Search Climate Insights Directory

Carbon Market Watch criticizes the Green Climate Fund's approval of three large hydro dam projects in Nepal, Tajikistan, and the Solomon Islands, arguing that such investments contradict the fund's goal of promoting a paradigm shift and risk repeating the human rights and environmental failures seen in the Barro Blanco project in Panama.

The Climate, Land, Ambition and Rights Alliance (CLARA) provides recommendations for land-use policies within the UNFCCC framework. The briefing emphasizes the need for free, prior and informed consent (FPIC) for indigenous peoples, the protection of collective land rights, and the adoption of agroecological practices. It strongly opposes the use of terrestrial carbon sinks to offset industrial emissions, citing the non-permanence of such sinks and the unreliability of soil carbon accounting. Additionally, it warns against large-scale bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) and 'Climate Smart Agriculture' due to risks of land grabs and corporate green-washing.

This research paper proposes a novel approach to joint problem analysis between Sami reindeer herders and Swedish civil servants within permitting authorities for mining, wind energy, and forestry, specifically focusing on the governance of cumulative effects assessment (CEA).

The Center for International Environmental Law expresses concerns regarding a proposed $200 million IDB loan to Guatemala for border integration with Mexico. The briefing argues that the Guatemala Ministry of Defense, the designated executing agency, lacks the legal mandate for fiscal and economic controls and has a history of corruption, lack of transparency, and links to organized crime. Furthermore, the document warns that the project's focus on migrant control may violate international laws regarding refugee rights and the principle of non-refoulement, and fails to address obligations to indigenous communities under ILO Convention 169.

Friends of the Earth International commemorates the anniversary of Berta Cáceres' murder, highlighting her leadership in opposing hydroelectric dams on the Gualcarque River in Honduras. The statement frames the violence against Cáceres and other women defenders as a result of a capitalist and patriarchal system that exploits both the environment and women's work. The organization calls for justice and announces a week of action from March 2nd to 8th, 2017, to combat systemic violence and the erosion of rights for Indigenous Peoples and working-class women.

The statement commemorates the anniversary of the murder of Berta Cáceres, a Lenca indigenous activist killed for opposing dams on the Gualcarque River in Honduras. It links the struggle for territorial protection with the fight against capitalist and patriarchal systems that exploit both the environment and women. Friends of the Earth International calls for justice for Cáceres and other murdered women defenders, denouncing the institutionalized violence and impunity faced by indigenous and grassroots movements globally.

Friends of the Earth International commemorates the anniversary of the murder of Lenca activist Berta Cáceres, linking her struggle against mega-dams in Honduras to a broader global fight against capitalist and patriarchal systems. The organization denounces the systemic violence, persecution, and impunity faced by indigenous women and grassroots activists defending their lands and water. It commits to working with feminist and social movements to dismantle the patriarchy and combat the exploitation of women's productive and reproductive labor.

An open letter from multiple organisations requesting a UN investigation into the Barro Blanco hydroelectric dam in Panama, citing unnotified reservoir flooding, lack of compensation for displaced families, and the risk of forceful evictions following a Supreme Court ruling.

The report argues that Burger King lacks transparency and effective policies to prevent deforestation in its supply chain, contrasting it with competitors like McDonald's. Through field investigations and satellite mapping, the authors link Burger King's suppliers—specifically soy traders Cargill and Bunge—to the destruction of the Brazilian Cerrado and Bolivian lowland forests. The document highlights the resulting loss of biodiversity, carbon emissions, and violence against indigenous peoples, while advocating for the expansion of the Brazilian Amazon Soy Moratorium to other Latin American ecosystems.

The report analyzes 855 Visual Inspection Certificates and 2,364 Forest Transport Permits (GTFs) from the Port of Callao in 2015 to trace the supply chain of Peruvian timber. It finds that a significant portion of exports are high-risk or illegal, with exporters strategically directing 'red list' timber to countries with weak import laws, such as China and Mexico, while sending 'green list' timber to the US and EU. The study highlights a shift toward using Forest Permits in Indigenous Communities and Local Forests to circumvent oversight, as these modalities often lack supervision or exhibit high rates of illegality.

The document highlights the vulnerability of the Asia Pacific region to climate change, specifically focusing on how extreme weather and slow-onset disasters drive migration. Through case studies in Sri Lanka, Papua New Guinea, and the Philippines, it illustrates the loss of livelihoods, food insecurity, and social disruption facing marginalized communities. It concludes that current legal systems fail to recognize 'climate refugees' and urges governments to implement human-rights-based resettlement and adaptation strategies.

The document details a workshop involving government officials, Sami representatives, and researchers to address the gap between legal requirements to promote Sami culture and the actual practice of authorities in planning and permitting. Key discussions focused on the necessity of early dialogue, the recognition of traditional knowledge, and the systemic failure to account for cumulative effects of land exploitation. The report highlights a strong convergence between authorities and Sami representatives on the primary obstacles, such as resource shortages and the problematic assumption of 'coexistence' between industry and reindeer husbandry.

Friends of the Earth International criticizes COP 13 for failing to protect biodiversity, alleging that the conference prioritized corporate interests and economic growth over environmental safety and indigenous rights. The organization highlights the continued promotion of harmful technologies like GMOs and pesticides, the erosion of the precautionary principle, and the increasing influence of the private sector through the 'financialization of nature'.

The CBD Alliance describes biodiversity as being in a "state of emergency" and criticizes COP 13 for prioritizing business interests, financial gains, and trade over ecological protection. The statement highlights failures in risk assessment for synthetic biology, the promotion of unsustainable agriculture and tourism, and the marginalization of indigenous peoples and developing country delegations.

A joint declaration by indigenous communities in Mexico, released during COP 13 in Cancún, argues that the 'green economy' and biodiversity conventions serve as fronts for corporate interests and the dispossession of indigenous lands. The document condemns the criminalization of environmental defenders and the use of deceptive conservation rhetoric to justify extractive projects, including wind and hydroelectric power. It specifically criticizes the REDD+ mechanism and the Nagoya and Cartagena protocols for favoring multinationals over indigenous sovereignty and biocultural heritage.

The document is a statement by indigenous groups in Mexico, issued during COP 13 in Cancun, condemning the 'green economy' and extractivist projects—including wind parks, hydroelectric projects, and mining—as drivers of human rights violations and territorial plundering. The signatories argue that international frameworks like the Nagoya and Cartagena Protocols and the REDD+ program prioritize corporate profit over biodiversity and indigenous sovereignty, calling for the protection of biocultural heritage and food sovereignty against the commodification of nature.

Friends of the Earth International expresses solidarity with water protectors at Standing Rock, condemning the Dakota Access Pipeline for threatening Native American sacred territories and drinking water. The statement denounces the use of military tactics and weapons by U.S. security forces against peaceful protesters and calls for the U.S. government to withdraw permits and for global banks to cease financing the project.

Friends of the Earth Latin America and the Caribbean (ATALC) condemns a report by the FMO regarding the Agua Zarca project in Honduras, stating it seeks to discredit community resistance and legitimize the imposition of hydroelectric megaprojects. The statement links the violence against indigenous leaders, including Berta Cáceres, and peasant organizations to unequal trade treaties with Europe and the US, and calls on the Netherlands, Finland, and Spain to cease financing projects that violate human rights in Latin America.

The document is a statement by Friends of the Earth Latin America and the Caribbean (ATALC) condemning the Agua Zarca hydro-electric project in Honduras and a report by the FMO (Entrepreneurial Development Bank) that ATALC claims discredits local communities. It highlights a pattern of violence against indigenous Lenca and Tolupan leaders, including the murder of Berta Cáceres, and links these issues to inequitable trade agreements and foreign financing. ATALC calls on the Honduran state to investigate irregularities and urges the Netherlands, Finland, and Spain to cease financing projects that breach human rights in Latin America.

The report analyzes diverse resource management models—ranging from sovereign wealth funds in Norway to ecosystem service payments in Costa Rica—to derive a framework for benefit sharing. It emphasizes that successful long-term outcomes require clear leadership, strong legislative frameworks, institutional mechanisms for implementation, and the active inclusion of Indigenous populations in decision-making. The document contrasts successful models, such as Norway's GPFG, with cautionary examples like Alberta's Heritage Savings Trust Fund and Nigeria's oil sector, highlighting the risks of overreliance on non-renewable resources without strategic diversification and robust legal safeguards.