Search Climate Insights Directory

The NAP Global Network provides a platform for bilateral donors to coordinate support for National Adaptation Plans (NAPs), facilitating peer learning and joint financing to better align international aid with the priorities of developing countries.

The NAP Global Network serves as a platform for bilateral donors to coordinate support for National Adaptation Plans (NAPs) in developing countries, aiming to reduce duplication of efforts and align funding with national priorities. The network facilitates peer learning, identifies gaps in support, and explores co-financing opportunities, noting that bilateral aid for adaptation was more than three times higher than multilateral aid in 2013.

A statement submitted on 13 December 2024 by a coalition of civil society organizations, including Natural Justice and SAFCEI, providing critical comments on South Africa's Draft Article 6 Framework. The coalition argues that carbon markets are fundamentally flawed and risk enabling human rights abuses, land grabs, and the evasion of actual emission reductions.

The submission argues that indigenous peoples and local communities (IPLCs) are the most effective guardians of biodiversity, yet they face systemic threats including non-recognition of land rights, 'fortress conservation' models, and violence against land defenders. It provides global case studies of successful community-led conservation and calls for a shift toward rights-based conservation, secure tenure, and the protection of environmental defenders.

The report argues that civil war is 'development in reverse,' creating a 'conflict trap' where poverty and institutional failure increase the risk of war, and war further degrades development. It identifies three rings of adverse effects: internal civilian suffering, regional spillovers (such as arms races and disease), and global costs (including drug trafficking and terrorism). The authors find that civil war is increasingly concentrated in 'marginalized' low-income countries and those in the conflict trap. To combat this, the report proposes a policy package including improved aid timing, transparent natural resource governance, and coordinated military-development sequencing in postconflict decades.

The report finds that 2025 was the third most violent year since 1989, with 245,000 battle-related deaths. It highlights a record high of 65 state-based conflicts and a concerning doubling of international conflicts to eight in 2025. While non-state conflicts decreased slightly, one-sided violence surged to 76,500 fatalities, primarily driven by massacres in Sudan.

The study finds no general statistical relationship between forest resources and the onset or duration of civil wars at the national level. While some disaggregated results suggest that proximity to the coast may prolong conflicts in forested zones, the authors conclude that the perceived link between forests and conflict is largely driven by a few specific cases, such as Burma, rather than a global pattern.

The document analyzes the 'East Asian Peace', a significant reduction in battle deaths in East Asia between 1980 and 2005 compared to the 1946–1979 period. The author argues that this peace was not the result of a single event but a series of staggered political transitions across the region. Key drivers identified include a shift in leadership priorities toward export-driven economic growth and a strategic alignment with the United States. The paper contrasts this with the 'European Peace', noting that the East Asian case does not fit the liberal peace model due to a lack of widespread democratization and political integration.

The document examines the contested nature of 'power sharing,' noting that it is often implemented as a tool for conflict resolution but yields contradictory results in research. It identifies four primary types of power sharing: political, military, territorial, and economic. The author argues that findings vary based on whether researchers view power sharing as a means to achieve stable democracy (consociationalism) or as a tool for postconflict conflict management. While some studies suggest inclusive institutions prolong peace by addressing rebel security concerns, others argue they reward violence, strengthen ethnic divisions, and hinder democratic accountability by marginalizing opposition.

The study introduces the SEAP dataset, covering missions by the UN, NATO, ECOWAS, and the African Union from 1999 to 2010. Through multivariate logit regression, the authors identify that larger mission sizes and a history of extensive sexual violence in the host country's preceding conflict are the most robust predictors of reported SEA. Other significant factors include lower economic development in host countries and a general increase in reporting after 2005, likely due to heightened international focus following the 2005 Zeid report.

The paper examines the role of ivory speculators in China, distinguishing between large criminal syndicates (Type I) and private retail investors (Type II). It argues that an indefinite ban, implemented swiftly and combined with demand-reduction campaigns, is the most effective way to trigger a 'fire sale' of stockpiles, thereby crashing prices and reducing the incentive for poaching. Conversely, a finite ban could incentivize 'banking on extinction,' where speculators drive species scarcity to maximize future monopoly rents. The authors recommend that China destroy its official stockpiles and regulate the mammoth ivory trade to prevent it from being used as a cover for laundering illegal elephant ivory.

The report highlights that without proactive efficiency measures, the adoption of cooling appliances in households at risk could require over 240 TWh of annual electricity by 2030. It argues that implementing best-available technologies (BAT) and stringent building energy codes can offset this demand, potentially saving 18–35 TWh through improved building envelopes alone.

Insufficient cold chain logistics and unreliable electricity access are estimated to leave approximately 2.7 billion people without dependable vaccine access. In Sub-Saharan Africa, a significant portion of health facilities lack reliable power, undermining healthcare quality and vaccine efficacy. To mitigate these gaps, organizations like Gavi and UNICEF are deploying solar-powered refrigeration, while the World Bank provides financing for health system strengthening and cold chain equipment.

The G20 Energy Access Action Plan focuses its first phase on improving electricity access in sub-Saharan Africa, where approximately 620 million people lack power. The plan proposes six key areas for collaboration: policy and regulatory environments, technology deployment, investment and finance, capacity building, regional integration, and coordination. It emphasizes a flexible, voluntary approach that respects national sovereignty over energy mixes. The document also compiles 'good practice' case studies from G20 members—including Argentina, Australia, Brazil, China, India, Korea, Mexico, Russia, Singapore, and Turkey—and details specific international development projects in Africa led by the UK, France, Germany, and Italy, as well as the African Union's Geothermal Risk Mitigation Facility.

The report argues that electrification and clean cooking have historically been treated as separate sectors, leading to inefficient energy planning. It advocates for 'integrated energy planning' that leverages the synergies between electricity access and eCooking to accelerate the transition away from biomass. The document reviews various modelling approaches—including energy system planning, sub-sector planning, and geospatial energy access planning—and highlights the Integrated Clean Cooking Plan Tool (ICCPT) in Rwanda as a significant methodological advance. It also details the policy, financial, and data requirements necessary to operationalize these plans, such as eCooking tariffs, results-based financing, and digital monitoring, reporting and verification (dMRV) for carbon finance.

The document outlines a regional capacity gap assessment across Bangladesh, Cambodia, Nepal, and Thailand, identifying critical needs in international finance mechanisms, monitoring and evaluation, and GESI principles to guide future capacity development.

SUMERNET PLUS is a transboundary programme running from July 2025 to December 2029, funded by 54 million SEK from the Swedish Government. It aims to link evidence-based research with policymakers and marginalized groups to improve climate resilience in the Mekong Region. The programme focuses on three key themes: nexus interactions and trade-offs among sectors like water and energy, building socio-ecological resilience, and supporting just sustainable transitions. To achieve these goals, it will provide 34 grants ranging from SEK 150,000 to 2,000,000, conduct capacity building for various stakeholders, and facilitate policy dialogues at regional forums such as the Mekong River Commission and ASEAN.

The ICCAP project (2024-2029) seeks to enhance resilience in Asia-Pacific by scaling green financial products for rural smallholders and marginalised groups. It focuses on policy analysis, capacity building for financial service providers, and the creation of a Regional Adaptation Investment Facility (RAIF) to mobilise private capital. The project targets 14,000 direct beneficiaries across Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, Lao PDR, Nepal, and Fiji, with a goal of catalysing 250 million EUR for climate adaptation.

The report outlines a pathway for Lao PDR to reach net zero emissions by 2050, utilizing LEAP and NEMO modelling to compare a Baseline Scenario with a transformative Net Zero Scenario. Key findings highlight the necessity of diversifying the energy mix beyond hydropower, electrifying transport and cooking, and implementing carbon removal technologies. The analysis emphasizes that while hydropower remains dominant, the country must scale up solar, wind, and biomass to ensure resilience against climate-induced droughts. Achieving the target requires significant infrastructure upgrades, including grid modernization and the deployment of direct air capture (DAC) to offset residual industrial and agricultural emissions. The report also addresses critical economic challenges, such as high public debt and currency depreciation, and recommends strengthening regional cooperation through the ASEAN Power Grid and the APAEC framework.

The document identifies heatwaves, flooding, droughts, and tropical cyclones as primary threats to agriculture and water in the Greater Mekong Subregion, leading to crop failure and infrastructure damage. While National Adaptation Plans (NAPs) exist in various stages across the region, implementation is hindered by institutional fragmentation, knowledge gaps, and a lack of consistent financing. The brief recommends strengthening policy integration, improving knowledge dissemination, and diversifying financial instruments—including grants and inclusive insurance—to support vulnerable communities.