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This briefing describes a new data-driven methodology developed by the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) and University College London (UCL) to calculate maritime shipping emissions per traded commodity. By combining satellite-based automatic identification system (AIS) data with ship operational characteristics and shipping manifests, the approach allocates greenhouse gas and air pollutant emissions to specific commodities, exporters, importers, and traders. The method was piloted using 2014 Brazilian export data to demonstrate its ability to provide precise, transparent accounting for supply chain environmental footprints.

This research paper proposes a methodology for estimating in-use vehicle fuel economy in sub-Saharan African cities, using Nairobi as a case study to address data gaps caused by incomplete official records and the prevalence of informal transport.

This research paper by the Stockholm Environment Institute analyzes development finance for energy sectors in 37 Small Island Developing States (SIDS) between 2002 and 2016, utilizing data from the OECD Development Assistance Committee and the World Bank.

This research paper describes a study using a calibrated SWAT model to simulate baseline river flows and assess future climate change impacts across 11 sub-basins of the Tonle Sap Lake Basin in Cambodia.

This report describes the first phase of an Arctic Council project led by the Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna (CAFF) Working Group. The project focuses on inventorying Arctic wetlands and reviewing scientific knowledge to support sustainable development and resilience in the circumpolar Arctic.

A research paper quantifying tropical deforestation emissions from 2010–2014, finding that agriculture and forestry expansion caused ~2.6 gigatonnes CO2 per year. The study highlights that 29%–39% of these emissions were driven by international trade, with cattle and oilseeds as primary drivers and the EU and China as major importers.

This research paper proposes a methodology using "cross-impact balances" (CIB) to integrate global climate scenarios as external boundary conditions for regional and local scenario development, simplifying the process when global scenarios are stable.

This research paper examines historical and current trade flows of bioenergy products and explores how their deployment can be integrated into the broader bioeconomy to meet 2050 climate mitigation goals, while emphasizing the need for sustainable governance and innovative value chains.

This research paper examines the determinants of household cooking cultures in urban Lusaka, Zambia, identifying a mismatch between how households and sector experts perceive the drivers of energy transitions.

This report introduces a methodological framework using Input-Output and network theory to analyze physical capital stranding risks and their cascades across economic systems, specifically within a sample of ten European countries.

This discussion brief by the Stockholm Environment Institute defines and operationalizes 'equitable resilience' to address the failure of traditional resilience concepts to account for power relations and social inequalities. Based on a review of 171 articles from 2005-2015, the authors propose a framework consisting of four interconnected elements—recognizing subjectivities, ensuring inclusion and representation, working across scales, and promoting transformative change—to ensure that climate adaptation and disaster risk reduction lead to socially just outcomes.

This report describes a seed project by the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) under the Producer to Consumer Sustainability (P2CS) initiative. The project reviewed existing knowledge on sustainable lifestyles and consumer behaviour, focusing on high-income countries and gender aspects, to improve SEI's ability to provide policy advice on sustainable consumption.

This case study by the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) examines the challenges of implementing sustainable palm oil production along a commodity chain stretching from Riau Province, Indonesia, to the European Union. Based on 20 semi-structured interviews and 3 focus group discussions, the study evaluates why voluntary private-sector initiatives, such as 'No Deforestation, No Peat, No Exploitation' (NDPE) policies, have seen limited success in improving sustainability or increasing the market share of sustainable commodities.

This report by the Stockholm Environment Institute examines the effectiveness of the Roundtable for Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) and the Indonesian Sustainable Palm Oil (ISPO) certification schemes in recruiting smallholders. While smallholders account for 36% of oil palm production, certification rates remain low. The study investigated whether a mismatch between the schemes' definitions of sustainability and the priorities of smallholders contributed to this low recruitment.

The PRINCE research project (2015–2018), led by Statistics Sweden with the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) as a key partner, developed a new set of consumption-based environmental indicators for Sweden. By linking the EXIOBASE3 multiregional input-output (MRIO) model with Swedish national environmental-economic accounts, the project provided detailed data on where the impacts of Swedish consumption fall globally and across various product groups, moving beyond simple awareness-raising to provide policy-relevant information.

A 2018 SEI scoping study found that FSC sustainability certification in Thailand's rubber sector often fails to benefit smallholders directly, with certificates primarily held by processing companies. The study highlights significant gender inequalities in governance and pay, as well as systemic barriers to certification caused by historical land tenure issues and the lack of formal contracts for migrant and seasonal workers.

The Stockholm Environment Institute has developed a post-Keynesian macroeconomic model to test sustainability strategies in high-income economies. Initial tests indicate that while simply reducing consumption levels can trigger recessions, 'downshifting' (reducing working hours/workforce participation) can temporarily halt GDP growth and environmentally damaging consumption without causing economic instability.

This briefing describes SEI-PCS, a modeling approach developed by the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) to provide fine-scale subnational data on the origins of traded commodities and their associated socio-environmental impacts. The tool is designed to overcome the limitations of traditional footprinting methods, which typically rely on country-level macroeconomic figures, by recreating supply chains to link consumption to specific production sites.

This case study describes a collaboration between the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) and Umeå municipality to estimate the climate footprint of local residents. Using a 2018 survey and national statistics, the project developed a tool to identify high-impact consumption areas and provide recommendations for promoting sustainable lifestyles.

This white paper by the Joint Programming Initiative (JPI) outlines recommendations for utilizing social science and humanities research to drive the societal transformations necessary to address climate change and align with the Paris Agreement.