Search Climate Insights Directory

The document examines the limitations of traditional gender-blind cost-benefit analyses (CBAs) in transport planning and proposes a framework for integrating gender-disaggregated data and qualitative dynamics. Using a case study of a Non-Motorized Transport (NMT) plan in Coimbatore, India, it demonstrates how gender-sensitive mapping can reveal links between infrastructure, women's time poverty, and access to education. The author recommends that planners identify gender-specific dynamics via causal loop diagrams, improve the collection of disaggregated data, and monetize gender-specific outcomes to ensure investments do not inadvertently reinforce existing inequalities.

The STeP Fellowship Program aims to build human and institutional capacities in IAI member states to provide expert scientific advice for public policy on global change. Between 2022 and 2023, the program expanded its cohort to 64 fellows from 13 countries, providing training in science diplomacy, communication, and leadership. Key achievements include the graduation of the first cohort of 17 alumni in February 2023 and the development of science diplomacy projects covering topics such as the lithium supply chain, circular economy, and climate justice. The program is currently seeking financial support from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation.

The report investigates the ESG performance of Chinese-led infrastructure projects across Africa and Southeast Asia, arguing that failures often stem from a combination of opaque procurement processes, weak host-country institutional capacity, and the agency of Chinese contractors. It highlights five critical areas of concern: tender and impact assessment processes, land acquisition and community displacement, debt transparency, inter-authority conflict, and long-term economic viability. Through case studies in countries such as Kenya, Cambodia, Indonesia, Zimbabwe, and Nigeria, the report demonstrates how the 'adaptive governance' of Chinese firms—adjusting standards to match weak local regulations—often leads to negative socio-environmental outcomes. It concludes that while China is developing domestic ESG frameworks, these are not consistently applied overseas, and recommends greater loan transparency and the establishment of independent ESG feasibility studies.

The paper examines the rise of trade measures based on non-product-related process and production methods (PPMs) used to address climate change, biodiversity loss, and human rights. It analyzes the legal requirements for such measures to be WTO-compliant, highlighting the importance of non-discrimination and proportionality. The authors provide examples of current PPM-based policies, including forced labour import bans, deforestation-free supply chain regulations, and sustainability-linked tariff preferences in regional trade agreements, while noting ongoing WTO disputes between the EU, Indonesia, and Malaysia over biofuels.

The document evaluates Madagascar's legal framework for Environmental and Social Impact Assessments (ESIAs) in the mining sector. While it identifies strengths such as up-to-date environmental texts and established institutions like the Office National pour l'Environnement (ONE), it highlights critical weaknesses. These include broad stability clauses that may freeze outdated laws, the ability of the environment minister to override ONE's technical objections, and a permitting sequence that allows mining licenses to be granted before environmental permits. The report recommends removing or limiting stability clauses, making environmental permits a prerequisite for mining licenses, and increasing public participation during the early stages of ESIA report drafting.

The document evaluates Madagascar's legal framework for Environmental and Social Impact Assessments (ESIAs) in the mining sector. While it finds the framework generally coherent and up-to-date, it identifies four critical gaps: the presence of broad stabilization clauses that can freeze outdated laws, the ability of the environment minister to override the technical opinions of the National Office for the Environment (ONE), the possibility of granting operating permits before environmental permits, and insufficient public involvement during the early stages of ESIA report preparation. The summary recommends deleting or limiting stabilization clauses, restoring the primacy of ONE's technical advice, making environmental permits a prerequisite for operating permits, and engaging local communities from the scoping stage onward.

The statement emphasizes the necessity of linking climate solutions with poverty eradication and human well-being to ensure climate justice. It highlights that the IPCC synthesis report calls for urgent resource mobilization to address these issues synergistically, noting that those in extreme poverty are most vulnerable to climate hazards. Project Drawdown identifies 28 mitigation solutions across five sectors—agriculture, ecosystems, clean cooking, clean electricity, and equality—that could sequester 691.4 gigatons of CO2-eq over 30 years while providing co-benefits for health, gender equality, and food security, especially in rural Africa and South Asia.

The research paper examines the role of climate change literacy in Africa, highlighting a significant gap in public understanding of the human causes of climate change despite high perceptions of its impacts. It argues that increasing literacy—particularly for women and vulnerable populations—is essential for informed adaptation decisions, reducing vulnerability, and achieving the UN 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. The paper emphasizes the need for localized climate data, early warning systems, and the integration of climate literacy into education and policy to manage risks such as climate-forced migration and economic disruptions in sectors like hydropower.

The document is a directory of participants for the 'Taller Regional en Clima, Ambiente y Salud' (Regional Workshop on Climate, Environment, and Health) held in March 2023 in Neuquén, Argentina. It lists the institutional hosts and organizers, including the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI), and the Global Consortium on Climate and Health Education (GCCHE). The text provides detailed professional profiles of the organizers, members of transdisciplinary teams from various American countries, and a list of speakers and experts specializing in climate science, public health, epidemiology, and environmental governance.

The Stakeholder Toolkit lists various resources for forest monitoring and accountability. It highlights Global Forest Watch's suite of tools (Forest Watcher, GFW Pro, Radar, and MapBuilder) for tracking forest change and deforestation. It also identifies transparency and rights-based initiatives such as Trase, Supply Change, Mapeo, and the Land Rights Standard. Additionally, the document lists collaborative platforms and coalitions, including the Accountability Framework Initiative, the Tropical Forest Alliance, the Collaborative Partnership on Forests, and the NGO Forest Coalition, to support the implementation of forest commitments and sustainable development.

The toolkit lists various resources for forest monitoring and accountability. It highlights Global Forest Watch's suite of tools, including Forest Watcher and MapBuilder, and data-driven transparency initiatives like Trase and Supply Change. It also identifies frameworks for land rights and coalitions such as the Accountability Framework Initiative and the Tropical Forest Alliance aimed at eliminating deforestation from supply chains.

The document examines the gap in climate change literacy in Africa, noting that while perception of climate impacts is high, understanding of human causes is low. It highlights a significant gender gap in literacy and argues that enhancing public understanding, combined with improved climate services and early warning systems, is essential for informed decision-making regarding livelihoods, infrastructure, and climate-induced mobility.

The report tracks the progress of the Joint Statement Initiative (JSI) toward a stabilized negotiating text for a WTO Agreement on Investment Facilitation for Development, noting that very few outstanding issues remain.

The document outlines a framework for international cooperation to support Latin America's climate commitments. It focuses on specific sectors such as agriculture, mining, and the circular economy, arguing for a bottom-up approach to ensure developing country perspectives are represented in global trade and climate dialogues, which are currently dominated by advanced economies.

In Banishanta village, Khulna district, farmers have formed the Banishanta Weather Club to combat the impacts of cyclones, floods, and high salinity. Supported by the NGO Bangladesh Environment and Development Society (BEDS) and the Delta Research Initiative (DRI), the community uses digital tools, smartphone apps, and a Facebook messenger group called 'Banishanta Climate School' to access weather forecasts and agro-advisories. This locally led adaptation approach allows farmers to make informed decisions on sowing and irrigation, reducing the economic costs of climatic disasters and improving livelihoods for smallholder farmers and the Banojibi community.

The document details the current state of the WTO's Joint Statement Initiative on Investment Facilitation for Development, outlining the draft agreement's structure across transparency, administrative simplification, and sustainable investment. It highlights key points of contention, such as the scope of investments covered and the specific timelines for Special and Differential Treatment (S&DT) for developing nations, while proposing a path toward legal integration into the WTO framework.

The LUCI tool provides a five-step analytical framework to identify unintended consequences of development interventions by mapping the overlap between identity groups and impact groups. It emphasizes 'horizontal inequalities'—group-based disparities related to gender, ethnicity, or class—and how these can be exacerbated by poorly planned projects, leading to 'maladaptation' or increased conflict potential. The guide demonstrates the tool's application through a case study of solar hybrid mini-grid projects in Turkana County, Kenya, illustrating how access to electricity can create differential benefits and losses across various social and economic groups.

The document analyzes ASEAN's climate mitigation and adaptation strategies in agriculture, energy, and forestry, arguing for a more inclusive international trade dialogue that prioritizes developing country perspectives over those of advanced economies.

The document analyzes the complexities of African sovereign debt contracts, highlighting power imbalances in negotiations, the risks of non-disclosure clauses, and the dangers of collateralizing public assets. It argues for the development of Africa-specific model contracts and the inclusion of flexible clauses to handle crises, such as climate-resilient debt clauses, to protect the interests of African citizens and governments.

The CESCR frequently addressed climate change in its 2022 State reviews, focusing on mitigation policies, adaptation plans, and the phase-out of fossil fuels. The Committee emphasized the need for States to meet Paris Agreement commitments and highlighted extraterritorial obligations to ensure that domestic policies and international agreements do not adversely affect human rights in other countries. Additionally, the 2022 General Comment No. 26 on land rights stressed that climate mitigation measures, such as large-scale renewable energy projects, must include robust safeguards to protect human rights and the environment.