Search Climate Insights Directory

The document argues that for the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) to successfully implement a global market-based measure (GMBM), it must move beyond aspirational goals to a legally binding framework. It recommends setting the 2020 carbon-neutral growth goal as a binding floor, implementing mandatory quality criteria for carbon offsets via a 'negative list' of ineligible projects, and ensuring strict monitoring, reporting, and verification (MRV) to prevent double counting. The brief also emphasizes the need for transparency, stakeholder consultation, and the potential for the GMBM to generate climate finance for developing countries through mechanisms like the Green Climate Fund.

The document examines how climate mitigation projects—specifically under the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), REDD+, and Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Actions (NAMAs)—have failed to uphold international human rights obligations. Through case studies in Panama, India, Mexico, and Georgia, it demonstrates that inadequate stakeholder consultation, lack of sustainable development criteria, and absent grievance mechanisms have led to rights violations, including forced evictions and loss of livelihoods. The brief argues that while the Paris Agreement's preamble recognizes human rights, these obligations must be translated into specific, mandatory guidelines and independent accountability processes to prevent future harm.

The policy brief asserts that global climate success depends on the 20 largest emitting nations adopting a small set of high-impact policies across four sectors: electricity, buildings, industry, and transportation. It emphasizes that policy design is critical to avoid inefficiencies and suggests the use of 'Best Practice Networks' (BPNs) to provide technical expertise to governments to ensure these policies are effectively implemented.

The document analyzes how German energy-intensive industries generated €4.5 billion in windfall profits from the EU ETS between 2008 and 2014 due to free emission allowances intended to prevent carbon leakage. It highlights that the German government missed out on €29.7 billion in auctioning revenues during this period. The brief identifies the iron and steel, refineries, cement, and petrochemicals sectors as the primary beneficiaries, specifically naming ThyssenKrupp and ArcelorMittal as top earners. It concludes that these subsidies reduce incentives for decarbonization and recommends phasing out free allocations in favor of auctioning to fund climate innovation.

The document examines the systemic overlap between political party officials, government officials, and the business sector in Mozambique, a phenomenon termed 'interwovenness'. It argues that the ruling party, Frelimo, has captured state power, leading to a culture of patronage and cronyism where state resources are exploited for party interests. While Mozambique has established various anti-corruption laws and institutions, such as the GCCC and the Law on Public Integrity, the brief contends that these are poorly implemented due to a lack of political will and the influence of Frelimo over the legislature and judiciary. The author highlights specific vulnerabilities in the extractive industries and foreign investment contracts, which are exempt from public procurement transparency rules. The brief recommends that the government publicise extractive industry concessions, that civil society increase its monitoring of business deals, and that the APRM Panel of Eminent Persons push for the domestication of the AU Convention against Corruption.

The document outlines expected climate impacts in the Basque Country, including rising temperatures, sea-level rise, and altered precipitation, which threaten public health through heat waves, flooding, and increased pollutants. It identifies 26 adaptation measures, highlighting the cost-effectiveness and co-benefits of ecosystem-based solutions like Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems (SUDS) and behavioral changes in transport.

The 'Hållbara Hökarängen' project (2012-2015) demonstrated that sustainable urban development is most effective when it leverages local socio-demographic contexts and focuses on activities where residents have direct influence, such as urban gardening and communal cooking, rather than technical energy issues. The project utilized action research, a diverse communication strategy, and the creation of 'Local Sustainability Ambassadors' to foster long-term behavioral change and social cohesion. While a parallel investment program by Stockholmshem reduced heat energy consumption by over 30% per square meter compared to 2007, the behavioral project found that engagement was highest for 'lustful' activities and resource efficiency rather than residential energy use, where tenants had limited control.

The 'Sustainable Hökarängen' project utilized an action-research approach to promote resource-efficient lifestyles in a residential district of Stockholm. Key findings emphasize that engagement is most effective when activities are social and enjoyable—such as communal gardening and climate-smart cooking—rather than focused on areas where residents have limited control, such as apartment energy use. The project successfully established a network of 'Sustainability Ambassadors' and local movements like HOPP! to ensure continuity. While a parallel investment programme by Stockholmshem reduced heating energy use by over 30% per square metre, the community-level project found that social cohesion and peer interaction were primary drivers of behavioral change. The brief concludes that evaluating such initiatives requires a mix of quantitative and qualitative methods and long-term follow-up to determine if behavioral changes are sustained.

The document examines the human rights obligations of states and the private sector in the context of climate change mitigation. It analyzes failures in stakeholder consultation and sustainable development within the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), REDD+, and Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Actions (NAMAs), using case studies from Panama, India, Mexico, and Georgia. The brief concludes that current UNFCCC mechanisms lack sufficient specificity and grievance procedures, recommending that the Paris Agreement explicitly mandate the respect, protection, and fulfillment of human rights in all climate actions.

The document analyzes the strategic and economic relationship between South Africa and India, noting a significant increase in bilateral trade from US$2.5 billion in 2003/04 to US$13.18 billion in 2012/13. While relations are positive, the authors identify bottlenecks such as inadequate infrastructure, visa difficulties, and a lack of self-sustainable South African business structures. It highlights the role of platforms like the India-South Africa CEO Forum and the Focus Africa Programme, while arguing that civil society should be more actively engaged to ensure sustainable development and transparency in economic diplomacy.

The policy brief identifies the EU ETS as currently ineffective due to a massive oversupply of pollution permits and a carbon price too low to incentivize low-carbon investment. It proposes four primary interventions: cancelling at least 2 billion surplus allowances in the Market Stability Reserve by 2020, increasing the linear reduction factor to at least 2.6% to align with 2050 decarbonisation goals, implementing a one-billion allowance ceiling on the Market Stability Reserve to account for technological progress, and shortening trading periods to five years to increase responsiveness to market and scientific changes.

Between 2004 and 2012, Brazil's Amazon deforestation rates fell by nearly 80%, but the nature of the clearings shifted. While large-scale deforestation was curtailed by remote sensing-based monitoring, small-scale clearings (25 hectares or less) grew from 25% to over 50% of overall annual clearings because they are difficult for current systems to detect. Analysis of Mato Grosso and Pará shows that landholders adapted their behavior to avoid detection, with smallholders in Pará emerging as primary agents of clearing. The report recommends enhancing monitoring technology and tailoring policies to regional differences.

Between 2004 and 2012, annual deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon fell from 27,000 km2 to 4,500 km2, largely due to conservation policies and remote sensing monitoring. However, these systems cannot detect clearings of 25 hectares or less, leading to a shift where small-scale deforestation grew from a quarter to more than half of overall annual clearings. Research in Mato Grosso and Pará shows that medium- and large-scale property holders adapted to enforcement by shifting to smaller clearings, while smallholders in Pará emerged as the primary agents of forest clearing. The brief recommends enhancing monitoring technology and tailoring policies to regional differences to address these evolving patterns.

The document examines how migration, particularly in the Harenna Buluk district, accelerates deforestation and biodiversity loss in Ethiopia's Harenna Forest. It identifies political pull factors and the introduction of profit-oriented crop farming as key drivers of ecosystem degradation. The brief recommends regulating informal land markets, strengthening species protection, leveraging water conservation narratives, and developing sustainable livelihoods like tourism to protect the ecosystem.

The document examines the vulnerability of coastal sectors in SIDS to climate change and the inadequacy of current coping mechanisms. It proposes micro-insurance as a tool to protect low-income populations from specific perils, identifying barriers such as mistrust and cost, while suggesting policy options like state subsidies and public-private partnerships to implement these schemes.

The document argues that mining-led growth in Africa often fails to create local benefits due to a lack of effective partnerships, poor long-term planning, and a 'ring-fencing mentality' among companies. It recommends that mining investments be aligned with national development imperatives and that companies forge strategic partnerships with the state, NGOs, and other mining firms to share infrastructure and enhance community development. The author emphasizes the role of 'good practice' Environmental and Social Impact Assessments (ESIAs) in identifying partners and planning for the entire mine life cycle, including closure. A case study from Central Africa demonstrates how collaborating with a conservation NGO and local government led to sustainable infrastructure choices and long-term community training projects.

The document examines the tensions between humanitarian protection and the push for the return of refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs), particularly in Somalia. It argues that return programming often relies on a flawed 'sedentary bias' and ignores the critical role of social networks and the reality of ongoing conflict. The authors warn that shifting aid from regional camps to unstable areas like south-central Somalia may serve state migration management interests rather than humanitarian needs, potentially increasing risks for returnees in environments of impunity.

The document examines how the International Criminal Court's (ICC) approach to victim and witness participation can contribute to healing and social recognition for those affected by mass violence. It highlights that while the court process can provide a sense of justice and a public platform for suffering, its therapeutic success depends on procedural justice—specifically benevolence, neutrality, and respect—and the provision of psychosocial support. The brief also notes the tension between the court's legal objectives and victims' expectations for reparations, which some may perceive as a means of silencing their accounts.

The policy brief argues that while South Africa is the only permanent African member of the G-20, the current system of inviting the AU chair and a NEPAD representative is insufficient due to high rotation and a lack of formal coordination. It highlights that G-20 agendas on infrastructure, tax reform, and sustainable development financing directly impact Africa's development goals, such as Agenda 2063. To address capacity gaps, the authors recommend establishing a coordinating secretariat within the AU Commission, drawing on the successful model used for the 2011 Busan Forum on Aid Effectiveness and South Africa's 2013 BRICS outreach to African countries.

The emergence of the Islamic State represents a significant shift in global jihadism, offering a divisive alternative to al-Qaeda. Africa is particularly vulnerable due to the presence of established radical Islamist groups and the potential return of thousands of battle-hardened African fighters from Iraq and Syria. The document warns that the Islamic State's model of territorial occupation and its extreme ideology could destabilise several African regions, particularly North and West Africa. It argues that governments should avoid draconian counter-terrorism measures, which often fuel radicalisation, and instead pursue criminal justice-based approaches that address local drivers of discontent.