Search Climate Insights Directory

A group of scientists requests increased public funding for US agricultural research to address the climate crisis, noting that inflation-adjusted investments have fallen by one-third since 2002. They argue that public R&D is essential for developing tools to mitigate climate change and improve food security, as private sector research often ignores non-commercial environmental benefits. The letter specifically calls for more resources for USDA agencies and programs such as the Agricultural Research Service (ARS), the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI), and research into sustainable nutrition and farmworker health.

Between 2015 and 2020, climate finance for land use in Brazil averaged US$ 6.6 billion per year, dominated by domestic private finance and rural credit. While the crop sector was the primary recipient, the report highlights a significant gap in the proportion of total rural credit that is climate-aligned and notes a decline in public budget allocations for the forest sector.

The briefing asserts that current Nationally Determined Contributions are collectively insufficient to meet Paris Agreement temperature goals, necessitating that the Global Stocktake provide clear, sector-specific mitigation actions and targets. It proposes a comprehensive list of actions—including phasing out fossil fuels and subsidies, boosting renewables, and decarbonizing industry—to inform the 2030 and 2035 time horizons. The author suggests these outputs be integrated into the CMA cover decision or technical annexes and provide a structured guidance framework for Parties to update their NDCs with achievable targets aligned with IPCC emission reduction goals.

The Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) Fund Technical Assistance Facility (TAF) is a global project designed to bridge the gap between promising land restoration concepts and 'investor-ready' projects. Managed by IDH and co-promoted by the UNCCD and Mirova, the TAF provides technical, operational, and financial assistance to SMEs, cooperatives, and private companies. It focuses on two main components: improving the technical quality and impact of projects (both pre- and post-investment) and establishing a knowledge management system through a Learning Network. The facility aims to increase private investment in sustainable land management (SLM), particularly in Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and Small Island Developing States (SIDS), while aligning with the UNCCD's Land Degradation Neutrality targets.

The document is a formal letter from a group of NGOs to the European Commission and the UK Government calling for sustainable, ecosystem-based fishing limits for 2024. The authors argue that current catch limits often ignore scientific advice, undermining biodiversity and the capacity of marine life to mitigate climate change. They demand that limits be set at or below the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) advice, the adoption of a precautionary approach for mixed fisheries and forage fish, the elimination of bycatch and discards through remote electronic monitoring, and increased transparency in decision-making.

A group of environmental NGOs has called on the Spanish Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food to lead the EU in setting 2024 fishing limits based on scientific advice rather than exceeding it. The letter highlights failures in the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) to end overfishing by 2020 and notes specific crises in the Baltic Sea and Northeast Atlantic. The NGOs argue that overfishing undermines marine biodiversity and the capacity of oceans to mitigate climate change, urging the adoption of an ecosystem-based approach, the elimination of bycatch, and increased transparency in decision-making.

The Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) is seeking GCF Project Preparation Facility (PPF) funding to design the BlueCo Caribbean Umbrella Coordination Programme. This 24-month preparatory phase involves 11 key activities, including baseline assessments, the creation of a Regional Blue Economy Framework, and the design of a Regional Coordination Mechanism. The programme intends to establish a long-term project pipeline to attract sustainable finance for a climate-resilient blue economy across multiple Caribbean SIDS, starting with an initial set of three to four high-impact projects. The request is supported by no-objection letters from several participating countries, including Barbados, Jamaica, and Trinidad and Tobago.

The executive summary evaluates climate adaptation policies in the Nordic region, highlighting a gap between the ability to identify risks and the lack of comprehensive monitoring systems. It notes that while adaptation is mainstreamed across public bodies, it suffers from low political priority, insufficient funding compared to mitigation, and a lack of economic incentives for the private sector. The document recommends reframing adaptation as transformation, improving knowledge generation for transboundary risks, and strengthening political mandates through Nordic collaboration.

The report assesses the alignment between the Colombian and EU taxonomies, finding a high degree of similarity in technical screening criteria for climate change mitigation, particularly in the energy and manufacturing sectors. While both frameworks share guiding principles and a focus on decarbonisation, the EU Taxonomy is generally more detailed regarding climate change adaptation and minimum safeguards. The Colombian Green Taxonomy offers more specific criteria for land-use sectors (AFOLU) and certain waste management activities, reflecting its regional context. Currently, the EU Taxonomy mandates disclosure for large companies and financial participants, whereas the Colombian framework remains primarily voluntary.

The document is a joint call from 200 civil society organisations for the European Union to implement a robust Nature Restoration Law. The signatories argue that current efforts are inadequate to combat mass biodiversity extinction and climate breakdown, which are manifesting in Europe as frequent droughts, floods, and forest fires. They demand the safeguarding of specific legal elements, including enforceable targets for all terrestrial and marine habitats, the restoration of agricultural ecosystems and peatlands, and the provision of dedicated funding and access to justice.

Between 2015 and 2020, climate finance for land use in Brazil averaged US$ 6.6 billion per year, with 95% originating from domestic sources. Rural credit is the dominant instrument, though climate-aligned flows represent only 8% of total rural credit. The crop sector is the primary recipient of funds, and mitigation remains the dominant objective over adaptation. The report highlights a significant decline in public budget expenditures and a growing but still small role for thematic bonds.

The report provides a comprehensive mapping of climate finance for land use in Brazil from 2015 to 2020, identifying an average annual flow of R$ 25.1 billion. It details the roles of domestic and international sources, the prevalence of rural credit as a primary instrument, and the distribution of funds across sectors such as agriculture and forestry. The analysis highlights a significant growth in thematic bonds and a heavy reliance on domestic private resources mobilized by public policies, while noting gaps in international funding and transparency regarding final beneficiaries.

The report finds that deforestation in the Amazon is highly concentrated, with 28% of the biome's deforestation occurring in rural settlements that occupy only 8% of its territory. Specifically, 75% of forest loss in settled areas in 2022 occurred in just 5% of the settlements. The authors argue that targeted interventions in these high-impact areas, combining command-and-control measures with sustainable incentives like payments for environmental services (PSA) and technical assistance, are essential to meeting Brazil's 2030 climate goals.

The report establishes a framework for assessing temporary carbon storage, asserting that because CO2 emissions have effectively permanent impacts, storage lasting only decades or a century cannot offset emissions without risking higher long-term temperatures. It argues that economic equivalence claims are irrelevant to the physical targets of the Paris Agreement and suggests a minimum storage requirement of 100 years based on the precautionary principle and current global emissions trajectories.

The report finds that a majority of registered U.S. voters prefer candidates who support action on global warming and support various clean energy policies, including a transition to 100% clean energy by 2050. While there is broad support for the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 after it is described, awareness of the law remains low. The findings highlight a significant trust deficit toward fossil fuel companies and a general perception that the U.S. government is not responding effectively to climate change. Despite this, actual political and consumer activism remains relatively low, and collective efficacy—the belief that citizens can influence government and corporate action—is limited to less than half of the electorate.

The report presents survey data from October 2023 on the attitudes of 906 registered U.S. voters. It finds broad support for clean energy policies and a preference for candidates who support climate action, though significant political polarization remains. While majorities support the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 and transitioning to clean energy by 2050, trust in fossil fuel companies is low, and actual political and consumer activism remains relatively infrequent.

The report examines the legal and social conflicts surrounding Shell South Africa's attempt to conduct seismic surveys off the Wild Coast. It identifies critical gaps between the Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act (MPRDA) and the National Environmental Management Act (NEMA), arguing that the 'One Environmental System' created regulatory obscurity. Fieldwork reveals that Shell's consultation process was inadequate, relying on a top-down approach via traditional leaders while excluding fishing communities and ignoring indigenous customs. The document also highlights potential conflicts of interest between the ruling ANC party, its investment arm Thebe Investment Corporation, and Shell, noting that the Makhanda High Court ultimately ruled the exploration right unlawful due to a lack of meaningful consultation.

The document outlines a synthesis of key scientific reports published between 2022 and 2023 to provide actionable guidance for the 2030 Agenda. It argues that current progress on the SDGs is languishing, with only about 10% of goals seeing significant progress, and calls for a course correction based on systemic, integrated, and science-based decision-making. The brief organizes its recommendations into ten thematic areas, emphasizing the need to move beyond GDP as a measure of prosperity, realign global financial systems to support low- and middle-income countries, and strengthen multilateral accountability.

Urban areas face significant financing gaps for climate action due to limited local government borrowing powers and a lack of bankable projects. To address this, the document advocates for the creation of a city climate finance roadmap based on a robust climate action plan. This roadmap should include a pipeline of bankable projects with clear costs and benefits, identified funding sources, and strategies to leverage public and private finance through stakeholder engagement and alignment with national goals.

The Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (CAPE), Women’s Healthy Environments Network (WHEN), and Breast Cancer Action Quebec (BCAQ) advocate for mandatory, transparent pollution prevention plans for large grocery chains to reduce single-use plastic food packaging. They argue that reuse systems are the most effective waste reduction method and demand that any new packaging be free of toxic chemicals like PFAS and phthalates. The organizations emphasize that plastic production is a major driver of greenhouse gas emissions and that plastic-related health harms disproportionately affect marginalized communities, including Indigenous peoples in Canada.