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This research paper examines renewable energy project financing via public-private partnerships (PPP) in Southeast Asia and Central Asia, noting a transition from hydropower toward solar and wind projects to meet growing energy demands and emissions commitments.

This SEI discussion brief examines the relationship between tropical deforestation and water use in agricultural commodity supply chains, specifically focusing on imports into the European Union. It argues that while current policy focuses on deforestation, overlooking water use may shift environmental burdens to water-scarce regions. The brief identifies critical data gaps for beef and wood products and suggests that a comprehensive definition of sustainable supply chains must integrate both land and water stewardship.

This briefing by the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) and the Global Initiative for Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (GI-ESCR) synthesizes the activities of the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR) regarding climate change during 2020 and 2021. It details the Committee's use of the State reporting procedure to address mitigation, adaptation, extractive activities, and climate finance, while also reviewing the Committee's General Comments on science and land rights.

This policy brief examines the tension between South Africa's Copyright Amendment Bill (CAB) and the United States' Generalised System of Preferences (GSP). It argues that the US uses GSP eligibility reviews to pressure developing nations into adopting US-oriented intellectual property laws, which may undermine national regulatory space and developmental goals.

This report provides an assessment of the Kyrgyz Republic's readiness and capacity to implement the Intergovernmental Forum on Mining, Minerals, Metals and Sustainable Development (IGF) Mining Policy Framework (MPF). Conducted between December 2017 and May 2018, the study analyzes national laws, policies, and administrative processes across six thematic areas: legal and policy framework, financial benefit optimization, socio-economic benefit optimization, environmental management, mine closure, and artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM). The assessment identifies strengths in the general tax regime and the existence of 'social packages' for communities, while highlighting critical gaps in outdated technical standards, unpredictable fiscal changes, and a lack of comprehensive mine closure regulations.

This article discusses the sustainability risks and vulnerabilities facing Central Asia, emphasizing the geopolitical interests of Russia, China, and the European Union, and the added risks posed by climate change to fragile ecosystems and shared resources.

The Climate Risk Assessment Guide – Central Asia is a practical manual designed to assess the impacts of climate-related events on lives and livelihoods in Central Asia. It provides a structured methodology to downscale climate risk understanding to sub-national and community levels, bridging the gap between long-term climate change modeling and immediate disaster risk assessment. The guide emphasizes a combination of impact-based assessments (using monetary damage and livelihood capital scoring) and perception-based surveys to inform sustainable risk management and policy development.

The document describes a report on the application of information and communication technologies (ICTs) to climate change adaptation in Africa. It outlines an analytical framework for adaptation interventions—addressing vulnerability, building response capacity, managing risks, and confronting climate change—and draws on case studies from Senegal, Malawi, and Uganda to suggest policy and practical interventions.

This research paper evaluates the environmental integrity of nitric acid projects under the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), specifically examining risks of carbon leakage and baseline emission manipulation. The authors conclude that while the CDM successfully fostered abatement in a sector that previously lacked such practices, the current methodologies are complex and lead to significant credit issuance delays. The paper recommends transitioning to a common benchmarking approach for baseline emissions to simplify the process and safeguard against leakage.

This research paper analyzes Russian President Dmitry Medvedev's June 2009 visit to Africa and parallel summits in Yekaterinburg as part of a broader Russian strategy to challenge a unipolar world dominated by the United States and reassert influence in the developing world.

This research paper examines the relationship between greenhouse gas emissions and human well-being, using China as a primary case study. It analyzes how income per capita, energy production mixes, and geography correlate with CO2 emissions across 174 countries and 30 Chinese provinces, arguing that current high-consumption lifestyles in rich countries are incompatible with low-emission stabilization targets.

This report analyzes the environmental and social impacts of the global cotton textile product chain, focusing on China's role as a major producer, importer, and exporter. It evaluates the trade-offs between economic growth and environmental degradation, proposing a transition toward sustainable cotton production and the internalization of environmental costs to maintain long-term competitiveness.

This report analyzes the environmental and social impacts of China's role as a leading producer, importer, and exporter in the global cotton and textile supply chain. It examines the trade-offs between economic growth and environmental degradation, proposing a transition toward sustainable production practices and a strategic shift in sourcing toward rain-fed regions in Africa to reduce global environmental pressure.

The Healthy NDC Scorecard is a visual tool designed to evaluate whether national climate commitments (NDCs) are sufficient to protect human health, measuring them against the Paris Agreement and science-aligned targets.

This executive summary presents a Sustainable Asset Valuation (SAVi) for transport and building infrastructure along the Shymkent–Tashkent–Khujand economic corridor. The assessment compares traditional financial metrics with a sustainable benefit-cost ratio (S-BCR) to demonstrate the socioeconomic value of expanding electrified rail and sustainable buildings over conventional options.

This executive summary presents a Sustainable Asset Valuation (SAVi) assessment of the proposed Uchkuduk-Kazakhstan Border Highway in Uzbekistan. The analysis compares traditional benefit-cost ratios with a sustainable approach that accounts for social and environmental externalities over a 30-year period from 2022 to 2052.

This fact sheet from the International Institute for Sustainable Development lists the top 15 cotton-producing countries in 2016 and references data sources regarding sustainable markets and crop distribution.

This executive summary of a Stockholm Environment Institute working paper evaluates nitrous oxide (N2O) abatement projects at nitric acid plants under the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM). The study concludes that while the CDM has successfully driven innovation and emission reductions in a sector that previously lacked abatement practices, the current methodologies are overly complex and may inadvertently reward high-emitting plants. The authors recommend transitioning to a benchmark factor for baseline emissions to simplify processes and enhance environmental integrity.

This report by the Stockholm Environment Institute and UNECE analyzes the potential for enhanced energy connectivity in Central Asia. Through scenario modelling, it demonstrates that transitioning from national self-sufficiency to integrated regional power trading can lower electricity production costs, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and improve energy security by leveraging the diverse renewable and low-carbon resources of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.

This report describes the development and application of an integrated water-energy-food-ecosystems (WEFE) and macroeconomic model for the Syr Darya River Basin. The model combines three software platforms—Water Evaluation and Planning (WEAP), Low Emissions Analysis Platform (LEAP) with Next Energy Modeling system for Optimization (NEMO), and a macroeconomic model (Macro)—to simulate the interdependencies between water availability, energy production, and economic growth across Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan from 2010 to 2050.