Search Climate Insights Directory

The E4N partnership, a collaboration between the Green Economy Coalition, Capitals Coalition, Green Growth Knowledge Partnership, and WWF France, worked to make 'natural capital-based green economies' a global best practice. The partnership focused on creating tools for measuring nature's value, convening multistakeholder networks, and advocating for the inclusion of nature in economic decision-making. Key achievements include the development of the Green Economy Tracker, the establishment of Business for Nature, and the integration of natural capital into the EU Green Deal and African development finance. While the report notes a shift toward 'nature-positive economies,' it highlights persistent challenges in data quality and capacity, as well as a gap between government rhetoric and actual policy implementation during COVID-19 green recovery efforts.

The document analyzes the momentum behind the 30x30 goal to protect 30% of the world's land and marine areas by 2030, noting the roles of the High Ambition Coalition for Nature and People and the Global Ocean Alliance. It highlights the influence of the UN Ocean Conference and the upcoming CBD COP15 on COP27, suggesting that while the 30x30 framework will be settled after COP27, the summit may see new country commitments and policies regarding forests and marine resources.

The 2022 Regional Assessment for the Congo Basin reveals that while deforestation rates have historically been low, there was a 4.9% increase in forest loss in 2021 compared to the 2018-2020 period. Only Gabon and the Republic of the Congo are currently on track to meet the 10% annual reduction in forest cover loss required to reach the 2030 goal of zero deforestation. The report identifies subsistence agriculture as the primary driver of deforestation, while industrial mining, logging, and commercial agriculture pose the greatest risks to core intact forests. Despite the existence of legal frameworks and community forest laws in several countries, implementation is hindered by weak governance, lack of tenure security for indigenous peoples and local communities, and contradictory sectoral laws. Financial commitments, including USD 1.5 billion pledged by international donors between 2021 and 2025, are deemed insufficient to meet the region's needs, with the land sector needs of Cameroon and the DRC alone estimated at US$29.8 billion for 2020-30.

The 2022 Forest Declaration Assessment for the Congo Basin reports a rise in deforestation in 2021, with 636,000 hectares lost, meaning only Gabon and the Republic of the Congo are currently aligned with the trajectory to end deforestation by 2030. While the region is a critical carbon sink, absorbing 0.61 Gt CO2eq annually, it faces threats from small-scale agriculture, industrial mining, and weak land tenure security. Despite international pledges of 1.5 billion USD (2021-2025) and national legal frameworks, the report highlights significant gaps in law enforcement, intersectoral policy alignment, and funding for indigenous peoples and local communities.

The 2022 Regional Assessment of the Congo Basin reveals that while the region is a critical global carbon sink, deforestation increased in 2021 by 4.9% compared to the 2018-20 period. Only Gabon and the Republic of the Congo are currently aligned with the trajectory to end deforestation by 2030. The report identifies subsistence agriculture and infrastructure development as primary drivers, while noting that industrial mining and logging cause the most severe damage to intact core forests. Despite the existence of legal frameworks and international funding commitments, such as the USD 1.5 billion Joint Declaration for the Congo Basin, the report highlights significant gaps in policy enforcement, land tenure security for Indigenous peoples and local communities, and the alignment of economic development plans with forest conservation goals.

The Congo Basin, the world's second-largest tropical forest and a critical carbon sink, experienced an increase in deforestation in 2021, reaching 636,000 hectares. While historically low, current trends show that only Gabon and the Republic of the Congo are aligned with the 2030 goal of zero deforestation. Primary drivers include small-scale subsistence agriculture combined with road construction, though industrial mining and logging pose severe risks to intact forest landscapes. Despite the existence of legal frameworks and international funding commitments—such as $1.5 billion from COP26 donors—implementation is hindered by poor governance, land tenure insecurity for indigenous peoples, and a lack of intersectoral policy alignment. The report emphasizes the need for stronger community land rights and more transparent, quantifiable financial mechanisms to protect this vital ecological region.

The Seal River Watershed in northern Manitoba is a 50,000 km2 area that is 99.97% intact and serves as one of Canada's largest free-flowing drainage basins. The report highlights its critical role in biodiversity, storing 1.7 billion tonnes of carbon and supporting species at risk such as polar bears and barren-ground caribou. Economically, the watershed provides at least CAD 214 million in annual ecosystem goods and services (EGS), including ecotourism and caribou harvesting, while the stored carbon is valued at CAD 314.5 billion. The document advocates for the creation of an Indigenous Protected Area (IPA) led by the Sayisi Dene, Northlands Denesuline, Barren Lands First Nation, and O-Pipon-Na-Piwin Cree Nation to prevent threats from mining, hydroelectricity, and road development. It suggests the Manitoba government implement interim protections, establish a feasibility committee, and provide technical support for Indigenous Guardians programs.

The paper estimates that US$ 14.66 billion in international development finance commitments targeted 'NbS-like' activities (combining climate and biodiversity objectives) between 2016 and 2020. It identifies a declining trend in both the total amount and the share of climate finance allocated to these activities since 2017. The analysis highlights significant funding gaps for Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and Least Developed Countries (LDCs), and suggests that project documentation often fails to provide detailed evidence that these funds deliver tangible biodiversity benefits.

The statement highlights the high risks faced by environmental defenders in Latin America, noting that 200 deaths were recorded in 2020 alone. It criticizes the lack of effective protection provided by the Escazu Agreement and the 30x30 conservation project, emphasizing that indigenous people and women are disproportionately targeted. The text calls for UN and US government intervention to protect these activists.

ClientEarth calls on Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to uphold the UK's climate ambitions, specifically requesting a review of the Retained EU Law Bill and a reconsideration of environmental deregulation in investment zones. The organization advocates for accelerating the transition to renewables and insulating buildings to address the energy and climate crises simultaneously, while urging the UK to remain a reliable international partner on climate action following its COP26 Presidency.

The document is a call to action from a coalition of civil society, smallholders' and Indigenous Peoples' organisations directed at EU Ministers, Commissioners, and Members of the European Parliament. It advocates for a robust EU regulation on deforestation-free products to protect biodiversity, climate, and human rights, outlining ten specific requirements for the law to be considered effective.

The document outlines a series of legislative acts and wider trends in the UK that ClientEarth argues undermine the rule of law. It details how new laws like the Judicial Review and Courts Act 2022 and the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill may weaken judicial oversight and strip away environmental safeguards. The report also highlights systemic issues, including the politicisation of the Attorney General, cuts to legal aid, and a trend toward 'government by decree' through the increased use of secondary legislation.

This briefing outlines the progress of the Regional Assessment conducted by the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI). The assessment aims to identify knowledge gaps and uncertainties in decisions impacted by global environmental change (GEC) to better target science and capacity-building efforts for Member Countries.

The IAI is conducting a Regional Assessment to better understand how global environmental change (GEC) affects the decisions of its member Parties. Through surveys and subregional listening sessions held in 2022, the IAI identified 'climate action' as the most important current national priority for 14 Parties. Key barriers to using scientific information include a lack of intersectoral collaboration and a lack of science available for non-technical audiences. The assessment has grouped member countries by shared priorities and identified specific regional focuses, such as water security in the Southern Cone and biodiversity in the Andean subregion. Next steps include a deep analysis of collected data and a review of national policy documents, with results to be communicated at CoP-31.

The author uses recent heatwaves and wildfires in Europe to illustrate how climate change exacerbates air pollution and health issues. The text details a feedback loop where petrochemical production leads to plastic pollution, which in turn releases methane and ethylene, harms soil carbon absorption, and disrupts marine food production. It concludes by highlighting the need for holistic legislation, citing the European Union's decarbonization strategy, a proposed UN global treaty on plastic waste, and updates to the Canadian Environmental Protection Act.

The paper examines Senegal's vulnerability to climate change, its existing national adaptation frameworks, and the systemic gaps that hinder effective local implementation. It highlights the disconnect between high-level policy design and the actual needs of local actors, advocating for a bottom-up approach to climate resilience.

The document asserts that the global food crisis is driven by an industrial food system that prioritizes profit over human rights and the environment. It highlights how neoliberal policies, corporate concentration in agribusiness, and climate change have created fragility and hunger. The author calls for a radical transformation toward food sovereignty and agroecology to ensure the right to food and protect biodiversity.

The text, signed by members of the Think Sustainable Europe network, calls for the European Commission to propose a Sustainable Food Systems Framework (SFSF) as a key pillar of the EU Green Deal. It argues that the SFSF is essential to reduce dependence on imported feeds and fossil fertilizers, transition to healthier diets, and shift the EU from a net calorie importer to an exporter. The authors contend that competitiveness should be measured by value and sustainability standards rather than production volume, positioning the EU as a global leader in ecological trade. Furthermore, the SFSF is presented as a necessary tool for resilience against climate crises, zoonotic diseases, and economic shocks, while ensuring coherence between the EU's internal food policies and its international climate and deforestation commitments.

The document advocates for the EU to introduce the Sustainable Food System legislative framework (SFSF) in 2023 as a cornerstone of the EU Green Deal. It argues that the SFSF is essential for strengthening food system resilience against climate shocks, reducing dependence on imported animal feed and fossil-based fertilisers, and establishing high environmental and health standards that provide a competitive advantage for EU agrifood players in global markets. The authors contend that without a joined-up strategy for food consumption and production, the EU will struggle to meet its climate, biodiversity, and zero pollution goals, as well as its international commitments regarding embedded carbon and deforestation.

The document advocates for the immediate proposal of the Sustainable Food Systems Legislative Framework (SFSF) to ensure the EU's long-term food security, climate resilience, and global competitiveness. It argues that the SFSF is essential for transitioning from a net importer to a net exporter of calories by reducing reliance on fossil-fuel fertilizers and imported feed. The authors contend that the EU can maintain global leadership and competitiveness by shifting focus from production volumes to value creation based on high environmental, health, and animal welfare standards. Furthermore, the SFSF is presented as a necessary tool to ensure internal and external coherence across EU goals regarding climate, biodiversity, and deforestation, particularly concerning embedded carbon in food imports.