Search Climate Insights Directory

The Act of Montevideo, signed between May 12 and 14, 1992, establishes the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) as a regional network of research units to foster cooperation on global change research across the Americas.

The 1992 Agreement Establishing the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research creates a regional network of cooperating research entities dedicated to studying the natural and human-induced alterations of the Earth system. The Institute focuses on interdisciplinary research, the exchange of scientific data, and providing information to governments to support public policy regarding global change.

The 1992 Agreement establishing the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) creates a regional network of research organizations dedicated to studying global-scale changes. The Institute focuses on interdisciplinary research across earth, ocean, atmospheric, environmental, and human sciences, with a specific emphasis on the Americas. It is governed by a Conference of Parties, an Executive Council, a Scientific Advisory Committee, and an Administrative Directorate.

The Declaration of Montevideo, signed between 12-14 May 1992, establishes the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) as a regional network to coordinate scientific and economic research on global change in the Americas.

The Declaration of Montevideo, signed between May 12 and 14, 1992, establishes the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) as an international instrument to promote scientific and economic research cooperation on global change across the Americas.

This case study describes NAMA Café de Costa Rica, an initiative that utilizes a mobile app and a Measuring, Reporting and Verification (MRV) system to track and reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the Costa Rican coffee sector.

This fact sheet by the Center for International Environmental Law analyzes key arguments presented by States during the first week (December 2-6) of climate justice hearings at the International Court of Justice. It contrasts the positions of major polluting States against those of climate-vulnerable nations regarding the applicability of international law, human rights, transboundary harm, and reparations in the context of the climate crisis.

This report by the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) analyzes the design of the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) under the 1997 Kyoto Protocol, drawing on a case study of Joint Implementation (JI) forest projects in Costa Rica. It evaluates the technical challenges of quantifying carbon sequestration—such as baselines, leakage, and durability—and argues that the CDM must integrate strict legal and institutional safeguards to ensure that forest projects provide genuine climate benefits without undermining biodiversity or the rights of local and indigenous communities.

This briefing note by the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) and the Global Initiative for Economic, Social & Cultural Rights (GIESCR) reviews the 2023 outputs of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) regarding climate change. It details the Committee's focus on gender-responsive adaptation, the disproportionate impact of climate change on marginalized women, and recommendations concerning fossil fuel extraction and climate finance.

This research paper examines the intersection of international environmental law and foreign direct investment (FDI), analyzing how emerging legal principles, multilateral treaties, and public financing standards influence private capital flows. It highlights the tension between global economic expansion and sustainable development, specifically addressing the risks of 'pollution havens' and the increasing trend of transnational environmental litigation against multinational corporations in their home country courts.

This legal opinion by the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) argues that the export of pesticides prohibited or not approved in Europe to countries in Africa and Central America is illegal under international law, regional agreements, and human rights obligations.

This legal briefing by the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) argues that the export of pesticides banned or not approved in their countries of origin—specifically from Europe to Africa and Central America—violates international law, including the Basel Convention, the Bamako Convention, and the Central American Agreement, as well as international human rights obligations.

This report chapter argues that secure tenurial rights are a fundamental prerequisite for successful community-based conservation (CBC). It contrasts the failures of state-owned 'public' tenure—which often leads to 'open access' degradation—with the effectiveness of community-based systems that derive legitimacy from local participants. The authors advocate for the state recognition of community perimeters to protect biodiversity and prevent the disenfranchisement of rural populations by domestic and international elites.

This report by NatureFinance and the World Bioeconomy Forum analyzes the current state and future potential of the global bioeconomy, focusing on the financial instruments and policy frameworks needed to transition toward a sustainable, nature-positive, and equitable economy. It proposes a strategic spectrum to categorize bioeconomic activities and highlights the critical role of international cooperation, particularly through the G20, to align finance with biodiversity and climate goals.

SENE BUAË is a magazine documenting the third session of the 'Escuela de la Sustentabilidad' (School of Sustainability), organized by COECOCeiba and Amigos de la Tierra América Latina y el Caribe (ATALC) in July 2009. The publication compiles reflections from participants on political formation, the 'Buen Vivir' philosophy, and the struggle against neoliberal agro-industrial models, specifically focusing on the community of Juanilama in Costa Rica.

This report by Friends of the Earth International (FoEI) examines the social and environmental consequences of privatizing water and biodiversity across 34 global case studies. It argues that neoliberal policies promoted by international financial institutions (IFIs) and the World Trade Organization (WTO) prioritize corporate profit over human rights and ecological sustainability, disproportionately marginalizing the poor and Indigenous Peoples.

Friends of the Earth International (FoEI) declares its institutional opposition to REDD (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation), arguing that it commodifies forests, undermines the rights of Indigenous Peoples and local communities, and allows industrialized nations to avoid their responsibility to reduce fossil fuel emissions.

The report 'Tiempos de Justicia Climática' by Friends of the Earth International argues that climate change is a matter of global injustice, where wealthy nations are primarily responsible for emissions while poor communities in the Global South suffer the most. It critiques 'false solutions' such as carbon credits, biofuels, and carbon capture, calling instead for drastic domestic emission reductions in industrialized countries, the abandonment of fossil fuels, and the payment of a 'climate debt' to developing nations through public funding and technology transfer.

This collection of policy briefings by the Green Economy Coalition outlines a framework for a fair and sustainable green economy transition. It emphasizes the need for systemic financial reform to penalize 'brown' investments, the integration of natural capital into national accounting, and the necessity of social inclusion to ensure marginalized groups and SMEs have a stake in the new economy. Key recommendations include closing the 'missing middle' financing gap for SMEs and adopting a 'capitals approach' to measure national wealth beyond GDP.

This policy brief by the Green Economy Coalition argues for the integration of natural capital approaches into national economic strategies to achieve a green economy. It advocates for moving 'beyond GDP' to a 'capitals approach' that recognizes the interdependence of natural, financial, produced, human, and social capital to better inform decision-making and meet international climate and development goals.