Search Climate Insights Directory

The Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) has established a workplan for its science-policy liaison office covering June 2013 to June 2015. The strategy aims to increase the relevance and credibility of IAI's scientific production among policy makers through institutional mechanisms, communication strategies, and use-oriented research.

This 2013 report by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) applies the Adaptive Design and Assessment Policy Tool (ADAPTool) to evaluate the climate change adaptability of forestry policies and the design of a new wetlands policy in Manitoba. The analysis assesses both 'planned adaptability' (response to anticipated stressors) and 'autonomous adaptability' (capacity to respond to unanticipated events) across several provincial policy instruments.

This case study by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) assesses investment incentives for renewable energy in Indonesia, specifically focusing on geothermal power, hydropower, biomass power, and biofuels. It examines the institutional, regulatory, and financial frameworks intended to attract investment and identifies significant barriers, including inter-ministerial conflict, market distortions caused by fossil fuel subsidies, and a lack of technical capacity among bidders and financial institutions.

This report provides a preliminary assessment of Mozambique's 'Regulation on Contracting of Public Works, Goods and Services' (Decree No. 15 of 24 May 2010) to identify opportunities for integrating sustainable public procurement (SPP). The author concludes that while the current legal framework does not expressly incorporate sustainability, there are several entry points—such as technical specifications, evaluation criteria, and the role of the Competent Authority—that could be used to promote green growth and sustainable development.

This research paper surveys foreign investment trends and business models in Indonesia's agricultural sector. It identifies contract farming and land concessions as the primary investment structures, analyzing their impacts on productivity and rural livelihoods. The author argues that while these models offer potential benefits, they are often undermined by an unfavorable business environment, lack of transparency in land use, and regulatory inconsistencies, leading to policy recommendations for land reform and enhanced farmer capacity.

This research paper by the Institute for Security Studies evaluates the feasibility of the economic and human development targets established in South Africa's National Development Plan 2030, arguing that the core growth targets are highly ambitious and require structural economic changes to be successful.

This report by Natural Justice and the Berne Declaration critiques a draft European Commission (EC) Regulation for implementing the Nagoya Protocol. The authors argue that the draft's focus on 'access' as the trigger for user obligations, rather than 'utilisation', creates legal uncertainty for EU users and undermines the Protocol's goal of fair and equitable benefit-sharing.

The 2013 SAIIA Young Leaders Declaration is a statement of recommendations for the Post-2015 Development Agenda, formulated by South African youth during the 2nd Annual South African Institute of International Affairs Young Leaders Conference in Johannesburg. The document outlines priorities across three thematic areas: addressing inequalities, managing conflict, violence and disasters, and ensuring environmental sustainability.

This briefing is a concept note for a conference titled "The APRM +10: Reviewing a Decade of Peer Learning and Projecting a Future of Governance in Africa," scheduled for May 17–18, 2013, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The event aims to bring together African civil society organisations (CSOs) and governance structures to appraise the first ten years of the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) and plan for its second decade.

This guide, published by the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) Tallinn, provides instructions for planners, developers, and citizens on how to integrate biodiversity into urban planning processes to prevent the loss of species during development projects. It focuses on specific animal groups, the implementation of a 'green space factor' to quantify ecological value, and practical measures for creating urban habitats such as green roofs, vertical greenery, and sustainable drainage systems.

This report synthesizes two studies on the policy contexts for mainstreaming climate change adaptation in Bhutan and Nepal. It analyzes the intersection of forestry, water management, and national adaptation strategies, highlighting the role of community-based management and the institutional barriers to effective implementation in both Himalayan nations.

This executive summary details an impact analysis of environmental fees in Estonia from 2000 to 2011, conducted by the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) Tallinn and the University of Tartu's RAKE center. The study evaluates how these fees—specifically resource use fees and pollution charges—affect corporate behavior, competitiveness, and the overall efficiency of resource use and pollution reduction in Estonia.

This 2013 guide, published by the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI Tallinn) for the Estonian Ministry of the Environment, provides a comprehensive framework for implementing environmental management systems (EMS) within public sector organizations, such as state agencies and local governments. It focuses primarily on the European Union's Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS) and the 'Green Office' concept, detailing the steps for planning, implementation, monitoring, and continuous improvement of environmental performance.

The PROVIA Guidance on Assessing Vulnerability, Impacts and Adaptation to Climate Change is an executive summary of a technical framework designed to harmonize and communicate knowledge on climate risk. It provides an iterative five-stage adaptation learning cycle—identifying needs, identifying options, appraising options, planning and implementing actions, and monitoring and evaluation—to help researchers, practitioners, and decision-makers navigate the diversity of available assessment methods and tools.

This research paper argues for the implementation of systematic approaches to understand the Water-Energy-Food (WEF) nexus across various scales and sectors to achieve sustainable development goals. It presents a continuum of assessment tools, ranging from qualitative methods like index building to quantitative data-driven modelling, to support cooperative governance and resource management.

This report analyzes the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions embodied in international trade and explores whether shifting production to lower-intensity regions could reduce global emissions. Using MRIO models and IEA data, the authors find significant variations in GHG intensity for products like clothing (up to a factor of five) and steel. Specifically, Brazil and Turkey are highlighted as low-intensity steel producers due to their energy mixes and technologies. While shifting production to regions with better access to low-GHG energy (such as the Americas for steel) offers potential benefits, the report notes that implementing trade policies to steer these flows is complicated by WTO laws and administrative challenges.

This policy brief by the Stockholm Environment Institute outlines lessons from the Regional Climate Change Adaptation Knowledge Platform for Asia (AKP) regarding the gaps between climate research and practical adaptation. It highlights systemic failures in knowledge dissemination, the scarcity of sub-national and sector-specific data, and the critical need to integrate local traditional knowledge and multi-language materials to support decision-makers and practitioners across Asia.

This policy brief evaluates the first phase (2009–2012) of the Regional Climate Change Adaptation Knowledge Platform for Asia (AKP), a collaborative initiative designed to build adaptation knowledge and capacity across Asia. The program utilized a three-tiered approach—sharing, generating, and applying knowledge—to mainstream climate adaptation into development planning. While the AKP successfully established a diverse network of local experts and produced over 50 knowledge products, it faced significant challenges regarding leadership consistency, language barriers in dissemination, and the limitations of linear project planning frameworks in measuring long-term social learning.

This policy brief, published by the Stockholm Environment Institute in 2013, synthesizes lessons from the Regional Climate Change Adaptation Knowledge Platform for Asia (AKP) regarding the protection of livelihoods against climate change. Drawing on research from 13 Asian countries, it highlights the vulnerability of rural and coastal populations dependent on climate-sensitive sectors and evaluates the effectiveness of various adaptation strategies, including community forestry and the integration of local knowledge.

This policy brief by the Stockholm Environment Institute evaluates the implementation of the European Union's Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) in the Baltic Sea Region (BSR) from 2007 to 2013 and assesses proposed reforms for the post-2013 period. It argues that the CAP has had limited success in reducing environmental impacts and suggests that future reforms should better embrace the region's agricultural diversity and foster transboundary cooperation to protect common water bodies.