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The Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) has launched an initiative to investigate the cross-sector links between water, energy, and food (the WEF nexus) to support sustainable resource management. The initiative employs a 'nexus toolkit' combining the Water Evaluation and Planning (WEAP) system and the Long-range Energy Alternatives Planning (LEAP) system to provide quantitative assessments and scenario modeling. The program is structured around three themes—governing, understanding, and implementing the nexus—and is being applied through case studies in Myanmar, Zambia, and Colombia to help decision-makers align sector policies and manage resource trade-offs.

This policy brief from the MEDIATION project evaluates the use of Cost-Effectiveness Analysis (CEA) as a decision support tool for climate change adaptation. While CEA is a primary tool for mitigation, the document highlights that its application to adaptation is more challenging due to the lack of a single common metric and the critical need to account for uncertainty.

This policy brief, produced as part of the European Commission FP7 funded MEDIATION project, evaluates Robust Decision Making (RDM) as a decision support tool for climate change adaptation. RDM focuses on identifying strategies that perform well across a wide range of plausible futures—prioritizing 'robustness' over 'optimality'—particularly in situations of 'deep uncertainty' where probabilistic data is scarce.

This executive summary of a Stockholm Environment Institute working paper evaluates nitrous oxide (N2O) abatement projects at nitric acid plants under the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM). The study concludes that while the CDM has successfully driven innovation and emission reductions in a sector that previously lacked abatement practices, the current methodologies are overly complex and may inadvertently reward high-emitting plants. The authors recommend transitioning to a benchmark factor for baseline emissions to simplify processes and enhance environmental integrity.

This policy brief by the Stockholm Environment Institute examines the challenges of ensuring equity, transparency, and accountability in adaptation finance for developing countries. It analyzes the fragmented landscape of funding channels, the conflicting interpretations of 'new and additional' resources between developed and developing nations, and the governance structures of UNFCCC-linked funds. The document emphasizes that the lack of common metrics for measuring vulnerability and adaptation success hinders the effective and equitable delivery of finance.

This policy brief, produced by the Stockholm Environment Institute in partnership with the 3C initiative, examines the water-energy nexus within the context of a low-carbon transition. It highlights that while low-carbon electricity technologies are essential for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, some may require as much or more water as fossil-fuel generation, potentially limiting their viability in water-stressed regions. The document provides a detailed case study of California to demonstrate how strategic technology choices—such as prioritizing solar photovoltaics over solar thermal and adopting dry-cooling systems—can simultaneously reduce emissions and water demand.

This policy brief examines the impact of the European Union's Renewable Energy Directive (2009/28/EC) (EU-RED) on palm oil production in Southeast Asia. It argues that the EU's focus on greenhouse gas emissions and its reliance on voluntary certification schemes fail to address severe socio-ecological impacts, including water pollution, land disputes, and the marginalization of local communities and smallholder farmers.

This policy brief by the Stockholm Environment Institute examines the potential conflict between low-greenhouse-gas (GHG) consumption strategies in high-income countries and the economic development of lower-income countries. Using a scenario developed for the Waste & Resources Action Programme (WRAP), the authors find that while shifting consumption from goods to services can reduce emissions and benefit the domestic economy of a high-income country, it may cause significant GDP declines in Least Developed Countries (LDCs) due to reduced trade in manufactured goods, particularly clothing.

This policy brief by the Stockholm Environment Institute examines the management of the Bali Province Cultural Landscape, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It focuses on the Subak—traditional farmer organizations managing irrigation—and argues that the site's survival depends on the active, meaningful participation of these farmers and the resolution of socio-economic pressures such as land conversion, water scarcity, and the high cost of rituals.

This policy brief outlines a framework for reducing the external environmental footprints of national consumption, using Sweden as a case study. It proposes a three-step method to map consumption, identify 'hotspots' in supply chains (such as electronics from China and soy from Brazil), and prioritize policy instruments. The authors recommend a multi-ministerial approach in Sweden to implement approximately 60 identified instruments, ranging from tax adjustments and durability requirements to bilateral cooperation with producer countries.

This policy brief describes 'Sustainable Hökarängen' (Hållbara Hökarängen), a 2.5-year pilot project (2012–2015) in an urban district of Stockholm. The initiative, implemented by Stockholmshem, Sustainable Innovation, and the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI), aimed to reduce energy consumption and promote resource-efficient lifestyles through an action-research approach involving residents, local businesses, and stakeholders.

This policy brief introduces the Transnational Climate Impacts (TCI) Index, a framework developed by the Stockholm Environment Institute to measure country-level exposure to climate risks that cross national borders. The brief argues that globalization connects countries through biophysical, financial, human, and trade pathways, meaning that even wealthy nations with low direct physical vulnerability can be highly exposed to transnational climate risks. It recommends that the UNFCCC and national governments integrate these transnational dimensions into adaptation planning and finance to ensure global economic stability.

This policy brief by the Stockholm Environment Institute examines the climate implications of ending the issuance and renewal of U.S. government leases for fossil fuel extraction on federal lands and offshore waters. The analysis suggests that such a policy could significantly reduce global CO2 emissions and align U.S. production more closely with the goals of the Paris Agreement and a 2°C warming pathway.

This policy brief summarizes the outcomes of a regional retreat held in October 2017 in Colombia, organized by the Government of Colombia and the Independent Research Forum (IRF). The event brought together policy-makers from 12 Latin American countries to share experiences and identify strategies for implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The brief focuses on five key themes: mainstreaming the SDGs into national policy, building cooperation and partnerships, monitoring progress, financing the agenda, and creating spaces for dialogue and learning.

The 2021 Production Gap report by the Stockholm Environment Institute finds that global government plans for fossil fuel production in 2030 are more than double what is required to limit warming to 1.5°C. Despite net-zero pledges, most major producers plan to increase or maintain production, and G20 nations have provided more new funding to fossil fuels than clean energy since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

This policy brief, published by the Stockholm Environment Institute, examines the barriers to the growth of the clean cooking market in India. Based on a 2011-2012 socio-economic study in Haryana and atmospheric research in New Delhi, the document argues that the traditional biomass-burning 'chulha' remains dominant due to a lack of user-centric design in improved stoves and systemic failures in finance, distribution, and sector-wide knowledge. It recommends shifting focus from consumer subsidies toward supporting producers and integrating clean cooking as a cross-government priority.

This policy brief from the Stockholm Environment Institute proposes a methodological framework to improve the dialogue between local climate adaptation professionals and policy makers. It examines how the design and epistemology of case study research determine whether the resulting insights support planned, regulatory policy or non-coercive, self-organised adaptation.

This policy brief examines the formation and dynamics of the BASIC group (Brazil, South Africa, India, and China) in the context of international climate change negotiations following COP15. It analyzes the group's shared goals, such as maintaining the principle of differentiated responsibility and advocating for developing country interests, while highlighting the significant material and economic differences between the four members that may challenge future cohesion.

This position paper, submitted to UNCSD2012 by the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) and the Brazilian Foundation for Sustainable Development (FBDS), outlines a global assessment on sustainable energy for all. It argues that energy access must evolve from basic poverty alleviation to supporting productive economic development while remaining within the 'safe operating space' of planetary boundaries to avoid catastrophic environmental disruption.

This executive summary from the Stockholm Environment Institute describes the cumulative impact of global and local stressors on marine ecosystems. It highlights that over 40 percent of the marine environment is already affected by combined stressors, such as ocean warming, acidification, and overfishing. The document argues that current management strategies are often too narrow, focusing on single issues rather than the synergistic interactions between stressors, and calls for a cross-scale governance system to increase ecosystem resilience.