Search Climate Insights Directory

The analysis examines the emergence of direct imports of electric vehicles from China via digital platforms like Alibaba in Latin America and the Caribbean. It highlights cases in Costa Rica and Antigua and Barbuda where this method reduced costs or provided access to unavailable technology, while noting challenges regarding after-sales service, quality standards, and technical support.

The briefing examines how global warming, extreme weather, and habitat loss facilitate the spread of the Andes hantavirus by expanding the range of its primary reservoir, the long-tailed mouse. It highlights a current lethal season in Argentina with 101 confirmed cases and 32 deaths, noting that the virus has appeared in regions like Tierra del Fuego where there are no historical records. The text emphasizes that this is a matter of climate justice, as rural communities in Argentina and Chile are disproportionately affected despite contributing least to the climate crisis. It calls for mitigation through the cessation of fossil fuel use and adaptation via improved epidemiological surveillance and medical training in non-endemic areas.

The report outlines seven key recommendations for ensuring a just transition away from fossil fuels, focusing on institutionalising social dialogue, enhancing transition modelling, implementing worker-centred planning, and pursuing sequenced economic diversification. It emphasises the need for collaborative governance, justice-oriented finance, and the integration of just transition principles into multilateral processes like the Belém Roadmap.

The report asserts that capital markets are essential for African economies to finance climate adaptation, infrastructure, and demographic shifts amidst declining foreign aid and FDI. It argues that while public equity markets have limited utility for smaller or frontier markets due to high costs and information asymmetries, corporate bond markets and hybrid structures—combining public disclosure with private flexibility—offer more practical pathways. The author emphasizes that macroeconomic stability and pension reforms are foundational to increasing the domestic savings base. The document recommends using guarantees, pooled investment vehicles, and project preparation platforms to increase institutional investor confidence and develop bankable projects in infrastructure, housing, and MSMEs.

In 2025, global coal capacity grew by 3.5% while generation fell by 0.6%, as new plants in China and India are increasingly used as system insurance rather than primary generation. While the number of countries proposing new coal plants decreased to 32, political interventions in the US and EU delayed planned retirements. Latin America and the Caribbean achieved a status of 'No New Coal Plants' in 2025, though several countries, including Brazil and Chile, experienced setbacks in their decommissioning schedules.

In 2025, global coal capacity grew by 3.5% while generation fell by 0.6%, reflecting a trend where coal is increasingly used as system 'insurance' rather than a primary energy source. While Latin America achieved a 'No New Coal' status in 2025, several countries in the region, including Brazil and Chile, experienced delays or reversals in planned plant retirements. China and India continue to lead global capacity expansions, accounting for 95% of all coal capacity under construction worldwide.

The report argues that the surge in demand for critical minerals essential for the energy transition and digital economy risks amplifying existing gender inequalities. It identifies three compounding risk factors: specific environmental impacts (such as water scarcity and pollution), the high concentration of mineral reserves on Indigenous and agricultural lands, and the trend toward accelerated permitting processes. To mitigate these, the report recommends that stakeholders apply intersectional gender analysis in impact assessments, ensure inclusive consultation and free, prior, and informed consent (FPIC), and establish gender-equitable benefit-sharing mechanisms, including fair land compensation and inclusive employment practices.

The report analyzes greenwashing regulations in 12 countries, finding that while core principles of truthfulness and transparency are common, there is significant uncertainty regarding what constitutes adequate evidence for substantiation. It highlights that current frameworks often place a disproportionate burden on SMEs and smallholders and suggests that the credibility of voluntary sustainability standards (VSSs) needs clearer recognition criteria.

The European Union has legally bound itself to a 90 per cent emissions reduction by 2040, allowing a 5 per cent flexibility through international carbon credits starting in 2031. The author argues that Canada should follow this lead by operationalizing its use of Article 6 of the Paris Agreement and internationally transferred mitigation outcomes (ITMOs). By adopting a model similar to Japan's Joint Crediting Mechanism, Canada could combine climate finance with the export of domestic clean technologies to generate verified credits and open new trade channels. The document suggests shifting Canada's international climate finance from a model based on dollars disbursed to one based on measurable outcomes and technology deployment, citing methane reduction efforts in Chile as a positive early example.

The Canadian Climate Institute urges Canada to move beyond conceptual leadership and operationalize its use of international carbon markets under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement. It highlights the European Union's decision to allow international carbon credits for up to 5% of its 2040 emissions reduction target and Japan's Joint Crediting Mechanism as successful frameworks. The author suggests Canada shift its international climate finance from a spending-based model to a results-based model that generates Internationally Transferred Mitigation Outcomes (ITMOs), thereby attracting private capital and creating new export markets for Canadian clean energy technologies.

In 2025, clean power met all global electricity demand growth for the first time since the pandemic, as China's fossil generation plateaued. Solar power is the primary driver of this shift, and the deployment of battery storage is increasingly enabling solar to displace fossil fuels during non-daylight hours. India is expected to follow a less coal-reliant path than China due to lower energy intensity and the maturity of low-cost clean technologies.

In 2025, global electricity generation saw a significant shift toward low-carbon sources, with solar and wind reaching a combined 17.3% share of total generation. Solar was the fastest-growing source, adding 636 TWh and meeting 75% of global demand growth. Conversely, coal's share of global electricity fell below one-third for the first time on record to 33.0%, and renewable generation exceeded coal generation for the first time. Low-carbon sources (including nuclear) reached 42.6% of total generation, while the emissions intensity of electricity dropped by 2.7% in 2025, the largest annual decline in two decades.

In 2025, global electricity demand grew by 2.8% (849 TWh), all of which was met by low-carbon power generation, leading to a 0.2% decline in fossil fuel generation. Solar power was the primary driver, increasing by a record 636 TWh (30%) and meeting 75% of the net demand increase. For the first time in the modern era, renewables (33.8%) overtook coal (33.0%) in the global electricity mix. This shift was led by China and India, both of which saw declines in fossil generation in 2025. Additionally, battery storage is scaling rapidly, with costs falling 45% in 2025, enabling the shift of daytime solar generation to other hours.

The report highlights that the Maryland State Retirement and Pension System (SRPS) has a high allocation to private markets, which obscures significant climate risks due to the opacity of these investments. It identifies specific exposure to fossil fuel assets through managers like BlackRock's Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP) V and recommends the adoption of science-based climate targets and increased disclosure to mitigate financial risk.

The document describes El Niño as a natural climate phenomenon characterized by warmer-than-average sea surface temperatures in the equatorial Pacific. It argues that climate change is increasing the frequency and severity of extreme El Niño events, particularly Central-Pacific (CP) events, and complicating their prediction. For 2026, there is a 61% chance of an El Niño emerging between May and July, with some models suggesting it could be the strongest in 140 years. The briefing details global teleconnections, noting that El Niño typically causes droughts in southern Africa, Australia, and India, while increasing flood risks in East Africa and the Americas. These shifts significantly impact global agriculture, reducing yields for maize, rice, and wheat while often increasing soybean yields. Regional analysis highlights specific risks, such as increased cholera in East Africa, hydropower reductions at Kariba Dam in Zambia and Zimbabwe, and the Amazon becoming a net carbon source during Eastern-Pacific (EP) events.

The document outlines the ecological, hydrological, and cultural significance of the Andes, which spans over 8,500 kilometers across seven South American countries and supports more than 68 million people. It synthesizes biophysical, socioeconomic, and climate data from the Andean Mountain Initiative (IAM), the Consortium for Sustainable Development of the Andean Ecoregion (CONDESAN), and regional partners to establish a basis for sustainability and climate action.

The document explains the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and warns that a particularly strong El Niño is forecast, which may lead to record global temperatures. It details the diverse impacts of the 2023-2024 event in Latin America, including crop failures in Mexico and Central America, droughts in northern Brazil, and energy crises in Costa Rica. It provides a list of technical resources and experts for further reporting.

April 2026 was the fourth-warmest month globally on record, with the contiguous U.S. experiencing its third-warmest April. The report highlights severe drought in the Southeast U.S., record-low Western snowpack, and a persistent marine heat wave off the coasts of California and Mexico. Using the Climate Shift Index (CSI), the analysis attributes springtime warming trends in 98% of analyzed U.S. cities to human-caused climate change, with exceptional warmth noted in Honolulu and San Juan. Forecasts indicate a high probability of a strong El Niño developing later in 2026, potentially driving global temperature anomalies above 1.8°C relative to pre-industrial levels by early 2027.

The report provides a 2025 baseline of corporate vehicle fleets in Chile, finding that while current electric vehicle (EV) adoption is low at 7%, there is significant interest in transitioning due to operational savings and environmental benefits. Adoption is highest among larger companies and specific sectors like tourism and mining, though it is hindered by limited model availability, insufficient charging infrastructure, and financing gaps. The study introduces an Electromobility Predisposition Index (IPE) to segment companies by their readiness to adopt EVs, noting that companies in regions show higher predisposition than those in the Metropolitan Region.

The report analyzes 23 regulatory instruments from various countries to identify common features of greenwashing policy, such as the use of consumer protection laws, the role of non-binding guidance, and the necessity of scientific substantiation. It highlights a gap between high-level regulatory principles and the practical ability of smaller producers to provide verifiable data, suggesting that voluntary sustainability standards (VSSs) can bridge this gap if regulators establish clear recognition criteria.