Resource Type

Degree Department

100% Renewable Energy - and Beyond - for Cities (open access)

100% Renewable Energy - and Beyond - for Cities

This booklet sketches out the options and the processes that have started to transform urban energy systems. The document promotes carbon neutrality for communities and cities and argues that even the largest cities can make this transition, drawing on renewable energy supplies from within their boundaries, as well as from farther away. In addition to assuring urban energy security, these developments can also stimulate the growth of a very large new green economy sector.
Date: March 2010
Creator: Droege, Peter
System: The UNT Digital Library
United Nations Environment Programme 2009 Annual Report (open access)

United Nations Environment Programme 2009 Annual Report

The 2009 UNEP annual report provides detailed information about various UNEP activities during the year of 2009, including analysis of the outcome of the Copenhagen United Nations Climate Change Conference. The report emphasizes the need to mobilize behind climate action in 2009 and to continue to ensure that environmental sustainability is recognized both as a legitmate goal in itself and as a means to achieving all other development objectives including the Millennium Development Goals.
Date: February 2010
Creator: United Nations Environment Programme
System: The UNT Digital Library
Winds of Change: East Asia's Sustainable Energy Future (open access)

Winds of Change: East Asia's Sustainable Energy Future

This report outlines the strategic direction of the energy sector to meet its growing energy demand in an environmentally-sustainable manner over the next two decades, and presents a pathway of policy frameworks and financing mechanisms to get there. This study found that large-scale deployment of energy efficiency and low-carbon technologies can simultaneously stabilize East Asia’s CO2 emissions by 2025 and significantly improve the local environment and enhance energy security, without compromising economic growth.
Date: May 2010
Creator: World Bank
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Outcomes of Copenhagen: The Negotiations and the Accord (open access)

The Outcomes of Copenhagen: The Negotiations and the Accord

This document evaluates the Copenhagen climate talks, including the status of the negotiations on the key issues under the formal negotiating tracks and the provisions of the Copenhagen Accord, and draws implications for the implementation of actions in developing countries.
Date: February 2010
Creator: Averchenkova, Alina
System: The UNT Digital Library
Africa Adaptation Programme: An insight into AAP and Country project Profiles (open access)

Africa Adaptation Programme: An insight into AAP and Country project Profiles

The Africa Adaptation Programme (AAP) has been designed to support the long-term efforts of targeted countries to further develop their capability to successfully identify, design and implement holistic adaptation and disaster risk reduction programmes that are aligned with national development priorities. This report provides insight into the Africa Adaptation Programme (AAP) and its related country project profiles. The AAP has shifted into implementation, with Namibia and Tunisia as the first countries to complete national inception workshops. Eighteen out of the total twenty programme countries will complete national inception processes and start full-fledged implementation in the coming months.
Date: January 2010
Creator: The Africa Adaptation Programme (AAP)
System: The UNT Digital Library
UNEP in China: Building Back Better (open access)

UNEP in China: Building Back Better

This booklet describes the cleanup and redevelopment effort in the aftermath of the Sichuan earthquake in 2008. A sustainable building design was included, which minimizes energy needs for cooling, heating, and lighting, is earthquake resistant, results in zero waste at the construction site, and is made with recycled materials.
Date: June 2010
Creator: Thakur, Reshmi & Potocnik, Matija
System: The UNT Digital Library
Renewables 2010: Global Status Report (open access)

Renewables 2010: Global Status Report

This report describes economic trends in building the capacity of renewable energy in several countries.
Date: 2010
Creator: Renewable Energy Policy Network for the 21st Century
System: The UNT Digital Library
Framing the Flow: Innovative Approaches to Understand, Protect, and Value Ecosystem Services Across Linked Habitats (open access)

Framing the Flow: Innovative Approaches to Understand, Protect, and Value Ecosystem Services Across Linked Habitats

This report presents a framework for understanding the connection between a variety of marine ecosystems such as mangroves, seagrasses, and coral reefs, across several contexts with policy recommendations for land use and management.
Date: 2010
Creator: Silvestri, Silvia & Kershaw, Francine
System: The UNT Digital Library
Global Trends in Sustainable Energy Investment 2010: Analysis of Trends and Issues in the Finacning (open access)

Global Trends in Sustainable Energy Investment 2010: Analysis of Trends and Issues in the Finacning

This report shows that in spite of the global economic downturn, investment in sustainable energy is still strong.
Date: 2010
Creator: United Nations Environment Programme
System: The UNT Digital Library
Latin America and the Caribbean: Environment Outlook (open access)

Latin America and the Caribbean: Environment Outlook

This Global Environmental Outlook report (GEO LAC 3) is the third comprehensive environmental assessment of the status and perspectives of the environment in the Latin American and Caribbean region. It highlights the need to move away from sectoral, uncoordinated and short-term policies, and to work towards consolidating comprehensive and cross-sectoral environmental ones that put sustainability at the centre stage. GEO LAC 3 is part of UNEP’s contribution to catalyzing improvements to human well-being and framing a fresh debate around the concept of sustainability in the context of a world evolving from six billion, to nine billion people by 2050.
Date: 2010
Creator: United Nations Environment Programme. Oficina Regional para América Latina y el Caribe
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Last Stand of the Gorilla: Environmental Crime and Conflict in the Congo Basin (open access)

The Last Stand of the Gorilla: Environmental Crime and Conflict in the Congo Basin

This report discusses the status of gorillas in the Greater Congo River Basin. The report looks at challenges such as poaching and habitat loss.
Date: 2010
Creator: Nelleman, Christian; Redmond, Ian & Refisch, Johannes
System: The UNT Digital Library
Polls on the Environment and Global Warming (open access)

Polls on the Environment and Global Warming

This report is a meta-analysis of twenty years of public opinion polls about Americans views on environmental quality, environmental policy, and environmental science.
Date: April 2010
Creator: American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research
System: The UNT Digital Library
A Human Health Perspective on Climate Change (open access)

A Human Health Perspective on Climate Change

This report identifies areas of research for understanding the impact of climate change on human health. Research areas include respiratory, cardiovascular, and mental health, as well as infectious diseases, nutrition, and others.
Date: April 22, 2010
Creator: National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
System: The UNT Digital Library
Dead Planet, Living Planet: Biodiversity and Ecosystem Restoration for Sustainable Development (open access)

Dead Planet, Living Planet: Biodiversity and Ecosystem Restoration for Sustainable Development

This report discusses some vital services that natural ecosystems contribute to human health and development.
Date: 2010
Creator: Nelleman, Christian & Corcoran, Emily
System: The UNT Digital Library
Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD) in Developing Countries (open access)

Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD) in Developing Countries

In this position paper, International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) urges Parties to reach an agreement on a REDD-plus (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation) mechanism that recognizes that avoiding greenhouse gas emissions from deforestation and forest degradation is a necessary component of achieving deep cuts.
Date: June 2010
Creator: International Union for Conservation of Nature
System: The UNT Digital Library
World Investment Report 2010: Investing in a Low-Carbon Economy (open access)

World Investment Report 2010: Investing in a Low-Carbon Economy

According to the preface, this report focuses on climate change and the role of transnational corporations in investing in a low-carbon economy.
Date: July 22, 2010
Creator: United Nations Conference on Trade and Development
System: The UNT Digital Library
Clearing the Waters: A focus on water quality solutions (open access)

Clearing the Waters: A focus on water quality solutions

This report discusses global water issues and offers a variety of proposals for countering the degradation of freshwater ecosystems for the benefit of public health and the environment.
Date: March 2010
Creator: Palanaippan, Meena; Gleick, Peter H.; Allen, Lucy; Cohen, Michael J.; Christian-Smith, Juliet; Smith, Courtney et al.
System: The UNT Digital Library
UNEP Year Book 2010: New Science and Developments in Our Changing Environment (open access)

UNEP Year Book 2010: New Science and Developments in Our Changing Environment

This publication presents an overview of global and regional environmental issues and policy decisions during 2010.
Date: 2010
Creator: United Nations Environment Programme
System: The UNT Digital Library
U.S. Climate Action Report 2010 (open access)

U.S. Climate Action Report 2010

The Fifth U.S. Climate Action Report presents a detailed outline of the actions the U.S. is taking to address climate change, contains updated projections on U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, and underscores the United States commitment to address climate change.
Date: June 2010
Creator: U.S. Department of State
System: The UNT Digital Library
Grenelle Environnement (open access)

Grenelle Environnement

The new 'Grenelle II' laws are presented in the French Parliament. The Grenelle II (2010) follows the Grenelle I (2007) and a second public consultation round with representatives of large companies. Detailed plans are presented for building, transport and energy sector. Local authorities are asked to play a more important and facilitating role. The new law package contains six pillars and contains the 'outlines' and 'logistics' of the application on regional and local level: - 1. Improving the Energetic Performance of Buildings. Among the measures are : insisting on 'Batiments a Basse Consommation' (BBC, < 50 KW/H/m2 per year) for new buildings and to reduce the consumption of existing buildings by 38% untill 2020. - 2. Creating a change in Transport Use. Among the measures presented are : speeding up the process of public transport infrastructure, insisting local public authorities on offering 'lease-bikes' and car-sharing programs, and subvention of electric and hybrid car development. - 3. Reducing significantly Energy Consumption and Carbon Emissions. Measurements foreseen are : Obligation of all enterprises with over 500 employees and municipalities with more than 500.000 inhabitants to calculate CO2 emissions on a yearly bases. -4. Preserving Biodiversity. Pharmaceutical and hospital products will be more …
Date: October 2010
Creator: France. Ministère de l'écologie, de l'énergie, du développement durable et de la mer
System: The UNT Digital Library
Analysis of options to move beyond 20% greenhouse gas emission reductions and assessing the risk of carbon leakage (open access)

Analysis of options to move beyond 20% greenhouse gas emission reductions and assessing the risk of carbon leakage

This paper responds to the mandate given in the Emissions Trading Directive (EU ETS directive, Article 10b) to the Commission to submit by end of June 2010 an analytical report assessing the situation of energy-intensive sectors that have been determined to be exposed to significant risks of carbon leakage in the light of the international negotiations.
Date: 2010
Creator: European Commission
System: The UNT Digital Library
Analysis of options to move beyond 20% greenhouse gas emission reductions and assessing the risk of carbon leakage (open access)

Analysis of options to move beyond 20% greenhouse gas emission reductions and assessing the risk of carbon leakage

This paper analyze the possible effects of implementing all high end pledges put forward by countries under the Copenhagen Accord. Among other analysis, the report predict that, (if the Copenhagen Accord would be fully implemented), the world could bridge a major part of the required efforts by 2020 in order to keep average global temperature increase below 2ºC. However, the report also argue that most high end targets are conditional on others taking similar action, on a legally binding international agreement or on the need for further international financial or technical support making their degree of implementation uncertain.
Date: 2010
Creator: European Commission
System: The UNT Digital Library
State of the Climate in 2009 (open access)

State of the Climate in 2009

This report describes observations of precipitation, temperature, and other climatology metrics from different global regions.
Date: June 2010
Creator: Andt, D. S.; Baringer, M. O.; Johnson, M. R.; Alexander, L. V.; Diamond, H. J.; Fogt, R. L. et al.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Evaluation of Alternative Initial Allocation Mechanisms in a European Union Greenhouse Gas Emissions Allowance Trading Scheme (open access)

Evaluation of Alternative Initial Allocation Mechanisms in a European Union Greenhouse Gas Emissions Allowance Trading Scheme

This report is intended to provide background to assist Member States and the European Commission ("Commission") in determining the allocation mechanism to use in conjunction with the Commission's proposed emissions trading programme for carbon dioxide ("CO2") and other greenhouse gases ("GHGs"). The Commission in October 2001 adopted a major package of initiatives to combat climate change. This package includes a proposed Directive on GHG emission trading ("proposed Directive") as well as a proposal for the EC to ratify the Kyoto Protocol and a Communication setting out further methods for reducing greenhouse gas emissions beyond the Directive on emissions trading. This report provides descriptions and evaluations of alternative mechanisms for initial allocation of allowances. The report has the following specific objectives: - Provide a typology of alternative initial allocation mechanisms. - Describe the allocation mechanisms that have been used in previous emissions trading programmes. - Develop criteria for evaluating alternative mechanisms. - Evaluate the alternative mechanisms in light of these criteria. - Develop plant-level data that allow one to simulate various initial allocation alternatives and thus shed light on key empirical issues, including feasibility and sector- and plantlevel effects. - Provide an overview of major conclusions and implications.
Date: 2010
Creator: NERA Economic Consulting
System: The UNT Digital Library