Search Climate Insights Directory

Friends of the Earth International proposes a revised Target 8 for the post-2020 global biodiversity framework. The briefing argues that the target should focus on reducing greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture and deforestation, ensuring mitigation measures do not harm biodiversity, and prioritizing ecosystem-based approaches. It specifically calls for the removal of a quantitative carbon sequestration goal of 10 GtCO2-e per year, arguing that carbon accounting is an imprecise metric for biodiversity and risks promoting monoculture plantations or the commodification of nature.

The briefing recommends that Target 8 focus on reducing biodiversity threats from climate change and ensuring mitigation efforts do not harm ecosystems. It specifically argues for the removal of a 10 Gt CO2-e annual mitigation target, asserting that carbon is an inappropriate metric for biodiversity and could incentivize the destruction of species-rich ecosystems in favor of monoculture plantations or BECCS projects.

The briefing note proposes that Target 8 should focus on reducing biodiversity threats from climate change and ensuring that mitigation efforts do not harm ecosystems. It specifically argues for the removal of a target to contribute '10 Gt CO2-e per year', asserting that carbon is an inappropriate metric for biodiversity and could incentivize the destruction of species-rich ecosystems in favor of monoculture plantations or BECCS projects.

The report analyzes the intersection of corruption and organized crime within four primary drivers of environmental degradation in Colombia: illegal gold mining, illegal logging, wildlife trafficking, and land grabbing. It identifies systemic institutional weaknesses, such as deficient traceability systems and the instrumentalization of subsistence regimes, which allow 'invisible' economic and political elites to finance illicit activities through proxies and criminal networks. The document provides detailed recommendations for regulatory reform, including amending the Criminal Code to link environmental crimes to money laundering, improving the interoperability of environmental information systems, and implementing a 'traffic light' security risk assessment for territorial interventions.

Seven NGOs have called on the EU Commission to include leather as a key forest-risk commodity in new deforestation laws, arguing that cattle ranching is the primary driver of deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon and that the EU is a major market for this high-risk leather. The statement highlights that leather is a multibillion-dollar industry, with the Brazilian sector valued at over US$50 billion, and that non-meat products can account for up to 26% of large meatpackers' incomes. The NGOs point to the Italian tanning industry's heavy reliance on Brazilian leather and the exposure of major European car manufacturers to deforestation through suppliers like JBS Couros. They argue that including leather in the legislation would reduce the EU's role in driving deforestation and encourage the industry to adopt zero-deforestation sourcing and traceability.

The study analyzes five development scenarios for Kenya's residential cooking sector to quantify GHG emissions, health impacts, and fuel demand. It finds that shifting from 'modern cooking' (LPG and improved biomass stoves) to 'clean cooking' (electric, biogas, and bioethanol) can significantly reduce emissions, with the most ambitious scenario achieving net-zero by mid-century. Implementation of the net-zero scenario could avoid nearly 500,000 premature deaths over 30 years. However, the transition is hindered by high upfront costs, cultural practices like fuel stacking, and the absence of a comprehensive, sector-wide strategy.

The paper examines the political agency of 'farmer mayors' in the Brazilian Amazon before and after the 2004 implementation of the PPCDAm. Using a regression discontinuity design, the authors find that prior to the policy, municipalities governed by farmers had significantly higher deforestation rates, CO2e emissions, and land-related conflicts. After the PPCDAm's introduction of real-time satellite monitoring (DETER), these effects largely disappeared, suggesting that tighter enforcement reduced the electoral and personal returns of promoting deforestation.

The conflict in Cabo Delgado is driven by a combination of political marginalisation, economic inequality, and climatic shocks. While the discovery of offshore natural gas promised development, it instead led to forced relocations, inadequate compensation, and unmet employment expectations, which Islamist militants have exploited for recruitment. These grievances are compounded by extreme weather events, including Cyclones Idai and Kenneth, which destroyed infrastructure and increased food insecurity. The document argues that military responses alone are insufficient and calls for inclusive natural resource governance and climate resilience strategies to address the root causes of the insurgency.

Analysis of 2020 vessel tracking and manifest data reveals that a small number of mega-traders dominate U.S. cocoa imports through opaque networks and 'cocoa-laundering' via third countries. The report highlights how 43% of cocoa from Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire passes through Europe and significant volumes from Peru and Ecuador funnel through Panama and Colombia, diverting revenue from producers. It identifies systemic obfuscation in import data, including the use of multiple company name variations by traders like Barry Callebaut to hide market dominance, and calls for U.S. legislative action to restrict imported deforestation and improve traceability.

The briefing warns that PL No. 1709/2019 would halve the required width of Permanent Preservation Areas (APPs) for all natural watercourses in Brazil. This legislative change would remove protection from over 2 million hectares of native forest in the Amazon, an area equivalent to the total deforestation recorded in the Legal Amazon during 2019 and 2020. The authors argue that such a reduction would exacerbate deforestation and threaten the water cycle and biodiversity, particularly in the Amazon basin where many rivers exceed 600 meters in width.

The report assesses the intersection of climate change and national security in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK). It projects that by 2030 and 2050, intensified extreme rainfall, sea level rise, and crop yield failures will stress the regime's ability to provide public goods, potentially leading to domestic upheaval or regional conflict. Specific risks are identified for the Yongbyon Nuclear Scientific Research Center, the capital city of Pyongyang, and key coastal military and commercial hubs. The authors argue that these climate stressors could lead to miscalculations in military posture, increased migration, and strained bilateral relations with China and South Korea, while suggesting that climate cooperation could offer a new avenue for diplomatic engagement.

The document provides a multi-faceted analysis of how trade policies impact environmental and social sustainability. It highlights the new environmental provisions in the USMCA/T-MEC/CUSMA, the European Union's leadership in circular economy product policies, and the vulnerability of small island states' tourism sectors post-COVID-19. It also warns of rising non-tariff protectionism and discusses India's potential as a hub for electric vehicle battery recycling, while detailing the complexities of trade agreements in Latin America and the EU's proposed carbon border adjustment mechanism.

The NewClimate Institute proposes a rating system to categorize agribusinesses based on their consistency with Paris Agreement mitigation objectives, providing guidance for development finance on when to exclude, engage, or scale up funding. The system ranges from 'misaligned'—covering activities that drive deforestation or rely on air freight—to 'aligned,' which identifies businesses following best practices in soil carbon, manure management, and plant-based protein production.

The policy brief analyzes the gap between international guidelines, sectoral manuals, and the actual implementation of environmental studies for land infrastructure in the Legal Amazon. It finds that studies prioritize socio-economic and physical factors over the biotic environment, often fail to comply with their own terms of reference, and lack coordination between the EVTEA and EIA phases. The authors recommend making EVTEAs mandatory before EIAs, incorporating international standards into binding terms of reference, and establishing transparent approval criteria to reduce environmental risks and transaction costs.

A coalition of NGOs and organisations is calling on the European Commission to expedite the adoption of two key legislative proposals: one to reduce the risk of deforestation and forest degradation linked to EU market products, and another on sustainable corporate governance. The authors express concern over reported delays extending beyond the summer recess of 2021 and a lack of official explanation from the Commission. They argue these measures are essential for the European Green Deal, human rights, and global biodiversity, noting strong support from the European Parliament, the Council, and over 1.1 million citizens in public consultations.

ClientEarth and a coalition of organisations are urging the European Commission to proceed without further delay in adopting two key legislative proposals: one to minimise deforestation and forest degradation linked to products on the EU market, and another on sustainable corporate governance. The authors express concern that these proposals, originally scheduled for the second quarter of 2021, have been delayed past the summer recess without official explanation. They argue these initiatives are essential for the European Green Deal, human rights, and biodiversity, noting strong support from the European Parliament, the Council, and public consultations, where over 1.1 million citizens supported the deforestation law and over 80% of respondents supported a due diligence framework.

The Brazilian sustainable debt market has grown to a cumulative USD 10.8bn, with green bonds dominating at 84% of the market. Land use is a primary driver of this growth, representing 67% of total volume across green, sustainability, sustainability-linked, and transition labels. Forestry is the leading agriculture-related theme with USD 6.4bn in funding, followed by agriculture (USD 848m) and bioenergy (USD 832m). While non-financial corporates lead issuances, financial institutions and government-backed entities are increasingly entering the market. The document highlights the emergence of performance-linked instruments like Sustainability-Linked Bonds (SLBs) and transition bonds, though it notes concerns regarding transparency and the need for science-based transition pathways to avoid greenwashing.

The Brazilian sustainable debt market has grown to USD 10.8 billion, with green bonds dominating at 84% of the market. Land use is a primary driver, accounting for 67% of emissions across green, sustainable, sustainability-linked, and transition labels. The forestry sector is the most significant theme, led by pulp and paper companies like Suzano and Klabin. Bioenergy and agriculture are emerging sectors, while livestock remains a challenge but shows potential through transition bonds. The document highlights a significant investment potential of USD 163 billion for green agriculture in Brazil by 2030.

The briefing argues that the EU-Mercosur trade deal was concluded without a complete sustainability impact assessment (SIA), which the European Ombudsman identified as maladministration. It highlights concerns that the agreement could increase deforestation in Mercosur countries, particularly Brazil, and criticizes the European Commission's attempt to seek pre-ratification commitments rather than renegotiating the text. Furthermore, the document opposes any effort by the Commission to 'split' the trade and political components of the agreement to bypass the requirement for unanimity in the Council and ratification by the 27 EU Member State parliaments, asserting that such a move would violate the original 1999 mandate and principles of sincere cooperation.

The EU–China Environment Project (2018–2021) facilitated policy alignment and knowledge exchange between the EU and China across several key environmental domains. Major achievements include supporting the development of China's National Pollutant Discharge Permitting Regulation, contributing to the drafting of the Yangtze River Protection Law, and co-hosting workshops to inform the post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework ahead of COP15 in Kunming. The project also provided research and workshops that influenced China's 14th Five-Year Plan and the 'Guiding Opinions on Integrating and Strengthening Efforts in Climate Action and Ecological and Environmental Protection'. Additionally, the initiative addressed plastic pollution, global deforestation in supply chains, and carbon leakage, while promoting a green economic recovery following the COVID-19 pandemic.