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Honoring Rafe Pomerance, a Pioneer of Climate Action
The World Resources Institute (WRI) issued a statement mourning the passing of Rafe Pomerance, a pioneer in the climate movement. Pomerance is credited with helping organize the 1986 U.S. Senate hearings on the greenhouse effect and serving as a key architect of the 1997 Kyoto Protocol. He worked with numerous organizations, including WRI from 1986 to 1993, Friends of the Earth, and the U.S. government, to push climate change onto the political agenda.
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Document type: Statement
Reforming the UN climate governance system
The document assesses the UN climate regime's transition into an 'implementation era' following the completion of the Paris Agreement Rulebook. It identifies systemic inefficiencies, including a predominance of procedural over substantive decisions, overlapping mandates of constituted bodies, and significant funding gaps for developing countries. The authors argue that the regime is hindered by a de facto veto system based on consensus and the influence of fossil fuel lobbyists. Key recommendations include streamlining negotiation agendas, adopting formal voting rules, formally closing the Kyoto Protocol, and integrating the UNFCCC with other Rio Conventions to address the root causes of the climate crisis.
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Document type: Policy brief
CO2me again: carbon market terms explained
The document defines essential carbon market terminology, including the distinction between cap-and-trade and compliance markets, the mechanics of carbon credits and budgets, and specific regulatory frameworks like the EU's CBAM and the ICAO's CORSIA.
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Document type: Guide
Reforming the UN climate governance system for an implementation context
The document assesses the UN climate regime's transition to the 'implementation era' following the completion of the Paris Agreement rulebook. It identifies systemic inefficiencies, including a predominance of procedural decisions (87%) over substantive ones, overlapping mandates among 17 constituted bodies, and significant funding gaps for adaptation. The authors argue that the regime is hindered by a de facto veto system based on consensus and the influence of fossil fuel lobbyists. Key recommendations include adopting formal voting rules, closing the Kyoto Protocol's remaining structures to save an estimated €62 million over five years, and operationalizing new governance platforms like a UN Climate Council. The brief also emphasizes the need to address structural drivers of the crisis, such as overconsumption and corporate impunity, while leveraging the 2025 ICJ Advisory Opinion to strengthen legal accountability for both states and non-state actors.
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Document type: Policy brief
La reforma hacia la implementación del régimen de gobernanza de las Naciones Unidas sobre el cambio climático
The document argues that the UN climate regime, comprising the UNFCCC, Kyoto Protocol, and Paris Agreement, is currently hindered by procedural complexity, fragmented institutional structures, and a lack of accountability. It highlights that 87% of recent decisions are merely procedural and recommends a systemic overhaul, including the formal closure of the Kyoto Protocol, the adoption of majority voting to replace consensus, and a shift toward a more active implementation role for the UNFCCC Secretariat. The authors emphasize the need for a new climate finance goal of at least $300 billion annually by 2035 and the integration of ethical considerations and structural causes of the climate crisis into future governance.
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Document type: Policy brief
Climate Change FAQs
The document explains that human activities, primarily the burning of fossil fuels, have increased average global temperatures by approximately one degree Celsius since 1880. It details the resulting impacts, including more frequent extreme weather, rising sea levels, and ocean acidification. The text outlines strategies for addressing these challenges through climate mitigation, adaptation, and resilience, while describing the roles of the U.S. government, corporations, and the United Nations in implementing these solutions.
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Document type: Fact sheet
Climate Change FAQ
The document explains that global warming, driven primarily by human-caused greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuels and agriculture, has increased average global temperatures by approximately 1 degree Celsius since 1880. It details the resulting impacts, including more frequent extreme weather events, rising sea levels, and ocean acidification. The text outlines various responses, such as the transition to renewable energy, energy efficiency, and the roles of the United Nations and the U.S. government in international agreements like the Paris Agreement. It also defines key concepts such as climate adaptation, mitigation, and resilience, and discusses the role of climate finance in supporting these efforts.
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Document type: Fact sheet
COP30Factsheet
The 2025 UN Climate Change Conference, including COP30, CMA7, CMP20, SBI63, and SBSTA63, will take place from November 10 to 21, 2025, in Belém, Brasil. The event is presided over by André Corrêa do Lago and features a thematic program covering adaptation, health, climate justice, nature, agriculture, energy, and transport. The venue is divided into a UNFCCC-managed 'Blue Zone' for negotiations and a host-country-managed 'Green Zone' for public engagement, with a dedicated youth-led space in the Blue Zone. Logistics include a 24-hour system of 15 bus lines for transportation and accommodation managed via bnetwork.
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Document type: Fact sheet
Carbon offsets primer
The document examines the systemic failures of carbon offsetting, highlighting that most credits—particularly those for forestry and renewable energy—lack additionality and environmental integrity. It argues that offsetting often leads to an overall increase in emissions by delaying necessary mitigation and allowing continued investment in high-emitting technologies. The briefing concludes that carbon avoidance and reduction offsets have no place in ambitious climate policies, recommending that priority be given to direct emissions cuts and non-market-based climate finance.
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Document type: Briefing
Koch and Climate Obstruction
The report details how Koch, Inc. and its executives had access to scientific warnings about global warming as early as 1972 but spent decades financing a network of nonprofits and think tanks to obstruct climate action. This was achieved by contesting climate science, running public relations campaigns to shift cultural understanding, and lobbying political elites. The document tracks this effort from early API and National Petroleum Council reports through the funding of the Competitive Enterprise Institute's 'global warming project' and the activities of Americans for Prosperity, culminating in significant policy victories during the Trump administration and continued opposition to Biden-era climate legislation.
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Document type: Report
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Glossary of Terms
The document is a detailed reference guide defining the organizational structures, legal agreements, and technical terminology of the UNFCCC. It covers key treaties such as the Paris Agreement and Kyoto Protocol, explains the roles of various bodies like the COP and its subsidiary bodies, and defines critical climate concepts including Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), the Global Stocktake, and the Enhanced Transparency Framework. It also details the roles of non-state actors through the nine recognized NGO constituencies and describes the financial mechanisms, such as the Green Climate Fund, used to support developing countries.
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Document type: Guide
Structure and Elements of International Legal Instruments
The document argues against a framework convention for the future plastics treaty, asserting that such a structure would delay concrete action. Instead, it recommends a substantive or hybrid treaty containing binding obligations and technical annexes. By comparing the successes of the Montreal Protocol with the perceived failures of the UNFCCC and Kyoto Protocol, the author highlights that mandatory national targets and efficient amendment processes for annexes are critical for effectiveness. The briefing warns that voluntary provisions and a lack of voting mechanisms in the Conference of the Parties (COP) risk creating an ineffectual 'paper tiger' agreement.
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Document type: Briefing
Climate Negotiations Glossary
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'.
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Document type: Guide
CARBON MARKETS 101
The document explains the distinction between cap-and-trade systems (ETS) and baseline-and-credit mechanisms, detailing the evolution from Kyoto Protocol markets to the Paris Agreement's Article 6. It critiques carbon offsetting for enabling greenwashing and failing to reduce absolute emissions, while highlighting the specific shortcomings of CORSIA and REDD+. The guide advocates for a shift toward a 'climate contribution' approach where credits are cancelled without offsetting claims to support global climate action.
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Document type: Guide
MERCADOS DE CARBONO 101
The document explains the distinction between emissions trading systems (ETS) and carbon credit attribution mechanisms, detailing the evolution from the Kyoto Protocol to the Paris Agreement. It critically assesses the effectiveness of various market mechanisms, including Article 6.2 and 6.4, CORSIA, and REDD+, highlighting systemic risks such as 'hot air', double counting, and greenwashing. The guide argues against the use of offsets for carbon neutrality and proposes a 'climate contribution' approach instead.
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Document type: Guide
CARBON MARKETS 101
The document explains the difference between cap-and-trade systems and carbon credit mechanisms, detailing the evolution from the Kyoto Protocol to the Paris Agreement. It critiques carbon offsetting as a tool for greenwashing and argues for a shift toward 'climate contributions' where credits are retired without claims of neutrality.
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Document type: Guide
MERCADOS DE CARBONO 101
The document serves as a comprehensive primer on carbon markets, distinguishing between emissions trading systems (cap-and-trade) and credit-based mechanisms. It details the evolution from the Kyoto Protocol's mechanisms to the Paris Agreement's Article 6, while critically assessing the risks of carbon offsetting, such as 'greenwashing' and the 'hot air' problem. The guide also examines the CORSIA framework for aviation and the private certification standards of the voluntary market, ultimately advocating for a shift from offsetting to a 'climate contribution' model.
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Document type: Guide
Clean Energy 101: Carbon Accounting
The document defines carbon accounting as the practice of quantifying and reporting greenhouse gas emissions to set reduction targets. It traces the evolution of environmental reporting from the 1987 Montreal Protocol and the 1997 Kyoto Protocol to the establishment of the Greenhouse Gas Protocol. The text distinguishes between attributional accounting, which identifies where emissions occur, and consequential accounting, which measures system-wide changes resulting from specific actions. It argues that while attributional accounting is standard, organizations must adopt both methods in tandem and move toward near real-time assessments to effectively implement climate commitments and legislation like the US Inflation Reduction Act.
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Document type: Guide
CLIMATE ACTION HANDBOOK
The Climate Action Handbook is a guide designed to empower South African communities to respond to climate change by combining scientific understanding with legal action. It defines climate vulnerability and resilience, outlines South Africa's specific climate risks and legal framework—including constitutional rights and environmental legislation—and provides a ten-step practical framework for community-led climate action, ranging from advocacy and information gathering to formal legal proceedings.
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Document type: Guide
Kyoto-era carbon credits will not repay our debt to the climate
The author contends that outdated Kyoto-era carbon credits lack environmental integrity and that reviving the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) would not benefit the climate. The text highlights the lack of legal basis for continuing the CDM after 2020 and notes the significant uncertainty regarding the volume of existing credits, with estimates ranging from 300 million to over 4 billion CERs.
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Document type: Statement