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The report examines how trade liberalization, specifically through the WTO's Doha Round and NAMA negotiations, facilitates the privatization of natural resources and harms marginalized populations. It provides case studies on the depletion of fisheries in the Philippines and Seychelles, deforestation in Indonesia and Central America, and the impact of industrial pig farming and soy expansion in Denmark and Argentina. The document advocates for food and energy sovereignty and the recognition of water as a human right over a tradable commodity.

The paper examines the potential of end-use energy efficiency to displace primary energy supplies and reduce global carbon emissions. It argues that traditional economic models underestimate this potential by ignoring market failures and the benefits of whole-system design. The author demonstrates that integrating efficiency across an entire system—such as a building or a vehicle—can lead to 'expanding returns' where massive energy savings actually reduce total capital costs. The text advocates for a shift from price-centric policies to 'barrier-busting' and competitive markets for 'negawatts' (saved watts) to accelerate the transition to sustainable energy systems.

The document examines the conflict between the TRIPS Agreement and the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), specifically advocating for mandatory disclosure of the origin of genetic resources and traditional knowledge in patent applications to prevent biopiracy. It also provides a quarterly update on IP negotiations within the WTO, WIPO, and other UN bodies, as well as developments in bilateral and regional free trade agreements involving the US and EU.

The report examines the shift of tax burdens from labour to consumption and natural resource use, known as Ecological Tax Reform (ETR). It analyzes how EU nations have used energy, transport, and pollution taxes to internalize environmental costs while maintaining economic competitiveness. The document highlights that successful ETRs often combine tax increases on pollutants with reductions in social security or income taxes, creating a 'double dividend' of environmental improvement and increased employment. Based on these international experiences, the report suggests that Estonia should phase out subsidies for its oil-shale energy sector, introduce carbon-based energy taxes, and implement differentiated vehicle taxes to stimulate resource efficiency and sustainable development.

The document outlines several objections to GM oilseed rape trials in Scotland, citing poor trial design, the risk of creating herbicide-resistant 'superweeds', and the potential for genetic contamination of non-GM crops. It highlights the dangers of the 'Liberty' herbicide (glufosinate), alleging it causes birth defects in animals and poses a threat to wildlife in Munlochy Bay. Additionally, the submission discusses risks to bees, including horizontal gene transfer and antibiotic resistance, and warns that the use of the cauliflower mosaic virus promoter could lead to new diseases. The authors conclude that the trials are flawed and the crops are economically and environmentally unviable.

The document examines the development of international accreditation frameworks designed to facilitate global trade by ensuring that testing and certification results are accepted across borders. It details the functions of ILAC and IAF, their respective Mutual Recognition Arrangements (MLAs), and the importance of policy correlation between governments and accreditation bodies to reduce redundant assessments and technical barriers to trade.

This fact sheet traces the evolution of sustainable development from the 1960s to 2002. It highlights a progression from early environmental warnings, such as Rachel Carson's 1962 work, to the establishment of major international frameworks like the 1987 Brundtland Report and the 1992 Rio Earth Summit. The timeline documents the rise of environmental NGOs, the creation of UN agencies like UNEP, and the development of climate-specific agreements including the Montreal Protocol and the Kyoto Protocol. It also notes the intersection of sustainability with social issues, such as poverty eradication, human rights, and gender equality, culminating in the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg.

The document is a collection of academic contributions from the 2001 NACS conference. It explores the complexities of China's transition to a market economy, focusing on the adaptability of the Communist Party, the challenges of urban neighbourhood governance in Shanghai, the dilemmas of bilingual education in Tibetan areas, and the development of indigenous social sciences. It also examines specific cases such as microcredit for poverty alleviation and the failure of a Sino-Norwegian environmental technology project in Yantai.

The document argues that proactive action on climate change can reduce costs, mitigate risks, and create competitive advantages. It outlines short-term strategies like emission tracking and 'no-regrets' energy efficiency, and long-term investments in clean technology and carbon trading. It emphasizes 'whole-systems thinking' to achieve radical resource efficiency and provides case studies of companies like BP, Dow, and Interface that have integrated sustainability into their business models.

The document presents a series of case studies from Friends of the Earth (FoE) affiliates worldwide, highlighting grassroots efforts to combat deforestation, protect endangered species, promote organic food, and transition to renewable energy. It emphasizes the role of local communities—particularly indigenous peoples and women—in creating sustainable alternatives to corporate-led development. The report also outlines the organization's broader political agenda to challenge international financial institutions and multinational corporations, advocating for 'ecological debt' payments from the Global North to the Global South.

The report examines daylighting projects that uncover buried waterways to restore ecological function and urban amenities. It details 18 completed projects in the US, including those in California, Washington, and Illinois, and discusses international examples from Europe and Canada. Key findings highlight that while daylighting can improve water quality, reduce flooding, and increase property values, it faces social fears, institutional hurdles, and technical complexities. The document provides recommendations for project proponents, emphasizing community involvement, expert technical assistance, and a phased approach to implementation.

The document examines the gap between the political will of African states to manage their own security and their actual operational capabilities. It analyzes the shortcomings of the OAU, SADC, and ECOWAS, and details the 'capacity-building' programs of the US, UK, France, and Denmark. The authors argue that while these Western initiatives provide tangible training and equipment, they are primarily driven by a desire to avoid direct military involvement in African conflicts rather than a genuine commitment to African self-sufficiency.

The report examines the Baltic Sea Region's trajectory toward 2030, contrasting a business-as-usual scenario with a sustainability vision. It argues that conventional development will lead to increased environmental pressure and persistent socio-economic disparities, whereas a sustainability vision requires decoupling economic growth from resource throughput through aggressive technological innovation and a shift in human values.

The document analyzes the gap between the South African National Defence Force's (SANDF) 'Growth-core force design' and its actual budget, which is insufficient to sustain the approved force. It details a shortlist of foreign suppliers for corvettes, submarines, main battle tanks, and aircraft, while explaining the role of Industrial Participation (IP) in these deals. The author argues that the total estimated cost of these acquisitions (R25-38 billion) is unaffordable, suggesting that South Africa can likely only afford R8-9 billion in procurement, prioritizing corvettes and submarine refurbishment.

The document argues that while the Baltic Sea Region has a strong tradition of environmental co-operation, it is not yet on a path toward sustainable development. It proposes 'Baltic 21', a regional action programme designed to bridge economic disparities between the West Baltic Region (WBR) and East Baltic Region (EBR) while addressing critical environmental threats. The report identifies key risks including eutrophication of the Baltic Sea, acid rain, and the environmental legacy of Soviet-era industry in Russia and Poland. It emphasizes the need for a holistic approach that integrates sustainability into key sectors—energy, agriculture, forestry, transport, and industry—and leverages the influence of the European Union's pre-accession strategies to harmonize environmental standards across the region.

The document is a teaching guide designed to simulate negotiations over a proposed European Union carbon tax. It combines negotiation theory—drawing on works by Raiffa, Bazerman, Neale, Fisher, and Ury—with a technical game-theory model to show how cooperation can lead to mutually beneficial outcomes. The guide discusses the challenges of unilateral climate policy, specifically the risk of 'leakage' where emissions shift outside the EU, and the potential for carbon tax revenues to be used for fiscal reform to reduce unemployment.

The report warns that Poland's economic restructuring and privatization are attracting 'dirty' foreign investment, where transnational corporations (TNCs) and international financial institutions apply lower environmental standards than in their home countries. It highlights risks such as the transfer of hazardous technologies, illegal waste imports, and the promotion of 'end-of-pipe' solutions over clean production. To mitigate these risks, the document proposes a framework of seven contractual principles—including the right to know, strict liability, and mandatory environmental audits—to be inserted into privatization contracts until robust national legislation is enacted.

The paper proposes replacing conventional steel cars with 'supercars' that combine ultralight composite bodies, aerodynamic optimization, and hybrid-electric powertrains. The authors argue that such vehicles could achieve fuel efficiencies of <1.6 litres per 100 km in the near term and 0.8-1.0 litres per 100 km ultimately, without sacrificing safety or performance. This transition would require a shift from capital-intensive steel stamping to flexible, low-tooling composite moulding and a move toward direct-to-consumer marketing, potentially disrupting the existing industrial structure of the global auto industry.

The document details Esprit's transition from a high-growth fashion brand to one incorporating social and environmental ethics through its Ecollection line. It contrasts conventional cotton production with Ecollection's low-impact methods, analyzes the financial challenges of higher production costs, and evaluates the first season's sales results across Asia, Europe, and the USA. The case concludes by proposing four strategic alternatives for the line's future, ranging from continued R&D subsidization to full integration into the main product line.

The paper asserts that most global warming can be abated at negative net cost by replacing inefficient resource use with advanced technologies in energy, farming, and forestry. It details specific potentials for saving electricity and oil, argues for a 'best buys first' investment strategy to avoid opportunity costs, and proposes market-based implementation techniques such as 'feebates' and 'negawatts'. The authors emphasize that these measures support global equity and development, particularly in the USSR and developing nations, while providing significant co-benefits in environmental protection and security.