Search Climate Insights Directory

The 2022 activities of the Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC) show a sustained focus on climate change, with references appearing in 25 out of 33 State review processes. The Committee emphasized adaptation, mitigation, and the empowerment of children in policymaking, while specifically calling out the need for more ambitious emission reductions in developed nations like Germany. A significant portion of the CRC's work focused on the accountability of private actors in fossil fuel production and the extraterritorial obligations of States to protect children's rights abroad. Furthermore, the CRC developed a draft General Comment No. 26, which links a safe climate to the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment and advocates for the phasing out of fossil fuels.

The CESCR addressed climate change in most of its 2023 work, including twelve Concluding Observations and seven Lists of Issues. The Committee focused on mitigation policies, urging states like Brazil, Panama, and Portugal to meet their Paris Agreement NDCs, and recommended that China expand its emissions trading system and stop financing overseas coal power. Adaptation efforts were highlighted in nineteen statements, with specific calls for national adaptation plans in Cambodia, Palestine, and Yemen, and an emphasis on the participation of Indigenous Peoples in Panama. Additionally, the Committee challenged the fossil fuel reliance of states such as Qatar and China, while inquiring about oil refinery pollution in Curaçao.

The 2023 Forest Declaration Assessment reports that the world is off track to meet 2030 forest goals, with 2022 global gross deforestation reaching 6.6 million hectares. While over 50 countries are on track to eliminate deforestation, including progress in Indonesia and Malaysia, these successes are offset by massive losses in other regions. The report emphasizes a critical funding gap, noting that only US$ 2.2 billion in annual public funds are directed toward forests, and criticizes the lack of transparency and failure to protect the rights of Indigenous Peoples and local communities.

The IISD provides free technical assistance and training to developing countries to help them design investment laws and policies that support sustainable development. Their services cover the entire investment lifecycle, from promotion and protection to dispute resolution, and include support for reforming investment treaties and aligning national policies with international best practices.

The report identifies ten key components of a strong ESIA legal framework and evaluates their application in three jurisdictions. California is highlighted for its rigorous environmental review and climate change integration, Kazakhstan for its recent legislative updates aligned with EU standards, and Queensland for its comprehensive framework and use of internal audits to address rehabilitation liabilities and corruption risks.

The 2023 Mining Policy Framework (MPF) provides a comprehensive set of guidelines for governments to manage the full mining life cycle. It is organized into six pillars: laws, policies, and institutions; financial benefits; socio-economic benefits; environmental management; post-mining transition; and artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM). The framework emphasizes the need for transparent fiscal regimes, inclusive community engagement, rigorous environmental protections—including climate change adaptation and greenhouse gas emission reductions—and the formalization of the ASM sector to improve livelihoods and safety.

The 2023 Mining Policy Framework (MPM) provides a systemic approach to mining governance across six pillars: laws and institutions, financial benefits, socioeconomic benefits, environmental management, post-mining transition, and artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM). It emphasizes the integration of international standards on human rights, gender equality, and climate change into national mining policies to ensure equitable benefit distribution and environmental protection throughout the mine life cycle.

The 2023 Mining Policy Framework (MPF), published by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) on behalf of the Intergovernmental Forum on Mining, Minerals, Metals and Sustainable Development (IGF), outlines a systemic approach to mining governance. It covers six key areas: laws and institutions, financial benefits, socioeconomic benefits, environmental management, post-mining transition, and artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM). The framework emphasizes the need for transparent fiscal regimes, the protection of human rights and indigenous peoples' consent, rigorous environmental standards to combat climate change, and the formalization of the ASM sector to improve livelihoods and safety.

The IGF Mining Policy Framework Guidance 2023 outlines six pillars for sustainable mining governance. It emphasizes the creation of transparent legal frameworks, the optimization of public revenues through progressive fiscal regimes, and the promotion of local socioeconomic benefits with a strong focus on gender equality and indigenous rights. The guide details environmental standards for air, water, and biodiversity, mandates rigorous mine closure planning with financial guarantees, and provides specific strategies to formalize and support artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) while eliminating harmful practices like child labor and mercury use.

The International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) provides free technical advice, seminars, and training to developing countries to ensure foreign investments support equitable and sustainable development. Their expertise covers the entire investment lifecycle—from promotion and facilitation to dispute resolution—with a focus on reforming investment treaties, aligning national instruments with modern practices, and strengthening governance coordination. IISD operates across sectors including energy, mining, and agriculture, and supports government officials in navigating multilateral forums such as UNCTAD, the WTO, and the AfCFTA.

The 2023 state of global environmental governance was characterized by a tension between significant multilateral achievements and deepening geopolitical fractures. While the world saw the adoption of the BBNJ treaty and the Global Framework on Chemicals, progress on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) remains dire, with only 15% of targets on track. Climate action reached a milestone with the first Global Stocktake (GST) in Dubai, calling for a transition away from fossil fuels, though critics noted the absence of a full phase-out. Geopolitical tensions, particularly Russia's invasion of Ukraine, have hindered scientific collaboration in the Arctic and increased the use of voting over consensus in treaty negotiations. Financial gaps remain a critical barrier, with calls for a New Global Financing Pact to address the needs of the Global South.

The report evaluates the African Union's (AU) first two decades, highlighting a significant gap between the creation of ambitious normative and institutional frameworks and their actual implementation. While the AU has succeeded in establishing a continental legal order and promoting multi-party democracy, it struggles with institutional incapacity, over-reliance on external funding, and a lack of political will among member states to cede sovereignty. Key areas of analysis include the African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA), the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), and the role of women and youth in governance. The authors argue that for the AU to achieve the goals of Agenda 2063, it must shift from a state-centric model to a people-driven organization, enhance its self-reliance, and translate its existing norms into tangible outcomes.

The document examines the nexus between climate change, human mobility, and development in Africa, highlighting that while mobility can be a strategic adaptation tool, current funding and policy frameworks are inadequate. It identifies significant barriers, including a bias toward mitigation over adaptation, a lack of institutional knowledge, and the politicization of migration. The brief recommends that development actors and national governments mainstream climate-linked mobility across sectors and adopt a diverse range of financial instruments to support people who are staying, moving, or on the move.

The document serves as a practical guide for civil society organisations (CSOs) in Serbia to navigate the complex legal framework of spatial and urban planning. It details the hierarchy of planning documents—from the national Spatial Plan of the Republic of Serbia to Detailed Regulation Plans—and outlines the stages of their adoption, including early public inspection and expert control. Through three case studies (Kučaj-Beljanica, Ovčarsko-Kablarska klisura, and Parkovi Vrnjačke Banje), the manual illustrates common illegalities, such as the disregard for conservation studies and the manipulation of building heights to bypass ministerial jurisdiction. It emphasizes the importance of networking, precise legal argumentation in objections, and the strategic use of access-to-information requests to prevent environmental degradation and policy capture.

The report examines the impact of housing commodification in European cities, contrasting the neoliberal policies of the UK and Germany with the social housing models of Vienna, France, and Barcelona. It highlights how public investment and political commitment to housing as a human right, rather than a market asset, lead to lower rent burdens and better urban quality of life.

The document argues that current understandings of policy coherence for sustainable development are overly technocratic and ignore political drivers like vested interests and ideologies. To address this, the author introduces a framework centered on 'ideas, institutions, and interests' to analyze how these factors influence policy coherence across different stages and actors. The paper demonstrates the framework's utility by examining the coherence between the Paris Agreement and Agenda 2030, suggesting the model can be applied to empirical data at both national and global levels.

The WSIS Civil Society Declaration argues that information and communication technologies (ICTs) must be grounded in human rights, social justice, and gender equality rather than profit-driven market motives. It advocates for universal access to information, the protection of the public domain of knowledge, and the use of Free Software to empower marginalized communities. The declaration emphasizes the need for multistakeholder governance of the Internet and the implementation of environmentally sustainable ICT solutions, particularly in Africa.

The Framework for Integrating Rights and Equality (FIRE) integrates human rights-based approaches (HRBA) and gender equality principles into disaster risk reduction (DRR) and climate change adaptation (CCA). Developed through international standards and feminist political ecology, FIRE is intended for state and non-state actors across various governance levels to improve risk assessment, land-use planning, and emergency preparedness.

The report reveals that 39 out of 50 studied fashion brands are linked to Reliance Industries (India) and Hengli Group (China), both of which import Russian oil to produce polyester. Despite many brands suspending operations in Russia, their reliance on synthetic fibers continues to support the Russian economy. The investigation also highlights the use of other controversial fossil fuels, including coal-to-polyester projects and oil from Saudi Aramco, while noting a severe lack of transparency in synthetic supply chains, with 84% of responding brands providing limited information.

The document examines the intersection of trade, climate change, and development in Africa, advocating for a shift from a narrow 'just energy transition' to a broader 'climate-resilient development' (CRD) approach. It highlights Africa's vulnerability to climate crises and proposes strategies for green industrialization, climate-smart agriculture, and the strengthening of development finance institutions. The author critiques the EU's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) as 'green trade protectionism' and calls for a 'Global Green New Deal' based on multilateral cooperation, technology transfer, and the fulfillment of climate finance promises by developed nations.