Search Climate Insights Directory

The assessment finds that SMB's mining operations in the Boké region have caused severe environmental degradation, including deforestation and water pollution, and have negatively impacted local health and livelihoods. The report concludes that SMB has failed to comply with several Guinean laws, including the 2019 Environmental Law and the 2011 Mining Code, particularly regarding community compensation and environmental protection.

The briefing examines the expansion of LNG infrastructure in Latin America and the Caribbean, highlighting significant planned investments in Mexico, Argentina, and Brazil. It argues that these projects risk becoming stranded assets and conflict with global climate goals to limit warming to 1.5°C, suggesting that the region should instead prioritize its abundant renewable energy resources.

The report examines the push for natural gas as a 'transition fuel' in South Africa, contrasting government plans with the environmental and financial risks of stranded assets. It details the activities and financing of Kinetiko Energy's Mpumalanga Gas Project and Renergen's Virginia gas field, highlighting significant concerns regarding groundwater contamination, methane leakage, and a lack of transparency in governance.

The report finds that global fashion brands are increasing their dependence on synthetic fibres to sustain the 'fast fashion' business model while using 'distraction and delay' tactics to avoid meaningful action on microplastic pollution. Despite scientific evidence linking microplastics to severe health risks, most brands lack transparency, with 54% of surveyed companies failing to respond fully to the inquiry. The study highlights that recycled polyester from plastic bottles is an ineffective solution that does not address microplastic leakage. Furthermore, the industry shows minimal support for binding legislation, such as the EU's textile strategies, preferring weak voluntary initiatives.

The document argues that South Africa's food system, specifically the beef sector, is characterized by high environmental impacts and deep socio-economic inequalities. It finds that current industry responses—focused on technological efficiency and market growth—fail to address the precarious conditions of farm workers, the concentration of power in large-scale feedlots, and the urgent need to reduce methane emissions. The authors recommend a transformative approach to adaptation and mitigation that prioritizes labor reform, gender justice, and the right to food over industrial expansion.

The document assesses the viability of Canadian LNG expansion, concluding that it is incompatible with climate goals and economically precarious. It highlights that new facilities would increase domestic emissions and potentially strand assets due to a projected global supply glut and declining demand in advanced economies. The brief specifically notes that Canadian projects face higher production costs than competitors in Qatar and the United States, making them reliant on substantial public subsidies. It recommends a shift in investment toward green industries to avoid economic shocks and environmental damage.

The report evaluates Nigeria's strategy to expand LNG production to offset declining oil revenues, warning that such investments risk becoming stranded assets as global demand shifts toward clean energy after 2030. It highlights that while Nigeria is the world's sixth-largest LNG exporter, the sector has not significantly improved domestic energy access or reduced poverty, and continues to be linked to environmental degradation and social conflict in the Niger Delta.

The Southeast Alaska Indigenous Transboundary Commission (SEITC) is seeking relief from the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights due to the impacts of hard-rock mining in British Columbia, Canada. The document argues that mining projects in the Taku, Stikine, and Unuk watersheds threaten the subsistence and cultural rights of Southeast Alaska Native communities through heavy metal pollution and habitat destruction. SEITC alleges that Canada and B.C. have failed to conduct comprehensive transboundary environmental assessments, have ignored the need for free, prior, and informed consent (FPIC), and have used a flawed amendment process to expand mine operations without adequate scrutiny. The submission introduces a new claim regarding the violation of the right to a healthy environment and requests that the Commission investigate these claims and recommend the suspension of mine authorizations until transboundary harms are addressed.

The Private Equity Stakeholder Project asserts that Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP) faces significant risks through its $3.5 billion investment and at least 46% ownership stake in the Rio Grande LNG Terminal. The document highlights financial risks stemming from volatile gas prices, rising costs, and a projected decline in global equity returns if funds fail to align with Paris Agreement goals. Environmentally, it claims the terminal could emit 163 million tons of carbon dioxide equivalent annually and may be more polluting than coal due to methane leakage. Socially, the project is opposed by the Carrizo Comecrudo Tribe of Texas, the city of Port Isabel, and other local councils in South Texas due to impacts on sacred land and local industries.

The factsheet examines the potential and risks of hydropower, including reservoir-based, run-of-river, and pumped-storage hydropower (PSH). While acknowledging PSH's role in grid stability, it highlights that hydropower is becoming less competitive than wind and solar due to higher costs and long construction timelines. The document details severe negative impacts on biodiversity, human rights, and the climate, specifically noting methane emissions from reservoirs. It concludes that new hydropower projects should be strictly conditioned on robust standards, with a preference for upgrading existing infrastructure over building new dams, particularly in Europe.

The report finds that the implementation of ecological flows in Spain is largely a failure, with water administrations frequently prioritizing economic and agricultural demands over environmental objectives. While minimum flows have been extended to most water bodies in the third cycle, other critical components—such as maximum flows, flooding regimes, and change rates—remain poorly defined or unimplemented. The report highlights severe anomalies in the Tagus basin, where minimum flows are being implemented gradually until 2027 to protect water transfers to the Segura basin, and in the Ebro Delta, where a lack of sediment management and insufficient flows are leading to ecosystem regression. Across all basins, the report notes a lack of adaptive monitoring and a failure to integrate the specific water requirements of Natura 2000 protected areas into flow calculations.

The report argues that Spanish river basin planning continues to prioritise socioeconomic demands over environmental objectives, leading to the degradation of aquatic ecosystems. It identifies systemic failures in quantifying water resources under climate change, an over-reliance on ineffective irrigation modernisation, and the misuse of WFD exemptions to defer environmental recovery. Case studies of the Tagus, Ebro Delta, Doñana, and Mar Menor illustrate severe overexploitation and pollution, while the Alcolea dam project is cited as an example of flawed cost-recovery and strategic planning.

The report argues that Spanish hydrological planning consistently fails to prioritize environmental objectives over agricultural demands, leading to widespread failure in achieving 'good status' for water bodies. It highlights a systemic reliance on irrigation modernization as a flawed adaptation strategy, the misuse of WFD exemptions to delay environmental recovery, and the critical failure to implement adequate ecological flows, particularly in the Tajo and Ebro basins. Case studies on Doñana, Mar Menor, and the Alcolea dam further illustrate the gap between legal protections and actual water management practices.

The document argues that the Mozambique LNG project is irresponsible and harmful, citing the failure of TotalEnergies and the Mozambican government to address conflict drivers in Cabo Delgado, the displacement of families, and the project's significant contribution to global greenhouse gas emissions. It calls for financial institutions to cancel their support and conduct independent reassessments.

The briefing contends that fossil fuel extraction in Africa has failed to provide universal electricity access, with 600 million people still lacking power, while most production is exported. It highlights that Africa possesses 39% of the world's renewable energy potential but receives only 2% of global renewable investments. The document proposes a Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty based on three pillars: non-proliferation of new infrastructure, a just phase-out of existing production, and financial/technical support for a global transition to renewables.

The document advocates for a prioritized approach to repurposing approximately 1 million acres of irrigated farmland in California to meet Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) goals. It argues that 'extractive agriculture'—characterized as water-intensive and soil-degrading—imposes significant health and economic costs on rural disadvantaged communities that outweigh the revenues generated. The proposed framework prioritizes repurposing land inside these communities first, followed by land within a one-mile buffer, and finally other cropland through a transparent cost-benefit process. Proposed sustainable alternatives include renewable energy generation, habitat restoration, and regenerative agriculture.

This document is an appeal submitted by groundWork and the Vukani Environmental Justice Movement in Action against a decision by the National Air Quality Officer (NAQO) to grant Eskom a postponement of compliance with Minimum Emission Standards (MES) for the Kusile Power Station. The Appellants argue that the decision is unlawful, violates constitutional rights to a healthy environment, and was based on flawed health and atmospheric impact assessments and unfounded claims regarding the reduction of load shedding.

The document analyzes the South African food system as a site of deep social inequality and climate vulnerability. It highlights a dualistic production structure where a small number of large-scale commercial farms dominate, while millions of smallholder farmers lack resources. The paper details the system's vulnerability to climate change—specifically heatwaves, droughts, and rainfall variability—and its contribution to greenhouse gas emissions, primarily through livestock and synthetic fertilizers. It critiques 'market-centred' and 'technofix' approaches to sustainability, advocating instead for a 'deep just transition' based on agroecology, food sovereignty, and the redistribution of power and resources to ensure the right to food and decent work for all.

Civil society organizations Traction Energy Asia, Trend Asia, and Forest Watch Indonesia (FWI) warn that current bioenergy policies in Indonesia, specifically biofuel and biomass co-firing, drive deforestation and increase carbon emissions. They report that 13 Energy Plantation Forest (HTE) companies caused 55,000 hectares of deforestation between 2017-2021, with projections suggesting up to 4.65 million hectares of natural forest could be lost if current co-firing governance persists across 52 power plants. The document recommends freezing biodiesel blends at 35%, halting new permits, and diversifying feedstocks to include used cooking oil (UCO). It also calls for a comprehensive evaluation of the social and environmental impacts of co-firing, noting that burning 1 million tons of biomass in 43 power plants in 2023 resulted in 1.7 million tons of carbon emissions. The brief includes responses from the national campaign teams of the 2024 candidates regarding their visions for energy transition and forest protection.

Transparent 2022 reports on the plastic footprints of ReSource: Plastic members, highlighting a rise in recycled content to 10.2% of the aggregate portfolio and a slight decrease in problematic plastics to 1.3%. The report emphasizes the need for systemic change and policy advocacy, such as the UN global instrument to address plastic pollution, to overcome barriers like the low availability of food-grade recycled content. It details individual company progress, including significant rPET transitions by The Coca-Cola Company and Keurig Dr Pepper, and identifies North America as the region with the highest landfill rates for member portfolios.