Search Climate Insights Directory

This report by Friends of the Earth International (FoEI) documents violence and human rights violations against environmental defenders between November 2011 and October 2013. It argues that these attacks are a global trend driven by a neoliberal extractive model that prioritizes corporate profit over the rights of nature and people. The document details various forms of repression—including criminalization, arbitrary detention, and targeted killings—and evaluates the effectiveness of international solidarity and legal strategies in protecting defenders.

This briefing paper examines the policy tools available to Eastern African states to foster 'national champions' in the mining sector and maximize sustainable development benefits from foreign direct investment. It analyzes the effectiveness of ownership and performance requirements and evaluates how international investment agreements, specifically Bilateral Investment Treaties (BITs), may restrict the policy space of host governments.

This briefing by the International Institute for Sustainable Development examines agricultural cooperatives as a model for inclusive investment. It details the types of cooperatives, their benefits for smallholders, the role of foreign investment in reducing risk and improving skills, and the necessary government support and legal frameworks to ensure their success without undue state interference.

This research paper examines the transition of Russia toward a 'green economy,' analyzing the gap between official policy documents and practical implementation. It highlights Russia's immense natural capital and the critical need to reduce its economic dependence on hydrocarbon exports and improve energy efficiency to ensure long-term sustainable development.

A statement by Jagoda Munic, President of Friends of the Earth International, reflecting on the devastating floods in the Balkans and the urgent need for a global shift away from fossil fuels and consumption-based economic models to combat climate change.

This research paper examines the shifting landscape of Africa's extractive sector, noting the rise of emerging market companies and increasing pressure on all firms to demonstrate developmental and environmental contributions. It argues that Western and OECD companies can gain a competitive edge by adapting their business models to support local processing, reskilling workers, and enhancing transparency.

A statement from a coalition of US, EU, and international organizations expressing deep concerns regarding proposed 'regulatory cooperation' under the Trans-Atlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP). The signatories argue that these mechanisms could prioritize trade interests over public health and environmental protections, potentially creating a 'chilling effect' on the development of new laws.

This research paper analyzes the PROINFA feed-in tariff scheme in Brazil, finding that its nonlinear pricing structure incentivized wind farm operators to misreport capacity factors. This led to a 14% shortfall in expected energy production and 12% over-payments in the first year of operation. The authors demonstrate through modeling that while a linear price would increase over-reporting, an interest rate penalty of 1% on overpayments would effectively eliminate the incentive to misreport.

This executive summary from the Climate Policy Initiative outlines the structural and financial barriers hindering the transition to low-carbon electricity systems in the U.S. and Europe. It argues that current business models for investor-owned utilities and independent power producers are ill-suited for renewable energy and proposes a comprehensive evolution across generation, transmission, market operation, distribution, and customer management to reduce costs and improve system reliability.

This report by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) assesses a pilot program for Direct Benefit Transfer of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) subsidies in the Mysore district of India. Based on surveys and focus groups conducted in October 2013, the report finds that the scheme faced significant administrative hurdles, caused financial instability for poor households, and led some users to return to biomass fuels, ultimately resulting in the program's suspension by the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas on January 30, 2014.

This technical brief from the Stockholm Environment Institute examines the critical role of firewood as a primary energy source in Kenya, highlighting the challenges of supply-demand imbalances, gender inequality, and knowledge gaps. It advocates for a multi-sectoral integrated approach to ensure sustainable firewood access and utilization.

This discussion brief describes a collaborative project led by the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) applying a water-energy-food nexus toolkit to the Lake Tana and Beles River basins in the Upper Blue Nile region of Ethiopia. The project uses integrated modelling to help policy-makers manage trade-offs between national development goals—such as increasing hydropower production fivefold by 2015 and boosting agricultural production by over 8%—and the sustainable management of natural resources.

This briefing note analyzes the role of fossil-fuel subsidies in Indonesia's social welfare strategy, arguing that while these subsidies were traditionally used to alleviate poverty and control inflation, they have become expensive, inefficient, and regressive.

This briefing note analyzes the short-term effects of fossil-fuel subsidy reform on Indonesia's energy supply chain, specifically referencing price hikes in June 2013 and the potential for shifting from subsidized LPG to electric induction cooking.

This 2014 briefing note examines the vulnerability of Kenya's manufacturing sector to climate change, specifically highlighting the risks of hydropower-dependent electricity generation and resource scarcity. It details the sector's contribution to greenhouse gas emissions (5.8% of total Kenyan emissions in 2010) and outlines mitigation strategies such as energy efficiency, remanufacturing, and industrial ecology. The document also discusses the Kenyan government's 2013 roadmap to expand electricity capacity to 5,000 MW to improve reliability and sustainability.

This report identifies policy and regulatory barriers that hinder the Kenyan private sector from implementing the National Climate Change Action Plan 2013-2017 (NCCAP). It analyzes 33 specific barriers across multiple sectors and proposes priority areas for advocacy and regulatory reform to enable climate-compatible development.

This executive summary analyzes the impact of capacity factor (FC) estimation manipulation within Brazil's Programa de Incentivo a Fontes Alternativas (PROINFA), a feed-in tariff (FiT) scheme. The authors find that project developers systematically inflated FC estimates to secure higher payments and larger contracted energy volumes, leading to financial overpayments and lower-than-planned energy generation. The report suggests that a simple 1% interest penalty on excess payments would have eliminated these incentives for manipulation.

This report evaluates a pilot project launched in December 2011 in Kotkasim, Alwar, Rajasthan, which tested the direct transfer of kerosene subsidies to the bank accounts of ration cardholders. The project aimed to reduce leakages and black-marketing inherent in the Public Distribution System (PDS). While the scheme successfully reduced kerosene sales and plugged leakages, it also led to a decline in consumption due to higher upfront costs and poor banking access. The evaluation highlights significant challenges regarding beneficiary awareness, banking infrastructure, and the financial losses suffered by Fair Price Shop (FPS) dealers.

This policy briefing by the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA) examines the relationship between mineral resource dependence and development in Africa, using South Africa as a primary case study. It argues that the 'resource curse' is not deterministic and that the quality of development depends on the strength and nature of a country's institutions, which mediate political incentives and determine whether mineral wealth leads to inclusive growth or adverse governance outcomes.

The 2012 Seattle Community Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory, prepared by the Stockholm Environment Institute, analyzes emissions from 1990 to 2012. It distinguishes between 'core' emissions (road transportation, building energy, and waste) and 'expanded' emissions (including industry, air, marine, and rail travel). The report finds that while absolute core emissions declined slightly, per person emissions dropped significantly despite population and job growth.