Search Climate Insights Directory

This policy brief by Ember argues that Europe must double its electricity interconnection capacity over the next ten to fifteen years to meet climate neutrality goals and ensure security of supply. It highlights a gap between current expansion plans and actual power system needs, warning that slow project timeframes—averaging nine years—could create bottlenecks for wind and solar expansion.

This thought piece examines the financial barriers and business cases for mobilizing investments in low-carbon industrial production within the Global South, highlighting the need for policy interventions, innovative business models, and custom solutions to address risks that are more complex than those found in the renewable energy sector.

This briefing by RMI outlines strategies and policy levers to reduce methane emissions from municipal solid waste (MSW) landfills in the United States. It proposes a two-pronged approach: improving the monitoring and control of existing waste and preventing new methane generation by diverting organic waste from landfills. The document advocates for stronger federal standards from the EPA to scale these reductions and protect adjacent communities.

This policy brief by the South African Institute of International Affairs advocates for the upscaling of marine and coastal ecosystem-based adaptation (EbA) within the Southern African Development Community (SADC). It highlights the vulnerability of coastal and island states to climate risks and argues that integrating EbA into national policies and Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) can simultaneously address climate adaptation, biodiversity conservation, and socio-economic development.

This research paper by the Africa Policy Research Institute examines the health cooperation between Germany and African states, arguing that current partnerships are rooted in colonial legacies and lack genuine reciprocity. The author contends that recent shifts toward 'securitization' of health—prioritizing global health security and economic interests—often override the needs of marginalized populations and the goal of strengthening local health systems.

This research paper discusses the controversy surrounding the inclusion of climate change on the United Nations Security Council agenda and proposes using the IPCC's Sixth Assessment Report (AR6) to establish a shared scientific understanding of climate change as a risk to peace and security.

This research paper analyzes the evolving energy relations between Germany and Africa, noting a shift from traditional development cooperation toward a broader approach combining energy diplomacy, foreign policy, and technical cooperation. The author highlights a tension between Germany's commitment to a 'just transition' and its strategic interests in securing both renewable energy (particularly green hydrogen) and fossil fuel imports to ensure energy security.

Natural Justice provides a critique of Kenya's proposed Climate Change (Amendment) Bill, 2023, which aims to integrate carbon markets into the country's climate response. While acknowledging the potential for carbon markets to mobilize investment, the organization warns of risks regarding environmental integrity and the potential for developed nations to use credits to justify continued fossil fuel use. The statement highlights several deficiencies in the Bill, including the removal of specific representation requirements for marginalized communities and civil society in the National Climate Change Council, a lack of clear procedural guidelines for public participation, and ambiguous role definitions between national and county governments.

This briefing by RMI discusses the Energy Infrastructure Reinvestment (EIR) Program, a Department of Energy (DOE) loan initiative under the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). RMI argues that investor-owned utilities (IOUs) can use these low-interest loans to accelerate clean energy transitions, increase shareholder returns, and lower costs for ratepayers, though the program is currently underutilized and rarely mentioned in utility earnings calls.

This June 2023 report by Global Energy Monitor analyzes China's rapid expansion of utility-scale solar and wind power. It details current operational capacities, projected growth through the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025), and the strategic role of large-scale energy bases in the northwest. The document also examines the policy drivers, supply chain advantages, and emerging trends such as 'source-grid-load-storage integration' and green hydrogen production used to manage the intermittency of renewable energy.

This report examines the relationship between the African Union (AU) and civil society organisations (CSOs) over the last 20 years, focusing on governance, peace, and security. While the AU has established institutional frameworks to facilitate engagement, the report finds that CSO participation remains unpredictable and often restricted, particularly in political processes and high-level summits. It highlights the critical technical and research contributions of CSOs while identifying systemic barriers, including shrinking civic space in member states and bureaucratic hurdles within AU organs like ECOSOCC.

This policy brief advocates for the scaling of Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EbA) in the coastal and marine environments of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) to enhance climate resilience, conserve biodiversity, and promote socio-economic development.

This policy brief examines the integration of gender mainstreaming within climate finance, arguing that current efforts are often superficial and fail to address the root causes of gender inequality. It specifically highlights the role of public development banks (PDBs) as key vehicles for shifting financial flows toward gender-transformative climate action, recommending a move beyond 'women-focused' strategies toward a comprehensive approach that engages all genders to dismantle systemic power imbalances.

This report examines the use of risk mitigation and transfer (RMT) instruments to enable utility-scale renewable energy investments in the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC). Through case studies in Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, and Zambia, the authors analyze how financial instruments from development finance institutions (DFIs) help projects reach financial close by addressing offtaker, political, and currency risks. While RMTs have successfully protected existing projects during recent economic shocks, the report finds they are currently insufficient to enable new projects in countries facing severe debt distress, such as Zambia.

This report outlines the necessity of establishing a Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) system for the Global Goal on Adaptation (GGA) by COP 28 to enhance adaptation actions and meet the needs of developing countries.

This research paper aims to operationalize 'just resilience' within European climate adaptation by structuring existing knowledge and identifying potential indicators to measure progress.

This research paper examines the historical and contemporary health cooperation between Germany and African nations, arguing that these relations remain unequal and lack reciprocity. The author contends that while Germany promotes multilateralism and health security, its actions often prioritize economic interests and security over the public health needs and autonomy of African partners, calling for a decolonial shift toward health and climate justice.

This research briefing by Ember evaluates the estimated Scope 1 methane emissions of the Lake Vermont Meadowbrook Extension Project. Ember argues that the project's Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) significantly underestimates methane emissions, potentially threatening the Safeguard Mechanism and the climate targets of the Australian and Queensland governments.

This briefing by the Climate Policy Initiative (CPI) analyzes how amendments to Provisional Measure (MP) nº 1150/2022, approved by the Brazilian Senate on May 16, 2023, could undermine the alignment of the financial system with sustainability and the fight against deforestation. The document argues that the proposed text restricts the ability of financial institutions to deny credit based on environmental law violations and mandates reliance on official government data, which may be unreliable or outdated compared to scientific tools like MapBiomas.

This background paper examines the current state of agrivoltaics in India, focusing on the simultaneous use of land for agriculture and photovoltaic power generation to resolve land-use competition. It synthesizes evidence from over a dozen pilot projects and interviews with stakeholders—including farmers, private developers, and power distribution companies—to provide policy recommendations, business models, and technical transition mechanisms for commercial scale-up.