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145 results
Toolkit for European policy to reduce agricultural deforestation and biodiversity loss
The report evaluates the potential of the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) to mitigate the environmental impact of seven forest-risk commodities. It concludes that while the EUDR can deliver substantial reductions, its effectiveness is maximized when integrated with broader policy measures targeting consumption, production, and trade incentives.
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Document type: Report
Eradicating poverty: growth is not the answer
The author contends that GDP growth fails to eradicate poverty and instead drives environmental degradation and social inequality. The text proposes a shift toward 'decommodifying' essential services and reducing inequality to achieve social wellbeing without relying on economic expansion.
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Document type: Statement
Combatting Greenwashing
India has introduced the 2024 Guidelines for Prevention and Regulation of Greenwashing and Misleading Environmental Claims to protect consumers from deceptive environmental marketing. These guidelines, enforced by the Central Consumer Protection Agency, require businesses to substantiate claims with independent evidence and provide transparent disclosures. Complementing this is the updated Eco Mark certification, which labels products based on both environmental and quality standards. While large businesses welcome the move toward greater accountability, implementation challenges remain for SMEs and require increased public awareness and capacity building.
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Document type: Case study
Consumption Compass 2.0: a summary of methods and data used
The Consumption Compass 2.0 uses a hybrid scaling approach to downscale national consumption-based emissions data to Demographic Statistical Areas (DeSO) in Sweden. It integrates diverse datasets, including Mosaic lifestyle profiles, household budget surveys, and energy consumption data, to provide local-level insights. The tool also includes a scenario function for municipalities to model the impact of consumption shifts in transport, energy, food, and goods through 2050, accounting for rebound emissions.
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Document type: Research paper
IISD’s State of Sustainability Initiatives
The IISD's State of Sustainability Initiatives (SSI) provides research and strategic advice to improve voluntary sustainability standards (VSSs) and promote sustainable production, consumption, and trade. Its strategy focuses on improving VSS design, increasing synergies between standards and policy, and enhancing transparency for small-scale farmers and MSMEs. The program offers services including benchmarking, policy formulation, and implementation support through pilots and training.
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Document type: Fact sheet
Life course approach for sustainable consumption policy design
The document explores the intersection of life-course transitions, provisioning systems, and sustainable consumption. It suggests that pivotal life events—such as parenthood or retirement—can serve as 'windows of opportunity' for behavioral change, though their impact is often mediated by the accessibility and cost of physical and social provisioning systems. Using a case study of older adults in Bangkok, the brief highlights that factors like urban planning and financial constraints often outweigh environmental concerns in determining transport choices. It calls for targeted policies that address systemic 'lock-in' and prioritize long-term sustainability across all life stages.
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Document type: Policy brief
Beyond waste and reusables: redefining sustainability in menstrual policies
The policy brief argues that current menstrual health policies often oversimplify sustainability by focusing solely on the waste generated by disposable products. It recommends that policymakers adopt a comprehensive framework that considers local contexts, the impact of climate change on water accessibility, the need for standardized product quality, and the socio-economic barriers that influence product choice and disposal practices.
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Document type: Policy brief
SEI strategy 2025–29
The SEI strategy 2025–29 focuses on accelerating the implementation of climate and environmental goals through three primary impact areas: climate transitions, nature and resources, and health and wellbeing. The institute aims to move beyond goal-setting to action by boosting research on implementation, exploring emerging topics like critical raw materials and AI, and strengthening research-to-policy networks. Operationally, SEI seeks to enhance its 'One SEI' approach to integrate its distributed regional centres and diversify its funding to ensure financial resilience.
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Document type: Report
Environmental Education: The Key to a Sustainable Future
The paper examines the role of environmental education in fostering sustainable development and climate resilience. It highlights how education promotes critical thinking, systems thinking, and agency, enabling individuals to engage in sustainable practices and influence environmental policies. The text emphasizes the importance of experiential learning and community-based ecological practices, such as urban gardening, in building social and ecological capital. Furthermore, it argues for inclusive and equitable education to support marginalized groups, including women and indigenous populations, who are disproportionately affected by climate change.
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Document type: Research paper
How Countries Can Use Behavior Change to Further Reduce Emissions
A review of 20 national climate commitments reveals that while some high-emitting countries are integrating behavior change policies, there are significant gaps in the adoption of high-impact practices and the variety of behavioral tools used.
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Document type: Report
Remédier à l'empreinte écologique du commerce électronique
The document examines the ecological footprint of e-commerce, highlighting carbon emissions from logistics, packaging waste, and the impact of high product return rates. It argues that sustainability requires a coordinated effort: governments must implement green regulations and urban planning; the private sector should optimize supply chains and adopt renewable energy; and consumers must shift away from impulsive, high-frequency purchasing. The author emphasizes the need for better data collection and international cooperation, particularly to support developing nations in building sustainable digital infrastructures.
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Document type: Research paper
Abordar la Huella Ambiental del Comercio Electrónico
The document analyzes the environmental footprint of e-commerce, highlighting issues such as carbon emissions from logistics, packaging waste, and high return rates. It proposes a multi-stakeholder action agenda involving government regulation, private sector supply chain optimization, consumer behavioral shifts, and international cooperation to foster a sustainable digital economy.
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Document type: Research paper
Our guide to the UN Biodiversity Conference (CBD COP16)
The UN Biodiversity Conference (CBD COP16), held in Cali, Colombia, focuses on delivering the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, which aims to "halt and reverse" biodiversity loss by 2030. Key negotiations center on National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs), monitoring mechanisms, and resource mobilization, specifically the goal for high-income countries to provide USD 30 billion to low-income countries by 2030 via the Global Biodiversity Framework Fund (GBFF). The conference emphasizes the role of Indigenous Peoples and local communities under the theme "Peace with Nature."
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Document type: Guide
Tekstiili ringlussevõtu tehnoloogiate uuring ja analüüs
The study finds that Estonia lacks the capacity to recycle textile waste, meaning even separately collected materials currently end up in landfills or incinerators. It estimates annual consumption of new clothing and home textiles at approximately 16,200 tonnes, noting that actual consumption may be 10–20% higher due to foreign purchases. To address these gaps, the report recommends establishing sorting capabilities, funding innovative recycling technologies, and implementing an extended producer responsibility system.
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Document type: Report
Consumption-based emissions: a new frontier for EU climate policy
The report highlights that the EU is a net importer of CO2 emissions, with consumption-based emissions (CBEs) significantly exceeding territorial emissions. While the EU has focused on territorial targets, the authors argue that addressing CBEs is essential for global climate goals. Through case studies of Sweden, Denmark, and France, the report identifies a lack of standardized monitoring and binding targets as primary barriers. It recommends that the EU establish binding CBE targets, standardize carbon accounting, and expand policies like the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) and the EcoDesign Regulation to drive sustainable consumption and production globally.
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Document type: Report
Consumption-driven emissions: new opportunities for EU climate mitigation
The document argues that the EU's territorial emission reductions mask a growing carbon footprint driven by the import of emissions-intensive goods. It identifies food, housing, and mobility as primary consumption hotspots and recommends binding EU-level targets, mandatory reporting for member states, and enhanced trade transparency to address these emissions.
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Document type: Briefing
MANIFESTO A RESILIENT AND RESOURCE-WISE EUROPE: SUFFICIENCY AT THE HEART OF THE EU’S FUTURE
The manifesto calls for the European Commission to adopt a comprehensive EU sufficiency strategy in its next mandate. It argues that sufficiency differs from efficiency by focusing on the absolute amount and nature of resource use to ensure human well-being within planetary boundaries. The authors claim that sufficiency can reduce Europe's final energy demand by 20-30% by 2050 and save approximately €200 billion annually by reducing critical imports. Key recommendations include establishing binding 2040 energy consumption and material footprint reduction targets, reforming transport to reduce individual car use and unnecessary air travel, and implementing a new EU Directive on Sustainable Resource Management.
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Document type: Statement
¿Qué dice el Marco Mundial de la Diversidad Biológica sobre la reglamentación de las grandes empresas?
The fact sheet analyzes the Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF), specifically Targets 4, 15, and 16. It highlights the positive call to integrate biodiversity into all regulatory processes (Target 4) and the goal to reduce negative corporate impacts (Target 15). However, it criticizes the framework for favoring voluntary 'encouragement' over mandatory regulation, relying on corporate self-reporting through platforms like the TNFD, and omitting human rights protections from Target 15. The author urges civil society to use the GBF to challenge inadequate government policies and to advocate for a binding UN Treaty on TNCs and Human Rights.
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Document type: Fact sheet
Ce que dit le Cadre mondial pour la biodiversité à propos des réglementations sur les entreprises
The fact sheet analyzes the Global Biodiversity Framework, specifically Targets 14, 15, and 16, arguing that while it advocates for integrating biodiversity into regulatory processes, it relies too heavily on corporate self-reporting and 'carrots' rather than binding regulations. It criticizes the framework for enabling greenwashing through platforms like the TNFD and for omitting human rights protections in Target 15, urging civil society to use the framework to challenge ineffective government policies.
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Document type: Fact sheet
What the Global Biodiversity Framework says about regulations on corporations
The document analyzes Targets 14, 15, and 16 of the Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF). It acknowledges the goal of integrating biodiversity into regulatory processes and reducing corporate impacts but criticizes the reliance on 'carrot' rather than 'stick' approaches. Specifically, it argues that self-reporting mechanisms like the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD) and corporate-led labelling facilitate greenwashing. The author highlights the omission of human rights from Target 15 and the absence of coherent international systems to regulate transnational corporations (TNCs), urging civil society to use the GBF to challenge inadequate national policies.
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Document type: Fact sheet