Search Climate Insights Directory

The document argues that Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries must implement coordinated national and regional strategies to decarbonise heavy industries like refining and ammonia production. It identifies four priority actions: cost-competitive policy design, targeted deployment in industrial clusters, shared financial risk schemes, and cross-border collaboration for infrastructure. The analysis highlights that CEE accounts for nearly 25% of EU hydrogen consumption, with Poland as the dominant user, and emphasizes that the lack of domestic regulatory frameworks for CO2 storage in Poland currently forces a reliance on more expensive export options.

A growing number of US communities and governments are suing fossil fuel companies, arguing they misled the public about climate change. These 'polluter pays' cases seek compensation for climate damages, mirroring the 1990s tobacco litigation. While most cases are in the US, a significant case in Peru involving RWE highlights global implications. The fossil fuel industry is responding with lobbying for legal immunity and efforts to discredit litigants, though some cases, such as Honolulu v. Sunoco LP, are advancing toward trial.

The AfCFTA's Protocol on Women and Youth in Trade (PWYT), released in February 2024, aims to promote the socio-economic development of women and youth by providing affirmative action in capacity building, market intelligence, and trade credit. However, the document identifies a significant gap in the protocol's ability to support informal micro-enterprises, which constitute a large portion of women-led trade in Africa. It recommends the implementation of a four-tiered system of cross-subsidisation based on enterprise size and scope, the creation of a continental Simplified Trade Regime (STR), and the transition from volatile official development assistance (ODA) to sustainable funding derived from common external tariffs or domestic sales taxes.

The document defines 'loss and damage' as climate change consequences that exceed human adaptation limits, categorizing them into economic losses (e.g., infrastructure damage) and non-economic losses (e.g., cultural loss). It details the evolution of UN negotiations, from the 1991 proposal by Vanuatu to the 2023 operationalization of the Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage (FRLD), which had pledges totaling $768.4 million as of April 2025. The text emphasizes that this funding is far below the estimated $580 billion needed by vulnerable countries by 2030 and argues for a 'mosaic of solutions' combining public, private, and innovative funding sources to support activities such as humanitarian aid, relocation, and livelihood restoration.

The briefing argues that the Asian Development Bank's (ADB) technical assistance (TA), while a small part of overall financial commitments, exerts significant strategic influence over policy and project design. The authors contend that TA can act as a form of indirect funding for fossil gas and call for the ADB to align its energy policy with a total fossil gas phase-out, improve transparency, and ensure environmental and social risk disclosure for all TA.

The briefing argues that the Asian Development Bank (ADB) uses technical assistance (TA) as a form of indirect funding that prolongs reliance on fossil gas. While TA is a small portion of overall financial commitments, it significantly influences policy directions and project design. The authors call for the ADB to align its energy policy with the Paris Agreement's 1.5°C goal by phasing out fossil gas support and implementing stricter risk disclosure, transparency, and accountability mechanisms for TA.

The Council on Strategic Risks warns that proposed efforts by the Trump Administration to eliminate or restructure FEMA pose a grave risk to US national security. The author contends that FEMA is essential for protecting American lives, preventing foreign and domestic exploitation during disasters, and supporting military readiness. The document highlights recent cuts to staff and the elimination of the Building Resilience Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program as detrimental, suggesting that the agency requires modernization and investment rather than dismantling.

The document argues that traditional nationalistic industrial models must shift toward collaborative frameworks to avoid excluding developing nations from green value chains. It suggests strategies such as disaggregating energy-intensive production to regions with abundant renewables, moving from 'technology transfer' to 'sharing of know-how', and utilizing industrial clusters to reduce costs and aggregate demand. The paper emphasizes the role of Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs) in providing concessional capital and the potential for 'climate-smart' public-private partnerships, including philanthropic funding, to bridge financial gaps. It highlights the importance of regional trade frameworks and the need to recycle revenues from carbon border measures back into developing economies to catalyze green industrialisation.

The document examines the differing motivations for green industrialisation between African nations, which prioritise economic diversification and job creation, and high-income countries, which focus on decarbonisation and geopolitical competitiveness. It highlights the financial gap facing developing countries, noting that adaptation finance needs are projected to reach USD 215-387 billion annually until 2030. The author argues that while developed nations use industrial policies to secure critical raw materials and maintain a competitive edge, Africa seeks to transition from raw material exports to value addition. To bridge these gaps, the paper recommends that the G20 facilitate affordable green technology transfer, coordinate non-debt-creating climate finance, and support the establishment of mineral value chains close to their source in Africa.

The report examines how transition finance is being leveraged to decarbonise China's steel industry, focusing on the impact of the first subnational regulatory framework introduced in Hebei Province in December 2023. It finds that the market responded quickly to these guidelines, with steel transition loans in Hebei exceeding CNY20bn (USD2.8bn) by the end of 2024. The document estimates that the sector requires at least USD18bn in capex over the next five years to invest in electric arc furnaces (EAF), direct reduced iron (DRI) shaft furnaces, and electrolysers. While large state-owned enterprises lead in transition planning, smaller firms face greater financing gaps. The report recommends that the People's Bank of China introduce further incentives, such as interest subsidies, and that steel companies secure offtake contracts to improve the bankability of green steel projects.

The report finds that the cumulative aligned GSS+ market reached USD 5.7 trillion by the end of 2024. Green bonds remain the dominant theme, while sustainability-linked bonds (SLBs) saw a significant decrease in aligned volume. Europe continues to be the largest source of aligned GSS+ debt, and the report highlights the growth of sovereign issuance and the development of national taxonomies.

The document examines the opacity of EU trilogue negotiations, where 89% of legislative files reached agreement in the first reading during the 2014-2019 term. It argues that the current lack of transparency allows privileged industry lobbyists access while excluding civil society and enables Member States to later contradict agreed-upon positions, as seen with the Nature Restoration Law and the Corporate Sustainable Due Diligence Directive. The briefing rejects arguments that transparency would entrench negotiator positions, citing CJEU rulings, and asserts that reactive access requests under Regulation 1049/2001 are insufficient due to systemic delays. It recommends the proactive publication of 'four-column documents', agendas, and calendars, and suggests specific regulatory amendments for the European Parliament, Council, and Commission to formalise this openness.

ClientEarth argues that the next EU long-term budget (MFF) must move beyond inconsistent environmental safeguards to implement binding spending targets and strict conditionalities. The organization calls for the legal enshrining of the 'do no significant harm' (DNSH) principle, the creation of a dedicated Nature Restoration Fund and an EU Ocean Fund, and the redirection of harmful subsidies in agriculture and fisheries toward low-impact, small-scale actors and energy communities.

The document argues that health organizations should lead the effort to revoke the 'social license' of the fossil fuel industry by refusing to work with PR agencies linked to it. It draws a parallel between the current fossil fuel industry and the historical tobacco industry, citing CVS Health's 2014 decision to stop selling tobacco as a model for corporate responsibility. The guide outlines a 'Fossil Fuel Free Health Communications Pledge' and a three-step screening process for agencies: requesting full client disclosure, seeking a commitment to avoid future fossil fuel clients, and demanding public accountability. It also provides a list of specific questions for organizations to ask potential agencies to ensure alignment with public health and climate goals.

The document argues that fossil fuel companies use disinformation campaigns, similar to the tobacco industry's historical tactics, to obstruct climate action and harm public health. It urges health organizations to leverage their credibility and market influence—noting a healthcare advertising market valued at USD 42.28 billion in 2024—to revoke the industry's 'social license' by refusing to hire agencies with fossil fuel ties. The guide outlines a 'Commitment for Fossil-Free Health Communications' and a three-step screening process: requesting full client disclosure (specifically for the past 3 years), seeking a fossil-free commitment (such as the Clean Creatives pledge), and verifying public accountability. It cites the 2014 decision by CVS Health to stop selling tobacco products as a precedent for how health-focused entities can catalyze broader industry change by aligning business practices with health missions.

The playbook argues that gender integration in climate finance is a strategic necessity because women are disproportionately affected by climate change yet act as key drivers of adaptation and mitigation. It outlines a spectrum of gender integration—ranging from 'Gender Biased' to 'Gender Transformative'—and proposes a four-step process for creating gender-responsive instruments: conducting gender analysis, formulating a gender strategy, developing a gender action plan, and monitoring and evaluating outcomes. The guide provides specific implementation tools, including sample assessment areas for gender analysis and indicators for measuring success across internal operations, investment activities, beneficiary impacts, and capacity building.

Global climate finance for agrifood systems reached USD 94.9 billion in 2021/22, representing 7.2% of total global climate finance. While flows have increased since 2019/20, the report finds that investment is critically misaligned, with a massive funding gap of USD 1.1 trillion annually required through 2030 to align the sector with climate goals. Growth is heavily concentrated in domestic public investment in China and Europe, while private capital remains largely absent in sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America and the Caribbean. Mitigation finance is dominated by energy-related projects like agrivoltaics, while adaptation finance remains heavily reliant on public grants. The report calls for a strategic mix of financial instruments and policy reforms to unlock capital for high-impact solutions such as soil carbon management and nature-based solutions.

The document provides the technical framework for tracking climate finance in agrifood systems, introducing an expanded taxonomy and a keyword tagging system to capture investments in non-traditional sectors. It distinguishes between 'comparable' and 'adjusted' flows to separate actual investment growth from improvements in data collection. Key data sources include the Global Landscape of Climate Finance (GLCF) and specific agrifood datasets, with a notable increase in finance attributed to energy systems supporting agrifood between 2019/20 and 2021/22.

The report finds that while carbon markets have the potential to generate social and economic benefits for LMIC communities, current impacts are often suboptimal or negative due to poor project design and governance. Agricultural and energy efficiency projects generally show higher potential for positive community impact than pure forest conservation projects, which often restrict access to vital resources. Key barriers include low carbon prices in voluntary markets, delayed payments, and the exclusion of women due to land tenure structures. Positive outcomes are linked to pro-poor design, inclusive governance, higher carbon prices for co-benefits, and adherence to stringent standards like the CCB Standard.

The IAI Committee on Oceans, Islands and Coastal Regions declares its commitment to establishing a transdisciplinary research and training program aligned with the UN Decade of Ocean Science. The statement emphasizes the 'One Blue Health' approach, the importance of blue carbon ecosystems for 30x30 goals, and the need for innovative financing mechanisms like blue bonds to support Latin America, the Caribbean, and Small Island Developing States (SIDS). It advocates for the integration of indigenous and local knowledge and the use of transdisciplinary science to inform ocean governance and climate adaptation.