Search Climate Insights Directory

The summer of 2017 saw extreme heat across Southern Europe, including the 'Lucifer' heat wave in early August. World Weather Attribution analysis indicates that human-induced climate change significantly increased the likelihood of these events. A summer as hot as 2017 is now estimated to have a 1 in 10 annual chance in the Euro-Mediterranean region and is projected to become normal weather by the middle of the century under continued greenhouse gas emissions.

The report argues that terrorism and violent extremism are highly gendered activities and that PVE and CT responses are more sustainable and effective when they promote gender equality and women's empowerment. It identifies gaps in global policy implementation, highlights the gendered impact of CT human rights violations, and warns against the instrumentalisation of women in PVE programming. The authors recommend a shift toward context-specific, human rights-compliant strategies that engage both men and women as equal actors, particularly through a focus on parenting.

The document outlines Belgium's legal framework for the EU Timber Regulation (EUTR), noting that while the penalty regime allows for high fines and imprisonment, enforcement is hindered by low human and financial resources. Between March 2013 and mid-July 2017, the Competent Authority conducted only 26 checks on operators. It also details the limited legal avenues for NGOs to challenge inaction by the Competent Authority regarding substantiated concerns.

The study concludes that anthropogenic climate change significantly increased the likelihood of the June 2017 heat event across Western Europe. Using observational data and multiple climate model ensembles, researchers found that such extreme heat is now more frequent, occurring every 10 to 30 years depending on the country. The risk ratio was highest in Portugal and Spain, where the probability of such heat increased by more than ten times due to global warming. The report also notes that under high-emission scenarios (RCP8.5), temperatures similar to June 2017 could become normal by the end of the century.

ClientEarth asserts that BP's 'base case' oil demand forecast to 2035 is at odds with independent analysis and automotive industry trends, potentially misleading investors and exposing BP to compensation claims under UK law.

The document evaluates EU countries' positions on the Effort Sharing Regulation (ESR), which covers 60% of EU greenhouse gas emissions. Using a scoring system across five categories—starting point, land use loopholes, ETS surplus loopholes, governance, and ambition levels—it ranks Sweden as the leader and Poland as the lowest performer. The brief argues that most EU countries are pushing for loopholes that undermine the Paris Agreement, with the European Commission's own proposal scoring only 20 out of 100 points.

The EU Climate Leader Board ranks EU member states on their support for the Effort Sharing Regulation across five categories: starting point, ETS surplus loophole, land use loophole, governance, and ambition level. Sweden ranks highest with a score of 67, while Malta ranks lowest with a score of 2. The analysis concludes that no EU country is currently doing enough to make the regulation compatible with the Paris Agreement.

The report examines the carpet sector's failure to transition from a linear to a circular economy, highlighting that most carpets in Europe are incinerated or landfilled. It specifically critiques industry leaders Desso and Interface for 'greenwashing,' noting a significant gap between their sustainability goals and actual collection rates. The document also identifies the event industry as a major source of single-use carpet waste and proposes systemic changes in eco-design, collection infrastructure, and public policy to enable genuine closed-loop recycling.

The report examines the transition of the carpet industry toward a circular economy, focusing on the French and European markets. It finds that the vast majority of carpets end up in landfills or incinerators, with actual recycling rates for industry leaders like Interface and Desso being significantly lower than their public commitments. The document specifically highlights the 'scandal' of single-use carpets in the French events sector and provides recommendations for manufacturers, policymakers, and consumers to implement closed-loop systems and eco-design.

The report finds that despite the promotion of circular economy goals, the vast majority of carpets in Germany are incinerated and 60% in Europe are landfilled. It highlights a significant discrepancy between the environmental claims of industry leaders Interface and Desso and their actual reclamation rates, which are approximately 1.5% and 3% respectively. The document argues that structural issues, including poor product design, lack of separate collection systems, and an overcapacity of waste incinerators in Germany, hinder the transition to a closed-loop system. It recommends the introduction of product stewardship (Extended Producer Responsibility), an incineration tax, and mandatory bulky waste regulations to incentivise recycling over burning.

The report argues that the European carpet industry is far from achieving a circular economy, with the vast majority of carpets in Germany being incinerated and 60% in Europe being landfilled. Despite the public sustainability branding of market leaders Desso and Interface, the study finds that these companies recover only 1.5% to 3% of the carpets they place on the market. The document identifies structural barriers, including poor eco-design, a lack of comprehensive collection systems, and an overcapacity of waste incineration plants in Germany, which creates financial incentives to burn recyclable materials. It recommends the introduction of extended producer responsibility, a waste incineration tax, and mandatory recycling quotas to shift the industry toward genuine material recovery.

The report examines how the EU's legal framework for chemicals, products, and waste interacts within a circular economy. It argues that a critical failure to pass information about hazardous substances along the material life cycle makes using recovered materials more costly and riskier than using virgin ones. Through case studies on mattresses and LCD TVs, the document demonstrates that while waste-stream specific legislation (like the WEEE Directive) can facilitate safe recovery, the general framework is insufficient. The authors recommend limiting hazardous chemicals at the entry point, improving information systems for chemical composition, and ensuring that recovered materials are held to the same safety standards as virgin materials.

Following the 1956 Hungarian uprising, approximately 200,000 people fled to Austria and Yugoslavia. An international effort led to the resettlement of nearly 180,000 Hungarians across 37 countries within three years. The document highlights the contrast between Sweden's rapid response, which saw over 7,300 refugees resettled by 1958, and Norway's more cautious approach, which focused initially on financial aid before resettling nearly 1,500 people by the end of 1957.

The document argues that Belgium and the Netherlands are in breach of international law by exporting high sulfur fuels to West African states, specifically those party to the Bamako Convention. It concludes that these fuels qualify as hazardous wastes under the Bamako Convention and, by extension, under the Basel Convention for countries with monist legal systems. The report asserts that such exports violate the Basel Convention's prohibition on exporting hazardous wastes to parties that have banned their import, breach customary international law by frustrating the treaty's purpose, and violate extraterritorial human rights obligations regarding the right to health.

The Mauritius Convention on Transparency, adopted by the UN General Assembly on 10 December 2014, provides a mechanism for States to 'opt-in' to the UNCITRAL Rules on Transparency for arbitrations brought under investment treaties concluded before April 2014. The document highlights that investor-State arbitrations often involve public interests, including policies on nuclear or alternative energy, tobacco control, and the protection of drinking water, yet typically lack the openness of legal systems governed by the rule of law. By mandating the disclosure of documents and open hearings, the Convention aims to improve democratic participation, accountability, and the ability of governments to reform international economic governance. As of January 2017, Mauritius and Canada had ratified the Convention, while several other States had signed it.

In 2016, the European power sector saw a significant shift from coal to gas generation, which drove a 4.5% decrease in CO2 emissions. While renewable energy's share of the electricity mix rose slightly to 29.6%, growth was below previous trends due to poor weather conditions, although record-low auction prices for wind and solar suggest future potential. Electricity consumption remained largely stagnant, barely offsetting economic growth. The EU Emissions Trading System (EU-ETS) continued to suffer from a structural oversupply, with the surplus exceeding 3 billion tonnes of CO2 for the first time.

COP23 was intended as a technical summit to establish the Paris Agreement Rulebook, but achieved only modest progress on these rules. Key breakthroughs included a first-time agreement to address climate challenges in agriculture and the establishment of a Gender Action Plan and a Local Communities and Indigenous People’s Platform. The conference launched the Talanoa dialogue to accelerate action and increase ambition. While official negotiations were slow, strong political support was demonstrated by non-state actors and an alternative US delegation. Additionally, the 'Powering Past Coal' alliance was endorsed by 28 countries and regional actors, though Germany was notably absent from the pledge.

The document identifies three primary energy challenges for cities in the global South: the urgent need for increased access, unsustainable growth in energy demand, and the risk of locking in carbon-intensive development models. It proposes three scalable solutions: accelerating the shift to cleaner cooking fuels, scaling up distributed renewable energy (specifically solar PV), and increasing the energy efficiency of buildings and appliances. The authors argue that these interventions provide dual benefits, improving health and livelihoods for the urban poor while reducing greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution for the city as a whole. Implementation requires coordinated governance, policy reforms such as removing fossil-fuel subsidies, and innovative financing models like pay-as-you-go schemes.

The document provides executive summaries of national reports for Bulgaria, Estonia, Germany, Greece, Italy, Serbia, and the UK. It evaluates various energy efficiency scenarios—including Business as Usual (BAU) and those incorporating the impact of socio-economic barriers—using LEAP modelling and a Decision Support Tool (DST). The analysis consistently shows that while ambitious energy efficiency measures can meet EU targets, the presence of socio-economic barriers significantly reduces potential energy savings and GHG reductions across most studied countries and sectors.

The document argues that while South Africa has been instrumental in the DRC's peace processes and initial state-building, its current approach is failing to ensure long-term institutional stability. The author contends that South Africa's 'quiet diplomacy' and reluctance to demand adherence to democratic values and the rule of law have allowed the DRC's political transition to stall, specifically regarding the postponement of presidential elections.