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COMPREHENSIVE WEALTH IN CANADA
The report finds that Canada's comprehensive wealth grew by only 0.19% annually from 1980 to 2013, significantly lagging behind real per capita consumption growth of 1.36%. While produced capital grew by 1.68% annually, this was heavily concentrated in housing and oil and gas extraction. Conversely, market natural capital declined by 0.93% annually, and human capital—the largest component of wealth—remained flat. The authors argue that this divergence suggests underinvestment in the asset base and a risky reliance on natural resource depletion, recommending that Statistics Canada begin regular reporting of comprehensive wealth to guide sustainable policy.
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Document type: Report
COMPREHENSIVE WEALTH IN CANADA - MEASURING WHAT MATTERS IN THE LONG RUN
This executive summary argues that Canada's reliance on GDP masks a lack of long-term sustainability in its comprehensive wealth portfolio. Between 1980 and 2013, real per capita comprehensive wealth grew by only 7%, while individual consumption grew by 54%. This divergence was driven by a 25% decline in market natural capital and stagnant human capital, with produced capital growth heavily concentrated in housing and oil and gas extraction. The report recommends that the federal government fund Statistics Canada to regularly measure comprehensive wealth, with a priority on human, social, and non-market natural capital, to guide a transition toward a diversified, low-carbon economy.
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Document type: Executive summary
Progress on the New York Declaration on Forests
The 2016 NYDF Progress Assessment indicates a complex trend where annual net forest loss is declining, but gross tree cover loss remains steady or increasing. While corporate commitments to deforestation-free supply chains are growing, particularly for palm oil and wood, cattle and soy remain under-addressed. Restoration pledges under the Bonn Challenge and UNFCCC have increased significantly, and the Paris Agreement has formally integrated land-use and REDD+ into global climate mitigation. However, financial disbursements for results-based payments lag behind pledges, and forest governance remains a critical challenge, evidenced by a record number of killings of land and environment defenders in 2015.
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Document type: Report
Paris Agreement in force, but no increase in climate action
One year after the Paris Agreement's adoption, the Climate Action Tracker (CAT) finds that national climate policies have made little progress. If NDCs are fully implemented, global warming by 2100 is estimated at 2.8°C, while current policies would lead to 3.6°C. A significant emissions gap remains for 2025 and 2030. The report highlights specific national trajectories, noting that most assessed NDCs are inadequate or medium in ambition, with particular concerns regarding the US, Russia, and Saudi Arabia, while noting positive renewable energy growth in India.
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Document type: Report
SOUTH AFRICA’S DROUGHT PREPAREDNESS IN THE WATER SECTOR: TOO LITTLE TOO LATE?
The document examines South Africa's response to the 2015/2016 drought, the worst in 35 years, noting a systemic tendency toward remedial rather than preventative action. It highlights critical gaps in meteorological data gathering due to theft and vandalism of monitoring stations, and the failure of many municipalities to adopt water conservation strategies. The authors propose the adoption of a national drought policy, the updating of computer-generated operating rules for water supply, and the use of citizen-science data repositories to enhance forecasting capabilities.
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Document type: Policy brief
P50 Risk Solutions Lab Instrument Analysis
The P50 Risk Solutions instrument aims to transfer weather-related volume risk from banks to the insurance market by providing a minimum revenue guarantee for wind power projects. The goal is to reduce financing costs and attract new capital sources by improving the P90 generation levels used by banks for credit assessments. However, the report concludes that the instrument is not commercially viable for standalone projects or portfolios, as the cost of insurance outweighs the potential reductions in financing costs. Furthermore, it finds that the instrument is unlikely to attract institutional investors because the risk of delayed payments from state distribution companies (DISCOMs) is perceived as far more significant than wind variability risk. Regulatory hurdles regarding cross-border reinsurance and a lack of market demand led the original proponents, Swiss Re and P50 Risk Managers, to abandon the project in India.
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Document type: Report
La Décennie Zéro
Friends of the Earth International asserts that humanity has entered the 'Decade Zero', the final window to prevent dangerous climate change through drastic action. The document criticizes the neoliberal economic system and the power of transnational corporations, which it claims drive the climate crisis and promote 'false solutions' like carbon markets and REDD. It proposes a transition to 'energy sovereignty', agro-ecology, and community forest management, while demanding that wealthy industrialised nations pay their 'climate debt' to support developing countries.
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Document type: Report
The Climate Accountability Scorecard
The report evaluates the climate risk disclosure practices of several major fossil fuel companies, including Arch Coal, BP, Chevron, ConocoPhillips, CONSOL Energy, ExxonMobil, Peabody Energy, and Royal Dutch Shell. It scores companies across four categories: regulatory risks, physical risks, market/indirect risks, and corporate governance. While most companies provide detailed analysis of regulatory risks, the report finds widespread failures in disclosing the specific role of climate change in physical risks and a near-total absence of disclosure regarding corporate governance on climate issues.
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Document type: Report
The Climate Accountability Scorecard
The report evaluates the climate policy engagement of several major fossil fuel companies, including BP, Shell, ExxonMobil, Chevron, ConocoPhillips, Arch Coal, CONSOL Energy, and Peabody Energy. It uses a scoring system to measure their support for federal carbon reduction policies, their responses to the EPA Clean Power Plan and Methane Rule, and their participation in climate-supportive business alliances. Findings range from 'Good' scores for companies like BP, which supports carbon pricing and the Oil and Gas Climate Initiative, to 'Poor' or 'Egregious' scores for companies like Peabody Energy, which the report claims used climate science disinformation to oppose the Clean Power Plan.
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Document type: Report
The Climate Accountability Scorecard
The Climate Accountability Scorecard evaluates the climate-related actions and disclosures of several major fossil fuel companies, including BP, Shell, ExxonMobil, Chevron, ConocoPhillips, Arch Coal, CONSOL Energy, and Peabody Energy. The report assigns scores based on criteria such as support for the Paris Agreement, the use of internal carbon pricing, and the transparency of greenhouse gas emissions reporting. Findings indicate a widespread lack of company-wide emissions reduction plans and varying levels of transparency regarding low-carbon research and development investments.
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Document type: Report
The Climate Accountability Scorecard
The report evaluates several major fossil fuel companies—including BP, Shell, ExxonMobil, Chevron, ConocoPhillips, Peabody Energy, Arch Coal, and CONSOL Energy—on their accountability regarding climate change. It uses a scoring system to measure the accuracy of their public statements, their governance policies to prevent disinformation, and their responses to shareholder resolutions. The findings indicate a wide disparity in corporate behavior, with some companies like Shell and BP acknowledging the need for emissions reductions, while others like ExxonMobil and Chevron are flagged for misrepresenting science or actively blocking shareholder efforts to address climate risks.
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Document type: Report
Open letter on the decision to approve Hinkley Point C
Scientists for Global Responsibility argues against the Hinkley Point C nuclear power plant, citing unproven EPR technology, high costs, and the precarious financial state of EDF. The letter suggests that energy conservation, infrastructure improvements, and renewable energy are more cost-effective and secure alternatives to nuclear baseload power.
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Document type: Statement
Deepening Trade and Investment Relations post-AGOA – Three Options for South Africa
The document analyzes the economic relationship between South Africa and the US, noting that while trade and investment have grown, South Africa underutilizes AGOA's duty-free preferences. It proposes three post-2025 paths: allowing AGOA to expire (Simple), negotiating a Partial Scope Agreement (Moderate), or pursuing a comprehensive Free Trade Agreement (Comprehensive).
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Document type: Briefing
Implications for Australia of a 1.5°C future
The document examines the limited global carbon budget available to restrict warming to 1.5°C and the resulting necessity for Australia to undergo a rapid energy transformation. It argues that current national pledges under the Paris Agreement are insufficient and that relying on future 'negative emissions' technologies is risky. For Australia, a 'fair share' of the carbon budget would be exhausted in less than six years at current emission levels, necessitating a shift away from fossil fuel extraction and exports.
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Document type: Research paper
15 SIGNALS: EVIDENCE THE ENERGY TRANSITION IS UNDERWAY
The report identifies 15 'signals' indicating a global energy transition, including the rapid growth of renewable energy capacity, falling solar PV costs, and record investments in green energy. It highlights China's leading role in renewable investment and the decline of the coal industry. The document also notes the rise of city-level climate actions and the growth of the green bond market, while advocating for a 'just transition' that addresses energy poverty and social equity.
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Document type: Report
Palm Oil Buyers Scorecard
The 2016 Palm Oil Buyers Scorecard evaluates corporate adoption of RSPO-certified sustainable palm oil (CSPO). While many companies have joined the RSPO and increased CSPO use, a significant gap remains between high-level commitments and the use of physically segregated supply chains. The report highlights that while 77 companies committed to 100% CSPO by 2015, only 56 achieved this. It emphasizes the need for companies to move beyond 'book and claim' certificates toward segregated sourcing to effectively eliminate deforestation and habitat loss in producer regions like Indonesia and Malaysia.
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Document type: Report
The Contested Semantics of ‘Security’ and the Curious Case of Privacy Impact Assessments applied to National Security Initiatives
The report details a presentation by Professor Roger Clarke on the contested meaning of 'security' and a case study of Australian national security initiatives. Clarke argues that 'security' is often used ambiguously to justify the erosion of human rights. He presents survey results showing that Privacy Impact Assessments (PIAs) in Australia are rarely conducted and, when they are, are typically deficient, failing to protect civil liberties from intrusive government measures.
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Document type: Report
Summary of concerns
The document outlines the risks associated with bulk marine sediment mining in South Africa, specifically the use of Trailing Suction Hopper-Dredge technology. It highlights severe ecological threats, the absence of a legal governance framework, and the potential for devastating impacts on shared fish stocks and food security. The text notes that other countries, including Namibia, New Zealand, Mexico, and Australia, have refused such operations or implemented moratoria due to these risks.
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Document type: Fact sheet
PRELIMINARY COMMENTS ON THE DRAFT NATIONAL GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSION REPORTING REGULATIONS
The document argues that the draft Regulations unfairly place the burden of GHG emission calculations on data providers rather than the competent authority. It recommends shifting the data provider's role to reporting activity data at a facility level, expanding the scope of GHGs to include fluorinated gases, and ensuring full public disclosure of emission data to meet South Africa's obligations under the Paris Agreement and its Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC).
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Document type: Statement
The geographic distribution of the economic impact of climate finance
The research analyzes how climate finance investments generate economic value added not only in recipient countries but also in third countries through international trade, termed 'spill-overs'. Using a GMRIO model, the study finds that on average 28.6% of the total economic impact spills over to other countries. The ability to retain value added varies by country, with India and Brazil retaining around 80%, while Mexico and Indonesia retain no more than two thirds. The EU is the primary beneficiary of these spill-overs. The study also identifies that different types of climate actions produce varying levels of spill-overs: renewable energy technologies often generate high spill-overs (exceeding 35% for some), whereas forestry and coastal protection generate fewer than 20%. The authors suggest that donor countries may be influenced by these spill-over prospects when allocating funds, and recipient countries should improve industrial competitiveness to retain more economic gains.
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Document type: Research paper