Search Climate Insights Directory

This report by the Centre for Environmental Rights, authored by Robert Scholes and Francois Engelbrecht of the Global Change Institute, details the human-caused climate impacts affecting southern Africa. It highlights the region's status as a climate 'hotspot' where warming is occurring at twice the global average rate, leading to severe risks for agriculture, water security, human health, and biodiversity. The document emphasizes that the severity of these impacts depends on global mitigation efforts, with warming above 2°C posing catastrophic risks to staple crops and livestock.

The ARM-Harith Cities & Climate Transition Fund (The ACT Fund) is a mid-market greenfield infrastructure fund designed to expand sustainable infrastructure in West Africa. It utilizes a blended-currency mechanism to reduce financing friction at early project stages and mobilize local institutional investment through structured exit solutions.

The Amazônia Sustainable Supply Chains (AMSSC) Mechanism is a blended finance instrument designed to scale the bioeconomy in the Brazilian Amazon. Proposed by Natura and Mauá Capital, it combines a receivables fund to provide upfront financing to smallholder cooperatives with an Enabling Conditions Facility (ECF) that provides technical assistance and community infrastructure investments. The mechanism aims to reduce deforestation pressure by strengthening value chains for non-timber, forest-compatible products.

The 'Data-Driven Energy Access for Africa' instrument, developed by Nithio, is a financial intermediary that uses AI and geospatial data to provide loans to solar distributors in Sub-Saharan Africa. By standardizing credit risk analysis, the instrument aims to expand financing beyond the largest operators to reach smaller, local distributors and last-mile customers, ultimately targeting the deployment of USD 500 million in loans by 2029.

The Guarantee Fund for Biogas (GFB) is a proposed financial instrument designed to unlock public and private credit for independent biogas project developers in Brazil by providing construction-phase loan guarantees. By acting as a CVM-compliant fixed-income fund investing in treasury bills, the GFB addresses the lack of collateral that prevents smaller developers from accessing existing credit lines, aiming to scale Brazil's biogas capacity and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

This expert report by Nicholas King, commissioned by the Centre for Environmental Rights, analyzes the projected physical, socio-economic, and ecological impacts of climate change on youth and future generations in South Africa from 2021 through 2060 and beyond. It argues that under current 'business as usual' trajectories, large portions of the country may become uninhabitable, leading to systemic collapses in food and water security, infrastructure, and mental wellbeing.

This policy brief examines the opportunities and risks for developing countries resulting from the increased demand for lithium and cobalt used in electric vehicle (EV) batteries, emphasizing the role of trade policy in capturing value and managing overinvestment.

This policy brief by the South African Institute of International Affairs examines the impact of COVID-19 on agricultural value chains within the Southern African Development Community (SADC). It argues that while the agricultural sector was less severely affected than others, the pandemic exacerbated existing structural weaknesses, such as food insecurity and a heavy reliance on subsistence farming. The document proposes a 'dual approach' to development that supports both small-scale and large-scale commercial farming, alongside the adoption of digital technologies, climate-smart infrastructure, and the full implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) to drive regional integration and growth.

RMI analysis indicates that Colorado's plans to add approximately 200 new highway lane-miles over the next decade will likely increase vehicle miles traveled (VMT) and greenhouse gas emissions, contradicting the state's climate goals. The report introduces an induced travel calculator to quantify these impacts, suggesting that road expansion fails to provide long-term congestion relief and instead encourages more frequent and longer trips.

This briefing from the Global Climate and Health Alliance examines the public health threats posed by bushfire smoke in Australia, specifically focusing on the 2019-20 'Black Summer' fires. It highlights the gap between emergency fire response and the lack of preparation for prolonged smoke exposure, while advocating for the integration of Indigenous fire management and a transition away from fossil fuel subsidies to mitigate future climate-driven wildfire risks.

This fact sheet from the Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) outlines the 'externalities'—climate, environmental, and health costs not reflected in market prices—associated with the fossil fuel supply chain. It details the impacts of burning coal, oil, and natural gas, including greenhouse gas emissions, pollution, and public health crises, while proposing policy mechanisms to mitigate these costs.

This report by the International Network of Energy Transition Think Tanks (INETTT) provides case studies on the status of climate and energy policies across twelve countries. It examines the gap between national commitments (NDCs) and actual implementation, highlighting the role of independent think tanks in driving decarbonization through research, stakeholder dialogue, and policy advocacy in major and emerging economies.

This report examines the socio-economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and the specific challenges posed by the cold chain requirements of early vaccines, which threatened equitable global access to immunization.

The briefing 'The New (Ab)Normal' describes the escalating frequency and severity of climate-driven catastrophes, using the 2020 wildfire season in Colorado and the western United States as a primary example. It argues that the world has entered a state of 'continuous escalation of catastrophe' and outlines five critical areas of impact: mass migration, health threats, financial instability, the need for resilient rebuilding, and the necessity of updating the electric grid. The author emphasizes that immediate global action to reduce emissions by 50 percent by 2030 and reach net zero by 2050 is required to limit global heating to 1.5 degrees Celsius.

This research paper describes the Low Emissions Analysis Platform – Integrated Benefits Calculator (LEAP-IBC), a modelling framework designed to help low- and middle-income countries quantify the simultaneous impacts of policies on air quality, human health, and climate change. The tool was applied to Bangladesh to evaluate the combined effects of its Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) and National Action Plan to reduce short-lived climate pollutants (SLCPs).

This report by FSD Africa examines the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Zimbabwean insurance sector as of October 2020. It details the operational disruptions caused by national lockdowns, the challenges of transitioning to remote work, and the resulting pressures on insurance revenues, liquidity, and the regulatory environment managed by the Insurance and Pensions Commission (IPEC).

This report by Energy Innovation models a subset of policy recommendations from the U.S. House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis's 'Solving the Climate Crisis' action plan. Using the Energy Policy Simulator, the analysis evaluates the potential for these policies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and generate health and climate benefits for the United States through 2050.

This report by the International Institute for Sustainable Development analyzes the socio-economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on employment within the mining sector. It examines immediate disruptions to labor and supply chains, the varying risks across the mining lifecycle, and the short-term responses from governments and corporations. The document concludes with strategic recommendations to build long-term resilience through automation, local procurement, and updated regulatory frameworks.

This guide, prepared by the Climate and Development Knowledge Network (CDKN), Overseas Development Institute (ODI), and SouthSouthNorth (SSN), translates the findings of the 2019 IPCC Special Report on the Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate specifically for African policymakers. It details how human-induced climate change is altering ocean chemistry and temperature, accelerating sea-level rise, and melting high-mountain glaciers, all of which threaten marine biodiversity, food security, and coastal infrastructure across the African continent.

This case study by GreenCape examines how FoodForward SA, a Public Benefit Organisation, utilizes a circular economy model to recover and redistribute surplus food in South Africa, specifically focusing on the impact within Cape Town during 2020/21.