Search Climate Insights Directory

The document argues that traditional corporate climate leadership, focused on 'net zero' and offsets, is insufficient to address the climate crisis. It introduces the 'Drawdown-Aligned Business Framework,' which urges employees to advocate for comprehensive changes across eight leverage points: emissions reductions, stakeholder engagement, procurement, investments, disclosures, policy advocacy, business model transformation, and long-term thinking. The guide emphasizes that every job must become a 'climate job' and that companies must prioritize climate justice and the elimination of fossil fuel dependencies to achieve drawdown—the point when atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations begin to steadily decline.

Global Witness reports that 92% of surveyed land and environmental defenders have suffered online attacks, with Meta-owned platforms (Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram) being the most frequent sites of abuse. These digital attacks often precede or contribute to real-world violence, including physical assaults and criminalization. The report argues that profit-driven algorithms and inadequate moderation resources facilitate this harassment, particularly targeting women through sexualized threats and defenders in the Global South through political criminalization.

The Union of Concerned Scientists finds that the 122 largest fossil fuel and cement producers, termed 'Carbon Majors', are responsible for nearly half of present-day surface temperature increases and nearly one-third of observed global mean sea level rise. The research indicates that past emissions from these entities have already guaranteed an additional 10 to 22 inches of sea level rise by 2300. The document argues that these corporations knowingly misled the public and obstructed climate policy, and it advocates for using legal pathways and multilateral negotiations to hold them financially and legally responsible for climate damages, particularly for vulnerable island nations.

The report finds that an increasing number of Americans perceive global warming as a threat to public health, specifically identifying heat stroke, air pollution, and respiratory issues as growing risks. While 39% believe global warming harms the health of Americans generally, only 16% feel it harms their own health. There is growing recognition of disproportionate impacts on low-income people and people of color. Regarding energy, coal and nuclear power are viewed as the most harmful to health, though perceptions of wind and solar as harmful have slightly increased. Trust in first responders, primary care physicians, and climate scientists remains high as sources of health-related climate information.

The statement critiques current biodiversity financing mechanisms as unjust and insufficient, highlighting how the global financial sector drives biodiversity loss through credits to extractive industries and predatory debt cycles. It argues that 'false solutions' like biodiversity offsets and green bonds often facilitate greenwashing or profit from destruction. The document calls for a system change that prioritizes direct funding for Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPLCs), who are identified as the most effective conservation actors but the least funded.

GreenLatinos criticates the House budget resolution, stating that cuts to environmental protection, energy, and agriculture programs increase the vulnerability of Latino families to extreme weather and environmental hazards, while cuts to Medicaid and SNAP exacerbate existing economic disparities.

Six youth activists sued the Brazilian government, claiming the 2020 NDC update used an 'accounting trick' to increase allowable emissions while maintaining the same reduction percentages as the 2015 NDC. The plaintiffs argued this violated the principle of non-regression and the Paris Agreement. A federal judge denied the request for urgent injunctive relief, ruling that the updated NDC's goal of climate neutrality by 2060 and the nature of the calculation changes did not prove a lack of ambition or a violation of the principle of progression. The case is currently awaiting final judgement.

Trend Asia warns that integrating biofuels into the International Maritime Organization's (IMO) Global Fuel Standard would drive catastrophic environmental and social damage. The statement highlights that food- and feed-based biofuels, particularly those promoted by Brazil, are linked to land grabbing, deforestation, and life-cycle emissions that can exceed those of fossil diesel. It calls for the IMO to instead prioritize energy efficiency, wind assistance, and demand reduction to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050.

Climate Central analysis shows that human-caused climate change significantly increased the number of days with maximum temperatures exceeding 90°F in West Africa's cocoa belt from 2015 to 2024. The most severe impacts occurred in Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana, where climate change added approximately 40 days of growth-limiting heat per year. These temperature extremes, combined with shifting rainfall patterns and pests, threaten global cocoa supplies, increase chocolate prices, and endanger the health and livelihoods of small-scale farmers.

The author contends that current EU climate policies, including the European Green Deal, lack a sufficient social dimension and risk becoming regressive by disproportionately impacting low-income households. The proposed solution is 'universal basic services' (USB)—a needs-based approach that provides essential services like public transport, housing, and childcare as public goods. This strategy aims to decouple social security from the labor market and reduce carbon intensity by shifting from individual consumption to collective provision. The document calls for the EU to abandon restrictive fiscal rules, increase public investment, and implement wealth taxes to fund this transition, arguing that public support for climate action depends on the perceived fairness of the transition.

The report argues that the fossil fuel industry has an inherent conflict of interest in educating children about climate change and proposes a comprehensive framework to decouple public education from industry influence. It recommends that federal, provincial, and local authorities establish climate education as a public good, prohibit industry advertising and sponsorship in schools, and implement strict transparency and vetting requirements for third-party education providers. Key proposals include the creation of a federally funded climate change education program under the Department of Environment and Climate Change Canada, the integration of climate justice across all grade levels, and the adoption of school board climate action plans that include transitioning to electric buses and plant-based diets.

The report documents how at least 39 oil and gas companies and 12 industry-tied organizations influence Canadian K–12 education through branded materials, government partnerships, and funding of third-party nonprofits. It argues that this 'petro-pedagogy' obscures the industry's role in climate change, promotes individual action over systemic change, and creates a conflict of interest in classrooms. The authors call for immediate policy action at federal, provincial, and local levels to implement comprehensive, science-based climate education free from corporate interference.

The report documents how at least 39 oil and gas companies and 12 industry-tied organizations influence Canadian school curricula through direct sponsorship, government partnerships, and funding of third-party nonprofits. It identifies 'petro-pedagogy' strategies—such as 'bias-balancing,' greenwashing, and a focus on individual rather than systemic action—designed to obscure the industry's role in driving climate change and delay the energy transition. The authors recommend that federal and provincial governments prohibit fossil fuel sponsorship in schools, mandate comprehensive climate justice education, and provide public funding for teacher training and resources to ensure education is free from corporate conflicts of interest.

The Canadian Climate Institute warns that current land-use policies could lead to over 540,000 new homes being built in flood-risk zones and 220,000 in high-wildfire-risk areas by 2030. This trajectory could increase annual flood damages by up to $2 billion and wildfire damages by $1.1 billion. The report identifies critical gaps in provincial regulations, a lack of up-to-date risk mapping, and 'moral hazard' created by disaster assistance programs that encourage risky construction. It recommends strengthening land-use regulations, integrating risk data into housing and infrastructure funding, and mandating risk disclosure during real estate transactions.

The research paper advocates for South Africa to move away from a market-led 'blended finance model' (BFM) for its just energy transition, arguing that market failures necessitate a state-led approach. The author proposes a 'climate response fund' to be financed by a combination of carbon tax increases, earmarking the General Fuel Levy and Mineral and Petroleum Resource Royalty, and implementing public sector efficiency reforms and retirement tax deduction caps. Together, these measures could generate over R100 billion annually for adaptation and equity. The paper also suggests the issuance of sovereign green bonds to fund renewable energy grid infrastructure, arguing for a gentler fiscal deficit glide path to accommodate this strategic investment.

The document outlines recommendations for the EPA to integrate climate justice into environmental protections. It emphasizes the need for transparent, holistic decision-making, the acknowledgment of historic biased policies, and the strengthening of the National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA) to better account for cumulative stressors and the specific needs of marginalized communities and non-mainland US territories.

The document outlines eight systemic challenges in climate-related mobility, including the risks of simplistic conflict narratives, the instrumentalization of migration as adaptation, and the impact of slow-onset events. It emphasizes the need for rights-based frameworks, inclusive governance, and the recognition of colonial legacies to address these inequities. To tackle these issues, SEI focuses on three priority areas: managing transboundary climate impacts, conducting grounded research to shift power dynamics (such as through the HABITABLE project), and strengthening global cooperation for sustainable livelihoods using tools like AidAtlas and Trase.

The report finds broad support among U.S. registered voters for various climate policies, including methane limits, carbon dioxide regulation, and renewable energy expansion, though support levels vary significantly by political affiliation. While a majority support the Paris Climate Agreement and the Inflation Reduction Act (after reading a description), actual political advocacy and collective efficacy remain low.

Friends of the Earth International states that the ceasefire in Gaza does not end the genocide or ecocide, but is merely a pause in the ongoing erasure of the Palestinian people. The organization highlights the scale of destruction in Gaza, the intensification of military operations in the West Bank, and the long-term impact of the 19-year blockade. It demands that governments stop arms exports to Israel, support Gaza's reconstruction based on Palestinian sovereignty, and respect International Criminal Court obligations.

The document defines environmental justice as the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race or income in ensuring healthy environments. Climate justice extends these principles to address the disproportionate impacts of climate change on marginalized communities and the responsibility of wealthier nations. Energy justice frames access to clean, affordable energy as a human right and advocates for an equitable transition away from fossil fuels.