Search Climate Insights Directory
2,088 results
European and Global Climate Change Projections
The ClimateCost project analysed three emissions scenarios (A1B, E1, and RCP8.5) to project temperature and precipitation changes. Findings indicate that global temperatures could rise by 2.4°C to 3.4°C by 2071-2100 under the A1B scenario, with Europe experiencing more intense summer warming, particularly in the south. While the E1 mitigation scenario reduces these increases, projections for all scenarios do not significantly diverge until after 2040, emphasizing the need for immediate adaptation. Precipitation projections show higher uncertainty, but suggest wetter winters for Northern Europe and drier conditions for Southern Europe.
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Document type: Policy brief
Greening China's Fish and Fish Products Market Supply Chains
China is the world's largest producer, consumer, and exporter of seafood, meaning its supply chain practices significantly impact global aquatic resource sustainability. While the Chinese system excels in aquaculture scale and value addition, it faces weaknesses in traceability and sustainable harvesting of live coral reef fish. The report analyzes three specific supply chains—tilapia, cod, and grouper—and provides recommendations to the Chinese government to address sustainability needs.
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Document type: Report
International Experiences of Nodal Pricing Implementation
The document analyzes the transition to nodal pricing, noting that US Independent System Operators (ISOs) typically recover implementation costs within one year through efficiency gains. It details the use of Financial Transmission Rights (FTRs) and Auction Revenue Rights (ARRs) to hedge locational price risks and maintain market liquidity. The paper compares the US ISO model with European TSO structures, arguing that ISOs provide a more transparent framework for information sharing and system security, particularly as renewable energy penetration increases. It also highlights the Iberian experience in optimizing day-ahead and intraday markets to accommodate wind power forecasts.
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Document type: Research paper
The Role of Government Policy in the Development of Solar Photovoltaic Power
The document introduces a project by the Climate Policy Initiative (CPI) to analyze the impact of government policy on the development and cost reduction of solar photovoltaic (PV) technology. It identifies cost as the primary obstacle to PV's technical potential and proposes a four-step evaluation framework—linking objectives, activities, drivers, and policies—to assess policy effectiveness across the PV value chain. The briefing highlights key policy questions regarding the use of targeted versus broad-based tools, the interaction between local and national policies, and the role of capital markets in financing deployment.
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Document type: Briefing
An Assessment of the Impact of Policy on the Financing of Clean Energy
The document describes a project to assess the impact of policy on clean energy financing, focusing on whether policies encourage a sustainable and cost-effective mix of investments. It highlights the role of risk allocation and the importance of project financing eligibility in determining the overall cost of energy projects. The project aims to analyze debt, equity, venture capital, and mezzanine finance across different technology maturity levels and global regions.
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Document type: Briefing
The UN Security Council is South Africa ready for the prime time?
The paper critiques South Africa's 'yes' vote on UN Security Council Resolution 1973, arguing that the country failed to foresee how the intervention in Libya would shift from protecting civilians to an unofficial NATO policy of regime change. It suggests that South Africa ignored warnings from BRICS partners regarding loopholes in the resolution and concludes that the country needs a more rigorous, principle-based approach to decision-making to be effective on the Security Council.
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Document type: Research paper
Emerging players in Africa: What's in it for Africa-Europe relations?
The report details a policy dialogue focused on the shifting dynamics of Africa's external relations as emerging powers—specifically China, India, and Brazil—increase their presence. It argues that Europe no longer holds a privileged position and suggests that African-led 'triangular' cooperation involving traditional donors and emerging economies could enhance development effectiveness. Key discussions centered on reconciling commercial interests with altruistic values, the need for African ownership of development strategies, and the potential for mutual learning, such as the EU sharing anti-corruption experiences while learning from China's commercial engagement models.
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Document type: Report
Direct Testimony of Jeremy Fisher, Ph.D. On Behalf of Sierra Club
Jeremy Fisher, Ph.D., testifying for the Sierra Club, argues that Kentucky Power Company's (KPCo) analysis erroneously favors retrofitting the Big Sandy 2 unit. He identifies significant flaws in the Strategist and Aurora models, including underestimated capital costs for the retrofit, overestimated costs for natural gas combined cycle (NGCC) replacements, and an unrealistically low carbon dioxide (CO2) price forecast. Fisher asserts that when these errors are corrected and off-system sales are properly allocated, alternatives such as NGCC replacement or market purchases are substantially more cost-effective than the FGD retrofit.
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Document type: Report
Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax Under section 501(c), 527, or 4947(a)(1) of the Internal Revenue Code (except black lung benefit trust or private foundation)
The World Resources Institute (WRI) reported total revenue of $39,871,632 and total expenses of $37,145,082 for the 2009 tax year. Its primary mission is to "MOVE HUMAN SOCIETY TO LIVE IN WAYS THAT PROTECT EARTH'S ENVIRONMENT". The organization operates several key programs focusing on climate, energy, pollution, ecosystem degradation, and urban mobility, with significant grantmaking and program activities conducted both within the United States and internationally, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa, East Asia, and South America.
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Document type: Report
¿quién se beneficia con los cultivos transgénicos?
The report argues that the GM crop industry exaggerates benefits and suppresses evidence of harm. It documents a global trend of public and legal rejection, including the reduction of GM acreage in Europe and court rulings against Monsanto in the US. The text highlights the increased use of agrotóxicos, specifically glyphosate, and the risks of new GM animals like salmon and pigs. It further criticizes the influence of the US government and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in promoting GM technologies in Africa and Latin America, which the authors claim threatens traditional agricultural practices and food sovereignty.
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Document type: Report
Use of McKinsey abatement cost curves for climate economics modeling
The authors adapt McKinsey's global abatement cost data for use in the CRED model by aggregating 21 regions into nine and 11 sectors into two (land use and industry). To resolve the theoretical conflict of 'negative-cost' abatements—where energy savings outweigh investment—the authors assign these measures a near-zero but positive cost. The resulting estimates suggest that emission reductions may be cheaper than those projected by top-down integrated assessment models like RICE or EMF-22, while remaining broadly comparable to the MIT EPPA model's positive-cost estimates.
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Document type: Research paper
South Africa and the BRICs: A Crisis of Identity in Foreign Policy
The author questions the strategic value of South Africa joining the BRICs, noting that the group is an informal construct rather than a coherent political or economic bloc. The paper argues that BRICs membership does not inherently improve trade and investment opportunities, as bilateral barriers persist and the group includes economic competitors. Furthermore, the author suggests that joining the BRICs may undermine the IBSA Dialogue Forum and contradict South Africa's image as an assertive regional power.
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Document type: Research paper
Cheering Long Awaited Rules
The author supports the EPA's plan to propose carbon performance standards for power plants by July 2011, arguing that such regulations are necessary in the absence of federal legislation to drive clean energy investment and reduce harmful emissions. The text emphasizes that while coal-fired plants are a major source of pollution and 40% of U.S. carbon emissions, phased-in regulation and the development of a robust carbon capture and storage (CCS) industry are the most effective paths toward climate stabilization.
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Document type: Statement
Relative Importance of different Climate Policy Elements for Corporate Climate Innovation Activities
The study finds that climate policy elements, including the EU ETS and long-term targets, are generally rated as less relevant to corporate investment decisions in the power sector than market factors and technology-specific regulations like feed-in tariffs. For technology providers, long-term targets are significantly more relevant than the EU ETS for both RD&D and sales. Power generators show a high correlation between the perceived relevance of the EU ETS and long-term targets. The research also indicates that technology providers' reliance on technology-specific policies is strongly linked to their product portfolios, while power generators' relevance ratings are less dependent on their technology portfolios. Higher long-term CO2 price expectations and greater certainty about those prices correlate with a higher perceived relevance of the EU ETS for new plant investments.
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Document type: Research paper
Relative Importance of different Climate Policy Elements for Corporate Climate Innovation Activities
The study finds that climate policy elements, including the EU ETS and long-term targets, are generally less influential in corporate investment decisions than market prices and technology-specific regulations like feed-in tariffs. While technology providers view long-term targets as significantly more relevant than the EU ETS for RD&D and sales, power generators see the EU ETS as slightly more relevant for new plant adoption. The research emphasizes that a coordinated policy mix of stringent, predictable instruments and ambitious long-term targets is necessary to drive low-carbon innovation.
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Document type: Research paper
Europe’s Challenge: A Smart Power Market at the Centre of a Smart Grid
The report assesses the inefficiencies of the current European power market, specifically regarding congestion management and wind integration. It compares existing approaches like market coupling and loop-flow incorporation with the US-style nodal pricing system. The author concludes that an integrated power market managed by Independent System Operators (ISOs) is superior because it provides full system visibility, reflects actual transmission constraints in pricing, and accommodates the short-term forecasting nature of intermittent renewables. The document identifies institutional barriers from TSOs and conventional generators but suggests that European-level leadership is necessary to implement these reforms to meet low-carbon targets.
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Document type: Report
Congestion Management in European Power Networks
The paper identifies five criteria for effective congestion management in Europe: integrated national and international approaches, joint allocation of transmission rights, and integration with day-ahead, intraday, and balancing markets, alongside transparency. It argues that current European systems suffer from inefficiencies in domestic redispatch, international capacity allocation, and dynamic management. While zonal pricing is used in some regions, the authors contend that locational marginal pricing (nodal pricing)—already implemented in six US ISO markets—is the superior candidate for addressing these weaknesses. To mitigate political opposition and financial risks associated with nodal pricing, the document suggests using Financial Transmission Rights (FTRs) to compensate affected stakeholders and hedge price volatility.
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Document type: Research paper
Emissions Trading Schemes under IFRS
The paper examines the lack of authoritative IFRS guidance for the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS), leading to inconsistent accounting practices. It argues that the prevailing 'net liability approach'—recognizing free allowances at nil—understates assets and hides the economic cost of carbon. The authors advocate for a mandatory fair value approach for initial measurement, combined with a government grant model to avoid 'day-one-gains' and a distinction between allowances held for compliance versus trading to ensure a 'true and fair view' of a company's financial position in a carbon-constrained economy.
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Document type: Research paper
Renewable Electric Energy Integration
The research evaluates how different market designs affect the European power grid's ability to integrate wind energy. It finds that the current zonal pricing system fails to reflect the physical reality of the grid, leading to inefficient network use and higher costs. Simulations using the MADRID and DRESDEN models demonstrate that a nodal pricing regime would increase international power transfers by up to 34% and generate annual system variable cost savings between €0.8 billion and €2.0 billion, depending on wind penetration levels.
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Document type: Research paper
Evaluation of Integrated Management Initiatives
The report evaluates Integrated Place-based Management (IPM) as a holistic approach to managing human-natural system trade-offs. It identifies a gap in long-term impact reporting, noting that most IPM studies focus on short-term results. The authors argue for a dual monitoring approach that combines process-based indicators (governance, participation) with outcome-oriented indicators (environmental status). Case studies in the Lake Champlain Basin, Rhine River Basin, and South Tobacco Creek demonstrate that collaborative governance and strategic planning can lead to documented improvements in water quality, such as reduced phosphorous and coliform contamination, though attributing these changes solely to IPM remains challenging due to time lags and multi-scale interactions.
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Document type: Report