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This teaching note, prepared by Scott Barrett for the World Resources Institute's Sustainable Enterprise Program, provides a framework for a classroom negotiation exercise regarding a proposed European Union carbon tax. It combines negotiation theory with a case study on the economic and environmental challenges of implementing regional climate policies, specifically focusing on the risks of 'leakage' and loss of competitiveness.

This case study examines Platanera Rio Sixaola, S.A., a small independent banana plantation in Costa Rica founded by Volker Ribniger. Despite becoming the first banana plantation in the world to earn Eco-OK certification from the Rainforest Alliance, the company faced significant financial challenges in 1994, with production costs exceeding revenues. The document details the environmental impacts of traditional banana monoculture, the specific sustainable practices implemented by Platanera Rio Sixaola, and the market pressures exerted by the 'Big Three' multinationals and European Community import quotas.

This case study describes a corporate crisis involving Treeton Chemical, a U.S.-based firm, and its Italian acquisition, Tossico Chemical. The venture, Treeton-Tossico, became the center of an international scandal after it was revealed that the company improperly exported 650 tons of toxic waste to Nigeria in 1987, leading to severe legal, financial, and reputational threats from the Italian government and European environmental coalitions.

This case study examines waste reduction efforts at Dow Chemical's Bayside Division in Maryland, contrasting its approach with the company's WRAP program used in the Louisiana Division. Bayside utilized statistical process control (SPC) training and a suggestion box system to identify and implement smaller-scale waste reduction projects.

This teaching note describes the application of Total Quality Management (TQM) techniques at AT&T, specifically at the Columbus Works, to eliminate environmental hazards like Perchloroethylene (PERC) and 1,1,1 Trichloroethane (TCA). It details AT&T's success in eliminating CFC usage by May 1993 and reducing toxic air emissions. The document provides a framework for measuring environmental performance through scientific, management, and systems assessment data, while emphasizing the legal liabilities and financial incentives associated with corporate environmental compliance.

This teaching note, prepared by the World Resources Institute's Sustainable Enterprise Program, discusses a life-cycle analysis comparing disposable and reusable diapers conducted by Arthur D. Little for The Procter & Gamble Company. It evaluates the environmental trade-offs between the two options and details P&G's corporate responses to negative publicity regarding disposable diapers.

This 1993 case study examines BMW's strategic response to proposed German 'take-back' legislation requiring car manufacturers to manage the end-of-life disposal and recycling of their vehicles. It highlights the environmental challenge of Automotive Shredder Residue (ASR), the technical difficulties of recycling diverse automotive polymers, and the shifting landscape of German waste management away from landfills and toward incineration and resource recovery.

This case study describes the internal conflict faced by The AES Corporation in 1987, as its leadership sought to reconcile a 'least-cost' energy production strategy with a corporate value system prioritizing social responsibility and the mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions.

The AES Corporation, an independent power producer, faced a conflict between its 'least-cost' strategy—which relied on coal—and its commitment to social responsibility. To address the projected 15 million tons of carbon emissions from its Thames plant in Connecticut, the company evaluated several offset options, including energy conservation, carbon scrubbing technology, and reforestation in tropical developing countries, while also considering a long-term strategic shift toward natural gas or renewables.

This case study abstract describes a proposal by Sheryl Sturges to The AES Corporation to fund a reforestation project in a tropical developing country to offset carbon dioxide emissions from the Thames power plant.

This case study describes the implementation of a reforestation project inSSS by The AES Corporation in Guatemala to offset carbon dioxide emissions from its Thames power plant, as well as the company's subsequent creation of a Sustainability Task Force to evaluate long-term fuel alternatives to coal.

This case study examines Esprit de Corp's efforts to integrate environmental sustainability into its business model through the creation of 'Ecollection,' a specialized women's clothing line. It details the company's transition from a high-growth 1980s fashion brand to one attempting to balance profitability with social and environmental responsibility, highlighting the technical and financial challenges of organic textile production and the complexities of marketing 'green' products to skeptical consumers.

This case study examines the legal and environmental controversies surrounding Mobil Chemical Company's introduction of 'degradable' Hefty garbage bags in 1989. It details the gap between consumer expectations of plastic degradability and the reality of landfill conditions, leading to lawsuits by seven U.S. states and the FTC for deceptive advertising.

This research paper by the World Resources Institute uses LEAP model scenarios to analyze the decarbonization of China's road transport sector, identifying peaking timelines for emissions and petroleum demand, long-term reduction potentials, and the necessary investment scales to reach carbon neutrality by 2060.

This research paper analyzes proposed trade measures within U.S. and EU domestic climate policies, examining their objectives, legality under international agreements, and potential to trigger disputes within the World Trade Organization (WTO).

This working paper by the World Resources Institute analyzes the implementation of Land Use, Land Use Change and Forestry (LULUCF) provisions of the Kyoto Protocol by developed (Annex I) countries to provide recommendations for an international REDD mechanism for developing countries.

This technical note by the World Resources Institute describes the development of a baseline water risk model for Ethiopia, using 2015 as a baseline. The model provides subbasin-level estimates of water withdrawal and consumption across irrigation, livestock, domestic, and industrial sectors, combined with 36 years of remotely-sensed renewable water resources data to identify water stress and variability.

This working paper by the World Resources Institute evaluates methods for reducing upstream fugitive methane emissions in the U.S. natural gas sector, arguing that reducing leakage rates to below 1 percent of total production would make natural gas's climate impact lower than that of coal or diesel.

This research paper by the World Resources Institute argues that global indicators from UNICEF and the WHO overestimate urban water access in the global south. Based on an analysis of 15 cities, the paper finds that nearly half of households lack piped utility water, leading them to rely on private sources that are significantly more expensive. It critiques the corporatization and privatization of water utilities and proposes four action areas—extending piped networks, addressing intermittent service, improving affordability for low-income users, and upgrading informal settlements—to ensure equitable access amidst challenges like climate change and population growth.

This research paper by the World Resources Institute examines the process of mainstreaming climate change adaptation into County Integrated Development Plans (CIDPs) in Kenya, focusing on the successful experiences of Makueni and Wajir Counties. It highlights the role of County Climate Change Funds (CCCFs), leadership, and stakeholder engagement in accelerating the integration of climate risks into local development planning to build resilience against intensifying climate impacts like prolonged droughts.