Search Climate Insights Directory

The report outlines a framework for sovereign transition planning based on five pillars: robust targets, a whole-of-government approach, green public financial management (PFM), a diverse policy mix, and transparency. It argues that integrating climate considerations into core budgetary processes (green PFM) is essential for coordinating action across all government departments. To address fiscal constraints and debt overhang, the report suggests alternative financing mechanisms, including carving out transition spending from deficit limits, utilizing GSS+ and sustainability-linked bonds, leveraging national development banks and sovereign wealth funds, and employing central bank monetary tools such as green asset purchases and adjusted collateral frameworks.

The document details the methodology used to evaluate investment risks and attributes for the livestock sector in Latin America and the Caribbean, categorizing risks into governance, financial, physical climate, market, infrastructure, and nature. It establishes a framework for matching these risks with the preferences of public and private investors and models three capital scenarios: business-as-usual (BAU), improved financial strategies (IFS), and improved financial and political strategies (IFPS). The analysis distinguishes between small-scale farms (2-10 hectares) and large-scale commercial operations, noting that small-scale systems are more dependent on public funding. Geographically, it segments the region into Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, and the 'rest of LAC', highlighting Brazil's role as the region's primary beef producer and the significant underreporting of private climate finance in the sector.

The document outlines a comprehensive methodology for evaluating investment risks and attributes in the livestock sector across Latin America and the Caribbean, specifically distinguishing between small-scale and large-scale commercial farms. It establishes a scoring system across six risk categories—governance, financing, physical climate, market, infrastructure, and nature—and compares these against the risk tolerances of public and private investors. The annexes also model three financial scenarios: Business-as-Usual (BAU), Enhanced Financial Strategies (IFS), and Enhanced Financial and Policy Strategies (IFPS), predicting how targeted interventions can shift capital composition from predominantly public to increased private investment. Geographic analysis highlights Brazil's relative stability and market dominance, while noting higher risks in Argentina and Mexico.

The report identifies a massive funding gap for sustainable livestock in Latin America and the Caribbean, where the sector is responsible for approximately 28% of regional emissions but receives minimal climate investment. It analyzes investment risks—including governance instability, physical climate threats like El Niño, and macroeconomic volatility—and evaluates the suitability of various public and private investors. The document proposes three scenarios: Business-as-Usual, Improved Finance Strategies (IFS), and Improved Finance and Policy Strategies (IFPS), arguing that a combination of blended finance, risk-reduction tools, and institutional reforms is necessary to transition from a heavy reliance on public funding to a diversified capital base. Specific recommendations include implementing first-loss capital, long-term loans, and natural capital accounting to unlock investment in practices such as silvopasture and sustainable feed production.

The report identifies a severe underfunding of sustainable livestock systems in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), where livestock accounts for approximately 28% of regional greenhouse gas emissions. It highlights a significant financing gap, estimating that annual flows need to increase up to 255 times to enable a transition. The analysis reveals that public investors are currently the most suitable for the sector due to higher risk tolerance, while private investment is hindered by governance risks, macroeconomic instability, and a mismatch between project scales and investor preferences. The document proposes three scenarios—Business-as-Usual, Improved Finance Strategies (IFS), and Improved Finance and Policy Strategies (IFPS)—to demonstrate how blended finance, risk-reduction tools, and regulatory reforms can attract private capital, particularly for large-scale farms in Brazil and Mexico.

The Community Equity Opportunity Fund (CEOF), led by Meliquina Partners, is a blended finance facility designed to overcome capital and governance barriers that exclude rural and Indigenous communities from the economic benefits of the energy transition in Latin America. By providing milestone-based development loans and catalytic equity, the fund enables community co-ownership of renewable energy projects from early development through operations. The model includes a mechanism for communities to execute a leveraged buyout (LBO) of the fund's equity position approximately two years after the commercial operation date, supported by external credit guarantees. Targeting a fund size of USD 35-40 million, CEOF aims to invest in six to eight projects (15-100 MW each) in Argentina and Colombia, with a projected mobilization ratio of 10:1 for commercial capital. The fund's impact goals include avoiding 417,000 tCO2e annually and creating over 3,200 job-years over 25 years, with a specific gender strategy targeting 40% female representation in the workforce.

The Páramo Wildfire Resilience Facility is a proposed financial vehicle designed to protect Colombia's high-elevation páramo ecosystems from catastrophic wildfires. It utilizes a two-pronged approach: a parametric insurance policy to provide rapid liquidity for emergency fire suppression and an adaptation and recovery trust fund for long-term risk mitigation and ecosystem restoration. The facility targets ecosystem service beneficiaries, such as water utilities and corporations, to fund these activities, aiming to safeguard the drinking water supply for millions of people in the Bogotá metropolitan area.

Friends of the Earth International argues that environmental rights are human rights and should form an autonomous basis for corporate liability in the UN Legally Binding Instrument. The document provides textual suggestions to ensure TNCs are obligated to prevent environmental harm, phase out emissions, and provide full ecological restoration, moving beyond voluntary due diligence and ESG frameworks.

The policy brief by Friends of the Earth International advocates for the integration of explicit environmental and climate obligations for transnational corporations (TNCs) into the UN's legally binding instrument. It argues that the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment is a recognized human right, as established by UN General Assembly Resolution A/RES/76/300 and various regional courts. The document provides specific text proposals to ensure TNCs are held legally accountable for environmental damage, biodiversity loss, and climate change, moving beyond procedural due diligence to substantive obligations of result, including the total elimination of climate emissions across value chains and full ecological restoration.

The 2025 Forest Declaration Assessment reports that global forests remain in crisis, with 8.07 million hectares of deforestation in 2024, leaving the world 63% off track for 2030 goals. While some natural recovery and national reforms in countries like Brazil and Indonesia show promise, the report finds that corporate commitments are largely unimplemented and public finance for forests is dwarfed by environmentally harmful agricultural subsidies. It calls for a shift from voluntary pledges to mandatory regulations and inclusive governance that secures land rights for Indigenous Peoples and local communities.

The 2025 Forest Declaration Assessment reports that global forests remain in crisis, with 8.1 million hectares lost in 2024 and degradation increasing. Despite some success in natural regeneration and specific national policy reforms in Brazil, Colombia, and Indonesia, the report finds that corporate commitments are largely insufficient and financial flows remain misaligned with conservation goals. It calls for a shift from voluntary corporate pledges to mandatory regulations and inclusive governance that secures land tenure for indigenous peoples and local communities.

The 2025 Forest Declaration Assessment reports that global forests remain in crisis, with 8.07 million hectares lost in 2024 and a 63% gap relative to the 2030 zero-deforestation goal. While some national reforms in Brazil, Colombia, and Indonesia show promise, corporate action remains largely insufficient, and public finance for forests is dwarfed by harmful agricultural subsidies. The report emphasizes that current voluntary corporate commitments are inadequate and calls for mandatory regulations, inclusive governance for indigenous peoples, and a fundamental shift in the global financial system to prioritize forest stability over extractive production.

The 2025 Forest Declaration Assessment reports that global forests remain in crisis, with deforestation and degradation continuing at high rates. Despite some progress in natural regeneration and specific national reforms in Brazil, Colombia, and Indonesia, the report finds that corporate commitments are largely insufficient and public and private financing remains drastically misaligned with forest protection goals. It calls for systemic changes, including mandatory regulations and inclusive governance, to reverse these trends by 2030.

The 2025 Forest Declaration Assessment finds that global forests remain in crisis, with 8.1 million hectares lost in 2024 and the world 63% off track for zero deforestation by 2030. Deforestation is primarily driven by permanent agriculture (86%), while forest degradation is escalating rapidly, particularly in the Amazon Basin. Private sector action remains largely insufficient, with only 3% of Forest 500 companies meeting expectations for strong commitments. Public finance for forests (USD 5.7 billion) is dwarfed by environmentally harmful agricultural subsidies (USD 409 billion). Governance is hindered by power imbalances and insecure land rights, though protected areas now cover 17.5% of global land. The report calls for mandatory regulations, integrated landscape approaches, and inclusive decision-making involving Indigenous Peoples and local communities to meet 2030 goals.

The 2025 Forest Declaration Assessment finds that the world is significantly off track to achieve zero deforestation by 2030, with 8.1 million hectares lost in 2024. The report highlights a systemic failure where harmful agricultural subsidies (USD 409 billion annually) dwarf positive forest finance, and where corporate commitments remain largely voluntary and insufficient. While some countries like Brazil and Indonesia have shown that political will can reduce deforestation, these gains are threatened by geopolitical instability and regulatory rollbacks. The assessment emphasizes that forests are better managed when Indigenous Peoples and local communities have secure tenure rights, yet only 13 percent of customary lands in tropical forests are formally recognized. It calls for a shift from voluntary pledges to mandatory regulations and inclusive governance to prevent ecosystem collapse.

The report details a workshop series organized by the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI), the Alliance for Just Deliberation on Solar Geoengineering (DSG), and The Degrees Initiative. The program focused on solar radiation modification (SRM) as a case study for emerging climate intervention techniques. Through expert presentations and a multilateral negotiation simulation in Bogotá, Colombia, the initiative aimed to bridge the gap between science and policy for officials from Latin America and the Caribbean. Key outcomes include a consensus on the need for regional research to ensure equitable participation in global forums, concerns over 'moral hazard' regarding climate mitigation, and the importance of including Indigenous Peoples and local communities in research governance.

The Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI), alongside the Alliance for Just Deliberation on Solar Geoengineering (DSG) and The Degrees Initiative, conducted a workshop series culminating in an in-person simulation in Bogota, Colombia. The program aimed to empower policymakers and technical specialists from Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) to navigate the complexities of solar radiation modification (SRM) governance. Participants identified critical needs for regional research to understand local physical and socio-economic impacts, noting a disparity between the region's low greenhouse gas emissions and its high climate vulnerability. Discussions highlighted the risk of SRM creating a "moral hazard" that could divert attention from Paris Agreement commitments, specifically Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). The report emphasizes the necessity of strengthening science-policy interfaces, ensuring the participation of Indigenous Peoples through free, prior and informed consent, and fostering South-South and triangular cooperation to enhance regional data access and institutional knowledge.

The report examines eight innovative financial instruments—including the Adaptation Benefit Mechanism, biodiversity credits, carbon taxes, carbon trading, credit guarantees, debt-for-nature/climate resilience swaps, pooled investment funds, and sovereign green/sustainability-linked bonds—to bridge the climate finance gap in developing countries. It identifies common barriers such as limited institutional capacity, lack of robust project pipelines, and underdeveloped local capital markets. The document emphasizes that while these instruments can signal a government's commitment to climate action, their success depends on a supportive enabling environment characterized by effective leadership, clear taxonomies, and robust climate data. For least developed countries (LDCs), the report suggests a phased approach, first strengthening basic financial and legal prerequisites before focusing on 'climate investability'. It concludes with specific recommendations for donors and development partners to provide technical assistance, anchor investments, and pilot projects to scale up private sector mobilization.

The author critiques the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda for its failure to move beyond rhetorical commitments to substantive protection and inclusion. While acknowledging its role in elevating conflict-related sexual violence, the paper argues that the agenda's focus on penetrative rape has occluded other gender-based harms, such as obstetric and structural violence. It further highlights the marginalization of women in formal peace negotiations and the failure to account for colonial causality. The author proposes a shift toward 'everyday peace'—focusing on the long-term, grassroots conditions of survival and tolerance—to ensure a more inclusive and sustainable peace that addresses the needs of all women, particularly those from marginalized ethnic and racial backgrounds.

The document examines the shortcomings of Just Energy Transition Partnerships (JETPs), noting their tendency toward techno-economic framing and donor-driven agendas. It proposes South-South cooperation (SSC) as a vital alternative that leverages shared socio-economic challenges and peer learning to foster more inclusive, justice-centred transitions. Using South Africa and Colombia as case studies, the brief identifies specific opportunities for collaboration in mine closure, green industrialization, and institutional coordination to move beyond one-size-fits-all models.