Search Climate Insights Directory

This technical paper, developed for the G20 Environment and Climate Sustainability Working Group, advocates for an integrated approach to climate mitigation and socioeconomic development to support inclusive low-emission pathways.

This research paper examines South Africa's G20 presidency, marking the end of the first cycle of summits since 2008. It analyzes the challenges facing the G20's consensus-based model amidst rising populism and the US's shift toward unilateralism, while detailing South Africa's specific priorities for the Global South, including climate finance, debt sustainability, and critical minerals.

This policy brief by the South African Institute of International Affairs examines the necessity of institutional coherence within the global trade, finance, and investment ecosystem to address massive funding gaps and support the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It argues that aligning policies across approximately 200 interconnected organisations—including the WTO, Bretton Woods institutions, and multilateral development banks—is essential for improving capital flows and global economic governance.

This policy brief examines the potential for the South African G20 presidency to facilitate the rechannelling of Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) to Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs), specifically the African Development Bank (AfDB). It outlines the financial mechanisms for such a transfer, the political and legal hurdles preventing it, and the potential development impacts for African nations.

This research paper analyzes the synergies and thematic coherence between the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the nationally determined contributions (NDCs) of the Paris Agreement, utilizing a content analysis of 164 NDCs and a detailed study of six developing countries.

This policy brief examines the environmental and socio-economic 'spillovers' of the Argentina-EU soy supply chain, arguing that the externalization of consumption impacts to producer countries complicates the implementation of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It highlights how European consumption drives significant environmental degradation and social shifts in Argentina, calling for internationally coordinated governance and shared responsibility to mitigate these negative effects.

This briefing by the Climate Bonds Initiative explores the critical role of climate adaptation and resilience in infrastructure investments to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It highlights the current investment gap in the green bond market, where adaptation is significantly underfunded compared to mitigation, and proposes principles for improving definitions and disclosure to scale capital mobilization.

This briefing by the Climate Bonds Initiative explores the synergies between green bonds and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), arguing that climate mitigation and adaptation are essential for achieving the 2030 Agenda. It identifies six specific SDGs that benefit most directly from green bond investment and emphasizes the need for climate risk disclosure across all thematic bond labels to ensure long-term sustainability.

This report, based on opening remarks by Sam Bickersteth at a July 2017 conference, reviews the activities of the Climate and Development Knowledge Network (CDKN) from 2010 to 2017. It evaluates the progress of 'climate compatible development'—the principle that climate action should not hinder poverty reduction—and identifies systemic gaps in institutional capability, finance, and the implementation of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) in developing nations.

This policy brief introduces the NDC-SDG Connections tool, developed by the Stockholm Environment Institute and the German Development Institute. The tool analyzes 161 Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) to identify synergies and overlaps between climate actions under the Paris Agreement and the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the 2030 Agenda.

This technical annex assesses the progress of Goal 6 of the New York Declaration on Forests, which sought the inclusion of ambitious, quantitative 2030 forest conservation and restoration targets within the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The report evaluates the SDGs adopted in September 2015, specifically Target 15.2, finding that while the goal to halt deforestation is highly ambitious and quantifiable, the targets for forest restoration and reforestation lack quantitative metrics.

This World Resources Institute briefing provides a perspective on UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s Synthesis Report, "The Road to Dignity by 2030," which outlines a vision for the post-2015 development agenda to succeed the Millennium Development Goals. While the briefing acknowledges the report's compelling narrative and endorsement of 17 goals and 169 targets, it identifies several gaps in specificity regarding target values, the role of the private sector in accountability, and the definition of partnerships.

This report presents the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) Strategic Plan for 2019–2044. The document outlines a 25-year roadmap designed to bridge the gap between science and policy, focusing on three primary themes: meeting the needs of member Parties regarding global environmental change, advancing science for sustainability in the Americas, and ensuring the long-term institutional sustainability of the IAI.

This briefing note by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) argues that financing strategies for climate change adaptation in developing countries must be aligned with broader national development plans and other international financing frameworks to avoid fragmentation and maximize resource mobilization.

This briefing by the Stockholm Environment Institute examines the social and environmental impacts of lithium mining in the Argentine Altiplano. It argues that current UN Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) indicators often overlook the leadership and lived experiences of Indigenous Peoples and local communities, creating a gap between global policy and local reality. The document proposes a framework for more inclusive stakeholder engagement, capacity building, and the co-creation of SDG indicators to ensure a socially just energy transition.

This policy brief summarizes the outcomes of a regional retreat held in October 2017 in Colombia, organized by the Government of Colombia and the Independent Research Forum (IRF). The event brought together policy-makers from 12 Latin American countries to share experiences and identify strategies for implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The brief focuses on five key themes: mainstreaming the SDGs into national policy, building cooperation and partnerships, monitoring progress, financing the agenda, and creating spaces for dialogue and learning.

This research paper by the World Resources Institute examines the disconnect between the national-level implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (SDGs) and the Paris Agreement (NDCs). Based on a survey of 90 countries and detailed case studies of 11 countries and the European Union, the paper argues that a 'siloed approach' to these agendas hinders progress. It proposes five core areas for integration: coordinating institutions, aligning targets, joint policy mainstreaming, optimizing financial resources, and creating mutually reinforcing monitoring frameworks. The study concludes that an integrated approach reduces transaction costs, enhances policy coherence, and fosters 'win-win solutions' for climate resilience and sustainable development.