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Whose views count? Business influence and the European Commission’s High Level Groups
The report finds that the majority of the seven examined High Level Groups are either corporate-controlled or unbalanced in favor of industry, leading to policy recommendations that prioritize industrial competitiveness over environmental and social standards. It highlights a lack of democratic legitimacy and inconsistent transparency, calling for the dissolution of industry-controlled groups and the establishment of more equitable consultation mechanisms.
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Document type: Report
Market Mechanisms for Sustainable Development in a Post-2012 Climate Regime: Implications for the Development Dividend
The paper examines four regime options for a post-2012 climate framework: maintaining targets with flexibility mechanisms (broadening the CDM scope), differentiating developing country eligibility, implementing an expanded CDM (sectoral/NAMA approaches), and establishing a fund-based mechanism. It analyzes how these options affect the 'development dividend' across three dimensions: quality (sustainable development benefits), quantity (volume of Certified Emission Reductions), and regional distribution (investment in least developed countries). The authors conclude that while a fund-based mechanism best addresses quality and equity, it may struggle to match the investment volumes of private-sector market mechanisms. Conversely, expanding the CDM scope could flood the market with cheap credits, potentially crashing prices unless accompanied by ambitious emission reduction targets in developed nations.
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Document type: Research paper
'Keep calm and carry On' An initial African assessment of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) 2010 Review Conference
The document serves as an introduction to an assessment of the 2010 NPT Review Conference's final document. It aims to determine if the outcomes represent a significant step toward the total elimination of nuclear weapons, specifically analyzing these results through an African lens.
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Document type: Research paper
United Nations Convenes Crucial Nuclear Weapons Meeting
The briefing discusses the NPT Preparatory Committee meeting held from 4 to 15 May 2009 in New York, which serves as the final session before the 2010 Review Conference. It details the NPT's three pillars—non-proliferation, disarmament, and peaceful use of nuclear energy—and emphasizes Africa's commitment to these goals through the Treaty of Pelindaba. The document highlights the leadership of Zimbabwe's Ambassador Boniface Chidyausiku as chair of the 2009 meeting and urges African states to support the total elimination of nuclear arsenals and the entry into force of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty.
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Document type: Briefing
Declaration of the African Caravans for Climate Justice ahead of COP 27
The Declaration of the African Caravans for Climate Justice argues that colonialism is a primary driver of climate change and calls for a transition from debt-based climate finance to grants. It demands that wealthy nations meet the $100 billion annual pledge, establish a dedicated loss and damage financing mechanism, and halt new investments in fossil fuels and nuclear power. The document emphasizes the need for peasant agroecology, community land security, and the meaningful inclusion of women and youth in climate governance.
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Document type: Statement
What You Need to Know About the Proposed Nuclear Power Plant in Uyombo, Kilifi
The document critiques the proposed nuclear power plant in Uyombo, Kilifi, Kenya, highlighting a lack of transparency in the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) and a failure to follow legal requirements for public participation. It warns of severe health and environmental risks, including radioactive waste management failures and marine ecosystem disruption. The text further notes that Kenya lacks membership in key international nuclear safety agreements and that the estimated USD 5 billion cost per plant could increase electricity tariffs for consumers. The author calls for the Parliamentary Committee on Environment and Natural Resources to halt the process and prioritise renewable energy alternatives like solar, wind, and geothermal.
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Document type: Fact sheet
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The report examines how environmental issues in Cyprus can either exacerbate conflict or facilitate peace-building. It analyzes the political, legal, and administrative asymmetries between the Republic of Cyprus and the Turkish Cypriot administration, noting that fragmented planning leads to environmental degradation, such as illegal quarrying in the Pentadaktylos and Androlikou/Gündoğdu areas. The document reviews various levels of cooperation, from intergovernmental organizations like the UN and EU to the Bi-communal Technical Committee on the Environment (BTCE) and grassroots ENGOs. It concludes with proposals for a Buffer Zone Peace Park, UNESCO Biosphere Reserves, and a bi-communal ecological studies centre in Varisheia to foster long-term reconciliation.
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Document type: Report
INDIA IN THE WORLD Emerging Perspectives on Global Challenges
The document details the collaboration between IDSA and PRIO, focusing on India's perspectives on food security, nuclear governance, and climate change. It highlights India's pursuit of nuclear energy capacity, its adherence to the CBDR-RC principle in climate negotiations, and the internal challenges of food insecurity and insurgencies.
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Document type: Report
Trust and Fairness: Ethical Dilemmas in the Iran Nuclear (JCPOA) Negotiations
The document analyzes the ethical dilemmas of trust and fairness during the JCPOA negotiations (2013-2015). It argues that while deep-seated distrust between the US and Iran initially hindered progress, a shift in US policy and the efforts of second-tier negotiators helped build a 'minimal' level of trust necessary for a procedurally fair agreement. However, the authors contend that the use of threats and sanctions undermines this trust, and the decision to limit the agreement's scope for short-term success may have jeopardized its long-term sustainability, as evidenced by the US withdrawal in 2018.
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Document type: Case study
TAXONOMIE - SYNTHESE ET ANALYSE DE L’ACTE DELEGUE DU 2 FEVRIER 2022 ATTENUATION DU CHANGEMENT CLIMATIQUE
Reclaim Finance analyzes the EU's decision to include gas and nuclear energy in its green taxonomy. The report argues that the criteria for gas—such as the 270 gCO2e/kWh emission threshold and the 2030 construction deadline—are incompatible with the 1.5°C goal and risk creating stranded assets. Regarding nuclear energy, the report contends that long construction times and the lack of operational geological waste storage by 2050 undermine its status as a 'transitional' activity, while noting that only France and Finland currently have advanced storage projects.
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Document type: Report
BANKING ON BUSINESS AS USUAL
The report finds a significant imbalance in energy financing among the 65 largest global banks, with a ratio of 0.42:1 in favor of fossil fuels over sustainable power supply between 2021 and 2024. This is far below the 6:1 ratio by 2030 recommended by the IEA's Net Zero Emissions scenario. While European banks show slightly better ratios, financing for sustainable power remains heavily concentrated in OECD countries and China, leaving emerging markets underfunded. The report also criticizes banks for using 'blurry' targets and problematic technologies like CCUS and bioenergy to inflate their green credentials.
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Document type: Report
Planning to Harness the Inflation Reduction Act: A Toolkit for Regulators
The document serves as a regulatory guide, offering a structured set of inquiries to help Public Utility Commissions (PUCs) assess utility resource planning in the context of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). It organizes questions into five exhibits covering common IRA considerations, assumptions, forecasts, objectives/scenarios, and solution identification. Key areas of focus include the application of Investment Tax Credits (ITC) and Production Tax Credits (PTC), bonus adders for energy communities and domestic content, the integration of hydrogen and carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) technologies, and the utilization of Energy Infrastructure Reinvestment (EIR) financing. The toolkit also emphasizes the need for utilities to account for IRA-driven changes in load forecasts related to building and transportation electrification, energy efficiency, and distributed energy resources (DERs).
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Document type: Guide
The Origins of the Nuclear Power Fiasco
The author describes the U.S. nuclear power industry as the "greatest collapse of any enterprise in industrial history," attributing this failure to a combination of institutional hubris, skewed economic data, and a federal policy focus on hardware over energy efficiency. The text details how the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) and the Department of Energy (DOE) promoted myths regarding the cost-competitiveness of nuclear power compared to coal and ignored the potential of energy productivity improvements. It further examines the failure of the breeder reactor and reprocessing programs, arguing that the federal government continues to subsidize an uncompetitive technology while ignoring cheaper, more efficient alternatives.
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Document type: Research paper
Reply to William Tucker's critique of Amory Lovins's article "Nuclear Socialism"
Amory Lovins defends his position that nuclear power lacks a viable business case, noting that new U.S. reactors cannot attract private capital despite significant subsidies. He contrasts this with the growth of renewables, which attracted $131 billion in global private investment in the previous year.
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Document type: Statement
REINVENTING FIRE IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
The report argues that distributed and demand-side resources—including energy efficiency, demand response, and solar PV—can fill the near-term supply gap created by the shutdown of the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS) while supporting California's long-term greenhouse gas reduction goals. It evaluates various resources based on size, cost, deployment speed, and persistence, recommending the creation of capacity markets and the streamlining of permitting and interconnection processes to accelerate adoption.
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Document type: Report
HOW NOT TO PARACHUTE MORE CATS
The report advocates for a 'solve for pattern' approach to global crises, using energy efficiency and renewable technologies as a model for broader resource management. It argues that the U.S. and other nations can achieve significant reductions in oil and electricity use through technical innovations like 'hypercars' and efficient lighting, which are often cheaper than expanding supply. The authors contend that these efficiencies can simultaneously improve economic health, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, slow nuclear proliferation by removing the need for civilian nuclear power, and enhance global security by reducing dependence on foreign oil.
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Document type: Report
Climate Making Sense and Making Money
The report posits that climate change is an artifact of resource inefficiency and that mitigating it can be done at a profit. It highlights that energy efficiency, switching to low-carbon fuels, and improving forestry and farming practices can reduce greenhouse gas emissions while lowering costs for businesses and governments. The text argues against the necessity of nuclear power, citing its high cost and market failure, and instead promotes wind, solar, and combined-cycle gas turbines. It suggests that market-oriented policies, such as those established by the Kyoto Protocol and the Montreal Treaty, can incentivize carbon reductions through trading mechanisms. The document concludes that the transition to a low-carbon economy can be managed without net job losses, provided there is transitional support for displaced workers in the fossil fuel sector.
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Document type: Report
rmi_document_repository_public-reprts_nuclear-spread-the-cure-begins-at-home-92713fec256daf02.pdf
The author contends that selling nuclear power reactors facilitates the proliferation of atomic bombs because these reactors produce plutonium. The text advocates for a strategy of improving energy efficiency and deploying transitional fossil-fuel technologies to allow time for a shift to sun, wind, and organic conversion energy sources.
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Document type: Statement
The Nuclear Illusion
The paper contends that nuclear power is experiencing a global collapse due to excessive capital costs and financial risks, making it unfinanceable in private markets. It asserts that 'negawatts' (energy efficiency) and 'micropower' (distributed renewables and cogeneration) are cheaper, faster to deploy, and more reliable alternatives. The authors argue that investing in nuclear power actually worsens climate change by diverting funds from more cost-effective carbon-reduction options. The document further claims that nuclear power fails to enhance energy security due to dependencies on foreign uranium and fuel-cycle technology, and increases proliferation risks.
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Document type: Research paper
What RMI’s Supporters and Staff Created Together (continued)
This fact sheet outlines RMI's history of developing market-based solutions for energy efficiency and climate protection. Key achievements include the creation of the Hypercar concept to reduce oil dependence, the development of the Natural Capitalism framework for sustainable business, and the establishment of the LEED green building rating system. The organization has also worked extensively on military energy security, water efficiency, and the promotion of decentralized low-carbon power generation over nuclear energy.
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Document type: Fact sheet