Search Climate Insights Directory

This executive summary by the Climate Policy Initiative (CPI) evaluates the impact of command-and-control policies on deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon, specifically focusing on the role of the Real-Time Deforestation Detection System (DETER). The study finds that DETER-based enforcement was the primary driver of deforestation deceleration in the 2000s, preventing significant forest loss without negatively impacting local agricultural production.

This fact sheet describes the SACC project, an international consortium studying ocean-related global and climate changes in South America, specifically focusing on the exchange processes between the deep ocean and the continental shelf of eastern South America.

This report by the Climate Policy Initiative (CPI) examines the use of Natural Capital Assessment (NCA) to optimize land resource allocation in Indonesia. It argues that integrating social, biophysical, and economic data into spatial planning can help Indonesia achieve economic growth targets while minimizing deforestation and social conflict.

This research paper describes a modelling case study using DO3SE to estimate the reduction of carbon storage in European forest living biomass caused by ozone, comparing conditions from the year 2000 and projections for 2040.

This research paper examines the conflict between global freshwater requirements and the dual goals of carbon sequestration and food production by 2050, concluding that the water costs of sequestration would exceed planetary boundaries and worsen river depletion.

This report examines how the U.S. Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) integrates climate change mitigation and adaptation into its mission of facilitating U.S. private investment in developing countries. It details OPIC's transition from general environmental guidelines to a specific 2010 Environmental and Social Policy Statement, which establishes greenhouse gas (GHG) emission caps, energy efficiency requirements for intensive sectors, and reporting mandates for high-emitting projects.

This report by the Stockholm Environment Institute provides a comprehensive analysis of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions for King County, Washington, using two complementary methodologies: a Geographic-plus Inventory and a Consumption-based Inventory. It evaluates 2008 emissions data, compares them to 2003 trends and national averages, and proposes a streamlined tracking framework to help local government monitor emissions sources over which they have direct policy influence.

This executive summary analyzes the drivers of reduced deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon between 2000 and 2010, specifically comparing the impact of agricultural price fluctuations against the implementation of conservation policies in 2004 and 2008. The study concludes that while agricultural prices influence deforestation rates, government policies were responsible for preventing the loss of approximately 62,000 square kilometers of forest between 2005 and 2009.

This executive summary analyzes whether the substantial decline in deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon between 2004 and 2009 was driven by agricultural price fluctuations or government conservation policies. Using regression techniques and counterfactual simulations, the authors conclude that conservation policies implemented at two key turning points (2004 and 2008) were responsible for approximately half of the avoided deforestation during this period.

The IAI Directorate Report (2011-2012) details the conclusion of the Second Collaborative Research Network (CRNII) and Small Grants Program for Human Dimensions (SGP-HD), the launch of new NSF-funded awards, and capacity-building initiatives across Latin America. It highlights research on land-use change in the La Plata basin, biodiversity in the tropical Andes, and the challenges of integrating natural and human sciences for policy. The report also documents significant operational difficulties in Brazil regarding staff contracting and taxation.

The report from the Executive Directorate of the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) to the 20th Conference of the Parties (2012) details the outcomes of the second round of Cooperative Research Networks (CRNII) and the Human Dimensions Small Grants Program (SGP-HD). It highlights scientific findings on land-use change in the Plata Basin, the establishment of a Water Security Center of Excellence, and the launch of new NSF-funded grants (SGP-CRA and CRN3). The document also reports significant administrative challenges in Brazil, including severe IT connectivity issues and legal/tax disputes regarding the employment of Brazilian staff.

This policy brief examines 'evergreen agriculture' in Zambia, focusing on the integration of specific tree species into annual food crop systems to combat soil degradation and climate change vulnerability. It highlights the success of maize agroforestry and conservation agriculture with trees in increasing yields and sequestering carbon, while discussing the institutional and financial challenges of scaling these practices across Africa.

This policy brief examines Tanzania's efforts to develop a National Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation (REDD+) Strategy. It details the role of a National Taskforce, the impact of a $90 million partnership with Norway, and the challenges of stakeholder engagement and inter-ministerial coordination in preparing for a global REDD+ mechanism.

This report by the Stockholm Environment Institute evaluates the current state of climate economics, arguing that economic modeling has lagged behind climate science. The authors advocate for a precautionary, standards-based approach to policy—such as maintaining a 2°C warming limit—rather than relying on traditional cost-benefit frameworks that often underestimate catastrophic risks and the importance of future generations.

This research paper details the calculations and data sources used by Green Footstep, an online tool designed to assess and reduce carbon emissions from building construction projects. The methodology focuses on achieving carbon neutrality by ensuring that the net carbon stored on a project site by the end of its analysis period is equal to or greater than the carbon stored in its native state.

The 2011 Scientific Program Report by the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) details the achievements of four scientific programs between May 2010 and April 2011. It focuses on the Cooperative Research Networks (CRN II), the Small Grants Program for Human Dimensions (SGP-HD), and an IDRC-funded project on land use in the Río de la Plata basin. The report emphasizes the integration of natural and social sciences to inform policy decisions regarding climate change, biodiversity, and water security across the Americas.

The 2011 Report on Science Program by the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) details the achievements of four scientific programs between May 2010 and April 2011. These include the Second Collaborative Research Network (CRNII), the Small Grants Program for the Human Dimensions (SGP-HD), and a project on land use and biofuels in the La Plata Basin. The report emphasizes the integration of social and economic research into natural science to bridge the science-policy divide, highlighting impacts on urban pollution management, forest conservation, and agricultural risk reduction across the Americas.

This report analyzes the greenhouse gas (GHG) and air pollutant emissions of 15 alternative fates for woody biomass residues in the Pacific Northwest and Alaska, comparing them to common practices of on-site combustion and decomposition. Using a "post-harvest to grave" life cycle approach, the study evaluates carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, carbon monoxide, and fine particulate matter (PM2.5). The findings indicate that displacing fossil fuels with biomass residues generally reduces net GHG emissions, while industrial facilities with emission controls significantly reduce CO and PM2.5 compared to uncontrolled on-site burning.

This fact sheet describes the SACC project, an international consortium studying ocean-related global and climate changes in South America, with a specific focus on the exchange processes between the deep ocean and the Patagonian shelf.

The DIVERSUS Collaborative Research Network is developing an interdisciplinary framework to analyze how land cover change (LCC) affects functional biodiversity, ecosystem properties, and the resulting ecosystem services that support human livelihoods across diverse environments from the tropics to the tundra.