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In 2008, Georgia was the highest spender on net coal imports in the United States, sending $2.62 billion out of state. The state's electricity generation relied on coal for 62.7% of its power despite having no internal coal supplies. The document argues that investing in energy efficiency and homegrown renewables, such as biomass from the forestry industry, solar, and wind, could improve energy independence and local economic development.

The CRED model investigates how international equity and capital flows influence climate stabilization. It argues that an optimal, welfare-maximizing climate policy requires significant resource transfers from high-income to developing regions to fund abatement and economic growth. The model utilizes McKinsey marginal abatement cost curves and a concave utility function to demonstrate that without such transfers or a very low discount rate, developing countries are unlikely to implement sufficient mitigation to prevent dangerous temperature increases.

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 response argues that while a UK carbon price floor aims to increase the viability of low-carbon investments, a unilateral approach may be discounted by investors due to regulatory instability and inconsistency with the EU Emission Trading Scheme (EU ETS). It suggests that strengthening the EU ETS targets would provide greater clarity, regulatory stability, and market scale for low-carbon technologies like CCS and nuclear power, compared to a national tax-based supplement.

The research investigates how asymmetric global climate policies can lead to carbon leakage, specifically the relocation of CO2-intensive industries like iron and steel. Using the Basque Country as a representative Old Industrial Region (OIR), the authors demonstrate that while relocation impacts may be negligible at a national level, they can significantly reduce regional GDP. The study finds that reducing emissions through industrial relocation is far more costly in terms of GDP loss than achieving the same reductions through cost-effective mitigation policies.

The report assesses the environmental footprint of Chinese copper cathode production, which relies heavily on imports. Using a 'cradle-to-gate' LCA, it finds that mining and mineral extraction are the primary drivers of environmental impact, accounting for over 70% of the total for primary production. While Chinese primary production has lower impacts than the global average and regions like Latin America and Indonesia, it remains higher than European production due to lower ore grades and a fossil-fuel-heavy electricity mix. The study recommends improving mining technologies, enhancing the collection and recycling of secondary copper, and phasing out obsolete smelting technologies.

The paper analyzes the shift in energy efficiency promotion from national governments and utilities toward a diverse array of new intermediaries, such as ESCOs, energy agencies, NGOs, and public-private partnerships, within the European Union. It specifically evaluates the advantages and challenges of 'nesting' energy efficiency within broader sustainability or climate change frameworks, drawing on findings from the EC FP7 'Changing Behaviour' study.

The document outlines strategies for urban biodiversity, focusing on nature-friendly gardening, landscaping, and construction. It provides detailed guidance on creating habitats for insects, birds, amphibians, and mammals, while addressing conflicts with 'problem' species and the impact of urban infrastructure on wildlife.

The document argues that urban biodiversity is essential for human quality of life and ecosystem services, but is often undermined by development pressure and inadequate planning. It outlines the legal obligations of Estonian municipalities under international conventions and EU directives, such as Natura 2000. The guide provides a framework for local governments to integrate biodiversity into strategic plans, manage municipal lands and green networks, and engage the community. It details a five-step process for considering nature values in planning and presents case studies from cities like Edinburgh, Oslo, and Malmö to illustrate successful implementation of biodiversity strategies, green roofs, and sustainable drainage systems.

The SEI Strategy 2010-2014 establishes a framework for the institute to act as a leading provider of systems understanding and policy solutions for sustainable development. The strategy reorganizes research into four multidisciplinary themes: managing environmental systems, reducing climate risk, transforming governance, and rethinking development. SEI aims to increase its institutional core funding to 40% by 2014 to enhance strategic flexibility and independence. The institute leverages a distributed structure of research centres across Africa, Asia, Europe, and the USA to link global expertise with local implementation, specifically targeting the needs of poor regions and the development of leadership capacities in the South.

The REAP (Resources and Energy Analysis Programme) tool uses environmentally extended input-output analysis to calculate the carbon, greenhouse gas (GHG), and ecological footprints of residents across UK local authorities and regions. Unlike territorial accounting, which measures emissions where they occur, REAP allocates emissions to the consumers of products and services. The tool allows policy makers to model future scenarios by adjusting variables such as household energy demand, food consumption, and production efficiency. The 2006 data release includes a historical time series from 1992 to 2006 and introduces GHG footprints as a new indicator. The document also compares SEI's input-output methodology with the Global Footprint Network's (GFN) trade-volume and life-cycle coefficient approach, noting that while GFN estimates for the UK are typically 5% to 15% higher, the SEI approach provides more detailed supply chain analysis for manufactured goods and services.

The 2010 Global Ecolabel Monitor examines the role of ecolabels and eco-certification schemes in validating green claims and guiding purchasing. While demand for eco-friendly products is increasing, the landscape remains fragmented, leading to consumer and institutional buyer confusion due to competing schemes and a lack of standardized global information.

The paper advocates for a risk management approach to climate adaptation that integrates physical prevention with financial risk transfer. It highlights that while many climate losses can be averted through cost-effective measures, residual risks necessitate insurance and capital market instruments to protect vulnerable economies. Using examples from India and the Caribbean, it emphasizes the role of public-private partnerships and quantitative cost-benefit analysis in building climate resilience.

The document argues that effective climate change adaptation requires accurate data on climate risks, population vulnerability, and adaptation options. It categorizes information needs into three frameworks: responsive policymaking for sudden disasters (e.g., flooding in Pakistan), proactive planning for long-term threats (e.g., sea level rise in West African coastal cities), and robust planning for uncertain outcomes (e.g., glacier melt in Europe). The briefing seeks to determine what specific information sets, including non-climatic data, are sufficient to advance interventions and which stakeholders should define these needs.

The author argues that while information needs for climate adaptation are context-specific, responsive, proactive, and robust planning strategies overlap in their reliance on identifying vulnerabilities, hazards, and risks. The paper details the necessity of integrating historical observations, real-time data, and probabilistic forecasts to manage climate variability and long-term change, while emphasizing that 'no regrets' strategies can improve efficiency but may overlook critical trade-offs. It highlights the importance of participatory approaches and the need to plan for 'surprises'—low-probability, high-impact events—by moving beyond a sole reliance on historical records.

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 argues that Namibia's tourism economy faces a risk of decline if it does not address the indirect impacts of climate change, specifically tourists' concerns over the carbon footprint of their travel. It proposes a shift toward carbon-neutral products, the creation of a national policy on climate change and tourism, and the establishment of a national body to oversee the quality of carbon-offset products to secure a comparative advantage over other destinations.

The report details a seminar on the complexities of unionisation within the South African National Defence Force (SANDF). It examines the tension between constitutional rights to freedom of association and the requirements of military discipline and national security. Key discussions focus on the adversarial relationship between the Department of Defence (DOD) and unions like SANDU, the impact of underfunding and deteriorating equipment on soldier morale, and the need for improved grievance mechanisms and a National Defence Force Service Commission to address service conditions.

The report examines how commercial involvement in science and technology introduces bias, marginalises public-interest research, and erodes academic objectivity. It focuses on the pharmaceutical, tobacco, military/defence, oil and gas, and biotechnology sectors, arguing that the 'corporate' mindset encouraged by UK policy undermines the traditional ethos of openness and objectivity in universities.

The document defines carbon pricing as a market-based strategy to internalize the costs of climate impacts, driving a shift toward a clean energy economy. It details two primary mechanisms: cap-and-trade, which limits total emissions through tradable allowances, and carbon taxes, which set a fixed fee per ton of carbon. The text emphasizes that while both can effectively reduce emissions, they require complementary policies and careful design to address equity concerns, such as the regressive impact on low-income households and the economic transition for fossil-fuel-dependent communities. It highlights existing examples like the EU-ETS and RGGI, and suggests that revenues from these programs can be used for rebates, clean energy investment, or deficit reduction.