Search Climate Insights Directory

The document advocates for a transformative approach to climate adaptation that moves beyond infrastructure to include 'communication justice'. It highlights the role of constructive journalism in combating 'climate fatigue' and the potential of AI to improve disaster prediction and information dissemination. The author criticises global agendas, such as those for COP30, for overlooking the role of independent journalism and public engagement. The statement calls for coordinated collaboration between governments, the private sector, and local communities to close digital divides and ensure that the voices of the most vulnerable are integrated into national development plans.

The study argues that climate disinformation in the Global South is not a digital accident but a reactivation of 'colonial logics of mediated authority.' By analyzing 200 social media posts and socio-cultural indices across eleven former British colonies in Africa, the author develops a 'Model of Indirect Epistemic Domination.' This model posits that disinformation achieves legitimacy by using trusted intermediaries—such as religious leaders and social media influencers—to frame climate falsehoods as indigenous truths. Statistical analysis reveals that religiosity and media access are the strongest predictors of susceptibility to climate disinformation, while formal education and trust in science do not provide significant protection.

The Global Resilience Partnership (GRP) Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) Plan 2024-2029 outlines the framework for tracking progress, capturing lessons, and assessing the impact of its resilience initiatives. The plan emphasizes an adaptive management approach and a 'Triple Loop Learning' system to improve resilience outcomes in the Global South, focusing on food, finance, and communities.

The document argues that investment treaties function as 'unpriced public insurance' that shifts political and regulatory risks from private investors to host states. Unlike other de-risking tools like political risk insurance or blended finance, treaties often lack pricing mechanisms, performance benchmarks, or environmental and human rights safeguards. This creates an asymmetrical regime where host states face substantial downside risks and contingent fiscal liabilities, which can be exacerbated by large investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) awards. The authors recommend that policy-makers assess treaties alongside other risk-allocation tools, terminate redundant agreements, and coordinate across finance ministries and development banks to prevent 'double recovery' and ensure transparent risk sharing.

The document examines the governance gaps surrounding solar radiation modification (SRM), warning that the current dominance of Global North institutions and private entities creates a risk of unilateral deployment. It advocates for the UNFCCC to formally engage with SRM to democratize decision-making and prevent the exacerbation of global inequalities.

The author asserts that the 'Yes to Yasuní' victory in Ecuador demonstrates the power of civil society to pressure governments to end fossil fuel extraction. The document links this local success to the broader goals of the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty, emphasizing the need for an international legal framework that replaces the 'extractivist economic matrix' with global cooperation and financial compensation from the Global North to support a just energy transition.

The text discusses Brazil's leadership in the G-20 to establish a Bioeconomy Initiative focused on science, technology, innovation, and sustainable biodiversity use. It emphasizes the need for 'High-Level Principles' to be included in the Rio Declaration to align member economies toward equity and sustainability. A critical barrier identified is the financing gap, with climate finance needs estimated at US$ 8.1 trillion annually from 2030, far exceeding the US$ 1.3 trillion average seen between 2021 and 2022. The authors call for a transition where nature-rich countries, particularly in the Global South, can generate wealth through biodiversity-based development models.

The report identifies a significant gap between global solar panel manufacturing capacity and projected deployment, resulting in 'spare' capacity of 3,837 GW between 2024 and 2030. Utilizing this surplus could enable the world to exceed the COP28 target of tripling renewable energy capacity by 2030, reaching 13,345 GW (a 21% excess). The document argues that deploying just one-seventh of this spare capacity could meet the electricity demand growth and extend basic energy access to the entire populations of 88 analyzed Global South countries. It highlights that 80-85% of manufacturing is based in China, where companies are already facing investment delays and layoffs due to under-deployment. The report suggests a 'win-win-win' scenario where China maintains its industry, Global South nations gain energy independence and access, and developed nations fulfill their climate finance responsibilities.

The Global Resilience Partnership (GRP) commemorates Professor Saleemul Huq, describing him as a global advocate for climate action and climate justice who focused on protecting people in the Global South. The statement notes his leadership roles within GRP, including chairing the Advisory Council and supporting the Resilience Hub and South to South Resilience Academies.

The statement asserts that low-income communities in the Global South and marginalized groups are disproportionately affected by climate change but are excluded from media representation and policy conversations. It argues that ensuring these groups have access to affordable digital platforms and communication tools is vital for implementing viable climate justice solutions, despite the likelihood that COP27's final texts will ignore the role of communications.

The report identifies 601 International Climate Initiatives (ICIs) launched since 2013, noting that while the number of initiatives grew, productivity and performance have trended downwards since 2019. There is a significant underrepresentation of the Global South in terms of funding, leadership, and participation. Regarding the COP26 'Glasgow initiatives', the report finds they theoretically cover 75% of the 14 GtCO2e ambition gap for 2030, but current signatories would only provide 4 GtCO2e in additional reductions; an additional 7 GtCO2e could be achieved if more governments signed up.

The document argues that colonial legacies continue to shape climate impacts and the way research is conducted, often disadvantaging the Global South. It proposes a framework for shifting power across three stages of the scientific process: project design, implementation, and dissemination. Key recommendations include adopting co-productive methodologies, ensuring equitable funding and hiring practices, practicing active reflexivity in the field, and diversifying publication channels to include regional and open-access journals. The authors emphasize that while individual researchers can take action, systemic change is required from institutions and funders to dismantle structural barriers.

The editors of Climate and Development critique the Reuters "Hot List" of 1,000 influential climate scholars for significant underrepresentation of women and scholars from the Global South, calling for systemic reforms in academic publishing and citation to dismantle colonial models of scientific practice.

This policy brief examines the social resilience of 15 communities in the Global South during the COVID-19 pandemic. It finds that resilience is multifaceted, involving assets, flexibility, social organization, learning, behavioral factors, and agency. The study highlights the critical role of community-based organizations, particularly women's and youth groups, in mobilizing resources and maintaining social cohesion. It recommends that policymakers target multiple social domains of resilience rather than focusing on a single policy angle, treating community organizations as key partners and investing in social capital to enhance collective action.

This report documents the results of a policy dialogue held on 28 March 2019 in Bangkok, Thailand, focusing on the bioeconomy for sustainable development. The dialogue is part of a broader project supported by Vinnova to facilitate constructive discussions on bioeconomy development in national and regional contexts, specifically aiming to guide decision-makers toward cohesive governance of bioeconomy pathways with a focus on the Global South.

The author examines how 'paralysing defeatism' and 'complacency' prevent the implementation of feasible mitigation and adaptation measures. He argues that personal responsibility for climate change is grounded in both prudence and ethics, particularly for those in the Global North who have benefited from industrial development. To counter inaction, the author suggests using local, concrete evidence of climate change and fostering solidarity with vulnerable populations to shift the cultural beliefs and habits that obstruct action.

The Center for International Environmental Law and WWF European Policy Office urge the European Commission to move beyond closed-circuit television and adopt a policy of web-casting WTO dispute settlement hearings to ensure global public access, particularly for citizens in the Global South.

This report by Friends of the Earth International critiques the international climate negotiation process leading up to COP 17 in Durban. It argues that rich industrialized nations are avoiding their historical responsibility by promoting voluntary pledges and carbon market mechanisms rather than legally binding emission cuts. The document calls for a systemic shift away from neoliberal economic models toward climate justice, demanding radical domestic emission reductions, public financing for the Global South, and the protection of indigenous and local community rights.

The Global Resilience Partnership (GRP) emphasizes the role of youth as core contributors in climate resilience through a model that combines flexible funding, mentorship, and creative storytelling. By utilizing small, catalytic grants via the Knowledge Into Use (KIU) Awards, GRP supports arts-based initiatives—such as murals and theatre—to make technical climate data accessible to local communities. The report highlights the importance of 'proximate leadership,' where youth are integrated into decision-making roles and global policy spaces like the COP Resilience Hub. Key findings suggest that pairing financial resources with structured guidance and visibility enables young innovators to scale their impact and secure further investment.

The statement by Global Witness advocates for climate reparations to address historical injustices and the disproportionate impact of climate change on low-income countries. It distinguishes climate reparations, which include liability for past harm, from 'loss and damage' compensation, which focuses on current unavoidable impacts. The text highlights the vulnerability of 3.6 billion people and the debt burden on countries like Mozambique, urging COP27 negotiators to establish a transparent fund financed by heavy polluters and to provide grants and debt forgiveness instead of loans.