Search Climate Insights Directory
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From Policy to Practice and Back
The report examines the challenges and successes of implementing Western sustainability and development agendas within Vietnam's highly centralized party-state. It analyzes how historical legacies, including Chinese influence and the impact of the US war, shape current governance and social dynamics. Through various case studies—including hydropower strategic environmental assessments, poverty reduction programs like Chia Sẻ, and research on Agent Orange—the author demonstrates that while the Vietnamese state is open to experimental pilot projects, it remains resistant to reforms that challenge its monopoly on power or its paternalistic view of ethnic minorities. The document concludes that long-term engagement and an understanding of local cultural contexts are essential for effective policy advice in Vietnam.
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Document type: Report
Peatland Mining in Manitoba’s Interlake
The report assesses the environmental impact of peat mining in Manitoba, specifically focusing on the Interlake region. It estimates that nutrient leaching from all current peat lease holdings would contribute between 0.02% and 0.35% of total annual phosphorus and 0.04% to 0.87% of total annual nitrogen loads to Lake Winnipeg. Greenhouse gas emissions from land-use change due to peat extraction are estimated to be no more than 0.4 million tonnes CO2e per year, representing approximately 2% of Manitoba's total annual emissions. The document concludes that a cumulative environmental assessment (CEA) is an appropriate methodology for managing these activities and suggests mitigation strategies such as carbon credit trading, immediate post-extraction restoration, and the use of sedimentation ponds and constructed wetlands.
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Document type: Report
Meeting our global responsibility: the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals
The author critiques the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) for focusing on income poverty and development aid rather than structural inequality and the link between social and environmental dimensions. While noting progress in poverty reduction and water access, the text highlights that global inequality is rising and environmental degradation is accelerating due to the consumption patterns of an expanding global middle class. The author asserts that industrialised countries, particularly the European Union, must assume global responsibility by meeting the 0.7% GNI official development assistance target and drastically reducing their per capita CO2 emissions to allow the Global South scope for sustainable development.
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Document type: Statement
Development of Eco-Efficient Industrial Parks in China: A review
The report examines China's effort to transition its industrial sector—responsible for 70% of energy consumption and 72% of carbon emissions—through three primary pilot programs: the Eco-Industrial Park (EIP) Demonstration Program, the Circular Transformation of Industrial Parks (CTIP), and the Low-Carbon Industrial Park Program. While these programs overlap in their goals to reduce pollution and resource scarcity, they differ in governance and metrics. The EIP program uses a rigid set of threshold values, whereas the CTIP program allows zones to set their own targets and provides direct national financing, averaging RMB 182 million per zone. The Low-Carbon Industrial Park Program, launched in 2013, specifically targets greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The report concludes that while these voluntary schemes help build technical capacity and attract investment, they often lack comprehensive life-cycle assessments and clear guidance for participating firms.
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Document type: Report
Integrating flood risk reduction, river basin and resilience management in planning: a case study of Kristianstad, Sweden
This case study, part of the Baltic COMPASS project, analyzes flood risk and river basin management in Kristianstad, Sweden, identifying significant barriers to adaptive river management, including a lack of cross-sectoral integration and the absence of a river basin-wide governance structure for water flows.
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Document type: Case study
Interacting effects of change in climate, human population, land use and water use on biodiversity and ecosystem services
The paper argues that the simultaneous impacts of multiple drivers—climate, population, land use, and water use—on biodiversity and ecosystem services are largely unknown and rarely analysed together. Using the Norrström drainage basin in Sweden as a case study, the authors highlight that despite significant historical changes since the 19th century, including a 1.6°C temperature increase and rapid urbanization, there is insufficient data on the resulting impacts on biodiversity. The authors advocate for interdisciplinary research and the use of matching-scale data to support adaptive governance.
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Document type: Research paper
Freedom and tolerance are the answers rather than security
The author contends that increasing security measures and restricting liberties in response to terrorist attacks in Paris and elsewhere is ineffective and risks further marginalizing religious groups. The text highlights the rise of far-right movements like Pegida in Germany and the AfD, as well as the growth of populist discourse in Austria, the Netherlands, Sweden, and Denmark. It argues that structural issues—such as the 'apartheid' between French cities and banlieues, youth unemployment, and resource tensions—drive instability. The document advocates for a strategy based on education, equal rights for minorities, and the reinforcement of universal values of freedom and solidarity to combat extremism.
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Document type: Statement
The Geneva Pledge for Human Rights in Climate Action
The Geneva Pledge, signed by 19 nations in February 2015, commits governments to foster collaboration between their human rights and climate change experts. The signatories acknowledge that climate change disproportionately affects vulnerable populations and pledge to ensure that the transition to a low-carbon economy respects human rights and ensures no one is left behind.
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Document type: Statement
Styrmedel och andra insatser för att minska svensk konsumtions påverkan på hälsa och miljö i andra länder
The report assesses how Sweden can mitigate the global environmental and health footprints of its consumption. It identifies key 'hotspots'—specifically electronics from China and soy from Brazil—and proposes a mix of economic, administrative, informative, and collaborative tools. The authors argue that while many ideas exist, there is a lack of political action and a need for systemic change, such as shifting toward a circular economy and adjusting tax systems, rather than relying solely on individual consumer choices or isolated production improvements.
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Document type: Research paper
Integrating flood risk reduction, river basin and resilience management in planning: A case study of Kristianstad, Sweden
The report analyzes flood and nutrient risks in Kristianstad, Sweden, finding that current flood risk management is too narrowly focused on urban flood control via embankments and pumps, neglecting river basin-wide abatement and resilience. It identifies a lack of cross-sectoral integration between urban planning, agriculture, and forestry, and notes that governance structures for water quantity are fragmented compared to those for water quality. The author argues for a shift toward 'adaptive river management'—living with floods—to better address climate change and sea-level rise.
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Document type: Research paper
Keine Toleranz gegenüber der Intoleranz
The author compares current anti-Muslim sentiment in Germany to the antisemitism of the 1920s and 30s, citing figures like Heinz Buschkowsky and Alice Schwarzer as contributors to a climate of demonization. The text asserts that this rhetoric fuels violence, such as attacks on mosques, and supports movements like Pegida. It concludes by demanding that politicians recognize Islamophobia as racism and that media outlets stop publishing anti-Muslim content.
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Document type: Statement
Az iszlamofóbiával szemben nem viselhetjük el az intoleranciát
The author draws parallels between the antisemitic propaganda of the 1920s and 30s and contemporary Islamophobia in Germany, specifically citing the rhetoric used against Muslims in the Neukölln district of Berlin and by groups like Pegida. The text highlights a rise in violence, including the burning of mosques in Germany and Sweden, and calls for political leaders and media editors to recognize Islamophobia as a form of racism. It promotes the Salaam-Schalom Initiative as a model for peaceful coexistence between Jewish, Muslim, and migrant communities.
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Document type: Statement
Intolerance must not be tolerated: Resistance to Pegida in Germany
The author compares current anti-Muslim rhetoric in Germany, including statements by public figures and the activities of the Pegida movement, to the anti-Semitic propaganda used during the Third Reich. The text asserts that the demonization of Muslims and migrants as 'others' leads to real-world violence, such as attacks on mosques. It advocates for politicians to recognize Islamophobia as racism and for media editors to stop publishing anti-Muslim content to ensure peaceful co-existence.
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Document type: Statement
Overcoming social barriers to learning and engagement with climate change adaptation: experiences with Swedish forestry stakeholders
The research examines the role of transformative learning in engaging 24 Swedish forestry stakeholders with climate change adaptation. It identifies that social barriers, such as perceptions of scientific uncertainty, can impede the formation of opinions on adaptation. The study concludes that engagement improves when scientific knowledge is aligned with stakeholders' specific needs, aspirations, and personal experiences with extreme weather.
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Document type: Research paper
AVOIDING BIOENERGY COMPETITION FOR FOOD CROPS AND LAND
The paper examines the conflict between bioenergy production and the global need for food, feed, and carbon sequestration. It argues that dedicated land use for bioenergy—including crop-based biofuels and cellulosic energy crops—exacerbates a projected 70 percent crop calorie gap by 2050. The authors contend that bioenergy is an inefficient use of solar radiation compared to solar photovoltaics (PV), which can produce over 100 times more energy per hectare. Furthermore, the document identifies a systemic 'double counting' error in greenhouse gas accounting that erroneously treats biomass as carbon-free. It recommends phasing out subsidies and mandates for land-dedicated bioenergy while prioritizing 'additional' biomass sources such as municipal waste and specific residues.
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Document type: Research paper
‘Till Martyrdom Do Us Part’
The report challenges the 'jihadi bride' stereotype, arguing that Western women migrate to ISIS due to a complex mix of push factors (social isolation, perceived persecution of Muslims) and pull factors (religious duty, sisterhood, and romanticised adventure). While their primary roles are domestic, some women engage in propaganda and professional services. The document analyses de-radicalisation models in Germany, Denmark, Sweden, and the UK, concluding that there is a critical shortage of female mentors and gender-nuanced counter-narratives to effectively address this threat.
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Document type: Report
Toidujäätmete teke Eesti kaubandus- ja toiduainetööstusettevõtetes
The report investigates food waste in Estonia's retail and food processing industries, finding that while overall waste levels are lower than in more developed European nations, significant 'food loss' occurs due to retail forecasting difficulties and consumer behavior. In retail, approximately 12,000 tonnes of food are written off annually, valued at 22 million euros, with fruits and vegetables making up the largest share by weight. In the food industry, waste is heavily concentrated in the meat sector, though much of the output is classified as by-products rather than waste. The report identifies transport costs, labor shortages, and legal ambiguities regarding taxes and hygiene as primary barriers to donating surplus food to the Food Bank (Toidupank).
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Document type: Report
Final water governance learning workshop Sassari, Italy 14-16 October 2015
The CADWAGO final workshop in Sassari, Italy, brought together 35 researchers and practitioners to discuss systemic water governance and climate adaptation. The event featured project findings on governance praxis and co-learning, external perspectives on catchment management in the UK and disaster management in Australia, and a field visit to Arborea, Sardinia. A central highlight was 'La Rasgioni' (the water court), a traditional conflict resolution process used to facilitate dialogue between dairy farmers and institutional authorities regarding nitrate pollution. Participants concluded that effective water governance requires moving beyond traditional stakeholder participation toward conscious co-learning and systemic designs that reconcile conflicting interests.
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Document type: Report
FACT SHEET Technologies to support climate change mitigation and adaptation
The Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) provides several specialized tools for climate action: LEAP for integrated energy planning and GHG mitigation; WEAP for integrated water resources planning and 'climate-proofing'; REAP and REAP Petite for consumption-based environmental impact accounting; and weADAPT, a collaborative web-based platform for sharing adaptation knowledge. SEI also leads the PROVIA Guidance project to provide technical guidance for National Adaptation Plans (NAPs). The institute's current strategy focuses on expanding capacity-building, creating 'toolkits' to address resource trade-offs, and making these technical tools more accessible to non-experts through visualization and cloud-based platforms.
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Document type: Fact sheet
SEI INITIATIVE The SEI Initiative on Producer to Consumer Sustainability
The SEI Initiative on Producer to Consumer Sustainability (P2CS) is a research and action platform designed to address the complexity of global production-to-consumption systems (PCSs). The initiative focuses on developing 'next-generation' footprint accounting tools to provide higher spatial resolution and better attribution of responsibility across supply chains. It also investigates supply chain governance to identify gaps in existing risk-management commitments and foster new mechanisms for sustainable trade. Initial pilot projects (2015–2016) target beef and soy in Brazil and oil palm in South East Asia for European markets.
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Document type: Briefing