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The document describes Thailand's top-down approach to developing a bioeconomy focused on adding value to existing commodities like sugarcane and cassava. It highlights a model where the private sector drives innovation while the government facilitates through tax incentives, R&D funding, and regulatory easing. However, the authors note significant challenges regarding social equity, as the system prioritizes large industrial players over smallholder farmers.

The document serves as Deliverable 2.2 of the BONUS RETURN project, providing a preliminary list of ecotechnologies designed to minimize environmental harm and provide societal value by recovering carbon and nutrients. It defines ecotechnologies as "human interventions in social-ecological systems in the form of practices and/or biological, physical, and chemical processes designed to minimise harm to the environment and provide services of value to society". The report details the methodology used to identify these technologies, including bibliographic searches of Scopus and Web of Science and grey literature searches via Google Scholar and organizational websites. To date, the mapping has screened 40% of agricultural evidence and 60% of wastewater evidence, with the full database intended for a subsequent deliverable. The project aims to address the degradation of the Baltic Sea by improving the adoption of technologies that reconcile eutrophication reduction with food and energy security.

The study examines the relationship between economic growth and climate-related disaster vulnerability in China from 1949 to 2015. It finds that while higher per-capita income is correlated with a significant reduction in human fatalities, it is associated with an increase in direct economic losses. Despite regional differences between the West, Central, and East economic regions, the overall trend shows a decline in vulnerability—measured as a share of population and GDP—across all regions, with temporal changes converging over time.

The document examines the impact of stopping new fossil fuel leases on U.S. federal lands and waters, estimating a reduction of 280 million tons of annual global CO2 emissions by 2030.

The authors use a simulation-based multi-criteria land use optimization procedure to identify scenarios that balance terrestrial carbon storage, biodiversity conservation, land and water use, and food security. The analysis indicates that substantial increases in agricultural productivity are key to achieving better outcomes across these goals, with potential terrestrial carbon sequestration reaching 98 GtC and biodiversity risk reduction of 53%. The research also examines synergies and trade-offs between these global scenarios and local or national goals, such as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The report addresses the risk of stranded assets resulting from the sustainability transition, arguing that while 'green finance' for new technologies is well-documented, there is insufficient focus on the 'old' industries and assets that may become unusable. It introduces a methodology for the financial industry to quantify these risks to reduce unnecessary investment and negative social consequences.

The report argues that India's 40 GW rooftop solar target by 2022 requires an estimated USD 39 billion in investment, but growth is hindered by high upfront costs and limited access to debt capital. It proposes a Solar Municipal Bond (SMB) model where municipal entities act as finance aggregators, issuing bonds to provide low-cost, long-term debt to private developers via capital lease arrangements. This model could reduce rooftop solar costs by up to 12%. Case studies in Surat and New Delhi indicate that SMBs could make rooftop solar more competitive against grid tariffs, particularly for commercial and industrial sectors. However, significant barriers exist, including the lack of a statutory mandate for municipalities to promote power generation and SEBI regulations requiring a 20% equity contribution.

The authors highlight that significant knowledge gaps in climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction are often caused by an inability to find relevant information rather than a lack of knowledge. They propose the creation of a climate change "translator" and the adoption of more considered knowledge-sharing practices to prevent redundancies and improve collaboration across fragmented internet locations.

The document posits that climate change adaptation involves systemic changes that influence geopolitics. While adaptation is typically framed as ecosystem preservation or conflict reduction—with developing countries viewed as the most vulnerable—this text specifically examines how shifts in water supply, demand, management, and cooperation in India impact geopolitical relations.

The paper introduces a demand-led post-Keynesian model to analyze the macroeconomic effects of transitioning to a low-carbon economy. It specifically explores a "downshifting" scenario where households voluntarily reduce their labor supply, comparing this to scenarios where consumption is reduced without labor withdrawal.

The statement highlights Sweden's leadership in climate science and finance, its goal to become one of the first fossil-free welfare nations by achieving net zero emissions by 2045, and the necessity of using public finance to mobilize private investment for the green economy. It emphasizes the role of the IPCC and the Paris Agreement in guiding global action, noting that renewable energy is becoming increasingly affordable compared to fossil fuels.

The document examines the political economy of coal subsidies in Colombia, identifying various fiscal incentives and the strategies used by a coalition of government and industry actors to protect them. It highlights how the coal sector benefits from both sector-specific and general mining incentives, often framed as essential for national economic development or the funding of the peace process. The paper analyzes three specific cases: the Plan Vallejo, a special income tax deduction for fixed assets, and a royalties rebate, to illustrate how these subsidies are introduced, maintained, or eventually removed through political and legal processes.

The document identifies a significant gap in the implementation of the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS), noting that as of April 2017, 128 UN member countries had not yet implemented it. The failure to adopt these rules is primarily linked to low regulatory capacity and low GDP per capita, with striking deficiencies in Africa, the Middle East, and South Asia. To address this, the brief recommends strengthening institutional capacity, fostering regional collaboration, aligning GHS with overall national chemicals strategies, and linking implementation to the UN Agenda 2030 and occupational health and safety commitments.

The report identifies significant knowledge gaps hindering the achievement of the 2030 Agenda and argues that research must play four roles: characterizing challenges, providing solutions, coordinating dialogue, and critically analyzing the goals. Using SDGs 12, 14, and 17 as examples, it highlights the need for more applied 'action research' and a deeper understanding of goal interactions and international spill-over effects. The authors propose a tiered approach to structural reform, ranging from incremental improvements in open data and communication to transformative changes such as funding research led by third countries and reorienting the innovation system away from incremental economic growth toward social and climate justice.

The Book of Abstracts compiles nearly seventy research proposals focused on the sustainable harnessing of the Blue Economy. The submissions are organized into four primary thematic areas: sustainable use of resources, climate action resilience, global connectivity and transportation, and blue economy and sustainable cities, with an additional focus on human resource capacity. The abstracts cover a diverse range of topics, including marine spatial planning, aquaculture development in Africa and Asia, the economic impacts of ocean acidification, and the role of scientific research in informing policy and investment. Geographically, the research spans global contexts with specific case studies from Kenya, Canada, Ireland, Bangladesh, Israel, China, and various Small Island Developing States (SIDS).

The CASCADE project seeks to enhance urban and macro-regional resilience in the Baltic Sea Region (BSR) by adapting risk assessment methodologies to the climate change context. The initiative focuses on bridging the gap between climate change professionals and civil protection experts, aligning with the UN Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030 and the Baltic 2030 Action Plan. The project intends to produce a training course for city officials responsible for civil protection that can be replicated across BSR countries and to initiate a region-wide policy dialogue on cross-sectorial cooperation and policy coherence regarding climate risk assessments.

The Mendoza wine region, a primary producer of Malbec, faces a divide between large, efficient growers and smallholders who struggle with quality standards and economic stability. Climate change is threatening the region's 'oasis' by reducing snow precipitation and glacier area, which provide 70% to 80% of summer water. Current water governance, based on the 1884 Ley de Aguas de Mendoza, is deemed insufficient for these new conditions, leading to suggestions that the region adopt regional groundwater management models similar to California's.

Scaling up 10 existing climate solutions in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, and Ukraine could reduce 2030 emissions by approximately 149 Mt (CO2e), representing a 13% reduction compared to baseline projections. The most significant absolute reductions are possible in Poland (71 Mt) and Ukraine (64 Mt), while the highest relative impacts are in the Baltic States, potentially cutting emissions by nearly 40% in Estonia and over 30% in Latvia and Lithuania. Energy efficiency in buildings and industry offers the highest potential and is the most cost-effective, with building efficiency alone potentially saving 2.9 billion euros by 2030. Conversely, wind power provides the greatest relative potential in the Baltic States. The report identifies common barriers such as high investment costs, weak carbon pricing, and lack of financing, and recommends policies including the phase-out of fossil fuel subsidies, stable legal frameworks, and targeted financial incentives.

The document examines the tension between Rwanda's national development goals—such as becoming a middle-income country by 2020—and the resulting pressure on natural resources at the district level. Focusing on Rutsiro, Bugesera, and Kirehe, it identifies widespread scarcity of woody biomass and clean water, driven by urban demand for charcoal and traditional farming practices. It argues that while national strategies like the Green Growth and Climate Resilience Strategy exist, there is a gap in translating these into local action, necessitating tailored district-level solutions and national policy incentives to shift urban energy demand away from charcoal.

The Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) provides technical tools and research in Colombia to bridge science and policy across water management, energy transition, and sustainable sanitation. Key efforts include the use of WEAP for water resource planning, LEAP for low-emission energy modeling, and TRASE for mapping deforestation in agricultural supply chains. SEI also investigates the socio-economic transition away from thermal coal in the César and La Guajira departments and supports the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).