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The research analyzes climate change adaptation in Stockholm's water supply and wastewater sector, finding that most measures focus on building adaptive capacity rather than implementing final decisions. The ability of organizations to pursue adaptation options is primarily driven by their capacity to justify additional resources, either through the application of climate knowledge or by citing existing rules and regulations.

The report argues that Swedish consumption patterns are unsustainable, requiring resources equivalent to 3.25 Earths if adopted globally. Using the Resources and Energy Analysis Programme (REAP), it demonstrates that consumption-based greenhouse gas emissions in Sweden are approximately 90% higher than official national statistics. Analysis of four cities shows that Stockholm has the highest environmental footprint, while all four exceed the per capita emission levels required to meet the 2-degree global warming target.

The document details a side event focused on the economic, social, and environmental imperatives of reforming fossil-fuel subsidies. It highlights the fiscal burden of these subsidies, which totaled an estimated US$409 billion in consumption subsidies in 2010, and their role in increasing greenhouse gas emissions. The report presents case studies from Ethiopia, Costa Rica, and Sweden to illustrate different reform trajectories and challenges. It advocates for a comprehensive reform strategy that includes targeted compensation for the poor, transparency, and specific commitments within the Rio+20 outcome document, including financial and technical assistance for developing countries.

The text asserts that climate change adaptation is essential and complementary to mitigation efforts, as some climate impacts are unavoidable regardless of greenhouse gas emission reductions.

While Swedish forestry is often viewed as a climate change 'winner' due to potential increases in vegetation growth and productivity from higher temperatures, the document asserts that climate change will also produce negative effects, necessitating adaptation strategies within the sector.

The RACER method shifts Arctic conservation from focusing on current vulnerabilities to identifying 'key features'—areas of exceptional biological productivity and diversity—that act as sources of ecological strength. By analyzing these features and the drivers that fuel them, RACER predicts whether these sources of resilience will persist through the 21st century using General Circulation Models (GCMs). The guide provides a framework for mapping these features and includes pilot case studies for the Beaufort Continental Coast and Shelf (marine) and Eastern Chukotka (terrestrial) to illustrate how the tool can be used to safeguard ecosystem services and biodiversity in a rapidly warming region.

The Clipore program, funded with over 100 MSEK, conducted socio-economic research from 2004 to 2011 to support international climate policy. It focused on emissions trading systems in Europe and the United States, provided inputs to the UNFCCC agenda, and examined the communication dynamics between science and policy stakeholders.

The document reports on a side event at the 17th Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC in Durban, where delegates and experts discussed the economic and environmental benefits of phasing out fossil fuel subsidies. It highlights the disparity between the US$100 billion Green Climate Fund and the US$400–600 billion in annual global fossil fuel subsidies. The report details the activities of the 'Friends of Fossil Fuel Subsidy Reform' group, the challenges of political economy in implementing reforms, and proposals to integrate subsidy reform into Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Actions (NAMAs) and the Rio+20 conference.

The paper argues that solving complex sustainability problems requires 'reflexive governance' that integrates distributed capacities across sectors and scales. It proposes a framework where the efficacy of networked governance is a function of both problem complexity (network heterogeneity) and social capital. The authors suggest that social network analysis (SNA) and stakeholder analysis can optimize network structures—specifically through the use of institutional brokers to bridge 'structural holes'—to enhance social capital. The document distinguishes between 'active steering' (centralized) and 'self-steering' (decentralized) strategies, noting that higher levels of social capital allow for greater autonomy and self-organization. Collaborative visioning is presented as a key process to create shared value and strategic alignment, which in turn increases social capital and enables the network to address more complex problems.

The report analyzes public-private partnerships (PPPs) as a tool for sustainable development, arguing that while PPPs can mobilize private capital and innovation for public goods, they often prioritize short-term financial value over long-term environmental and social stewardship. Through global context and case studies from Australia, Sweden, Ireland, Canada, and Morocco, the document highlights the necessity of strong public sector capacity, detailed contractual specifications, and a shift toward 'whole of life' value assessments to ensure PPPs contribute to sustainability rather than merely serving as off-balance sheet financing tools.

The SEI Research Forum Book of Abstracts compiles 60 research summaries from the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) staff. The research spans four primary themes: Managing Environmental Systems, Reducing Climate Risk, Transforming Governance, and Rethinking Development. Key areas of investigation include the 'planetary boundaries' framework, the socio-economic drivers of clean cooking and sanitation in India and Africa, the effectiveness of climate adaptation policies in the UK and Sweden, and the geopolitical dynamics of climate negotiations involving BASIC countries. The document highlights a mix of completed research, ongoing projects, and future research ideas aimed at bridging science and policy for sustainable development.

The policy brief examines the 'letting others lead' approach of European states toward the regulation of commercial military services. It contends that the perceived restrictiveness of European frameworks is an illusion, as core military tasks are routinely outsourced and regulations are often interpreted permissively or bypassed. This lack of internal rigor leads European states to relegate regulatory initiative to allies (such as the US and UK), multi-stakeholder codes of conduct, and industry self-regulation, which further fragments the global regulatory landscape and reduces accountability.

The policy brief examines the growing but under-reported reliance on private companies for military services across Europe. It contends that unlike the US and UK, European states maintain 'hybrid' arrangements where the state remains closely linked to market actors, which masks the extent of commercialization and prevents public democratic debate. The author identifies four drivers of this trend—technological, economic, strategic, and public management processes—and argues that the resulting lack of clear accountability benefits security professionals who prefer to avoid public scrutiny.

The author contends that official archives and contemporary reports often serve as political legitimization rather than factual records. Using examples such as secret Swedish-US military cooperation, the 1980s submarine incursions in Sweden, and Cold War-era terrorism in Europe, the paper demonstrates how 'formative events' are frequently misinterpreted due to classification. The author advocates for a 'triangulation' method—combining archive material, technical evidence, and oral history—to uncover truths that states intentionally keep off the record.

The report analyzes the challenges of implementing agri-environmental measures under the EU's Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) within the Baltic Sea Region (BSR). It finds that a lack of coordination between agricultural and environmental sectors, insufficient stakeholder involvement, and an 'uneven playing field' in funding and entitlements have hindered the achievement of environmental boundary conditions. The authors argue that the CAP's national focus often undermines transboundary cooperation and regional cohesion. To address this, they recommend consolidating CAP Pillars 1 and 2 to treat environmental services as a core value of farming and introducing 'soft measures' to support stakeholder dialogue and regional nutrient reduction targets.

The BalticClimate toolkit provides climate science overviews, scenarios, and tailored tools for policy-makers, spatial planners, and the business community in the Baltic Sea Region. It offers projections for sectors such as agriculture, energy, and housing, alongside over 120 practical examples of 'win-win-win' solutions for adaptation, mitigation, and economic development. Specific tools include checklists for policy-makers, a Vulnerability Assessment framework for spatial planners, and a Climate SWOT analysis for small- and medium-sized enterprises.

The policy brief argues that current systems for tracking climate finance are fragmented and insufficient, calling for a robust MRV framework within the UNFCCC to build trust between donors and recipients. It highlights the political nature of defining 'climate finance' and 'new and additional' funds, while warning against double-counting and the risk of narrow definitions hindering broader development goals.

The report explains the difference between traditional and consumption-based emissions accounting, noting that Sweden's consumption-based emissions are approximately double its national emissions. It introduces REAP, a tool developed by the Stockholm Environment Institute that uses multi-regional input-output (MRIO) models and geodemographic data to calculate the environmental footprint of Swedish consumption at national, regional, and local levels. The document provides case studies from Luleå, Härjedalen, and Lund to demonstrate how REAP's scenario function can model the impact of policy changes in transport, energy, and food waste on greenhouse gas emissions and the ecological footprint.

The report assesses four fleet scenarios for the Tallinn Bus Company (TAK) up to 2020: continuing with conventional diesel, or transitioning to bioethanol (ED95), biodiesel (B100), or diesel-electric hybrids. While alternative fuels significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions and external costs, they are more expensive to operate than conventional diesel. The study finds that the most cost-effective way to reduce local air pollution (PM and NOx) is simply replacing old buses with new Euro V and VI diesel models, as the emission gap between new diesel and alternative technologies has narrowed. Biodiesel offers the highest CO2 reduction potential, while hybrids provide the best fuel economy. The report recommends a diversified technology approach to mitigate risks associated with fuel prices and supply.

The report analyzes three global energy scenarios—Baseline, Basic Energy Access (BEA), and Shared Development Agenda (SDA)—to determine the pathways required to provide sustainable energy for all while limiting global warming to 2°C. It argues that achieving these goals requires a massive socio-technical transformation, including the virtual phase-out of conventional fossil fuels for electricity by 2050 and a significant increase in renewable energy and energy efficiency. Through 20 case studies, the document identifies barriers such as vested interests, high entry costs for the poor, and institutional inertia, while proposing a multi-level governance framework to coordinate innovation, mobilize finance, and align national policies with global sustainable development goals.