Search Climate Insights Directory

The Drawdown Lift fact sheet argues that climate mitigation and poverty alleviation are complementary. By analyzing 450 articles and reports, it identifies 28 climate solutions across five groups—Improving Agriculture and Agroforestry, Protecting and Restoring Ecosystems, Adopting Clean Cooking, Providing Clean Electricity, and Fostering Equality—that provide significant co-benefits for human well-being. These solutions target dimensions such as income, health, food security, and gender equality, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). The report advocates for synergistic implementation and innovative finance to align climate goals with the needs of the most vulnerable populations.

The document presents the 'Drawdown Lift Human Well-being Index' and analyzes 28 climate solutions categorized into five groups: improving agriculture and agroforestry, protecting and restoring ecosystems, adopting clean cooking, providing green electricity, and promoting equality. It argues that these solutions provide significant co-benefits for human well-being, particularly in areas of income, health, food, education, gender equality, and energy, while reducing greenhouse gas emissions between 2020 and 2050.

The report argues that climate mitigation and socioeconomic development can be achieved simultaneously through synergistic solutions. It introduces the Drawdown Lift Human Well-Being Index (HWI), based on the Doughnut Economics model, to assess 12 dimensions of human well-being. The analysis focuses on five groups of solutions: Improving Agriculture and Agroforestry, Protecting and Restoring Ecosystems, Adopting Clean Cooking, Providing Clean Electricity, and Fostering Equality. The report provides evidence that these solutions can reduce greenhouse gas emissions while directly improving food security, health, income, and gender equality in low- and middle-income countries.

The report argues that the lands of indigenous peoples and local communities (PICLs) in Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, and Peru are critical carbon sinks that are currently undervalued in national climate commitments. Analysis shows that 92% of PICL forest lands in these countries are net carbon sinks, sequestering an average of 30 tonnes of carbon per hectare annually—more than double the rate of non-PICL lands. Despite this, the NDCs of these four countries contain limited references to PICLs and lack specific targets for protecting their lands. The report identifies significant governance gaps, including incomplete land titling, limited land rights, and the failure to implement Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC). It further highlights that these lands are under constant threat from illegal mining, logging, and agribusiness, often involving state collusion. The authors recommend that governments strengthen partnerships with PICLs, integrate their carbon sequestration data into national inventories, and ensure full legal recognition and protection of their territories to meet 2030 climate goals.

The report finds that while the Brazilian large-scale mining sector is experiencing a process of feminization—with female employment increasing by 127% between 2009 and 2019—significant gender gaps persist in remuneration, leadership representation, and the division of labor. Women in the sector are generally younger and more educated than their male counterparts, often holding advanced degrees even in technical roles, yet they continue to earn less in most occupations. While some companies are implementing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DE&I) strategies, such as targeted training and adapted uniforms, the report argues that deep-rooted cultural biases and a 'masculinization' of female roles remain primary obstacles to true gender equivalence.

The report examines the status of women in the Australian large-scale mining sector from 2010/11 to 2020/21. It finds that while women's participation is increasing, the sector remains heavily male-dominated, with significant gender gaps in technical roles, pay, and leadership. Women are over-represented in clerical roles and part-time employment, and they face barriers such as the remoteness of mine sites and a lack of support for care responsibilities. The study highlights a significant gender pay gap and the underutilisation of STEM-qualified women. It recommends organisational policy reforms, targeted capacity building in mining technology, and improved gender-disaggregated data collection to foster a more inclusive industry.

The report examines the status of women in Chile's large-scale mining sector, noting that while female participation grew from 6.16% in 2010 to 10.06% in 2021, the industry remains highly masculinized. It identifies significant gender pay gaps, particularly in cleaning and restaurant services (49.7%) and miner roles (17.9%). The analysis reveals that women are more concentrated in administrative, support, and high-education roles (such as geology) but are severely under-represented in core value chain operations like mechanical and electrical maintenance. Barriers to inclusion include persistent gender stereotypes, lack of suitable infrastructure (e.g., childcare and housing), and sexual harassment. The document also highlights a gap between the number of women graduating from mining-relevant STEM programs and those actually employed in the sector, estimating that only 25% of female professionals and technicians who graduated between 2010 and 2020 were working in mining as of 2021.

The report analyzes the participation of women in Chile's large-scale mining sector, noting an increase in female employment from 6.16% in 2010 to 10.06% in 2021. While there is growth in leadership roles and professional engineering, women remain severely underrepresented in core operational and maintenance roles. Significant gender pay gaps persist, particularly in support services, and women face systemic barriers including sexual harassment, gender stereotypes, and a lack of childcare infrastructure. The document emphasizes that large-scale mines drive the overall increase in female participation, while smaller operations lag behind.

The report examines community-driven decentralised renewable energy (DRE) projects in Germany and Sub-Saharan Africa, arguing that local participation is essential for a successful clean energy transition. It identifies six key benefits of this approach, including energy security, local green job creation, and productive uses of renewable energy (PURE). The document details 12 case studies—three in Germany and nine in Africa—highlighting a variety of technologies such as solar PV mini-grids, micro-hydropower, and solar-powered desalination. It categorises barriers into social, financial, and technical pillars and provides targeted recommendations for public and private stakeholders to scale these models, emphasizing the need for gender-inclusive approaches and innovative financing.

The gender assessment for the Peruvian Amazon Eco Bio Business Facility (EBBF) identifies systemic gender inequalities in Peru's forestry and agricultural sectors, including limited land ownership, high rates of informal employment, and significant gaps in education and decision-making power. It highlights that women in the Amazon face particular vulnerabilities due to lower Spanish language proficiency and higher poverty levels. To address these, the document proposes six mitigation measures: requiring portfolio companies to create gender-specific action plans, promoting women's leadership in eco and bio businesses, ensuring equitable access to project benefits, implementing a gender-sensitive complaint mechanism (including SEAH protocols), strengthening the capacity of project management units, and establishing a monitoring system for the Gender Action Plan (GAP).

The proposal argues that shifting fire patterns from the late to the early dry season through Traditional Fire Management (TFM) can significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions, protect biodiversity, and create employment for Indigenous and local communities in Belize. It identifies critical gaps in awareness, technology (specifically MRV systems), human capacity, and regulatory frameworks. The proposed 24-month project, budgeted at USD 399,313, aims to develop a Project Concept Note for the GCF and establish knowledge-sharing partnerships via the International Savanna Fire Management Initiative (ISFMI) network.

The document explains the Global Stocktake (GST) as the Paris Agreement's "ratchet mechanism" to assess collective progress on mitigation, adaptation, and finance. It argues that for climate action to be effective, it must be guided by human rights, including the rights of Indigenous Peoples, gender equality, and intergenerational equity. The briefing details the GST's three-phase structure—information collection, technical assessment, and consideration of outputs—concluding at COP28 in November 2023. It provides a framework for stakeholders to align their submissions with the GST's guiding questions to address critical gaps such as fossil fuel phase-out, land tenure rights, and loss and damage.

The report assesses the cyclical nature of violence in South Sudan and the failure of successive peace agreements to establish lasting stability. It argues that durable peace requires a multi-level approach that links local and national processes, prioritises long-term investment over 'quick-fix' events, and integrates livelihood support with social cohesion. The authors highlight the devastating humanitarian cost, noting that 8.3 million people needed assistance as of October 2021, and emphasize that resilience-building must address root causes of inequality and justice rather than treating resilience as an end goal. A key identified opportunity for innovation is addressing the gendered dimensions of conflict-driven hunger, which the report argues has been overlooked in national peace frameworks.

The report finds that while updated NDCs show increased country ownership, better alignment with national planning processes like National Adaptation Plans (NAPs), and a higher number of prioritized actions, most of these actions remain implementation-unready due to a lack of clear indicators, costs, and time frames. It highlights a general lack of understanding and explicit planning for transformative adaptation and a limited operationalization of 'Loss and Damage' concepts within national contexts.

The case study of Baan Thung Yao in Thailand demonstrates how community-led forest management, characterized by strong local institutions and gender-equal decision-making, can successfully resist state-led 'fortress conservation' and protect both ecological systems and human dignity.

The document advocates for a 'green feminist foreign policy' for the EU that moves beyond basic gender equality to an intersectional approach. It criticizes the current male-dominated culture of the European External Action Service (EEAS) and the limitations of the Gender Action Plan III (GAP III). The author proposes systemic changes, including mandatory training, gender-responsive budgeting, and the inclusion of marginalized groups in climate and security decision-making, citing Sweden's pioneering model as a reference.

The document traces the history of international efforts to combat land degradation, from the 1972 Stockholm Conference to the establishment of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD). It details the shift toward 'land degradation neutrality' (LDN), a goal integrated into SDG target 15.3, which aims to balance productive land loss with recovery. The paper identifies critical barriers to LDN implementation, including insecure land tenure, gender inequality in land ownership, lack of national coordination, and insufficient funding, while highlighting initiatives like the Great Green Wall and the LDN Fund.

The document presents Project Drawdown's 'Health and Education' solution, which advocates for universal education for girls and boys and voluntary family planning for women and couples. It argues that these interventions reduce greenhouse gas emissions by slowing population growth and improving individual decision-making agency. The brief estimates that adopting this solution could avoid roughly 70 gigatons of CO2-equivalent by 2050, with significant impacts in both low- and high-income countries. It calls for the integration of sexual and reproductive health (SRH) and education into national climate strategies and Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).

The report compiles academic articles, toolkits, and policy documents focusing on the role of women in artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM). It highlights systemic marginalization, including restricted access to high-paying roles, finance, and land, while noting that ASM often provides a critical source of income and agency for women. The bibliography emphasizes the need for gender-responsive policies and formalization strategies to prevent further marginalization of women.

The document examines the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on women in the artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) sector, highlighting increased job losses, food insecurity, and health vulnerabilities. Through case studies in Zimbabwe, Peru, and the Philippines, it demonstrates how pandemic-related restrictions and market disruptions reinforced gender pay gaps and marginalization. The brief argues for the adoption of rapid gender assessments, gender-disaggregated data analysis, and gender-responsive budgeting to ensure inclusive recovery and structural reform in the ASM sector.