Search Climate Insights Directory

This briefing paper by the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) and CARE International argues that climate change is a critical human rights challenge. It examines how climate impacts and the responses to them threaten fundamental rights and provides a set of policy recommendations to integrate a human rights-based approach into the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) process.

This briefing, prepared by the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) and CARE International, argues that climate change is the greatest human rights challenge of the current era. It calls for the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) to integrate human rights protections into its policies, particularly as the international community negotiated the 2015 climate agreement. The document outlines how climate impacts threaten fundamental rights and provides specific policy recommendations to ensure that climate mitigation and adaptation efforts do not further violate human rights.

A briefing by the World Resources Institute outlining four strategic opportunities for the United States and India to collaborate on clean energy and climate action during a meeting between President Obama and Prime Minister Modi in January 2015.

This executive summary by Friends of the Earth International argues that the financial resources to transition the Global South to 100% renewable energy by 2030 already exist, but are hindered by a lack of political will and extreme global wealth inequality.

This executive summary by Friends of the Earth International argues that the financial resources required to transition Africa, Latin America, and parts of Asia to 100% renewable energy by 2030 already exist in the fortunes of the world's wealthiest individuals. The document emphasizes that the primary barrier to this energy revolution is a lack of political will rather than a lack of capital, and calls for a systemic transformation that prioritizes democratic ownership and social justice over mere technological substitution.

This whitepaper, part of America’s Power Plan, examines how distributed energy resources (DERs), described as 'the internet of electricity,' shift the electricity sector away from a traditional centralized structure and proposes three policy options to accelerate a renewable electricity future.

This policy briefing examines the Permanent Okavango River Basin Water Commission (OKACOM), a joint authority managing the Cubango-Okavango River System between Angola, Namibia, and Botswana. It analyzes the drivers of OKACOM's 20 years of successful cooperation and identifies future challenges, including climate change and asymmetrical economic benefits, while providing recommendations for sustainable trans-boundary water governance.

This report identifies key climate-related impacts and issues facing Colombia's road sector, emphasizing the vulnerability of transportation infrastructure to floods and landslides and the need to integrate climate risks into future investments and institutional coordination.

A letter from the Centre for Environmental Rights to the South African Department of Environmental Affairs requesting urgent improvements to the management of Multi-Stakeholder Reference Group (MSRG) and Implementation Task Team (ITT) meetings for designated air quality priority areas.

This policy brief provides recommendations to government officials in Ahmedabad, India, regarding disaster relief and adaptation initiatives to build resilience against extreme heat events.

This policy brief outlines recommendations for health professionals in Ahmedabad, India, to address heat vulnerability. It highlights the city's role as the first in India to establish a comprehensive early warning system and preparedness plan for extreme heat, emphasizing the importance of inter-departmental collaboration and the use of urban health centers and link workers to reach vulnerable populations.

This report examines the intersection of agro-value chain finance and climate adaptation, highlighting how limited access to financial resources hinders productivity and increases vulnerability to climate hazards. It argues that while some microfinance models are emerging, the banking sector must proactively integrate climate risk into its strategies and develop inclusive, climate-proof financial instruments to support sustainable development.

A joint statement from the Attorneys General of New York, Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, Oregon, Rhode Island, and Vermont urging the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to establish formal emission standards and guidelines for methane in the oil and gas sector following the publication of five technical white papers.

A World Resources Institute (WRI) analysis indicates that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) could increase the cost-effectiveness of its water quality improvement spending by seven to 12 times through the use of geographic and benefit-cost targeting.

This synthesis report by the International Institute for Sustainable Development proposes a commodity-by-commodity framework to assess sustainability risks and vulnerabilities for importers, specifically focusing on China's global resource needs. The report argues that China's reliance on inward supply chains exposes it to systemic risks—including natural hazards, local conflict, and resource nationalism—which are currently managed in a tactical rather than strategic manner.

The International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) provides a set of recommendations to the Land Policy Initiative (LPI) to strengthen the guiding principles for large-scale land-based investments (LSLBI) in Africa, focusing on legal protections, project viability, stakeholder obligations, and dispute resolution.

This report by Energy Innovation outlines policy recommendations to help California achieve its goal of an 80 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions below 1990 levels by 2050. The authors argue that while the state is on track for its 2020 goals, it must accelerate policy development in electricity, buildings, transportation, and methane emissions, while expanding cooperation with other U.S. states and China.

This report describes the methodology for the IISD Supply Risk Tool, designed to help Chinese companies and policymakers assess and manage sustainability risks within global inbound supply chains to ensure security of supply.

This background brief outlines the mission and strategic framework of the International Institute for Sustainable Development's (IISD) Mining and Sustainable Development Initiative. The initiative aims to ensure mining contributes to inclusive growth and social development without compromising the environment by shifting the focus of mining agreements from narrow fiscal benefits to a broader range of economic and social expenditures.

The 2014 SAIIA Young Leaders Declaration is a statement by the children and youth of South Africa providing recommendations for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Post-2015 Development Agenda. The document outlines specific demands for the South African government, the African community, and the international community across economic, environmental, and social dimensions, focusing on youth empowerment, sustainability, and the eradication of inequality.