Search Climate Insights Directory

This white paper by the Climate Bonds Initiative proposes a comprehensive framework and five core principles to define and finance 'credible transitions' for high-emitting entities and activities. The goal is to provide a scientifically robust standard that prevents greenwashing and aligns transition finance with the Paris Agreement's goal of net-zero emissions by 2050.

A notification from the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) detailing the election results for the Executive Council, the Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC), and the Science-Policy Advisory Committee (SPAC) following the 28th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties (CoP-28) on 19 August 2020.

The Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) announced the election results from its 28th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties (CoP-28) held on August 19, 2020. The notification lists the members of the Executive Council for 2020–2022, with the United States as president, and names the newly elected members of the Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC) and the Science and Policy Advisory Committee (SPAC).

The decisions of the 28th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties (CoP) to the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research, held on 19 August 2020, cover budget approvals, administrative mandates, and the invitation of a new associate.

This research paper analyzes the intersection of the COVID-19 pandemic and global climate change responses, arguing that the pandemic serves as a 'climate change parable' with systemic similarities. It explores how national recovery efforts can either bolster or undermine the goals of the Paris Agreement and the postponed COP 26 summit, providing recommendations for aligning economic stimulus with green transitions.

This policy brief examines the impact of plastic pollution on Canada's freshwater systems, highlighting how the COVID-19 pandemic increased the use of single-use plastics and personal protective equipment (PPE), thereby exacerbating the litter problem. It advocates for a transition from a linear to a circular economy and urges the Canadian government to implement a zero plastic waste strategy.

This fact sheet details the inaugural green bond issuance by QuadReal Property Group on July 24, 2020, which raised CAD 350 million (USD 268 million) to fund eligible green projects including green buildings, renewable energy, and clean transportation.

This briefing from the IAI Directorate provides an overview of the financial status of the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research for the 2019-2020 fiscal year, detailing party contributions, budget performance, and administrative controls.

This document, prepared by the Executive Directorate of the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI), provides a financial review for the 2019-2020 fiscal year and the status of member contributions as of April 30, 2020.

This fact sheet from the Climate Bonds Initiative details a CAD 72 million (USD 55 million) green loan issued by HSBC Canada to Concert Properties for the Tapestry building project, marking the first green loan in Canada.

This fact sheet details a CAD 500 million green bond issued by Granite REIT Holdings on June 4, 2020, marking the first green bond issued by a Canadian Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT).

This research paper argues that low-carbon energy transitions are social and gendered processes, often dominated by male perspectives. It proposes an 'Alternative Pathways' framework to analyze how different gender perspectives and niche innovations can either work within, depart from, or fundamentally transform the existing energy regime to avoid pathways that are disconnected from local realities.

This perspective piece argues that governments must implement a planned and equitable wind-down of fossil fuel production to meet climate goals and avoid market volatility, particularly in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic and the resulting oil price crash.

This policy brief examines the disruption of 2020's planned 'Super Year for the Ocean' due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It argues that while key negotiations on biodiversity, fisheries subsidies, and climate change were postponed, the crisis provides an opportunity to shift toward a 'Green Stimulus Framework' and a systemic change in how the global community values and governs ocean resources.

A statement by Dr. Courtney Howard, Board President of the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (CAPE), arguing that the medical principle of "Do No Harm" must be applied to planetary health. The document criticizes attempts by the fossil fuel industry to use the COVID-19 pandemic as a justification to roll back climate policies and calls for public stimulus funds to be used for a healthy, ecological recovery rather than bailing out fossil fuel corporations.

The University of Washington’s Climate Impacts Group (CIG) promotes climate resilience in the American northwest by providing research and tools to at-risk communities, including tribes. The CIG emphasizes transparency regarding scientific uncertainty to aid decision-making and employs a trans-boundary approach to environmental issues, collaborating with partners in Canada. While the network of eight regional Climate Adaptation Science Centers (CASCs) provides critical local expertise and technical advice, the demand for these services currently exceeds available resources.

This briefing transcript features Dr. Amy Snover, Director of the Climate Impacts Group and the Northwest Climate Adaptation Science Center, discussing strategies to integrate climate science into decision-making. The discussion focuses on the co-production of data with stakeholders, specifically highlighting sea level rise planning in Washington State and vulnerability assessments for Northwest and Great Basin tribes.

This briefing transcript features Mary Austerman of New York Sea Grant discussing the integration of weather and social science data to support participatory planning and coastal resilience in New York's Great Lakes region, specifically focusing on Lake Ontario.

This transcript of a virtual briefing hosted by the Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) in April 2020 examines the threats to coastal resilience in Alaska. Panelists discuss the compounding effects of permafrost thaw, sea ice loss, and extreme precipitation on infrastructure and food security, while highlighting the critical need to integrate indigenous knowledge with western science and overcome systemic barriers to funding and coordination.

This statement from the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) outlines three primary themes regarding how the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent global recovery will influence sustainable development: the necessity of resilience, the requirement for sustainable economic stimulus, and the magnification of global inequality.