Search Climate Insights Directory

This briefing by the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) and the Global Initiative for Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (GI-ESCR) analyzes how the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR) addresses climate change in relation to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR). It focuses on the Committee's 2018 activities, highlighting a trend of increasing climate-related recommendations in State reporting procedures and the specific human rights obligations States must uphold regarding mitigation, adaptation, and procedural rights.

This briefing note, prepared for a dinner discussion at the June 2019 Climate Negotiations (SB50), outlines the necessity of integrating human rights into climate action to ensure policy coherence and the protection of vulnerable populations. It traces the evolution of human rights recognition within the UNFCCC framework, from the 2010 Cancun Agreements to the 2015 Paris Agreement, and identifies specific opportunities at SB50 to implement social safeguards and review human rights-related workstreams.

This report, produced by the International Indigenous Peoples’ Forum on Climate Change (IIPFCC) and the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL), serves as a compilation of decisions and conclusions adopted by the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) that reference Indigenous Peoples and traditional knowledge. Updated to reflect the outcomes of the Katowice Climate Conference (COP-24), the document outlines the legal framework provided by the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) and tracks the increasing integration of Indigenous rights and knowledge into climate policies, specifically highlighting the establishment of the Local Communities and Indigenous Peoples Platform.

This briefing from the Stockholm Environment Institute discusses the 'production gap'—the divergence between planned fossil fuel production and the levels consistent with Paris Agreement temperature goals. It argues that supply-side policies, such as production limits and subsidy removals, are essential to avoid carbon lock-in and achieve cost-effective emission reductions.

A statement by Helen Mountford of the World Resources Institute regarding the conclusion of COP24 in Katowice, Poland, noting that while negotiations were contentious, they established the necessary rulebook and foundations to implement the Paris Agreement.

A briefing by the Climate Action Tracker (CAT) stating that current Paris Agreement commitments and real-world policies are insufficient to meet the 1.5°C warming limit, with projected warming levels of 3.0°C and 3.3°C respectively.

The Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI) 2019 monitors the climate policy and emissions progress of 56 countries and the EU to inform the revision of Nationally Determined Contributions by 2020. It emphasizes the IPCC's finding that global emissions must drop by 45% by 2030 (compared to 2010) to limit warming to 1.5°C.

The NDC Update Report November 2018 by the NewClimate Institute examines the 'Ambition' of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement. Based on a survey of 92 policymakers and experts, the report argues that current focus is too heavily weighted toward initial NDC targets rather than the deep, long-term emission reductions and net-zero transitions required by the Paris Agreement.

This briefing by the NewClimate Institute examines the transition from traditional climate finance, focused on mobilizing funds for mitigation and adaptation, toward 'Paris-aligned investing'. It evaluates the eligibility criteria used by Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs) against a framework that categorizes investments as 'Paris-aligned', 'misaligned', or 'conditional'.

This discussion brief outlines early research findings regarding the alignment of long-term adaptation plans with emissions reduction goals, noting a systemic lack of integration between low-emission development strategies and adaptation strategies.

This report by the Center for International Environmental Law summarizes advocacy for human rights during the COP-24 climate conference in Katowice. It details the efforts to integrate human rights into the Paris Agreement Implementation Guidelines, reports on civil rights infringements by Polish authorities against conference attendees, and reviews the inclusion of human rights in other policy outcomes such as the Local Communities and Indigenous Peoples Platform and the Warsaw International Mechanism on Loss & Damage.

This briefing note from the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) outlines opportunities for UNFCCC Parties to enhance public participation and access to information within the implementation guidelines of the Paris Agreement, specifically in the context of COP-24.

This briefing outlines the critical climate finance priorities for COP24 in Katowice, Poland, focusing on the scaling of dedicated funds, the establishment of transparency rules for tracking financial flows, and the timeline for setting a post-2025 collective quantified goal.

This discussion paper evaluates four potential accounting approaches for the international linking of emissions trading systems (ETSs) under Article 6.2 of the Paris Agreement, aiming to guide negotiations and bilateral agreements.

The Allianz Climate and Energy Monitor 2018 evaluates G20 member states based on their attractiveness for low-carbon electricity infrastructure investments and their alignment with the Paris Agreement's temperature limits. The report finds that while France currently leads in investment attractiveness for renewables, no G20 country serves as a complete role model, and most lack the binding long-term strategies necessary to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050.

This report analyzes options for operationalising the requirement under Article 6.4(d) of the Paris Agreement to deliver an overall mitigation in global emissions, specifically providing technical support to Saint Lucia for international negotiations.

This report by the NewClimate Institute evaluates the progress of G20 countries in transitioning from fossil-fuel-based economies to low-carbon, climate-resilient ones, highlighting a significant gap between current national commitments and the goals of the Paris Agreement.

This research paper proposes a typology and design options for limits on the international transfer of "hot air"—emissions reductions that occur because a country's mitigation targets are higher than its projected emissions—to protect the environmental integrity of the Paris Agreement.

This report by the Climate Policy Initiative (CPI) provides updated estimates of global climate finance flows for 2015 and 2016, incorporating new data on electric vehicle sales and national development finance institutions. It analyzes the distribution of these flows by actor, sector, and region, while discussing the challenges of tracking adaptation and energy efficiency investments and the operationalization of Article 2.1(c) of the Paris Agreement.

This report by the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) analyzes Estonia's progress in implementing the Paris Agreement, focusing specifically on climate change mitigation. It evaluates Estonia's alignment with the European Union's 2020 and 2030 climate and energy targets, examining greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, renewable energy shares, and energy efficiency. The report concludes that while Estonia is likely to meet its 2020 commitments, achieving the more ambitious 2030 targets will require additional measures across all sectors.