Search Climate Insights Directory

The document outlines the role of green bonds in transforming financial centres into sustainable hubs, highlighting European market leadership and specific city-level case studies in listing, sovereign issuance, and development banking.

DNV GL has provided limited assurance that NAB's proposed SDG Green Bond complies with the Climate Bonds Standard Version 2.1 (CBS v2.1) and relevant Sector Technical Criteria. The verification covers a portfolio of eligible assets including wind, solar, marine renewables, electrified passenger rail, and commercial buildings. DNV GL also conducted a qualitative review confirming the bond's alignment with several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs), specifically targets related to affordable and clean energy, industry innovation and infrastructure, and sustainable cities and communities.

The fact sheet proposes specific targets for the EU's "Farm to Fork" Strategy, focusing on reducing pollution from farming, ending overfishing, and eliminating harmful chemicals and single-use plastics across the food system to align with climate commitments.

A coalition of 76 organisations calls for the European Union to implement a mandatory, digital, and transparent system for collecting pesticide use data. They argue that current proposals for the agriculture statistics regulation (SAIO) are insufficient, as they delay data collection until 2028 and lack necessary detail. The signatories demand that data collection begin by 2025, be mandatory, and be published by active substance, crop, and treated area to protect public health and biodiversity.

The document provides a scientific and legal basis for the European Court of Human Rights to assess State due diligence regarding climate change. It emphasizes the urgency of limiting warming to 1.5°C to avoid irreversible damage and tipping points, noting that current global emissions trends are insufficient. It highlights severe health risks in Europe, including heat-related mortality, and argues that under the Paris Agreement and the UNFCCC, States have a 'best efforts' obligation to pursue the highest possible ambition in emissions reductions. ClientEarth asserts that failure to meet international climate commitments constitutes a prima facie violation of human rights obligations, and that adaptation measures cannot substitute for necessary mitigation.

The document outlines a 'Rescue Plan for Europe' to address the failure of previous ocean safeguarding strategies. It proposes a detailed timeline of legislative and regulatory actions from 2020 to 2030, focusing on ending overfishing, eliminating pollution, and protecting biodiversity. The plan advocates for a transition to low-impact fishing, the establishment of highly protected marine areas, and a total ban on deep-sea mining and new offshore oil and gas exploration to ensure ocean resilience against climate change.

ClientEarth calls for the European Union to strengthen the rule of law and governance to address climate, biodiversity, and pollution crises. The organization advocates for the creation of a European Commission Vice-President for People and the Environment to oversee the European Green Deal's implementation and urges the EU to end public financial support for harmful activities, specifically fossil fuels and energy-intensive industries. The manifesto emphasizes the need for increased enforcement capacity at both EU and national levels and the strengthening of environmental democracy to ensure public participation and access to justice.

ClientEarth proposes a set of priorities for a new EU leadership role, emphasizing the enforcement of Nature Directives, the alignment of agricultural and fisheries policies with biodiversity laws, and the creation of an EU Ocean Deal and Ocean Fund. The document also calls for the alignment of state aid with climate goals, the phasing out of environmentally harmful subsidies, and the requirement for companies to implement transition plans for climate, biodiversity, and the circular economy.

The open letter argues that fossil gas is incompatible with the EU's climate-neutrality goals and the 1.5°C temperature limit. It claims that investing in renewable energy creates up to three times more jobs per euro than fossil fuel investments and that fossil gas infrastructure is generally incompatible with renewable gases at scale.

ClientEarth employs a legal-centric strategy to enforce environmental laws, challenge corporate pollution, and reshape financial systems. Key achievements include winning the right for the public to challenge the EU in court on environmental decisions, securing the closure of coal plants in Europe, and litigating against fossil fuel companies for misleading advertising and abandoned wells. The organization focuses on four primary pillars: breaking new legal ground for justice, aligning financial flows with planetary needs, transforming food and land use, and phasing out fossil fuels in energy and transport.

The document argues that the proposed 35% environmental and climate spending target is insufficient and should be increased to 50%, while removing exemptions for defence and security spending. It identifies significant 'greenwashing' risks in Annex I, specifically regarding targeted support to farmers' income, military mobility, and critical raw materials extraction. The briefing provides a detailed technical reference document proposing changes to over 100 intervention fields, including the deletion of activities that violate the 'Do no significant harm' (DNSH) principle, such as hydropower, nuclear fission, and airport capacity expansion.

ClientEarth and the European Environmental Bureau are calling on EU Environment Ministers to support the Aarhus Convention Compliance Committee's finding that the EU lacks effective access to justice. They argue that the European Commission's proposal to reject these findings is legally weak, creates a double standard between EU institutions and Member States, and undermines the rule of law and environmental democracy in Europe and Central Asia.

The document highlights a significant disparity in EU fisheries funding, noting that while small-scale fishers make up 70% of the European fleet, they receive only 20% of EU funds. It identifies administrative complexity, bank guarantee requirements, and a lack of tailored support as primary barriers that favor industrial operators over sustainable, artisanal fishing. The brief recommends streamlining application procedures, removing banking barriers, creating dedicated budgets for small-scale fishers, and increasing the representation of these fishers in EU decision-making processes.

The document outlines the growth of the agtech and alternative protein sectors, noting a significant increase in global and Canadian capital investment between 2010 and 2020. It highlights Canada's position as a major agricultural exporter, specifically of pulses, while identifying challenges such as outdated regulation and infrastructure.

The document outlines the role of CCUS in low-carbon scenarios, noting its potential to contribute 4% of global CO2 reductions by 2030 and 12% by 2050. It highlights that while CCUS has historically underperformed, investment is increasing, with a global market potentially reaching $4–$10 billion by 2026-27. Canada is positioned as having an early advantage due to expertise in enhanced oil recovery (EOR), geological storage in Alberta and Saskatchewan, and early adoption in coal-fired electricity and oil sands. Notable investments include $685 million for a network in Norway and significant funding for Direct Air Capture (DAC) from the US, UK, and private entities.

The document provides an introductory overview of wind and solar energy, detailing how photovoltaic and turbine technologies convert natural elements into electricity. It highlights the transition from utility-scale to rooftop installations, the challenge of intermittency, and the significant cost reductions in solar and battery technology between 2009 and 2019. The text argues that renewables support more jobs per unit of electricity than fossil fuels and are essential for reaching net-zero emissions to avoid dangerous global warming.

The report highlights the strategic link between food security and political stability in Europe, warning that climate-driven food shocks and geopolitical conflicts can fuel populism and undermine climate action. It calls for increased investment in multidisciplinary climate modelling, adaptive funding for rural communities, and a leadership role for the EU in promoting resilient global food systems to mitigate risks of social unrest and migration.

The briefing outlines a pathway for Nigeria to reach net-zero emissions by 2060, emphasizing the need to move away from oil dependency through Public-Private Community Partnerships (PPCP). It identifies critical opportunities in waste management, clean energy access, and the AFOLU sector, while proposing the use of debt-for-climate swaps to fund the USD 410 billion Energy Transition Plan. The authors argue that systemic transformation requires engaging key government stakeholders, such as the Office of the Vice-President, and supporting local cleantech entrepreneurship to create green jobs.

The report examines the transition of the European basic materials sector (cement, steel, paper, aluminium, chemicals) toward carbon neutrality by 2050. It identifies that these sectors account for approximately 16% of European GHG emissions. Through analysis of Hungary, Poland, and Spain, the document highlights a prevalence of short-term policy focuses on carbon leakage and energy costs over long-term structural transformation. It proposes a policy package consisting of carbon pricing mechanisms (Border Tax Adjustments or Inclusion of Consumption), low-emission and circularity standards, and Contracts for Differences (CCfDs) to incentivise breakthrough technologies and ensure a cost-competitive supply of low-carbon electricity.

The Augures! project's 2023/2024 results evaluate the accuracy of seasonal weather forecasts and their ability to predict crop yields and economic impacts. Findings indicate that temperature anomalies are most accurately predicted in Southeastern Europe during summer months, while wheat and maize yields in Greece can be forecast 3-4 and 2 months in advance, respectively. The report emphasizes that extreme weather events cannot be predicted months in advance, necessitating investment in disaster preparedness, and calls for better farm management data to improve socio-economic impact predictions regarding poverty and food security.