbon economy. SGR further contends that the science and engineering skills needed for Trident replacement are in short supply and would be more beneficially deployed in sectors such as renewable energy, specifically offshore wind, wave, and tidal projects.

Africa possesses significant critical minerals (30% of global reserves) and solar resources (60% of global resources), yet contributes only 2% of global manufacturing value added. The document asserts that green industrialization requires systems-level policy coordination, treating finance as industrial policy, and utilizing Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) to improve competitiveness. It highlights successful examples, such as South Africa's REIPPPP attracting over $14 billion in private investment and Morocco's $32.5 billion in approved green ammonia, steel, and fuel projects. With energy demand projected to increase by one-third by 2030, the text emphasizes the need to shift from exporting raw materials to domestic processing and manufacturing to generate more jobs and long-term value.

The Basque Centre for Climate Change (BC3) activity report for 2009-2012 details the centre's growth to a team of 31 researchers focused on the socio-economic aspects of climate change. The report outlines four primary research lines: adaptation and impacts, mitigation measures, international climate policy, and climate policy specifically for the Basque Country. Key achievements include the production of 226 articles and 18 books, the development of the ARIES modelling technology for ecosystem services, and the creation of the REMEDIA scientific network for agroforestry GHG mitigation in Spain. The centre also emphasizes knowledge transfer through policy briefings, the Klimagune workshops, and the 'Training Caravan' educational initiative for students in the Basque Country.