Search Climate Insights Directory

The document examines how systemic racism excludes Indigenous knowledge from Canadian climate policy and proposes the use of nêhiyawak storytelling and the medicine wheel as a framework for transformational change. Using the tale of 'Birds of Colour: Part 2', the author demonstrates how Indigenous perspectives on interdependence, agency, and biodiversity can guide climate adaptation and mitigation. The study concludes with policy recommendations for federal and provincial governments to co-create climate strategies led by Indigenous nations, incorporating traditional knowledge without requiring Western scientific validation.

The document highlights that frameworks for monitoring the environmental consequences of commodity production and trade in locations other than where they are consumed are currently fragmented and underused. It asserts that G20 nations are uniquely positioned to overcome barriers related to framework coherence and government capacity. To address these issues, the brief recommends that the G20 promote the uptake of existing monitoring programmes, improve data disclosure, build organizational capacity, and collaborate on disseminating best practices.

A coalition of organizations recommends that the next U.S. farm bill establish a dedicated Farmworker and Food Chain Worker Office, replenish pandemic relief funds, and expand disaster assistance for workers. The proposal calls for stricter meatpacking line speed regulations, increased research into pesticide alternatives, and the implementation of labor standards in USDA procurement. Additionally, it advocates for pathways to farm ownership for farmworkers, a weather warning system for workers, the protection of SNAP benefits, and enhanced protections for forestry workers on public lands.

A coalition of environmental organizations urges the EPA to prioritize MERP funding for enhanced monitoring, compliance assurance, and the permanent plugging of marginal conventional wells, while limiting financial assistance to private operators.

The document highlights the role of the G20 and international financial institutions (IFIs), including multilateral development banks, in facilitating the transition to green steel in developing and emerging economies to mitigate global emissions from a growing industry.

Methane mitigation is severely underfunded, with current annual spending at only 10% of the $119 billion required to keep global warming below 2 degrees Celsius. The report identifies structural barriers, including a lack of donor prioritization, absence of dedicated funding windows, and a shortage of bankable project pipelines in developing countries. It recommends that development finance institutions designate methane 'champions', that donor governments increase funding for project preparation, and that developing nations create enabling policy environments to attract private investment.

The document argues that MDBs must shift from a project-by-project approach to a systemic, program-based model to address the climate crisis in emerging markets and developing economies (EMDEs). It recommends scaling country sector platforms, deploying risk-sharing instruments like guarantees and local currency financing, and overhauling MDB business models through standardization and an 'originate-to-distribute' balance sheet strategy. The authors emphasize the need for better integration of domestic financial institutions and increased transparency in data sharing to mobilize private capital at scale.

Carbon Market Watch advocates for a legally binding EU target of over 90% gross emissions cuts by 2040 to achieve domestic net zero. The organization argues for 'turbo charging' the EU ETS by increasing linear reduction factors, phasing out free allowances by 2030 in favor of the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), and keeping carbon removals strictly separate from the ETS to avoid offsetting and ensure deep decarbonization. It also calls for the expansion of the ETS to full scope for aviation and shipping and the use of auctioning revenues for transparent climate projects.

The report examines the economic vulnerability of Canada's oil and gas sector due to declining global demand and increasing price volatility. It argues that a 'business-as-usual' approach risks stranded assets and severe socioeconomic disruption. Drawing on case studies from Denmark, Germany, Illinois, and Colorado, the authors propose a 'policy trifecta' of ambitious climate targets, managed energy phase-downs, and proactive economic diversification to ensure an equitable transition.

This report by the Union of Concerned Scientists highlights the challenges and successes of frontline communities in the US and Puerto Rico in building climate resilience. It identifies four key themes: displacement, government negligence, funding inequities, and the effectiveness of community-driven solutions. The authors argue that while scientific solutions exist, a lack of political will and bureaucratic barriers hinder progress. The report provides specific recommendations to shift toward inclusive, community-led adaptation strategies that respect tribal sovereignty and prioritize the lived experiences of marginalized populations.

The report finds that passenger vehicles manufactured before 2004, while representing only 19% of California's fleet, produce the vast majority of nitrogen oxides and reactive organic gases, contributing to PM2.5 pollution. This pollution disproportionately affects Black and Latino Californians and low-income households, particularly in Southern California and Los Angeles County. The authors recommend prioritizing vehicle replacement incentives for these priority populations and expanding transportation solutions beyond private car ownership.

The report argues that a 'New Economy for the Brazilian Amazon' (NEA), characterized by zero deforestation and a robust bioeconomy, would provide the most equitable economic growth for Brazil. By 2050, this transition could increase the regional GDP by BRL 40 billion and create 312,000 additional jobs compared to a reference scenario. The study emphasizes that eliminating deforestation alone is insufficient to meet Paris Agreement targets; it must be coupled with the decarbonization of agriculture, livestock, and the energy matrix. The transition requires an estimated BRL 2.56 trillion in additional investment by 2050, representing 1.8% of Brazil's national GDP per year. Key recommendations include removing fossil fuel subsidies, redirecting rural credit toward low-carbon practices, and scaling a bioeconomy based on traditional indigenous knowledge and standing forests.

The report asserts that the EU cannot reach net zero by 2050 without large-scale deployment of CCUS, estimating a need to capture and store between 300 and 640 Mt of CO2 annually by 2050. It highlights a significant gap between current project announcements and the necessary infrastructure, particularly in CO2 transport and geological storage. The authors recommend that the European Commission establish clear targets, a regulatory framework for CO2 grids, and financial mechanisms like Carbon Contracts for Difference (CCfD) to de-risk investments. The document specifically identifies 'hard-to-abate' sectors—such as cement, steel, and waste-to-energy—as critical areas where CCUS is either the lowest-cost or only viable decarbonisation pathway. It also emphasizes the necessity of technology-based carbon dioxide removals (CDR) via BECCS and DACS to balance residual emissions.

Carbon Market Watch argues that the Article 6.2 country-to-country carbon market lacks sufficient transparency and accountability. The organization calls for the 2023 Bonn intersessional conference to establish strict reporting requirements, eliminate the use of non-disclosure agreements for bilateral deals, and synchronize the authorization process to prevent double counting of emission reductions.

The document argues that the EU Innovation Fund's current overhaul risks funding projects with marginal abatement potential due to outdated benchmarks. It recommends updating reference points to target the highest emission-reduction potential, making resource saving a mandatory criterion for support, and prioritizing economy-wide scalability over local or sectoral scalability to ensure true sustainability.

The Allied for Climate Transformation by 2025 (ACT2025) consortium calls for COP28 to accelerate climate action through four primary pillars: advancing ambition to limit warming to 1.5 degrees C, scaling up people-centered adaptation, operationalizing loss and damage institutions, and mobilizing trillions in climate finance. The document emphasizes that G-20 nations, responsible for approximately 75% of global emissions, must lead in phasing out fossil fuels and meeting financial commitments to support the most vulnerable nations.

The document argues that G20 countries, due to their high greenhouse gas emissions and population shares, must phase out fossil fuels through a just energy transition. It identifies four imperatives: tackling fossil fuel-dependent regimes, diversifying economies, providing transition finance, and improving international coordination. The brief concludes with three specific recommendations: improving governance for low-carbon pathways, diversifying economies via transition finance mechanisms, and synchronising global efforts.

The document highlights the role of Green Public Procurement (GPP) in the construction sector as a tool for G20 nations to reduce environmental impacts and meet climate commitments, specifically in sectors like steel and cement. It asserts that achieving this requires collaboration among G20 members and the adoption of clear mandates, monitoring, upskilling, and time-bound targets.

The SAC and SPAC conducted joint monthly meetings to coordinate on several regional initiatives, including the development of a Gender and EDI Policy, the establishment of the Science Diplomacy Center, and the creation of IPCC policy briefs for the Latin American and Caribbean region. Key activities included a training program on transdisciplinary research for climate, environment, and health responders, and participation in the Americas Conference on Solar Radiation Modification. The committees recommend that the IAI Directorate establish a formal research and training program on the climate-environment-health nexus and participate in the Hydro-Climate Research Program of the Andes (ANDEX).

The Strategic Plan argues that current energy efficiency efforts are insufficient to meet global climate targets and calls for a doubling of the rate of energy intensity improvement and a tripling of annual end-use energy efficiency investments by 2030. It outlines five pillars for progress: buildings, industry, transport, financing, and behavioral changes, emphasizing international cooperation between the G20 and Global South countries. The plan aligns with the G20 New Delhi Leader Declaration and a Voluntary Action Plan to double the global rate of energy efficiency improvement within the decade.