Search Climate Insights Directory

The report analyzes national and international sustainability taxonomies to propose criteria for the Brazilian Sustainable Taxonomy's land-use sector. It highlights the high sensitivity of sustainable finance measurements to the chosen classification, demonstrating through a rural credit case study that alignment varies from 1% to 44% depending on the reference used. The authors recommend a technical, science-based approach with granular application levels and a gradual implementation roadmap to prevent greenwashing and attract international investment.

The document provides a comprehensive historical record of the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) governance from 1997 to 2024. Key institutional developments include the adoption of the 2024-2030 Strategic Plan, the creation of the Science Diplomacy Center, and the implementation of Gender, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) policies. The records track the evolution of the IAI's scientific focus, including the establishment of research programs on the nexus of climate, environment, and health, as well as oceans and coastal systems. Administratively, the document details the transition of the IAI headquarters from Uruguay to Panama, the approval of annual core budgets, and the expansion of the institute's network through the invitation of various academic and research institutions as Associates.

The document argues that while encouraging sustainable investment is a central policy challenge, treaties have a limited role compared to national and regional legal frameworks. It suggests that if treaties are used, they should focus on complementary roles such as facilitating international cooperation on high borrowing costs in developing countries, phasing out fossil fuel investments, and ensuring access to justice for those affected by investor misconduct. The authors emphasize that domestic law should remain the primary level of regulation for the social and environmental impacts of investment projects.

The document argues that the current model of investment protection is often ineffective and suggests that future treaties should prioritize sustainable investment, the regulation of investor conduct, and international cooperation to support the energy transition and sustainable development goals.

This executive summary argues that the current international investment treaty regime is often ineffective and suggests a fundamental rethink of its purpose. The authors propose that treaties should shift from focusing on investor protection to supporting sustainable investment, ensuring positive social and environmental impacts, and solving collective action problems in global governance. Key recommendations include prioritizing national laws for regulation, limiting treaty protections to sustainable investments, and using international frameworks to tackle high capital costs in developing countries and the phase-out of fossil fuel investments.

The ARCA project is a GEF-8 initiative focused on the Caatinga biome in Brazil, with a total GEF financing of $9,771,000. The project seeks to create approximately 100,000 hectares of new protected areas (PAs) and improve the management effectiveness of 4.58 million hectares across seven confirmed PAs. Key components include the implementation of National Action Plans for Endangered Species Conservation (PANs), combating illegal wildlife poaching and trafficking, and providing $732,155 for capacity building and sub-grants to Indigenous Peoples, Traditional Peoples, and Local Communities (IP/TP&LC). The project also aims to mitigate an estimated 48.8 million tons of CO2e over a 20-year period as a co-benefit of improved PA management.

ClientEarth argues that the European Commission's proposal to revise CAP regulations breaches several EU legal requirements, including the CAP Strategic Plans Regulation, the Treaty on European Union, and the European Climate Law, primarily due to the removal of environmental standards and the absence of required impact and climate consistency assessments.

Between 2000 and 2023, 80% of major U.S. power outages were caused by weather, with a significant increase in frequency during the last decade. Severe weather, winter storms, and tropical cyclones are the primary drivers, with Texas and the Southeast region among the most affected. The document highlights the vulnerability of aging infrastructure and the disproportionate impact on marginalized and medically vulnerable populations, while suggesting grid hardening, microgrids, and emissions reductions as paths toward resilience.

The authors call for a transformation of the international financial architecture during the IMF and World Bank Spring Meetings to better support climate adaptation and resilience in fragile contexts. They argue that failing to improve access to finance for climate-vulnerable nations threatens global security by exacerbating risks such as irregular migration and political instability.

The document examines the 'third sector' in Canada, noting a lack of research on how nonprofits and charities facilitate climate action. It argues that neoliberal decentralisation has shifted social welfare responsibilities to these organisations without providing sufficient autonomy or resources. The author finds that rigid, quantitative funding requirements often lead to 'mission drift' and fail to capture qualitative social impacts. The paper calls for more adaptable grant requirements, increased collaboration between governments and funders, and greater transparency regarding regulatory and tax implications to ensure the sustainability of climate-focused grassroots advocacy.

The report examines several classification systems used to identify sustainable investments, including the Climate Bonds Taxonomy, the EU Taxonomy, the Colombian Green Taxonomy, and the Mexican Sustainable Taxonomy, as well as domestic Brazilian initiatives from FEBRABAN and BNDES. It provides detailed breakdowns of the technical screening criteria, eligibility requirements, and mitigation and adaptation goals for agricultural and forestry activities across these frameworks. The analysis highlights the transition from general environmental objectives to specific, measurable metrics such as GHG emission reductions and carbon stock increases, while noting the varying degrees of regulatory force—ranging from mandatory EU regulations to voluntary guides in Mexico and Colombia.

The IAI's proposed 2024-2030 Strategic Plan focuses on three main themes: meeting the needs of member parties regarding global environmental change, advancing sustainability science in the Americas, and ensuring the institutional sustainability of the IAI. Key initiatives include funding transdisciplinary research on climate-health and biodiversity nexuses, expanding the STeP fellowship program, implementing an open data policy by 2026, and establishing a regional office in Central America and the Caribbean by 2025.

The IAI Directorate has proposed a Strategic Plan for 2024-2030 organized around three themes: meeting the needs of Parties to address global environmental change, developing science for the sustainability of the Americas, and ensuring the sustainability of the IAI as an organization. Key initiatives include funding transdisciplinary research on the climate-environment-health nexus, biodiversity, and ocean-coast-island systems through the Belmont Forum, as well as expanding the STeP program and establishing a new office in Central America and the Caribbean by 2025.

The briefing reorganizes the 10 elements and 44 negotiation options identified by the Co-Chairs of the Ad-Hoc Work Programme (AHWP) for the New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG) into a condensed format. It covers critical dimensions of the goal, including temporal scope, quantum, structure, and potential sources of finance, aiming to streamline the complex set of options for stakeholders ahead of the 2024 negotiation sessions.

The report examines produced capital—human-made assets used in production—across Ethiopia, Indonesia, and Trinidad and Tobago from 1995 to 2020. It finds that while produced capital has grown, levels remain low compared to developed nations and are heavily concentrated in a few sectors, such as petroleum in Trinidad and Tobago and manufacturing and real estate in Ethiopia and Indonesia. This concentration creates economic risks and hinders the transition to renewable energy and sustainable agriculture. The authors argue that the lack of regular measurement of produced capital by national statistical offices leaves policy-makers blind to these structural challenges, underscoring the need to move beyond GDP toward comprehensive wealth metrics.

The report finds that Ethiopia's real comprehensive wealth per capita grew by 103% between 1992/93 and 2019/20, primarily driven by human capital. However, this trend reversed in 2018/19 and 2019/20. While produced and market natural capital grew, financial capital declined into negative territory by 2019/20 due to high foreign debt. Non-market natural capital indicators show declining land area per capita and rising temperatures, signaling growing environmental pressures.

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).

The document operationalizes 12 integrity principles for benefit-sharing mechanisms (BSMs) in nature-based solutions (NbS) through four governance pillars: full and effective participation, transparency and accountability, fairness, and effectiveness. It provides a framework for conducting jurisdictional context analysis and offers specific guidance on identifying stakeholders, avoiding elite capture, managing resource flows, and establishing grievance redress mechanisms to ensure that environmental results translate into equitable socioeconomic benefits.

The document operationalizes WWF's integrity principles for benefit-sharing mechanisms (BSM) in nature-based solutions (NbS). It organizes the implementation process into four pillars of good governance: full and effective participation, transparency and accountability, equity, and effectiveness. The guide provides a diagnostic framework for assessing jurisdictional contexts—including governance, economy, and land tenure—and offers specific strategies to mitigate risks such as elite capture, corruption, and negative social impacts. It emphasizes the need for inclusive decision-making processes, accessible grievance redress mechanisms, and the balancing of monetary and non-monetary benefits to ensure a net positive socio-economic outcome for all stakeholders.

The document outlines a four-pillar framework for the 'good governance' of benefit-sharing mechanisms (BSM) in nature-based solutions (NbS). It focuses on ensuring that monetary and non-monetary incentives generated by environmental outcomes are distributed equitably. The guide provides specific operational questions and challenges regarding stakeholder engagement, transparency, social justice, and the effectiveness of resource flows, with a strong emphasis on preventing 'elite capture' and protecting vulnerable groups.