Search Climate Insights Directory

Friends of the Earth International asserts that the COVID-19 crisis is a result of a neoliberal politico-economic system that prioritizes market economies and corporate power over public health and nature. The statement highlights how the pandemic disproportionately affects marginalized groups—including women, indigenous peoples, and the working class—while intensifying climate vulnerabilities and food insecurity. It demands an end to austerity, the cancellation of external debt, and a transition away from fossil-fuel-based capitalism toward a feminist economy and strengthened public services.

The Centre for Environmental Rights (CER) has petitioned Minister Lindiwe Sisulu to urgently provide water tanks and tankers to communities in eMalahleni, including Extension 11, Empumelelweni, Extension 14, and Coronation. These areas have lacked reliable water supply since September 2019, forcing residents to rely on contaminated streams polluted by coal mines and industry. The CER argues that this lack of water violates constitutional rights and severely hinders COVID-19 prevention efforts, as residents cannot perform essential handwashing. The letter calls for immediate government intervention to provide both emergency relief and sustainable long-term water access.

A coalition led by Earthjustice urges the California Air Resources Board to increase zero-emission (ZE) truck sales targets, arguing that initial proposals are insufficient to meet the state's 2045 carbon neutrality goals. Citing analysis from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, the authors claim that without stronger mandates, carbon emissions from trucking would only drop by 18% by 2045. The letter proposes specific higher sales percentages for Class 7-8 tractors to meet drayage fleet goals by 2035 and calls for a 'work backwards' approach from 2040 fleet goals to eliminate internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicle sales for urban delivery by 2033. The coalition asserts that technological advancements, falling battery costs, and corporate commitments from entities like Amazon and UPS make these higher targets feasible, shifting the primary barriers from technical or economic to logistical planning.

The document is a transcript of a virtual briefing featuring experts from NOAA, the North Carolina Coastal Federation, Wetlands Watch, and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. The discussion focuses on the implementation of natural infrastructure, such as living shorelines and coral reef restoration, to combat sea level rise and storm surge in the Southeast. Key topics include the use of NOAA's Digital Coast tools, the effectiveness of oyster-based shorelines in North Carolina, the impact of nuisance flooding and sea level rise in Virginia, and the threat of stony coral tissue loss disease in Florida. The panelists also discuss regulatory barriers, the need for improved cost-benefit analysis for nature-based solutions, and the importance of coordinated funding and permitting processes to enhance regional resilience.

The document identifies three typologies of rights-based claims in the extractive sector of South and Southeast Asia: environmental justice, Indigenous rights and land claims, and the right to conduct artisanal and small-scale mining. It highlights that while international law provides a framework for these rights, local actors face significant institutional, financial, and informational barriers. The brief recommends strengthening the rule of law, formalizing artisanal mining, and incorporating free, prior and informed consent (FPIC) into domestic legal frameworks.

The paper identifies three main categories of rights-based claims: environmental justice, Indigenous rights and land claims, and artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) rights. It finds that claimants often use multi-scalar strategies, combining domestic litigation with mass protests and international advocacy. While some claims lead to the suspension of extractive activities or improved corporate engagement, others are met with state oppression or violence. The study highlights the critical role of civil society organizations (CSOs) as enablers and the importance of framing strategies to maximize available resources.

The CLEAN Future Act proposes a national goal of a 100 percent clean economy by 2050, targeting the power, building, and transportation sectors. Key mechanisms include a national Clean Electricity Standard, zero energy ready building codes by 2030, and the establishment of a National Climate Bank. The act emphasizes environmental justice, state-level climate planning, and workforce development through renewable energy job training.

An activist describes their arrest during a protest at the Supreme Court to oppose the Atlantic Coast Pipeline (ACP). The author argues that the pipeline would disproportionately harm African American, Indigenous, and low-income communities, generate 67 million metric tons of global warming pollution annually, and lock the region into 30 years of fracked gas use.

WWF argues that the United States must implement a legally mandatory pathway to net-zero emissions by 2050, including a carbon price and a 50% emissions reduction below 2005 levels by 2030. While supporting the Climate Leadership Council (CLC) roadmap as a starting point for bipartisan negotiations, WWF emphasizes the need to strengthen the EPA's authority to regulate stationary sources and ensure a just transition for indigenous people and frontline communities.

The document outlines a framework for scientists to engage with communities disproportionately affected by pollution, emphasizing listening, accessibility, and the navigation of power dynamics to ensure productive advocacy.

The document outlines a series of recommendations for the next U.S. president to reverse the effects of the Trump administration's 'unprecedented attacks on science'. It proposes concrete actions across six key areas: promoting science-based decision-making, strengthening scientific integrity, enforcing transparency, addressing conflicts of interest, safeguarding government scientists, and fostering public participation. Additionally, it suggests protecting democratic processes through campaign finance and voting rights reforms to reduce 'moneyed influence' in government. The author argues that failing to restore independent science risks increased pollution, poor emergency response, and threats to public health and safety.

The document asserts that low-income and minority communities disproportionately suffer from negative environmental impacts and that the transition to a decarbonized economy must embed environmental justice to ensure no one is left behind. It highlights the importance of centering the lived experiences of impacted residents, citing the Green Door Initiative's efforts to provide workforce training for brownfield cleanup in Detroit and the LA SAFE program's community-centered resilience work in coastal Louisiana.

Friends of the Earth International assesses the draft post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework, acknowledging some progress in governance but condemning the lack of corporate accountability, the absence of indigenous rights, and the promotion of 'false solutions' like biodiversity offsetting. The organization calls for a systemic shift that addresses the root causes of biodiversity loss and ensures equity between the Global North and South.

This guide by Friends of the Earth International (FoEI) frames gender justice and the dismantling of patriarchy as essential components of systemic change. It defines patriarchy as a system that exploits women's bodies and work for the benefit of men, operating through a sexual division of labour that separates public (paid/decision-making) and private (unpaid/care) spaces. The text employs an intersectional analysis, explaining how patriarchy interlinks with capitalism, racism, neocolonialism, and heteronormativity to maintain power hierarchies. It specifically highlights ecofeminism to illustrate the parallel exploitation of women and nature within a capitalist extractivist model. The document concludes by advocating for alliances between feminist movements, Indigenous Peoples, and environmental justice activists to achieve a world of autonomy and equality.

The Union of Concerned Scientists argues that the Trump administration engaged in unprecedented attacks on science, including censorship and the sidelining of experts. The report proposes a blueprint for the next administration based on three principles: independent science, transparent decisionmaking, and scientific free speech. Key recommendations include codifying scientific integrity policies, reforming the federal advisory committee system, curbing conflicts of interest for political appointees, and expanding whistleblower protections. It also addresses broader democratic threats, such as 'dark money' in politics and voting rights restrictions, as interconnected issues affecting public health and safety.

The report evaluates the DBSA and IDC using the Fair Finance Guide International (FFGI) methodology, finding that both institutions lack strong policy commitments to a low-carbon transition despite their developmental mandates. The DBSA showed strength in nature and power generation policies but failed on climate change targets, while the IDC ranked lowest among six assessed DFIs due to a critical lack of publicly available policies.

Natural Justice's 2020-2022 strategy shifts from siloed programs to three integrated streams: affirming rights to lands and resources, defending rights against environmental impacts, and standing with communities through legal empowerment. The organization aims to strengthen the capacity of African Indigenous and local communities to challenge extractive projects, influence climate policy, and protect traditional knowledge. Key initiatives include the Community Environmental Legal Officers (CELOs) program, the African Environmental Defenders Initiative, and the Just Energy Transition Africa project. The strategy also details a resourcing plan focused on funding growth, financial sustainability, and internal system upgrades to support its Pan-African operations.

The Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) and 660 residents oppose Eversource's plan to install a high-voltage substation in East Boston. They cite the site's proximity to an 8 million-gallon jet fuel tank and a playground, as well as the risk of chronic inundation by 2100 due to sea level rise. The UCS contends that Eversource has not provided transparent data or a cost-benefit analysis of cleaner, more resilient alternatives, and requests that the Energy Facilities Siting Board withhold approval until these requirements are met.

A coalition of scientists and health experts is calling on the California Air Resources Board (CARB) to implement a more stringent Advanced Clean Trucks (ACT) rule. The authors argue that heavy-duty vehicles are disproportionately polluting, contributing significantly to global warming and public health crises, particularly in communities of color. They specifically criticize CARB's current proposal, which would result in zero-emissions vehicles making up only 4 percent of trucks on California roads by 2030, and advocate for higher sales standards to accelerate the transition from diesel to zero-emissions technologies.

The document is a transcript of a congressional briefing on West Coast coastal resilience. Experts from the USGS, California coastal agencies, and the Puget Sound region discuss the physical drivers of sea level rise, the vulnerability of critical infrastructure, and various adaptation strategies. Key discussions include the 'coastal squeeze' effect on beaches, the use of nature-based 'soft shore' stabilization in Washington, and the implementation of regional planning and environmental justice policies in the San Francisco Bay Area.