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Green Energy Development and Transition: Have we seen this film before? – Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO)
The authors contend that the transition to renewable energy technologies, such as wind turbines and solar panels, relies on destructive mineral extraction that mirrors the harmful patterns of the fossil fuel era. Through initiatives like the WINDPLAN and Green Curses and Violent Conflicts projects, the researchers examine socio-environmental conflicts and protests against renewable projects in Norway, Uganda, Chile, and Bolivia. They argue that energy justice must move beyond simply increasing energy access to addressing the imbalances and contestations caused by the green transition's global value chain.
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Document type: Statement
Debt for Climate Swaps
The document argues that Middle Income Countries (MICs) face a critical gap in debt relief mechanisms following the COVID-19 pandemic, as they are ineligible for the Debt Suspension Servicing Initiative (DSSI) despite high debt burdens that crowd out climate spending. It proposes Debt for Climate (DFC) swaps, where creditor nations forgive a portion of external debt in exchange for the debtor nation making local currency payments toward climate projects. The report outlines eligibility criteria for debtor nations—including a requirement of no imminent liquidity crisis and high bilateral external debt—and suggests three specific use cases: an Accelerated Coal Power Retirement Mechanism (ACPRM), an Accelerated Energy Efficiency Adoption Mechanism (AEEAM), and Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) for adaptation. It identifies specific priority countries for these mechanisms, such as Vietnam and the Philippines for coal retirement, and South Africa and Uzbekistan for energy efficiency, based on energy intensity and carbon dependency data.
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Document type: Report
Conservation Finance Options to Support African Post-2020 Biodiversity Priorities
The document assesses the global and regional shortfall in biodiversity finance, noting that the world failed to meet any Aichi Biodiversity Targets by 2020. It argues that conservation should be viewed as an investment with a financial return on investment (ROI) rather than a cost. The author explores several 'green' financial instruments—including debt-for-nature swaps, green bonds, 'blue' financing, payment for ecosystem services (PES), and biocredits—as viable options for Africa. It specifically highlights the opportunity provided by COVID-19 recovery packages to implement a 'build forward better' approach, urging African governments and the African Development Bank to lead in mobilising these resources and realigning harmful subsidies toward nature-positive outcomes.
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Document type: Research paper
EMERGENCY AMAZON FIRE FUND
As of May 2021, WWF spent $1,390,408 from its Emergency Fund for Amazon Fires to support firefighting equipment, supplies, and risk management in Brazil and Bolivia following the 2019 fire season, which saw over 12 million hectares burned.
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Document type: Report
Buen Vivir versus Green Deal : l'émergence d'un concept en Europe
The paper explores the concept of Buen Vivir, rooted in indigenous Latin American paradigms, and its potential as an alternative to the anthropocentric and growth-based models of development prevalent in Europe. It highlights the tension between Buen Vivir and the 'Green Economy' or 'European Green Deal', arguing that while the latter seeks to 'decouple' growth from resource use, Buen Vivir rejects the logic of infinite economic growth entirely. The authors note that while official EU-Latin American diplomatic recognition of Buen Vivir has been limited and largely stagnant since a 2015 resolution, local-level initiatives in European cities—such as Amsterdam—and countries like Spain and Greece are increasingly adopting practices aligned with Buen Vivir, including agroecology, local currencies, and the promotion of the 'commons'.
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Document type: Research paper
Shaping the water sector to be more climate resilient
The report highlights that the water and sanitation sector contributes up to 5% of global greenhouse gas emissions and is highly vulnerable to climate impacts. It advocates for a shift from single-issue, siloed approaches toward integrated, local, and cross-sectoral collaborations to achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 6 and 13. Through case studies in Peru, Uganda, Germany, and Bolivia, the document demonstrates how regulatory frameworks, peer-to-peer partnerships (WOPs), and systems-thinking can reduce carbon footprints and build resilience. It concludes that while collaboration is essential, it must be implemented proportionately to avoid operational inefficiency.
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Document type: Report
Connectivity Corridors in two priority landscapes of the Ecuadorian Amazon Region
The project aims to establish two connectivity corridors in the Ecuadorian Amazon to combat habitat fragmentation and biodiversity loss. It focuses on the Putumayo-Aguarico and Palora-Pastaza landscapes, targeting the creation of 50,000 hectares of new protected areas. The strategy involves promoting Sustainable Land Management (SLM) in agricultural areas, strengthening bioeconomy initiatives for indigenous and local communities, and creating multi-level governance platforms to integrate connectivity into territorial planning. The project is funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) with a total cost of $6,423,853 and significant co-financing from the Ecuadorian government and international partners.
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Document type: Report
Low-carbon technologies: An impending threat to forests
The transition to low-carbon technologies is highly mineral-intensive, requiring an estimated 3 billion tons of minerals and metals to achieve a below 2°C future. This demand increases the risk of deforestation and fragmentation of intact forest landscapes (IFLs), particularly in the Amazon and Congo Basin. In the Amazon, mining contributes up to 9% of IFL area loss, while in the Congo Basin, the demand for cobalt for batteries drives exploration in high-forest-cover areas. Analysis shows a gap in corporate and government governance, with only a minority of assessed companies adopting specific forest-related commitments and 78% of state and regional governments lacking forest management plans that directly address mining-related deforestation.
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Document type: Briefing
Incendios de Chiquitanía: rol de los recursos hídricos en los planes de restauración forestal
The Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) developed a prioritization framework using remote sensing and watershed mapping to assess the impact of wildfires on water resources in the Chiquitania region of Bolivia. This tool aims to guide policymakers in using the watershed as the primary unit for land and water management, filling a gap in existing restoration plans that overlook hydrological issues.
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Document type: Fact sheet
Hydro-ecological monitoring and modelling of high-altitude wetlands in the Katari watershed, Bolivia
The project focuses on the Katari watershed in Bolivia, where high-altitude wetlands known as "bofedales" are critical for regulating water balance and supplying drinking water to La Paz and El Alto. These ecosystems are currently deteriorating due to climate change, glacier retreat, rapid urbanization, overgrazing, and mining-related groundwater extraction. To address this, the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) is using multi-temporal remote sensing data from 1984-2020 and the WEAP modelling platform to establish eco-hydrological baselines and evaluate potential conflicts between urban water demands and the preservation of these wetlands.
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Document type: Fact sheet
Delving into the Divisive Waters of River Basin Planning in Bolivia: A Case Study in the Cochabamba Valley
The document describes a methodological effort to integrate Robust Decision Support (RDS) into Bolivia's National Watershed Policy, specifically for the Rocha River Basin Master Plan. It aims to provide stakeholders with tools to analyze interactions between water management interventions, manage hydrologic risks, and mitigate conflicts across different sectors and regions in the face of climate-induced water scarcity.
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Document type: Case study
Buen Vivir: un concepto emergente en Europa
The paper explores 'Buen Vivir', an indigenous-rooted concept from Latin America that challenges anthropocentrism and infinite economic growth. It examines the concept's formal introduction into EU-Latin American relations via a 2015 EuroLat resolution and contrasts it with the 'Green Economy' and 'European Green Deal', which the authors argue maintain a growth-centric logic. While governmental adoption in Europe remains limited, the text identifies local 'post-developmentalist' practices in countries like Spain, Greece, and the Netherlands—such as agroecology and the recognition of nature's rights—as aligned with Buen Vivir principles.
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Document type: Research paper
Assessing SEI’s policy engagement
The report evaluates how the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) bridges science and policy to induce sustainable development. It defines policy engagement as interactions leading to changes in agendas, capacities, and decisions. Through 18 case studies, SEI identifies key pathways to impact—such as developing scientific evidence, using decision-support tools (e.g., LEAP and WEAP), and building networks with 'champions'. The analysis categorizes outcomes into changes in awareness/attitudes (Agendas), institutional strengthening (Capacities), and actual policy shifts (Decisions). It concludes that long-term relationships and a focus on solutions are more effective than short-term, output-driven engagement.
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Document type: Report
Voices from the Frontline of Covid-19
The report documents community-led responses to the Covid-19 pandemic and climate risks across the Global South, highlighting the role of social capital, women's leadership, and local innovation in maintaining development progress. It identifies specific grassroots solutions—such as community grain banks, urban kitchen gardens, and village savings groups—and argues for a shift in external support toward flexible, locally-led financing and partnerships that recognise the expertise of community-based organisations.
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Document type: Report
The emerging threat of smoke impacts on health from forest fires and climate change
The report examines how forest fires, driven by climate change in temperate regions and intentional land clearing in the Amazon, create severe air pollution that impacts large populations. It highlights the acute risks of PM2.5 particulate matter, particularly for children, the elderly, and those with pre-existing conditions, and calls for improved health system preparation, Indigenous-led fire management, and urgent global climate mitigation.
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Document type: Report
A ameaça emergente dos impactos da fumaça dos incêndios florestais sobre a saúde e as mudanças climáticas
The report highlights the severe health risks posed by biomass burning in the Brazilian Amazon, noting that air quality often exceeds WHO safety limits during the burning season. It emphasizes the disproportionate impact on vulnerable groups, including a 25% increase in respiratory hospitalizations among indigenous people over 50. The document argues that these health crises are exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and limited healthcare access in remote regions, calling for a moratorium on deforestation-related fires and improved air quality monitoring.
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Document type: Report
The Limits of Livability
The document examines the health consequences of biomass burning in the Brazilian Amazon, highlighting the vulnerability of children, the elderly, and Indigenous populations. It notes that air quality standards in Brazil are less stringent than WHO guidelines and that monitoring systems have not been widely implemented. The brief links these fires to land clearing for agriculture and ranching, which contributes to climate change. It recommends a moratorium on deforestation, improved public health advisories, and international cooperation to meet Paris Agreement goals.
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Document type: Policy brief
Is Climate Obstruction Different in the Global South? Observations and a Preliminary Research Agenda
The document argues that while climate obstruction is well-studied in the Global North, it remains largely unexplored in the Global South. It proposes ten research themes to analyze how developmentalism, political leadership, transnational links, and domestic energy policies contribute to the delay of climate action. The authors highlight the role of 'organized hypocrisy' where sovereignty claims are used to shield unsustainable practices, and note the influence of external donors and the potential for green technology to create new socio-ecological injustices.
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Document type: Briefing
PROGRESS ON THE NEW YORK DECLARATION ON FORESTS GOAL 7 PROGRESS REPORT: ANNEX
The annex evaluates the gap between the economic mitigation potential of forests and the quantitative targets set in NDCs for 32 high-potential countries. It identifies a global annual finance need for forest protection and restoration ranging from USD 45 billion to USD 460 billion, while noting that current 'green finance' flows are significantly lower than 'grey finance' flows directed toward sectors like agriculture.
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Document type: Report
Mine Closure Policies in South America
The document outlines best practices for mine closure, emphasizing the necessity of early planning and robust financial assurance to prevent the state from inheriting liabilities from abandoned mines. It specifically examines the comprehensive national laws in Chile and Peru, noting that while both align with international standards for physical and chemical stability, they lack significant emphasis on social transition and post-mining land use. The study details the specific legal milestones, financial instruments, and reporting requirements used in both countries to ensure mine sites are safely reclaimed.
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Document type: Case study