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The policy brief examines the 'letting others lead' approach of European states toward the regulation of commercial military services. It contends that the perceived restrictiveness of European frameworks is an illusion, as core military tasks are routinely outsourced and regulations are often interpreted permissively or bypassed. This lack of internal rigor leads European states to relegate regulatory initiative to allies (such as the US and UK), multi-stakeholder codes of conduct, and industry self-regulation, which further fragments the global regulatory landscape and reduces accountability.

The author contends that official archives and contemporary reports often serve as political legitimization rather than factual records. Using examples such as secret Swedish-US military cooperation, the 1980s submarine incursions in Sweden, and Cold War-era terrorism in Europe, the paper demonstrates how 'formative events' are frequently misinterpreted due to classification. The author advocates for a 'triangulation' method—combining archive material, technical evidence, and oral history—to uncover truths that states intentionally keep off the record.

The report analyzes the challenges of implementing agri-environmental measures under the EU's Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) within the Baltic Sea Region (BSR). It finds that a lack of coordination between agricultural and environmental sectors, insufficient stakeholder involvement, and an 'uneven playing field' in funding and entitlements have hindered the achievement of environmental boundary conditions. The authors argue that the CAP's national focus often undermines transboundary cooperation and regional cohesion. To address this, they recommend consolidating CAP Pillars 1 and 2 to treat environmental services as a core value of farming and introducing 'soft measures' to support stakeholder dialogue and regional nutrient reduction targets.

The report identifies a wide array of technical innovations for phosphorus capture and reuse in the Baltic Sea Region but notes they are often voluntary and under-supported by EU policy. Stakeholders generally oppose a centralised EU regulatory approach, citing a lack of confidence in administration and the need to respect regional diversity in farming systems. Instead, there is significant interest in market-based approaches to commoditise phosphorus residues and the use of stakeholder platforms to mediate between competing regional interests.

The 2011-2012 CDKN Partner Survey reveals high satisfaction with the network's information products, particularly its publications and newsletter, with higher approval ratings from partners in the South. While over 83% of respondents found CDKN effective at facilitating knowledge sharing, there were significant criticisms regarding its procurement processes and the administrative burden placed on partners, especially smaller organisations and individual consultants. Partners suggested a greater focus on grassroots support in developing countries and the creation of more practical, field-based partnerships.

The report examines the role of agriculture within UNFCCC negotiations, highlighting its unique position as a sector where mitigation and adaptation are intertwined. It identifies key areas of consensus, such as the link between agriculture and food security, while detailing points of contention between developed and developing nations regarding trade implications, the principle of common but differentiated responsibility (CBDR), and the use of carbon markets. The document argues for a 'triple dividend' approach that simultaneously improves food security, adaptive capacity, and emission reductions.

South Africa hosted COP 17 in 2011 with the goal of establishing legal guidelines for carbon emission reductions and advancing a post-2012 global climate regime. The document highlights the tension between developed and developing nations regarding binding targets, specifically the stalemate over the Kyoto Protocol. South Africa aims to act as a bridge-builder, championing African agency and adaptation needs while coordinating with the BASIC alliance. Domestically, the document notes that South Africa must finalize policies on carbon taxes and renewable energy tariffs to lead by example, as it is the world's 13th highest greenhouse-gas emitter.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon argues that sustainable energy is essential to defeating poverty and combating climate change. He proposes three linked objectives for 2030: universal access to modern energy, doubling the rate of energy efficiency improvement, and doubling the share of renewable energy in the global mix. The document identifies financial, regulatory, and infrastructural barriers to this transition and calls for a global 'clean energy revolution' supported by the Sustainable Energy for All initiative.

The report analyzes six case studies—onshore wind in the U.S. and Spain, solar PV in the U.S. and Italy, a solar power tower in the U.S., and offshore wind in Denmark—to determine how policy impacts the cost of finance. It identifies seven policy impact pathways, finding that the duration of revenue support and revenue certainty are the most critical factors in reducing financing costs. The analysis shows that while most projects' costs and returns align with benchmarks, the Italian PV case experienced inflated costs and returns due to a rush to qualify for a Feed-in-Premium. The report concludes that policies reducing risk and providing revenue certainty are essential for attracting institutional investors and scaling innovative technologies.

The author contends that the Fukushima disaster was avoidable and highlights the systemic failures in nuclear regulation and governance in Japan and the US. He argues that nuclear power is economically inferior to renewables and efficiency, noting that renewables surpassed nuclear's global installed capacity in 2010. The text calls for Japan to leverage its technological strengths in efficiency and renewables to lead a global shift away from centralized, high-risk power plants toward distributed, clean energy systems.

The report evaluates information tools used to encourage residential energy retrofits, categorizing them by the stage of the decision-making process they target: creating awareness, assisting in planning, and supporting professional implementation. It finds that while individual tools like detailed billing or energy audits can trigger savings, their effectiveness often depends on implementation design, such as 'opt-out' participation and the communication skills of professionals. The document highlights that in Germany, the government aims to reduce buildings' primary energy demand for thermal use by 80% by 2050, requiring a significant increase in the annual retrofit rate.

This working paper by the Climate Policy Initiative (CPI) establishes a framework for diagnosing policy effectiveness by analyzing the link between policy, finance, and outcomes. It argues that policies impact the investment environment by altering the allocation of costs, revenues, and risks, which subsequently affects the types of investors attracted to projects. The paper details the specific requirements and risk tolerances of different investor classes—including debt, equity, mezzanine, and venture capital—and explains how these dynamics shift across the development, construction, and operation stages of a project. CPI intends to use this framework for future case studies to test hypotheses on financial structures and contractual risk allocation.

The Freshwater Trout Aquaculture Dialogue (FTAD) has developed a comprehensive set of draft standards to minimize the environmental and social impacts of freshwater trout farming globally. The standards are organized around six core principles: legal compliance, habitat and biodiversity conservation, water resource protection, fish health and welfare, resource efficiency, and social responsibility. Key environmental requirements include prohibitions on transgenic trout, strict limits on phosphorus discharge (6.5 kg/mt of fish), and the mandatory use of riparian buffer zones of at least 10 meters for new farms. Social standards align with ILO guidelines, prohibiting child and forced labor while requiring a basic needs wage for all employees. The document also specifies rigorous feed sourcing requirements, aiming for 100% certified marine ingredients within five years and a Fishmeal Forage Fish Dependency Ratio (FFDRm) of ≤ 1.5. Certification is site-specific and requires 100% compliance across all standards.

The report presents wind power as a viable alternative to fossil fuels in the U.S., highlighting its competitiveness with natural gas and its ability to reduce CO2 emissions and water consumption. It details economic advantages such as job creation and local tax revenue, while addressing environmental impacts on wildlife and human concerns regarding noise and aesthetics. The document concludes that reaching a target of 20 percent wind electricity by 2030 is feasible and affordable, provided the U.S. adopts stable long-term policies like a national renewable electricity standard.

The author contends that nuclear power is uniquely dangerous and economically unviable compared to renewable energy. Using the Fukushima disaster as a catalyst, the text argues that nuclear plants are too slow and costly to effectively combat climate change, noting that private investment has shifted toward renewables. The author suggests that the global decline of nuclear power is driven by market forces rather than isolated accidents, and urges the U.S. and Japan to move toward a post-nuclear energy future.

CDM Watch and partner organizations are calling on EU Environment Ministers to ensure that HFC-23 and adipic acid (N2O AA) offset credits are banned from national registries for non-traded sectors by April 2013. While these credits are banned from the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) as of 30 April 2013, the authors argue that the Effort Sharing Decision (ESD) could be exploited to allow their use toward national targets, undermining domestic emissions reductions and the Montreal Protocol.

The report assesses how a 30% GHG reduction target by 2020 would affect EU energy security compared to a 20% target and a business-as-usual scenario. It finds that more ambitious targets generally improve primary energy security by reducing overall energy demand and fossil fuel imports, particularly oil. However, it notes that the transition may increase risks for specific countries like Poland due to a shift from coal to imported gas, and could negatively impact electricity grid security due to the intermittency of renewables and the need for significant new capacity investments.

The document examines the strategic importance of low-carbon technology for the EU, highlighting the risk of 'high carbon lock-in' if infrastructure decisions today commit economies to high-emissions pathways for 20-30 years. It argues that the current 20% emissions target is insufficient to drive the necessary scale and speed of innovation. The authors propose a 30% target by 2020 to provide certainty for investors and spur the deployment of technologies like electric vehicles and carbon capture and sequestration (CCS). The report also emphasizes the need for a system-wide risk management approach and increased international cooperation, particularly with China, the US, and Japan, to create integrated global markets and avoid protectionism.

The report argues that the UNFCCC process became dysfunctional following the 'debacle' of COP 15 in Copenhagen, specifically regarding the use of small negotiating groups and 'chairs' texts'. To remedy this, the author proposes a 'politically balanced' model for selecting representatives to small groups to ensure legitimacy and inclusiveness. The report also suggests increasing transparency for informal consultations through calls for expressions of interest and virtual participation (webcasting). Finally, it recommends a structured approach to High-Level Segments, where ministers provide political guidance on a small number of 'crunch issues' through a sequential schedule of briefing, negotiating, and debriefing, while keeping heads of state and government in 'extracurricular' roles.

The document outlines four decades of activism by Friends of the Earth International, highlighting specific successes in banning commercial whaling in Spain, prohibiting open-pit mining in Costa Rica, and establishing the first climate change law in the UK. It details diverse campaigns against coal power in Germany, oil pollution in Nigeria, and genetically modified organisms in Europe, while emphasizing the role of grassroots mobilization and legal action in achieving environmental protections and human rights.