Search Climate Insights Directory

The authors examine Uganda's agricultural subsidy landscape, noting that while initiatives like NAADS and insurance subsidies have increased input access and risk mitigation, they are often hampered by top-down design, poor implementation, and a lack of extension services. The paper argues that current subsidies often benefit large-scale farmers over smallholders and can cause environmental harm through the promotion of monoculture and agrochemicals. It recommends a value-chain approach to subsidy design with greater stakeholder participation and improved funding and monitoring.

Global Energy Monitor (GEM) identified 23 methane 'super-emitter' events linked to eight coal mines across Australia, Colombia, Mexico, and China between January 1, 2023, and April 1, 2024. Using NASA EMIT sensor data and the Global Coal Mine Tracker, GEM connected these plumes to specific operators, highlighting a lack of global incentives for mine operators to mitigate methane emissions, particularly from ventilation shafts.

CAPE highlights the health and environmental risks of plastic, noting that 460 million tonnes of new plastic are produced annually and that the industry is the fastest-growing source of global industrial greenhouse gases. The organization calls for a just Global Plastics Treaty that limits production, eliminates unnecessary plastics, and prohibits hazardous chemicals. CAPE specifically criticizes the Canadian government for missing production commitments in recent statements and urges leadership ahead of the fifth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-5) in Busan, Republic of Korea.

The document details how human activities, primarily the burning of fossil fuels, have increased atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide to levels higher than any point in the last 800,000 years. These gases have caused a combined 1.6°C of global warming since 1850, with CO2 and methane accounting for 95% of this increase. In the United States, 76% of greenhouse gas emissions originate from three sectors: transportation (28%), electric power (25%), and industry (23%). The text emphasizes that while the U.S. has reduced emissions to approximately 17% below 2005 levels, the pace of reduction must more than triple to meet 2030 national targets.

The document examines the intersection of the climate crisis and the US insurance system, focusing on the aftermath of Hurricane Helene in North Carolina. It highlights a disconnect where insurers seek significant rate hikes—up to 99% in some coastal areas—despite historical profitability, while many homeowners remain uninsured for flood damage. The authors argue that the insurance industry exacerbates the climate crisis by investing over $500 billion in fossil fuel-related assets and underwriting fossil fuel projects, thereby profiting from the drivers of the extreme weather that leads to higher insurance claims.

The document advises journalists to move beyond describing fracking as 'controversial' and instead explain its specific climate and health impacts. It highlights that fracking accounts for nearly two-thirds of US oil production and argues that its methane emissions make it more damaging to the climate than coal. The guide also emphasizes the importance of reporting on state-level regulation and the need for a just transition for fossil-fuel-dependent communities.

The document outlines a three-part approach to discussing climate change with children: listening to their concerns to manage eco-anxiety, providing reassurance through the existence of global solutions, and using visual and interactive tools to make invisible climate processes understandable.

Between March and May 2024, global temperature records were broken for three consecutive months. Using the Climate Shift Index (CSI), the analysis found that approximately one in four people worldwide experienced temperatures at least three times more likely due to climate change (CSI level 3+) daily. Exposure peaked on April 6, 2024, with 2.7 billion people affected. The most severe impacts were concentrated in Africa, Southeast Asia, Central America, and South America, with 44% of Africa's population experiencing the most extreme attributable heat (CSI level 5 for 60+ days). The report also highlights a strong regional contrast in the U.S., where coastal areas and islands showed higher CSI signals despite lower temperature anomalies compared to the Upper Midwest.

The Climate Negotiations Glossary defines the technical, political, and procedural terminology of the UNFCCC process. It covers the governing bodies of the UNFCCC, Kyoto Protocol, and Paris Agreement, as well as the roles of various negotiation blocks, observer constituencies, and financial mechanisms. The guide explains specific articles of the Paris Agreement (such as Article 6 on carbon markets and Article 9 on finance), the functions of constituted bodies like the Adaptation Committee, and the logistical details of COP meetings, including the 'blue zone' and 'green zone'.

The document addresses the humanitarian and environmental crisis caused by record-breaking rainfall in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, affecting nearly 1.5 million people. It attributes the severity of the disaster to both global greenhouse gas emissions from wealthy nations and domestic failures, including the dismantling of environmental legislation and a lack of integrated disaster management. The author advocates for a transition from 20th-century concrete infrastructure to 21st-century nature-based solutions and integrated urban land use management to enhance climate resilience.

The guide describes how spectrometers on satellites detect the infrared signature of methane to identify emissions from oil and gas, coal, waste, and agriculture. It highlights the emergence of NGO-led missions like MethaneSAT and Carbon Mapper, which provide open-source, granular data to drive climate action and pressure emitters to reduce leaks.

The document outlines ten prevalent climate myths, attributing their spread to fossil fuel companies and political allies to confuse the public and press. It counters these myths with scientific consensus, noting that over 99% of climate scientists agree human activity is overheating the planet. The guide emphasizes that while the climate has changed naturally in the past, the current rate of change is unprecedented in 66 million years due to 250 years of fossil fuel combustion. It asserts that the tools to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius exist and that renewable energy is increasingly cost-competitive with oil. Geographically, it highlights the United States as the largest historical emitter of greenhouse gases, followed by China, and notes that current warming of approximately 1.2 degrees Celsius is already intensifying extreme weather globally.

The author contends that despite 2024 being a record-breaking election year and the hottest year on record, news outlets are sidelining the climate crisis in political reporting. This is particularly evident in the US, where climate issues are often treated as afterthoughts or framed as unsettled science. To address this, Covering Climate Now is launching 'The Climate Elections project,' which includes a newsletter and resources to help reporters integrate climate issues into campaign coverage, moving away from 'horserace' reporting toward substantive policy questions.

The document describes natural gas as a fossil fuel primarily composed of methane, a potent greenhouse gas. It details the process of hydraulic fracturing (fracking) and its negative consequences, including the contamination of millions of litres of clean water, the triggering of earthquakes, and the release of harmful air pollutants like VOCs and PM2.5. In British Columbia, the expansion of the LNG industry is noted to threaten Indigenous lands and water sources, such as the Wedzin Kwa river. The text asserts that methane is responsible for one-third of global warming and that 'renewable natural gas' is a form of greenwashing. It concludes by calling for a moratorium on new fracking permits and a transition away from methane for heating and cooking.

The 2024 Sustainable Agriculture Market Intelligence Report highlights key investment opportunities for the South African agricultural sector to mitigate risks from loadshedding, climate change, and international trade policies. Primary opportunities include solar PV and solar thermal applications, the electrification of machinery (such as electric tractors), and smart farming tools like remote sensing and AI diagnostics. The report emphasizes the Western Cape's role as a green economy hub and provides a comprehensive overview of the climate finance landscape and regulatory frameworks, including the EU's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), which may influence future agricultural exports.

The research assesses the effectiveness of carbon abatement projects funded by municipal green bonds in Sweden, finding that clean energy production, particularly wind energy, is more cost-efficient than other emerging technologies like carbon capture storage. The study utilizes life-cycle costs and considers all greenhouse gases to evaluate these investments, noting that the Swedish carbon tax serves as an effective incentive for clean energy projects.

The International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) views Canada's new oil and gas emissions cap framework as a necessary foundation for a sector-specific cap-and-trade system, but warns that the proposed 2030 reduction target of 16-20% relative to 2005 levels is insufficient compared to the broader economy-wide goal of 40-45%. The IISD expresses concern over compliance flexibilities, such as carbon offsets and decarbonization fund payments, which it argues may undermine actual emissions reductions. To align with the 2022 Emissions Reduction Plan, the IISD recommends strengthening the 2030 target toward a 40% reduction and minimizing the use of offsets.

In a speech at COP28, Colombian President Gustavo Petro calls for a global Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty to end the exploitation of oil, coal, and gas. He argues that current fossil fuel deposits are sufficient to lead the planet to a 3°C temperature increase and subsequent collapse. Petro frames the climate crisis as a struggle between 'fossil capital' and human life, highlighting the imminent threat of 'ethnocide' for island nations like Tuvalu and the necessity of a rational transition for oil-dependent economies, including Colombia.

The document argues that reporting on extreme weather is incomplete without explaining the climate connection. It provides specific phrasing for journalists to describe how warming temperatures 'supercharge' weather patterns and offers examples of this application across various phenomena, including heatwaves, droughts, flooding, sea level rise, winter weather, hurricanes, and wildfires. It also recommends specific attribution tools like the Climate Shift Index and World Weather Attribution to provide scientific grounding for these claims.

Global sea surface temperatures reached unprecedented levels from April to July 2023, driven primarily by human-caused carbon pollution and El Niño. This warming increases the likelihood of rapid intensification in hurricanes and causes severe heat stress for coral reefs, particularly around Florida and the Caribbean. The document highlights that 48% of the global ocean experienced marine heat waves in July 2023, and warns that 70–90% of tropical coral reefs could disappear even if warming is limited to 1.5°C.