Search Climate Insights Directory

The briefing outlines three critical objectives for national leaders at the 2019 UN Climate Action Summit to align global efforts with the 1.5 degrees C warming limit. First, leaders are urged to pledge net-zero emissions by 2050, following examples like Suriname and Bhutan. Second, they must prepare to submit more ambitious nationally determined contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement in 2020. Third, the document calls for a shift from 'brown' to 'green' financing, specifically halting coal plant funding and increasing contributions to the Green Climate Fund to support developing nations. The text emphasizes that investing $1.8 trillion in climate resilience from 2020 to 2030 could yield $7.1 trillion in net benefits.

ClientEarth identifies systemic failures in the implementation of the IED's 'Aarhus rights' across the EU. It argues that the IED's wording is too narrow to comply with the Aarhus Convention, particularly regarding public participation during permit updates. National implementation is further hindered by limited online information, high litigation costs in the UK, and a tendency for judges in Bulgaria and the UK to defer to regulators due to the technical complexity of the IED. Case studies from Bulgaria, Spain, and the UK illustrate these deficits, including the withholding of baseline reports in Spain and the lack of electronic access to permit applications in Bulgaria.

The report examines climate adaptation frameworks in the Baltic Sea Region (BSR), finding that while all nine studied countries have national strategies, only Denmark mandates local-level adaptation plans. Most BSR countries encourage but do not require municipalities to develop specific adaptation strategies, often relying on project-based funding or integrating climate risks into broader spatial and emergency planning. The analysis highlights a strong focus on flood risk management and identifies critical knowledge gaps regarding the comprehensiveness of local risk assessments and the sufficiency of stable funding and guidance for local authorities.

The report outlines a roadmap for 24 national and regional development banks to transition from incremental climate finance to full Paris alignment. It proposes a three-dimensional framework focusing on a comprehensive scope of action, a long-term time horizon, and an ambitious scale of contribution. Recommendations are divided into country-level support for governments, strategic-level institutional leadership, and operational-level investment criteria and project development.

The policy brief examines the interaction between the European Union's coal phase-out and the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS). It warns that closing coal plants without adjusting the ETS could create a 'coal bubble' of up to 6.18 billion excess permits by 2040, depressing carbon prices and undermining climate incentives. While the EU ETS supports the transition by making coal less profitable, the author argues it cannot deliver a full phase-out alone. The document recommends increasing the Market Stability Reserve (MSR) intake rate to 36% from 2024, increasing the Linear Reduction Factor to 4.2%, and allowing the cancellation of allowances for any closed ETS installation to maintain market effectiveness.

The report evaluates the five-year progress of the New York Declaration on Forests (NYDF), concluding that while localized successes exist, global efforts are not on track to meet 2020 and 2030 goals. It identifies eight core lessons, emphasizing that political will, strong governance, and secure land tenure for indigenous peoples are critical for success. The document highlights a significant gap between high-level commitments and ground-level implementation, noting that deforestation has accelerated by up to 44% since 2014. It calls for a paradigm shift in financing, moving from 'grey' to 'green' finance, and a stronger integration of nature-based solutions into national climate agendas.

The report evaluates the experiences of over 80 NYDF signatories, including governments, companies, NGOs, and indigenous peoples. It finds that while individual projects show success, global progress is insufficient, with tropical deforestation increasing by 44% since 2014. The document identifies eight key lessons, emphasizing that high-level political will, multi-stakeholder partnerships, and secure land tenure for indigenous peoples are critical for success. It highlights systemic failures in finance, where investments in deforestation drivers vastly outweigh those for forest protection, and calls for a paradigm shift toward 'nature-based solutions' and 'green finance' to meet climate and biodiversity goals after 2020.

The report finds that despite widespread commitments, global progress toward the NYDF goals is insufficient, with tropical deforestation increasing by 44% since 2014. Through consultations with 84 signatories, the document identifies eight key lessons, emphasizing that high-level political will, secure land tenure for indigenous peoples, and a shift from 'grey' to 'green' finance are critical for success. While some localized successes in REDD+ and sustainable supply chains are noted, systemic barriers—including corruption, lack of transparency in agricultural commodities, and the criminalization of forest defenders—continue to hinder large-scale implementation.

The We Mean Business coalition calls on G7 leaders to align national policies with the Paris Agreement by setting clear pathways to net-zero emissions by 2050, phasing out fossil fuel subsidies, and supporting a just transition. The statement highlights that over 980 global companies have already made climate commitments, including targets for renewable electricity (RE100) and electric vehicle deployment (EV100), but argues that private action must be reinforced by government leadership to achieve the necessary scale of transformation.

The analysis finds that the July 2019 heat wave in Western Europe was made significantly more likely and more intense by human-induced climate change. In France and the Netherlands, the event would have been extremely unlikely without human influence, with return periods increasing by at least 10 times (and up to a hundred times). In the U.K. and Germany, the likelihood of such an event is estimated to be about 10 times higher (at least 3 times) due to climate change. Across all studied locations, temperatures would have been 1.5 to 3 ºC cooler in an unchanged climate.

Friends of the Earth International expresses deep frustration with the July 16, 2019, Revised Draft of the UN Binding Treaty, claiming it dilutes the scope of the instrument by shifting focus from transnational corporations to all business activities. While the organization acknowledges the integration of victims' rights and human rights coverage, it argues the draft only sets obligations for States and fails to create international jurisdiction or direct obligations for corporations. The organization calls for a more ambitious text ahead of the October 2019 IGWG session to end corporate impunity and prioritize human rights over profit.

Friends of the Earth International expresses frustration with the Revised Draft of the UN's legally binding instrument for regulating transnational corporations, claiming it dilutes the focus on transnational entities and fails to establish direct corporate obligations, instead placing responsibility solely on States.

The document provides a detailed breakdown of 'green jobs', highlighting that the U.S. energy efficiency sector employs over 3 million people and the global renewable energy sector employed 11 million in 2018. It identifies China as the global leader in renewable energy employment and notes the emergence of climate adaptation and resilience as critical new areas of job growth, despite a lack of standardized tracking codes in the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics system.

The text analyzes how contemporary European political discourse uses the opposition to Islam to mask a contradiction between 1960s liberal values and traditional Christian identity. It argues that populist movements use Christianity as a mere identity marker rather than a spiritual guide, which paradoxically accelerates the secularization of Europe. The author contends that both pro-European and leftist parties fail to adequately address the role of religion, leaving the definition of European identity to be dominated by populist rhetoric.

The paper finds that removing fossil fuel subsidies across 26 modeled countries leads to an average 6% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, which increases to 13.2% if combined with a 10% energy tax and reinvestment in renewables and energy efficiency. Globally, the removal of these subsidies is estimated to reduce emissions by 6.4% to 8.2% by 2050. The study highlights that governments save an average of USD 93 for every tonne of CO2e removed through subsidy reform, with total cumulative fiscal savings across the 26 countries reaching USD 2.56 trillion by 2030.

The German green bond market reached a cumulative emission volume of 33.6 billion EUR by May 2019, ranking fourth globally. The market is dominated by financial institutions and development banks, with clean energy and low-carbon buildings as the primary sectors for funding. The report highlights a high rate of external verification and reporting, while noting significant potential for growth among fully climate-aligned companies, particularly in the transport sector via Deutsche Bahn.

As of May 2019, Germany's cumulative green bond issuance reached EUR33.6bn, with clean energy and low-carbon buildings as the primary sectors for proceeds. The market is dominated by financial corporates and development banks, notably KfW, with a high prevalence of external reviews and post-issuance reporting. While sovereign green bonds have not yet been issued, the German government is exploring this possibility for 2020. The report also identifies a significant opportunity for growth among climate-aligned issuers, particularly in the transport sector via Deutsche Bahn.

The document serves as a guide for citizens, NGOs, and legal professionals to navigate the complex system of environmental litigation in Germany. It details the three pillars of the Aarhus Convention—access to information, public participation, and access to justice—and explains how these are implemented through EU directives and German national law. The toolkit outlines specific procedures for challenging government inaction or illegal acts, the standing of recognized environmental associations, and the roles of international bodies like the European Court of Justice (ECJ), the Aarhus Convention Compliance Committee (ACCC), and the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR).

The document provides a comprehensive overview of 'green jobs', highlighting that the U.S. energy efficiency sector employs over 3 million people and the global renewable energy sector employed 11 million people in 2018. It details specific employment figures for various technologies—such as solar, wind, and biofuels—and identifies China as the global leader in renewable energy employment. Additionally, it notes the emergence of climate adaptation and resilience jobs, though standardized data collection for these roles remains limited.

The report finds that German lignite plants became significantly unprofitable in the first half of 2019, with the entire fleet losing €664 million. Old units (pre-1990) were hardest hit, with gross profits falling 62% to €188 million. The analysis suggests that 24/7 baseload operation is no longer economic and predicts a €1.8 billion loss for old units between 2020 and 2022. Consequently, the author recommends that the German government push for faster closures, reject excessive compensation claims, and implement a minimum carbon price to prevent future profitability.