Search Climate Insights Directory

The Allianz Climate & Energy Monitor Deep Dive analyzes the investment requirements for China, India, and the US to align with Paris Agreement goals, noting that while China and India are rapidly expanding renewables and exiting coal, US federal policy ambition is declining despite strong state-level support.

This policy brief explores the application of the Planetary Boundaries framework to EU policy-making, proposing an equal-per-capita allocation method to translate global limits into EU-scale benchmarks. It finds that the EU exceeds its fair share of the global safe operating space in several key areas and suggests that while EU policy instruments offer entry points for mainstreaming these boundaries, they currently fail to address process interactions or the EU's international environmental footprint.

This policy brief by RMI argues that traditional utility demand charges are a significant barrier to the viability of public direct current fast charger (DCFC) networks. Based on an analysis of EVgo stations in California, the document recommends shifting cost recovery from demand-based charges to time-varying volumetric rates to support the societal objective of vehicle electrification.

This briefing by the Climate Policy Initiative (CPI) synthesizes lessons from 2015 and 2016 reports on public finance interventions designed to increase low-carbon and climate-resilient investment in developing countries. It outlines strategies for reducing risks and costs to attract private capital through fiscal policy adjustments, government-backed assurances, and public-private innovation labs.

This report by the Climate Policy Initiative (CPI) analyzes the historical evolution, current structure, and systemic challenges of rural property rights in Brazil. It highlights how a legacy of disordered land occupation and a fragmented institutional framework have led to widespread land insecurity, social conflict, and environmental degradation. The document provides a detailed mapping of land categories, evaluates current government regularization programs, and offers policy recommendations to improve governance, law enforcement, and the integration of land registries.

This report by the Climate Policy Initiative analyzes the historical evolution and current state of rural land rights in Brazil. It identifies systemic insecurities caused by complex legislation, fragmented governance, and a lack of unified land registries, which contribute to land conflicts, deforestation, and inefficient land use. The document provides a framework for improvement focusing on governance, enforcement, regulation, and knowledge, while evaluating specific initiatives like the Terra Legal Program and the SIG-Fundiário system.

This policy brief by the Climate Policy Initiative (CPI) argues that increasing agricultural productivity in Brazil is a viable strategy for mitigating climate change and reducing deforestation. By analyzing four historical drivers of productivity, the document demonstrates that technological innovation and policy improvements can shift agricultural expansion away from forests and toward underutilized pasture lands.

This policy brief by the Climate Policy Initiative (CPI) argues that Brazil can increase agricultural production without increasing deforestation by improving the productivity of already cleared lands, particularly by transitioning underused cattle pastures to crop production.

This briefing examines Turkey's multifaceted involvement in Somalia, analyzing how its approach to South-South cooperation—characterized by direct aid delivery and public-private partnerships—has strengthened the Somali Federal Government (SFG) while introducing risks related to clan bias, lack of transparency, and the potential for fueling patronage networks.

In a speech delivered at the PAGE Ministerial Conference in Berlin on March 27, 2017, IISD President and CEO Scott Vaughan critiques current trade and investment models, specifically focusing on the EU-Canada Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) and the role of the World Trade Organization (WTO) in sustainable development.

The Centre for Environmental Rights (CER) submitted comments to the National Council of Provinces regarding the Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Amendment Bill [B 15D-2013]. The CER argues that the legislative process has been procedurally irregular, potentially leading to a constitutional challenge, and expresses concern that new amendments dilute community participation and environmental protections.

A statement by Friends of the Earth International arguing that the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) model is fundamentally flawed and should not be revived, calling instead for a complete reset of trade policy to prioritize public good over corporate interests.

The Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) opposes the European Commission's proposal to establish a Multilateral Investment Court (MIC), arguing that the plan focuses narrowly on institutional adjustments while failing to address the substantive imbalances of the investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) system. CIEL contends that the MIC would entrench a regime that prioritizes corporate rights over the sovereign right of states to regulate for the public interest, human rights, and the environment.

This research paper documents the deployment of solar energy in Sarda, a remote village in Odisha, India, highlighting how its location in a dense forest hinders market linkages and access to electricity and basic services.

This report by the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) analyzes the electricity costs for EVgo's network of 230 direct current fast chargers (DCFC) in California. It identifies high utility demand charges as a primary barrier to the profitability of public DCFC operators and evaluates how proposed EV-specific tariffs from Southern California Edison (SCE) and San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) could reduce these costs.

This policy brief examines the conflict between coal mining and biodiversity conservation in the Yayu Coffee Forest Biosphere Reserve in south-west Ethiopia. It discusses the socio-ecological impacts of extractive industries on wild Coffea arabica and local communities, arguing for a harmonised approach to sustainable resource management.

This briefing by the South African Institute of International Affairs examines the impact of civil society organisations (CSOs) on the governance of Zimbabwe's diamond sector following the 2006 discovery of alluvial diamonds in Marange. It details how CSOs lobbied international bodies to redefine 'conflict diamonds' and pressured the Zimbabwean government to implement policy reforms, demilitarise mining areas, and improve transparency.

In a 2017 address, SAIIA National Chairman Fred T Phaswana discusses the erosion of international cooperation and multilateralism due to rising populism, protectionism, and political instability in Western societies and South Africa.

This policy brief by Clingendael examines the tension between Indonesia's rapid energy demand growth and the need for sustainable, green growth solutions, highlighting structural political challenges and emerging opportunities for a climate-compatible energy pathway.

This policy brief by Clingendael examines Kenya's potential to become a leader in green growth and renewable energy within the East African Community, highlighting the alignment of government and donor priorities alongside legislative frameworks like the 2016 Climate Change Act. It identifies critical hurdles, including suboptimal government capacity and the discovery of coal and oil reserves, and recommends prioritizing energy infrastructure, integrating micro-grid solutions for universal energy access by 2020, and leveraging devolution to increase public participation.