Search Climate Insights Directory

This case study describes Earthjustice's legal efforts to compel the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to regulate carbon emissions from motor vehicles under the Clean Air Act, leading to a landmark Supreme Court ruling and the subsequent establishment of federal carbon pollution limits.

This report, prepared by the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) for Switzerland, identifies and analyzes 15 principles and approaches of sustainable development and chemicals management for incorporation into the Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM). The study provides descriptions, origins, and proposed textual language for these concepts to establish common ground for the SAICM's development and implementation, specifically aiming for the 2020 goal of minimizing adverse effects of chemicals on human health and the environment.

This 2005 report by Friends of the Earth International (FoEI) examines the critical link between environmental degradation and rural poverty. It argues that neoliberal economic models, characterized by privatization and industrial exploitation of natural resources, exacerbate poverty by stripping local communities of their self-determination and access to essential resources. The document presents various case studies from the Global South and North to demonstrate that poverty eradication is possible when communities maintain control over their natural assets through sustainable, community-led management and the recognition of environmental rights.

This report by Friends of the Earth International argues that poverty, particularly in rural areas, is inextricably linked to environmental degradation and the loss of community control over natural resources. It critiques neoliberal economic models, trade liberalization, and industrial agriculture for exacerbating poverty and ecological collapse, while presenting various community-led case studies as sustainable alternatives for poverty eradication.

The report proposes a model for implementing Environmental Improvement Zones (EIZs) in Winnipeg to engage neighbourhoods in local environmental action. It suggests a service-innovation and delivery focus, anchored by existing community-based organizations and supported by a multi-partite agreement between the City of Winnipeg, Environment Canada, and the Province of Manitoba.

Earthjustice successfully challenged a U.S. National Marine Fisheries Service policy that sought to count hatchery-bred salmon as part of wild populations to reduce Endangered Species Act protections. While a court initially ruled the policy scientifically flawed, the effort was ultimately abandoned by the Obama administration.

This executive summary of a monograph by Jonny Steinberg reviews literature on two distinct waves of forced migration to South Africa: Mozambicans fleeing civil war in the 1980s and people from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) arriving from the early 1990s onwards.

This research paper introduction reviews the literature on two distinct waves of forced migration to South Africa: Mozambicans fleeing civil war in the 1980s and people from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) arriving from the early 1990s onwards. The author contrasts the social profiles and legal contexts of these two groups while highlighting a persistent pattern of xenophobia and a gap between formal legal rights and social practice in South Africa.

This research paper examines the experiences of Congolese forced migrants in South Africa, detailing their transition from a middle-class professional background in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to survivalist roles in the South African informal economy. It analyzes the demographic profile of these refugees, the social networks they form, the institutional barriers they face, and their specific niches within the urban labor market.

This research paper examines the experiences of Mozambican refugees who fled the civil war (1979–1992) and settled in South Africa, primarily in the former homelands of Gazankulu and KaNgwane. It analyzes the complex interplay of ethnic solidarity, systemic exploitation in the labor market, and the failure of repatriation and regularization programs to fully integrate these populations into South African society.

This briefing by the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) analyzes draft provisions for the protection of traditional knowledge (TK) and traditional cultural expressions/folklore against misappropriation, specifically within the context of the World Intellectual Property Organization's (WIPO) Intergovernmental Committee (IGC). The document argues that current draft provisions lack sufficient focus on the intellectual property (IP) system, which is where misappropriation primarily occurs. It advocates for a legally binding international instrument and specific IP-related measures—such as disclosure requirements and stricter patentability criteria—to prevent the illegitimate granting of IP rights over TK.

This report, prepared by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) for Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC), develops a conceptual methodology called the 'Impact Pathway approach' to value changes in agri-environmental indicators. The report tests this methodology on five specific indicators: Risk of Water Erosion, Risk of Water Contamination by Phosphorus, GHG Emissions, Energy Use Efficiency, and Wildlife Habitat Availability. It identifies critical data gaps, particularly in transport modelling for water-related indicators, and explores linkages between these valuations and integrated economic-environmental modelling and social indicators.

This research paper by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) analyzes the ongoing WTO negotiations on environmental goods. It argues that current lists of goods for liberalization are dominated by developed countries and proposes including environmentally preferable products (EPPs) and implementing Special and Differential Treatment (SDT) to ensure a balanced distribution of trade gains for developing nations.

This research paper by RMI outlines the principles of community collaboration and smart governance as the primary means for achieving healthy, sustainable communities.

This situation report analyzes the security dynamics in the Ituri district of the Democratic Republic of Congo as of May 2005. It details the transition from a violent inter-ethnic conflict between Hema and Lendu groups to a period of forced disarmament driven by a UN ultimatum. While significant numbers of combatants have disarmed, the report highlights critical risks including the lack of timely reinsertion support from the UNDP, the predatory behavior of underpaid FARDC troops, and the continued influence of regional actors like Uganda and Rwanda.

This briefing summarizes a half-day conference convened by the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA) on 12 May 2005. The event aimed to discuss the prospects for Zimbabwe leading up to the 2008 presidential election, featuring perspectives from the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), civil society, and South African parliamentarians. The document outlines systemic democratic deficits in Zimbabwe, critiques the conduct of the 2005 parliamentary elections, and proposes regional and internal reforms to resolve the political crisis.

This document is a list of participants for the 20th Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) Executive Council (EC) Meeting, which took place in Montreal, Canada, on May 2-3, 2005.

This report by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) evaluates the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) of the Kyoto Protocol, focusing on its ability to provide a "development dividend"—socio-economic and environmental benefits for developing countries beyond greenhouse gas reductions. The analysis finds that the emerging CDM market is skewed toward a few large developing countries and dominated by low-cost industrial projects (such as HFC23 decomposition) that offer minimal sustainable development benefits. The report recommends reforming the CDM Executive Board, shifting from project-by-project to sectoral or policy-based approaches, and increasing support for small-scale projects to ensure more equitable and impactful development outcomes.

This executive summary evaluates the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) under the Kyoto Protocol, focusing on its ability to provide a "development dividend"—benefits to developing countries in economic growth, technology, poverty alleviation, and health beyond climate mitigation. The authors argue that the current project pipeline is under-performing, skewed toward a few countries, and dominated by low-development-benefit industrial gas projects, necessitating reforms in project cycles, rules, and international financing to ensure sustainable development goals are met.

This research paper by Oli Brown for the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) examines the evolving relationship between environmental degradation, natural resource management, and global security. It traces the discourse from the Cold War era to the post-Cold War rise in intra-state conflicts, outlining four primary theoretical approaches to environmental security and proposing practical policy interventions to mitigate conflict driven by both resource scarcity and abundance.