Search Climate Insights Directory

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) issued a unanimous advisory opinion on 23 July 2025, establishing that states have customary international legal obligations to prevent significant environmental harm and cooperate to protect the environment. The author contends that these obligations apply to the restructuring of African sovereign debt, as debt distress often forces states to choose between creditor payments and financing essential services like renewable energy and health. The document suggests three avenues for relief: using the ruling to bolster negotiations on the social and environmental costs of debt, reminding stakeholders of international norms such as the UNCTAD Principles on Promoting Responsible Sovereign Borrowing and Lending, and enabling activists to hold states and financial institutions accountable through mechanisms like National Contact Points or multilateral development bank accountability systems.

The report 'Methane Unmasked' by Changing Markets Foundation examines methane leakages at biogas plants in Denmark, focusing on the Nature Energy (Shell) plant in Videbæk and the Tønder plant. Using optical gas imaging and trace gas analysers, the investigation found significant methane releases at the Videbæk plant, including suspected intentional venting from a compressor unit stack. It also identified high methane concentrations near the Tønder plant, though the exact source could not be pinpointed. The report argues that methane leakage is a systemic problem in the biogas industry that can negate climate benefits, and it calls for stronger EU-wide regulations as current Danish third-party audits are deemed inadequate.

ClientEarth argues that environmental safeguards are constitutional obligations, not administrative burdens, and that the EU should address implementation bottlenecks—such as lack of staffing and poor digitalisation—rather than deregulating. The document specifically opposes the discontinuation of the SCIP database, the simplification of the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), and the weakening of the Industrial Emissions Directive (IED) or Nature Restoration Regulation (NRR). It emphasizes that robust environmental assessments provide legal certainty and risk mitigation for investors.

The document examines Nigeria's vulnerability to global energy transitions due to its heavy reliance on oil and gas exports, high production costs, and limited economic diversification. It highlights the risks of reduced government revenue and job losses while identifying opportunities in critical minerals, natural gas as a transition fuel, and non-oil sector growth.

The report analyzes climate finance flows in Southeast Asia, finding a heavy reliance on international capital despite growing domestic interest. It focuses on Indonesia, the Philippines, and Vietnam, identifying that while corporates are the primary local investors, institutional and financial institutions remain underutilized due to risk perceptions and loan tenor mismatches. The document argues that blended finance—through guarantees, technical assistance, and project aggregation—can catalyze local investment in nature-based solutions, adaptation, and utility-scale renewables.

The report finds that while a majority of registered U.S. voters support various clean energy policies and prefer candidates who take action on global warming, the issue remains low in priority for most voters when deciding on congressional candidates. There is strong bipartisan support for policies like soil restoration and renewable energy research, but significant polarization exists regarding the transition from fossil fuels and the Paris Climate Agreement.

The Kandy Declaration, emerging from the 3rd Global Nyéléni Forum in Sri Lanka, calls for a systemic transformation to combat the intersecting crises of climate, health, and food insecurity. It advocates for the protection of the 'commons'—including seeds, water, and land—against corporate extractivism and the 'blue' and 'green' neoliberal regimes. The document commits to a feminist and popular transition toward agroecology, a just energy transition, and the reform of the UN multilateral system to prioritize people over corporate interests.

The Kandy Declaration, issued during the 3rd Nyéléni World Forum in Sri Lanka, is a call for systemic transformation by a global coalition of social movements, Indigenous peoples, and civil society. It argues that capitalism and imperialism drive multiple crises—including climate change, biodiversity loss, and food insecurity—through extractivism, industrial agriculture, and the commodification of nature. The document advocates for a transition toward agroecology, food sovereignty, and feminist economies, while demanding the reform of the UN multilateral system to prioritize people over corporate interests. Key commitments include fighting for a legally binding treaty on transnational corporate accountability, implementing a feminist and just energy transition, and opposing 'green and blue' neoliberal regimes.

The report argues that G20 countries are locked into oil and gas systems due to economic, geopolitical, and institutional factors, despite climate commitments. It highlights a contradiction where G20 nations are on track to produce and consume more than twice the fossil fuels permitted under a 1.5°C pathway. The document analyzes the role of National Oil Companies (NOCs), the limitations of carbon capture and storage (CCS), and the regressive nature of fossil fuel subsidies. It proposes a 'Just Transition Taxonomy' to ensure the phase-out protects workers and marginalized communities, particularly in the Global South, and recommends legislating national phase-out plans and redirecting subsidies toward renewable energy.

The document catalogues Union and State-level financial supports in Chhattisgarh across electricity transmission and distribution (T&D), coal, oil and gas (O&G), renewable energy, electric vehicles (EVs), and bioenergy. Key state-level expenditures include significant subsidies for agricultural electricity, such as the Krishak Jeewan Jyoti Yojana, and the Saur Sujala Yojana for solar pumps. Union-level support is prominent in coal pricing for utilities and the FAME scheme for electric mobility. The appendix also lists the data sources used to track government receipts from these energy sectors.

Liberia's NDC 3.0 establishes a target to reduce economy-wide greenhouse gas emissions by 64% below business-as-usual (BAU) levels by 2035, consisting of a 10% unconditional reduction and a 54% conditional reduction. The plan expands mitigation to the transport and waste sectors and introduces quantitative adaptation targets for agriculture, coastal zones, health, and fisheries. It emphasizes climate justice and gender-responsive actions, specifically targeting youth and children, while aligning with the ARREST Agenda for Inclusive Development (2025–2029). Implementation is highly dependent on international finance, technology transfer, and capacity building.

The document examines the 'twin transition' of digital and green transformations, highlighting how digital technologies can both enable climate action and contribute significantly to global greenhouse gas emissions. It identifies critical gaps in infrastructure and financing for developing countries and proposes five priority decarbonization levers: green infrastructure, energy-efficient operations, sustainable supply chains, circular economy models, and climate-compatible infrastructure. The authors argue for coordinated international cooperation, targeted financial incentives, and the integration of environmental provisions into digital trade agreements to ensure an inclusive transition to net zero.

The document analyzes the shift in international trade from a focus on liberalization toward 'multipurpose' approaches driven by geopolitics and national security. It argues that this complexity provides opportunities to embed nature and climate goals into trade agendas. The author proposes a new paradigm that reframes trade as a strategic tool for sustainability, emphasizing a 'nature-positive' narrative and the integration of climate mitigation, adaptation, and loss and damage. Key recommendations include reorienting trade rules to reward sustainable production, scaling the diffusion of green technologies, and ensuring that developing countries are not unfairly burdened by environmental requirements. The paper identifies multiple entry points for action, including WTO reform, regional agreements like AfCFTA, and the implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.

The document provides a comprehensive analysis of how the transition to net-zero emissions affects nine global sectors: agriculture, carbon markets, critical minerals, digital transformation, energy transition, fisheries, heavy industries, shipping, and textiles and garments. It examines the intersection of trade policies and climate action, highlighting the risks of 'green protectionism' and the potential for developing countries to capture new economic opportunities through value addition and green industrialization. The reports emphasize the need for international cooperation to ensure a just transition, particularly for least developed countries (LDCs) and small island developing states (SIDS).

The briefing examines the Tangguh LNG project in West Papua, Indonesia, highlighting its environmental and social impacts and the role of multilateral development banks (MDBs) in its financing. It argues that the proposed expansion to Train 4 and the implementation of carbon capture, utilisation, and storage (CCUS) are 'false solutions' that prolong fossil fuel dependency. The document criticises the ADB, IFC, and AIIB for inadequate Paris Alignment methodologies and energy policies that allow continued gas investment. It recommends that MDBs cease all fossil fuel funding, plug financial intermediary loopholes, and strengthen accountability mechanisms for affected Indigenous communities.

The report examines the Tangguh LNG project in West Papua, Indonesia, highlighting its negative impacts on indigenous communities, biodiversity, and the climate. It specifically criticises the role of multilateral development banks (MDBs) like the ADB, IFC, and AIIB in providing direct and indirect financing. The document argues that the planned 'train 4' expansion and the implementation of Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage (CCUS) are 'false solutions' that lock Indonesia into fossil fuel dependency and hinder the transition to renewable energy. It calls for a total cessation of fossil fuel funding and a strengthening of accountability mechanisms for affected communities.

The briefing evaluates the draft second NDC from the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) and the recommendations from the Presidential Climate Commission (PCC), arguing that the DFFE's targets lack sufficient ambition and scientific justification compared to the PCC's evidence-based approach.

The document defines Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) as national plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and build climate resilience, required every five years under the Paris Agreement. It highlights a significant 'implementation gap,' noting that current policies could lead to 3.1 degrees C of warming by 2100. The guide outlines five essential components for the 2025 NDCs—ambitious targets, sector-specific measures, adaptation strategies, investment policies, and just transition principles—and discusses the financial and technical support needed by developing countries to meet their conditional pledges.

Africa's nitrogen fertilizer consumption is 5.5x below the global average, leaving 50 million small family farmers at a disadvantage due to high costs and price volatility of imported 'gray' fertilizers. The report argues that Distributed Green Ammonia (DGA) production—which is modular, smaller, and compatible with intermittent renewable energy—can provide a cheaper, more resilient local supply. It highlights emerging technologies such as novel Haber-Bosch systems, plasma catalysis, chemical looping, and direct electrochemical conversion. A commercial modular plant by TalusAg in Naivasha, Kenya, is cited as a proof of concept producing fertilizer over 50% cheaper than imports. Scaling these solutions requires cheap clean electricity, demand aggregation through partners like One Acre Fund, and access to local currency debt to mitigate currency volatility.

The document defines green industrial policy as government strategies to develop sustainable industries, such as renewable energy and green steel, while phasing out polluting sectors. It highlights that fossil fuel subsidies, which reached $7 trillion worldwide in 2022, hinder the competitiveness of renewables. While countries like China, the US, and EU members have successfully used national policies to boost green tech, developing nations face barriers including limited financing, skills shortages, and intellectual property restrictions. The author argues that the G20 must ensure a just transition by promoting technology transfer, fair trade, and the creation of decent work, while avoiding policies like the EU's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism that may penalise carbon-intensive developing economies.