China and the United States announced in December 2013 that they would undertake a reciprocal peer review of their fossil fuel subsidies under the auspices of the G20. This report, after summarising key aspects of China’s energy landscape, addresses each stage of the supply chain for fossil fuels, discussing in detail the subsidies and other measures identified in the course of the review process. It mentions that many of China’s energy policies are in a state of flux, including reforms to move toward more market-based prices and taxes that better reflect the environmental damage that economic activities can cause. Specifically, the report identifies three inefficient subsidies for upstream activities—one excise-tax refund for refined petroleum products used in oil and gas extraction and two urban land-use tax exemptions benefitting the upstream activities of state-owned CNPC and CNOOC.
This report Mexico’s efforts to phase out and rationalise its fossilfuel subsidies provides a succinct account of the discussions that took place between Mexican officials and the review team, but also within the review team itself. After summarising the key aspects of Mexico’s energy landscape, the report discusses the ongoing reforms of transport fuel pricing.
This report Germany’s effort to phase out and rationalise its fossil-fuel subsidies demonstrates that throughout the last two decades, Germany’s energy policy has shifted gears in two major ways.
This paper discusses the need to encourage the development and adoption of processes and methods that can quantify the costs of using natural resources.
Launched in November 2017, the International Energy Agency's (IEA) Clean Energy Transitions Programme (CETP) aims to accelerate global clean energy transitions. This report outlines CETP efforts during the first year (2018), including summaries of accomplishments from the six priority countries as well as how activities were tailored for each country.
In a new report, 'Nature is too big to fail – Biodiversity: the next frontier in financial risk management', PwC Switzerland and WWF Switzerland find that the financial risks associated with the loss of biodiversity will become increasingly important in 2020 - especially in the lead up to the United Nations Biodiversity Conference in October in Kunming (China).
As climate change and the loss of biodiversity mutually reinforce each other, decision-makers face a huge challenge to respond to this double crisis, as the risk of financial market instability significantly increases.
Created by C40 Cities, the Clean Energy Business Model Manual explores business models and financial instruments for decarbonization and presents their administrative and financial structure across various regulatory contexts and market conditions.
In recent years a wide range of organisations have issued guidance on different aspects of strategic infrastructure planning and prioritisation. The Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) reviewed this material and conducted interviews with practitioners from around the world. This report draws these insights together into a single source of guidance and illustrates them with a series of case studies.
This report proposes a step-by-step framework for addressing the needs of small businesses in adapting to climate change. It discusses the factors driving micro and small enterprises (MSEs) to invest in adaptation, the breadth of barriers that they face, and interventions that policymakers can implement to address these barriers. It also includes detailed case studies on Zimbabwe, Cambodia, Tajikistan, and Nicaragua.
This study aims to (1) assess the demand for vegetables from formal buyers in Lesotho, (2) examine the current production and marketing strategies of commercial vegetable farmers practicing protected farming, and (3) suggest the design of the pilot supplier development program (SDP) to improve formal market access for smallholder farmers. The focus of this study is on Maseru, as it is the main center of demand in the country.