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This policy briefing analyzes Brazil's transition toward becoming a regional and global power since 2000, driven by economic growth and a more assertive foreign policy. While Brazil has expanded its diplomatic reach and regional leadership, the author argues that its emergence remains 'open-ended' due to internal social inequalities, a risk-averse public, and a lack of a long-term strategic vision for global management.

This briefing by the Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) analyzes how U.S. state climate action plans incorporate land use, transportation, and green building policies as of July 2009.

A statement from Friends of the Earth written during international climate negotiations in Bangkok, criticizing the United States for obstructing progress toward a strong international climate treaty.

Amory B. Lovins, Chairman and Chief Scientist of the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI), critiques a chapter on nuclear power from Stewart Brand's book, 'Whole Earth Discipline: an Ecopragmatist Manifesto'. Lovins argues that Brand's support for nuclear energy is based on flawed logic and ignores empirical data regarding economics, carbon efficiency, and the viability of decentralized renewable alternatives.

This 2009 briefing by the Environmental and Energy Study Institute examines the Montreal Protocol's success in ozone recovery and its failure to address the climate impacts of ozone-depleting substances (ODSs) and their substitutes, hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs). It highlights the risk posed by existing ODS 'banks' and the rapid growth of HFC emissions, while discussing proposed legislative responses in the United States and internationally.

This report by the Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) analyzes how state climate action plans in the United States incorporate land use, transportation, and green building policies as of July 2009. It finds that while transportation and green building are common, specific 'smart growth' land use practices are the least frequent component of these plans.

This fact sheet from the Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) details the employment potential of renewable energy (RE) and energy efficiency (EE) sectors globally and within the United States. It compiles various studies and reports to argue that clean energy transitions can provide quality, long-term jobs and economic growth, contrasting these trends with the decline of traditional fossil fuel employment.

This report by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) analyzes policy options for addressing competitiveness and carbon leakage resulting from differential climate change policies and measures (PAMs). It evaluates the economic and environmental effectiveness of border carbon adjustments (BCAs), free allowance allocations, and sectoral approaches, while examining their legality under World Trade Organization (WTO) rules and their political implications for developed and developing nations.

This briefing paper examines the economic, legal, and geopolitical challenges of implementing Border Carbon Adjustments (BCAs) to address industrial competitiveness and carbon leakage. It analyzes the tension between unilateral trade measures and international climate principles, specifically the UNFCCC's principle of common but differentiated responsibility.

The report argues that stabilizing atmospheric CO2 at 350 ppm is economically feasible, with estimated costs between 1% and 3% of global GDP, and is necessary to avoid catastrophic climate change. It challenges the 'go slow' approach of some economists and demonstrates that with adjusted assumptions on climate sensitivity and economic damages, even standard models like DICE support rapid decarbonization.

Friends of the Earth issued a statement criticizing the Kerry-Boxer draft climate bill, arguing that it contains significant loopholes and insufficient emissions targets to effectively combat climate change.

This report documents a seminar held by the Institute for Security Studies on September 19, 2009, regarding the unionisation and democratisation of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF). The discussions focus on the tension between constitutional labour rights and military discipline, the adversarial relationship between the Department of Defence (DOD) and military unions, and the systemic grievances of soldiers leading to protests.

This report by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) provides an overview of the status of international climate change negotiations as of September 2009, focusing on the outcomes of the Bonn II and Bonn III talks. It details the progress and divergences across the four pillars of the Bali Action Plan—mitigation, adaptation, technology, and financing—as member countries of the UNFCCC worked toward a post-2012 emission reduction regime to be adopted at COP 15 in Copenhagen.

This research paper evaluates the 'price-gap approach' for measuring fossil fuel subsidies, arguing that while it provides a useful global benchmark, it systematically understates the total magnitude of government support by ignoring transfers that do not affect end-user prices.

This research paper examines the role of human rights in African international relations, arguing that while there is a robust framework of regional and international treaties, human rights often remain a "variable concern" subordinated to national interests and geopolitical strategies. The author analyzes the tension between international monitoring mechanisms and the pursuit of "African solutions to African problems," specifically highlighting the controversy surrounding the ICC arrest warrant for Omar Al-Bashir and the influence of China's non-interference policy on the continent.

This research paper by Mireille Affa’a Mindzie, published by the South African Institute of International Affairs in August 2009, examines the role of human rights in African international relations. It analyzes the tension between the formal commitment to international human rights standards and the practical application of these standards in bilateral and multilateral diplomacy, where national interests and the pursuit of 'African solutions to African problems' often take precedence.

This research paper by the World Resources Institute examines policy options for rewarding 'early action' greenhouse gas (GHG) reductions within a proposed U.S. federal cap-and-trade system. It analyzes the environmental and economic implications of awarding credits 'under the cap' versus 'above the cap' and provides guidance on transitioning existing regional programs into a federal framework.

A coalition of civil society organizations, including the Center for International Environmental Law and Earthjustice, submitted comments to the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Trade Representative on July 31, 2009, regarding the review of the 2004 U.S. Model Bilateral Investment Treaty (BIT). The coalition argues that the model BIT fails to balance investor rights with public interest protections and grants foreign investors greater substantive rights than those afforded to U.S. citizens under domestic law.

A statement from Friends of the Earth President Brent Blackwelder supporting a Greenpeace action at Mount Rushmore and criticizing the Obama administration's lack of leadership and urgency regarding the global climate crisis.

This briefing by the Environmental and Energy Study Institute examines the potential of municipal solid waste (MSW) as a renewable energy feedstock. It details various conversion technologies, their environmental impacts, the relationship between waste-to-energy and recycling, and the federal policy landscape in the United States.