Search Climate Insights Directory
944 results
The ABCs of Global Climate Change
The document outlines the role of human activity in increasing greenhouse gas emissions and global warming, the resulting environmental and health risks, and the emission reduction targets required to limit temperature increases to 1.5 or 2 degrees Celsius by 2050.
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Document type: Briefing
An Open Letter from Oregon Climate Change Scientists
A group of Ph.D. scientists and researchers in Oregon have issued an open letter to state leadership warning that human-caused climate change threatens the state's quality of life and future. The authors highlight specific regional risks, including reduced snowpack, increased wildfires, and rising sea levels, and call for a combination of community adaptation investments and strict adherence to the state's 2050 emissions reduction target.
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Document type: Statement
Meeting—and Exceeding—the Clean Power Plan in Virginia
The Union of Concerned Scientists proposes a "Clean Path" for Virginia to comply with the Clean Power Plan by transitioning from voluntary to mandatory renewable energy and energy efficiency targets and implementing a mass-based carbon emissions-trading program. The analysis suggests this approach would reduce CO2 emissions by 77 million tons through 2030 compared to a reference case, lower typical residential electricity bills by 5% by 2030, and generate an average of $241 million in annual auction revenue for state investments. The report highlights Virginia's current underutilization of its renewable potential, noting that non-hydro renewables accounted for only 2.8% of electricity generation in 2014.
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Document type: Report
THE PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE OF THE SEA LEVEL IN THE BASQUE COUNTRY
The document examines sea level fluctuations in the Basque Country across geological timescales, noting a significant acceleration in the 20th century compared to the previous 7,000 years. It contrasts process-based and semi-empirical global models to project future rises, estimating that the Basque coast could see an increase of 41-57 cm by 2100 depending on the emissions scenario.
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Document type: Policy brief
URBAN RESEARCH AT BC3: HOW CLIMATE CHANGE SCIENCE CAN SUPPORT URBAN POLICY MAKING
The document outlines various BC3 research initiatives aimed at improving urban resilience and sustainability. Key examples include flood-risk modeling in Bilbao and Zurich, heat-health warning system evaluations in Madrid, and the socio-economic analysis of energy efficiency plans. It emphasizes the necessity of science-policy collaboration to create cost-efficient, data-driven urban interventions.
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Document type: Policy brief
CLIMATE CHANGE IN THE BASQUE COUNTRY: IMPACT ON HEALTH AND ADAPTATION MEASURES
The document outlines expected climate impacts in the Basque Country, including rising temperatures, sea-level rise, and altered precipitation, which threaten public health through heat waves, flooding, and increased pollutants. It identifies 26 adaptation measures, highlighting the cost-effectiveness and co-benefits of ecosystem-based solutions like Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems (SUDS) and behavioral changes in transport.
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Document type: Policy brief
Perceptions of Community Resilience
The report finds that residents in underserved Maryland neighborhoods perceive climate change risks similarly to the general state population but experience significantly higher rates of environmental harms, such as flooding and sewage overflows. While these communities support government action on climate and the creation of local resilience hubs, they report lower levels of social capital and resource accessibility. The study highlights a strong demand for energy bill assistance and community centers, suggesting that climate preparedness efforts should be integrated with broader community development and social resilience goals.
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Document type: Report
Review of Current and Planned Adaptation Action in Ghana
The document reviews Ghana's climate risk profile, noting that while it is less vulnerable than some West African neighbors, the northern regions face high risks due to poverty and reliance on rain-fed agriculture. It evaluates national policies like the National Climate Change Policy (2014) and the National Climate Change Adaptation Strategy (2010–2020), finding that while these provide a framework, sectoral policies—particularly in agriculture and health—often lack concrete adaptation actions. The review identifies a strong concentration of adaptation projects in the agricultural sector, primarily in northern Ghana, and notes that while Ghana is a significant recipient of bilateral adaptation funds in Sub-Saharan Africa, there is a gap in funding for the water, fisheries, and health sectors.
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Document type: Research paper
Review of Current and Planned Adaptation Action in Namibia
Namibia is highly vulnerable to climate change due to its extreme aridity and reliance on climate-dependent livelihoods, particularly in agriculture. While the government has established a National Climate Change Policy (NCCP) and a National Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan (NCCSAP), adaptation is not yet meaningfully integrated into sectoral policies for water, health, and agriculture. Current adaptation projects are limited in number and primarily focus on agriculture and capacity building, with a significant gap in programming for health, tourism, and coastal zones. Adaptation finance is heavily dependent on international donors, with minimal domestic budget allocation.
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Document type: Research paper
Review of Current and Planned Adaptation Action in Senegal
Senegal is highly vulnerable to climate change due to its dependence on rain-fed agriculture and fisheries, and a population concentrated along a coastline exposed to sea level rise. While the government has established coordinating bodies like the National Climate Change Committee and identified priority sectors in its NAPA and INDC, the report finds that climate adaptation is not yet effectively mainstreamed into most national sectoral policies or subnational planning. Current adaptation projects primarily target agriculture, water resources, and disaster risk management, often using ecosystem-based approaches, but gaps remain in the health and tourism sectors.
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Document type: Research paper
Review of Current and Planned Adaptation Action in Bangladesh
Bangladesh is highly vulnerable to sea level rise, flooding, and cyclones, leading the government to establish early adaptation frameworks like the National Adaptation Programme of Action (NAPA) and the Bangladesh Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan (BCCSAP). While the country has created dedicated institutions and funds, such as the Bangladesh Climate Change Trust Fund (BCCTF), adaptation efforts have predominantly focused on large-scale infrastructure in coastal urban areas, often neglecting sectors like livestock and regions prone to drought. Despite being a major recipient of international climate finance, disbursement remains fragmented, and there is a significant gap between planned budgets and actual leveraged funds.
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Document type: Research paper
Review of Current and Planned Adaptation Action in India
The report analyzes India's high climate sensitivity, driven by its geography and agrarian economy. It details the transition from stand-alone sectoral actions to integrated development planning, centered on the National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC). While progress is noted in water and agriculture, the document identifies critical gaps in adaptation for the northeast, Indian Ocean islands, the Sundarbans, and regarding gender and health. It also highlights a significant imbalance in international climate finance, which heavily favors mitigation over adaptation.
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Document type: Research paper
Review of Current and Planned Adaptation Action in Pakistan
The document provides a comprehensive review of Pakistan's vulnerability to climate change, focusing on the gap between national policy goals and actual implementation. It identifies critical risks to water, food, and energy security, and notes that while the government has established a National Climate Change Policy and an implementation framework, progress is hindered by weak governance, limited funding, and a lack of capacity at the provincial level following the devolution of responsibilities under the 18th Amendment. The report also catalogues 26 discrete adaptation projects, noting a heavy focus on research and water management, while highlighting significant gaps in health, forestry, and gender-sensitive adaptation.
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Document type: Research paper
Defining loss and damage: The science and politics around one of the most contested issues within the UNFCCC
The document analyzes the tension between the risk-management approach of the UNFCCC and the justice-based demands for compensation regarding climate-induced loss and damage. It evaluates four scientific traits—attributability, irreversibility, unavoidability, and intolerability—concluding that while science can inform risk management, the determination of liability and compensation remains a political and value-based challenge.
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Document type: Briefing
World Heritage and Tourism in a Changing Climate
The report analyzes the intersection of climate change, World Heritage sites, and tourism, arguing that climate change acts as a 'threat multiplier' that degrades the outstanding universal value (OUV) of these sites while simultaneously threatening the tourism economies that depend on them. Through 30 case studies across 29 countries, it demonstrates that impacts range from glacier melt and sea-level rise to increased wildfire regimes and ocean acidification. The document emphasizes that while sustainable tourism can support conservation, unplanned development often increases site vulnerability. It concludes with recommendations for intergovernmental organizations, governments, and site managers to integrate climate science into management plans, reduce tourism's carbon footprint, and empower local and indigenous communities in adaptation efforts.
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Document type: Report
When Adaptation Is Not Enough: Paris Agreement Recognizes “Loss and Damage”
The Paris Agreement formally recognizes "loss and damage" as a distinct issue from adaptation, acknowledging that some climate impacts are too severe to be adapted to. This includes extreme weather events and slow-onset events like desertification or the disappearance of island nations. The agreement makes the Warsaw International Mechanism for Loss and Damage permanent and calls for international cooperation on early warning systems, risk management, and insurance, while explicitly stating that the provision does not establish a basis for legal liability or compensation.
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Document type: Site page
Surviving and Thriving Face Rising Seas
The report identifies 'climate equity hotspots' along the U.S. East and Gulf Coasts, where projected sea level rise and tidal flooding combine with socioeconomic risks such as poverty and minority population share. It argues that federal and state agencies must prioritize these vulnerable communities in funding and infrastructure investments to ensure an equitable response to climate change. The analysis evaluated thirty-five coastal counties across nine states and provides case studies for five specific locations, including Dorchester County, MD, and Plaquemines Parish, LA, to illustrate the challenges of environmental injustice and sinking lands.
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Document type: Report
Comments on “Arecibo Waste-to-Energy and Resource Recovery Project Draft Environmental Impact Statement”
The document argues that the Arecibo Waste-to-Energy and Resource Recovery Project is unnecessary, economically unviable, and environmentally hazardous. It claims the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) fails to meet National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) standards by ignoring reasonable alternatives, underestimating public health risks—particularly lead exposure in a non-attainment area—and omitting cumulative impacts on human health and biological resources. The authors contend that the project violates the Rural Electrification Act's mandate to serve rural areas and would cause irreversible damage to the Caño Tiburones Natural Reserve.
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Document type: Statement
Investing in Preparedness to Save Money and Manage the Impacts of Rising Seas
The Florida Keys face escalating tidal flooding due to rising sea levels, with projections suggesting Key West could experience 375 tidal flooding events annually by 2045. This threat endangers a $2.2 billion tourism industry, critical transport links like Key West International Airport and U.S. Route 1, and the region's freshwater supply. While Monroe County has implemented resilience measures, the document argues that federal funding for hazard mitigation and emissions reductions is essential to avoid long-term economic damage and habitat loss in the Everglades.
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Document type: Fact sheet
Surviving and Thriving in the Face of Rising Seas
The Union of Concerned Scientists developed a screening tool to identify coastal 'climate equity hotspots' where high climate risk overlaps with socioeconomic vulnerability. Applying this to 35 counties across the East and Gulf Coasts, the report finds that low-income and minority communities face disproportionate burdens from sea level rise and storm surges, often exacerbated by inadequate disaster recovery policies. It advocates for targeted federal funding, inclusive stakeholder engagement, and the use of actionable science to build resilience in frontline communities.
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Document type: Executive summary