SEI

SEI expert briefs Brazilian Senate on sustainability in the mining and energy sectors

Caspar Trimmer — Mon, 08 Dec 2014 13:54:05 +0000

Dr Toby Gardner addressed a Brazilian Senate hearing on the sustainability of the mining and energy sectors, presenting the findings of a recent study by a Brazilian and international consortium on potential impacts of new legislation on fragile ecosystems.

Creating a buzz about the Nexus

Caspar Trimmer — Mon, 08 Dec 2014 15:03:15 +0000

The development sector is no stranger to buzzwords; it might even be one of the biggest producers of them. Once a buzzword catches on, it tends to have a life of its own. “Nexus” is a case in point.

Governing for sustainability in agricultural-forest frontiers: A case study of the Brazilian Amazon

Javier Godar; Toby Gardner — Sat, 06 Dec 2014 23:21:38 +0000

This brief examines the challenges for sustainability governance in agricultural-forest frontiers – areas that still retain large areas of forest yet continue to be deforested through agricultural expansion – and provides examples from the Brazilian Amazon.

From Lima to Paris, and beyond: options for ex ante assessment of intended nationally determined contributions under the UNFCCC

Harro van Asselt — Wed, 03 Dec 2014 22:54:10 +0000

This briefing paper explores options for the design, organization and timing of the ex ante assessment of Parties’ “intended nationally determined contributions” (INDCs) in the lead-up to the Paris Climate Change Conference in December 2015.

’Fair shares’ and intended nationally determined contributions: What can we learn from an equity review?

Sivan Kartha — Wed, 03 Dec 2014 20:44:27 +0000

This brief makes the case that despite the contentious nature of discussions on how to fairly distribute mitigation effort among countries, much can still be learned from a systematic review of pledges based on a broad range of plausible perspectives on fair effort-sharing.

How can irrigated agriculture adapt to climate change? Insights from the Guadiana Basin in Spain

Sukaina Bharwani — Mon, 01 Dec 2014 23:00:00 +0000

Climate change is already affecting many natural systems and human environments worldwide, like the semi-arid Guadiana Basin in Spain. This paper illustrates a systematic analysis of climate change adaptation in the Guadiana irrigation farming region.

Heads of State and Ministers discuss how to create a climate for prosperity

Robert Watt — Tue, 02 Dec 2014 15:56:20 +0000

On the occasion of the state visit by His Majesty King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden to France, Stockholm Environment Institute and the Institute for Sustainable Development and International Relations (Iddri) have arranged an international symposium on climate and energy.

Implementación del modelo WEAP para el estudio de la calidad del agua en la cuenca del río La Vieja

Marisa Escobar — Sun, 30 Nov 2014 23:00:00 +0000

Esta ficha de datos describe un estudio de la calidad del agua del río La Vieja, como parte del proyecto “Ríos del páramo al valle por urbes y campiñas”.

SEI at the Lima Climate Change Conference

Marion Davis — Sun, 30 Nov 2014 21:02:35 +0000

Researchers participated in events on low-emissions development, INDCs, adaptation knowledge-sharing, frontier landscapes and other topics, and shared SEI’s latest work.

Insights from testing new methodology for unified evaluation of multilateral environmental agreements

Piret Kuldna; Kaja Peterson; Stacey Noel; Jacqueline Senyagwa — Fri, 28 Nov 2014 09:23:05 +0000

SEI’s Talinn Centre has developed a methodology for reviewing coherence and effectiveness in national implementation of multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs). This Discussion Brief presents an outline of the methodology and some insights from recent testing in Estonia and Tanzania which applied the methodology for a cluster of biodiversity-related MEAs.

Disasters, climate change and development: Reducing risk by tackling the drivers of vulnerability

Marion Davis; Gregor Vulturius — Wed, 26 Nov 2014 01:09:39 +0000

This discussion brief examines the relationship between climate and disaster risk reduction, aiming to identify ways for them to work better together.

Join us for the seminar “What Could the Sustainable Development Goals Mean for Sweden and Europe?”

Caspar Trimmer — Wed, 26 Nov 2014 08:27:21 +0000

On Thursday 27 November 2014, SEI and the European Commission Representation in Sweden hosted a live streamed breakfast seminar on the implications of universal Sustainable Development Goals for developed countries like Sweden and for the European Union.

National Adaptation Plans and the indirect impacts of climate change

Magnus Benzie — Tue, 25 Nov 2014 19:49:22 +0000

This policy brief explains the concept of indirect climate change impacts and describes practical steps that planners can take to identify key indirect impacts and begin to address them in their countries’ National Adaptation Plans (NAPs).

The economic case for low carbon cities

Johan C. I. Kuylenstierna — Tue, 25 Nov 2014 16:14:57 +0000

This paper, a contribution to the New Climate Economy project, compares the opportunities or economically attractive low-carbon investment opportunities in five cities.

Turn down the heat: confronting the new climate normal

Holger Hoff — Tue, 25 Nov 2014 03:38:03 +0000

This report, the third in the Turn Down the Heat series, covers three World Bank regions: Latin America and the Caribbean, the Middle East and North Africa, and parts of Europe and Central Asia.

Shifting to a green economy: Lock-in, path dependence, and policy options

Eric Kemp-Benedict — Mon, 24 Nov 2014 16:59:55 +0000

This paper looks at economic aspects of the challenge of escaping carbon lock-in using a “brown-green capital” model.

Estimating international mitigation finance needs: A top-down perspective

Michael Lazarus; Kevin Tempest — Mon, 24 Nov 2014 03:34:38 +0000

This discussion brief reviews and distils the findings of key global studies that have sought to gauge mitigation finance requirements.

Learning across locales, organizations and networks: The weADAPT experience

Mon, 24 Nov 2014 03:11:50 +0000

This briefing note synthesizes lessons learned from SEI’s experience developing weADAPT and its predecessor, wikiADAPT, since 2007.

What impact can local economic development in cities have on global GHG emissions? Assessing the evidence

Carrie M. Lee; Peter Erickson — Thu, 20 Nov 2014 23:00:00 +0000

This paper, a contribution to the New Climate Economy project, examines how cities’ economic development strategies are likely to affect global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

Community gardening as social action

Sarah West — Thu, 20 Nov 2014 23:00:00 +0000

This article reviews a book by Claire Nettle that explores whether community gardens can be considered part of social movement activity, with a focus on Australia.