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The study finds that climate policy elements, including the EU ETS and long-term targets, are generally rated as less relevant to corporate investment decisions in the power sector than market factors and technology-specific regulations like feed-in tariffs. For technology providers, long-term targets are significantly more relevant than the EU ETS for both RD&D and sales. Power generators show a high correlation between the perceived relevance of the EU ETS and long-term targets. The research also indicates that technology providers' reliance on technology-specific policies is strongly linked to their product portfolios, while power generators' relevance ratings are less dependent on their technology portfolios. Higher long-term CO2 price expectations and greater certainty about those prices correlate with a higher perceived relevance of the EU ETS for new plant investments.

The study finds that climate policy elements, including the EU ETS and long-term targets, are generally less influential in corporate investment decisions than market prices and technology-specific regulations like feed-in tariffs. While technology providers view long-term targets as significantly more relevant than the EU ETS for RD&D and sales, power generators see the EU ETS as slightly more relevant for new plant adoption. The research emphasizes that a coordinated policy mix of stringent, predictable instruments and ambitious long-term targets is necessary to drive low-carbon innovation.

The report assesses the inefficiencies of the current European power market, specifically regarding congestion management and wind integration. It compares existing approaches like market coupling and loop-flow incorporation with the US-style nodal pricing system. The author concludes that an integrated power market managed by Independent System Operators (ISOs) is superior because it provides full system visibility, reflects actual transmission constraints in pricing, and accommodates the short-term forecasting nature of intermittent renewables. The document identifies institutional barriers from TSOs and conventional generators but suggests that European-level leadership is necessary to implement these reforms to meet low-carbon targets.

The paper identifies five criteria for effective congestion management in Europe: integrated national and international approaches, joint allocation of transmission rights, and integration with day-ahead, intraday, and balancing markets, alongside transparency. It argues that current European systems suffer from inefficiencies in domestic redispatch, international capacity allocation, and dynamic management. While zonal pricing is used in some regions, the authors contend that locational marginal pricing (nodal pricing)—already implemented in six US ISO markets—is the superior candidate for addressing these weaknesses. To mitigate political opposition and financial risks associated with nodal pricing, the document suggests using Financial Transmission Rights (FTRs) to compensate affected stakeholders and hedge price volatility.

The document outlines four decades of activism by Friends of the Earth International, highlighting specific successes in banning commercial whaling in Spain, prohibiting open-pit mining in Costa Rica, and establishing the first climate change law in the UK. It details diverse campaigns against coal power in Germany, oil pollution in Nigeria, and genetically modified organisms in Europe, while emphasizing the role of grassroots mobilization and legal action in achieving environmental protections and human rights.

The report documents various environmental and social justice campaigns led by Friends of the Earth (FoE) member groups across the globe. Key achievements include the 2008 UK Climate Change Act, a ban on open-pit metal mining in Costa Rica (2010), and the cessation of commercial whaling in Spain (1985). The document also details ongoing resistance against coal-fired power plants in Germany and Scotland, gas flaring in Nigeria, and the impact of large-scale dams in Mozambique, South Korea, and the Philippines. It emphasizes a strategy of combining grassroots mobilization, legal challenges, and international solidarity to combat corporate globalization and protect indigenous and community rights.

The IISD Global Connectivity Program examines how the 'global connectivity system'—including ICTs and internet governance—can facilitate the flow of knowledge and leadership required for sustainability. The program identifies key trends such as the rise of 'smart' systems for resource efficiency, a global digital economy that exceeds the agriculture and energy sectors in consumption and expenditure, and the shift toward networked, social-media-driven information exchange. IISD emphasizes the need for open, accessible communications infrastructure to gather environmental data and monitor resources, while simultaneously seeking to minimize the negative environmental impacts of ICTs.

The Treaty of Pelindaba establishes Africa as a nuclear-weapon-free zone, prohibiting the development, testing, and stationing of nuclear explosive devices. Entered into force on 15 July 2009, the treaty requires member states to renounce nuclear weapons and implement strict non-proliferation measures for peaceful nuclear energy use. It establishes the African Commission on Nuclear Energy (AFCONE) for compliance monitoring and includes three protocols for non-African nuclear-weapon states and those controlling territories within the zone. As of March 2011, 31 African Union members have ratified the treaty.

The document criticizes the 'Copenhagen Accord' for shifting the burden of climate action to developing nations and promoting private finance over public obligations. It highlights how global banks like Barclays and Santander, and corporations like Shell and Lafarge, use carbon markets and REDD projects for 'greenwashing' and profit. The report concludes that climate finance should be mandatory, public, and managed by the UN to ensure it serves the most vulnerable populations rather than corporate interests.

The research investigates the role of ICT in environmental sustainability research across four sectors, identifying five common macro-areas of application: observation and monitoring, modelling and simulation, socio-economic analysis, policy analysis and planning, and capacity building and cooperation. The study finds that 'information systems and software' and 'communication technology, networks, distributed systems' are the most used ICT categories across most sectors, though 'electronics and microsystems' predominate in climate change research due to observation and monitoring needs. Respondents consistently ranked the scientific relevance of ICT as the highest priority, followed by political and then economic relevance. The analysis suggests that future ICT requirements are driven by current tool usage and the desire to improve scientific exchange and policy interfaces, particularly for e-governance and public awareness.

The document critiques carbon trading as an unreliable mechanism that shifts the burden of mitigation to developing countries and benefits the Northern financial industry. It proposes a comprehensive package of alternatives: for mitigation, it suggests global feed-in tariffs for renewables, energy efficiency standards, sustainable small-scale agriculture, and the protection of Indigenous forest rights. For climate finance, it identifies a potential US$420 billion per year in new funding through a global Financial Transaction Tax, cracking down on tax evasion, redirecting fossil-fuel producer subsidies, issuing new Special Drawing Rights, and implementing carbon and energy taxes.

The report critiques carbon trading as a 'risky, irresponsible and dangerous' tool that diverts attention from viable solutions. It proposes a comprehensive package of alternatives: investing US$100 billion annually in renewable energy feed-in tariffs, transitioning to small-scale sustainable agriculture, protecting forests by addressing drivers like agrofuels, and implementing international industrial standards for the 'best available technologies'. For climate finance, it suggests a combination of a global financial transaction tax, combating tax evasion, redirecting fossil fuel subsidies, issuing Special Drawing Rights, and implementing carbon and energy taxes, which could collectively provide at least US$420 billion annually for developing nations.

The report critiques carbon trading as a high-risk distraction that allows developed nations to avoid domestic emissions reductions and undermines the principle of common but differentiated responsibility. It proposes a comprehensive package of alternatives, including a global feed-in tariff for renewable energy, a transition to small-scale sustainable agriculture, and the implementation of common industrial standards for best available technology. To fund these transitions and support developing countries, the report suggests generating at least US$420 billion per year through a global financial transaction tax, cracking down on tax evasion, redirecting fossil-fuel producer subsidies, issuing new Special Drawing Rights, and implementing carbon and energy taxes.

The document argues for a standardized methodology to quantify irrigation subsidies to ensure international comparability, utilizing a 'Net Cost to the Supplier' approach. Applying this method to Spain, the study estimates annual irrigation subsidies between €906 million and €1.120 million. It offers recommendations for overcoming methodological challenges regarding water pricing and capital investment valuation, while urging Spanish policymakers to increase the transparency of subsidy program data.

The document examines the vulnerability of the European nuclear power sector to climate change, specifically focusing on how rising temperatures and water scarcity lead to production reductions and disrupt international electricity trading.

The document investigates the economic impact of energy efficiency labels on the dishwasher market in Spain, specifically within the Basque Autonomous Community. Using a hedonic approach, the authors find that an A+ energy label increases the final price of a dishwasher by 15.6%, which equates to approximately €80 based on an average price of €514. This finding is compared to a government subsidy programme that provides between €50 and €85 to encourage the purchase of high-efficiency appliances. The study also employs the Quantity Based Demand System (QBDS) and the Linear Almost Ideal Demand System (LA/AIDS) to determine price elasticities, concluding that demand for labelled appliances is significantly more elastic than for non-labelled ones. Specifically, while own price elasticity for non-labelled dishwashers ranges from -0.5 to -2, it varies from -1.2 to -13.2 for labelled appliances. The authors suggest the QBDS model is a robust, less data-demanding alternative for analyzing close substitutes in energy efficiency policy.

The document examines the vulnerability of the European power sector to climate change, focusing on the interdependence between water supply and electricity generation. It argues that rising temperatures and water scarcity can force power plants, particularly nuclear facilities, to reduce production, which in turn disrupts the European electricity exchange system. Using a theoretical model and scenarios based on IPCC projections, the authors demonstrate that countries heavily dependent on electricity imports, such as Italy and the Netherlands, are particularly vulnerable to production constraints in major exporting nations like France.

The paper examines historical cases from the Roman Empire, Early Modern Europe, and the Far East to argue that long-term economic growth is possible within renewable energy systems if demand, supply, and trade are managed through sound government policy. It contrasts successful management in Germany and Japan with failures in China, and assesses the technical potential of global renewable resources compared to current energy consumption.

The document argues that while the Lisbon Treaty streamlines the EU's internal bureaucracy and foreign policy apparatus, it is likely to result in Africa commanding less attention on the EU's strategic agenda. The author suggests that the EU's focus will shift toward the Western Balkans, the Middle East, and emerging powers, while its ability to provide development aid may be constrained by the Eurozone financial crisis. Consequently, the brief recommends that African leaders diversify their economic and diplomatic partnerships beyond the EU, specifically by strengthening South-South cooperation with countries such as China, India, Brazil, and Russia.

The document argues that national-level analyses of carbon leakage underestimate the severe economic risks to Old Industrial Regions (OIRs), where heavy industry is highly concentrated. Using an applied general equilibrium (AGE) model for the Basque Country, the authors find that relocating 1.5% to 35% of iron and steel production could lead to a GDP drop of up to 2.26%. While such relocation reduces CO2 emissions, the implicit cost of this mitigation (187 to 202 €/Tco2) is significantly higher than technological alternatives like carbon capture and storage. The authors recommend that climate policies be carefully designed to avoid imposing undue burdens on sectors prone to relocation in OIRs.