Search Climate Insights Directory

The statement criticizes the impunity of transnational corporations, specifically Vale, BHP, and SAMARCO, following a catastrophic dam collapse on the Rio Doce watershed in Brazil. It highlights the failure of voluntary corporate social responsibility measures and calls on the UN to move beyond voluntary guidelines toward a legally binding treaty for corporate accountability.

The guide suggests that while direct arguments about global warming are often counterproductive, common ground can be found by discussing shared environmental values, concerns about air pollution and biodiversity, and support for renewable energy and energy-efficiency behaviors.

Friends of the Earth International argues that failing to stop catastrophic climate change will exacerbate poverty, hunger, and conflict, making just climate action a critical peace-building tool. The organization criticizes the French government's state of emergency for restricting civil liberties and cancelling climate justice mobilizations ahead of the December 2015 UN climate negotiations, while asserting that democratic decision-making must be reclaimed from corporate influence.

The document advocates for community forest management (CFM) as a superior alternative to industrial logging and strict protection regimes. It asserts that CFM effectively reduces deforestation, protects biodiversity, and supports climate mitigation and adaptation by empowering indigenous peoples and local communities. The text identifies key success factors such as land tenure security and warns against 'false solutions' like REDD+ and the financialization of nature, which it claims risk land grabbing and the erosion of community control.

The document advocates for Community Forest Management (CFM) as a critical tool for biodiversity conservation and climate mitigation. It presents evidence that CFM often outperforms strict protection regimes in reducing deforestation, particularly when supported by secure land tenure and local autonomy. The briefing highlights the role of CFM in carbon sequestration and climate adaptation, while warning against 'false solutions' like REDD+ and the financialisation of nature, which it claims threaten community rights and traditional governance.

The report advocates for community forest management (CFM) as a superior strategy for environmental conservation and social justice. It provides evidence that forests managed by indigenous peoples and local communities often have lower deforestation rates and higher carbon storage than state-protected areas. The document identifies secure land tenure, local autonomy in decision-making, and strong social capital as critical success factors. It also warns against 'false solutions' like REDD+ and the financialization of nature, which it claims can lead to land grabbing and the erosion of traditional knowledge. The report concludes by recommending that governments prioritize collective land rights and traditional knowledge over market-based conservation mechanisms.

The document presents community forest management (CFM) as a superior alternative to industrial logging and strict protected areas for preserving biodiversity and mitigating climate change. It highlights that CFM can be more effective at reducing deforestation, as evidenced by data from Brazil and Costa Rica, and provides critical livelihood support to approximately 1.6 billion people. The text identifies key success factors for CFM, including secure land tenure, local decision-making autonomy, and strong social capital. Conversely, it warns against 'false solutions' such as REDD+ and the financialization of nature, which it claims risk land grabbing and the erosion of traditional governance. The document concludes by recommending the prioritization of decentralized, authentic CFM and the legal protection of indigenous and local community rights to ensure ecological and social justice.

The briefing advocates for Community Forest Management (CFM) as a superior model for forest conservation and climate action compared to industrial logging and state-led protected areas. It highlights CFM's role in carbon storage and biodiversity protection, while warning against market-based mechanisms like REDD+ that may lead to land grabbing. The document recommends that governments recognize communal land tenure and prioritize CFM to meet international biodiversity targets.

The document assesses the level of federal investment in sustainable agriculture, specifically agroecology, using a five-level classification system. It finds that the vast majority of USDA funding supports incremental efficiency gains rather than transformative agroecological practices. The authors call for increased funding and a shift toward systems-based research that integrates ecological and socioeconomic sustainability.

The document examines the illegal wildlife trade as a reflection of complexities in China-Africa relations, specifically focusing on the demand for rhino horn and ivory in China and the supply challenges in South Africa. It highlights the role of cultural status, traditional medicine, and corruption in driving demand, while noting that supply is fueled by poverty and a lack of sustainable economic alternatives for local communities. The brief compares the conservation and enforcement models of South Africa and Kenya, suggesting that reducing demand through public awareness and linking wildlife protection to national priorities like anti-corruption is essential for long-term success.

The document describes neonicotinoids as systemic insecticides that spread through plant tissues and are linked to large-scale honey bee colony losses. It cites a Worldwide Integrated Assessment finding these pesticides toxic to most insects and capable of impairing bee learning and fertility. In Canada, specifically Ontario, significant winter colony losses were reported in 2013 and 2014, leading to provincial legislation to reduce neonic-treated seed planting by 80% by 2017. The European Union also implemented a two-year ban on agricultural neonic use starting in January 2013.

The document examines China's deepening security role in Africa, shifting from traditional military concerns to non-traditional threats. It analyzes how China protects its citizens from crime and terrorism, its response to the 2014 Ebola outbreak, and its dual role in the illegal wildlife and timber trades. The authors argue that these transnational challenges are compelling China to increase its engagement with multilateral organizations and move beyond its traditional policy of non-interference.

The report details the development of the WEFsat-Mining tool, designed to help decision-makers in Suriname assess how mining impacts community access to water, energy, and food. It highlights the critical role of the mining sector in Suriname's economy, while noting severe environmental risks such as mercury pollution from artisanal gold mining. The project included capacity-building workshops and the proposal of a hydrologic monitoring framework to track water quality and quantity. Key recommendations emphasize the need for integrated WEF planning, diversified renewable energy, and improved local hiring and procurement policies to enhance community well-being.

The document introduces the WEF security concept to operationalize sustainable development in mining. It details a conceptual framework based on availability, access, supporting infrastructure, and supporting institutions/policies. The guide provides a review of existing sustainability indicators and introduces WEFsat-Mining, an Excel-based tool for stakeholders to assess current WEF status, identify mining influences, and determine mitigation or enhancement actions. It also outlines stakeholder engagement practices and a four-stage participatory scenario planning process for regional landscape investment.

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 report examines how migration into the Harenna Forest in southeast Ethiopia accelerates deforestation and biodiversity loss. By comparing Harenna Buluk, which saw significant migration driven by local political elites, with Delo Mena, which had minimal migration, the study finds that migrants introduce intensive farming practices that are adopted by locals, leading to the conversion of forest glades into agricultural land. The report recommends regulating informal land markets, strengthening participatory forest management bylaws, and developing alternative livelihoods like tourism to protect the ecosystem's unique biodiversity and hydrological functions.

The report examines how unregulated migration into Buliisa District has contributed to the deterioration of the Lake Albert fishery. It identifies a cycle where declining fish stocks lead boat owners to rely on low-cost migrant labour to maintain profit margins, which in turn sustains unsustainable levels of fishing effort. The document highlights the failure of Beach Management Units (BMUs) due to ethnic tensions and political corruption, and warns that the fishery is dangerously close to collapse. It recommends curbing migrant settlement expansion, enhancing district-level regulations, diversifying livelihoods through fish farming, and strengthening the protection of fish breeding grounds.

The statement alleges that Harvard University's ownership of 87,000 hectares of eucalyptus and pine plantations in Corrientes, Argentina, managed by EVASA and Las Misiones S.A., has led to groundwater depletion, habitat loss, and pollution from pesticides. It further claims that these investments involved land usurpation without prior consultation and the exploitation of workers under dangerous conditions with inadequate pay, despite Harvard's claims of Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification.

The document reviews Claude Martin's analysis of tropical rainforests, highlighting the shift from viewing commercial logging as the primary driver of deforestation to recognizing the central role of agriculture and agro-industrial land conversion. It details the importance of biodiversity, the role of protected areas and remote sensing in conservation, and the emerging threat of climate change, which risks turning forests into net greenhouse gas sources. The text also emphasizes the human rights risks faced by environmental advocates and the need to integrate natural capital into economic policy.

The report examines the challenges and successes of implementing Western sustainability and development agendas within Vietnam's highly centralized party-state. It analyzes how historical legacies, including Chinese influence and the impact of the US war, shape current governance and social dynamics. Through various case studies—including hydropower strategic environmental assessments, poverty reduction programs like Chia Sẻ, and research on Agent Orange—the author demonstrates that while the Vietnamese state is open to experimental pilot projects, it remains resistant to reforms that challenge its monopoly on power or its paternalistic view of ethnic minorities. The document concludes that long-term engagement and an understanding of local cultural contexts are essential for effective policy advice in Vietnam.