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2,280 results
Update GHG mitigation scenarios for major emitting countries: an overview of
The report identifies newly adopted policies in 25 major emitting countries and regions—representing 79% of 2012 global GHG emissions—that support long-term decarbonisation goals. These policies include carbon taxes, coal phase-outs, and support for renewable energy and electric vehicles, focusing on legislative decisions and executive orders with direct effects on reducing emissions.
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Document type: Report
Cultivating Smallholder Inclusion in Southern Africa's Macadamia Nut Value Chains
The paper examines the macadamia nut sectors in South Africa, Mozambique, and Malawi to identify opportunities for regional value chain development and smallholder inclusion. It highlights South Africa's position as a global production leader and potential value-adding partner, while noting that Malawi and Mozambique face challenges such as limited technical knowledge, poor infrastructure, and a lack of extension services. The document recommends establishing a regional industry body for SADC producers and improving economies of scale through collaboration and the creation of local markets for industrialized macadamia products.
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Document type: Research paper
EU must support tackling vested interests at UN climate talks
The document argues that the EU must stop blocking progress on a conflict of interest policy at the UNFCCC to prevent fossil fuel companies and their lobby groups from undermining the ambition of the Paris Agreement.
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Document type: Statement
Public Private Partnerships – Can They Deliver Better Value for Money?
The document examines the systemic failures of public-private partnerships (PPPs), citing the collapse of Carillion in the UK and concerns over the US 'Rebuilding Infrastructure' plan. It argues that PPPs often fail when used primarily to keep debt off public balance sheets, leading to poor project preparation and skewed risk allocation. To improve outcomes, the author suggests moving toward systemic master planning, enhancing public sector negotiation skills, and adopting procurement strategies that prioritize lifecycle value over the lowest bid. The paper emphasizes that for PPPs to support the UN Sustainable Development Goals, they must be designed with transparent, equitable contracts and a focus on sustainable development rather than just financial returns.
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Document type: Research paper
GUIDANCE NOTE TO ISSUERS AND VERIFIERS: SUPPLEMENTARY NOTE TO THE WATER INFRASTRUCTURE CRITERIA
The guidance note outlines the processes for evaluating the climate impact of water infrastructure bonds. It details a Mitigation Assessment to quantify greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reductions against baselines and an Adaptation & Resilience Assessment based on a binary scorecard. The latter evaluates an issuer's Vulnerability Assessment and Adaptation Plan across four key areas: water allocation, governance, diagnostic technical assessments (including hydrologic modeling), and the robustness of adaptation strategies. The document emphasizes the use of science-based methodologies, such as the WRI/WBCSD GHG Protocol and IPCC climate projections, and provides extensive examples from the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission to illustrate compliance.
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Document type: Guide
Still Digging: Recommended Investor Response to 2018 Shareholder Resolutions on Rio Tinto’s Climate Lobbying
The report argues that Rio Tinto lacks adequate governance to manage financial and reputational risks from its industry association memberships, which often lobby against climate policies. It criticises the company's failure to provide transparent disclosures on climate-related financial risks and its lack of executive incentives linked to a low-carbon transition. The authors recommend shareholders support resolution 19 to allow advisory resolutions in Australia and resolution 20 to increase transparency regarding climate lobbying.
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Document type: Report
Executive Briefing
The briefing advocates for shifting or supplementing production-based carbon pricing with consumption-based models to eliminate the need for free allowances and exemptions that mute price signals. It highlights that pricing at the point of final consumption can prevent carbon leakage in basic materials like steel and cement, incorporate emissions from imports, and provide sub-national governments with jurisdictional autonomy. The text proposes an evolutionary implementation path, starting with undifferentiated sector benchmarks and moving toward full life-cycle carbon accounting.
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Document type: Briefing
CULTIVATING SMALLHOLDER INCLUSION IN SOUTHERN AFRICA’S MACADAMIA NUT VALUE CHAINS
The document analyzes the macadamia nut industry in Southern Africa, focusing on the disparity between the advanced sector in South Africa and the emerging industries in Malawi and Mozambique. It highlights the barriers smallholder farmers face, such as high entry costs, lack of technical support, and poor infrastructure. While South Africa is a global leader in production, the report argues that a regional value chain is hindered by a lack of cooperation, differing national capacities, and a heavy reliance on exporting nut-in-shell (NIS) to China. It recommends establishing regional industry bodies, improving domestic processing capabilities, and enhancing technical support for smallholders to move beyond raw material exports.
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Document type: Research paper
Media Development
The document explores the intersection of digital technology and human rights, arguing that current governance and educational models often prioritize corporate interests over civic empowerment. It advocates for a 'critical media literacy' that teaches youth to navigate digital ethics and the political economy of information. Case studies highlight the work of 'Coding Rights' in Latin America to translate human rights into digital code and analyze the restrictive media landscape in Albania, where corporate and political ownership limits press freedom. Additionally, it revisits the MacBride Report's vision of a New World Information and Communication Order to argue for communication as a fundamental human right and a tool for social development.
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Document type: Research paper
The Policy Consensus for Faster, Cleaner Economic Growth
The policy brief outlines a 'toolbox' of six consensus policies—integrated frameworks, carbon pricing, smart subsidies, supportive innovation, energy efficiency, and electricity market design—intended to accelerate the clean energy transition. It argues that these policies can leverage private capital and existing technologies to align the world with the 2°C goal by 2030, potentially reducing annual emissions by more than double the required amount, while capturing an economic opportunity estimated to exceed $1 trillion per year worldwide.
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Document type: Policy brief
Green Securitisation
The document details various green asset-backed securities (ABS) and aggregation mechanisms used to fund low-carbon transitions. It highlights specific instruments such as synthetic ABS, PACE ABS, solar ABS, and green covered bonds, providing examples of issuers and the types of underlying assets—ranging from energy-efficient mortgages to electric vehicle leases—that enable institutional investors to finance smaller-scale green assets.
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Document type: Briefing
Comparison of illegal logging laws in the European Union, the United States, Australia and Japan
The document compares the US Lacey Act, EU Timber Regulation, Australian Illegal Logging Prohibition Regulation, and Japanese Clean Wood Act across definitions of illegal timber, key requirements, regulated parties, product coverage, and enforcement mechanisms.
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Document type: Fact sheet
Innovation in Mining: Report to the 2018 International Mines Ministers Summit
The report examines the urgent need for innovation in mining due to declining productivity and rising costs. It details advancements in automation, electrification, and renewable energy, while highlighting the role of governments in ensuring these gains are shared with local communities. Case studies illustrate specific applications of AI, solar power, and new business models across Canada, Australia, Chile, and other regions.
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Document type: Report
A delicate balance
South Africa is overexploiting its renewable water resources, with more than 60% of its rivers currently overexploited. Forecasts indicate that demand will increase across agricultural, industrial, and municipal sectors through 2035, driven by population growth, urbanisation, and industrial expansion. The report highlights critical vulnerabilities, including deteriorating wastewater treatment facilities—where nearly 25% are in a 'critical state'—and high levels of non-revenue water (approximately 36% of municipal consumption). To avoid a national crisis, the authors recommend implementing tiered water pricing, expanding the use of treated wastewater, and increasing sustainable groundwater extraction. The report also notes that transitioning from coal-based energy to renewables would reduce industrial water demand. While large-scale infrastructure projects are planned, the report argues they are insufficient without aggressive demand reduction and efficiency measures.
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Document type: Report
BEYOND DIRECT ACCESS HOW NATIONAL GREEN BANKS CAN BUILD COUNTRY OWNERSHIP OF CLIMATE FINANCE
The briefing contends that the current climate finance system is too reliant on international intermediaries and insufficient for achieving Paris Agreement goals. It proposes that national green investment banks (GIBs) provide a replicable model for developing countries to coordinate both foreign and domestic financial flows, reducing dependence on multilateral aid and enhancing national agency over low-carbon transitions.
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Document type: Briefing
The Tortured Path of Global Migration Reforms
The document analyzes the difficulties in establishing the Global Compact for Migration (GCM) compared to the Global Compact on Refugees, citing domestic political pressures, populism, and a lack of UN leadership. It highlights the unequal nature of migration negotiations between the African Union and the European Union, where the EU prioritizes border control while African nations focus on development. The author critiques the GCM's zero draft as a non-binding 'wish list' that lacks accountability mechanisms, though it notes the potential of its proposed capacity-building mechanism to support African regional migration goals.
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Document type: Research paper
Communicating climate change in an era of populism
The author examines how the rise of populism in Western politics, exemplified by the US withdrawal from the Paris Agreement and political shifts in the UK and Germany, creates risks for climate action. While some nations and entities have responded by strengthening their commitments, the author contends that overcoming political polarisation requires shifting climate communication from expert-led discourse to a values-based approach that builds broad societal consensus.
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Document type: Statement
Change to investment policy and further actions on coal risk
ClientEarth acknowledges Lloyd's decision to divest the Central Fund from companies heavily associated with coal starting 1 April 2018, but argues that this represents only 2.5% of the total assets in the 'Chain of Security'. The organization contends that coal-related stranded asset risks increase the likelihood of insolvency and property and casualty claims, thereby threatening the broader market's solvency. ClientEarth proposes that Lloyd's modify its Minimum Standards to require stress testing for coal risks, adopt the Task Force on Climate Related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) Recommendations as industry best practice, and mandate the use of peer-reviewed climate science in risk evaluations.
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Document type: Statement
no regulatory cooperation activities on chemicals and pesticides in the Regulatory Cooperation Forum (RCF) under CETA
ClientEarth argues that Canada's chemical and pesticide regulations are significantly less restrictive than those of the EU, citing the continued use of 46 active agents banned elsewhere and more lenient maximum residual limits for pesticides in food. The organization warns that the Regulatory Cooperation Forum (RCF) under CETA could allow Canadian business interests to pressure the EU to weaken its environmental protections, specifically regarding endocrine disruptors and the precautionary principle. ClientEarth contends that regulatory cooperation on environmental issues should occur in international environmental fora rather than trade agreements focused on trade facilitation.
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Document type: Statement
Shareholder resolutions: the Australian and UK positions compared
The document explains that while UK shareholders can successfully propose advisory resolutions on climate change reporting, Australian shareholders face significant legal barriers. In Australia, legislation and case law prevent shareholders from directly proposing resolutions that direct board action or express opinions on management powers, often requiring a 'special resolution' to amend a company's constitution first—a process that has not yet succeeded due to the 75% support threshold.
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Document type: Briefing