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This policy brief examines the history and effectiveness of United Nations 'mega-conferences' on sustainable development, from the 1972 Stockholm Conference to Rio+20 in 2012. It analyzes how these events have attempted to integrate economic development, social equity, and environmental protection, while highlighting the persistent tensions between industrialized and developing nations regarding financial responsibility and the right to development.

This case study examines the influence of corporate power on the bioeconomy transition in Brazil, arguing that the current trajectory benefits corporate agribusiness at the expense of social equality and sustainable development.

This case study describes the Urban Agriculture Program (PAU) in Rosario, Argentina, which was established in 2002 to address food insecurity and economic collapse. The program provides low-income residents with access to underutilized land for agroecological farming, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and improving urban climate resilience.

A World Resources Institute briefing analyzing the outcomes of the UN Climate Change subsidiary bodies sessions held online prior to COP26. The document reports that progress on implementing the Paris Agreement was uneven and limited, hampered by both virtual logistical challenges and deep political divides between nations.

The Centre for Environmental Rights, acting for groundWork, submitted a formal objection on 18 June 2021 to the Water Use Licence (WUL) application for the Nseleni Independent Floating Power Plant (NIFPP) at the Port of Richards Bay. The objection argues that the 12-page application is 'woefully deficient and incomplete,' failing to provide necessary data on water resource impacts, climate change, and the full scope of associated infrastructure to allow for an informed decision.

This policy brief by the Climate Policy Initiative (CPI/PUC-Rio) analyzes the socio-environmental components of feasibility and impact studies for federal highway and railroad concessions in the Legal Amazon. The researchers found significant gaps in the coverage of biotic environments, a lack of coordination between Technical, Economic and Environmental Feasibility Studies (EVTEA) and Environmental Assessment Studies (EIA), and a general failure to comply with both international guidelines and national sectoral manuals.

This report by RMI argues that current US tax regulations create perverse incentives that discourage regulated utilities from deploying clean energy. It proposes two specific policy changes—eliminating tax normalization for the Investment Tax Credit (ITC) and implementing direct pay for tax credits—to align utility financial interests with the goal of 100 percent clean electricity by 2035.

Ember submitted a response to the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy's call for evidence on the role of biomass in achieving net zero. The submission argues that biomass for power and BECCS are expensive and that sustainable biomass should be prioritized for construction and hard-to-abate industry rather than the power sector. Ember calls for tighter sustainability regulations, a move away from the assumption of inherent carbon neutrality for biomass power, and the unbundling of residual and negative emissions budgets to provide clarity on the 2050 net zero law.

This report provides guidance for the Canadian federal government in developing its first-ever national adaptation strategy (NAS). By analyzing 12 adaptation policy instruments from 11 countries and conducting informant interviews, the report identifies global trends in adaptation planning and proposes 13 considerations across four main aspects to ensure Canada's strategy is ambitious, inclusive, and effective.

This research paper introduces a conceptual framework and nomenclature designed to analyze cross-border climate change impacts, which occur remotely from the initial location of the climate trigger. The framework distinguishes between initial impacts, downstream consequences moving through an 'impact transmission system', and adaptation efforts moving through a 'response transmission system'.

The Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (CAPE) calls for Canada to increase its international climate finance contributions and prioritize adaptation for vulnerable countries, arguing that current levels are insufficient given Canada's high per capita emissions.

This case study examines London's Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) and associated transport policies designed to reduce air pollution, greenhouse gas emissions, and social inequality. It details the financial mechanisms, health outcomes, and equity-focused support systems implemented by the city's administration to transition toward cleaner mobility.

The Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (CAPE) submitted a statement to the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) opposing the renewal of Ontario Power Generation's (OPG) site licence for the Darlington New Nuclear Project (DNNP) site. CAPE argues that granting a licence before a specific reactor type is chosen prevents public oversight and ignores the risks associated with placing nuclear facilities in densely populated areas near the Great Lakes.

An analysis of 14 federal land transport infrastructure projects in the Legal Amazon reveals critical flaws in the viability phase, including a lack of clear procedural rules, a missing logical sequence between viability studies (EVTEA) and environmental impact studies (EIA), and a severe lack of transparency, with 57% of essential documents missing. The report recommends mandating that EVTEA precede EIA and creating a centralized database for all concession documents to reduce environmental risks and attract ethical investors.

A joint statement from the Economics For Nature initiative urging G7 governments to integrate natural capital into economic recovery plans to ensure a resilient, green recovery following COVID-19.

This policy brief by the Stockholm Environment Institute discusses the role of the G7 in decarbonizing the steel industry, noting that steelmaking accounts for approximately 8% of global CO2 emissions annually.

A poem by Kumi Naidoo for the Green Economy Coalition arguing that the post-pandemic recovery should not be a return to 'normal,' but an opportunity to replace failed economic and political systems with a more equitable world.

A report by NITI Aayog and RMI outlining a roadmap to make India's freight transport more cost-effective and cleaner through rail expansion, truck optimization, and zero-emissions vehicles.

This research paper examines the 'restoration economy' in Africa, using South Africa's 'Working for Wetlands' program as a primary case study. It argues that ecological restoration can support economic recovery and resilience ('build back better') if integrated with development planning and funded by a mix of public and private sources, particularly from production sectors like mining and agriculture.

This policy brief by the Stockholm Environment Institute analyzes the collapse of gold mining in the Free State Goldfields of South Africa to derive lessons for current and future decarbonization transitions in regional economies.