Search Climate Insights Directory

The report estimates that apparel sector emissions were 1.025 gigatons CO2e in 2019 and are projected to reach 1.588 gigatons by 2030 under a business-as-usual scenario. To close the gap and meet 1.5°C targets, the report proposes six key interventions: maximizing material efficiency, scaling sustainable materials and practices, accelerating innovative materials, proliferating energy efficiency, eliminating coal in manufacturing, and shifting to 100% renewable electricity. It also emphasizes the need to transition from linear to circular business models.

The document addresses the difficulty of determining if current national climate actions are sufficient to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions targets while ensuring a just transition. To resolve this, it introduces a 'Framework for Net-Zero Climate Action' that outlines outcomes, enabling action areas, and specific actions. The paper utilizes five country case studies to demonstrate how governments are implementing governance measures, stakeholder engagement, sectoral policies, and financing to overcome implementation challenges and move toward their midcentury targets.

The document argues that current U.S. federal tax credits suffer from design deficiencies and a cycle of short-term extensions that discourage private sector planning. It proposes a shift toward a predictable, forward-looking regime featuring technology-neutral designs, performance-based incentives, and equity measures to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050.

The document outlines three mutually reinforcing transitions—decarbonization, circular economy, and decentralization—to guide a sustainable post-COVID-19 economic redesign. It emphasizes the need for robust net-zero commitments, a shift from recycling to reducing and reusing materials, and stronger coordination between national and subnational governments to enhance climate resilience and equity.

The analysis indicates that India can achieve its 2070 net-zero target without compromising economic development, though the transition will create uneven regional and sectoral impacts. Key challenges include the need for economic diversification in fossil fuel-dependent regions, increased demand for skilled workers in specialized manufacturing, and the risk of exacerbating vulnerabilities in sectors like construction. Additionally, the decline in fossil fuel tax revenues will necessitate new public revenue mobilization strategies.

The report evaluates seven ocean-based carbon dioxide removal (CDR) methods, emphasizing the need for a precautionary, iterative approach to balance climate urgency with environmental and social risks.

The document outlines a strategic framework for banks, specifically targeting Chinese institutions, to exit coal financing. It emphasizes that global coal combustion for power must drop from 36% in 2022 to 3% by 2035 to maintain the 1.5°C goal. The proposed framework consists of three stages: plan/review, decide, and implement, designed to increase transparency and manage risks across the entire coal value chain. The author argues that adopting these practices and collaborating internationally will provide Chinese banks with a competitive edge during the global energy transition.

The document outlines how estimating the costs of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) allows governments to identify financing gaps and select appropriate financial instruments. It details various costing methodologies—including econometric, macroeconomic, and integrated assessment models—and highlights the challenges of data gaps and uncertainty. Case studies from Colombia, South Africa, and Indonesia illustrate the application of these tools in national planning.

The document analyzes energy efficiency as a 'first fuel' for decarbonization, detailing the historical decline in energy intensity for both the US and China. It outlines specific national targets, such as China's goal to reduce energy intensity by 13.5% by 2025 and the US goal of net-zero emissions by 2050. Additionally, it reviews the history of US-China bilateral cooperation, including the Energy Efficiency Action Plan and the US-China Clean Energy Research Center, noting a recent agreement in November 2023 to restart the US-China Energy Efficiency Forum.

The document details the energy efficiency trajectories of the U.S. and China, noting that the U.S. has seen a steady decline in energy intensity since 1950, while China experienced significant fluctuations, including a sharp increase between 2000 and 2005 before implementing binding reduction targets. It outlines current targets, such as the U.S. goal of net-zero by 2050 and China's goal of carbon neutrality by 2060, and highlights the history of U.S.-China cooperation through initiatives like the Energy Efficiency Action Plan and the Energy Efficiency Forum.

The document outlines the importance of long-term strategies (LTS) as a link between shorter-term Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and the Paris Agreement goals. It details six core elements of an LTS: a long-term vision, quantified mitigation goals, adaptation and resilience plans, pathways with interim milestones, monitoring and revision processes, and transparent communication. The guide emphasizes the role of civil society in holding governments accountable and ensuring a just transition, particularly in the context of economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

WRI is implementing a climate change investment strategy to transition its portfolio to net-zero GHG emissions by 2050, aiming for alignment with a 1.5°C future. The strategy is based on five objectives: identifying material climate issues, reducing climate-related risk, increasing investments in a low-carbon transition, conducting climate-focused engagement, and disclosing progress. Key actions include maintaining 0% exposure to fossil fuel companies and increasing private equity commitments to sustainable investments to 15% of the portfolio by 2022.

The United States needs to remove approximately 2 GtCO2 per year by 2050 to achieve climate neutrality, given that the U.S. Mid-century Strategy for Deep Decarbonization leaves roughly 2.55 GtCO2 of gross annual emissions unaddressed and land sinks are projected to decline. To reach this target, the document argues that an "all-of-the-above" portfolio—combining natural pathways like tree restoration and agricultural soil carbon with technological approaches like direct air capture—is the most effective, risk-averse, and cheapest strategy, yielding the highest cumulative carbon removal by 2050.

The document examines the purpose, elements, and implementation of long-term climate strategies, emphasizing the need to align near-term actions (NDCs) with mid-century goals. It covers the role of modeling, the integration of adaptation and sustainable development, the necessity of climate-aligned finance, and the importance of a 'just transition' for workers in carbon-intensive industries.

WRI's Climate Change Investment Statement establishes a framework to transition its endowment portfolio to net-zero GHG emissions by 2050, aiming for alignment with a 1.5°C future. The strategy is built on five objectives: identifying material climate issues, reducing risk exposure, investing in low-carbon and just transition solutions, engaging with companies and managers, and disclosing progress. Key quantitative targets include the total divestment of thermal coal, oil, and gas reserves by April 2020 and increasing private market commitments to sustainable-development-aligned investments to 15% of the portfolio by 2022.

The World Resources Institute (WRI) is implementing a 2023-2027 strategy to drive systemic change across three human-centered systems: Cities, Energy, and Food, Land & Water. WRI Europe Stichting serves as the regional representative in Europe, leveraging the region's financial and research hubs to pilot sustainable practices and mobilize funding. The organization utilizes a framework of Global Impact Targets, WRI Impact Targets, and Country-Level Targets to measure success, aligned with the Paris Agreement and Sustainable Development Goals. WRI Europe Stichting's financial report for the 2024/2025 period shows a total income of EUR 17,360,351 and a result for the year of EUR 153,834.

A coalition of organizations commits to reaching net-zero emissions in South Africa by 2050, advocating for a just transition and strengthened national climate policies.

The document examines the relationship between the Paris Agreement and aviation emissions, asserting that the ICAO's goal of stabilizing net emissions at 2020 levels is inconsistent with the Paris Agreement's objective to limit global temperature increases to 1.5°C or well below 2°C. It notes that while the Paris Agreement covers all anthropogenic emissions, it does not specify how to address international transport, leaving a gap that the ICAO's GMBM must fill. The briefing emphasizes that domestic aviation emissions fall under nationally determined contributions (NDCs), which account for one third of total aviation emissions. It further highlights that Article 6 of the Paris Agreement provides essential frameworks for the environmental integrity of carbon markets, which are critical since the GMBM relies heavily on offsets. The document concludes that ICAO member states, all of whom are parties to the Paris Agreement, must ensure the GMBM reflects the Agreement's spirit of increasing ambition over time.

WWF urges the US Congress to utilize the 2023 Farm Bill to end habitat conversion, reverse species decline, and achieve net zero agriculture by 2040. Key recommendations include protecting the $20 billion Inflation Reduction Act investment in agricultural conservation, eliminating subsidies for the conversion of grasslands, and reducing the approximately 35% of food that goes unsold or uneaten in the US. The document advocates for the integration of Indigenous Traditional Ecological Knowledge, the promotion of regenerative agriculture, and the implementation of rigorous biodiversity safeguards for bioenergy and advanced fuels.

South Africa faces increasing vulnerability to climate extremes, including droughts in the west and intense rainfall in the east, with economic costs reaching billions of rand. Despite the Climate Change Act of 2024 mandating a national adaptation plan, implementation is lagging. The energy sector, responsible for nearly 80% of national emissions, is identified as the most critical area for mitigation through the upcoming Integrated Energy Plan (IEP). WWF proposes a 'People's Energy Plan' as a feasible path to net zero CO2 emissions by mid-century that supports developmental growth and employment.