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A Sustainable Asset Valuation of the Tirana– Durres Railway in Albania
The SAVi assessment of the Tirana–Durres railway in Albania reveals that while the project is not economically viable under conventional financial metrics (BCR of 0.12), it is highly profitable from a societal perspective with a Sustainable Benefit-Cost Ratio (S-BCR) of 4.79. Over a 30-year period (2023–2053), the project is projected to generate cumulative discounted net benefits of EUR 270.34 million. The most significant financial gains come from avoided vehicle operating costs (EUR 96.79 million), followed by health benefits (EUR 44.93 million), time savings (EUR 44.39 million), and avoided accident costs (EUR 41.61 million). The report argues that integrating non-tangible social and environmental externalities—such as reduced CO2 emissions and improved public health—provides a stronger business case for sustainable transport infrastructure in Albania.
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Document type: Report
Climate Change in the Irish Mind Wave 2 Report 1
The 'Climate Change in the Irish Mind Wave 2' report reveals high levels of climate awareness and concern among the Irish public, with 95% believing climate change is happening and 81% expressing worry. While there is strong support for government climate action and renewable energy infrastructure, support for prohibitive policies like banning fossil fuel heating has weakened since 2021. The report also highlights a significant gap in climate literacy, noting that while most have heard of the 'greenhouse effect', very few can correctly define it or accurately estimate the carbon footprint impact of dietary changes.
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Document type: Report
CITIES FOR A FOSSIL FREE FUTURE POLICY BRIEF
The document positions cities as central actors in the global movement to end fossil fuel dependence, noting that while they are major emitters, they can lead through 'city diplomacy' and local policy. It outlines 21 key recommendations divided into two main categories: enhancing city diplomacy and removing the 'social licence' of the fossil fuel industry, and implementing sectoral decarbonisation in transportation, energy, the built environment, and waste management. The brief emphasizes that urban action must be coupled with national-level pressure to ensure a just transition for workers and marginalized communities.
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Document type: Policy brief
Electric Vehicles
The report identifies four primary investment opportunities for electric vehicles (EVs) in South Africa: electric micro-mobility for last-mile delivery, electrification of public transportation, electrification of freight and logistics, and local manufacturing of private passenger vehicles. While high capital expenditure (CAPEX) and energy security concerns related to loadshedding remain significant barriers, rising fuel prices are improving the operational business case for fleet electrification. The South African government is supporting the transition through the December 2023 Electric Vehicle White Paper and a planned investment allowance starting March 1, 2026, to encourage local production, with the first battery EVs expected by 2026.
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Document type: Report
Enabling the electrification of the minibus taxi industry in South Africa to unlock the potential for local manufacturing
The document assesses the viability of transitioning South Africa's minibus taxi (MBT) fleet to electric vehicles (E-MBTs), highlighting significant operational cost savings and the alignment of vehicle range with current driver patterns. It identifies key barriers, including high upfront costs, inadequate charging infrastructure, and restrictive tax structures. To unlock local manufacturing, the brief proposes a three-step transition: moving from imports to local assembly and finally to scaled-up local production. It emphasizes the Atlantis Special Economic Zone (ASEZ) as a strategic hub for this industry, supported by existing automotive skills and government incentives like the Automotive Investment Scheme.
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Document type: Briefing
Transportation Climate Pollution Reduction Grants: A framework for planning and implementation
The Clean Air Task Force (CATF) proposes a five-category framework—critical analysis, regulatory programs, financial incentives, economic and community benefits, and leveraging additional funding—to guide states in applying for the $4.6 billion in CPRG implementation funding. Using the medium- and heavy-duty vehicle (MHDV) sector as an example, the guide details how states can use these funds for activities such as grid congestion studies, adopting the Advanced Clean Trucks rule, providing charging station subsidies, and establishing workforce training programs with community colleges.
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Document type: Guide
Visioning to Implementation: National Transport Decarbonization Policies That Match Climate Targets in China, India, and Vietnam
The report evaluates the alignment between international climate commitments and national transport policies in China, India, and Vietnam, highlighting the need for better cross-sectoral coordination and financing to achieve decarbonization.
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Document type: Report
Universal Basic Services: A Greener, More Affordable Life for All
The author contends that current EU climate policies, such as the European Green Deal, are too reliant on market mechanisms and regulation, which can be regressive and disproportionately affect low-income households. By shifting to a 'needs-based approach' through universal basic services—such as public transport, childcare, and sustainable housing—governments can reduce carbon intensity and alleviate poverty. The text argues that this transition requires rejecting restrictive fiscal rules, taxing excessive wealth and luxury consumption, and increasing public investment to ensure a socially just and ecologically sustainable transition.
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Document type: Statement
Advancing a Just Transition: A Rights-Based Approach to Climate Financing
The paper argues that the dominant 'Billions to Trillions' agenda, which prioritises private sector mobilisation and de-risking, often conflicts with international human rights standards. It evaluates this architecture through five principle clusters: national responsibilities, national sovereignty, procedural fairness, responsibilities of financial investment, and obligations during crises. The author contends that this model commodifies public goods, undermines state policy autonomy through investment treaties, and lacks transparency. Using South Africa's Just Energy Transition Investment Plan (JET-IP) as a case study, the report highlights gaps in public transport funding and the risks of private-sector dominance. It concludes by proposing a research agenda to bridge the gap between human rights norms and the actual implementation of climate investment plans.
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Document type: Research paper
A Sustainable Asset Valuation of a Bus Rapid Transit System in Bandung, Indonesia
The SAVi assessment of the proposed BRT system in Bandung, Indonesia, indicates the project is highly profitable, with a benefit-cost ratio of 6.67 per USD 1 invested. The system is expected to generate USD 2.02 billion in cumulative discounted net benefits between 2022 and 2050. Primary benefits include time savings for users, increased retail revenues near stations, and health improvements resulting from reduced air pollution and increased physical activity.
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Document type: Report
State of Climate Action 2023
The State of Climate Action 2023 finds that global efforts to limit warming to 1.5°C are failing, with 41 of 42 assessed indicators not on track for 2030 targets. While electric passenger car sales show exponential growth and are on track, other areas such as fossil fuel financing and deforestation have seen significant setbacks. The report argues that efforts in most sectors must accelerate at least twofold this decade, including a seven-fold increase in the pace of coal phase-out and an eight-fold increase in the shift toward sustainable diets in high-consuming regions.
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Document type: Report
How to talk to Persuadables about transport
The document argues that reducing petrol car use is essential for the UK to meet its Paris Agreement commitments, citing the Climate Change Committee's recommendation for "fewer car miles travelled" and the Department for Transport's goal of an "accelerating modal shift to public and active transport". It highlights the communication challenges associated with these goals, noting how Oxford's traffic filter system in 2023 was misconstrued as "15 minute cities" and became a "global conspiracy". The guide aims to provide tactics to discuss scientifically necessary transport changes without triggering a "culture war" among Persuadables.
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Document type: Guide
Many US Communities Face EV ‘Charging Deserts.’ 5 Strategies Can Help
The document argues that the U.S. transition to electric vehicles risks leaving behind low-income, rural, and minority communities due to 'charging deserts' and financial barriers. It outlines five strategies for local governments to ensure equitable access: utilizing community input for siting, prioritizing multifamily housing and charging deserts, expanding urban curbside charging, increasing pricing transparency, and supporting diverse e-mobility modes. The guide emphasizes that overcoming disparities in homeownership and energy burdens is essential for a just energy transition.
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Document type: Guide
Earthjustice Statement: New Report Dubs Six New York Cities as Asthma Capitals; Solution for NY Governor Hochul lies in Green Transit, Green Jobs Legislation
Earthjustice highlights a report identifying six New York cities as 'Asthma Capitals' and advocates for the 'Green Transit, Green Jobs' bill. This legislation would mandate that all state transit authorities purchase only zero-emission buses starting in 2029 and provide workforce protections for existing employees during the transition.
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Document type: Statement
A Thriving Future
The report analyzes 67 of the 129 measures in Canada's Emissions Reduction Plan (ERP), finding that while 44% may reduce poverty, 19% could increase inequality. It highlights that CAD 10 billion in funding is tied to measures that may exacerbate inequality without social safeguards. The analysis suggests that sector-specific risks—such as 'renovictions' from building retrofits or the regressive nature of ZEV subsidies—require complementary policies like public transit expansion and national energy poverty strategies to ensure an equitable transition.
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Document type: Report
Transport policies and air pollution in Kenya
The study developed a detailed inventory model for eleven pollutants in Kenya's road transport sector, which accounts for 93% of all freight and passenger traffic. Projections indicate that emissions could increase exponentially by 2050 under a business-as-usual scenario. The authors identify improving fuel economy, vehicle standards, fuel sources, and public transport investment as the most effective strategies for improving air quality and meeting climate goals.
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Document type: Research paper
Sustainable Asset Valuation of a Bus Rapid Transit System in Bandung, Indonesia
The SAVi assessment of a proposed 27.4 km BRT system in Bandung, Indonesia, demonstrates that the project is highly profitable from macroeconomic and societal perspectives, despite being economically unviable under conventional financial analysis. While a traditional benefit-cost ratio (BCR) is low (0.27 to 0.28), the sustainable BCR (S-BCR), which includes non-tangible social and environmental benefits, ranges from 6.67 to 7.67. The largest benefits are derived from the value of time saved and increased retail revenues. The report concludes that the project's societal benefits significantly outweigh its investment costs, providing a strong case for sustainable mobility investment in the city.
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Document type: Report
Climate Change in the American Mind: Politics & Policy, Spring 2023
A survey of 861 registered U.S. voters in Spring 2023 reveals broad support for local climate-friendly infrastructure and energy efficiency programs, though significant political polarization exists regarding national mandates and offshore drilling. While a majority believe corporations and government should do more to address global warming, actual individual political participation remains low, and only 11% of voters believe the U.S. government is responding well to the issue.
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Document type: Report
Ethiopia Saves Hundreds of Lives by Improving Road Safety
WRI has supported Ethiopia in implementing a "Safe System" approach to road safety, contributing to the development of the National Road Safety Strategy (2021-2030) and the Non-Motorized Transport Strategy (2020-2029). These initiatives aim to reduce traffic fatalities by 50% by 2030. Early results show a decrease in fatal crashes nationwide from 3,628 (2019-2020) to 3,149 (2021-2022), and a stabilization of road deaths in Addis Ababa.
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Document type: Case study
The Transit to Trails Act is Essential for Our Environmental Liberation
The Transit to Trails Act aims to provide grants to underserved communities to create mobility to public lands, waters, and parks. The author asserts that this legislation is critical because communities of color are three times more likely than white communities to live in nature-deprived places. The document highlights significant underrepresentation of Black, Hispanic, Asian-American, and Native American populations in national parks, often due to transportation barriers. It specifically notes that urban Latino Americans are twice as likely to rely on public transit than urban White Americans, and that 69% of Bay Area Latinos lack access to a personal vehicle. The act is presented as a means to improve public health, air quality, and environmental liberation.
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Document type: Statement