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The research develops a Composite Forest Biodiversity Indicator (CFBI) to measure the qualitative and quantitative changes in forest ecosystems across 17 European countries. Using a three-stage-least-squares (3SLS) regression model, the authors analyze how rising temperatures, socio-economic factors, and biodiversity loss impact the economic value of provisioning, regulating, and cultural ecosystem services. The findings indicate that while warming generally reduces biodiversity, its effect on ecosystem service values varies by region and service type, suggesting that biodiversity management can mitigate some negative climate impacts.

The research proposes a valuation approach for wind farms that combines a trinomial lattice to model mean-reverting electricity prices with Monte Carlo simulations to account for intermittent wind generation. Using UK data, the authors compare various support mechanisms, including feed-in tariffs, market premiums, and initial capital subsidies. The findings indicate that the option to delay investment significantly increases project value, and that one-time initial subsidies are more effective at triggering immediate investment than long-term premiums per unit of electricity produced.

The document examines China's energy landscape as of 2012, highlighting its position as a global leader in renewable energy investment and wind capacity despite a heavy reliance on coal for electricity. It details the growth of the solar and wind sectors, the environmental and water-related costs of coal combustion, and the climate goals established under the 12th Five Year Plan, including targets for non-fossil fuel use and the implementation of carbon pricing mechanisms.

The paper analyzes the evolution of energy and climate change economics, noting a massive increase in research output since 2005. While quantity has surged, the author suggests a potential relative decline in originality compared to the 1990s.

The report finds that federal incentives were critical for the viability of U.S. wind and solar projects in 2010, bridging roughly half the gap between generation costs and market prices. While cost reductions have made wind nearly viable with federal support alone by 2013, the report argues that current tax-based incentives are inefficient because project developers often lack the tax liabilities to fully utilize them, necessitating costly tax-equity financing. The authors propose replacing the Production Tax Credit (PTC) for wind with a Taxable Cash for Production (TCP) incentive and offering solar PV projects a 20% 1603 Cash Grant instead of a 30% Investment Tax Credit (ITC) to maintain support while significantly reducing costs to federal and state governments.

The author contends that Spain's economic crisis stems from a real estate bubble and high private debt rather than irresponsible public spending. They argue that austerity policies are counterproductive, increasing unemployment and public debt. The text proposes a European bank bailout fund funded by banks (similar to the US FDIC) and the use of Eurobonds to protect against interest rate spikes, while suggesting green taxes and estate taxes as alternatives to social cuts.

The paper argues that explicitly weighting criteria in participatory multi-criteria evaluations allows for a 'social sensitivity' analysis that validates the robustness of sustainability assessments without forcing a consensus among stakeholders. Using a case study of the Urdaibai Estuary in the Basque Country, the authors applied a process of individual weighting followed by hierarchical cluster analysis to group social actors by their priorities. The results showed that while most groups favored conservation and limited dredging, the shipyard labor union held opposing priorities. The authors conclude that this approach facilitates social learning and mutual understanding by mapping the diversity of priorities rather than oversimplifying them into a single average value.

The document argues that incorporating the informal sector into economic models strengthens the case for environmental fiscal reform in Spain. By using carbon tax revenues to reduce labour taxes, the government can encourage workers to move from the informal to the formal sector, thereby reducing unemployment and increasing overall welfare.

The Ouarzazate I CSP project in Morocco utilizes a public-private partnership (PPP) model and significant concessional financing from international financial institutions (IFIs) to overcome the commercial unviability of CSP technology. The project is designed as the first phase of a larger portfolio to drive down costs and eventually enable renewable energy exports to the European Union. Key success factors include the creation of the Moroccan Agency for Solar Energy (MASEN), strong donor coordination, and a risk-sharing framework that allocates operational risks to private developers and revenue risks to the public sector.

The July 2012 issue of Investment Treaty News Quarterly explores the tension between investor protections and the regulatory autonomy of states. Key discussions include the use of deferential standards of review to enhance the legitimacy of investor-state arbitration and the risks associated with unilateral offers to arbitrate in national investment codes. The document also analyzes how international investment agreements can clash with the provision of public services and the increasing trend of investors challenging renewable energy feed-in tariffs (FiTs) and domestic content requirements. Additionally, it reviews the European Commission's draft text for investor-state dispute settlement in EU agreements and provides summaries of recent arbitral awards involving countries such as Slovakia, Cuba, Paraguay, Ecuador, and Turkey.

The manifesto argues that the European project is facing a political crisis driven by a 'top-down' approach of elites and technocrats, exacerbated by high youth unemployment and the debt crisis. To counter this, the authors propose a 'European Year of Volunteering for Everyone' to empower civil society and democratize national democracies. This initiative aims to engage citizens in transnational challenges such as climate change and environmental degradation, moving beyond periodic voting toward a proactive, bottom-up constitution for Europe.

The report argues that the EU ETS is failing due to a massive oversupply of allowances caused by the 2008 economic recession and industrial overallocation. Sandbag identifies a total excess of 3.1 billion tonnes (Gt) of allowances, including 2.2Gt from obsolete demand forecasts and 0.9Gt from industrial overallocation. The document highlights that 78% of the net surplus is concentrated among ten steel and cement companies, which have generated significant revenues from selling surplus permits. To remedy this, the report recommends the permanent cancellation of 3.1Gt of allowances from Phase 3 auctions, the establishment of a more ambitious Phase 4 carbon budget aligned with 2050 goals, and the introduction of mechanisms like a "heat exchanger" and a strategic demand-correction reserve to protect the system from future exogenous shocks.

The author analyzes the electoral performance of European Green parties following the 2009 financial crisis, noting a trend of decline in several countries. To counter this, the text proposes five strategic challenges: focusing on societal needs over internal struggles, embracing diversity in leadership and membership, transitioning from 'whistleblowers' to 'solution providers', establishing credibility on economic issues by promoting alternative green economic concepts, and asserting a strong commitment to social justice and equity. The author advocates for a 'Green New Deal' as a practical first step toward a radical paradigm shift in the development model, emphasizing that proposed efforts must be effective, fair, and legitimate to restore public trust.

The report identifies 'green shoots of recovery' in securitisation markets, particularly through increased residential mortgage backed securities (RMBS) in the UK and trade finance securitisations. While investor demand is returning, the report argues that supply is constrained by heavy government intervention (such as by the ECB and US federal agencies) and stringent new regulations like Basel III and Solvency II. The author suggests that the normalisation of these markets is vital for climate finance, as 95% of project finance globally comes from bank lending, and securitisation allows banks to recycle limited capital to fund renewable energy and energy efficiency projects.

The letter expresses concern that carbon offsets are undermining EU climate goals by stifling domestic emission reductions and supporting projects that lack environmental integrity. It specifically highlights the negative impacts of coal-fired power plants and large hydro projects in the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), as well as the lack of transparency in Track 1 Joint Implementation (JI).

Carbon Market Watch criticizes the proposed revisions to the CDM coal crediting methodology (ACM0013), stating that they do not sufficiently address technical flaws such as data quality and project emissions. The organization warns that 45 coal projects in the pipeline, primarily in India and China, risk locking in over 400 million tCO2 in annual emissions, which contradicts the 2°C warming objective. It specifically highlights that six already registered projects will bypass the new rules and could generate 89 million credits based on a flawed methodology.

The author contends that austerity policies in Europe, especially in post-socialist states, have led to substantial budget cuts in higher education and a push toward the commodification of learning. The text highlights that these measures often shift costs to students through tuition fees and prioritize market-driven research over humanities and fundamental sciences, thereby undermining social equality and the goals of the Europe 2020 strategy.

The document argues that Spain's adherence to EU-mandated austerity—termed the 'Euro Dogma'—has deepened its recession by contracting aggregate demand and undermining public services. It criticizes the Popular Party's labour reforms for reducing worker protections and wages without addressing the root causes of the crisis, such as the property bubble and lack of technological investment. The author highlights significant cuts to R&D, education, and health, while noting that military spending and grants to the Catholic Church remained relatively protected. The text suggests that Spain could instead leverage its human capital and renewable energy potential, and increase revenues by tackling tax evasion and taxing the wealthy, to achieve a sustainable recovery.

The paper examines the potential for an employment double dividend in Spain, where carbon taxes are used to fund reductions in labour taxes. It reviews previous CGE models and introduces a new model that accounts for Spain's significant informal labour market. The authors find that recycling carbon tax revenues into labour tax reductions can significantly decrease unemployment and increase overall welfare, especially when accounting for the reduction of local pollutants.

The author analyzes the Occupy movement as a response to a systemic crisis driven by neo-liberal wealth redistribution and austerity in Europe. While praising the movement's concept of solidarity and its focus on the '99 per cent', the text warns that spontaneous protests are insufficient without a structured alliance of institutions, unions, and parties. The author calls for a new societal model that replaces consumerism with a vision of a 'good life' for all, incorporating fairer taxation and politically negotiated limits on resource use to prevent poverty and climate wars.