Search Climate Insights Directory

The document posits a correlation between domestic climate laws and international ambition, suggesting that national legislation provides the confidence and evidence needed for negotiators to defend ambitious global commitments. It identifies several factors influencing a country's negotiation position, including economic competitiveness, national interest, and leadership goals, while noting that the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) serves as the primary system for these negotiations.

The document argues that shifting to sustainable consumption and production (SCP) is essential for global sustainable development and proposes a comprehensive set of science-based targets and indicators. It examines the role of SCP as either a stand-alone goal or a cross-cutting issue, emphasizing the need to decouple economic growth from resource use and environmental degradation. The paper provides specific quantitative targets across various sectors, including agriculture, water, energy, and urban construction, while highlighting the differentiated responsibilities of developed and developing nations.

The document advocates for the transition from food-based biofuels to cellulosic biofuels, which are derived from energy crops, agricultural residues, waste, and forest materials. It estimates that the US could sustainably produce up to 40 billion gallons of cellulosic biofuel annually by 2035, potentially reducing oil use by 1.5 million barrels per day and cutting global warming emissions by 164 million metric tons per year.

The report argues that the current U.S. agricultural landscape is dominated by corn and soybeans due to federal subsidies, which contradicts national nutritional goals. Using economic modeling, the authors find that aligning production with healthy dietary guidelines would significantly increase fruit and vegetable acreage while reducing cereal grain production. Such a transition would likely improve public health, reduce environmental degradation from monocropping and livestock operations, and create new economic opportunities for farmers, particularly in the Midwest.

Friends of the Earth Africa and various NGOs issued an open letter to Danish Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt to denounce the views of Minister for Development Cooperation Christian Friis Bach. The signatories argue that the Minister's approach to development is obsolete and risks the economic recolonization of Africa. They advocate for food sovereignty, the protection of seed and cultural diversity, and a development path that respects African sovereignty and avoids the destructive production and consumption models of developed nations.

In early 2011, the state of Mato Grosso passed a zoning law (ZSEE) that opened 50,000 km2 of forest for agriculture, leading to a documented 500 percent spike in deforestation within one month. A campaign led by the Instituto Centro de Vida (ICV), supported by WRI's governance assessment tools, utilized evidence-based advocacy to prompt a February 2012 injunction by the State Court and a March 2012 order from Brazil’s Federal Zoning Commission to redraft the legislation.

The report argues that public-private collaborations (PPCs) are a strong model for leveraging the resources of both government and business to meet the growing need for climate and disaster resilience investments. It identifies six key success factors for policy-makers: building on local trust, starting small for scalability, integrating skill building, strengthening livelihoods, creating value-chain partnerships, and finding innovative infrastructure alternatives. Through nine case studies across sectors like agriculture, water, and energy, the document demonstrates that PPCs can engage a diverse range of actors—from multinationals to micro-enterprises—to deliver place-specific adaptation and disaster risk management solutions.

Friends of the Earth International challenges the World Bank's assertion that land lease deals in developing countries improve livelihoods, citing evidence that these deals often lead to community displacement, violent conflict, and increased hunger. The statement highlights that investors target poor countries with weak tenure security, primarily for export-oriented agribusiness and non-food crops, while the World Bank continues to provide political risk insurance for such projects and has been involved in controversial land deals in Uganda.

The report examines the increasing pressure on Indonesia's land resources due to national development plans and palm oil expansion. It proposes the use of Natural Capital Assessment (NCA)—a process of mapping social, biophysical, and economic data—to identify land suitable for production while protecting critical ecosystems. The document outlines NCA principles based on the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, reviews various technical mapping tools, and provides case studies from Kalimantan and Trinidad & Tobago to illustrate the necessity of combining technical data with political commitment to achieve sustainable land-use changes.

The Union of Concerned Scientists proposes a transition from industrial agriculture to 'healthy farms' based on agro-ecological principles. The brief identifies four key strategies: adopting a landscape approach to biodiversity, increasing crop rotation diversity, reintegrating livestock and crops, and expanding the use of cover crops. It argues that these methods can maintain high yields and profits while reducing reliance on synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, mitigating pollution, and enhancing soil fertility. The document concludes that this transition requires systemic policy changes, including increased financial incentives, expanded technical assistance, and more publicly funded research into sustainable practices.

The text, written by Alexander Bonde, Minister for Rural Affairs and Consumer Protection of Baden-Württemberg, advocates for a shift from industrial agriculture to a sustainable 'green triangle' model. This approach prioritizes quality over quantity, promoting organic farming, GMO-free production, and eco-tourism to support family farms and biodiversity while meeting consumer demand for high ecological and social standards.

The author contends that the European food system is failing, as evidenced by the horsemeat scandal and the environmental impact of agriculture, which accounts for over 30% of global greenhouse gas emissions. The text advocates for a holistic approach to food policy that transcends narrow consumerist or ecological goals, emphasizing the need to place farmers at the center of change and promote food cooperatives to re-embed agriculture in society. It highlights a paradox where austerity leads to food bank reliance while obesity-related health costs rise, suggesting that food education and agro-ecological methods are essential for social justice and sustainable feeding of the global population.

The document examines Payments for Ecosystem Services (PES) as a tool to incentivize agricultural land managers to provide non-market environmental benefits. It distinguishes between action-based payments, which reward the adoption of specific practices, and outcome-based payments, which reward actual environmental results. The authors argue that outcome-based approaches are more effective at delivering biodiversity and ecosystem services because they encourage farmer innovation and target the most ecologically valuable land. While European examples often focus on site-specific biodiversity in grasslands, the report suggests that shifting from top-down contractual agreements to local governance and participatory design is essential for scaling these mechanisms. Barriers to implementation include scientific uncertainty, high administrative costs, and the risk of 'leakage' where environmental damage is displaced outside the PES zone.

The SEI Science Forum 2013 Book of Abstracts presents a diverse portfolio of research focusing on the water-energy-food nexus, climate change adaptation and mitigation, and sustainable governance. Key projects include the development of integrated modeling toolkits (WEAP and LEAP), assessments of climate vulnerability in cities like Quito and Cape Town, and evaluations of international climate finance mechanisms such as the Adaptation Fund. The research spans global scopes with specific case studies in regions including Southeast Asia, Latin America, Sub-Saharan Africa, and the Arctic, emphasizing the bridge between scientific research and policy implementation.

The report examines the relationship between food price inflation, food security, and trade policy, using Morocco as a case study. It analyzes the drivers of global food price spikes and evaluates Morocco's 'Green Morocco Plan' and its 'guided liberalization' strategy. A specific focus is placed on the lentil market, where high import tariffs on Canadian lentils are argued to encourage irregular trade and increase costs for consumers. The document suggests that reducing these tariffs, combined with targeted social safety nets and productivity investments, could improve food security and accessibility for the Moroccan population.

This document presents nine case studies of public-private collaborations (PPCs) designed to enhance resilience through disaster risk management and climate change adaptation. The projects span various sectors, including transport, agriculture, water, housing, and energy, across multiple countries in Asia, Africa, and Central America.

The document outlines how public-private collaborations (PPCs) can overcome market barriers to deliver climate adaptation and disaster risk solutions. Through nine case studies across various sectors—including agriculture, energy, and water—it argues that successful resilience-building requires local engagement, scalable design, and the strengthening of micro-enterprises to create sustainable livelihoods. Key strategies highlighted include leveraging existing relationships, creating synergistic value chains, and utilizing innovative alternatives to traditional infrastructure, such as mobile technology and off-grid energy.

The National Climate Change Action Plan 2013-2017 provides a strategic roadmap for Kenya to reduce its vulnerability to climate change while maintaining low greenhouse gas emissions. It identifies priority actions across sectors such as agriculture, energy, forestry, and transport, and proposes the establishment of a National Climate Change Council and a Kenya Climate Fund to coordinate governance and finance. The plan emphasizes a 'low carbon climate resilient development pathway' that aligns with Kenya Vision 2030, estimating total investment requirements at approximately KSh 1,085 billion (USD 12.76 billion) for the five-year period.

The document details nine global case studies where public-private collaborations (PPCs) implemented resilience-building activities. These include logistics training for airports (GARD), IT-based fertilizer market intelligence in Sub-Saharan Africa, decentralized water kiosks in Zambia, multi-sectoral adaptation in Malawi, sustainable coffee supply chains in Rwanda, flood-resilient brick-making in Tanzania, water-efficient rice seeding in India, community micro-hydropower in Sri Lanka, and biomass energy combined with desertification control in China.

The document examines agricultural investment in Indonesia, focusing on two primary business models: contract farming and land concessions. It notes that while agriculture remains a critical source of employment, its relative contribution to GDP has declined. The paper details various contract farming arrangements, such as the plasma-nucleus partnership, and land concession types, including cultivation rights (HGU). It finds that these models have produced mixed results, often hampered by poor governance, land disputes, and a lack of transparency. The author recommends enhancing farmer capacity, reforming land ownership regulations, and implementing a geographical information system to manage land use.