Search Climate Insights Directory
4,362 results
Methodology for Evaluating Voluntary Local Reviews
The International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) developed a mapping framework and findings template to evaluate VLRs. The methodology is based on UN DESA's Global Guiding Elements and adapted to include Canadian-specific priorities, such as the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Calls to Action and OCAP principles. The framework consists of 11 categories and 101 sub-components. Pilot applications to VLRs from Kelowna, Winnipeg, Espoo, and Malmö indicate that while Canadian cities are making strides in reporting on Indigenous populations, there are significant gaps in disaggregated data and the description of specific local-level efforts to 'leave no one behind'.
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Document type: Guide
The Carbon-OFF plan
The Carbon-OFF plan, published by Scientists for Global Responsibility, outlines a strategy for philanthropic organisations to align with the Paris Agreement's 1.5°C target. The plan focuses on three pillars: reducing operational emissions using the Science-Based Targets initiative (SBTi) Net Zero Standard, divesting financial assets and pensions from fossil fuels to increase the cost of capital for the industry, and leveraging funding power to require grant applicants to adopt net-zero standards and divest from fossil fuels.
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Document type: Guide
Summary of the 2022 International Institute for Sustainable Development Canadian Prairie Water Retention Monitoring and Modelling Workshop
The 2022 Canadian Prairie Water Retention Monitoring and Modelling Workshop, hosted by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD), convened experts to discuss the optimization of water retention systems. Key outcomes include an agreement on the necessity for more comprehensive monitoring in the Canadian Prairies and the identification of spectral sensors as a tool for advancing monitoring and modelling. The workshop featured nine presentations, including a valuation of ecosystem services in Manitoba's Stephenfield Reservoir and Pelly's Lake, a pilot project for adaptive monitoring on the Winnipeg River using high-frequency sensors, and a demonstration of targeting 'hotspots' for environmental benefits in Manitoba's agricultural regions.
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Document type: Report
Tabler sur le succès : la norme sur les carburants à faible teneur en carbone de la Colombie-Britannique
The British Columbia Low Carbon Fuel Standard has reduced annual transport emissions by an average of 6% from 2010 to 2020 and is projected to meet 31% of the province's 2030 reduction goals. The author proposes two main modifications: expanding the scope to include aviation and marine fuels—which are expected to represent 51% of transport emissions by 2050—and allowing compliance credits for direct air capture with permanent storage. To succeed, the document argues the province must address incentive gaps that currently favor renewable diesel over low-carbon jet fuels, account for indirect land-use change in carbon footprint calculations to support advanced biofuels, and expand the geographic eligibility of direct air capture projects beyond provincial borders to accelerate deployment and reduce costs.
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Document type: Statement
British Columbia’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard
British Columbia’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard reduced transportation emissions by an average of 6% annually from 2010 to 2020 and is projected to drive 31% of the province's 2030 reduction targets. The document proposes expanding the regulation to include jet and marine fuels, as well as direct air capture with permanent storage, to address hard-to-abate sectors and negative emissions. To maximize effectiveness, the author recommends closing the incentive gap that currently favors renewable diesel over low-carbon jet fuel, incorporating indirect land-use change (ILUC) into carbon footprint measurements to support advanced biofuels, and allowing direct air capture credits for projects located outside British Columbia to accelerate technology deployment.
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Document type: Policy brief
Consultation on Targeted Review of the Pesticide Control Products Act
The submission argues that the current pesticide regulatory framework in Canada is inadequate, citing historical failures to prevent unacceptable risks and a reliance on risk assessment over hazard prevention. The authors advocate for a 'planetary health' approach that integrates climate change, biodiversity, and environmental justice into pesticide regulation. They propose 22 detailed recommendations across four areas: lifecycle approach to business practices, improved risk assessment for vulnerable populations, increased transparency in decision-making, and a more rigorous application of real-world data and Maximum Residue Levels (MRLs). Key goals include a 50% reduction in pesticide use by 2030 and the adoption of the precautionary principle.
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Document type: Statement
Nous n’avons pas besoin du NORAD pour voir la vraie menace
The author contends that while geopolitical tensions highlight Arctic security, the most urgent threat to Northern Canada is climate change, which exacerbates existing infrastructure deficits. The text emphasizes that investing in adaptation and infrastructure—such as airports and ports—would benefit both local communities and national defense, while noting that current gaps in housing, food security, and water access leave Northern residents highly vulnerable.
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Document type: Statement
Address loss and damage finance urgency
The document highlights the urgency of loss and damage finance following devastating floods in Bangladesh and Northern India. It argues that existing mechanisms, such as the Green Climate Fund and humanitarian aid, are insufficient due to stringent requirements, slow disbursement, and overstretched resources. The author calls on G7 nations to provide bilateral grants, support existing pilot facilities, or fund national disaster funds to provide immediate relief while working toward a formal loss and damage finance facility at COP27.
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Document type: Statement
DEVELOPMENT PATHWAYS FOR THE DRC TO 2050
The report identifies systemic corruption, poor governance, and a reliance on volatile commodity markets as primary barriers to development in the DR Congo. It argues that a minerals-led growth model is unsustainable and recommends a transition toward economic diversification, focusing on agricultural productivity, infrastructure development, and human capital investment. Key policy priorities include strengthening the judiciary, publishing mining contracts, and improving female education to manage rapid population growth.
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Document type: Report
The Bagidawaad Alliance
The document details the transition of Natasha and Andrew Akiwenzie from operating a commercial fishery in Neyaashiinigmiing, Ontario, to establishing the Bagida’waad Alliance after climate-driven changes made fishing unsustainable. It highlights the environmental pressures faced by the fishery, the organization's current initiatives in youth education and stewardship, and provides a comprehensive set of policy recommendations across multiple levels of government to support Indigenous-led climate action.
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Document type: Case study
Two Roads Approach to Co-Reclamation
The research paper presents the 'Two-Roads Approach' and the 'Intercultural Reclamation and Closure Framework' as methods to address the exclusion of Indigenous rights holders from oil sands mine closure planning in Canada. Developed through a partnership between Fort McKay First Nation and academic researchers, these tools aim to bridge Western scientific perspectives with Cree and Dene knowledge. Key outputs include the 'Cycle of Respect'—an intercultural code of conduct—and a six-stage framework for co-reclamation. The document emphasizes that restoring peatlands (muskeg) and forests is a critical climate mitigation action and that inclusive reclamation serves as a form of reconciliation for the degradation of traditional territories.
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Document type: Research paper
Une approche à deux voies de la remise en état collaborative
The research paper details a partnership between the Fort McKay First Nation, the Universities of Calgary and Waterloo, and the oil sands industry to address gaps in mine reclamation policies. It introduces the 'two-eyed approach' for intercultural governance, the 'Respect Cycle' as an ethical code for collaboration, and an 'Intercultural Closure and Reclamation Framework' consisting of six phases to ensure restored lands provide socio-economic, cultural, and environmental benefits. The document emphasizes that inclusive reclamation is a form of reconciliation and essential for an ethical energy transition in Canada.
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Document type: Research paper
Il est arrivé quelque chose au climat
The document argues that Indigenous languages and toponyms are essential tools for environmental stewardship and climate action. Using the Ahousaht First Nation as a case study, it demonstrates how traditional place names provide critical ecological and historical data—such as former salmon spawning grounds or historical water levels—that can guide restoration efforts and infrastructure planning. The text highlights the vulnerability of coastal British Columbia to sea-level rise and extreme weather, advocating for the official recognition of Indigenous toponyms and increased financial support for community-led stewardship programs to enhance climate resilience.
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Document type: Case study
Something happened to the weather
The document explores the Ahousaht Land Use Vision, demonstrating how Indigenous place names provide critical biological and cultural data for climate adaptation. It argues that preserving Indigenous languages is essential for effective stewardship and recommends that Canadian governments streamline the process for restoring official Indigenous place names to enhance climate risk awareness and ecological restoration.
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Document type: Case study
Gitxsan Rez-ilience
The document defines 'rez-ilience' for the Gitxsan people as a strength-based, holistic ability to adapt to climate change by weaving ancestral knowledge with present challenges. It contrasts this with Eurocentric resilience, which focuses on recovering from shocks without accounting for deep spiritual and kinship relationships with the land. The author highlights how climate change is disrupting the Gitxsan seasonal round—affecting the timing of berry harvests, moose migration, and salmon abundance—and recommends that government climate policies adopt place-based, seasonal, and interconnected frameworks.
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Document type: Case study
53rd Meeting of the Executive Council to the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research
This document is a list of participants for the 53rd Meeting of the Executive Council to the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research, held on 14 June 2022 in Montevideo and via videoconference.
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Document type: Fact sheet
Re. Bill C-226, An Act Respecting the Development of a National Strategy to Assess, Prevent and Address Environmental Racism and To Advance Environmental Justice
Civil society organizations are calling for the immediate passage of Bill C-226, which would create Canada's first legal framework to assess and prevent environmental racism. The authors argue that marginalized groups, particularly Indigenous peoples, suffer disproportionate impacts from polluting industries and environmental hazards, and they urge the government to implement a national strategy and accountability mechanisms to ensure equal protection and access to decision-making.
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Document type: Statement
Letter to stop fossil fuel ads
A letter from health organizations representing over 700,000 Canadian health professionals urging the federal government to ban fossil fuel advertising and regulate misleading environmental claims, citing severe public health impacts and drawing parallels to tobacco control.
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Document type: Statement
La rés-ilience des Gitxsans
The document examines the climate resilience of the Gitxsan people in British Columbia, proposing a definition of 'rés-ilience' rooted in kinship and a holistic relationship with the land. It highlights how climate change is disrupting the traditional seasonal cycle (circuit saisonnier), affecting the availability of berries, moose (Xadaa), and salmon, which in turn threatens food security and cultural identity. The author argues that current government climate policies are insufficient because they rely on Eurocentric definitions of resilience that ignore Indigenous values of reciprocity and responsibility. The study recommends that policymakers adopt place-based approaches, incorporate seasonal considerations, and recognize the interconnectedness of all living things to create more effective adaptation strategies.
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Document type: Case study
Review of federal pesticide law must centre on protecting human health and the environment
The document outlines eleven specific priorities for the targeted review of Canada's Pest Control Products Act, arguing that current regulations fail to address increasing pesticide use and its associated risks to biodiversity, climate, and vulnerable populations.
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Document type: Statement