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This report highlights the achievements of Friends of the Earth International (FoEI) over four decades, detailing specific campaigns against extractive industries, pollution, and unsustainable development. It documents legal victories, such as the ban on open-pit mining in Costa Rica and the recognition of water as a human right in Uruguay, as well as grassroots successes in reforestation in Belgium and the protection of eucalyptus forests in Australia. The text emphasizes the role of international solidarity and legal action in challenging neoliberal globalization and protecting the rights of indigenous peoples and local communities.

The report documents various environmental and social justice campaigns led by Friends of the Earth (FoE) member groups across the globe. Key achievements include the 2008 UK Climate Change Act, a ban on open-pit metal mining in Costa Rica (2010), and the cessation of commercial whaling in Spain (1985). The document also details ongoing resistance against coal-fired power plants in Germany and Scotland, gas flaring in Nigeria, and the impact of large-scale dams in Mozambique, South Korea, and the Philippines. It emphasizes a strategy of combining grassroots mobilization, legal challenges, and international solidarity to combat corporate globalization and protect indigenous and community rights.

The report analyzes the BASIC group's role in global climate diplomacy, arguing that while they appear as a unified bloc, their cooperation is conditioned by diverse domestic priorities and broader geopolitical ambitions. It examines the specific drivers for Brazil, South Africa, India, and China, and explores how the group balances its identity as developing nations with its rising global influence.

The document introduces the 'Smart Garage' concept—the convergence of electrified vehicles, smart grids, and building energy systems—and provides a framework for a stakeholder charrette to overcome implementation barriers. RMI's financial modeling suggests that while basic convenience charging (V0G) is costly, integrated scenarios like Vehicle-to-Building (V2B) and Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) can be profitable, with V2B estimated at a net present value of $34B. The briefing identifies critical technical and business barriers, such as battery costs and lack of standardization, and outlines 'hot topics' for debate, including control of charging and the role of government subsidies.

The document provides a comprehensive survey of quantitative research on the health impacts of climate change, categorizing studies by their methodological approach (primary, secondary, and comparative risk assessments) and the statistical models employed (time-series, non-parametric, and panel/spatial models). It highlights the complex relationship between climatic variables and diseases, particularly malaria, and reviews major global reports from the WHO and the Stern Review to outline the broader economic and public health implications of global warming.

The document examines the technology and global status of offshore wind energy, noting that while Europe leads in operational capacity, the United States has significant untapped potential. It details the technical requirements for different water depths, the regulatory frameworks in countries like Denmark, and the specific siting and permitting complexities in the U.S. The text also addresses public concerns regarding tourism, wildlife, and military radar, while highlighting the economic benefits in terms of job creation and greenhouse gas reduction.

Scientists advocate for the U.S. to provide $1 billion for REDD+ to protect tropical forests, citing their role in carbon storage and biodiversity.

The National Chairman of the South African Institute of International Affairs reviews the 2009-2010 period, highlighting South Africa's influence in the G20 and the BASIC group during the Copenhagen Climate Change Summit. It discusses the need for reform in Bretton Woods institutions and the challenges of democratic stability in Africa, specifically in Zimbabwe, Nigeria, and Sudan. The statement also outlines President Zuma's prioritisation of bilateral relations with Angola, Brazil, and the UK, and the establishment of the South African Development Partnership Agency (SADPA).

The research evaluates irrigation water pricing policies in Puglia, Italy, using a two-step process: simulation via mathematical programming and efficiency analysis via Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA). The study compares technical efficiency with 'eco-efficiency,' which simultaneously considers economic outputs and environmental externalities. Results indicate that volumetric pricing methods are generally the most efficient, while inefficiency in other options is primarily driven by technical factors, specifically labour use, rather than environmental concerns like nitrate surplus or pesticide risk.

The report describes Feed-in Tariffs (FITs) as a policy tool to accelerate renewable energy deployment by providing guaranteed, long-term payment rates and grid access to producers. It highlights successful implementations in Denmark and Germany, while noting that Spain's high rates led to overinvestment and a subsequent global drop in solar panel prices. In the US, the report notes a lack of federal policy but identifies local efforts in Gainesville, Florida, and California, concluding with design recommendations such as using trial phases and binding caps to avoid windfall profits.

The report analyzes the impasse in WTO Doha Round negotiations regarding environmental goods and services (EGS), specifically the difficulty in defining and listing goods for tariff reduction. It proposes a framework for progress by examining the structures of the CITES, Rotterdam, and Stockholm Conventions, as well as the Energy Star, Marine Stewardship Council (MSC), and coffee sustainability labels. The authors recommend that the WTO avoid creating its own standards, instead referencing external scientific standards, establishing a technical advisory body, and incorporating flexibility through reservations and special treatment for developing countries.

The author contends that the perceived intractability of nuclear proliferation, climate change, and oil dependence stems from a mistaken assumption that climate protection and oil displacement are costly. By applying 'integrative design' and 'micropower' (cogeneration and renewables), the author argues that energy efficiency and distributed generation are more profitable, faster to deploy, and more effective than nuclear power. Specifically, the paper asserts that phasing out nuclear power is a necessary condition for nonproliferation because civilian nuclear infrastructure provides the materials and knowledge required for weapons. The author proposes that the U.S. should reform the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) by redefining the obligations under Article IV to provide developing nations with efficient, non-nuclear energy security rather than nuclear technology.

The report challenges the traditional utility assumption that 'baseload' power plants are necessary for grid stability, noting that all generators, including coal and nuclear, experience outages. It proposes a new electricity paradigm integrating energy efficiency, demand response, renewables, and storage. The authors assert that variable renewables like wind and solar can reliably meet demand if utilities use existing plants differently, incorporate new storage technologies, and increase control over demand. Examples from Denmark, Germany, and a NREL study on the eastern U.S. are cited to demonstrate the feasibility of high renewable penetration.

The report evaluates two scenarios for the UK transport sector's CO2 emissions by 2050: Business-as-usual (BAU) and Maximum Impact (MI). While road and rail transport can achieve total decarbonisation through a combination of demand reduction and a shift to carbon-neutral electricity, aviation and shipping remain problematic. The MI scenario achieves a 76% overall reduction in transport CO2 emissions compared to BAU, but falls short of zero carbon due to the technical challenges of the aviation and shipping sectors. Key recommendations include the re-introduction of a fuel price escalator, urban densification, and the complete electrification of the rail network.

A global coalition of civil society organizations, including Friends of the Earth International, issued a statement on December 7, 2009, condemning the Danish government's conduct as President of the UNFCCC Conference of Parties. The groups argue that the Danish Prime Minister undermined democratic UN processes by convening exclusive groups of countries and drafting "Copenhagen Accords" before the meeting began, effectively excluding most nations and ignoring the demands of developing countries. The statement asserts that these actions shift the burden of climate change from developed to developing nations and threaten the potential for a fair and effective agreement in Copenhagen.

The document analyzes the COP 15 summit, detailing the emission commitments of major economies like the US, China, and the EU, and evaluating the resulting non-binding agreement. It highlights the establishment of the Copenhagen Green Climate Fund and the political consensus on a 2°C temperature limit, while criticizing the lack of specific mitigation targets and the opaque negotiation process.

The document compares different policy instruments for increasing energy efficiency in appliances across several EU member states, finding that while subsidies often lead to greater CO2 reductions, energy taxes generally provide higher welfare gains and lower administrative costs. The effectiveness of these policies varies significantly by product type and country, with tax credits for boilers proving highly cost-effective in Italy and Denmark, and the ban of inefficient washing machines being preferable to manufacturer tax credits in Italy and Poland, despite high overall welfare costs.

The document examines China's heavy reliance on coal-fired power, which makes it a global leader in sulphur dioxide and carbon dioxide emissions. It analyzes the 'big up/small down' strategy to replace inefficient small thermal units with larger, cleaner ones and reviews international best practices—including carbon taxes, feed-in tariffs, and emission trading—to suggest policy options for China to reduce its carbon intensity and protect its exports from future climate-related trade barriers.

The report examines the barriers and opportunities for implementing life cycle costing (LCC) in sustainable public procurement (SPP). It finds that while LCC is used in some industrialized nations, its application is often non-systematic and hindered by conflicting capital and revenue budgets, a lack of procurer expertise, and data gaps. The authors argue that LCC should be integrated into high-level public expenditure policy to shift the procurement mindset from 'best value for money' at purchase to 'best value across the asset life cycle.'

The document examines the technical and political challenges of integrating REDD into global climate policy, focusing on the scope of activities (from REDD to REDD++), financing mechanisms, measurement, reporting and verification (MRV) standards, and institutional governance. It highlights the diversity of national circumstances, particularly in Africa, and the need for a phased implementation approach that balances equity with efficiency.