Search Climate Insights Directory

The document examines Mozambique's reliance on FDI and overseas development assistance (ODA) for post-war reconstruction. While megaprojects in extractives and infrastructure have driven GDP growth, the paper highlights a disconnect between this growth and human development indicators. It analyzes the legal frameworks governing mining and hydrocarbons, the impact of coal and natural gas projects, and the challenges of agricultural development through initiatives like ProSAVANA. The author argues for leveraging the technology and infrastructure of the extractive sector to support agriculture and local community prosperity.

The document provides a detailed comparative analysis between the Kyoto Protocol's flexibility mechanisms (CDM, JI, and IET) and the emerging frameworks under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement (specifically Articles 6.2 and 6.4). It examines differences in purpose, governance, and accounting, highlighting the shift from a bifurcated system of Annex I and non-Annex I countries to a universal application for all Parties. The paper emphasizes the need for 'robust accounting' and 'environmental integrity' to avoid double counting and the transfer of 'hot air', while outlining critical unresolved questions for UNFCCC negotiations regarding the nature of internationally transferred mitigation outcomes (ITMOs) and the scope of eligible activities.

In a speech to the UN General Assembly on September 20, 2016, Manish Bapna proposed three priorities for the Open Government Partnership: integrating climate and governance agendas, upholding governance standards to protect civic space, and expanding the open government movement to include subnational governments and a wider array of civil society groups.

The Minister of Planning for Economic and Social Development of Paraguay has nominated the Avina Foundation for accreditation to the Green Climate Fund, citing the foundation's history of promoting sustainable development and climate change strategies in Latin America and its collaboration with the Paraguayan government on the National Development Plan and the Social Progress Index.

An open letter from 80 organizations requests the withdrawal of the Barro Blanco hydroelectric project from the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM). The authors argue that the project violates international human rights standards and Panamanian law, specifically regarding the right to free, prior and informed consent of the Ngäbe indigenous people, whose lands and sacred sites are being flooded.

The case study examines the trajectory of the Croatian Green party ORaH, which peaked at 16.8% approval in 2014 before collapsing to 0.6% after the 2016 elections. The author attributes this failure to a combination of strategic errors—such as supporting a candidate perceived as a satellite of the SDP—and internal structural weaknesses, including a lack of political experience among 80% of its members and an 'elitist' communication style. The text concludes that future Green success in Croatia requires a bottom-up organizational approach and stronger knowledge transfer from Western Green organizations.

The research paper examines the trajectory of Održivi razvoj Hrvatske (ORaH), the first green party in Croatia, which saw its popularity peak at 16.8% in 2014 before collapsing to 0.6% by 2016. The author attributes this failure to a combination of strategic political errors—specifically the decision to support incumbent President Ivo Josipović—and internal structural weaknesses, including a 'top-down' organizational approach and a lack of grassroots infrastructure. The text concludes that while there is a growing appetite for green ideas in Croatia and Southeast Europe, future success for green parties depends on building stable bases through grassroots movements rather than relying on the charisma of a single leader.

ORaH emerged in 2013 as a promising Green alternative in Croatia, peaking at a 16.8% approval rating in October 2014. However, the party suffered a steep decline, falling to 0.6% after the 2016 parliamentary elections. This failure is attributed to a combination of strategic miscalculations—specifically the decision to support incumbent Ivo Josipović in the presidential elections—and internal structural weaknesses, including a lack of political experience among 80% of its members and a 'top-down approach' that failed to build a grassroots base. The party was also perceived as a 'virtual party' and an 'SDP satellite', eventually being overtaken by other 'third option' parties like Živi zid and Most.

The review concludes that the Yzermyn underground coal project's EIAR and EMPr are of poor quality, failing to address critical concerns from the Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA), Department of Water Affairs (DWA), and Department of Mineral Resources (DMR). The author argues that the project poses high risks to 'irreplaceable' biodiversity and water resources, specifically regarding acid mine drainage and the drawdown of wetlands. The review asserts that the competent authority ignored these risks and the NEMA principles when granting environmental authorisation, focusing only on surface footprint rather than landscape-scale impacts.

The review concludes that the Yzermyn underground coal project's EIAR and EMPr are of poor quality, failing to address critical concerns raised by the Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA), Department of Water Affairs (DWA), and Department of Mineral Resources (DMR). Key failures include the lack of updated specialist studies for the 'best environmental option', inadequate assessment of acid mine drainage (AMD) and its long-term decant risks, and a failure to account for cumulative impacts on 'irreplaceable' biodiversity and water resources. The reviewer asserts that the project's focus on surface 'footprint' impacts ignores wider landscape-scale damage to Freshwater Ecosystem Priority Areas (FEPAs) and the Grassland Important Bird Area. Furthermore, the review finds that the Environmental Authorisation was granted despite these deficiencies, relying on misleading information and failing to apply the NEMA principles of sustainable development.

The document evaluates a capacity development programme on water security and climate resilient development involving 140 participants and 30 mentors across eight African nations. While it notes that the capacity to integrate climate change into national planning remains limited in most of these countries, the programme successfully fostered individual and institutional learning and sparked ongoing initiatives to include climate considerations in national development. The brief suggests that future iterations of the programme would be more cost-effective due to existing investments in learning materials and training of trainers.

The 2016 World Conservation Congress, convened by the IUCN, aims to develop governance responses to biodiversity loss through a series of motions and resolutions. The document emphasizes the need to integrate biodiversity into all development choices and align the IUCN's 2017–2020 Programme with global frameworks like the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Agreement. For Africa, the brief highlights the importance of Motion 086 and the need for consolidated voting positions to protect vulnerable ecosystems.

A coalition of organizations calls on FMO and DEG to address human rights failures and environmental damage caused by the Barro Blanco dam project in Panama, specifically regarding 'test flooding' conducted without community consultation or Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC).

The guide examines the politics of climate change in three Latin American mega-cities, finding that while political leadership and local framing drive policy adoption, implementation is often hindered by a lack of broad social coalitions and low electoral salience of climate issues.

The document examines the role of value chains in Southern Africa, noting that the region accounts for 40% of Africa's GVC participation. It highlights the importance of RVCs as entry points for smaller countries and emphasizes the need for harmonized non-tariff measures and firm-level data to enhance regional integration.

The document details how GreenCape, a nonprofit sector development agency, acts as an independent bridge between the public and private sectors to drive green growth in South Africa's Western Cape. Established in 2010, it initially focused on renewable energy before expanding into energy efficiency, water, waste, and agriculture. The agency's success is attributed to its legal independence, strong government support, and a multidisciplinary approach to removing market barriers. Between 2010 and 2015, GreenCape facilitated ZAR 17 billion in renewable energy project investments and created over 2,000 associated jobs.

The document details the establishment and operation of GreenCape, a nonprofit sector development agency created by the Western Cape Government to bridge the public and private sectors. It outlines how GreenCape's independent structure, multidisciplinary team, and strategic alignment with government policies enabled it to facilitate significant private sector investment and job creation in renewable energy and other green sectors. The case study highlights key success factors, such as maintaining political neutrality and providing impartial market intelligence, and provides quantitative results of its impact between 2010 and 2015.

The 2016 SPAC report proposes a strategic framework to increase the visibility of global change research among decision-makers in the Americas. The plan focuses on four key areas: developing an outreach plan to diffuse research results, coordinating with the Science Advisory Committee (SAC) to refine the science agenda, improving engagement with public and private sector decision-makers, and identifying diverse financial mechanisms for research. Key recommendations to the Conference of the Parties include strengthening the IAI directorate's capacity, training scientists in policy communication, and increasing linkages with international environmental conventions such as the UNFCCC and CBD.

The 2016 SPAC report proposes a strategic framework to increase the visibility of the IAI among public and private decision-makers, align research with regional policy demands, and diversify funding sources. It recommends creating a long-term science-policy integrator network and improving the capacity of the IAI's Science-Policy Liaison Directorate (SPLD) to better translate research into policy-relevant information.

The New Development Bank (NDB) was established by the BRICS nations to address infrastructure funding deficits in emerging economies and to challenge the dominance of traditional international financial institutions. With an initial subscribed capital of $50 billion and a maximum authorised capital of $100 billion, the bank aims to provide a more equitable alternative to the World Bank and IMF. Initial lending, starting in the second quarter of 2016, is expected to focus on renewable energy projects, including wind, solar, and hydro power, while excluding nuclear energy. The NDB intends to distinguish itself through faster project approval cycles, lending in local currencies to mitigate exchange risks, and a commitment to avoid political conditions on its loans.