Search Climate Insights Directory

The analysis finds that Norway experienced at least one additional week of winter days above freezing annually from 2014 to 2023 due to climate change. Approximately 80% of Norway's divisions saw more than one additional week of such days each year. The report notes that this loss of winter chill impacts snowfall, winter sports, water supplies, crops, and spring allergies.

Climate change has significantly increased the number of winter days above freezing in Poland, with the country ranking fifth globally for the most lost chilled winter days. Between 2014 and 2023, Poland experienced nearly three additional weeks of days above freezing annually, with all 13 analyzed cities seeing at least two additional weeks per year.

The analysis finds that Spain experienced an average of eight additional days above freezing annually during the winter months of December, January, and February from 2014 to 2023 due to climate change. This trend affected 62% of Spanish provinces, with the highest increases observed in provinces such as León, which saw 17 additional days above freezing annually. The report highlights that these 'lost winter days' impact snowfall, water supplies, crops, and winter sports.

The analysis finds that climate change has increased the number of winter days with minimum temperatures above 0°C across the United Kingdom, with a national average of 11 additional days per year. England experienced the highest increase with 12 additional days, followed by Scotland and Wales with 10, and Northern Ireland with 8.

The Council on Strategic Risks outlines a phased implementation plan—spanning 'Day One', the 'First 100 Days', and 'Year One'—to strengthen US nuclear infrastructure and leadership. Key proposals include tripling nuclear energy capacity by 2050, deploying at least ten small and micro reactors for military base resilience, and establishing domestic uranium enrichment to end dependence on foreign state-owned materials. The blueprint also calls for the US to lead efforts to ensure multilateral development banks provide financial support for nuclear projects to meet the COP28 tripling pledge.

The paper examines Uganda's agricultural subsidy landscape, highlighting a gap between government priorities and actual budget allocations. While initiatives like NAADS and insurance subsidies have increased production—notably in coffee—the authors argue that subsidies often benefit large-scale farmers over smallholders, suffer from poor implementation, and encourage environmentally harmful practices like monoculture and chemical use. They recommend a bottom-up redesign of subsidies that supports entire value chains and simplifies access for small farmers.

The report examines Cyprus's role as a migration hub, highlighting a shift toward restrictive asylum policies, increased border security, and a lack of comprehensive integration strategies. It details the impact of regional conflicts and climate change on migration flows, the rise of xenophobic violence, and the tension between national deterrence efforts and EU-led resilience and integration frameworks.

Greece serves as a front-line state for the EU, managing mixed migratory flows through a policy that prioritizes deterrence over legal migration. While the country has seen shifts in arriving nationalities—with increases in Egyptians, Palestinians, and Iraqis—it faces significant challenges in the social and economic integration of refugees and asylum seekers. The government is currently attempting to expand legal labor pathways through bilateral agreements and domestic reforms to address labor shortages, while continuing to rely on EU funding to maintain border security and reception infrastructure.

The document examines the Eastern Mediterranean migration route, highlighting a shift toward deterrence policies across both EU member states (Greece, Cyprus) and neighboring countries (Egypt, Lebanon). It analyzes how EU external migration policy encourages these nations to act as 'gatekeepers' through financial and technical support in exchange for border management and the reduction of irregular departures. The report details specific mobility patterns, such as the surge in Egyptian migration via Libya and the displacement of Syrians and Lebanese due to regional conflict, while noting a systemic lack of legal migration pathways and significant barriers to healthcare, education, and employment for refugees and migrants across all four countries.

Egypt is increasingly a destination and transit point for migrants from Africa and the MENA region, while simultaneously seeing a surge in its own citizens emigrating to the EU due to severe economic instability. The document details how Egypt leverages its geopolitical position to secure EU financial support and strategic partnerships, primarily focusing on curbing irregular migration and managing refugees. It highlights the critical impact of IMF-mandated austerity, currency devaluation, and climate change—specifically sea-level rise in the Nile Delta and water security threats from Ethiopia's Grand Renaissance Dam—as primary drivers of displacement and emigration.

The policy brief argues that current menstrual health policies often oversimplify sustainability by focusing solely on the waste generated by disposable products. It recommends that policymakers adopt a comprehensive framework that considers local contexts, the impact of climate change on water accessibility, the need for standardized product quality, and the socio-economic barriers that influence product choice and disposal practices.

The policy brief argues that CARICOM lacks a cohesive trade strategy aligned with the global 'Sustainability and Inclusiveness' (S&I) agenda. It analyzes the region's economic vulnerabilities—including small market size, dependence on fossil fuels, and climate risk—and evaluates existing trade agreements like the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas and the CARIFORUM-EU EPA. The authors recommend a regional approach that integrates trade with policies on energy, climate change, the blue economy, and food security, while increasing the participation of non-traditional stakeholders such as MSMEs and civil society.

The Union of Concerned Scientists reports that industrial agriculture is the leading cause of wetland loss over the last 250 years, which increases flood risks and releases stored carbon. In the Upper Midwest, 30 million acres of wetlands provide approximately $23 billion in annual residential flood mitigation benefits, with long-term value estimated between $323 billion and $754 billion. The document urges the US government to use the upcoming farm bill to increase funding for USDA conservation programs, such as the Conservation Reserve Program and Wetland Reserve Easements, to protect these ecosystems.

The report highlights a significant gap between the public sustainability commitments of major seafood companies and their actual implementation of robust traceability. While some companies like Thai Union and CP Foods have group-level commitments, most lack time-bound targets, detailed implementation plans, or annual progress reporting. The document argues that full-chain, digital, and interoperable traceability—specifically aligned with Global Dialogue on Seafood Traceability (GDST) standards—is essential for managing material risks such as IUU fishing, forced labour, and overfishing, and for complying with emerging regulations in the EU, US, and Japan.

In 2024, solar energy in Türkiye significantly increased its contribution to meeting peak electricity demand, covering two-thirds of the hourly peak demand increase compared to 2023. This growth is driven by rising cooling needs due to hotter summers, with solar power meeting 18% of peak demand in 2024, up from 2.5% in 2017. On July 23, 2024, solar generation exceeded 10 GWh, meeting the total hourly demand for over 10 million people in Western Anatolia provinces. The report highlights that solar installations helped Türkiye avoid investing in approximately 16 GW of fossil fuel capacity in 2024 and notes that over 14 GW of solar capacity with storage is currently in pre-licensing stages, far exceeding the 2030 National Energy Plan target of 2.1 GW.

A letter from medical professionals to Vancouver City Council arguing against the use of natural gas in new builds due to indoor air pollution, climate impacts, and the health risks associated with fracking.

CAPE advocates for a rapid transition away from fossil fuels, citing severe health impacts from fracking and oil sands, the failure of industry-led emissions reductions, and the necessity of Indigenous reconciliation in climate action.

The Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) asserts that a successful global plastics treaty must address the crisis at its source by capping production, as 99 percent of plastics are fossil-fuel derived and production is projected to triple by 2050. CIEL recommends a minimum 70 percent reduction in plastic production by 2050 relative to 2019 levels to align with 1.5°C climate goals. The document warns that current draft texts and the proposed "non-paper" by Chair Luis Vayas may lead to a weak agreement. Essential elements for an effective treaty include binding national targets, bans on hazardous chemicals (of which over 4,200 are known to pose risks), enforceable trade measures, and a financial mechanism such as a fee on primary polymer production. The authors highlight risks from industry lobbying and potential shifts in US policy following the re-election of Donald Trump.

Climate change increased the maximum wind speeds of every Atlantic hurricane in 2024 by 3 to 14 mph, with some storms moving into higher Saffir-Simpson categories. The analysis, based on a rapid attribution framework, found that human-caused global warming elevated ocean temperatures by as much as 2.5°F, making elevated sea surface temperatures in hurricane tracks up to 800 times more likely.

The document explains the mechanics of flash droughts, the role of human-caused climate change in exacerbating water scarcity, and the disproportionate impact of these events on marginalized communities and ecosystems. It offers practical guidance for reporters to connect local drought conditions to global climate trends and provides a list of data sources and experts.