Search Climate Insights Directory

The document details CDKN's support for Bangladesh in advancing the 'Loss and Damage' agenda within the UNFCCC, including the creation of case studies and training for officials. It also highlights the development of a participatory monitoring and evaluation (M&E) tool for community-based adaptation (CBA) by the ARCAB partnership, which has been scaled up to Somalia and Ethiopia. Additionally, it mentions research on climate-induced displacement in Bangladesh conducted by the University of Sussex and the University of Bangladesh.

The document highlights that rapid industrialization and economic growth in Asia have led to higher ozone precursor emissions and concentrations. It emphasizes the need to improve understanding of ozone's impact on South Asian agriculture via experimental assessments and regional scale modelling to evaluate risks to agricultural production.

The document analyzes the REDD+ supply chain, identifying key private sector roles including investors, producers, brokers, advisors, auditors, and end-buyers. It highlights that while some pioneering investment funds and multinational firms are engaging through voluntary markets and CSR initiatives, significant barriers remain, specifically a lack of policy certainty and unresolved land tenure and carbon ownership issues. The brief argues that scaling up private investment requires a shift toward compliance carbon markets, the implementation of nested crediting frameworks for direct performance-based payments, and the integration of deforestation-driving industries, such as extractive sectors, into the REDD+ dialogue.

The report examines China's agricultural investment strategy, noting a transition from market dependence to foreign direct investment. While China remains largely self-sufficient in staple grains, it requires imports of soybeans, cotton, and palm oil for its industrial and energy sectors. The document details various investment models, including aid-driven demonstration farms, joint ventures, and direct land acquisitions. It confirms 54 Chinese projects covering 4.8 million hectares across Africa, Asia, and Latin America, while cautioning against the social and environmental risks associated with large-scale land acquisitions.

Packaging Industries Malawi (PIM) Limited, the country's largest paper packaging company, faces significant operational hurdles including acute foreign exchange shortages, high transport costs due to Malawi's landlocked status, and irregular utility supplies. The company struggles with a lack of local technical skills, inefficient tax and customs procedures, and a national standards bureau (MBS) that lacks international accreditation. To mitigate these, PIM has invested in its own power and water infrastructure and co-funded the Malawi Industrial Training Association (MITA) to address the skills gap.

The authors contend that Germany's economic stability is tied to the Euro and that current rescue measures are insufficient. They propose a two-step approach: immediate ECB intervention and bank supervision, followed by the creation of a democratic financial, economic, and social union featuring common fiscal policies, Eurobonds, and a democratically legitimized EU Commission.

The Californians for Toxic-Free Fire Safety coalition applauds Governor Jerry Brown's decision to update California's outdated flammability standards, specifically Technical Bulletin 117 (TB 117). The coalition argues that toxic flame retardants are ineffective at stopping fires, contaminate the environment globally, and are linked to severe health issues including cancer, infertility, and lower IQ. They highlight that Californians, particularly children and pregnant women, exhibit some of the highest levels of these chemicals in their bodies.

The global atmosphere is at a critical stage, with climate change identified as the most pressing issue. While successful international cooperation has phased out ozone-depleting substances and lead in petrol, progress on particulate matter and tropospheric ozone is mixed, particularly in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Despite the availability of low-carbon technologies, greenhouse gas concentrations continue to rise, leaving a gap of several billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent between current pledges and the targets needed to limit global warming to 2°C. The document advocates for an integrated approach to atmospheric protection and the use of short-lived climate forcers as a complementary strategy to CO2 reduction.

The report is a joint product of the Southern Voices capacity building programme, incorporating experiences from over 20 climate networks and their member organisations. It provides case studies and policy analyses regarding civil society advocacy on climate change across Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Pacific to share lessons and recommendations for advocates.

The document highlights that global economic disaster losses rose by 200% over 25 years, with losses from weather-related disasters doubling every 12 years. It argues that ex-post relief is unsustainable and advocates for ex-ante risk reduction through comprehensive risk assessments, fiscal planning, and sector-level mainstreaming. Key tools discussed include the CAPRA GIS platform and the CATSIM model for evaluating fiscal vulnerability. The guide emphasizes that while risk financing (insurance and reserve funds) is useful, it must be paired with land-use planning and building codes to effectively reduce exposure.

The report analyzes the social, environmental, and business performance of 1,337 SMMEs in developing countries, with a focus on the 2011 applicant cohort. It identifies a strong trend toward the adoption of new technologies and a shift in organizational identity from strictly non-profit to hybrid or for-profit models. Key barriers include a lack of financial resources, limited access to technical research partners, and a deficiency in local-level environmental monitoring and enforcement. The study also highlights gender disparities, noting that women-led enterprises often face greater challenges in accessing business management skills and markets.

The document analyzes the role of Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) nations in achieving the Durban Platform for Enhanced Action at COP17 and provides recommendations for the region to maintain high ambition in climate negotiations leading up to 2015. It emphasizes the need for LAC countries to coordinate with Africa and Asia, improve communication of low-carbon successes, and link climate resilience to national interests such as food security and trade.

The document reports that global military spending levelled off in real terms from 2010, the first such occurrence since before the 9/11 attacks. While the US remains the dominant spender, China and Russia have increased spending to modernise equipment, with Russian spending surpassing that of the UK and France in 2011. The UK's spending is described as falling back, while regional arms races are developing, particularly in Asia, as a result of US spending increases.

The document assesses 'extreme outcomes'—near-catastrophic climate events and socially contingent responses—that are often underrepresented in economic assessments. It identifies key biogeophysical tipping elements, such as the melting of the Greenland and West Antarctic ice sheets, and evaluates their potential to trigger severe economic losses and social instability. A high-end sea level rise scenario of 1.65m by the 2080s is estimated to cost approximately $1 trillion per year and displace millions. The brief also explores the nexus of climate change, state fragility, and forced migration, particularly in South Asia and Bangladesh, arguing that these 'wicked problems' require multiple lines of evidence and a shift toward building resilience rather than simple prediction.

The report examines the environmental and economic effects of hydrogen fluoride (HF) emissions from peri-urban brick kilns in Peshawar, Pakistan. It specifically assesses HF concentrations near Bull’s Trench kilns, the resulting visible injuries to fruit trees, the correlation between these injuries and foliar fluoride levels, and the level of awareness and economic impact among local farmers.

The research evaluates 14 emission control measures for black carbon and methane to determine their impact on air quality and health by 2030. The study finds that full implementation could significantly reduce global surface concentrations of PM2.5 and ozone, avoiding millions of premature deaths annually, with the vast majority of these benefits occurring in Asia.

The paper examines the challenges of scaling up community-based adaptation (CBA), noting that conventional linear communication often fails to engage citizens or account for cognitive biases like 'motivated avoidance' and 'omission bias'. The authors propose experiential learning—defined as knowledge created through the transformation of experience—as a way to help diverse stakeholders navigate complex climate risk management. The document details five case studies of participatory games used to communicate forecasts, manage risk investments, explain index-based micro-insurance, and understand the spread of mosquito-borne diseases. These games are presented as safe spaces for collaboration and 'aha!' moments that reveal the consequences of decisions. The authors conclude that while these tools are powerful, their success depends on skilled facilitators who can manage power dynamics, gender, and hierarchy within communities.

The report examines post-disaster reconstruction and rural planning in Europe and Asia, with a specific focus on Punjab, Pakistan. It argues for a shift from reactive, top-down planning to decentralized, 'bottom-up' approaches that integrate Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) and Climate Change Adaptation (CCA). The document identifies key climatic risks for Punjab—primarily flooding and high temperatures—and proposes a suite of adaptive design options and low-carbon technologies to increase the resilience of buildings and infrastructure.

The Climate and Development Knowledge Network (CDKN) is a demand-led alliance of NGOs, a think tank, and a private sector firm that provides research, advisory services, and knowledge sharing to help developing countries achieve low-carbon, climate-resilient futures. Operating in over 40 countries across Africa, Asia, and Latin America and the Caribbean, CDKN focuses on four strategic themes: development strategies, access to climate finance, disaster risk management, and support for climate negotiators from vulnerable nations. The network has supported policy changes in 23 countries and manages an annual disbursement of £20 million.

The report highlights that disaster risk in Asia is increasing due to higher exposure and vulnerability, even independent of climate change. It details observed and projected increases in temperature and precipitation extremes across various Asian sub-regions and argues for the integration of disaster risk management (DRM) with climate change adaptation (CCA) and sustainable development to build long-term resilience.