Search Climate Insights Directory
24 results
Deforestation in Brazil’s Cerrado reduces soy production and threatens supply chains
Analysis of 840 municipalities in the Cerrado shows that land clearing for soy creates a 3:1 productivity loss, where climate spillovers outweigh the gains from new farmland. While individual farmers profit by externalizing costs, the region lost USD 9.4 billion in potential soy production between 2013 and 2023 due to deforestation-induced drying. Global importers, particularly China and Germany, face significant supply chain vulnerabilities, with China's sourcing regions losing USD 5.0 billion in annual production capacity. The report argues for urgent conservation and intensification strategies, noting that most municipalities are still below a critical climate threshold where protection delivers maximum benefit.
AI-generated
This summary is written by a language model reading the source document. It is not the publisher's words and is not a substitute for the original.
Document type: Briefing
Congo Basin deforestation threatens regional rainfall and global cocoa supply
Deforestation in the Congo Basin risks reducing regional rainfall by up to 40%, which could lead to cumulative cocoa yield losses of 3.06 million tonnes across nine African countries by 2050. This supply shock is projected to drive cocoa prices to USD 68.1 per kilogram by 2050, with deforestation accounting for 40.2% of that price. EU importers could face cumulative additional costs of USD 256 billion by 2050. The report argues that investing in forest conservation, particularly community-led restoration, is more cost-effective than inaction, offering avoided costs of USD 1.8 to USD 6 for every dollar invested.
AI-generated
This summary is written by a language model reading the source document. It is not the publisher's words and is not a substitute for the original.
Document type: Report
Funding proposal package for FP269
The DaIMA programme is a large-scale initiative targeting the dairy sectors of East Africa to mitigate methane emissions and enhance climate adaptation. With a total budget of USD 358.26 million, the programme focuses on three main components: strengthening national institutional capacities and policy frameworks, implementing farm-level low-emission and resilient practices, and establishing a Green Dairy Financing Facility (GDFF) to provide concessional loans to dairy SMEs. The programme expects to benefit 2.5 million direct beneficiaries and reduce milk emission intensities by 29% over 20 years.
AI-generated
This summary is written by a language model reading the source document. It is not the publisher's words and is not a substitute for the original.
Document type: Report
The Business Case for LC3
The report presents the business case for limestone calcined clay cement (LC3) as a tool for industry decarbonization. It asserts that LC3 can reduce emissions and provide economic benefits, including rapid payback periods and operational savings, by decreasing the use of carbon-intensive clinker. The findings are based on an analysis of seven scenarios across North America, Europe, Latin America, and Africa.
AI-generated
This summary is written by a language model reading the source document. It is not the publisher's words and is not a substitute for the original.
Document type: Report
FROZEN GAS, BOILING PLANET
The report exposes how 400 banks and 400 investors provided billions in support for LNG expansion between 2021 and 2024, despite IEA warnings that no new export facilities are necessary for a 1.5C pathway. It highlights a significant gap between the net-zero pledges of financial institutions and their actual lending and investment practices, noting that most top funders lack effective LNG-specific policies. The document details the climate risks of methane leakage and the social impacts of LNG projects, while calling for a complete end to financial services for new LNG export and import terminals.
AI-generated
This summary is written by a language model reading the source document. It is not the publisher's words and is not a substitute for the original.
Document type: Report
FROZEN GAS, BOILING PLANET
The report finds that Canadian financial institutions are major global contributors to LNG expansion, with nine banks providing US$16.7 billion and 21 investors holding US$15.8 billion in LNG assets between 2021 and May 2024. Despite commitments to a 1.5°C pathway, major banks like RBC and Scotiabank have increased their financing for LNG export development. The document highlights the climate risks of this expansion, including methane leakage and the potential for stranded assets, particularly in Europe. It calls for an immediate end to financial services for new LNG projects and the adoption of transition plans aligned with the IEA's Net Zero Emissions by 2050 scenario.
AI-generated
This summary is written by a language model reading the source document. It is not the publisher's words and is not a substitute for the original.
Document type: Report
METALLURGICAL COAL FINANCING: Time to call it off
The report highlights a systematic loophole in financial institution policies that exclude thermal coal but continue to fund metallurgical coal, which is essential for primary steelmaking. Despite the International Energy Agency's finding that existing mines are sufficient to meet demand through 2050, 118 companies are planning new projects with a total capacity of 406 Mtpa. Between 2016 and June 2023, banks provided over US$557 billion to the 50 largest metallurgical coal developers. The document argues that technological advances in green hydrogen and electric arc furnaces make a phase-out possible by the early 2040s and urges financial institutions to immediately end dedicated financing and insurance for new metallurgical coal projects.
AI-generated
This summary is written by a language model reading the source document. It is not the publisher's words and is not a substitute for the original.
Document type: Report
Reducing Plastic Production to Achieve Climate Goals: Key Considerations for the Plastics Treaty Negotiations
The document asserts that current exponential growth in plastic production is incompatible with global climate goals, as plastics already account for 3% to 8% of global GHG emissions and could consume over 10% of the remaining carbon budget by 2050. It argues that emissions cannot be decoupled from production through electrification or bio-based feedstocks alone. To address this, the brief recommends that the plastics treaty establish a global production baseline, a freeze on production levels, and a phasedown schedule to reduce production by 46% to 70% from 2019 levels by 2050. It further calls for a ban on new production infrastructure, the elimination of public subsidies, and the implementation of trade restrictions to prevent carbon leakage.
AI-generated
This summary is written by a language model reading the source document. It is not the publisher's words and is not a substitute for the original.
Document type: Policy brief
Deutsche LNG-Ausbaupläne führen zu Überkapazität und gefährden
The NewClimate Institute argues that Germany's planned LNG terminal expansion exceeds necessary reserve buffers and threatens the country's climate targets. The report suggests that current floating terminals are sufficient for energy security, while further onshore expansion risks creating stranded assets and fossil fuel lock-ins. It criticizes the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK) and the Energy Economics Institute (EWI) for underestimating technical capacities in their analyses and for assumptions that conflict with the legally binding Climate Action Act.
AI-generated
This summary is written by a language model reading the source document. It is not the publisher's words and is not a substitute for the original.
Document type: Report
Rapid phasedown of natural gas
Natural gas is the fastest growing source of CO2 emissions from fossil fuels, with methane leakage potentially making its climate impact equivalent to coal. To align with the 1.5°C goal, global gas production and consumption must decrease by 30% by 2030 and 65% by 2050, with developed countries phasing out gas power by 2035. The document rejects the use of gas as a bridge fuel or a solution to the 2022 energy crisis, noting that expanding infrastructure creates stranded asset risks, particularly for non-OECD countries. It further argues that converting gas infrastructure to hydrogen is technically unproven and economically inefficient, and highlights severe public health risks associated with gas extraction, flaring, and domestic use.
AI-generated
This summary is written by a language model reading the source document. It is not the publisher's words and is not a substitute for the original.
Document type: Briefing
Asia’s LNG Plans
Asia is currently developing 442 million tonnes per annum (mtpa) of new LNG import capacity, representing a US$119 billion investment. While driven by growing energy demand, these plans face a 'fork in the road' due to extreme price volatility caused by the European energy crisis and the falling cost of renewable energy. China leads the regional buildout, accounting for nearly half of Asia's planned capacity. The document warns that this infrastructure could lock economies into fossil fuel reliance, contradicting global 1.5°C warming targets.
AI-generated
This summary is written by a language model reading the source document. It is not the publisher's words and is not a substitute for the original.
Document type: Briefing
When is enough, enough?
Since the outbreak of war in Ukraine, European states have proposed 195 bcm/y of additional LNG import capacity to reduce reliance on Russian gas. While 9.1 bcm/y is already online and 33 bcm/y is under construction, the briefing warns that global market tightness will keep prices high until 2026. Furthermore, 15- to 20-year supply contracts signed in 2022 may undermine the EU's goal to reduce gas demand by 35% by 2030. The document also notes a lack of concrete evidence for converting this new infrastructure to hydrogen, despite claims by German project promoters.
AI-generated
This summary is written by a language model reading the source document. It is not the publisher's words and is not a substitute for the original.
Document type: Briefing
Energy & Climate Report for EIA
The report by ClientEarth, WWF Italy, and ECCO think tank opposes Enel's plan to convert the Federico II plant in Brindisi from coal to gas. It argues that the project is not needed for security of supply, risks creating stranded assets and overcapacity in Southern Italy, and causes adverse climate impacts through CO2 and methane emissions. The authors contend that the project contradicts EU and national decarbonisation goals and should be rejected by the Ministry for Ecological Transition.
AI-generated
This summary is written by a language model reading the source document. It is not the publisher's words and is not a substitute for the original.
Document type: Report
Oregon Clean Trucks Program
The report evaluates three policy scenarios for Oregon's medium- and heavy-duty (M/HD) truck fleet: the adoption of California's Advanced Clean Trucks (ACT) rule, the addition of the NOx Omnibus Rule, and a more aggressive '100 x 40 ZEV + Clean Grid' scenario. The most ambitious scenario projects cumulative net societal benefits of $35.6 billion by 2050, including 186 avoided premature deaths and $1.9 billion in annual fleet cost savings. While ZEVs currently have higher purchase costs, the analysis suggests they will reach lifetime cost parity with combustion vehicles by 2030. The transition is expected to have positive macroeconomic effects on national jobs and GDP, and could reduce residential electricity rates in Oregon by up to 3.7% by 2050 due to increased utility net revenue.
AI-generated
This summary is written by a language model reading the source document. It is not the publisher's words and is not a substitute for the original.
Document type: Report
Technical Report: Economic & Clean Energy Benefits of Establishing a Competitive Wholesale Electricity Market in the Southeast United States
The report uses the WIS:dom-P optimization model to compare four capacity expansion scenarios for the Southeast US: the current SE IRP, an economic IRP without an RTO, an SE RTO, and an SE RTO that retains uneconomic nuclear plants. The findings indicate that the SE RTO scenario is the most economic, offering cumulative savings of $383.7 billion by 2040 and the highest job creation. Retaining nuclear plants further reduces emissions, saving an additional 156.76 million metric tonnes of CO2 by 2040 at a minimal additional cost. The study also highlights the role of variable renewable energy (VRE) and storage in meeting seasonal demand peaks and the importance of transmission expansion in a coordinated regional market.
AI-generated
This summary is written by a language model reading the source document. It is not the publisher's words and is not a substitute for the original.
Document type: Report
GAMBLING ON GAS
Between January 2017 and June 2020, Japanese public and private institutions provided at least US$23.4 billion in financing for LNG infrastructure across 10 countries. The report argues that the original rationales for this policy—energy security, climate friendliness, and economic viability—are now flawed due to the vulnerability of supply chains exposed by COVID-19, the high global warming potential of methane leakages, and the declining costs of renewable energy. It highlights that major Japanese banks (MUFG, Mizuho, and SMBC) provided the bulk of this funding, while five major trading companies saw a combined year-on-year profit drop of US$625 million in LNG-related businesses by March 2020. The document concludes that continuing to fund LNG infrastructure risks creating stranded assets and contradicts the UN's Principles for Responsible Banking.
AI-generated
This summary is written by a language model reading the source document. It is not the publisher's words and is not a substitute for the original.
Document type: Report
Climate Resilient Sustainable Coastal Forestry in Bangladesh
The document outlines a request for US 337,740 from the Green Climate Fund (GCF) to prepare a full funding proposal for the 'Climate Resilient Sustainable Coastal Forestry in Bangladesh' project. The proposed project aims to establish a continuous coastal greenbelt by planting 20,000 hectares of mangroves and associated species across 37 upazilas in 9 coastal districts. The project seeks to sequester 79.16 million tonnes of CO2eq over a 30-year lifespan and benefit approximately 9.9 million people. Key components include forestry activities for mitigation and adaptation, integrated zone management planning, and knowledge sharing. To ensure sustainability, the project proposes diversifying livelihoods for 20,000 people to reduce dependency on forest resources. The total indicative project cost is USD 80 million, with USD 60 million requested as a GCF senior loan and USD 20 million in government co-financing.
AI-generated
This summary is written by a language model reading the source document. It is not the publisher's words and is not a substitute for the original.
Document type: Report
Bio-CLIMA Nicaragua: Integrated climate action for reduced deforestation and strengthened resilience in the BOSAWÁS and Rio San Juan Biosphere Reserves Nicaragua
The Bio-CLIMA project aims to transform extensive cattle ranching and agriculture in Nicaragua's Caribbean Region into sustainable, deforestation-free production. The project targets the buffer zones of the BOSAWÁS and Rio San Juan Biosphere Reserves, focusing on 66,223 hectares and approximately 26,260 direct beneficiaries. It employs a three-pronged strategy: providing technical assistance and financial incentives for climate-smart production modules (silvo-pastural, agroforestry, and sustainable forest management), strengthening local governance and law enforcement, and developing adaptive capacity through training and early warning systems. The project is estimated to cost USD 110.4 million, with USD 79.8 million requested from the Green Climate Fund as a mix of grants and loans.
AI-generated
This summary is written by a language model reading the source document. It is not the publisher's words and is not a substitute for the original.
Document type: Report
An assessment of new coal plants in South Africa’s electricity future
The study finds that new coal-fired power plants are not necessary to meet South Africa's electricity demand at the lowest cost and that committing to the Thabametsi and Khanyisa IPPs would substantially increase both system costs and greenhouse gas emissions. Using the South African Times Model (SATIM), the authors demonstrate that a least-cost build plan relies on wind, solar PV, and gas, while the coal IPPs would create a generation surplus and potentially accelerate Eskom's financial crisis. The report highlights that the emissions from these plants would almost entirely offset the savings from the National Energy Efficiency Strategy or the expected reductions from the carbon tax.
AI-generated
This summary is written by a language model reading the source document. It is not the publisher's words and is not a substitute for the original.
Document type: Research paper
Framework for effectiveness and resilience of small- and medium-scale irrigation systems in Nepal
The report investigates the vulnerability of Nepal's small- and medium-scale irrigation systems to climate change and non-climatic stressors. It finds that while non-climatic factors like land-use change and riverbed mining are critical in the short term, long-term climate impacts—including increased temperature, erratic rainfall, and reduced seasonal water availability—pose severe risks. Through case studies in the Banaganga and Girwari basins, the study demonstrates that water availability has dropped significantly, leading farmers to adopt deficit irrigation and groundwater extraction. The report proposes a resilience framework focusing on three pillars: systems (infrastructure), institutions (governance), and agents (individuals), recommending risk-based design, improved river basin management, and better use of seasonal forecasts.
AI-generated
This summary is written by a language model reading the source document. It is not the publisher's words and is not a substitute for the original.
Document type: Report