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Hypercars: A Market-Oriented Approach to Meeting Lifecycle Environmental Goals
The document proposes the "hypercar" concept, which utilizes a recursive "mass decompounding" process to create ultralight vehicles. By combining advanced composites and hybrid-electric drives, the authors argue that cars can achieve significantly higher fuel economy and lower emissions without sacrificing performance or cost. The paper examines the lifecycle benefits of this approach, including reduced embodied energy in manufacturing, lower in-use emissions, and the potential for high-value recycling of polymer composites through processes like low-temperature catalytic pyrolysis.
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Document type: Research paper
REINVENTING THE WHEELS
The report proposes the 'Hypercar', an ultralight hybrid-electric vehicle that combines synthetic composite materials with hybrid propulsion to increase fuel efficiency by up to ten times compared to standard cars. It argues that the current 'Iron Age' approach of incremental steel-car refinements is obsolete and that the U.S. must transition to agile, low-capital manufacturing using moldable composites to maintain global competitiveness. The authors suggest that government mandates, such as California's ZEV requirements, and market-based 'feebates' can accelerate this transition, which would reduce oil dependency and environmental impact while fostering industrial renewal.
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Document type: Report
COOCAFE, R.L
The document details the operations of Coocafe R.L., a cooperative uniting small coffee farmers in Costa Rica to access fair trade and eco-friendly markets in Europe and North America. It focuses on the Café Foresta brand, which charges a premium to fund sustainable development and reforestation through the Fundación Café Forestal. While successful in gaining market share in Germany, Holland, and Switzerland, Coocafe faces strategic dilemmas regarding its use of non-recyclable packaging and the fact that its coffee is not organic, potentially risking its 'environmentally friendly' image as consumer standards evolve.
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Document type: Case study
Afrodad Harare Declaration French
The Harare Declaration, adopted during the first African Conference on Debt and Development (AfCoDD) in August 2021, calls for a systemic overhaul of the global debt architecture to address the vulnerabilities of African nations. It highlights how the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated poverty and debt burdens, potentially pushing 39 million Africans into extreme poverty. The document criticizes the current system for prioritizing creditor interests over social and environmental justice, noting a shift toward commercial bonds and a lack of transparency in debt contraction. To counter this, the declaration proposes the creation of an African Monitoring and Control Mechanism, a Monetary Fund, and an African Bank. It further advocates for a feminist approach to macroeconomics, a green recovery aligned with the AU's Agenda 2063, and the possibility of collective debt default to break the cycle of neoliberal dependency.
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Document type: Statement
URBAN RESEARCH AT BC3
The document presents a portfolio of BC3's urban research, focusing on the socio-economic and ecological implications of climate change. Key studies include an analysis of Bilbao's Sustainable Energy Action Plan, flood-risk assessments in Bilbao, Zurich, and Zaragoza, and the evaluation of heat-health warning systems and green roofs in Madrid.
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Document type: Fact sheet
Fossil Fuel Ad Ban Talking Points
The document advocates for banning fossil fuel advertisements to prevent the industry from using greenwashing and disinformation to maintain its 'social license to operate'. It highlights existing partial bans in France and efforts in 10 countries, including Australia, Canada, Ireland, and South Africa, as well as over 50 cities. The text compares the fossil fuel industry to the tobacco industry, suggesting that similar regulatory tools are needed to protect public health and enable climate action. It also discusses the role of litigation, corporate campaigns like Clean Creatives, and the targeting of advertising finances to dismantle the industry's influence on public opinion.
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Document type: Report
CAPE’s Position Statement on Synthetic Pesticides
The document outlines the health and environmental risks of synthetic pesticides, noting their persistence in biological systems and toxicity to children. It calls for a transition to organic farming and a legislated end to cosmetic pesticide use in Canada.
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Document type: Statement
Pricing it right: Accounting for non-permanent CCU while safeguarding the EU ETS
The document examines the challenges of accounting for fossil CO2 used in non-permanent products (like plastics and fuels) in the EU ETS. It compares a 'final emitter pays' (downstream) approach, which avoids double pricing but risks emissions leakage, against a 'capture installation pays' (upstream) approach, which is the current system but risks double pricing if MWI is included. The authors recommend including MWI in the ETS by 2028 and suggest specific safeguards for either accounting path to maintain environmental integrity.
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Document type: Policy brief
Energising the EU: How Nuclear Energy Can Help Decarbonise European Industry
The document outlines how nuclear energy can support the decarbonisation of EU heavy industries, which account for over half of Europe's energy consumption. It highlights the benefits of nuclear-industrial co-location to provide 24/7 clean firm energy, high-temperature heat for processing, and synthetic fuel production. The text specifically promotes small modular reactors (SMRs) as a flexible solution for industrial clusters, citing planned projects in Poland and Romania. To accelerate this transition, the author recommends streamlined licensing, the formation of regional industrial 'buyers' clubs', and clear policy frameworks that recognise nuclear heat as a valid tool for industrial decarbonisation targets.
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Document type: Fact sheet
Superhot Rock Geothermal in Switzerland
The document highlights that just 1% of Switzerland's estimated superhot rock geothermal resource could provide 20 GW of energy capacity, generating over 167,836 GWh of electricity. This amount is more than three times the country's 2021 electricity consumption of 66,039 GWh. Utilizing this resource could theoretically replace all coal and gas used for electricity production, reducing carbon emissions by approximately 3 megatonnes, which represents 10% of Switzerland's Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) goal. Additionally, the technology could eliminate the need for all natural gas and electricity imports, improving energy independence. Superhot rock geothermal is noted for its high energy density, requiring roughly 12 km² of land per 1 GW, significantly less than solar (180 km²), natural gas (160 km²), offshore wind (520 km²), or biomass (14,000 km²).
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Document type: Fact sheet
How will the Green Climate Fund allocate its money?
The briefing argues against a 'grand unified formula' for resource allocation, suggesting instead that the GCF use separate funding envelopes for different objectives to balance global efficiency with equity. It recommends that adaptation funding be allocated based on vulnerability-adjusted population numbers and poverty intensity, while mitigation funding could be managed through competitive Quantity Performance Payment (QPP) instruments. The author cautions against using inappropriate proxy metrics for funding needs and suggests implementing funding floors to ensure all eligible countries receive some support.
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Document type: Briefing
ArcelorMittal and the Responsibility of Stakeholders in the Steel Value Chain
The report examines the carbon-intensive nature of steel production, highlighting ArcelorMittal South Africa's (AMSA) increasing emissions and its impact on local communities in the Vaal triangle. It argues that ArcelorMittal Group maintains a double standard by prioritizing decarbonization in Europe over the Global South. The document identifies financial institutions (such as ABSA and the IFC) and the automobile industry (including Ford and Toyota) as key stakeholders with the leverage to push for a fossil-free transition. It recommends that ArcelorMittal end coal use by 2040 and provide verifiable asset-by-asset transformation plans by 2025.
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Document type: Report
Überfischung2
The report finds that Swiss retailers largely fail to ensure sustainable aquaculture supply chains, with none meeting half of the assessed sustainability indicators. It highlights the ecological and social risks of using wild fish for aquaculture feed, the inadequacy of current certification labels, and the poor state of fish welfare in farms. The authors advocate for the decoupling of aquaculture from wild fisheries through alternative feeds and the promotion of herbivorous fish species.
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Document type: Report
Declaração sobre Resíduos Contendo Nanomateriais
The document argues that the increasing use of manufactured nanomaterials (MNMs) in consumer and industrial products creates significant risks in the waste stream due to unknown toxicity and difficulties in characterization. It demands that governments and companies implement extended producer responsibility, restrict the transboundary movement of MNM waste, and establish public registries of nano-products, particularly within the European Union, to ensure safe recycling and disposal.
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Document type: Statement
Declaración sobre residuos que contienen nanomateriales
The document argues that manufactured nanomaterials (NM) in waste streams pose risks to health and the environment due to incomplete toxicity understanding. It demands the implementation of extended producer responsibility, restrictions on transboundary movements of NM waste, and the creation of a public registry of nano-products in the EU to ensure transparent quantification of waste flows. Additionally, it advocates for public funding of research into waste prevention and the development of safe recycling and disposal technologies that prevent cross-contamination of secondary materials.
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Document type: Statement
gef_fundorfolly_1993-6e93a33e034c9216.pdf
The Global Environmental Facility (GEF) was established in 1990 as a three-year pilot program to address global warming, ozone depletion, biodiversity loss, and international water pollution. Operated by the World Bank, UNDP, and UNEP, the GEF provides grant or concessional funding for projects that offer global environmental benefits but lack economic viability without assistance. However, the facility faces significant criticism from NGOs and developing countries regarding its lack of transparency, restricted membership—due to a SDR $4 million contribution requirement—and the potential for 'greenwashing' World Bank projects. As the pilot phase ends in 1993, there are calls for restructuring to ensure universal membership and greater accountability to the climate change and biodiversity conventions.
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Document type: Research paper
Legality of EU Proposals on Ship Recycling
The Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) asserts that end-of-life ships are hazardous waste and that the EU's Ship Recycling Regulation (SRR) illegally exempts EU-flagged vessels from the Waste Shipment Regulation (WSR). CIEL argues that listing ship recycling facilities in developing countries on the 'European List' or entering into Article 11 agreements to facilitate such exports violates the Basel Ban Amendment, which prohibits hazardous waste exports from Annex VII countries (including the EU) to non-Annex VII countries.
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Document type: Report
Déclaration sur les déchets contenant des nanomatériaux
The document argues that the increasing use of manufactured nanomaterials (MNMs) in consumer, industrial, and medical products is leading to their proliferation in waste streams, posing risks to human health and the environment that are not yet fully understood. Signatories demand that governments and companies implement extended producer responsibility, restrict the transboundary movement of MNM waste, and establish a public registry of nano-products in Europe to ensure transparency. The statement also advocates for the development of safe recycling technologies and the integration of waste prevention into publicly funded nanotechnology research to support a safe circular economy.
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Document type: Statement
Declaration on Waste Containing Nanomaterials
The Declaration on Waste Containing Nanomaterials argues that the increasing presence of manufactured nanomaterials (MNMs) in waste streams poses risks to human health and the environment due to uncertainties regarding their toxicity. The signatories call for the implementation of full producer responsibility, the restriction of transboundary waste movements, and the creation of an EU-wide public nano-product registry to ensure transparent quantification of waste flows. They further advocate for innovation in waste prevention, the development of safe recycling and disposal technologies, and the establishment of verifiable end-of-waste criteria to support a circular economy without introducing new environmental risks.
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Document type: Statement
El párrafo 19 de la Declaración de Doha hacia Hong Kong: ¿Un paso adelante para el respaldo mutuo entre el Acuerdo sobre los ADPIC y el Convention sobre la Diversidad Biológica?
The author analyzes the growing consensus among developing nations and some developed entities regarding the need for a 'disclosure of origin' requirement in the patent system to prevent the misappropriation of genetic resources and traditional knowledge. This effort is framed within the context of Paragraph 19 of the Doha Declaration, which tasks the TRIPS Council with examining the relationship between the TRIPS Agreement and the CBD. While countries like Brazil, India, and others advocate for mandatory disclosure and proof of prior informed consent and benefit-sharing, opposition remains from the United States and Japan, though the European Union and Switzerland have shown varying degrees of openness to such systems.
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Document type: Research paper