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The Economics of Low Carbon, Climate Resilient Patterns of Growth in Developing Countries
This report reviews the economic feasibility of low-carbon and climate-resilient growth in developing countries. It finds that significant mitigation is possible with minimal GDP impact (1-2% reduction globally), often driven by low-cost energy efficiency. However, it highlights critical gaps in current research, specifically the failure to account for implementation costs, the over-reliance on static MACC models, and the lack of a clear framework for 'climate resilient growth' beyond simple adaptation. It emphasizes that while Middle Income Countries face higher pressure to reduce emissions, Low Income Countries can leverage co-benefits and carbon finance to align low-carbon paths with development goals.
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Document type: Report
UNTOLD BILLIONS: FOSSIL-FUEL SUBSIDIES, THEIR IMPACTS AND THE PATH TO REFORM
This executive summary, published by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) in April 2010, synthesizes five research papers on the economic, environmental, and political dimensions of fossil-fuel subsidies. It argues that these subsidies lock economies into fossil-fuel reliance, increase greenhouse gas emissions, and divert funds from social services. The document provides a framework for reform, emphasizing the need for transparency, political strategy, and a two-track approach involving both domestic reporting and a new international data-gathering regime.
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Document type: Executive summary
Submission by Civil Society Organizations to the International Finance Corporation Commenting on The Social and Environmental Sustainability Policy, Performance Standards and Disclosure Policy
A joint submission by various civil society organizations to the International Finance Corporation (IFC) criticizing its Social and Environmental Sustainability Policy, Performance Standards, and Disclosure Policy. The document argues that the IFC relies too heavily on unverified client data, fails to protect human rights—particularly those of indigenous peoples and women—and lacks transparency in its dealings with financial intermediaries and the extractive industry.
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Document type: Statement
REDD After Copenhagen: The way forward
This report by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) analyzes the state of negotiations and implementation pathways for Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD) following the 2009 Copenhagen Climate Change Conference. It examines the outcomes of the Copenhagen Accord, the role of the UNFCCC's various working groups, and the technical challenges regarding monitoring, safeguards, and financing for REDD-plus activities in developing countries.
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Document type: Report
REDD Après Copenhague: La Voie À Suivre
This report by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) analyzes the state of REDD (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation) negotiations following the 2009 Copenhagen Conference (COP15). It outlines the outcomes of the Copenhagen Accord, the methodological guidelines for REDD-plus, and the critical technical and political challenges remaining for implementation, including monitoring, financing, and the protection of indigenous rights.
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Document type: Report
The Millennium Development Goals in 2010 – threats to ecosystem services from air pollution, energy generation and pesticide use
This 2010 policy brief by the Stockholm Environment Institute examines how air pollution, energy production, and pesticide use threaten the ecosystem services necessary to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). It argues that the degradation of approximately 60 per cent of examined ecosystem services may prevent the eradication of hunger and poverty, particularly in developing regions.
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Document type: Policy brief
Tomorrow's Approach: Food Production and Ecosystem Conservation in a Changing Climate
This research paper by the World Resources Institute examines the conflict between increasing food production to sustain a growing population and the conservation of ecosystem services under the pressure of climate change. It argues for a shift from managing ecosystems solely for food to a holistic approach that integrates food production with the maintenance of other nature-based services to avoid irreversible ecological tipping points.
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Document type: Research paper
No Regrets: Maintaining Forests for Adaptation and Mitigation
This briefing by Frances Seymour argues that sustainable forest management provides a 'no regrets' synergy between immediate development needs and long-term climate adaptation and mitigation. While acknowledging potential trade-offs and governance challenges, the author advocates for ecosystem-based approaches and democratic processes to manage the transition.
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Document type: Briefing
REDD myths
This executive summary by Friends of the Earth International critiques the proposed Reducing Emissions from Deforestation in Developing countries (REDD) mechanisms. The document argues that REDD focuses on reducing emissions rather than stopping deforestation, potentially rewarding polluters and industrial agriculture while marginalizing Indigenous Peoples and forest-dependent communities. It warns that funding REDD through carbon offsetting undermines global climate mitigation efforts and risks creating social and environmental harm, such as the replacement of natural forests with monoculture plantations.
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Document type: Executive summary
Négociations de la REDD
This report, published by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) in November 2009, provides a technical and strategic analysis of the negotiations surrounding Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD) leading up to the COP 15 summit in Copenhagen. It examines the evolving scope of REDD, financing options, measurement and verification systems, and the institutional frameworks required to implement these mechanisms in developing countries.
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Document type: Report
Status of the UNFCCC Negotiations
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.
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Document type: Report
climate impacts of the adb’s business
This report by Friends of the Earth International examines how the Asian Development Bank (ADB) finances projects that contribute to climate change and increase vulnerability in the Asia Pacific region. Through case studies in Sri Lanka, Indonesia, and Bangladesh, the report argues that the ADB's support for fossil fuels and destructive development projects outweighs its climate mitigation initiatives.
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Document type: Report
Measuring Energy Subsidies Using the Price-Gap Approach
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.
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Document type: Research paper
State of the Carbon Market: How the future market can encourage developing country participation
This research paper by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) examines how carbon markets can be leveraged to fund greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation and adaptation in developing countries. It analyzes the current state of the market, estimates potential future demand and revenue, and proposes a phased approach for developing country participation, ranging from expanded project-based mechanisms to absolute emission caps.
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Document type: Research paper
Assessing Sustainable Development Impacts of Investment Incentives
This guide provides a comprehensive checklist for governments and stakeholders to evaluate the sustainable development impacts of investment incentives. It emphasizes a multi-level analysis covering individual projects, general incentive policy design, and the influence of international agreements, arguing that economic growth alone is an insufficient measure of success.
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Document type: Guide
Bilateral Finance Institutions and Climate Change: A Mapping of Climate Portfolios
This 2009 research paper by the Stockholm Environment Institute maps the climate change finance portfolios of five institutions: three bilateral finance institutions (AFD, KfW, and JICA) and two multilateral institutions (EIB and NEFCO). The report analyzes the scale, regional and sectoral distribution, and financial instruments used for climate mitigation and adaptation in developing countries, while identifying barriers to effectiveness and opportunities for future coordination among bilateral finance institutions (BFIs).
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Document type: Research paper
A Synthesis of Country Submissions to the UNFCCC on Technology
This briefing by the World Resources Institute synthesizes country submissions to the UNFCCC regarding technology and financial support for climate mitigation, mapping party positions across the stages of innovation from research and development to commercial deployment.
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Document type: Briefing
Technology Partnerships for Renewables: A Key to Energy Security
This document is an abstract for a volume based on the 3rd roundtable of the Asia-Europe Environment Forum, held in Stockholm in August 2004. It outlines the strategic importance of renewable energy cooperation between Europe and Asia to address energy security, economic competitiveness, and climate change, focusing particularly on the electric power sector and the transition of technologies from research and development to large-scale commercialisation.
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Document type: Report
Global Europe: The tyranny of “free trade”, the European way
This report by Friends of the Earth International critiques the European Union's 'Global Europe' strategy, arguing that its pursuit of a 'new generation' of bilateral Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) prioritizes the competitiveness of European transnational corporations over sustainable development, food sovereignty, and the sovereignty of developing nations in Africa, Asia, and Latin America.
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Document type: Report
Climate Change, Technology Transfer and Intellectual Property Rights
This background paper, prepared by the International Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development (ICTSD) for a 2008 seminar in Copenhagen, examines the complex relationship between intellectual property (IP) rights and the transfer of climate-related technologies. It analyzes how IP can act as both an incentive for innovation and a barrier to the diffusion of technology, specifically exploring the role of the WTO TRIPS Agreement and the UNFCCC framework in facilitating the transition to a low-carbon economy.
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Document type: Briefing