Search Climate Insights Directory
4,459 results
Sleeper Species: Increasing Threats to Great Lakes Ecological Security and What to Do About It
The document examines the risk of 'sleeper species'—non-native species that remain inconspicuous until environmental shifts, often driven by climate change, trigger rapid population growth. Focusing on the Laurentian Great Lakes, it details how vectors like ballast water and recreational boating introduce these species and highlights the economic and ecological damage caused by examples like zebra mussels and spiny water fleas. The brief advocates for a shift toward prevention and early detection through international collaboration, unified regulatory frameworks for shipping, and citizen science engagement to mitigate the rising costs of biological invasions.
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Document type: Policy brief
Building Climate Resilient Value Chains in Arid and Semi-Arid Regions: A VC-ARID Approach for Rangeland Adaptation in Kenya
The study examines how climate change disrupts food production systems in Kenya's arid and semi-arid rangelands, identifying that reduced water availability and temperature variability threaten value chain sustainability. It argues that resilience requires integrating tailored strategies, improving access to climate information services, and fostering collaboration between government, private sector, and local communities to mitigate economic losses and food insecurity.
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Document type: Research paper
Advocating for climate and clean air rules after a Supreme Court power grab
The document argues that recent Supreme Court rulings have shifted power from subject matter experts in federal agencies to the judiciary, creating regulatory instability and making it harder to defend environmental protections. It specifically analyzes the blocking of the Good Neighbor Rule, the elimination of Chevron deference, the expansion of statutes of limitations for challenging regulations, and the restriction of agency-led civil penalty enforcement. The author contends that these changes will lead to a 'tsunami of lawsuits' and a patchwork of conflicting legal interpretations, necessitating more rigorous technical and legal justifications for new agency rules.
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Document type: Legal commentary
A food system just transition: insights from the beef industry
The document argues that South Africa's beef industry reflects deep agrarian inequalities, characterized by a dichotomy between large-scale commercial production and struggling smallholder farmers. It highlights that while beef production is vital for employment, it contributes significantly to climate change and is vulnerable to its impacts. The paper concludes that a just transition requires moving beyond market-led growth strategies to address precarious labour conditions, low wages for farm workers, and the ecological impacts of intensive production, such as high water and grain use for feed.
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Document type: Research paper
Address by Dirco Minister Ronald Lamola on SA's Foreign Policy
South Africa's foreign policy is centered on 'active non-alignment' and the 'universality' posture, aiming to mediate global conflicts and promote the interests of the Global South. A primary focus is the African continent, specifically through the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and the pursuit of Agenda 2063. The government seeks to enhance economic diplomacy by supporting South African investments in Africa and developing regional value chains for critical minerals like lithium. Additionally, South Africa maintains a commitment to human rights and self-determination, evidenced by its legal actions at the International Court of Justice regarding Palestine and its support for Western Sahara. On a multilateral level, the country advocates for the reform of the UN Security Council and leverages its membership in BRICS and the G20 to amplify African influence.
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Document type: Statement
With Good Neighbor Rule ruling, it’s the Supreme Court’s world now. We’re just trying to breathe in it.
The author critiques the US Supreme Court's 5-4 decision to temporarily block the EPA's Good Neighbor Rule, which aimed to limit nitrogen oxide emissions from power plants and industrial sources in 23 states. The commentary argues that the Court disregarded significant public health benefits—including the prevention of 1,300 premature deaths in 2026 alone—and bypassed the standard judicial process by acting as a 'court of first view' rather than review. The author contends that the Court is inappropriately assuming a regulatory role ('Super-EPA') by making rushed assessments of highly technical environmental records without full briefing from lower courts.
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Document type: Legal commentary
Responsible Agricultural Investment (RAI) Tool for Agribusiness
The RAI Tool is a Microsoft Excel-based reference tool developed by IISD and Cerise+SPTF to help agribusinesses align their operations with the CFS-RAI Principles and IFC Performance Standards. It focuses on seven dimensions of responsible conduct, ranging from strategy and accountability to financial transparency. The tool is intended as a management and conversation starter rather than a rating system, guiding users through a three-phase assessment process: preparation (including desk reviews), field visits and interviews, and the development of a prioritised action plan to address identified gaps.
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Document type: Guide
KARPOWER IN MOZAMBIQUE FLOATING THERMOELECTRIC POWER STATION PROJECT MAPUTO
The Maputo Floating Thermoelectric Power Plant Project, a partnership between Karpower and Electricidade de Moçambique (EDM), proposes a 415MW natural gas-powered floating station in the Espírito Santo Estuary. The project includes a 4km transmission line and a 3km gas pipeline. Potential risks include the degradation of mangrove ecosystems, loss of livelihoods for artisanal fishers in Matola, Katembe, and Maputo city, and increased respiratory diseases due to reduced air quality. The document highlights the risk of 'locking-in' to costly fossil fuel agreements that could crowd out renewable energy alternatives. It also notes Karpower's controversial track record in South Africa, Guinea-Bissau, and Brazil, including allegations of environmental racism and human rights violations.
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Document type: Fact sheet
The Impact of Geopolitical Change on Humanitarian Disarmament
The document analyzes the challenges facing humanitarian disarmament in a contemporary environment characterized by rising global antagonism, a redistribution of power toward the Global South, and the decline of democratic space for civil society. It argues that the success of past treaties, such as the Mine Ban Convention, is threatened by competing global priorities like climate change and the erosion of trust between major powers. The authors highlight the difficulty of building cross-regional coalitions and the risks faced by civil society organizations (CSOs) due to government restrictions and stigmatization. To remain effective, the brief suggests that disarmament efforts must become more inclusive, diversify funding sources, and shift communication strategies toward the self-interest of states rather than relying solely on moral arguments.
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Document type: Policy brief
Next stop, access! An exploratory paper on disability rights and justice throughout the transition to electric school buses
The paper identifies systemic barriers in US school transportation, such as unreliable wheelchair lifts and the segregation of disabled students into separate buses. It argues that the transition to electric school buses (ESBs) presents an opportunity to improve health and equity, particularly for students of color in underresourced areas, provided that disabled youth are included in decision-making and universal design is adopted. The authors highlight the 'early adopter tax' and the risk of 'echo exposure'—where old diesel buses are transferred to other vulnerable community settings—and recommend that policymakers prioritize funding for accessible ESBs and enforce compliance with the ADA and IDEA.
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Document type: Research paper
Next stop, access! An exploratory paper on disability rights and justice throughout the transition to electric school buses
The paper examines the barriers faced by students with disabilities during the transition to electric school buses in the US. It highlights systemic failures in current transportation, such as broken wheelchair lifts and the segregation of disabled students onto separate buses. The authors argue for the application of Disability Justice and Environmental Justice frameworks to ensure that the transition prioritizes marginalized communities and incorporates Universal Design. Key recommendations include involving disabled youth in decision-making, improving infrastructure like sidewalks, and ensuring that electric buses are more accessible than the gas-powered vehicles they replace.
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Document type: Research paper
UN Global Principles for Information Integrity: A Major Step in Combating Misinformation
The United Nations has introduced the Global Principles for Information Integrity to address the rise of mis/disinformation and hate speech, particularly those amplified by AI. The framework calls for accountability from governments, tech companies, and the advertising industry, emphasizing human rights and the need for a trustworthy information environment. Additionally, the document notes a UN call to ban fossil fuel advertisements to protect information integrity and address the climate crisis, supported by various civil society organizations.
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Document type: Briefing
Interactive Dialogue with the Independent Expert on International Solidarity
The statement supports the Independent Expert's report on international solidarity, noting that environmental human rights defenders face increasing criminalization and scrutiny by States. It specifically highlights harassment of civil society and Indigenous Peoples' representatives at past UNFCCC COPs and expresses concern over the closed civic space in Azerbaijan ahead of COP29 in November 2024, calling for safe and inclusive participation.
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Document type: Statement
Understanding pro-climate voters in the United States
The report identifies that 37% of registered U.S. voters are 'pro-climate voters'—those who view global warming as a very important voting issue and prefer candidates who support climate action. This group, estimated at nearly 60 million people, shows higher levels of social engagement regarding climate change and stronger support for the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) than other voters, although awareness of the IRA remains relatively low even among them.
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Document type: Report
Understanding Pro-Climate Voters
The report identifies that 37% of registered U.S. voters are "pro-climate voters"—those who view global warming as a very important voting issue and prefer candidates who support climate action. While this group is more likely to discuss climate change and support the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) than other voters, only 47% of them are familiar with the IRA. The analysis suggests that these voters, numbering nearly 60 million, could be decisive in the 2024 election, particularly as they show a higher likelihood of voting than other registered voters.
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Document type: Report
Insuring the Climate Crisis: New York Bill
The Center for International Environmental Law examines the "Insuring Our Future Act" (Assembly Bill A9905A/Senate Bill S9435) in New York. The bill targets the contradiction of insurance companies raising premiums due to climate-driven disasters while continuing to finance the fossil fuel industry. It proposes a five-year phase-out of fossil fuel investments and underwriting, alongside protections against "bluelining" and sudden non-renewals for policyholders.
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Document type: Research paper
Sleepless Nights
Climate change is increasing the frequency of nighttime temperatures exceeding 18°C, 20°C, and 25°C, which impairs human sleep and increases health risks. Between 2018 and 2023, the average person globally experienced 4.8 additional days per year above 20°C and 11.5 additional days above 25°C due to climate change. The report highlights severe impacts in specific regions, such as California in the U.S. and West Bengal and Assam in India, where the number of added hot nights is highest.
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Document type: Report
Now What: Addressing the Climate-Gender-Security Nexus at NATO
The paper examines the intersection of climate change, gender, and security within NATO, arguing that the alliance must move beyond rhetoric to operationalize this nexus. It identifies implementation challenges, such as resource constraints and a 'tradeoff perception' where non-traditional security issues are seen as distracting from core defense mandates. To overcome this, the authors propose six recommendations: incorporating climate data into gender analyses, developing use cases from past missions in Afghanistan and Kosovo, prioritizing specific mission sets like humanitarian assistance and disaster response (HADR), optimizing the placement of external climate advisors, fostering collaboration between gender and climate advisors, and advancing the nexus within broader outreach and adaptation efforts.
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Document type: Research paper
Reporting Guidance: Extreme Heat
The guide advises journalists to explicitly link extreme heat events to climate change and the burning of oil, gas, and coal, noting that heat is the deadliest extreme weather event. It provides sample language for reporting, recommends avoiding trivializing visuals, and suggests using tools like the Climate Shift Index for attribution.
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Document type: Guide
Reportando sobre el cambio climático 101
The document serves as a '101' guide for journalists to report on climate change, explaining the difference between weather and climate, the primary causes of global warming, and the impacts of extreme weather. It offers specific phrasing to help reporters connect current events to climate change and distinguishes between mitigation and adaptation strategies. Additionally, it provides professional guidance on avoiding greenwashing, handling climate deniers, and centering climate justice in reporting, while emphasizing that climate coverage is based on scientific consensus rather than activism.
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Document type: Guide