Examining Article 6 Readiness: A Balancing Act without Guardrails

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Examining Article 6 Readiness: A Balancing Act without Guardrails

As countries have begun setting up domestic systems to manage emissions reduction units and trade them internationally under Article 6, domestic regulatory frameworks have come to play a major role in defining the overall integrity of the UNFCCC’s Carbon Trading mechanisms. SDSG carbon intern hunter sims assesses what “article 6 readiness” means in practice using 3 case study jurisdictions central to SDSG’s work on carbon markets.

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Mining Legacy, Living Landscape: A Field Study of Uranium on the Navajo Nation

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Mining Legacy, Living Landscape: A Field Study of Uranium on the Navajo Nation

In the Southwestern U.S., uranium mining powered national ambitions, transformed landscapes, and left behind challenges that persist decades later. Drawing on observations from a recent field course in the Four Corners region, Luke Danielson, President of Sustainable Development Strategies Group, explores what the Navajo Nation’s experience reveals about the legacies of mining, reclamation work, and the importance of learning directly from the places and people affected.

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Verra’s Carbon Standard 5.0: Integrity Through Rights and Benefit-Sharing?

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Verra’s Carbon Standard 5.0: Integrity Through Rights and Benefit-Sharing?

Verra’s latest update to its Verified Carbon Standard marks a clear attempt to restore trust in voluntary carbon markets by introducing stronger rules on carbon rights and benefit-sharing. But will these changes deliver genuine transformation, or merely reduce the most visible forms of abuse in carbon projects? SDSG Carbon Fellow Bennett Jarvis examines whether the new standard meaningfully shifts power toward communities, or simply places guardrails around a flawed model.

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Aluminum: The Hidden Carbon Cost No One Is Talking About

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Aluminum: The Hidden Carbon Cost No One Is Talking About

Aluminum is a pillar of sustainable infrastructure and green technologies, appearing in everything from the batteries in our phones to the electric cars we drive. However, its production cannot be truly called “green” until its full climate impact is acknowledged and accounted for. Maria Guillamont, a Juris Doctor candidate at Lewis & Clark Law School and Legal Intern at SDSG, has been researching the overlooked environmental impact of aluminum – and why it matters now more than ever.

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SDSG Comments on Xcel Energy's Proposed Gas Infrastructure Plan

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On January 20th, SDSG submitted written comments to the Colorado Public Utilities Commission (PUC) in relation to Xcel Energy's proposed Gas Infrastructure Plan (GIP), which is the company's proposal for expanding its methane gas network to deliver more gas to commercial and residential customers in Colorado. SDSG, along with numerous other Colorado based organizations, opposes the GIP as currently designed. Our comments focused on three major issues:

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Denver’s “Brown Cloud”: why Colorado keeps failing air quality standards – and what can be done

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Denver’s “Brown Cloud”: why Colorado keeps failing air quality standards – and what can be done

Have you ever flown into Denver International Airport, hopped in a rideshare, or rode the train towards the city, gazed off into the distance only to see a hazy skyline, and a brown cloud where the Front Range should be? Welcome to America’s sixth smoggiest city! Alex Inskeep, a University of Denver Law student and SDSG Legal Intern, has been researching air quality issues in Colorado’s Front Range. He explains what is driving Denver’s smog problem, and how you can get involved.

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