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Accreditation assessment of Applicant 015 (APL015)
The Accreditation Panel (AP) recommends the accreditation of Applicant 015 (APL015) for 'Large' project sizes and 'High risk' (Category A/I-1) environmental and social risk categories. The applicant, a public international financial institution operating in over 90 developing countries, was assessed via a fast-track process as an EU DEVCO entity. The AP found that APL015 fully meets the Fund's basic and specialized fiduciary standards, including project management, grant award mechanisms, and on-lending/blending. It also complies with interim environmental and social safeguards (ESS) and gender policies, although it was advised to finalize its formal stakeholder complaints mechanism.
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Document type: Report
How fair can be green: exploring the connections between equality and sustainability
The report argues that inequality and sustainability are deeply interlinked, with the wealthiest individuals contributing most to environmental degradation while the poorest bear the brunt of its impacts. Through case studies in the UK, India, and Kenya, and analysis of the energy, transport, waste, and food sectors, it identifies recurring patterns of 'double injustice' where marginalised groups are most vulnerable to climate change and pollution. The document highlights 'win-win' examples—such as distributed solar power in Bangladesh, Bus Rapid Transit in Bogotá, and insect farming in Thailand—to show that sustainable development can be designed to reduce inequality.
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Document type: Report
Electrification of public transportation
The document details an 18-month pilot by Golden Arrow Bus Services (GABS) using two BYD electric buses in Cape Town. The trial demonstrated that electric buses can handle steep local topography, such as Hospital Bend, and achieve significant energy cost savings of nearly 69% compared to diesel alternatives. To mitigate the carbon intensity of the South African grid, GABS has installed rooftop solar PV at six depots, reaching 1.7MWp by March 2023, though it estimates a need for 80 to 100MW of renewable capacity to fully electrify its 1,100-bus fleet. The study concludes that while electric buses have higher upfront costs, fuel savings allow them to pay for themselves over a 15 to 20 year lifespan.
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Document type: Case study
LATINO CLIMATE JUSTICE FRAMEWORK
The Latino Climate Justice Framework (LCJF) argues that systemic racism and economic inequity have placed Latino/a/x communities on the frontlines of the climate crisis, necessitating targeted policy solutions. It outlines a three-part strategy focusing on energy and economic justice, protecting vulnerable populations from climate disasters, and ensuring equitable representation and access to government services. Key priorities include transitioning to community-based renewable energy, protecting farmworkers from extreme heat, remediating abandoned oil wells, and addressing the unique vulnerabilities of Puerto Rico.
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Document type: Report
The Benefits of a Net-Zero Transport Strategy to Stimulate Sustainable Mobility in Indonesia
The report evaluates three mobility scenarios for Indonesia using the Sustainable Asset Valuation (SAVi) methodology. Scenario 1 focuses on public transport and non-motorized transport; Scenario 2 focuses on private vehicle electrification; and Scenario 3 combines both. While Scenario 2 offers the highest benefit-cost ratio (BCR) due to lower investment costs, Scenario 3 provides the greatest overall societal benefit, with cumulative discounted benefits of USD 450.1 billion by 2050 and a societal BCR of 4.93. The analysis emphasizes that decarbonizing the energy supply is essential for transport decarbonization and that integrating health and safety externalities into cost-benefit analyses reveals the true investment worthiness of sustainable transport.
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Document type: Executive summary
Applying a Sustainable Asset Valuation (SAVi) to the Bus Rapid Transit Project in Senegal
The SAVi assessment of Dakar's Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project reveals that while traditional financial analysis suggests the project is not viable, the inclusion of externalities—such as time saved and avoided transportation costs—significantly enhances its financial performance. The project, estimated to cost EUR 369,490,000 and transport 300,000 passengers daily upon completion in 2023, generates total net benefits ranging from CFA 1.7 trillion to 2.7 trillion across different demand scenarios. While the BRT is expected to cause a 14% net job loss within the transportation sector, it is projected to increase overall economy discretionary spending by 15.6% due to improved mobility.
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Document type: Fact sheet
Application d’une évaluation des actifs durables (SAVi) au projet « Bus Rapid Transit » au Sénégal
The document applies the SAVi methodology to the Dakar BRT project, demonstrating that while conventional financial analysis suggests the project is not viable, the integration of external effects—such as time saved and avoided pollution—reveals substantial net benefits for Senegalese society. The analysis covers four scenarios, including variations in passenger demand, and predicts a net job loss of 14% in the transport sector, offset by a 15.6% increase in discretionary spending across the wider economy.
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Document type: Case study
Dialogue Series on the Capacity of the State
The report details five dialogues focused on state capacity in South Africa, specifically addressing the energy transition, freight and public transport, the criminal justice system, and water security, concluding with a synthesis on public sector professionalization. A recurring theme is the detrimental impact of state capture and political interference on institutional memory and technical expertise. The document argues that state capability requires not just administrative skills but the agency to 'reach into society' and coordinate complex projects. Key recommendations include reforming senior appointment processes to insulate the public service from politics, creating a single administration to reduce fragmentation, and rethinking the municipal fiscal framework to ensure the viability of basic service delivery.
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Document type: Report
Ho Utlwisisa Mmuso wa Lehae
The document outlines the legal and operational framework of South African local government, emphasizing the duty of municipalities to provide basic services and improve the lives of citizens, particularly poor households. It describes the three-tier system of government (local, provincial, and national) and the specific categories of municipalities: Metropolitan (Category A), Local (Category B), and District (Category C). The guide details the interaction between the local community, political structures (such as the Council, Mayor, and Speaker), and the municipal administration led by the municipal manager, highlighting the accountability of elected officials to the public.
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Document type: Guide
Clean Economy Graphics Data Sources and Documentation Overview
The document outlines the technical framework for RMI's State Clean Energy Eco graphics, which project the scale of energy transformation required for the US to reach net zero emissions by 2050. It details the use of the Princeton Net Zero America (NZA) project as the primary data source, supplemented by the Energy Policy Simulator (EPS), NREL Cambium scenarios, and population projections. The methodology covers specific metrics across electricity, industry, transportation, buildings, and human impact, including a detailed approach for downscaling potential federal investments from the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) to the state level. To account for uncertainty in 2050 projections, metrics are generally rounded to one significant figure.
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Document type: Guide
NATURAL CAPITALISM
The text explores the concept of 'human capitalism,' which applies the principles of natural capitalism—resource productivity and loop-closing—to social systems. It focuses extensively on Curitiba, Brazil, detailing how the city avoided traditional, single-solution urban planning in favor of an integrated design process. Key achievements include a high-capacity bus rapid transit system that functions like a subway at a fraction of the cost, 'design with nature' flood control using linear parks, and social programs like the 'Green Exchange' that trade recyclable waste for food. The document posits that treating citizens as resources rather than burdens creates a sustainable, dignified urban environment.
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Document type: Report
Natural Capitalism—Chapter 2: Reinventing the Wheels
The text proposes the 'Hypercar' as a solution to the inefficiencies and environmental damage of the traditional steel-based automobile industry. By combining ultralight composite materials, low-drag design, and hybrid-electric propulsion (specifically hydrogen fuel cells), Hypercars could drastically reduce fuel consumption and emissions. However, the author emphasizes that technological efficiency alone cannot solve traffic congestion or urban sprawl, necessitating a shift toward 'New Urbanist' design, market-based parking costs, and improved community planning to reduce the necessity of car travel.
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Document type: Report
China’s Sustainable Energy Future
The report analyzes three scenarios—Ordinary Effort, Promoting Sustainability, and Green Growth—to model China's energy demand and carbon emissions through 2020. It finds that while industry will remain the primary energy consumer, aggressive policies in energy efficiency, fuel switching to natural gas, and the expansion of renewables and nuclear power can significantly decouple GDP growth from energy consumption and carbon emissions. Specifically, the Green Growth scenario demonstrates that carbon emissions could increase by only 50% compared to more than doubling under a business-as-usual approach, provided there is substantial investment in clean energy infrastructure and rigorous enforcement of efficiency standards across the industrial, transportation, and building sectors.
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Document type: Executive summary
idee_galapagos_2020-890b30cc0dd3bba3.pdf
The report analyzes the energy transition of the Galápagos Islands, focusing on the total elimination of fossil fuels by 2040. It evaluates four demand sectors—residential, commercial/public, land transport, and maritime transport—and proposes three levels of policy ambition (Low, Medium, and High). Key strategies include replacing LPG with induction stoves and solar water heaters, electrifying land transport, and implementing a mix of slow steaming, wind-assisted propulsion, and biofuels for the maritime fleet. On the supply side, the report models the transition to 100% renewable electricity using solar PV, wind, Concentrated Solar Power (CSP), and geothermal energy. It concludes that while technological substitutions are generally cost-effective, structural infrastructure changes in buildings are not. The report also highlights the role of national subsidies and proposes an 'Eco Tax' for tourists to fund the transition.
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Document type: Report
How to Implement Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Options
The guide outlines a three-step process for cities to develop sustainable energy paths: creating a State of Energy Report, establishing a Sustainable Energy Strategy with targets, and developing an Action Plan. It emphasizes the necessity of transitioning from non-renewable fossil fuels to clean renewables to avoid 'dire future consequences'. For South African cities, it identifies four immediate, cost-effective interventions: solar water heaters, energy-efficient lighting, energy-efficient building practices, and a transport modal shift from private to public transit.
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Document type: Guide
How to Implement Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Options
The document argues for prioritizing public transport in South African cities to reduce carbon emissions, which currently account for 25% of city emissions, and energy consumption, which accounts for 50%. It identifies barriers such as fragmented management, safety concerns, and apartheid-era urban planning. Proposed solutions include the creation of Transport Authorities, the implementation of Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) systems, and travel demand management strategies like congestion charging and high-occupancy vehicle lanes. A case study of Cape Town suggests that a 10% shift in commuters from private to public transport by 2020 could save 148 million gigajoules of energy and 9 billion tonnes of CO2 by 2024.
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Document type: Guide
Identifying opportunities and pathways for transitions to sustainable transport in Sweden and the UK
The paper argues that incremental improvements are insufficient to address the unsustainability of current road transport, which is locked into a regime of oil and car dependence. Using a multi-level perspective, the authors identify three 'niches' for radical innovation: novel vehicle/fuel technologies (Niche 1), a shift from product ownership to mobility services (Niche 2), and post-industrial lifestyles that reduce overall travel demand (Niche 3). In Sweden, Niche 1 is seen as reaching a 'take-off' phase, particularly with biofuels and hybrids, supported by a history of niche experiments and targeted policies. In the UK, the transition is slower and more 'technology push' driven, though congestion charging in London is highlighted as a successful intervention. The authors conclude that a sustainable future requires the co-evolution and 'niche-accumulation' of all three pathways, as technology alone cannot solve social issues like congestion or obesity, nor can it fully mitigate climate change without demand reduction.
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Document type: Research paper
Integrating global carbon concerns into local air pollution management and the in Kathmandu Valley, Nepal
The report analyzes the relationship between urban transportation, energy consumption, and emissions in the Kathmandu Valley, Nepal. It finds that while CO2 emissions are relatively low globally, local PM10 levels frequently exceed national standards. The study proposes a 'PACKAGE' scenario—combining travel demand management, modal shifts to high-occupancy public transport, and stricter emission standards—as the most effective way to simultaneously reduce congestion, energy use, and pollutants.
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Document type: Report
What cities do best
The briefing identifies that city governments could reduce annual GHG emissions by up to 8 Gt CO2e by 2050 through coordinated action with national governments. It proposes a framework where cities lead in areas like spatial planning and transit (20% of potential), implement national standards in buildings (40%), and act as strategic partners for technology adoption like electric vehicles and solar PV (40%). The report emphasizes that national governments must remove financial, technical, and legal constraints to unlock this potential, providing specific examples of opportunities in China, the United States, and Brazil.
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Document type: Briefing
B50 : A False Solution Will Lead to Multiple Crises & Inequality
The document criticizes the Indonesian government's push for B50 and Bioethanol (E20) as a response to Middle East oil supply crises. It claims these policies will lead to massive deforestation, carbon emission increases, and the 'whitewashing' of illegal palm oil plantations. The author asserts that the program benefits conglomerates and creates trade dependency on the US, proposing instead a shift toward public transportation to reduce fuel demand.
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Document type: Statement