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This teaching note, prepared by the World Resources Institute's Sustainable Enterprise Program, discusses a life-cycle analysis comparing disposable and reusable diapers conducted by Arthur D. Little for The Procter & Gamble Company. It evaluates the environmental trade-offs between the two options and details P&G's corporate responses to negative publicity regarding disposable diapers.

This case study examines the legal and environmental controversies surrounding Mobil Chemical Company's introduction of 'degradable' Hefty garbage bags in 1989. It details the gap between consumer expectations of plastic degradability and the reality of landfill conditions, leading to lawsuits by seven U.S. states and the FTC for deceptive advertising.

The research paper "The Negawatt Revolution: Electric Efficiency and Asian Development" argues that Asian development is hindered by the adoption of inefficient electrical equipment and a utility business model focused on increasing sales rather than customer satisfaction. The authors contrast this with a shift in the U.S. utility sector toward "negawatts"—saving electricity through efficiency and renewables—which is presented as a significantly cheaper and more sustainable alternative to building new power plants.

This 1989 research paper by Amory B. Lovins of the Rocky Mountain Institute argues for the creation of markets in resource efficiency to combat the economic tendency to treat natural resource depletion and pollution as free goods. Lovins proposes treating saved resources—such as 'negawatts' of electricity—as commodities that can be traded, auctioned, and hedged, providing a market-based alternative to regulatory mandates. He asserts that efficient technology is generally cheaper than producing new resources, creating a significant profit opportunity for those who sell efficiency rather than the resource itself.

This fact sheet by the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment and partners advocates for the phase-out of coal-fired power plants in Alberta by 2030. It details the environmental and health impacts of Alberta's coal reliance, compares the province's energy targets with other jurisdictions, and proposes a replacement strategy based on energy efficiency and renewable energy.

This policy brief examines the loss of oxygen in the global ocean and specifically within the Peruvian Sea, highlighting the expansion of Oxygen Minimum Zones (OMZs) due to global warming and the risk of 'dead zones' caused by synergistic effects of climate change and human activity.

This report section details the use of economic incentives—specifically pollution charges, fees, and taxes—to protect the environment in the United States. It examines various instruments including water and air emission fees, solid waste disposal charges, product taxes, and specialized fees for wetlands and grazing, analyzing their roles in raising revenue and incentivizing pollution reduction.

This report by the Center for International Environmental Law analyzes the state of chemical regulation in the United States, arguing that the primary federal law, the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), is fundamentally ineffective and overdue for reform. While federal political polarization hinders national legislative change, the author identifies a shift driven by state-level initiatives, international regulatory trends (specifically the EU's REACH), and proactive business leadership.

This report by the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) and Greenpeace analyzes the tensions between international trade rules, primarily those of the World Trade Organization (WTO), and the conservation of global fisheries. It argues that current trade interpretations often hinder sustainable fisheries management by prohibiting regulations based on production and processing methods (PPMs). The authors propose a framework to integrate the precautionary approach into trade law, eliminate destructive subsidies, and ensure that investment liberalization does not undermine the ability of states to protect marine resources and traditional fishing communities.

This report by the Center for International Environmental Law examines the human rights implications of decaBDE (decabromodiphenyl ether), an additive flame retardant used in plastics and textiles. It details the chemical's adverse health effects, its bioaccumulative nature, and how its presence in consumer products and the environment violates rights to health, life, adequate housing, food, water, and information.

This report by the Center for International Environmental Law analyzes a leaked draft of the investment chapter of the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA/ALCA). The analysis argues that the draft largely replicates the controversial Chapter 11 of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA/TLCAN), potentially expanding corporate protections at the expense of national sovereignty, democratic processes, and environmental and social protections.

This report by the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) analyzes a proposal by pesticide industry lobby groups CropLife America and the European Crop Protection Association (ECPA) regarding the Trans-Atlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP). CIEL argues that the industry is using 'regulatory cooperation' as a mechanism to compel the European Union to lower its health and environmental standards to match the weaker standards of the United States, effectively creating a 'regulatory ceiling' that would hinder global pesticide regulation.

This report by the Center for International Environmental Law analyzes the status of the United States' ratification of the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) and evaluates proposed implementing legislation in the U.S. Congress. It argues that the Solis TSCA bill (H.R. 4800) is the only proposal that aligns with the treaty's health-based standards and supports state-level environmental protections.

A letter dated February 28, 2006, from several U.S. state Attorneys General to the House Committee on Energy & Commerce opposing specific provisions of HR 4591. The bill aims to implement the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs Treaty), but the signees argue it contains overly broad preemption language and flawed EPA review procedures that would hinder state and federal environmental protections.

This report by the Center for International Environmental Law examines the United States' failure to ratify the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) despite signing it in 2001. It argues that federal laws (TSCA and FIFRA) are outdated and ineffective, leaving a policy void that has been filled by individual states. The document highlights the 'vanguard' role of Maine, California, and Washington, which have implemented their own bans on mercury, PBDEs, and lindane, and developed strategies to monitor and reduce bioaccumulative toxics (PBTs) to protect public health and wildlife.

This document is a fact sheet containing a table of individual green municipal bonds issued in the United States during 2017, detailing the issuers, amounts issued in USD, dates, project types, and CBI certification status.

This research paper by the Climate Policy Initiative examines how California's Cap and Trade Program, established under the Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 (AB32), influences investment decisions in the cement industry. Through financial modeling and stakeholder interviews, the authors analyze the impact of carbon pricing on three primary abatement strategies: energy efficiency, fuel switching, and the blending of supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs). The study finds that while carbon prices make emissions reductions more financially attractive, significant non-price barriers—including short corporate payback period requirements, fuel supply uncertainty, and prescriptive customer procurement standards—often prevent firms from pursuing cost-effective abatement options.

This fact sheet by the Climate Policy Initiative proposes the creation of a California Green Bank to leverage private capital for clean energy technologies. It suggests using revenues from carbon emissions allowance auctions to fund a quasi-public institution that would address financing gaps for homeowners, small businesses, and innovators, thereby accelerating the state's transition to a low-carbon economy.

This fact sheet by the Climate Policy Initiative explores how a proposed California green bank could use carbon emissions allowance revenues to accelerate renewable energy and energy efficiency. It identifies opportunities to expand financing for underserved homeowners, support small businesses and public entities, and scale up clean energy innovations, such as electric grid storage.

This fact sheet by the Climate Policy Initiative explores how a proposed California green bank could accelerate the decarbonization of the transportation sector, which accounts for approximately 40 percent of the state's greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The document identifies specific financial and risk-bearing interventions across four subsectors: passenger vehicles, alternative fuel vehicle infrastructure, goods movement, and regional planning.