Search Climate Insights Directory

The report examines the state of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) in Manitoba's post-secondary institutions through presidential interviews and surveys. It identifies five primary institutional orientations toward ESD: community embeddedness, principles-and-values-infused, industry-based focus, strategic innovation, and responsiveness to stakeholders. While many institutions have implemented waste reduction, sustainable purchasing, and energy management programs, significant barriers remain, including financial constraints and the challenge of integrating sustainability into curricula due to academic freedom. The report concludes that Manitoba's higher education sector is more active in ESD than previously anticipated, providing a foundation to support the province's transition to a green economy.

This report identifies effective strategies used by faith-based organizations across Africa to combat HIV stigma. It categorizes interventions into knowledge sharing, upliftment, and advocacy, while emphasizing the critical role of faith leaders as community change agents. Through eight case studies, the document highlights that sustainable stigma reduction requires long-term commitment, the inclusion of people living with HIV in leadership, and the use of personal testimonies over purely theoretical training.

The report finds that while public attention to climate change waned after 2009, businesses have increasingly internalized climate concerns, shifting from a focus on mitigation to a broader approach encompassing adaptation and business resilience. Cost savings remain the primary driver for action, though investor pressure and consumer preferences are rising. The document highlights that physical climate risks are becoming real-world impacts, as evidenced by the 2011 Bangkok floods and 2012 U.S. weather extremes. Furthermore, businesses are expanding their focus to include water scarcity and biodiversity loss as critical risks to operational resilience.

A survey of 2,034 American adults found an average annual willingness-to-pay (WTP) of $79 to $89 to reduce domestic greenhouse-gas emissions by 17 percent by 2020. The study found that mean WTP does not vary significantly between cap-and-trade, carbon taxes, or GHG regulations, although sociodemographic factors and beliefs about global warming influence individual WTP levels.

This report examines the integration of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) within technical-vocational education and training (TVET) in Manitoba, Canada. It identifies promising practices, such as the development of a new alternative energy program and the inclusion of sustainability outcomes in curricula, while highlighting significant barriers including lack of funding for green equipment, insufficient teacher training, and a gap in provincial-level policy guidance. The report suggests strengthening partnerships with industry to identify green skill demands and expanding professional development for educators to better prepare students for a green economy.

The report examines M&E frameworks across eight intermediaries—including the World Bank, ADB, and GEF—finding that while results-based management is common, rigorous and consistent methods to evaluate transformative climate impacts are still lacking. It highlights the need for core indicators, real-time evaluations, and a shift from project-level to portfolio-based assessments to improve transparency and learning.

The report examines how community indicator systems (CISs) measure their performance and impact. Through a survey of 25 CISs, the authors identify common KPIs and suggest the use of results-based management frameworks to better organize these metrics. The study highlights a gap in research regarding the actual impact of CISs on community well-being and recommends increased sharing of best practices through networks like the Community Indicators Consortium.

A March 2012 survey by the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication found that 66% of Americans believe global warming is occurring, though belief that it is human-caused dropped to 46%. The public overestimated the level of disbelief in global warming, and trust in political figures varied significantly, with 47% trusting President Obama and 21% trusting Mitt Romney as information sources.

The report finds that while FDA scientists express increased confidence in agency leadership and a general improvement in protecting public health compared to 2006, significant challenges remain. These include persistent political and commercial interference in regulatory decisions, uncertainty regarding the right to publish research or speak to the press, and a perceived decline in the consistency between agency actions and scientific findings.

The report details a 2011 survey of AMS members, finding that 89% believe global warming is happening and 59% attribute it primarily to human activity. While 53% perceive internal conflict within the society, a majority support the AMS playing an active role in educating the public and policy makers.

The report analyzes a nationally representative survey of 1,061 American adults to track behaviors related to global warming. Key findings include a majority of Americans setting winter thermostats to 68 degrees or cooler and an increase in the adoption of compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs). While some consumer activism exists—such as rewarding or punishing companies based on their climate actions—citizen engagement through government contact or donations remains low. Additionally, the report finds that many Americans have friends with differing views on global warming, yet most feel comfortable discussing the topic with those who disagree.

The report finds modest progress in reorienting Canadian teacher education toward sustainability, noting that while pedagogical approaches consistent with ESD are increasingly used, institutional adoption remains fragmented and often driven by individual faculty champions rather than faculty-wide mandates. Key barriers include funding challenges, communication gaps, and the constraint of provincial teacher certification requirements, which are largely determined by ministries of education rather than the faculties themselves.

The study finds that Fox News employs a more dismissive tone toward climate change and features more doubters than CNN and MSNBC. Survey data indicates a negative association between Fox News viewership and the acceptance of global warming, while viewing CNN and MSNBC correlates with greater acceptance. This effect is more pronounced among Republicans, whose beliefs vary significantly based on the news outlet they watch, whereas Democrats' beliefs remain relatively stable regardless of cable news use.

The report finds that the energy performance certificate currently has a low impact on home purchase decisions in Germany, primarily because it fails to provide clear information on ancillary costs, is rarely available during the final selection process, and energy efficiency is viewed as a secondary property feature. However, the author argues that the implementation of the EU Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) by 2013, which mandates the publication of energy data in property advertisements, could significantly increase the instrument's visibility and relevance.

A nationally representative survey of 1,001 US adults found that 48% believe oil prices are likely to triple and cause harm to human health, while 44% view sharp price increases as "very harmful" to health. Notably, those who are very conservative or strongly dismissive of climate change were the most likely to perceive these severe health consequences.

The report analyzes a survey of 2,000 German homeowners, categorizing them into non-planning, planning, and action households. It finds that motivations shift during the process, with building appearance being a primary initial trigger, while thermal comfort and energy savings become more important for those who have already implemented retrofits. High up-front costs and reluctance to take loans are major barriers, and the study highlights the critical role of the Internet, construction professionals, and personal networks as information sources. Financial support, specifically through KfW programmes, is shown to increase the likelihood of comprehensive retrofits and reduce the tendency to drop planned measures.

The 2011 survey of US television meteorologists reveals that while 82% believe the climate is changing, a significant portion attributes this to natural causes rather than human activity. The study identifies five distinct groups based on these beliefs and finds that most weathercasters underestimate the scientific consensus on anthropogenic warming. Key barriers to reporting include lack of time and scientific uncertainty, while there is a strong demand for high-quality graphics and regional projections. The report also highlights deep distrust of climate models and the motivations of scientists among 'Unconvinced' and 'Undecided' meteorologists.

The study finds that climate policy elements, including the EU ETS and long-term targets, are generally rated as less relevant to corporate investment decisions in the power sector than market factors and technology-specific regulations like feed-in tariffs. For technology providers, long-term targets are significantly more relevant than the EU ETS for both RD&D and sales. Power generators show a high correlation between the perceived relevance of the EU ETS and long-term targets. The research also indicates that technology providers' reliance on technology-specific policies is strongly linked to their product portfolios, while power generators' relevance ratings are less dependent on their technology portfolios. Higher long-term CO2 price expectations and greater certainty about those prices correlate with a higher perceived relevance of the EU ETS for new plant investments.

The study finds that climate policy elements, including the EU ETS and long-term targets, are generally less influential in corporate investment decisions than market prices and technology-specific regulations like feed-in tariffs. While technology providers view long-term targets as significantly more relevant than the EU ETS for RD&D and sales, power generators see the EU ETS as slightly more relevant for new plant adoption. The research emphasizes that a coordinated policy mix of stringent, predictable instruments and ambitious long-term targets is necessary to drive low-carbon innovation.

The research investigates the role of ICT in environmental sustainability research across four sectors, identifying five common macro-areas of application: observation and monitoring, modelling and simulation, socio-economic analysis, policy analysis and planning, and capacity building and cooperation. The study finds that 'information systems and software' and 'communication technology, networks, distributed systems' are the most used ICT categories across most sectors, though 'electronics and microsystems' predominate in climate change research due to observation and monitoring needs. Respondents consistently ranked the scientific relevance of ICT as the highest priority, followed by political and then economic relevance. The analysis suggests that future ICT requirements are driven by current tool usage and the desire to improve scientific exchange and policy interfaces, particularly for e-governance and public awareness.