Search Climate Insights Directory

The report evaluates several major fossil fuel companies—including BP, Shell, ExxonMobil, Chevron, ConocoPhillips, Peabody Energy, Arch Coal, and CONSOL Energy—on their accountability regarding climate change. It uses a scoring system to measure the accuracy of their public statements, their governance policies to prevent disinformation, and their responses to shareholder resolutions. The findings indicate a wide disparity in corporate behavior, with some companies like Shell and BP acknowledging the need for emissions reductions, while others like ExxonMobil and Chevron are flagged for misrepresenting science or actively blocking shareholder efforts to address climate risks.

The Union of Concerned Scientists evaluated eight major fossil fuel companies—Chevron, ExxonMobil, BP, Royal Dutch Shell, ConocoPhillips, Peabody Energy, CONSOL Energy, and Arch Coal—across four key areas of climate responsibility. The analysis found that all eight companies maintain memberships in trade associations that spread climate disinformation and none have developed a company-wide plan to align their business models with the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement. While BP and Shell were noted for affirming climate science in direct communications, and BP and ConocoPhillips scored 'good' on general political spending oversight, the report concludes that the industry as a whole fails to take appropriate responsibility for the climate impacts of its products.

The report identifies systemic failures in African land administration, including the fact that only about 10 percent of land is legally documented. It argues that securing tenure through a combination of community land registration in land-abundant areas and individual titling in land-constrained areas is essential for investment. The text highlights the need to integrate customary tenure into statutory law and eliminate market restrictions to improve access for women, youth, and the land-poor, while warning against 'land grabs' resulting from weak governance.

The report examines the potential for a 'Green Revolution' in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) by comparing crop yields and technologies with tropical Asia (specifically India) and advanced regions within SSA, such as South Africa. It identifies rice as a highly promising crop for productivity gains through the combination of high-yielding varieties, fertilizer, and improved management practices. The paper argues that agricultural transformation requires a complementary approach where productive technology and management practices are developed first, followed by extension services and marketing improvements. While maize and sorghum show potential for technology transfer from South Africa, the report suggests that millet and sorghum require more fundamental research due to limited success even in India.

The document argues that free pollution permits intended to prevent carbon leakage have instead generated significant windfall profits for Finnish corporations while depriving the government of substantial auctioning revenues.

The document evaluates the 25th Summit of the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) in Nairobi, noting a renewed energy under new leadership but highlighting persistent challenges including poor attendance by heads of state, significant financial arrears, and the need for faster reporting cycles to maintain relevance.

South Africa's 2nd Biennial Update Report (2016) provides a comprehensive assessment of the country's greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from 2000 to 2012, highlighting the energy sector as the primary contributor. It outlines national mitigation strategies, including the introduction of a carbon tax and carbon budgets, and details the financial resources mobilized from bilateral and multilateral sources. The report also describes the development of a national monitoring, reporting, and verification (MRV) system and the National Greenhouse Gas Inventory System (NGHGIS) to improve data accuracy and transparency.

ClientEarth asserts that while the UK's Climate Change Act 2008 is legally ambitious, successive governments have failed to implement the necessary governance to meet long-term targets. The report highlights a persistent 'policy gap' for the fourth carbon budget and a decline in investor confidence due to abrupt policy shifts, such as the withdrawal of carbon capture and storage (CCS) funding. It recommends the urgent publication of a detailed, annually updated Emissions Reduction Plan and the restoration of cross-departmental coordination and transparent emissions tracking.

The report analyzes the third party financing model for rooftop solar in India, where developers install and own systems and sell power to consumers via long-term agreements. While the model is financially viable in most states for industrial and commercial segments—often achieving grid parity without incentives—its growth is hindered by limited debt finance, consumer credit risk, and inconsistent net metering implementation. The report suggests policy interventions such as training bank officials, involving DISCOMs in power purchase agreements, and creating specialized dispute courts, alongside financial instruments like peer-to-peer lending platforms and green bond securitization.

The document analyzes the economic relationship between South Africa and the US, noting that while trade and investment have grown, South Africa underutilizes AGOA's duty-free preferences. It proposes three post-2025 paths: allowing AGOA to expire (Simple), negotiating a Partial Scope Agreement (Moderate), or pursuing a comprehensive Free Trade Agreement (Comprehensive).

The report argues that Brazil's insecure land rights hinder economic growth and environmental protection, specifically in rural areas where agriculture is a key GDP driver. It identifies five urgent consequences of this insecurity: land-related conflicts and violence, a lack of tenancy markets, increased deforestation, unconventional land use decisions, and production inequality for small farms. The document further outlines systemic governance challenges, including institutional complexity, limitations of the Land Registry, and the absence of an integrated database for public and private land.

The ATT Monitor 2016 report reviews the first year of the Arms Trade Treaty as international law, noting a rise in membership to 82 States Parties as of June 1, 2016. It highlights a significant gap between procedural progress and substantive compliance, particularly regarding arms transfers to conflict zones like Yemen. The report provides a detailed analysis of African states' engagement, the development of a 'Risk Watch' tool to monitor weapon misuse, and an evaluation of the first tranche of Initial and Annual Transfer Reports, noting inconsistent reporting rates and a lack of transparency in several regions.

The report finds that ten major European personal care retailers are failing to take responsibility for resource efficiency, with none reporting targets or measurements for the overall resource impact of their product assortments. While a Wuppertal Institute study suggests a 20 per cent reduction in resource use is possible through existing alternatives like concentrated detergents and compressed deodorants, retailers generally lack time-bound objectives for recycled packaging or waste reduction. The report ranks Kruidvat as the best performer among the studied group, while Douglas scored zero on resource efficiency questions. It recommends that retailers stop selling resource-inefficient products, set binding reduction targets, and demand transparency from suppliers to inform consumers at the point of sale.

Togo has significantly reduced piracy since 2012 through increased naval patrols and international cooperation, recording no acts of piracy in 2015. However, the country faces ongoing challenges, including a struggling fisheries sector plagued by overfishing and poor resources, and an international ship registry that provides few local jobs and is linked to illicit fishing. While the Autonomous Port of Lomé maintains ISPS Code compliance and serves as a key transit hub for landlocked countries like Burkina Faso, it suffers from space constraints and poor internal road infrastructure. To sustain security, Togo established the National Organisation for State Action at Sea (NOSAS) in 2014, though hierarchical ambiguities persist between the maritime prefect and the advisor for the sea.

The document examines the shift in Southern Africa from centralized conservation to community-based natural resource management (CBNRM). It analyzes various institutional models—such as conservancies, community-based organisations (CBOs), and private game reserves—evaluating their success in balancing biodiversity conservation with rural livelihood improvement. Using Namibia and Botswana as primary case studies, the paper highlights the critical role of secure devolution of rights, transparent governance, and the need to diversify income streams beyond wildlife tourism to ensure long-term sustainability and community stewardship.

The Union of Concerned Scientists analysis finds a significant disparity in how automakers deploy electric vehicles (EVs) across the United States. While BMW, General Motors, Nissan, and Tesla are identified as leaders, others like Honda, Toyota, and Fiat Chrysler are labeled laggards due to limited model availability or a lack of plug-in offerings. The report highlights a stark geographic divide, noting that California's Zero Emission Vehicle policy has made it the only state where all available US EV models are offered, while consumers in other regions face severe shortages of EVs at dealerships.

The report analyzes the US electric vehicle (EV) market as of 2016, finding that while cumulative sales were nearing 500,000, progress among automakers is uneven. BMW, General Motors, Nissan, and Tesla are identified as leaders, while Honda, Toyota, and Fiat Chrysler are characterized as laggards. A significant disparity in vehicle availability exists between California and the rest of the US, largely attributed to California's Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) program. The authors argue that limited model availability and poor dealership inventory outside California hinder the national transition to electric transportation.

The report examines how weak federal guidelines and aggressive industry marketing expose US children under five to excessive added sugars, contributing to obesity and diabetes. It highlights gaps in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans and the influence of the food industry on policy, recommending stricter FDA limits and transparent guideline-setting processes.

The report examines the application of climate-smart agriculture (CSA) in Nepal's Terai, mid-hills, and high hills regions, emphasizing the need for interventions tailored to local contexts and socially disaggregated vulnerabilities. Key findings highlight that farmers are more likely to adopt technologies with multiple benefits—such as improved cattle sheds for manure management or rice-and-duck farming—when they are delivered as integrated packages rather than in isolation. The report argues that sustainability is enhanced through local ownership, mandatory community contributions, and strategic partnerships between NGOs, the private sector, and government extension offices. It specifically notes the differing priorities between dalit households, who focus on food and nutrition security, and janajati households, who prioritize market-driven commercial production.

The report analyzes the compatibility of Carbon Market Clubs (CMCs)—networks of emissions trading schemes (ETSs) sharing rules and services—with various 'climate clubs' consisting of governments, cities, and businesses. It explores whether standardized CMC services, such as mitigation value assessments and international asset reserves, can reduce transaction costs and political barriers to linking diverse carbon markets. While the Paris Agreement's Article 6.2 encourages voluntary cooperation, the report finds that political concerns over sovereignty, environmental integrity, and the 'not invented here' syndrome often outweigh technical efficiencies. Case studies of the EU ETS, WCI, RGGI, and ICAO illustrate the tension between the desire for centralized control and the economic benefits of networked markets.