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This report, prepared by the Stockholm Environment Institute and partners for the City of Seattle, develops a 'Carbon Neutral' scenario to demonstrate a pathway for the city to achieve net zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2050. The analysis focuses on 'core' emissions—buildings, transportation, and waste—where the city has the most direct policy influence. The scenario suggests that aggressive implementation of efficiency and fuel-switching strategies could reduce per capita GHG emissions by 90% by 2050 relative to 2008 levels.

This case study describes the development of an integrated modelling system using the Water Evaluation and Planning (WEAP) system to analyze the hydrologic role of glaciers in the Rio Santa watershed of Peru, intended as a decision support tool for climate change adaptation.

This preliminary analysis examines carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) deployment in Norway and Brazil, suggesting that in these cases, CCS has been utilized as a strategic tool for economic competitiveness rather than primarily for climate change mitigation.

This research paper examines the strategic shift in electricity production and consumption within the Swedish pulp and paper industry over the last decade, analyzing the influence of national and EU energy and climate policies.

This research paper proposes an integrated systems framework to address global phosphorus security, emphasizing the need to recover phosphorus from diverse waste streams to mitigate water pollution and ensure future food security as phosphate rock becomes scarcer.

This report summarizes the development of methodological tools designed to assess how climate change affects surface hydrology in the Peruvian Andes, intended as guidance for decision-makers in Peru and other nations.

This research paper analyzes the FUND model of climate economics, finding that its low Social Cost of Carbon (SCC) estimate of $6 is largely driven by an overestimation of agricultural benefits from CO2 fertilization and temperature increases. The authors identify several technical flaws, including a potential division-by-zero error in the optimum temperature equation and the use of implausible temperature ranges in Monte Carlo simulations. They argue that FUND relies on outdated research from the 1990s and suggest that updating the model with recent empirical data on crop yields and CO2 fertilization would significantly increase the SCC estimate.

This research paper analyzes how the accounting of international greenhouse gas (GHG) offsets affects the integrity of global climate mitigation pledges. Using a spreadsheet model based on marginal abatement costs, the authors examine scenarios where offsets are either double-counted (credited to both the buyer and seller) or counted only for the buyer. The study finds that double-counting could significantly dilute the ambition of current pledges, potentially reducing global abatement by up to 1.6 billion tons of CO2e by 2020, thereby increasing the gap to meet 2°C warming targets.

This document is a brochure published by the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) that outlines the role of International Standards for Business, Government and Society (ISO) standards in addressing climate change through greenhouse gas (GHG) schemes.

This research paper examines how the depth of soil collar insertion affects the measurement of soil CO2 efflux across three different ecosystems, finding that collar insertion typically underestimates total soil respiration by severing surface roots.

This report by the Stockholm Environment Institute and Synapse Energy Economics models the water-energy nexus in the eleven-state Western Electric Coordinating Council (WECC) through 2100. It examines how different electricity generation pathways—ranging from business-as-usual to aggressive carbon and water reductions—impact water consumption, greenhouse gas emissions, and system costs. The analysis concludes that while power plants require water, their total consumption is significantly lower than agricultural and urban use, suggesting the water-energy nexus is a secondary driver of regional water stress compared to other sectors.

This research paper describes the integration of McKinsey & Company's marginal abatement cost (MAC) data into the Climate and Regional Economics of Development (CRED) model. To maintain model realism, the authors treated negative-cost abatement opportunities as near-zero positive costs. The resulting estimates suggest that emission reductions may be cheaper than many integrated assessment models (IAMs) project. Specifically, CRED's projections for 2030 are significantly lower than those of the RICE and EMF-22 models, though they align more closely with the MIT EPPA model for developed nations.

A research paper by the Stockholm Environment Institute discussing the risks of the current climate negotiation process and proposing a two-stage transitional agreement to maintain momentum and ensure long-term stability.

The authors introduce MILLENNIA, a peat age-cohort model designed to address shortcomings in global soil models regarding the representation of long-term soil organic carbon (SOC) accumulation and dynamic hydrological processes, specifically water table depth (WTD). The model's predictions for SOC accumulation and peat ages were validated against observations from a UK peatland site.

This report analyzes the practice and quality of Natura 2000 impact assessments in Estonia as of 2010. It evaluates the compliance of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) reports with European Union directives and surveys experts on the availability of baseline data and the effectiveness of current procedures.

This report provides a comprehensive overview of fauna recorded in Tallinn, Estonia, between 1980 and 2010. It synthesizes data on beetles, dragonflies, bumblebees, butterflies, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals to assess biodiversity and identify indicator species for urban nature quality. The document emphasizes the high conservation value of Tallinn's heterogeneous landscape and proposes a coordinated monitoring plan to track environmental changes.

This 2011 policy brief by the Stockholm Environment Institute evaluates transport and mobility trends in Estonia, concluding that current trends are unsustainable due to rising private car use and road freight. The document analyzes three development scenarios (BASE, TECHNO, and EFFECT) to meet EU greenhouse gas (GHG) emission limits by 2020 and provides recommendations for land use planning, financial measures, and mobility management to transition toward a more sustainable transport system.

The report details the activities and outcomes of the China Node for Sustainable Sanitation (CNSS) from November 2008 to May 2011. Established as the first node of the EcoSanRes-2 program and hosted by the University of Science and Technology Beijing (USTB), CNSS aimed to promote ecological sanitation (ecosan) through public awareness, urban planning integration, and international knowledge exchange. The initiative focused on overcoming traditional taboos regarding sanitation in China and creating a platform for experts, NGOs, and government decision-makers to collaborate on sustainable wastewater and excreta management.

This research paper critiques the U.S. government's 2010 Social Cost of Carbon (SCC) estimate of $21 per ton, arguing it is dangerously low. By testing alternative assumptions in the DICE model—including higher climate sensitivity, more severe damage functions (based on Weitzman and Hanemann), and a lower discount rate (1.5% vs 3%)—the authors find the SCC could range up to $893 in 2010 and $1,500 by 2050. They conclude that if these higher risks are plausible, the SCC exceeds the cost of maximum feasible abatement ($150-$500/ton), making immediate, large-scale emission reductions the most cost-effective and prudent strategy.

The York Green Neighbourhood Challenge was a community engagement project conducted from May 2009 to September 2010 in the City of York. Funded by the Without Walls Partnership Local Area Agreement (LAA) Delivery Fund, the initiative aimed to reduce household carbon emissions, raise awareness of low-carbon lifestyles, and foster community cohesion using a targeted social marketing approach.