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Comments to the California Air Resources Board by the Clean Air Task Force On the Proposed Re-Adoption of the Low Carbon Fuel Standard
The Clean Air Task Force (CATF) supports the readoption of California's Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) through 2020 but argues against reducing the indirect land use change (ILUC) emissions score for corn ethanol. CATF contends that current modeling, specifically the CA GTAP-BIO model, underestimates emissions by ignoring water scarcity, failing to differentiate between commercial and non-commercial forests, and using flawed yield price elasticity assumptions. The document also highlights the negative impact of corn ethanol on global food security and proposes liquid ammonia as a scalable, low-carbon fuel alternative for the post-2020 period.
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Document type: Statement
Testimony to California ARB on Proposed Re-Adoption of LCFS
The Clean Air Task Force supports the re-adoption of California's Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) through 2020 but opposes reducing the carbon intensity value for corn ethanol. The organization argues that the current modeling used to justify a lower indirect land use change (ILUC) score is based on subjective decisions, specifically the assumption that biofuel expansion leads to a reduction in food consumption that provides a climate benefit. CATF contends that if food consumption declines were limited, corn ethanol's ILUC emissions would increase substantially, and that relying on corn ethanol would hinder the development of more effective compliance options.
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Document type: Statement
#flirtingwithdisaster on Valentine’s Day
The document details the vulnerability of agricultural and forest products to climate change, noting significant potential losses in cocoa, coffee, cotton, and wine production, as well as specific environmental pressures on flower exports from Kenya and silk production in India.
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Document type: Fact sheet
Stormy Seas, Rising Risks
The report examines the vulnerability of U.S. coastal oil refineries to sea level rise and storm surge, focusing on five major companies: Valero, Phillips 66, Exxon Mobil, Marathon Petroleum, and Chevron. It argues that these companies fail to adequately disclose material physical climate risks to the SEC, despite guidance issued in 2010. The analysis uses SLOSH MOM modeling to demonstrate that current and future sea level rise increases the likelihood of facility inundation and operational disruptions. The report highlights the resulting financial risks for investors and the environmental and health risks for neighboring communities, particularly those in the Gulf Coast region.
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Document type: Report
TomorrowNow— Manitoba’s Green Plan: Toward a New Provincial Climate Change and Green Economy Plan Consultations Background Paper
The document serves as a guide for public and stakeholder consultations to update Manitoba's climate strategy. It reviews the province's failure to meet its 2012 GHG reduction targets, analyzes sectoral emission drivers—notably the high relative contribution of agriculture—and proposes principles for a new plan that integrates mitigation with a stronger focus on adaptation. It also highlights opportunities for a green economy based on Manitoba's clean energy resources and bioproducts potential.
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Document type: Briefing
TomorrowNow— Manitoba’s Green Plan: Toward a New Provincial Climate Change and Green Economy Plan Consultations Background Paper
The document outlines Manitoba's current emissions profile, its history of climate action, and the need for a new integrated plan for mitigation and adaptation. It examines policies from other jurisdictions regarding larger emitters and proposes principles for Manitoba's future strategy, including the development of mandatory GHG reporting regulations.
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Document type: Briefing
PREEMPTING THE PUBLIC INTEREST
The report argues that TTIP's regulatory cooperation provisions, primarily based on EU proposals, would institutionalize oversight of US state-level legislation and regulations by federal and international bodies. This framework would likely lead to 'regulatory chill' through onerous procedural requirements, such as early warning systems and trade impact assessments, which favor industry influence over public interest. The document highlights that US states often act as the primary regulators of toxic chemicals and pesticides when federal action is lax, and that TTIP's goal of 'regulatory compatibility' could effectively set federal or international standards as a ceiling, preventing states from adopting more protective measures. It specifically warns that such mechanisms could be used to challenge state-level bans on substances like Bisphenol A (BPA) or pesticide residue monitoring programs in California.
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Document type: Report
Clean Energy and Climate Plan for 2020
The 2015 update to the Massachusetts Clean Energy and Climate Plan for 2020 (CECP Update) outlines a comprehensive strategy to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by at least 25% below 1990 levels by 2020. The plan identifies key drivers for these reductions, most notably vehicle GHG emission standards and the import of clean electricity. It also provides a framework for long-term goals, aiming for an 80% reduction by 2050 through a strategy of reducing energy consumption, decarbonizing the electricity supply, and electrifying transportation and heating. The report includes detailed assessments of building efficiency, transportation, electricity generation, and non-energy emissions, as well as research on land use and carbon storage in terrestrial and wetland ecosystems.
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Document type: Report
FACT SHEET Technologies to support climate change mitigation and adaptation
The Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) provides several specialized tools for climate action: LEAP for integrated energy planning and GHG mitigation; WEAP for integrated water resources planning and 'climate-proofing'; REAP and REAP Petite for consumption-based environmental impact accounting; and weADAPT, a collaborative web-based platform for sharing adaptation knowledge. SEI also leads the PROVIA Guidance project to provide technical guidance for National Adaptation Plans (NAPs). The institute's current strategy focuses on expanding capacity-building, creating 'toolkits' to address resource trade-offs, and making these technical tools more accessible to non-experts through visualization and cloud-based platforms.
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Document type: Fact sheet
Measuring the Benefits
The document discusses the 'Replenish' approach, developed by The Coca-Cola Company and WWF, which allows companies to quantify the amount of water they return to nature and communities. It argues that while replenishment targets can drive investment, they must be part of a comprehensive water stewardship strategy that includes internal efficiency, collective action, and alignment with local hydrology to be ecologically meaningful.
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Document type: Fact sheet
Monarch Butterfly
The report evaluates the vulnerability of North American monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus) to climate change, identifying high sensitivity to temperature and a critical dependence on milkweed. While the species possesses high adaptive capacity due to dispersal ability and reproductive rates, it faces significant threats from habitat loss, pesticide use, and extreme weather. Recommended strategies focus on restoring milkweed and nectar sources, protecting overwintering forests in Mexico and California, and increasing population monitoring.
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Document type: Report
WORKING TOGETHER WITH CITIES TO REDUCE THE IMPACT OF CLIMATE CHANGE
The Measuring Up 2015 report analyzes climate action across 116 US local governments, representing approximately 14% of the US population. It finds that achieving these cities' 2050 emissions goals would be equivalent to shutting down 86 coal-fired power plants. The report highlights the success of cities like Atlanta, Cincinnati, Minneapolis, and Portland, noting that strong government leadership, supportive state policies, and private sector partnerships are critical for success. It argues that while local actions are significant, they require an enabling national policy framework, including strong power plant regulations and carbon pricing, to reach their full potential.
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Document type: Report
Defending Maui Residents from Pesticides and GE Contamination
A coalition including Earthjustice and the Center for Food Safety is defending a Maui County initiative that bans genetically engineered (GE) crops until their safety is proven. This follows similar efforts in Kauaʻi and Hawaiʻi counties. The initiative was challenged in court by Monsanto and Dow-owned Agrigenetics shortly after its passage in November 2014. The document highlights the high volume of GE field test sites in Hawaiʻi compared to California and the associated risks of pesticide spraying near communities.
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Document type: Case study
BRIDGES TO NEW SOLAR BUSINESS MODELS
The report argues that current U.S. distributed solar (DPV) business models are overly customer-centric and fail to capture operational grid benefits, leading to conflict between utilities and solar companies. It proposes three 'bridge' business model building blocks: increasing access via subscription models, optimizing deployment for capacity and grid services, and bundling solar with other distributed energy resources (DERs). The authors emphasize that maximizing DPV value requires collaboration to reduce 'soft costs' and a shift toward standardized valuation methodologies and transparent data sharing between stakeholders.
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Document type: Report
Quantitative Insights into Urban Form and Transportation Solutions
The document provides a comprehensive review of empirical studies demonstrating that compact, transit-oriented, and walkable urban design leads to lower greenhouse gas emissions, reduced infrastructure costs, and increased labor productivity. It highlights specific findings from China, such as the negative energy impacts of 'superblocks' in Jinan and the property value premiums associated with Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) in Beijing and Guangzhou. The report also emphasizes the cost-effectiveness of BRT over light rail and the public health benefits of non-motorized transit, while identifying research gaps in developer-side profit data and the specific productivity effects of density in Chinese cities.
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Document type: Research paper
La gageure REDD
The document critiques the REDD (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation) mechanism, asserting that it prioritizes private finance and corporate interests over indigenous rights and genuine climate mitigation. Through case studies in Indonesia, Mozambique, and Peru, it demonstrates how REDD projects can exacerbate land conflicts, threaten food security, and fail to achieve carbon reduction goals. The report concludes that REDD is a 'false solution' that allows industrial polluters in the Global North to continue emitting via carbon offsets. It proposes an alternative based on community-led forest management, the resolution of land tenure issues, and a systemic reduction in the consumption of resources by rich countries.
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Document type: Report
La gran ruleta REDD
Friends of the Earth International (FoEI) critiques the REDD (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation) mechanism, claiming it exacerbates land tenure conflicts, threatens food security, and allows industrial polluters in the Global North to avoid domestic emission cuts. Through case studies in Indonesia, Mozambique, and Peru, the report illustrates failures in carbon accounting, financial instability, and the marginalization of Indigenous peoples. FoEI proposes an alternative model of community forest management, citing Bolivia's proposal to the UNFCCC as a viable path toward climate justice and sustainable forest preservation.
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Document type: Report
The great REDD gamble
Friends of the Earth International (FoEI) contends that REDD+ (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation) fails to deliver permanent emissions reductions and often harms Indigenous Peoples and local communities. Through case studies in Indonesia, Mozambique, and Peru, the report illustrates how REDD+ can exacerbate land tenure conflicts, threaten food security, and facilitate continued pollution in industrialised countries via carbon offsets. FoEI proposes replacing these market-based mechanisms with community-led forest management based on traditional knowledge and a global reduction in the demand for forest-derived products.
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Document type: Report
NEXT-GENERATION ENERGY MANAGEMENT SOLUTIONS FOR THE NEXT LEVEL OF PERFORMANCE IN CORPORATE REAL ESTATE
The document outlines eleven strategic solutions to help companies achieve net-zero energy in corporate real estate. It categorizes these into 'organize' (securing C-suite support and multi-disciplinary teams), 'capitalize' (investing in smart building management, health-focused design, and external financing), and 'optimize' (using value-based approaches and portfolio-wide investment allocation). The report emphasizes that energy efficiency should be the first priority due to its cost-effectiveness and potential to improve employee productivity.
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Document type: Report
Tackling the Challenge of CLIMATE CHANGE
The document argues that the world must move beyond incremental change to a systemic low-carbon transformation. It identifies commercially available technologies in energy efficiency, renewable energy, and land-use practices that can be scaled immediately. It emphasizes the need for carbon pricing, the elimination of fossil fuel subsidies, and a rapid phase-out of unabated coal to avoid catastrophic climate feedbacks and high future mitigation costs.
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Document type: Report