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In 2017, global green bond issuance grew by 78% to reach USD 155.5 billion, driven largely by the US, China, and France. The market saw a significant increase in sovereign and sub-sovereign issuance, including the first African sovereign green bond from Nigeria. While renewable energy remains the most common use of proceeds, there was a notable rise in allocations for low-carbon buildings and energy efficiency. The report highlights a trend toward the diversification of financial instruments, such as Green MBS and Green Sukuk, and an ongoing effort to unify regional green finance standards.

This research paper by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) examines the role of infrastructure banks in closing the global infrastructure financing gap. It analyzes best practices from various international institutions and provides eight strategic recommendations for countries establishing their own infrastructure banks to mobilize private capital and promote sustainable development.

The report 'Nordic Green to Scale for countries' evaluates the potential for Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, and Ukraine to reduce emissions by scaling up 10 proven climate solutions. It finds that these measures could cut 2030 emissions by 149 Mt (13%), with the highest relative impacts in the Baltic States. Energy efficiency in buildings and industry offer the greatest reduction potential and are cost-effective, potentially saving the five countries 1.2 billion euros by 2030. The report identifies barriers such as high investment costs and fossil fuel subsidies, recommending ambitious targets and stable legal frameworks to accelerate implementation.

This 2017 report by the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) assesses the life-cycle carbon footprint of a proposed wood biorefinery in Estonia. The study concludes that the facility would be climate-neutral and would positively contribute to Estonia's climate goals by replacing oil shale electricity with renewable energy and sequestering biogenic carbon in products.

This report by the Stockholm Environment Institute and the Council of the Baltic Sea States (CBSS) evaluates the preliminary implementation of the 2030 Agenda and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) across 11 countries in the Baltic Sea Region (BSR). It synthesizes data from OECD, UN ECE, and other expert reviews to identify regional strengths, weaknesses, and organizational challenges in governance and monitoring.

A statement by Friends of the Earth International marking the 5th anniversary of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, arguing that these principles have failed to stop corporate impunity or provide access to justice, and advocating for a binding UN treaty on business and human rights.

This technical report by the Stockholm Environment Institute Tallinn Centre, commissioned by Nordic Energy Research, analyzes the potential for Estonia to transition to a carbon-neutral power sector by 2050. It evaluates the current state of Estonia's energy system—which is heavily dependent on oil shale—and uses three quantitative models (LEAP, Balmorel, and EMPS) to simulate various low-carbon scenarios, including the impacts of electrification in transport and heating and the necessary developments in transmission grids and international interconnections.

This directory, compiled by the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) with financial support from Denmark, provides an inventory of assistance and capacity-building programmes available to African states in chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) areas. It details the offers of nearly 50 states, various international and regional organisations, and civil society entities, primarily within the framework of UN Security Council Resolution 1540 and other international non-proliferation treaties.

This report outlines a strategy to halve the European Union's dependence on imported natural gas by 2030 through cost-effective energy efficiency measures and accelerated renewable energy deployment. By targeting the buildings, industry, and energy production sectors, the EU could reduce its net natural gas imports by more than half and decrease greenhouse gas emissions by 49% relative to 1990 levels, exceeding the targets set in the EU's 2030 Framework.

This research paper examines the environmental and socio-economic impacts of pig farming in the Neman/Nemunas river basin, spanning Belarus, Lithuania, Latvia, Poland, and Russia's Kaliningrad region. It finds a strong trend toward large-scale industrial farming, which has increased nutrient pollution and eutrophication in the Baltic Sea. The report highlights a lack of transboundary coordination and a disconnect between manure-producing pig farms and crop farms that need fertilizer. It recommends promoting nutrient reuse, improving manure handling through technologies like biogas plants, and strengthening regional regulatory frameworks to ensure corporate accountability of foreign investors.

This 2012 report by the Stockholm Environment Institute analyzes the implementation of the European Union's Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) within the Baltic Sea Region (BSR) during the 2007-2013 period. It examines the challenges of integrating agricultural productivity with environmental boundary conditions, such as nutrient reduction and biodiversity conservation. The report argues that the diversity of farming systems in the BSR should be an asset and recommends that post-2013 CAP reforms shift toward treating environmental services as a core value of farming rather than a precondition for payment, while introducing 'soft measures' to improve transboundary cooperation and stakeholder engagement.

This fact sheet describes the BalticClimate toolkit, a resource developed between 2008 and 2012 to support local and regional stakeholders in the Baltic Sea Region in addressing climate change through adaptation, mitigation, and economic development.

This briefing by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) examines the role of agriculture, forestry, and other land use (AFOLU) in climate change mitigation. It analyzes the potential for carbon sequestration in developing countries, the technical and financial obstacles to including these sectors in international agreements, and the specific policy positions and regulatory frameworks of Canada.

This 2008 research paper examines how International Investment Agreements (IIAs) and investor-state dispute settlement mechanisms may constrain the ability of states to protect and promote human rights. It finds that most IIAs are silent on human rights obligations for investors and that the confidentiality of arbitration processes often undermines public accountability. The author argues that stabilization clauses in Host Government Agreements further limit the state's right to regulate and recommends the creation of model language to integrate human rights values into future investment treaties.

This briefing by the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA) analyzes the challenges facing the European Union (EU) following its expansion to 25 members on 1 May 2004. The author, Erik Jones, examines the institutional, political, and financial pressures resulting from enlargement, specifically focusing on decision-making, diversity, and the redistribution of resources.

This December 2003 report by Friends of the Earth International argues that International Financial Institutions (IFIs), including multilateral development banks and bilateral export credit agencies, should phase out funding for the extractive industries. The document contends that IFI-supported oil, gas, and mining projects frequently lead to environmental disasters, human rights abuses, and the marginalization of indigenous peoples, while failing to alleviate poverty in resource-rich developing nations.

This report by Friends of the Earth International argues that international financial institutions (IFIs) should cease funding extractive industries—specifically oil, gas, and mining—due to their devastating impacts on local communities, human rights, and the global environment. Through multiple case studies across Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Americas, the document illustrates how public funding for these projects often exacerbates poverty, fuels corruption, and contributes to climate change, while providing minimal economic benefit to host countries.

This report by Friends of the Earth International (FOEI) documents 22 campaigns against multinational corporations whose activities cause biodiversity loss and harm local communities. It argues that corporate globalization, driven by industrial agriculture, mining, and logging, prioritizes shareholder profit over ecological stability and human rights. The document calls for binding international laws to hold companies legally and economically accountable for environmental damage and advocates for the recognition of 'ecological debt' owed by Northern industrial nations to the Global South.

This report analyzes the potential for China to participate in the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) under the Kyoto Protocol. It evaluates the economic, environmental, and social benefits and costs, emphasizing that while the CDM offers short-term gains in foreign investment and technology, it poses a long-term risk of technology dependence if core R&D and manufacturing capabilities are not transferred. The authors provide strategic recommendations for China to ensure the CDM supports its long-term sustainable development goals.

This 1998 report by the Stockholm Environment Institute presents two contrasting future scenarios for the Baltic Sea Region (BSR) up to the year 2030: a Conventional Development Scenario (CDS) and a Sustainability Vision. The report argues that a 'business-as-usual' approach will lead to increased environmental pressure and persistent socio-economic disparities, whereas a transition to sustainability requires proactive policy interventions, technological decoupling of growth from resource use, and a shift in human values.