Search Climate Insights Directory

The NDC Update Report emphasizes the necessity of long-term low greenhouse gas emission development strategies (LTSs) to drive ambition in the 2020 NDC update cycle. Survey data indicates that while confidence in current NDC implementation remains high, over half of respondents are unclear if their governments will raise ambition in the next update, with discussions often focused on costs rather than social or environmental benefits. The report proposes eight key elements for robust LTS processes, noting that more than half of surveyed governments had not yet started the LTS process. It highlights that 13 LTSs had been submitted to the UNFCCC at the time of writing, often characterized as "living documents" with a focus on stakeholder engagement. Contributions from organizations such as the NDC Partnership, GIZ, UNDP, WRI, AFD/IDFC, LEDS-GP, and FAO underscore the need for whole-of-government scope, transparency, and sector-specific pathways—particularly in energy and agriculture—to align investments and ensure food security.

The report finds that despite the Mnangagwa administration's rhetoric of being 'open for business,' substantial foreign direct investment has not materialised due to a combination of bureaucratic red tape, policy inconsistency, and a lack of respect for property rights. While net FDI rose from US$247 million in 2017 to US$744 million in 2018, this remains far below the US$27 billion in deals signed by the president. The document highlights critical barriers including a 'dead asset' land tenure regime in agriculture, a lack of an independent central bank, and the pervasive influence of the military in the private sector. It concludes that the government's 'command and control' philosophy and the high-risk profile created by US sanctions and a history of bad debt continue to deter international investors.

The project aims to enhance Bhutan's capacity for impact-based forecasting and early warning services to protect vulnerable populations and climate-sensitive sectors. It proposes a total investment of USD 26 million, with USD 10 million requested from the Green Climate Fund and USD 16 million in co-financing from the Royal Government of Bhutan. The initiative focuses on upgrading monitoring infrastructure, developing a central climate database and decision support systems, and building the capacity of the National Center for Hydrology and Meteorology (NCHM) and end-users to utilize climate information for planning and disaster risk management.

The document is a formal agreement between the IAI and CREA to collaborate on projects involving global change, agro-industry, and natural resources. It outlines the objective of strengthening local and regional capacities to face climate challenges and defines the administrative terms of the partnership, including intellectual property, dispute resolution, and a five-year duration.

The report analyzes the intersection of gender and climate change adaptation in Benin, highlighting how patriarchal land tenure and social roles increase women's vulnerability. It identifies institutional gaps in the current NAP process and provides specific recommendations for gender-responsive adaptation in agriculture, water, health, and other priority sectors.

The proposal seeks USD 499,695 over 24 months to update Chile's expired 2013-2017 adaptation plan for the forestry, agriculture, and livestock sectors. Implemented by the FAO, the project aims to establish sub-national governance, identify new adaptation measures through a multi-stakeholder process, align the plan with national development policies, develop a private-sector-focused finance strategy, and create a monitoring and evaluation system. The process emphasizes the inclusion of women and Indigenous Peoples, targeting a minimum of 30% participation in workshops.

The GCF Secretariat report for the period ending 31 August 2019 details progress toward its 2019 goals. Key achievements include the approval of 66 additional funding proposals (public and private) and the signing of 81 Funded Activity Agreements (FAAs), meeting the annual KPI for legal agreements. The Secretariat advanced the first formal replenishment process, with pledges reaching USD 5.9 billion by August 2019. Efforts to strengthen country ownership included technical support for 32 countries' programming and the approval of 61 readiness grants. The report also highlights the development of the 2020–2023 Strategic Plan and the operationalization of a complementarity and coherence framework with other climate funds like the GEF and Adaptation Fund. Challenges remain in the slow disbursement of readiness funds due to delivery partner capacity and the need for further expertise to implement the SEAH Policy.

The research identifies that the land sector could feasibly contribute approximately 30% of the global mitigation required by 2050 to limit warming to 1.5 °C, though this requires significantly more effort than a 2 °C target.

The research uses multiregional input-output tables and Computable General Equilibrium models to analyze how environmental change and extreme events impact supply chains and economic activities in delta regions. The analysis indicates that climate change could lead to a significant reduction in GDP per capita, specifically between 9% and 19.5% in the studied deltas, primarily through negative effects on fisheries, agriculture, and infrastructure.

The document analyzes how human land use drives climate change and how climate change, in turn, degrades land. It highlights that while land currently acts as a net carbon sink, it could become a source of emissions. The brief emphasizes the role of agriculture and deforestation in land degradation and warns that current policy trajectories could significantly expand drylands and threaten global food security. It argues that sustainable land management, incorporating indigenous knowledge and gender-sensitive policies, is essential for limiting temperature rise to 1.5°C.

The report analyzes Zimbabwe's trajectory to 2040, warning that the 'Current Path' of state-centric governance and economic instability will lead to persistent poverty and food insecurity. It contrasts this with the 'Great Zimbabwe' scenario, where pro-growth policies, transferable land titles, and expanded irrigation could significantly boost GDP and reduce undernourishment. Conversely, the 'Things Fall Apart' scenario predicts a decline into internal conflict and severe humanitarian deterioration if political accountability is not established. Key recommendations emphasize rehabilitating irrigation, improving democratic accountability, and partnering with the IMF to stabilize the economy.

The document examines the material risks climate change poses to global supply chains and the current state of private sector adaptation. It argues that while companies recognize climate risks, they often misdiagnose them by focusing on exposure rather than underlying vulnerability. Using the cotton industry as a detailed example, the paper proposes a resilience framework based on six capital assets—natural, human, social, physical, financial, and political—and provides recommendations for companies to commit to science-based resilience strategies and gender-transformative empowerment of women workers.

In 2018/19, Ontario provided nearly CAD 700 million in public subsidies for fossil fuel consumption, primarily through tax exemptions for aviation, rail, and agriculture, and spending on natural gas expansion. The report argues that these subsidies represent foregone revenue that could be redirected toward education, healthcare, and job training, while hindering the transition to a clean economy. It recommends that Ontario undertake a transparent self-review of all fossil fuel subsidies, develop a phase-out action plan, and establish guidelines to prevent new subsidies that are inconsistent with a low-carbon economy.

Brazil developed its National Adaptation Plan (NAP) between 2013 and 2016, involving over 40 institutions across government, academia, the private sector, and NGOs. The process followed a timeline starting with the 2009 National Climate Change Policy and culminating in the plan's launch in May 2016 and a subsequent monitoring and evaluation report in June 2017. Future implementation focuses on refining monitoring systems, securing funding, and integrating gender issues and mitigation co-benefits during the 2020 review.

The document provides a comparative overview of National Adaptation Plan (NAP) processes in multiple countries, detailing their specific strategic approaches, priority sectors, and implementation milestones. It emphasizes the integration of climate adaptation into national development planning, the importance of cross-sectoral coordination, and the mobilization of climate finance to build resilience against diverse hazards such as sea-level rise, droughts, and extreme weather events.

Jordan launched its National Adaptation Plan (NAP) process in February 2017, coordinated by the Ministry of Environment's Climate Change Directorate. The process aims to create a formal roadmap for sectoral adaptation plans, identify financial needs, and establish a national monitoring and reporting system. Priority sectors for adaptation include water, agriculture, health, gender, biodiversity, ecosystems, and protected areas, with a focus on addressing impacts such as severe water shortages, desertification, and extreme weather events.

The report details a pilot project in Mongolia using the SDG Synergies approach to identify interactions between 17 targets from the Sustainable Development Vision (SDV) 2030. Centered on integrated water governance, the process involved a stakeholder workshop in Ulaanbaatar to map first-order interactions, followed by SEI's second-order and cluster analyses. The findings highlight the critical role of accountable governance and urban planning in driving sustainability, while identifying strong self-reinforcing synergies within the agriculture and food sectors. The project resulted in the Mongolian Cabinet approving guidelines for using the approach in sectoral policy development.

The report identifies about 50 policies from July 2018 to May 2019 in 25 countries, noting that the energy sector saw the most activity with 29 entries. While most policies aim to reduce emissions, the document highlights emissions-increasing policies in Argentina and the United States. Additionally, it notes that of the 25 countries, four have submitted long-term GHG strategies to the UNFCCC and five have developed drafts or domestic strategies.

ClientEarth argues that the PSI Guide must explicitly distinguish between reputational ESG risks and financially material risks, such as climate change, to ensure insurers do not adopt approaches less stringent than those required by law. The response highlights that regulators like the UK Prudential Regulatory Authority (PRA) and EIOPA already integrate sustainability risks into risk management frameworks, making board-level oversight and specific responsibility allocation a legal necessity rather than an optional best practice. ClientEarth further suggests that certain high-polluting sectors, such as coal and tar sands, should be managed through straightforward exclusion policies rather than ESG frameworks. Additionally, the document critiques the PSI's risk heat maps for underestimating the climate risks associated with agriculture, livestock, and real estate.

The report identifies 175 policy recommendations across 18 categories, finding that governance (31%) is the most frequent focus, followed by financing and methods/tools. While the European Commission and HELCOM focus heavily on governance and monitoring, BONUS projects contribute more to financing and innovative policy design. The study notes a significant lack of recommendations addressing global issues like climate change and biodiversity, despite their presence in the documents' background sections.