Search Climate Insights Directory

The NAP Global Network Strategy to 2030 aims to move developing countries from the formulation of National Adaptation Plans (NAPs) to active implementation. The strategy is built on three pillars: national-level technical support, South-South peer learning, and knowledge generation. Key priorities include supporting Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and Small Island Developing States (SIDS), enhancing monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) systems, and amplifying the voices of underrepresented groups and civil society. The Network seeks approximately USD 28–30 million over the strategy period to maintain its operations and support for partner countries.

The report reveals that twenty major private equity firms are linked to nearly 60 gigawatts of operating gas-fired power capacity globally, emitting an estimated 82 million metric tons of CO2e annually. This fleet spans 27 countries, with significant concentrations in the United States, Togo, Panama, Jamaica, and the Philippines. The document highlights a growing financial convergence where private equity firms are investing in both AI data centers and the fossil fuel power plants required to run them, potentially deepening carbon lock-in. Specific examples include BlackRock's pursuit of AES Corp and Blackstone's acquisition of TXNM.

The report highlights that French companies hold over 1,000 billion euros in cash, a resource largely managed by financial institutions that continue to fund fossil fuel expansion and ecosystem destruction. Focusing on 20 CAC 40 companies with 162 billion euros in combined cash, the analysis reveals a significant gap in CSR policies: while companies apply ESG criteria to suppliers, they rarely do so for their financial partners. The authors argue that corporate cash is a powerful but underused tool for decarbonization and recommend integrating ESG criteria into the selection of financial partners, setting specific CSR targets for cash management, and establishing structured dialogues with banks and asset managers to end support for unsustainable projects.

Analysis of the Lloyd's insurance market reveals that while its sustainable energy business grew by 18% annually from 2020 to 2024, its fossil fuel business grew by 2.4% per year, contrasting with a 2.8% decline in the wider global insurance market. Lloyd's remains the world's largest center for fossil fuel insurance, capturing an estimated 9% of the global market and one dollar in every eight of global oil and gas premiums. The report identifies Hiscox Syndicates as a significant outlier among managing agents for its high reliance on fossil fuel premiums. Furthermore, it highlights a growing talent crisis, noting that two-thirds of students who would consider the insurance sector would only apply to companies that do not insure fossil fuel projects or have commitments to reduce such underwriting.

The research identifies that climate disinformation in southwestern Uganda is propagated by authority figures—including politicians, religious leaders, and traditional elders—who exploit cultural norms and farmer vulnerability. Key narratives include framing climate change as a "Western agenda," carbon markets as a form of neo-colonialism, and environmental disasters as divine punishment. These narratives, combined with political greenwashing (such as promoting unsuitable eucalyptus trees or commercial crops without soil research), lead to agricultural failure, financial loss, and a distrust of scientific adaptation. The study emphasizes that countering these trends requires trust-building, youth engagement, and climate literacy programs delivered in local languages and relatable formats.

The document investigates the environmental footprint of hyperscale data centers in Brazil, arguing that the government's push to become a global hub via the REDATA regime overlooks significant ecological and social costs. It highlights the creation of 'green sacrifice zones' where marginalized communities bear the burden of infrastructure, the extractive nature of the mineral supply chain for hardware, and the high energy and water demands of AI. The paper also critiques the 'myth' of permanent job creation and the exclusion of environmental authorities from policy-making, while detailing the specific ecological trade-offs associated with solar, wind, and hydroelectric power used to fuel these facilities.

Industrial decarbonisation is essential for the global energy transition, as the sector accounts for 37% of total final energy use and one-third of global greenhouse gas emissions. While advanced economies have decoupled growth from emissions, emerging economies are seeing surges due to the relocation of heavy industries. The paper highlights that for emerging markets and developing economies (EMDEs), the transition is a business opportunity to leapfrog to sustainable technologies, avoid stranded assets, and enhance competitiveness against mechanisms like the EU's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM). However, significant bottlenecks exist, including high capital costs and limited access to critical technologies like hydrogen-based steelmaking and carbon capture. The authors propose a global partnership framework based on four pillars: technology transfer, finance mobilisation, policy alignment, and capacity building, suggesting the Climate Club as a potential governance platform.

The document describes a project running from November 2025 to December 2026 aimed at helping Nigerian transport-related businesses transition to low-carbon operations. It highlights that the transport sector accounts for over 25% of Nigeria's GHG emissions and identifies significant barriers for SMEs in accessing climate finance. The initiative provides training, technical guidance for bankable projects, and support for carbon market engagement to improve business competitiveness and public health.

The document highlights the risks of planning water and energy sectors in isolation, particularly as climate change increases water stress and impacts hydropower. It proposes the combined use of the Low Emissions Analysis Platform (LEAP) and Water Evaluation and Adaptation Planning (WEAP) tools, alongside macroeconomic modelling, to identify trade-offs and synergies. Case studies in Rwanda and Central Asia illustrate how this integrated approach can prevent GDP losses and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The brief further suggests that such integration helps countries align their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and National Adaptation Plans (NAPs) to optimize limited climate finance.

The document argues that while the IFRC has expanded anticipatory action, progress toward local leadership is hindered more by political factors and donor risk-aversion than by technical capacity. It identifies structural trade-offs between the need for global standardization and local autonomy, noting that funding and decision-making remain overly centralized. The briefing recommends a shift toward multi-year, flexible funding, the integration of Indigenous knowledge, and a reimagined operating model that places National Societies at the center of design and governance.

The project targets SMEs in logistics, infrastructure, and transport in Nigeria to address the lack of technical capacity and finance that hinders climate action. It aims to provide tools for emissions measurement, climate-aligned investment planning, and regulatory alignment with Nigeria's Climate Change Act and NDCs. The initiative is implemented through five workstreams, including the development of carbon market toolkits and B2G dialogue reports, focusing on project locations in Abuja and Enugu.

The report finds that while Kenya has successfully increased its renewable electricity generation to 87% by 2022, the transition lacks policy coherence regarding affordability and equity. High electricity tariffs, driven by infrastructure investments and a distribution monopoly, hinder industrial competitiveness and limit energy access for vulnerable groups. The analysis identifies a significant trade-off between coal-based industrialization goals and climate mitigation targets, though the latter has gained dominance due to international financial pressure. Institutional barriers, including corruption and limited resources for social equity, further impede a just transition.

The report analyzes climate finance in Kenya's arid and semi-arid lands (ASAL), specifically in Turkana, Elgeyo Marakwet, Narok, and West Pokot. It finds a significant misalignment in funding, with over 60% of climate finance directed toward mitigation despite the high vulnerability of these regions to climate-induced droughts and floods. The study identifies severe funding gaps, where actual budgetary allocations for climate action in some counties are as low as 2% to 9% of estimated needs. Key barriers include weak institutional capacity, fragmented governance, and limited access to formal financial markets. The report recommends strengthening county-level technical skills, promoting innovative financing like green bonds and blended finance, and mainstreaming climate priorities into local budgeting to improve adaptation outcomes.

The report examines the transition from 'localized' to 'locally led' anticipatory action within the IFRC Network. It identifies that while the network's global reach and National Societies are significant strengths, progress is hindered by political factors, centralized decision-making, and donor risk aversion. The document argues that scaling locally led action requires navigating trade-offs between global standardization and local autonomy, advocating for more flexible, long-term funding and the integration of indigenous knowledge into technical forecasting models.

The document examines the alignment of Indonesia's business sector with the 2035 NDC, highlighting a potential investment opportunity of USD 3.8 trillion. While over 100 Indonesian companies have adopted science-based targets, the report identifies significant barriers including regulatory uncertainty, fragmented institutional responsibility, and a lack of a standardized 'green investment' definition. It proposes solutions such as 'power wheeling' for renewable energy access, blended finance mechanisms, and sectoral decarbonization roadmaps for energy, industry, and transport to ensure the NDC is 'investible' and supports the national goal of net-zero by 2060.

The document outlines the economic and environmental necessity for South Africa to raise its climate ambition in its second NDC. It emphasizes that transitioning from a coal-dependent economy to one powered by renewables is an economic imperative to avoid trade risks from Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanisms (CBAMs) and to unlock new industries like green hydrogen and electric vehicles. The briefing provides sector-specific recommendations for power, transport, and heavy industry, while stressing the need for deep public-private collaboration and the inclusion of SMEs to achieve a net-zero target by 2050.

The document advocates for shifting the $1.1 trillion spent annually on fossil fuel subsidies toward clean energy technologies. It presents a business case where renewables-based power systems drive industrial competitiveness, attract private investment, and reduce exposure to volatile fuel markets. The report details how strategic incentives in China and India have accelerated EV adoption and suggests that power market reforms—such as decoupling electricity prices from natural gas—are essential to unlock the full potential of the energy transition.

The Global Goal on Adaptation (GGA) is an international framework established under the Paris Agreement to monitor and evaluate climate adaptation progress. While an overarching framework was agreed in 2023, the process now focuses on defining specific indicators to be finalized at COP30 in Belém. These indicators, covering both outcomes (e.g., water stress levels) and means of implementation (e.g., finance), aim to replace vague pledges with measurable targets. The document highlights a critical adaptation financing gap, noting that developing countries' needs are estimated at USD 310-365 billion annually, far exceeding current flows. It argues that quantifiable metrics can incentivize investment, citing research that every dollar invested in adaptation can generate over ten dollars in benefits over a decade.

The document asserts that diversifying export markets is essential for Canada's economic prosperity, particularly to reduce vulnerability to US trade decisions. It argues that because many lucrative global markets are rapidly implementing climate policies and energy transitions, Canadian firms need transition plans to maintain market access, attract capital, and avoid being outperformed by international competitors.

Private equity firms have invested nearly $200 billion in data center-related industries since January 2022, driving a strategy of acquiring vertically integrated retail energy utilities and fossil fuel power plants to secure power for AI infrastructure. BlackRock's Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP) has acquired ALLETE Inc. and is pursuing a $38 billion takeover of AES, while Blackstone has invested in the Potomac Energy Center and is seeking to acquire TXNM Energy. The report argues that this expansion risks creating stranded high-emitting assets if AI demand is overestimated, while already causing increased electricity costs for ratepayers—rising up to 267% in some data center hubs—and significant environmental degradation. Organized community resistance has already delayed or blocked $64 billion in data center projects across 24 U.S. states.