Search Climate Insights Directory

The methodology evaluates carbon credits across seven quality objectives: robust GHG impact determination, avoidance of double counting, addressing non-permanence, facilitating the transition to net zero, institutional arrangements of the crediting program, environmental and social impacts, and host country ambition. It employs a standardized scoring system (1-5) using point systems and 'inverse weighing' to ensure that a low score in one critical criterion cannot be offset by high scores in others. The guide focuses on ex-post credits and provides detailed indicators for assessing additionality, vulnerability in collapsed markets, and the alignment of credits with the Paris Agreement's Article 6 and Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).

A coalition of international environmental and social organizations has demanded that a wide range of global banks, insurers, and asset managers immediately stop providing financing, investment, and insurance to Russian coal, oil, and gas companies. The letter argues that financial support for these entities directly fuels the war in Ukraine and contradicts commitments to carbon neutrality. The signatories specifically request the divestment of existing assets and the suspension of services for non-Russian companies still active in Russia, such as TotalEnergies and Wintershall DEA, noting that BP, Shell, Equinor, and ExxonMobil have already committed to withdraw.

Reclaim Finance has issued an open letter to Crédit Agricole's CEO, Philippe Brassac, demanding the bank stop financing fossil fuel companies active in Russia. The organization calls for the blacklisting of companies on the Urgewald Global Coal Exit List and Global Oil and Gas Exit List, specifically mentioning Gazprom. The letter further requests the suspension of support for companies like TotalEnergies, Uniper/Fortum, and Wintershall DEA until they exit Russian operations, arguing that fossil fuel dependence drives both climate change and international conflict.

Reclaim Finance urges Crédit Agricole to stop providing financial services to coal, oil, and gas companies active in Russia, specifically citing the bank's role as a main banker for Gazprom and its support for TotalEnergies. The organization argues that fossil fuel dependence fuels both international conflict and climate change, calling for a shift toward renewables and energy savings to achieve carbon neutrality.

Reclaim Finance calls on Crédit Agricole to stop financing Russian coal, oil, and gas companies, specifically highlighting the bank's role as a main banker for Gazprom. The letter demands divestment from a provided blacklist of Russian energy firms and the suspension of support for non-Russian companies still active in Russia, such as TotalEnergies, until they withdraw.

Reclaim Finance calls on Groupe Crédit Agricole to stop financing Russian coal, oil, and gas companies and to divest from them via Amundi. The organization specifically highlights Crédit Agricole's role as a major financier of Gazprom and its significant investment in TotalEnergies, demanding that support for the latter and other non-Russian firms like Fortum/Uniper and Wintershall DEA be suspended until they exit Russian operations.

The Canadian Climate Institute outlines a framework for Canada's Emissions Reduction Plans based on the Canadian Net-Zero Emissions Accountability Act. The framework consists of three core elements: establishing emissions pathways consistent with net zero, implementing policies that credibly reduce emissions, and creating responsive governance processes for course correction. The report provides illustrative sectoral pathways for 2026 and 2030, noting that the oil and gas sector exhibits the greatest variability and risk, while the electricity sector is well-positioned to meet targets. It emphasizes that reaching net zero will require sustained policy effort and a shift from historical emissions growth to strong annual declines in sectors such as buildings and transportation.

The report analyzes 2021 renewable energy generation in the continental U.S., estimating a total of 606,000 GWh from wind (73%) and solar (27%). It highlights Texas as the leader in raw wind generation and California in raw solar generation, while also examining generation normalized by land area and population. The document compares these figures against the Net Zero America Project's 2030 target of 2.2 million GWh per year, concluding that while current growth is accelerating, the U.S. needs to nearly double its annual increase in generation to stay on track for net-zero emissions by 2050.

The report examines community-driven decentralised renewable energy (DRE) projects in Germany and Sub-Saharan Africa, arguing that local participation is essential for a successful clean energy transition. It identifies six key benefits of this approach, including energy security, local green job creation, and productive uses of renewable energy (PURE). The document details 12 case studies—three in Germany and nine in Africa—highlighting a variety of technologies such as solar PV mini-grids, micro-hydropower, and solar-powered desalination. It categorises barriers into social, financial, and technical pillars and provides targeted recommendations for public and private stakeholders to scale these models, emphasizing the need for gender-inclusive approaches and innovative financing.

The report by Scientists for Global Responsibility (SGR) finds that the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) lacks transparency regarding its investments, making it impossible to determine the full extent of its financial ties to fossil fuels and arms. While IMechE has implemented some internal sustainability measures, such as LED lighting and travel reduction, it maintains corporate links to arms companies like Meggitt and Rolls Royce, and fossil fuel company Fugro, through its Company Based Registration scheme. SGR argues these links contradict IMechE's professional code of conduct and its role as a climate change thought leader, noting that several peer organisations have already divested from such industries.

The document provides a detailed table and supplementary notes on fossil fuel companies, tracking their emissions intensity pathways against 1.5°C and 2°C targets. It highlights that many major companies, including BP, Chevron, and Saudi Aramco, have emissions intensity pathways outside the 2°C target. The report also identifies companies with interests in tar sands, such as ExxonMobil and Royal Dutch Shell, and notes that the SBTi stopped accepting commitments from fossil fuel companies in March 2022. Additionally, it documents environmental disasters, corruption allegations, and disinformation campaigns linked to these entities.

Reclaim Finance argues that Amundi's growth in passive management, specifically through the takeover of Lyxor, has increased the volume of assets not covered by coal policies. The organization contends that Amundi's reliance on ESG filters is insufficient, as approximately 60% of its passively managed assets remain exempt from coal-related restrictions. Furthermore, Reclaim Finance claims Amundi supports companies like Glencore that pursue coal expansion and maintains an unconventional oil and gas policy that allows investments in companies responsible for 75% of global production expansion plans.

Reclaim Finance argues that Amundi's strategy of increasing passive management, specifically through the acquisition of Lyxor, creates a loophole where billions of euros in assets remain uncovered by coal exclusion policies. The document further contends that Amundi's engagement with companies like Glencore and its policies on unconventional fossil fuels effectively support continued fossil fuel expansion rather than a genuine 1.5°C-aligned transition.

The briefing explains that limiting global warming to 1.5°C requires no new oil and gas field development after 2021, as existing production declines at a rate similar to the required drop in consumption. It argues that this conclusion is supported by IPCC scenarios and suggests the IEA's scenario may be conservative due to its reliance on carbon capture and storage (CCS), which faces significant commercialization challenges.

ClientEarth has written to the Society of Lloyd’s to challenge the lack of transparency and enforcement mechanisms in its ESG Guidance. The letter questions how the Society will judge the adequacy of managing agents' climate strategies, whether it will require the publication of targets, and what specific actions will be taken if agents fail to meet net-zero goals or continue providing cover for high-carbon activities like coal and Arctic oil.

Carbon Market Watch calls for a ban on corporate "net zero" and "carbon neutrality" claims, arguing that these terms are ambiguous and often mask inaction. The brief recommends that governments, particularly in the EU, require companies to report absolute emission reductions separately from external financing and to cover all value chain emissions (Scopes 1-3). It further warns against the use of low-quality carbon credits and the risk of double counting under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement.

The Corporate Climate Responsibility Monitor 2022 finds that most of the 25 major global companies assessed have net-zero pledges that lack integrity, with aggregate emissions targeted for reduction by only 40% at most. While 15 companies report interim targets for 2030, the average reduction commitment for full value chain emissions is only 23%. Scope 3 emissions average 87% of total emissions, yet only 8 companies provide moderate detail on addressing them. The report notes a heavy reliance on unbundled renewable energy certificates (RECs) and contentious offsetting plans, particularly nature-based solutions, while suggesting that 'climate contributions' without neutrality claims are an emerging alternative.

The Corporate Climate Responsibility Monitor 2022 assesses 25 multinational companies, finding that most 'net zero' pledges are ambiguous and lack deep emission reduction commitments. The report highlights a systemic reliance on low-quality carbon offsets and renewable energy certificates (RECs) that often fail to provide additional climate benefits. While a few companies demonstrate leadership in renewable energy procurement and value chain engagement, the overall integrity of corporate climate strategies remains low, with many targets falling short of the 1.5C Paris Agreement goal.

In 2021, China's coal-fired power construction reached its highest level since 2016, with 33 GW of new capacity starting construction. Despite carbon neutrality targets, investment in long-process steel remains high, with China accounting for 85% of global new long-process capacity. The report warns that these investments lock in coal dependency and risk creating stranded assets valued at hundreds of billions of dollars. While there is growth in electric arc furnace (EAF) steel and renewable energy targets, the scale of new fossil-fuel infrastructure continues to outpace the transition needed to meet Paris Agreement goals.

The document reports a surge in China's coal power construction and coal-based steelmaking investments in 2021, contradicting the country's carbon neutrality goals. It highlights that 33 GW of new coal power plants started construction in 2021 and 74 million tonnes of coal-based steelmaking capacity were approved. The report warns that these investments risk creating billions of dollars in stranded assets and lock the sectors into coal dependency, while noting a simultaneous but insufficient scale-up of clean energy.