Search Climate Insights Directory

The report finds that many of the world's largest fossil fuel producers fail to address the transition of the fossil fuel sector in their climate plans. It argues that third-generation NDCs must include specific targets, pathways, and policies to wind down production in alignment with the COP 28 agreement to ensure a just and orderly transition.

An analysis by Reclaim Finance and RIFT finds that most French life insurers continue to fund fossil fuel expansion through 'fonds euro' and 'unités de compte', with over 55% of 'responsible' or 'ESG' labeled funds exposed to fossil fuel developers.

A June 2024 survey of 802 likely voters in Wisconsin reveals that 63% of respondents believe taxpayers face increased costs due to climate change and 63% support litigation against major oil and gas companies to recover these costs. A significant majority (81%) believe oil and gas companies should be responsible for at least some portion of the state's future climate costs, with 47% stating they should be responsible for all or most of them.

The report finds that Canadian institutions provided between CAD 7.6 billion and CAD 13.5 billion annually to the fossil fuel sector from 2020 to 2022, while providing only CAD 147 million annually for domestic renewable energy. It identifies Export Development Canada (EDC) as the primary provider of this finance and highlights a critical lack of transparency in reporting. The authors recommend a comprehensive policy that covers the entire fossil fuel life cycle, includes existing investments like the Trans Mountain Pipeline Expansion, and precludes funding for carbon capture and storage (CCS) and blue hydrogen. The report suggests redirecting these funds toward clean electricity and Indigenous-led generation to support Canada's energy transition.

The report analyzes the current state of fossil fuel production references in the climate commitments of the 20 largest producers and provides a framework for including production phase-outs in future NDCs and LT-LEDS. It finds that most producers either omit production plans or signal continued extraction, which contradicts 1.5°C-compatible scenarios. The authors propose five key elements for new commitments: background production data, phase-out targets, restrictive policies, just transition planning, and equity-based international cooperation.

A collaboration between University College London and the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) asserts that existing fossil fuel capacity is sufficient to meet energy demand under 1.5°C-aligned scenarios. The authors propose a "No New Fossil Fuels" norm as a politically and legally feasible first step toward a full transition, noting that peer-reviewed science indicates no room for new oil and gas fields or coal- and gas-fired power plants.

The document reports that natural capital in Ethiopia, Indonesia, and Trinidad and Tobago is poorly managed, with per capita market natural capital stocks stagnating or declining after 2008. It highlights a dangerous concentration of market natural capital in agricultural land for Ethiopia, and in oil, gas, and minerals for Indonesia and Trinidad and Tobago, while noting that non-market natural capital is threatened by climate change and population growth.

The report argues that while GDP growth suggests sound economic development in Trinidad and Tobago from 1995 to 2020, an analysis of comprehensive wealth reveals an unsustainable path. The country's wealth is heavily skewed toward the petroleum industry, leaving non-oil sectors like agriculture, fisheries, and forestry under-invested. Additionally, human capital has declined globally from 35th in 2009 to 46th in 2018, and financial capital contributes little to overall wealth despite sovereign wealth fund efforts.

The UK is urged to establish a methane import standard aligned with the EU's Methane Regulation to drive global emissions reductions and protect its own export competitiveness. By setting a methane intensity performance standard of 0.2%, the UK could contribute to a reduction of 25,465 kt of methane globally and up to 124 kt domestically. The brief also recommends a formal Methane Action Plan, a legal ban on routine venting and flaring by 2026, and increased financial contributions to methane abatement projects via international financial institutions.

Reclaim Finance argues that traditional shareholder engagement has failed to align the oil and gas sector with a 1.5°C trajectory, noting that 96% of these companies continue fossil fuel expansion. The organization recommends that investors suspend all new investments, particularly bonds, and integrate climate criteria into routine strategic votes. Specifically, it advises voting against the reelection of directors, executive remuneration, financial accounts, and dividends unless companies allocate 50% of capital expenditure to sustainable energy. Reclaim Finance also criticizes proxy advisors like ISS and Glass Lewis for failing to support climate resolutions.

Friends of the Earth International calls for a legally binding global Plastics Treaty that prioritizes the full lifecycle of plastics, specifically targeting upstream production controls. The organization demands a mechanism to cap and phase down global plastic production, a ban on plastic waste exports from the Global North to the Global South, and the accountability of transnational corporations. The proposed framework rejects 'false solutions' like chemical recycling and plastic offsets, instead advocating for a 'Zero Waste Hierarchy' and a just transition that protects human rights and provides grant-based finance for the Global South.

The report argues that Occidental Petroleum's (Oxy) climate strategy is misaligned with the 1.5°C goal of the Paris Agreement. It finds that Oxy's net-zero targets are inadequate, focusing primarily on scope 1 and 2 emissions while ignoring the vast majority of its carbon footprint in scope 3. The analysis highlights a heavy overreliance on unproven direct air capture (DAC) technology, which the report claims is used as a 'licence to pollute' and a mechanism to prolong oil and gas extraction through enhanced oil recovery (EOR). The report further asserts that Oxy's 'net-zero oil' claims are scientifically invalid and that its lobbying efforts for government subsidies for carbon removals contradict its public climate commitments.

Global Energy Monitor identifies 74 new oil and gas projects that could emit 2.4 million metric tonnes of methane annually by 2030, potentially undermining the Global Methane Pledge. The analysis reveals significant discrepancies between these potential emissions and the company-wide figures reported by operators to the OGMP 2.0, suggesting widespread underreporting of assets or methane intensity. A small number of fields in Saudi Arabia and Guyana account for a disproportionate share of these emissions, while new EU regulations on imported oil and gas are expected to impact many of these developments.

The document examines human capital as a component of comprehensive wealth in Ethiopia, Indonesia, and Trinidad and Tobago. It finds that while Indonesia and Ethiopia saw significant growth between 1995 and 2020, this progress stalled recently. Trinidad and Tobago experienced a severe decline after 2008, erasing previous gains. The authors argue that diversifying human capital away from dominant sectors—such as agriculture in Ethiopia and services in Indonesia—and investing in health, education, and data capacity are essential for long-term prosperity.

The report finds that while Trinidad and Tobago's GDP grew between 1995 and 2020, its real comprehensive wealth per capita has declined by 36% since the 2008 global recession. This divergence is attributed to an over-reliance on fossil fuel assets, which have seen a nearly 98% loss in value over the study period. The analysis highlights a 'Dutch Disease' effect, where investment in the petroleum sector has crowded out agriculture, forestry, and fisheries. Human capital, the largest component of wealth, also declined by 29% from its 2008 peak. The report recommends that the government integrate comprehensive wealth measures into official policy-making to diversify the economy and ensure long-term sustainability.

The report finds that 84% of analyzed employee savings funds invest in fossil fuel expansion, with Amundi and Natixis Investment Managers dominating the market. It highlights a lack of transparency, the prevalence of 'greenwashed' funds, and the inefficiency of supervisory boards in protecting employees' climate interests.

The methodology focuses on indicators with a 2030 horizon to align with the Paris Agreement's 1.5°C goal. It evaluates companies across five main dimensions: current energy production (using a fossil fuel equivalence method to compare renewables and fossil fuels), cash-flow allocation (analyzing CAPEX for exploration versus low-carbon solutions), fossil fuel strategy (assessing upstream expansion and production overshoot relative to the IEA Net Zero Emissions scenario), diversification strategy (projecting 2030 energy mixes), and emission targets (calculating carbon intensity excess and reliance on CCUS and offsets). The analysis covers 6 European companies (BP, Eni, Equinor, Repsol, Shell, TotalEnergies), 2 US companies (Chevron, ExxonMobil), and 4 National Oil Companies (ADNOC, Petrobras, QatarEnergy, Saudi Aramco).

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.

Nigeria is implementing a variety of regulatory tools and national plans to reduce methane emissions from its oil and gas sector, which accounted for approximately 41% of the country's total greenhouse gas emissions in 2020. While the country has reduced natural gas flaring by about 70% since 2000, it remains among the top 10 global gas flarers. National targets include reducing fugitive methane emissions by 60% by 2031 and achieving a 61% reduction in short-lived climate pollutants by 2030. However, progress is hindered by technical data gaps, inadequate leak detection infrastructure, and high mitigation costs.

The document asserts that a comprehensive approach to ending plastic pollution must address the entire life cycle, starting from raw material extraction through the production of plastic polymers. It details the chemical processes involved—from feedstocks to monomers and polymerization—and highlights the significant environmental and health risks associated with this production, including greenhouse gas emissions and toxic releases. The brief provides legal and scientific precedents to support the inclusion of production controls in the treaty and recommends specific mechanisms, such as national reduction targets and a moratorium on new production capacity, to effectively reduce the global volume of plastics.