Search Climate Insights Directory

This research paper examines how the 2022 amendments to the World Customs Organization's (WCO) Harmonized Commodity Description and Coding System (HS) improve the identification and trade of environmental goods. By introducing more granular six-digit codes for specific technologies, such as solar PV cells and electric vehicles, the amendments reduce the 'specificity problem' in trade negotiations and facilitate the elimination of tariffs on goods essential for climate change mitigation.

This briefing from the Environmental and Energy Study Institute outlines bipartisan legislative efforts in the 116th Congress to preserve biodiversity in the United States. It details proposed laws and testimony focusing on wildlife corridors, land preservation, the Endangered Species Act, and the management of invasive species to mitigate threats from climate change and habitat loss.

This perspective piece argues that governments must implement a planned and equitable wind-down of fossil fuel production to meet climate goals and avoid market volatility, particularly in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic and the resulting oil price crash.

This case study examines the York Citizen Food Assembly held in November 2019, exploring the role of citizen participation in food system policy making to address complex challenges through authentic engagement.

This research paper introduces a high-spatial-resolution bottom-up approach for quantifying greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in agricultural trade, applying it to Brazilian soy exports from 2010–2015 to demonstrate significant variability in carbon footprints based on origin and destination.

This report provides a road map for information and knowledge management (IKM) to support global climate change and sustainable development agendas, specifically focusing on climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction in Europe.

This policy brief outlines insights from the PLACARD project regarding the integration of Climate Change Adaptation (CCA) and Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) within the framework of the European Green Deal, identifying systemic barriers to cooperation and proposing action areas to build societal resilience.

This discussion paper evaluates the Emission Unit Eligibility Criteria (EUCs) for the International Civil Aviation Organization's (ICAO) Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA), proposing refinements to five key quality criteria to ensure environmental integrity.

This briefing summarizes the second Global Dialogue on responding to the COVID-19 pandemic and economic crisis, focusing on building global resilience aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Paris Agreement. It emphasizes the need to integrate climate resilience with development, break down institutional silos, and ensure that recovery efforts are locally led and inclusive of vulnerable populations.

This submission by Natural Justice to the UN Special Rapporteur in the Field of Cultural Rights details the impacts of climate change on indigenous peoples and local communities in Africa. It highlights how environmental shifts and land-use changes threaten bio-cultural resources and traditional knowledge, while presenting 'Community Protocols' as a tool for adaptation and the protection of cultural rights. The document also outlines the severe risks faced by cultural and environmental rights defenders in Africa, including violence, criminalization, and land grabbing.

This briefing discusses the emergence of 'vid-checks'—live video-call assessments for home energy, air quality, and resilience—as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic. It outlines the process, benefits for residents and providers, and the limitations of remote assessments compared to in-person audits.

The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation successfully raised 200 crore INR in January 2019 through green municipal bonds for projects like waste management and the cleaning of the Sabarmati River. This success was attributed to the city's AA+ credit rating and supportive national frameworks, including the AMRUT programme and regulatory easing by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI).

The Rajkot Municipal Corporation, with support from the CapaCITIES project, installed a 145 kWp solar PV system at the Aji water treatment plant in Rajkot, India. The project cost INR 8.5 million and was co-financed, which increased municipal ownership and sustainability. The system provides nearly one-fifth of the plant's power and mitigated 184 tonnes of CO2 between July 2018 and August 2019. Real-time monitoring of savings and emissions has encouraged the city to plan further expansions, including a 250 kWp system at the Rajyadhar wastewater treatment plant.

Bangladesh Bank established a $200 million Green Transformation Fund (GTF) in 2016 to finance environment-friendly machinery for the country's pollution-intensive garment and manufacturing sectors. While the fund has supported specific companies like Goodrich Sweater Ltd and Skyline Apparels and expanded its scope to include the jute and general manufacturing sectors, it faces challenges including a lengthy approval process and a narrow focus on capital machinery rather than broader sustainability measures.

The Bhungroo rainwater harvesting system in Gujarat, India, empowers marginal women farmers by providing them with ownership of water-management technology. This has led to increased agricultural productivity, the conversion of fallow land to cultivable land, and the eventual transfer of land ownership to women. The initiative has reached over 20,000 farmers and contributed to the reverse migration of approximately 6,100 farmers.

This case study examines the impact of women-led community cooperatives in Bangladesh, specifically focusing on the Basundhara Forum in Gopalganj district. It details how the Christian Commission for Development in Bangladesh (CCDB), supported by Christian Aid, uses these forums to enhance livelihoods, improve disaster-risk reduction, and increase women's participation in local government decision-making and climate adaptation planning.

This case study examines the implementation of a solar pump cooperative in Dhundi, Gujarat, which provides irrigation and generates income for farmers by selling excess electricity to the grid. The model incentivizes sustainable groundwater use and reduces carbon emissions by replacing diesel pumps.

This case study describes a women-led climate-smart agriculture model piloted by Swayam Shikshan Prayog (SSP) in 2014 in the Marathwada region of Maharashtra, India. The model focuses on sustainable farming, water conservation, and livelihood diversification to empower rural women and build household resilience against drought and climate change.

This briefing by the Climate Bonds Initiative analyzes the Hong Kong green bond market in 2019, highlighting a trend toward issuer diversification, the launch of the first government green bond, and the dominance of low-carbon building projects. It also examines Hong Kong's role as a regional hub for the Greater Bay Area and the regulatory efforts by the HKMA, SFC, and HKEX to enhance green finance transparency and disclosure.

This report analyzes barriers to private investment in Indonesia's decentralized renewable energy (DRE) sector, identifying regulatory hurdles, low returns on small-scale projects, and limited financing as key obstacles. Using Sumba Island as a case study, it proposes four innovative business models (including VOE and LOE joint ventures and PPPs with availability payments) and three financial instruments (risk pooling, asset-backed securities, and guarantees) to attract private capital and achieve national electrification and climate targets.