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The report compiles research on enhancing global climate action, focusing on innovative financing mechanisms like microfinance and debt-for-climate swaps, the role of carbon pricing in driving innovation, and the necessity of robust accountability frameworks for the Paris Agreement. It also examines specific urban water resiliency in Patna, India, and proposes a Low-Emissions Technology Commitment within the UNFCCC to accelerate energy research. The proceedings emphasize the need for a multi-level approach to adaptation and the potential for 'climate clubs' to overcome multilateral deadlock.

The Global Climate Policy Conference 2015 explored innovative research-driven approaches to climate action, focusing on the intersection of development, adaptation, carbon pricing, and state accountability. Key discussions highlighted the need for a 'club' approach to carbon pricing and technology, the importance of microfinance and local capacity in adaptation, and the role of basic energy research in breaking the link between emissions and economic growth.

The Union of Concerned Scientists developed a screening tool to identify coastal 'climate equity hotspots' where high climate risk overlaps with socioeconomic vulnerability. Applying this to 35 counties across the East and Gulf Coasts, the report finds that low-income and minority communities face disproportionate burdens from sea level rise and storm surges, often exacerbated by inadequate disaster recovery policies. It advocates for targeted federal funding, inclusive stakeholder engagement, and the use of actionable science to build resilience in frontline communities.

The Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) report identifies coastal communities where socioeconomic vulnerability and climate risks overlap, creating 'climate equity hotspots.' Using a pilot study of 35 counties across nine U.S. states, the report demonstrates that African American, Latino, and Native American communities often face higher exposure to sea level rise and tidal flooding while possessing fewer resources to adapt. The authors propose a screening tool based on climate and socioeconomic indicators to guide more equitable distribution of federal and state resilience funding. The report concludes with policy recommendations to upgrade affordable housing, improve transportation for evacuations, and ensure inclusive stakeholder engagement in climate planning.

The Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) identifies a critical need for equitable climate resilience planning in the United States, specifically for frontline coastal communities. The report introduces a screening tool that combines climate risk indicators (sea-level rise and tidal flooding) with socioeconomic data (income, poverty, race, and education) to identify 'climate equity hotspots'. Applying this tool to 35 counties across nine states, the analysis finds that the Gulf Coast and Mid-Atlantic regions face the highest risks, with Orleans Parish, Louisiana, identified as the most vulnerable hotspot. The report argues that current disaster aid often fails marginalized groups due to bureaucratic hurdles and a focus on homeowners over renters. It recommends that federal and state agencies direct funding to high-risk communities, integrate the best available climate science into planning, and increase overall funding for climate resilience.

The document details a screening methodology to assess the joint vulnerability of 35 U.S. coastal counties by combining socioeconomic data and climate projections. It utilizes a linear scaling technique to normalize variables—including per-capita income, poverty rates, and projected sea level rise—into composite risk indicators. The analysis incorporates historical damage data from SHELDUS and storm surge modeling for specific case studies to identify areas of high vulnerability.

UN Special Rapporteur John Knox advocates for the integration of international human rights law into the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), supporting recommendations from 98 civil society organizations to establish an independent accountability mechanism and improve stakeholder consultation to protect vulnerable populations from the adverse effects of climate mitigation measures.

The October 2015 survey reveals that while 67% of Americans believe global warming is happening and 53% attribute it to human activity, there is a significant gap in understanding the scientific consensus. Public worry has increased since spring 2015, and there is growing pessimism about the ability of humans to successfully reduce global warming. The report also highlights 'The Francis Effect,' noting that Pope Francis's teachings have increased the likelihood of American Catholics viewing climate change as a moral, social justice, and poverty issue.

The authors describe the violent eviction of a refugee collective in Les Lilas and argue that the French government is implementing a 'zero tolerance policy' to remove vulnerable populations, including refugees and homeless people, from Paris before the COP21 climate talks and the 2016 Football Euro Cup. They highlight a 50% increase in homelessness in France over the last decade and contrast the government's stated commitment to humanity during climate negotiations with its domestic treatment of marginalized groups.

Friends of the Earth International (FOEI) calls for solidarity with refugees and demands systemic changes to prevent future displacement. The statement identifies the Syrian civil war, resource extraction, and climate change as primary drivers of the refugee crisis and urges governments to end conflicts, phase out fossil fuels, and pursue climate justice to reduce resource scarcity and volatility.

Friends of the Earth International calls for global solidarity with refugees, particularly those fleeing the Syrian conflict, and argues that preventing future displacement requires urgent action on climate justice, the end of resource exploitation, and the reform of unfair trade agreements.

The document outlines the criteria for a 'strong' Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (INDC), emphasizing that such commitments must be fair, ambitious, and scientifically grounded. It provides a detailed evaluation framework based on six key questions: clarity of intent, scientific consistency, fairness and ambition, process robustness, implementation viability, and transparency. The guide distinguishes between mitigation approaches (actions vs. direct effects) and encourages the inclusion of adaptation components based on evidence of climate risks. It stresses that INDCs should drive a 'transformative' decarbonization pace to align with the goal of limiting global warming to two degrees Celsius.

The Global Campaign to Dismantle Corporate Power and Stop Impunity argues for a legally binding UN treaty to end the impunity of transnational corporations (TNCs). The submission proposes that TNCs be held civilly and criminally liable for human rights and environmental violations, including through shared liability for subsidiaries and subcontractors. It calls for the recognition of the hierarchical superiority of human rights over trade and investment treaties, the codification of states' extra-territorial obligations, and the creation of international enforcement bodies, including a World Court on TNCs and Human Rights. The document also highlights the role of international financial institutions like the IMF and World Bank in facilitating corporate impunity through structural adjustment policies.

The document argues that transnational corporations (TNCs) currently operate with impunity due to a lack of binding international regulations and the dominance of trade and investment treaties over human rights. It proposes a new UN instrument that establishes the legal obligation of TNCs to respect all human rights, holds them civilly and criminally liable for violations (including through subsidiaries), and mandates that states regulate TNCs' extraterritorial activities. The proposal calls for the creation of an international court and a monitoring body to oversee implementation, while demanding that TNCs be excluded from the negotiation process to prevent undue influence.

The author critiques the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) for focusing on income poverty and development aid rather than structural inequality and the link between social and environmental dimensions. While noting progress in poverty reduction and water access, the text highlights that global inequality is rising and environmental degradation is accelerating due to the consumption patterns of an expanding global middle class. The author asserts that industrialised countries, particularly the European Union, must assume global responsibility by meeting the 0.7% GNI official development assistance target and drastically reducing their per capita CO2 emissions to allow the Global South scope for sustainable development.

The document outlines various energy storage technologies—including pumped hydro, batteries, thermal, compressed air, flywheels, and hydrogen—detailing how they balance electricity supply and demand. It highlights the transition from a reliance on pumped hydroelectric storage toward rapidly scaling lithium-ion batteries, noting a 72 percent drop in battery capital costs between 2015 and 2019. The guide argues that energy storage enhances grid reliability, enables higher renewable energy integration, and provides community benefits by replacing polluting fossil fuel 'peaker' plants and increasing resilience against extreme weather.

A coalition of civil society organisations condemns the South African Minister of Mineral Resources for prioritising corporate interests over the rights and health of mining-affected communities. The statement highlights widespread protests across multiple provinces due to pollution, socio-economic hardship, and the exclusion of communities from the legislative process regarding the Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act (MPRDA). The coalition warns that rushing the Amendment Bill without genuine consultation will lead to further instability and constitutional challenges, while also noting the impact of illicit financial flows by multinational mining companies.

The Geneva Pledge, signed by 19 nations in February 2015, commits governments to foster collaboration between their human rights and climate change experts. The signatories acknowledge that climate change disproportionately affects vulnerable populations and pledge to ensure that the transition to a low-carbon economy respects human rights and ensures no one is left behind.

The document defines a net phase out of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions as reducing anthropogenic emissions to a level equal to or smaller than anthropogenic removals. To maintain a likely chance of meeting the 2°C target, global GHG emissions must be net zero by 2100, while CO2 emissions specifically should reach net zero around 2070. If action is delayed until 2020, these deadlines accelerate to 2080 for all GHGs and 2065 for CO2. The briefing notes that technological options already exist for approximately 90% of current GHG sources, though the remaining 10% require further innovation or offsetting. It highlights the critical role of bio-energy and carbon capture and storage (CCS) for achieving these targets, noting that limiting bio-energy significantly increases mitigation costs and reduces the number of models that find the 2°C target feasible.

The document asserts that climate change is a major human rights challenge, threatening rights to life, health, and food security, particularly for vulnerable groups. It criticizes the UNFCCC for slow progress in operationalizing rights protections and recommends that the 2015 climate agreement include explicit human rights obligations, establish institutional safeguards, create a dedicated work programme on human rights and climate change, and implement a grievance mechanism to address harms caused by mitigation and adaptation activities.