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Bending the Climate Curve
The Clean Air Task Force (CATF) aims to reduce anthropogenic methane emissions from agriculture, fossil fuels, and waste to slow global warming. The strategy focuses on driving global action via policy and markets, developing cross-cutting capacity for funding and research, and strengthening multilateral commitments like the Global Methane Pledge. CATF seeks $25.5 million over three years to expand its technical, policy, and communications teams to implement these goals.
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Document type: Briefing
Superhot Rock Energy Project
The Japan Supercritical Geothermal Project (SCGP) aims to demonstrate superhot rock (SHR) energy by 2040, with planned drilling between 2021 and 2027. The project targets five locations—Niseko, Yuzawa, Appi, Kuju, and Kakkonda—aiming for depths of 3,000-4,000 meters, temperatures of 350-500°C, and pressures exceeding 22.0 MPa. These sites are characterized by various volcanic and metamorphic basement rocks resulting from the subduction of the Pacific and Philippine Sea plates. The Japanese government has identified supercritical geothermal power generation as a key technology within its Green Innovation Strategy to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.
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Document type: Fact sheet
Superhot Rock Energy OVERVIEW
The document presents superhot rock (SHR) energy as a high-energy-density, zero-carbon alternative to conventional geothermal systems, which are currently limited to 16 GW globally. SHR targets conditions of 400°C or hotter to produce up to ten times the energy of current geothermal wells. The Clean Air Task Force (CATF) identifies key technical hurdles in deep drilling and reservoir development and seeks $12.5 million over three years to drive awareness, map commercial opportunities, and support regulatory frameworks for seismicity and groundwater protection.
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Document type: Fact sheet
Superhot Rock Geothermal in Japan
The document highlights that just 1% of Japan's superhot rock geothermal resource could provide 700 GW of energy capacity, potentially replacing all coal and gas used for electricity production and meeting projected 2050 electricity demand. It argues that this technology offers a low-land-footprint, firm power alternative to fossil fuel imports from Australia and Malaysia, though it is unlikely to reach commercial scale by 2030.
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Document type: Fact sheet
Louisiana is the Center of the U.S. Hydrogen Industry
Louisiana is the largest U.S. ecosystem for hydrogen, ranking first nationally in dedicated hydrogen production and serving as a major hub for petroleum refining, ammonia, and methanol production.
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Document type: Fact sheet
Bridging the Gaps: A Survey of Methods, Challenges, and Pathways Forward for Superhot Rock Heat Extraction
The paper identifies critical gaps in materials, drilling, and geomechanical modeling required to extract heat from rocks above 375 °C. It argues that while current EGS technology is limited to lower temperatures, leveraging oil and gas techniques and multidisciplinary collaboration can unlock high-enthalpy SHR resources.
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Document type: Research paper
Bridging the Gaps: A Survey of Methods, Challenges, and Pathways Forward for Superhot Rock Siting and Characterization
The report provides a comprehensive survey of subsurface characterization technologies for superhot rock (SHR) geothermal systems, defined by temperatures above 374°C. It categorizes methods by spatial scale: exploration (100s-10s km), reservoir (10s-1 km), and monitoring (1 km-1 m). Key findings highlight that while many geophysical tools are mature, they lack validation in SHR-specific environments. The authors emphasize the need for integrated data analysis, such as joint inversion and machine learning, to reduce exploration risk and improve the accuracy of temperature and stress models. The report concludes that advancing SHR energy requires standardized data sharing, increased investment in high-temperature sensors, and the development of SHR-specific play fairway analyses.
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Document type: Report
Investing in innovation: Unlocking the full potential of geothermal energy in Central and Eastern Europe
The document advocates for the deployment of next-generation geothermal systems in Central and Eastern Europe to provide baseload carbon-free electricity and heat. It highlights superhot rock (SHR) geothermal as a high-temperature resource that can deliver 5-10x more power per well than traditional methods. The author calls for a comprehensive EU Geothermal Action Plan by Q1 2026 and increased R&D funding to reduce project costs, which are projected to fall by 80% over the next decade. It specifically identifies Romania, Poland, Slovakia, Croatia, and Hungary as countries well-positioned to benefit from combined high-temperature heat and power projects.
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Document type: Fact sheet
Bridging the Gaps: A Survey of Methods, Challenges, and Pathways Forward for Superhot Rock Well Design and Construction
The document identifies critical engineering gaps for superhot rock (SHR) geothermal wells, emphasizing that temperatures above 400°C cause severe cyclic thermal strains, material microstructural degradation, and cement failure. It proposes a hybrid design approach combining Working Stress Design (WSD), Reliability-Based Design (RBD), and Low-Cycle Fatigue (LCF) to manage these loads. Key findings highlight the risk of 'cold collapse' during quenching, the potential for high temperature hydrogen attack (HTHA) in low-carbon steels, and the lack of downhole tools and thermohydraulic simulators capable of handling supercritical water flows.
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Document type: Research paper
COVERAGE PREVIEW & PARTNER TOOLKIT
The document outlines a collaborative journalism initiative focused on the climate emergency, providing a list of republishable stories, social media strategies, and guidelines for partner outlets.
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Document type: Guide
A Step Forward? Assessing the Zero Draft of the Post-2015 Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction
The briefing by ODI and CDKN argues that while the Zero Draft of the Post-2015 Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction shows some progress in inclusion and environmental considerations, it fails to provide a coherent structure or a strong narrative linking disaster risk reduction (DRR) to climate change, poverty, and sustainable development. The authors highlight critical gaps in financial commitments, the treatment of conflict-affected states, and the lack of detailed implementation plans for science and technology.
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Document type: Briefing
National action is key to accelerating international progress on climate change
The authors contend that while international UNFCCC negotiations move slowly, rapid progress in domestic climate legislation—particularly in emerging economies—is shifting the center of gravity of the climate debate. They argue that national actions driven by self-interest and co-benefits, such as energy security and resource efficiency, are prerequisites for an effective international treaty.
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Document type: Statement
Integrating resilience into infrastructure – a wicked problem
The document describes the integration of resilience into infrastructure as a 'wicked problem' that requires moving beyond the thinking that created current challenges. While global agreements like the SDGs, the Paris Agreement, and the Sendai Framework provide a foundation, the author notes that weather-related disasters account for approximately 80% of global disasters, disproportionately affecting infrastructure in low-income countries. The text emphasizes a dual need for small-scale infrastructure for immediate disaster response and large-scale infrastructure for long-term climate variability. It highlights the work of CDKN and the Global Water Partnership (GWP) in Kenya, Rwanda, Ethiopia, and Tanzania to move from policy frameworks to the mainstreaming of climate into infrastructure design and delivery.
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Document type: Statement
Ambitious and coherent? Reviewing the pre-zero draft of the Post-2015 Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction
The briefing evaluates the pre-zero draft of the Post-2015 Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, praising its commitment to quantified targets and inclusion of vulnerable groups, but criticising its structural logic and insufficient integration of climate change, finance, and conflict-affected states.
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Document type: Briefing
TAKING ACTION ON SUPPRESSED DEMAND
The document examines how 'suppressed demand'—the unmet desire for products or services due to barriers like low income, poor infrastructure, and high technology costs—leads to the underestimation of emission baselines in LDCs and African countries. It argues that because the CDM currently relies on actual (constrained) consumption rather than desired consumption, these regions are marginalized in the carbon market. The author advocates for the operationalization of guidelines adopted by the CDM Executive Board and the Conference of the Parties serving as a meeting of Parties to the Kyoto Protocol (CMP) to incorporate suppressed demand into baselines, which would increase the number of Certified Emission Reductions (CERs) and encourage investment in sustainable development projects in poor regions.
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Document type: Research paper
2014-05-30-fa11-s21-project-international-review-4d7ff58bb0ec9577.pdf
This report, produced for the South African Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism (DEAT), provides an international review of air emission standards to support the implementation of Section 21 of the National Environmental Management: Air Quality Act (NEM:AQA). It analyzes regulatory frameworks in the United States, United Kingdom, and Australia (specifically New South Wales), with additional references to India, Japan, Poland, and China. The document recommends a phased approach to listing industrial activities and setting minimum emission standards based on Best Available Technology (BAT), while suggesting the integration of command-and-control measures with market-based mechanisms like emissions trading.
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Document type: Report
A review of the phosphate lifecycle, impacts and strategies for sustainable use in the South African context
The report argues that marine phosphate mining is unwarranted in South Africa because it would increase environmental phosphate flows and contamination. It proposes that a sustainable supply of phosphates can be achieved through 'loop-closure'—specifically recovering phosphorus from human and animal waste and improving fertilizer application efficiency in agriculture. A substance flow analysis indicates that approximately 164 kt/year of phosphorus enters the South African environment, with 133 kt/year potentially recoverable through recycling. The document concludes that terrestrial reserves are sufficient for 90–220 years, making the ecological risks of seabed mining unnecessary.
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Document type: Report
Assessing the Effects on Forests of Proposed Trade Liberalization in the Forest Product Sector
The Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) asserts that trade liberalization in forest products, specifically through WTO tariff reductions and APEC non-tariff measure reviews, can intensify forest loss, degradation, and the introduction of alien species. CIEL argues that current international and national forest protection frameworks are inadequate to ensure sustainable trade. The document criticizes the USTR/CEQ review process as inadequate in duration and scope, urging the U.S. government to adopt formal environmental assessment procedures based on the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and to promote forest protection measures in tandem with trade liberalization.
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Document type: Statement
Tackling the trade in illegal timber: a comparative study of legal frameworks
The document examines demand-side timber legality laws across five major importing markets, comparing their scope, actor obligations, and enforcement mechanisms to identify effective legislative options for reducing illegal logging.
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Document type: Research paper
Declaração sobre Resíduos Contendo Nanomateriais
The document argues that the increasing use of manufactured nanomaterials (MNMs) in consumer and industrial products creates significant risks in the waste stream due to unknown toxicity and difficulties in characterization. It demands that governments and companies implement extended producer responsibility, restrict the transboundary movement of MNM waste, and establish public registries of nano-products, particularly within the European Union, to ensure safe recycling and disposal.
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Document type: Statement