Search Climate Insights Directory

The document argues that the DNSH principle should be a binding eligibility requirement for EU funding rather than a general guideline, ensuring that no activity funded by the EU budget causes significant harm to any of the six environmental objectives. It calls for a strict interpretation of derogations, the creation of an explicit exclusion list—specifically including fossil fuels—and the implementation of transparent, independent assessment procedures to prevent the 'watering down' of environmental standards.

The briefing details the 2024 revisions to the Industrial Emissions Directive (IED), focusing on expanding access to justice, strengthening non-compliance and suspension mechanisms, increasing penalties, and introducing a new compensation right for health damages. It emphasizes alignment with the Aarhus Convention and provides recommendations for Member States to ensure these provisions are effective and dissuasive in practice.

Reclaim Finance analyzes EFRAG's proposal to reduce ESRS data points by 68%, warning that this limits comparability and data quality. The organization specifically criticizes proposed 'reliefs'—such as the 'undue cost or effort' filter—that could allow companies to avoid reporting material information. Additionally, the document argues that the standards fail to adequately address the financial sector, calling for more precise reporting on fossil fuel financing and the use of physical intensity targets rather than attribution-based metrics like PCAF.

The document advocates for the EPA to adopt management-zone strategies and community-driven approaches to address cumulative environmental burdens. It emphasizes integrating regulatory tools with pollution reduction, ensuring accountability through Community Benefits Agreements, and preventing resident displacement. The summary highlights the need for interagency coordination and meaningful community leadership in the design and execution of environmental health protections.

The paper identifies that usable groundwater is rapidly decreasing globally due to mismanagement and climate change, posing a particular challenge for the nearly 600 transboundary aquifers. To address this, the authors propose five governance recommendations: enhancing flexible international mechanisms, addressing the need for data, prioritizing the precautionary principle and pollution prevention, integrating surface and subsurface water and land governance, and expanding the institutional capacity of binational or multinational actors.

A joint statement by six environmental and health organizations providing recommendations to Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) and Health Canada on the implementation framework for the right to a healthy environment (R2HE) under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA).

The report outlines 18 recommendations from an Independent Technical Advisory Group (ITAG) for creating a sustainable finance taxonomy in Aotearoa New Zealand. Key proposals include a three-tiered governance structure, the adoption of the ANZSIC classification system, and a focus on five priority sectors: Agriculture, Forestry & Fishery, Transport, Construction & Real Estate, Energy, and Industrial Manufacturing. The framework emphasizes interoperability with international standards, particularly the Australian Taxonomy, and the integration of iwi/Māori knowledge and rights. It suggests a voluntary initial application phase and the inclusion of a 'transition' category, potentially using a traffic light system to label activities moving toward a 1.5-degree pathway.

The report analyzes the alignment between the Colombian and EU taxonomies, finding a high degree of similarity in climate change mitigation criteria for 47% of compared activities. While both frameworks share core principles and governance structures, the EU Taxonomy is generally more detailed in its technical eligibility criteria and adaptation objectives, whereas the Colombian Taxonomy offers more specific requirements for land-use sectors and certain circular economy safeguards.

The Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment and the Canadian Association of Nurses for the Environment call for the modernization of the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA), arguing that the 1999 framework is inadequate for current climate and pollution crises. While acknowledging improvements in Bill S-5, the authors demand further amendments to prioritize the prohibition of toxic substances, recognize the right to a healthy environment, and address cumulative risks to human health.

The document argues that the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA), 1999, is outdated and fails to address current environmental and health threats, such as the climate emergency and plastic pollution. It highlights the disproportionate impact of toxics on marginalized groups, including Indigenous people and lower-income Canadians, and calls for the implementation of 87 recommendations made by the House of Commons Standing Committee on Environment and Sustainable Development in 2017. The authors advocate for specific amendments to Bill C-28, including the recognition of a human right to a healthy environment, the prohibition of carcinogenic and mutagenic substances, and the establishment of a presumption of non-confidentiality regarding chemical substances.

The document argues that the EU's current legal framework, which excludes installations under the Emissions Trading System (ETS) from certain Industrial Emissions Directive (IED) requirements, is insufficient to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement and the European Green Deal. ClientEarth contends that the ETS alone cannot drive full decarbonisation because it lacks a focus on prevention technologies and allows for the displacement of pollution. The brief proposes a synergetic approach where the IED provides mandatory, scientifically-based greenhouse gas (GHG) emission limit values (ELVs) and energy efficiency standards based on Best Available Techniques (BAT). This would align EU policy with the 'prevention principle' and the 'Hierarchy of action on pollution', ensuring that emissions are avoided by design rather than just traded. The author concludes that deleting Art. 9 IED and Art. 26 ETSD would create a 'win-win-win' for operators, the climate, and the environment by stimulating technological innovation and ensuring a level playing field.

The report examines how Ghana and British Columbia manage mine waste, highlighting the importance of risk-based legal frameworks, corporate accountability, and financial assurances. It identifies strengths in both jurisdictions' planning processes while noting specific areas for improvement, such as Ghana's need for stronger polluter-pays principles and British Columbia's focus on enhancing regulatory auditing following the 2014 Mount Polley dam failure.

The report outlines recommendations for implementing a mandatory EPR policy for plastic packaging in South Africa, focusing on the structure of Producer Responsibility Organisations (PROs), stakeholder roles, fee modulation, and compliance mechanisms. It advocates for a centralised PRO model, the integration of informal waste reclaimers, and the use of eco-modulated fees to incentivise sustainable packaging design. The document draws on international case studies and stakeholder engagements to suggest a transparent governance structure and a centralised data management system to track material flows and ensure target achievement.

The Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment and other groups are calling for the modernization of the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA), 1999, asserting that the law is outdated and fails to address current environmental and health risks. The briefing highlights the disproportionate impact of toxics on marginalized groups, including Indigenous people and lower-income Canadians, and advocates for the implementation of 87 recommendations made by the House of Commons Standing Committee on Environment and Sustainable Development in 2017. Proposed amendments include banning highly hazardous substances, establishing national air and drinking water quality standards, and recognizing the human right to a healthy environment.

The Islamic Finance Toolkit provides a comprehensive overview of Shariah-compliant financial systems, detailing key contracts, the global industry landscape, and specific strategies for integrating Islamic finance into African economies. It identifies significant underdevelopment in Africa—where the region holds only 1% of global Islamic banking assets despite housing 27% of the world's Muslim population—and offers a framework of eleven recommendations covering legal, tax, and regulatory reforms to unlock the potential of Sukuk, Takaful, and Islamic fintech.

The document discusses the necessity of 'taxonomies'—systematic classifications of green assets—to prevent greenwashing and provide clear guidance for issuers and investors. It highlights the transition from voluntary international guidelines, such as the Green Bond Principles, to more comprehensive regulatory frameworks, most notably the EU Taxonomy for Sustainable Finance. The report also details the development of the ISO 14030 international standard and provides examples of regional guidelines in ASEAN, China, and other markets.

The 2017 Chinese green bond market reached 248.6 billion RMB (37.1 billion USD), with 38% of issuances not meeting international green definitions. While commercial banks remain the largest issuers, there is a growing trend of issuances from local government financing platforms and policy banks. The report highlights the introduction of the 'Bond Connect' mechanism and the 'Green Belt and Road' initiative as key drivers for future growth and international capital flow.

CIEL argues that the World Bank's Draft Guidance Notes for the ESF are 'severely lacking in substance' and often merely reiterate standards without providing actual implementation guidance. The submission provides specific recommendations across several standards, including labor conditions, pollution prevention, indigenous peoples' rights, and stakeholder engagement. Key demands include the integration of international conventions (such as ILO 169 and UNDRIP), the adoption of a 1.5-degree pathway for greenhouse gas accounting, and the explicit protection of human rights defenders against reprisals. CIEL also emphasizes that the World Bank must ensure Borrowers disclose the existence of the Inspection Panel to affected communities and that project-level grievance mechanisms must be independent, transparent, and rights-compatible.

The Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) criticizes the World Bank's draft Guidance Notes accompanying its 2018 environmental and social policy, stating that most notes lack tangible recommendations and fail to reference international human rights and environmental laws. While CIEL notes positive elements in the guidance regarding resource efficiency, pollution prevention, and core labor standards, it argues that the overall framework relies on vague language and excludes civil society from the creation process. CIEL calls for the Bank to develop robust, specific guidance and allow further civil society feedback to avoid reputational risks and ensure sustainable development.

The Centre for Environmental Rights (CER) criticises the draft 2017 National Framework for Air Quality Management for failing to review progress against previous targets and for inadequate public participation. The submissions highlight persistent non-compliance with national ambient air quality standards in priority areas, severe delays in the implementation of the South African Air Quality Information System (SAAQIS), and deficiencies in greenhouse gas reporting. CER demands more transparent, facility-level GHG reporting, stricter air quality standards aligned with WHO guidelines, and the urgent appointment of air quality officers and inspectors to ensure enforcement of the Air Quality Act.