Search Climate Insights Directory

The BRICS bloc is reaching a milestone where non-fossil power capacity is set to exceed fossil-fueled capacity for the first time in 2024. While the group hosts a significant portion of the world's coal fleet and continues to develop new fossil plants, there is a massive pipeline of wind and solar projects. The report finds that the BRICS countries have enough renewables in development to nearly triple their capacity by 2030, though the actual construction rate varies significantly by member, with China leading the transition.

The document asserts that despite early commitments in 2019, French financial actors continue to support coal companies, undermining France's international climate leadership. It highlights that between 2021 and 2023, the four largest French banks financed 26 problematic coal companies. The author argues that voluntary policies are insufficient and calls for a mandatory regulatory framework with clear definitions of excluded companies and deterrent sanctions to ensure a complete exit from both thermal and metallurgical coal.

Climate Central's analysis of 200 U.S. cities shows that the first fall freeze is arriving later in 85% of locations, delaying the date by an average of 11 days since 1970. This trend, alongside a 2.4°F average increase in fall temperatures across the contiguous U.S., extends growing seasons and disrupts ecological cues, leading to prolonged allergy seasons, lingering pests, and reduced yields for the U.S. fruit and nut industry.

As of June 2024, the U.S. has 12,174 committed electric school buses, representing a 19-fold increase since June 2019. While these vehicles currently make up only about 3% of the national fleet, over 234,000 students now ride them, with the highest adoption rates in the West and South regions. The transition is largely driven by the EPA's Clean School Bus Program, which provides $5 billion from 2022 to 2026 to reduce the 8.4 million metric tons of carbon pollution emitted annually by school bus fleets and mitigate health risks associated with diesel exhaust.

The report examines the socio-ecological impacts of energy plantation forests (HTE) in Java, specifically in Sukabumi, Grobogan, and Bojonegoro. It argues that Perhutani uses the narrative of 'critical land' and 'energy transition' to reclaim land from local farmers, effectively continuing a history of agrarian extraction. The study finds that the introduction of biomass crops like gamal and kaliandra restricts community access to food and fuel, transforms these species into 'flex trees' for industrial profit, and employs local labor under precarious, low-wage conditions. The document concludes that these projects often fail economically while exacerbating land conflicts and environmental degradation, recommending a shift toward genuine forestry land reform.

The paper argues that biomass energy projects, framed as climate change mitigation, serve as a mechanism for 'energy grabbing' and the reconcentration of land control by Perhutani. Through case studies in Sukabumi, Grobogan, and Bojonegoro, it demonstrates how the classification of land as 'unproductive' or 'critical' is used to dispossess local farmers and transform them into low-paid laborers. The study finds that the promotion of gamal and kaliandra as 'flex trees' restricts community access to essential resources like firewood and fodder, while triggering localized resistance and criminalization of farmers.

The document examines the ecological footprint of e-commerce, highlighting carbon emissions from logistics, packaging waste, and the impact of high product return rates. It argues that sustainability requires a coordinated effort: governments must implement green regulations and urban planning; the private sector should optimize supply chains and adopt renewable energy; and consumers must shift away from impulsive, high-frequency purchasing. The author emphasizes the need for better data collection and international cooperation, particularly to support developing nations in building sustainable digital infrastructures.

The document analyzes the environmental footprint of e-commerce, highlighting issues such as carbon emissions from logistics, packaging waste, and high return rates. It proposes a multi-stakeholder action agenda involving government regulation, private sector supply chain optimization, consumer behavioral shifts, and international cooperation to foster a sustainable digital economy.

Analysis by Climate Central indicates that June-August 2024 was the hottest season on record, with carbon pollution significantly increasing the frequency and intensity of risky heat days globally and in the U.S. Approximately 2 billion people worldwide experienced 30 or more risky heat days made at least three times more likely by climate change. In the U.S., the average person experienced 20 additional risky heat days, with the highest impacts concentrated in the South, Southeast, and Southwest, particularly in Florida and Puerto Rico.

The MAP-Fire project (2019–2022) focused on the 'MAP' region (Madre de Dios in Peru, Acre in Brazil, and Pando in Bolivia) to address the increasing risk of forest fires driven by climate change and land-use changes. Key achievements include the development of a real-time fire monitoring platform, the quantification of significant economic losses in Acre, Brazil, and the identification of air quality crises linked to fire events. The project also integrated fire risk education into public schools and provided technical reports to governments to support National Determined Contributions (NDCs) and the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction.

Climate change is exacerbating air pollution through increased wildfires, ground-level ozone, and longer allergy seasons, posing severe health risks to children. Children are uniquely vulnerable due to their developing organs and higher breathing rates. The document highlights that 2°C of global warming could increase childhood asthma cases by 4% and notes that wildfire smoke is ten times more harmful to the respiratory health of children aged five or younger than other PM2.5 sources. Recommendations include minimizing outdoor exposure during high-pollution events, using HEPA filters, and transitioning away from fossil fuels to improve air quality.

The document analyzes TotalEnergies' reliance on the bond market, specifically highlighting a trend toward abnormally long maturities (up to 2064) that secures funding for decades of fossil fuel projects. It argues that these bonds provide the company with total freedom in fund allocation, enabling the expansion of oil and gas projects in 53 countries despite global climate goals. The briefing identifies a 'loophole' where banks facilitate these emissions to avoid having the debt on their own balance sheets, and warns investors of the systemic risk of 'stranded assets' as the world transitions to renewable energy.

The guide argues that businesses can avoid political polarization by framing climate action as a 'material' business necessity rather than a 'moral' obligation. Based on research with nearly 15,000 respondents, it finds that while moral messaging can increase favorability, it also increases unfavorability among skeptics. In contrast, framing climate action through risk management, clean energy opportunity, and the concept of 'responsible business' drives favorability without triggering backlash. The document specifically recommends replacing jargon like 'ESG' with 'responsible business' and 'climate change risk' with 'climate risk' to improve resonance with diverse audiences, including U.S. Republicans.

Three companies—GE Vernova, Siemens Energy, and Mitsubishi Power—control two-thirds of the global market for gas turbines in power plants currently under construction. While these firms are expanding through regional partnerships and promoting 'hydrogen-ready' technology, the report argues they face significant geopolitical and financial risks due to the rapid growth of renewables and the potential for gas power overcapacity.

A late summer heat event in the eastern United States, affecting approximately 120 million people, has been made significantly more likely by human-caused climate change. The event is characterized by record-breaking temperatures, high humidity, and heat indices reaching 115°F, posing severe health risks to vulnerable populations, particularly children.

China has significantly reduced coal power plant approvals in early 2024 as massive additions of wind and solar power meet incremental electricity demand. While construction of previously permitted projects remains high, the shift toward clean energy is driving a decline in coal power generation and signaling a potential peak in CO2 emissions before 2030.

The study analyzes climate change perceptions among Facebook users globally, dividing countries into high and low income/emission groups. It finds that while a high proportion of both men and women in low-income/emission countries are 'Alarmed' about climate change, a significant gender gap exists in high-income/emission countries, where women are more likely to be Alarmed and less likely to be Doubtful or Dismissive than men. Knowledge levels are generally lower in low-income/emission regions, and a global gap persists in understanding the human cause of climate change, though most respondents agree climate change is happening after receiving a brief description.

The report identifies Drax power station as the UK's largest single CO2 emitter in 2023, emitting 11.5 million tonnes of CO2. It highlights that power stations, steelworks, and refineries are the primary sources of emissions, with the power sector accounting for 12% of total UK emissions. The document criticizes the use of biomass for power generation, arguing that the assumption of carbon neutrality is flawed and that the sector's reliance on imports creates energy security risks. It suggests that energy security can be achieved through the rapid deployment of cheaper renewables, energy storage, and grid upgrades rather than through subsidies for large emitters.

Climate Central analyzed cooling degree days (CDD) across 243 U.S. locations, finding that 95% experienced increased cooling demand during the back-to-school period (July 17 to September 8) since 1970. Over the last decade, human-caused climate change increased this demand by approximately 34%. The report highlights that extreme heat negatively impacts children's learning and health, while many U.S. schools lack the necessary HVAC infrastructure to adapt to these rising temperatures.

The report finds that Türkiye's domestic coal power plants are incapable of providing baseload electricity, characterized by an average availability rate of 52% and significant annual production losses of 22 TWh due to malfunctions. Despite this poor performance, coal-fired generation reached a record 118 TWh in 2023, contributing 20% of the country's total carbon emissions. The analysis highlights that domestic lignite plants are particularly inefficient, with energy efficiency 15% below the EU average, and some wind farms now achieve higher capacity factors than these coal plants. The document argues that Türkiye lacks a coal phase-out strategy, with some licenses extending to 2069, and recommends transitioning to cheaper renewable energy to meet its 2053 net zero target and mitigate potential EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) costs.