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A quantitative study indicates substantial public support for wind, solar photovoltaic, and geothermal energy in Kenya, which could help the country meet its Paris Agreement commitments. While overall assessments are positive, public opinion is shaped by price, infrastructure, and land-use requirements, suggesting that authorities must anticipate and mitigate specific drawbacks to ensure large-scale adoption.

The 2019 Rhode Island Greenhouse Gas Reduction Study finds that the state can feasibly reduce emissions by 70-80% by 2030, 2040, or 2050 by focusing on electrification, efficiency, and transitioning the power grid to renewables. The report updates previous 2016 baseline estimates, finding that 2017 emissions were approximately 45% higher than previously thought due to updated science on methane leakage and its short-term global warming potential. While substantial reductions are possible, the study notes that pathways stall at around 4 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent, leaving a 20-30% gap that requires further research into industrial decarbonization and carbon sequestration.

The report finds that Rhode Island can feasibly reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 70-80% by 2030, 2040, or 2050 by focusing on electrifying transportation and heating, improving energy efficiency, and transitioning the electricity grid to renewables. A critical finding is that updated science on methane leakage from natural gas infrastructure reveals that 2017 emissions were approximately 45% higher than previously estimated in 2016. While the 2050 pathway is relatively low-cost, the 2030 pathway requires a significant spending spike, resembling a 'Green New Deal' approach. The study emphasizes that reaching net-zero requires the complete phase-out of natural gas and further research into industrial decarbonization and carbon sequestration.

The article argues that while global adaptation governance is emerging, it remains weak and contested due to a lack of operationalization of the Paris Agreement's global goal, the absence of distinct metrics for measuring progress, and a lack of legitimacy stemming from poor problem-framing.

The research examines the alignment between the Paris Agreement's NDCs and the 2030 Agenda's SDGs, finding that while many climate activities support goals like affordable energy and life on land, significant gaps remain regarding gender equality, poverty, and peace and justice. The authors argue that improving transparency and aligning Nationally Sustainable Development Strategies (NSDSs) with NDCs can enhance policy coherence and increase ambition.

The report examines climate adaptation frameworks in the Baltic Sea Region (BSR), finding that while all nine studied countries have national strategies, only Denmark mandates local-level adaptation plans. Most BSR countries encourage but do not require municipalities to develop specific adaptation strategies, often relying on project-based funding or integrating climate risks into broader spatial and emergency planning. The analysis highlights a strong focus on flood risk management and identifies critical knowledge gaps regarding the comprehensiveness of local risk assessments and the sufficiency of stable funding and guidance for local authorities.

The Stockholm Environment Institute presents a seven-stage iterative framework for development interventions designed to move beyond the dichotomy of top-down and bottom-up approaches. By integrating service design and behavioural science, the toolkit emphasizes co-definition of problems and rapid prototyping to ensure interventions meet actual user needs. The effectiveness of this approach is illustrated through a case study of mango farmers in Kenya, where the toolkit revealed a misalignment between funder goals (fruit quality) and farmer priorities (fruit quantity).

Reaching climate neutrality in Estonia by 2050 is technically possible and potentially profitable in the long term, requiring an estimated total investment of 17.3 billion EUR between 2021 and 2050. The strategy emphasizes accelerating energy efficiency in buildings, transport, and industry, alongside a transition to renewable energy and carbon sequestration in the LULUCF sector. While the first decade (2021-2030) will be investment-heavy, resulting in higher costs than revenues, subsequent decades are expected to see revenues outweigh costs. The transition will likely cause a modest negative impact on GDP (approximately 10%) and long-term employment in fossil-fuel sectors, particularly oil shale in Ida-Virumaa, but will create short-term construction and technology jobs.

The paper introduces a three-step framework—enabling environments, mobilization, and delivery of adaptation benefits—to analyze how the private sector can be engaged in climate adaptation. Testing the framework in Kenya and Rwanda reveals that while both countries have established broad policy and regulatory frameworks, actual mobilization of private finance for adaptation remains limited and difficult to track. The authors find that private investments often lack explicit adaptation labeling and that a lack of awareness among private actors, combined with weak enforcement of existing policies, hinders progress. The study highlights the risk of maladaptation and 'climate-washing' and recommends integrating adaptation criteria into environmental impact assessments (EIAs) to better monitor outcomes and prevent counterproductive investments.

The research analyzes 164 NDCs to determine their alignment with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. It finds that while NDCs often function as de facto sustainable development plans, there is significant institutional fragmentation and a lack of quantifiable targets. The analysis categorizes SDGs into tiers based on their connection to climate action, highlighting strong links in energy and land use, but critical gaps in social and political goals such as gender equality and poverty eradication.

The Stockholm Environment Institute has developed the Empowerment in WASH Index (EWI) to address gender data gaps in the WASH sector. The tool measures agency, participation, and empowerment across individual, household, and community levels. A case study in Banfora, Burkina Faso, demonstrated that the EWI can identify specific drivers of disempowerment—such as lack of input in expenditure decisions and work balance—to help municipalities design gender-integrated strategic plans. The findings suggest a positive correlation between higher levels of female empowerment and the use of improved sanitation and on-premises water sources.

The study analyzes the water-energy nexus (WEN) in Beijing for 2016, finding that water consumed for 'imported' energy exceeds water used for internal energy production. It highlights a policy contradiction where efforts to meet water targets through recycled and transferred water may hinder carbon emission control targets, suggesting a shift toward low energy intensity, nature-based water recycling.

The study evaluates the interactions between land policies and energy technology subsidies in eastern Africa, finding that while sustainable biomass production can reduce GHG emissions by 10%, it may delay health and energy access goals. Conversely, an optimized portfolio of technology subsidies could further reduce GHG emissions by 10%, lower air pollution mortality by 20%, and increase energy access by 15%. The analysis highlights the importance of prioritizing biogas, LPG, and ethanol for synergistic benefits, while PV technologies primarily improve energy access.

The document argues that recycling nutrients from organic waste streams is essential for rural-urban sustainability and global food security. It identifies the liquid phase of anaerobic digestate as a concentrated nutrient source and highlights struvite precipitation and ammonia stripping as promising recovery technologies that, when combined with anaerobic digestion, provide both renewable energy and plant nutrients.

The Master Plan for the Rocha River Basin addresses critical water scarcity, pollution, and ecosystem degradation in the Cochabamba Department of Bolivia. It outlines five strategic lines—water management, sustainable basin management, institutional strengthening, knowledge management, and water culture—to improve water security and resilience. Key goals by 2040 include increasing safe water access to 834,049 people and reducing the total water deficit by 227 hm3, while mitigating risks from climate-induced precipitation changes and temperature increases.

This research paper by the Stockholm Environment Institute examines the economic, social, and political consequences of coal mine closures at national and subnational levels, utilizing a systematic map of published literature on declining extractive-based economies to derive lessons for current coal-producing areas.

The study found that while heavy machinery used for cutting did not cause lasting plot-level impacts on peat depth or bulk density, it did reduce surface micro-topography by approximately 2 cm by removing hummock tops. Burning showed no significant difference from uncut plots in these metrics. The authors suggest cutting is a suitable alternative to burning, though they note that compaction may be site-specific and micro-topography preservation may require adjustments to machinery and cutting height.

The authors analyze border carbon adjustments (BCAs) as a tool to prevent carbon leakage—the shift of emissions to regions with weaker climate policies—amidst a fragmented international climate architecture. While noting that improved emissions data and shifting trade dynamics create an opportunity for BCAs, the authors highlight ongoing risks regarding WTO compatibility and trade retaliation. The paper provides guidelines for BCA implementation to maximize climate benefits and minimize legal risks, though it concludes that BCAs are not a stable long-term solution for global climate action.

The assessment found that while small and mid-sized privately owned biodigesters provide health, environmental, and economic benefits, the 'community biodigester' model envisioned by Bangladesh's ILMM policy is not currently operational due to a lack of social capital and group financing. Adoption depends on access to finance, technical knowledge, livestock, and land.

Aid Atlas is an interactive online platform developed by the Stockholm Environment Institute to visualize international development finance flows. It aims to make complex aid data more accessible to government officials in recipient countries, researchers, and international organizations through alluvial diagrams and tailored profile pages. By increasing transparency and highlighting financing gaps, the tool seeks to improve the overall effectiveness of the approximately US$ 146 billion annual global development finance budget.