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RELATÓRIO LEGISLAÇÃO FLORESTAL E DE USO DA TERRA: UMA COMPARAÇÃO INTERNACIONAL ARGENTINA, BRASIL, CANADÁ, CHINA, FRANÇA, ALEMANHA E ESTADOS UNIDOS
The study compares forest and land use laws in Argentina, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, and the United States, focusing on riparian Permanent Preservation Areas (APP) and biodiversity conservation. It finds that Brazil maintains some of the most stringent rules for private land, specifically regarding mandatory native vegetation reserves without financial compensation, although the 2012 Forest Code relaxed some parameters for areas consolidated before July 2008.
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Document type: Report
Clean Transportation Can Protect Our Environment and Grow Our Economy
The Union of Concerned Scientists proposes a regional emissions limit for the Northeast US transportation sector, modeled after the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) for electricity. The document highlights that transportation is the region's largest pollution source, contributing over 40% of global warming emissions and causing significant health costs. It recommends a cap-and-invest strategy to hold oil companies accountable and fund clean mobility solutions, including electric vehicles and expanded public transit.
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Document type: Fact sheet
Cities and Smart Grids in Canada
The report examines the intersection of urban growth, aging electricity infrastructure, and climate change in Canada, arguing that the deployment of smart grid technologies is essential for decarbonization and grid resiliency. It identifies a significant financing gap for modernization, estimating a need for CAD 350 billion in investment over 20 years. The document outlines four emerging business models—Energy Service Provider, Customer Energy Marketplace, Local Balancing Authority, and Smart City—and notes that their adoption varies by region. It highlights barriers to smart grid deployment, including technical complexity, cyber security risks, and regulatory frameworks that treat smart investments as traditional capital infrastructure. The report concludes by calling for a National Vision on Grid Modernization to coordinate stakeholders and align the energy transition with mid-century climate goals.
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Document type: Report
Final Notice of Objection to Re-evaluation Decision RVD2017-01, Glyphosate, April 28 2017
The document argues that the PMRA's re-evaluation of glyphosate is flawed due to the dismissal of critical evidence concerning ecological risks, human health impacts, and the inefficiency of proposed risk management strategies.
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Document type: Report
CETA Threatens EU and Member States’ Ability to Effectively Regulate the Dangers of Pesticides
The report contends that CETA threatens EU pesticide regulations through regulatory cooperation and investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS). It highlights significant differences between EU and Canadian approaches, specifically the EU's use of hazard-based cutoffs and stricter Maximum Residue Limits (MRLs). The author argues that CETA's mechanisms for regulatory convergence and the ability of investors to sue for 'fair and equitable treatment' will pressure the EU to lower its health and environmental standards to facilitate trade.
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Document type: Report
Notice of Objection to Re-evaluation Decision RVD2017-01, Glyphosate, April 28 2017
The Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment and partner organizations argue that the PMRA's re-evaluation of glyphosate is flawed due to the dismissal of critical evidence regarding biodiversity loss, human health risks, and the inefficiency of current risk mitigation strategies.
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Document type: Statement
THE CARBON MARKET AND CALIFORNIA-ACRE-CHIAPAS COOPERATION
The report critiques the 2010 Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between California, Acre, and Chiapas, which aimed to link jurisdictional REDD+ programs to California's cap-and-trade system. It argues that these mechanisms prioritize market logic over structural climate causes, leading to land grabbing, the criminalization of traditional practices, and the marginalization of indigenous peoples. In Acre, the report identifies methodological flaws in emission accounting and failures in community-level projects. In Chiapas, it highlights the expropriation of territories for agrofuel monocultures and increasing public debt. The document concludes that REDD+ safeguards are largely rhetorical and recommends the exclusion of carbon markets and offsets from environmental policy.
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Document type: Report
COSTS OF POLLUTION IN CANADA
The report finds that pollution costs Canada tens of billions of dollars annually, though full costs are obscured by data gaps. Urban smog is the most quantified pollutant, costing $36 billion in 2015. Other significant impacts include the $12.2 billion in combined current and future liabilities for contaminated sites, the $1.6 billion cost of climate-related heat waves in 2015, and substantial ecosystem and property value losses in Lake Erie due to algal blooms. The document highlights critical data gaps regarding persistent organic pollutants (POPs), heavy metals, and greenhouse gas emissions.
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Document type: Executive summary
COSTS OF POLLUTION IN CANADA
The report finds that pollution imposes very significant costs on Canadian families, businesses, and governments, with direct welfare costs alone estimated at $39 billion in 2015. It highlights substantial data gaps regarding persistent organic pollutants, heavy metals, and climate change, while detailing specific impacts such as urban smog, algal blooms in Lake Erie, and the long-term liabilities of contaminated sites and nuclear legacy wastes.
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Document type: Report
COÛTS DE LA POLLUTION AU CANADA
The report estimates that pollution costs Canada tens of billions of dollars annually, with urban smog alone accounting for 36 billion dollars in 2015. It categorizes these costs into health and well-being, direct financial losses to income, and the reduction of asset values. The document highlights significant data gaps regarding persistent organic pollutants (POPs), heavy metals, and greenhouse gas emissions, while detailing the high costs of contaminated sites, climate-related extreme weather, and water pollution such as algal blooms and pathogens.
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Document type: Executive summary
A PROJECT OF GREAT CONCERN: CHALK RIVER’S PROPOSED NUCLEAR WASTE SITE
CAPE opposes the proposed Chalk River nuclear waste site, citing risks of water contamination, seismic instability, and inadequate containment measures for waste that remains radioactive for thousands of years.
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Document type: Statement
RECALIBRATING CALIFORNIA’S CAP-AND-TRADE PROGRAM TO ACCOUNT FOR OVERSUPPLY
The report analyzes the California-Quebec linked cap-and-trade program, finding that allowance supply has consistently exceeded emissions from 2013 to 2015, leading to periodic undersubscription at auctions. While recent low auction sales (11% in May 2016 and 18% in February 2017) are viewed as aberrations, the author argues that systemic oversupply persists. Prospective analysis suggests that 78-86% of remaining allowances will be needed for compliance through 2020, with auction demand likely averaging 71-81%. To improve stringency and revenue stability, the report recommends lowering caps, switching to annual compliance, increasing the price floor, and reducing free allowance allocations.
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Document type: Report
Ontarios coal plant phase-out produced many health and environmental benefits
The Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (CAPE) asserts that Ontario's coal plant phase-out significantly reduced air pollution and improved public health. In 2002, Ontario's five coal plants were responsible for 23% of sulphur dioxide (SO2) emissions, 14% of nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions, 23% of airborne mercury, and 20% of greenhouse gas emissions. Between 2003 and 2012, SO2 emissions from these plants dropped by approximately 140,000 tonnes, contributing to a nearly 50% decline in annual air levels of SO2 and a 25% decline in PM2.5 across the province. A 2005 estimate valued the health impacts of coal plant pollution—including over 600 premature deaths and 1,900 hospital or emergency room visits annually—at $3 billion per year. Additionally, Toronto Public Health found that air quality improvements from 2000 to 2011 reduced premature deaths in Toronto by 23% and hospital admissions by 41%, attributing these gains in part to the coal phase-out.
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Document type: Statement
2017_lancet_canada_brief-d5b350a3c2f6d2aa.pdf
The document outlines the intersection of climate change and public health in Canada, highlighting risks such as extreme heat, wildfires, and food insecurity, particularly in the Arctic and among Indigenous populations. It advocates for a rapid phase-out of coal-powered electricity by 2030, the implementation of a National Active Transport Strategy, and the integration of Health Impact Assessments into federal environmental processes to mitigate health risks and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
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Document type: Policy brief
Building a Climate-Resilient City: Electricity and information and communication technology infrastructure
The document argues that climate change increases risks to urban energy and ICT systems through extreme weather and shifting demand patterns. It proposes building resilience through three pillars: robustness (hardening infrastructure via protocols like PIEVC), redundancy (deploying decentralized renewable energy and diverse ICT channels), and resourcefulness (utilizing smart grid technology and emergency roaming). Specific recommendations include adopting the PIEVC protocol for new investments, implementing time-of-use pricing, and encouraging the use of distributed energy storage.
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Document type: Briefing
Élimination des subventions au Canada : le rôle du Québec dans l’atteinte de l’objectif fédéral
The document examines the fossil fuel subsidies provided by the province of Quebec, which primarily take the form of fuel tax relief. It argues that these subsidies act as a 'negative carbon price' that undermines Quebec's own greenhouse gas reduction targets and Canada's international commitments. The author identifies several key tax exemptions for aviation, rail, and regional consumers, and suggests mitigation strategies to support vulnerable sectors during a transition to cleaner energy.
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Document type: Briefing
Benefit Sharing and the Boreal Forest
The report analyzes diverse resource management models—ranging from sovereign wealth funds in Norway to ecosystem service payments in Costa Rica—to derive a framework for benefit sharing. It emphasizes that successful long-term outcomes require clear leadership, strong legislative frameworks, institutional mechanisms for implementation, and the active inclusion of Indigenous populations in decision-making. The document contrasts successful models, such as Norway's GPFG, with cautionary examples like Alberta's Heritage Savings Trust Fund and Nigeria's oil sector, highlighting the risks of overreliance on non-renewable resources without strategic diversification and robust legal safeguards.
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Document type: Report
Large Area Planning in the Nelson-Churchill River Basin (NCRB)
The report assesses the biophysical and socioeconomic characteristics of the northern Nelson-Churchill River Basin (NCRB) in Manitoba, highlighting the economic value of its provisioning, regulating, cultural, and supporting ecosystem services. It identifies a lack of basin-wide planning and fragmented monitoring as key challenges. Drawing on case studies from the Fraser Basin, Mekong River Basin, and Quebec's Plan Nord, the document recommends establishing a multi-party, basin-level organization that includes Indigenous communities in shared decision-making, securing consistent funding through innovative mechanisms like trusts and user fees, and enhancing centralized data sharing and reporting to support sustainable development.
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Document type: Report
Large Area Planning in the Nelson-Churchill River Basin (NCRB): Laying a foundation in northern Manitoba
The report advocates for a transition from fragmented, boundary-based planning to an integrated watershed approach in northern Manitoba's Nelson-Churchill River Basin. It identifies critical ecosystem services—including hydroelectricity, mining, and carbon storage—and proposes seven principles for successful management: basin planning, leadership, multi-party approaches, shared decision-making with Indigenous communities, robust monitoring, legislative support, and sustainable funding. The authors recommend establishing a multi-party basin-level organization to coordinate sustainable development and mitigate environmental stresses from resource extraction and climate change.
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Document type: Executive summary
The Climate Accountability Scorecard
The report evaluates the climate risk disclosure practices of several major fossil fuel companies, including Arch Coal, BP, Chevron, ConocoPhillips, CONSOL Energy, ExxonMobil, Peabody Energy, and Royal Dutch Shell. It scores companies across four categories: regulatory risks, physical risks, market/indirect risks, and corporate governance. While most companies provide detailed analysis of regulatory risks, the report finds widespread failures in disclosing the specific role of climate change in physical risks and a near-total absence of disclosure regarding corporate governance on climate issues.
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Document type: Report