Search Climate Insights Directory

The report identifies a critical need to accelerate building renovations in Europe, noting that approximately 97% of the region's building stock requires upgrades to meet 2050 net-zero targets. It argues that while the EU's 'Fit for 55' package and the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) provide a foundation, additional policy interventions are needed to unlock private capital and overcome financial and non-financial barriers. The document details 20 specific policy levers, including the implementation of Minimum Energy Performance Standards (MEPS), the phasing out of fossil-fuel subsidies by 2040, and the adoption of 'Building Renovation Passports'. It emphasizes the role of green bonds and mortgages, suggesting a voluntary EU-wide definition for green mortgages to improve data collection and risk management. The report also advocates for the electrification of heating via heat pumps over hydrogen blending and highlights the importance of addressing 'Whole Life Carbon' (WLC) in construction.

ClientEarth calls for the Global Plastics Treaty to move beyond recycling and establish legally-binding targets to reduce global plastic production. The briefing highlights that plastics, which are over 99% derived from fossil fuels, contribute significantly to greenhouse gas emissions and that current production trends threaten the 1.5°C global warming limit. Key recommendations for the INC-4 negotiations include adopting a science-based 'full life cycle' approach, halting the construction of new production facilities, and aligning financial flows with the treaty's objectives.

The report evaluates the Paris 2024 climate strategy, noting that while efforts in construction and food supply are robust, other sectors like transport and energy lack transparency and detailed methodology. It criticizes the evolution of public claims from 'carbon neutrality' to 'climate positive' as misleading and highlights a lack of transparency in carbon credit purchases. The authors argue that future games must downscale or decentralize to align with the 1.5°C goal and should avoid partnering with companies whose climate pathways are incompatible with the Paris Agreement.

The report analyzes the Paris 2024 climate strategy, noting that while efforts in construction and food procurement are robust, there is significant opacity regarding carbon credit purchases, energy sourcing, and the overall carbon budget. It criticizes the evolution of public communication from 'carbon neutrality' to 'climate positive' as misleading and highlights the incompatibility of many official sponsors with the Paris Agreement. The document argues that incremental improvements are insufficient and proposes a radical redesign of the Olympic model, such as distributing events globally to reduce international air travel and infrastructure needs.

Friends of the Earth International calls for a legally binding global treaty that addresses the full life cycle of plastics, specifically demanding mandatory targets to reduce global production, a ban on plastic waste exports from the Global North to the Global South, and the accountability of transnational corporations. The organization rejects 'false solutions' like chemical recycling and plastic offsets, advocating instead for a 'zero waste hierarchy' focused on reduction, reuse, and redesign. It further demands a just transition for waste workers, the application of 'common but differentiated responsibilities' for financing in the Global South via grants, and strict transparency regarding the chemical composition of plastics.

The research examines the drivers, barriers, and 'seeds' of circular economy (CE) practices within the SADC region, arguing for a contextually sensitive approach that moves beyond Global North narratives. It identifies critical drivers such as rapid urbanisation, e-waste challenges, and climate change, while highlighting systemic barriers including lack of uniform regulatory frameworks and knowledge disparities. The authors propose a multi-level resource use system that integrates indigenous solutions with disruptive technologies and recommends regional collaboration through the SADC Secretariat and AU to harmonise CE strategic frameworks, fiscal policies, and educational curricula.

The document maps the governance landscape of the WTO regarding trade and the environment. It details the roles of various committees, the dispute settlement mechanism, and the Trade Policy Review Mechanism in monitoring and negotiating environmental measures. It also highlights three major member-led initiatives—TESSD, DPP, and FFSR—and the role of the WTO Secretariat in facilitating information exchange and technical assistance to support sustainable development and climate goals.

The report provides a comprehensive compilation of excerpts from the WTO's Thirteenth Ministerial Conference (MC13), focusing on the intersection of global trade with environmental sustainability, climate change, and the UN 2030 Agenda. It highlights a strong collective push to finalize the second phase of the Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies to combat overcapacity and overfishing, while revealing a significant divide between developed and developing nations regarding unilateral environmental trade measures and the need for special and differential treatment (SDT).

WWF proposes a 'start then strengthen' approach for the global Plastic Pollution Treaty, focusing on five priority plastic applications for reuse: prefilled beverage bottles, takeaway food and beverage containers, on-site single-use products, consumer delivery packaging, and B2B closed-loop packaging. The report advocates for binding global reuse targets, harmonised definitions, and minimum performance standards for both products and systems to prevent 'reuse in name only'. It emphasizes that a global treaty is necessary to overcome market failures and high start-up costs that hinder individual business adoption of reuse systems. Recommended implementation tools include Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) schemes, deposit return systems (DRS), and multilateral funding to support a just transition, particularly for low-income countries and informal waste pickers.

The document outlines key drivers of change in Asia and the Pacific, focusing on the dual nature of artificial intelligence, the risk of losing traditional ecological knowledge, and the influence of power relations on environmental outcomes. It proposes a transition away from consumerist economic models toward systems prioritizing planetary health, alongside the need for robust governance and the protection of the rights of nature and marginalized groups.

The document advocates for 'nature-positive trade' to support the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework's goal to halt and reverse biodiversity loss by 2030. It highlights that over half of global GDP is dependent on nature and urges the WTO to implement policies such as lowering tariffs on environmental goods and eliminating perverse subsidies. While noting progress through initiatives like the Dialogue on Plastics Pollution, it expresses disappointment over the lack of agreement at the Thirteenth WTO Ministerial Conference regarding fisheries and agricultural subsidies.

France has integrated climate considerations into its annual budgetary process through a 'Green Budget' published in 2021, which rates all State expenditures on their environmental impact. This system uses a five-category scale and six environmental goals to ensure government agencies consider net-zero progress in their spending. A notable application was the 2021 COVID-19 recovery plan, which mandated that 30% of its funds be allocated to favorably rated green investments.

The Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) analyzes the Revised Zero Draft of the Plastics Treaty, arguing that the instrument must include legally binding obligations to control primary plastic polymer production and eliminate hazardous chemicals to be effective. CIEL emphasizes the need for a 'shall' rather than 'should' framework, the inclusion of human rights and health dimensions, and the establishment of a dedicated financial mechanism and a robust transparency framework to ensure accountability and a just transition for affected workers and communities.

The document argues that treating wood burning as renewable energy has led to forest degradation, high CO2 emissions, and public health risks. It outlines the legal requirements of RED III and urges Member States to use their discretion to phase out biomass subsidies, implement the cascading principle, and adopt stricter sustainability criteria to protect European forests and the climate.

The manifesto calls for the European Commission to adopt a comprehensive EU sufficiency strategy in its next mandate. It argues that sufficiency differs from efficiency by focusing on the absolute amount and nature of resource use to ensure human well-being within planetary boundaries. The authors claim that sufficiency can reduce Europe's final energy demand by 20-30% by 2050 and save approximately €200 billion annually by reducing critical imports. Key recommendations include establishing binding 2040 energy consumption and material footprint reduction targets, reforming transport to reduce individual car use and unnecessary air travel, and implementing a new EU Directive on Sustainable Resource Management.

The document outlines discussions from a foresight workshop involving 42 academics and practitioners from 15 countries in Asia and the Pacific. It identifies key drivers of change—specifically artificial intelligence, cultural values, and economic power relations—and their potential impacts on the environment and society. The briefing recommends transforming economic systems away from GDP-centric models, enhancing governance through AI ethics and transboundary cooperation, and centering rights and justice to protect marginalized groups and the environment.

The Stockholm Environment Institute's 'Clean and Green' (L&V) framework moves beyond eliminating open defecation to integrate health risk management with the safe reuse of productive waste. The framework consists of a 'Clean path' to reduce pathogen exposure and a 'Green path' to recover nutrients (N, P, K) and organic matter from human and animal waste. Following pilot tests in Burkina Faso, the document argues for the framework's application in Bolivia, where rural poverty is high and agricultural productivity could be enhanced by recycling nutrients from human excreta, which is estimated to provide the equivalent of 40 kg of chemical fertilizer per household annually.

The document argues that the current ecological crisis is driven by fossil-fuel-based economic systems and excessive consumption. It calls for a fundamental shift in economic and behavioral patterns, emphasizing the interconnectedness of climate change, biodiversity loss, water scarcity, air pollution, and social inequality. The guide advocates for a 'just transition' that protects the poor and marginalized, who suffer most from environmental degradation despite contributing the least to it.

The document outlines the environmental crises caused by fossil-fuel-driven economic systems, emphasizing the need for a 'just transition' and a shift toward circular economies. It highlights the critical state of biodiversity, water security, and air quality, noting that the poorest populations suffer most despite contributing least to the problem. The guide calls for systemic changes in food production, energy use, and consumption patterns to protect the planet for future generations.

A group of environmental organizations urges the Biden administration to implement a national strategy to end plastic pollution by 2040, citing a low national residential recycling rate of 21% and the threat of plastic waste tripling in oceans by 2040. The letter proposes five key areas for action: establishing national reduction targets, advancing a circular economy through Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), improving waste infrastructure, prioritizing environmental justice, and advocating for a legally binding global plastics agreement.