Search Climate Insights Directory

The 2023 Forest Declaration Assessment reports that global deforestation remains significantly above the trajectory required to meet 2030 targets, with 6.6 million hectares of gross deforestation in 2022. While some countries like Indonesia and Malaysia have reduced deforestation, overall progress is undermined by insufficient public funding—only $2.2 billion annually—and a lack of corporate and financial accountability. The report emphasizes that private financial institutions provided $6.1 trillion in 2022 to companies likely to drive tropical deforestation. It calls for a radical shift in development models, increased transparency, and the direct funding of Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities to protect high-integrity forests.

The 2023 Forest Declaration Assessment reports that the world is off track to meet 2030 forest goals, with 2022 global gross deforestation reaching 6.6 million hectares. While over 50 countries are on track to eliminate deforestation, including progress in Indonesia and Malaysia, these successes are offset by massive losses in other regions. The report emphasizes a critical funding gap, noting that only US$ 2.2 billion in annual public funds are directed toward forests, and criticizes the lack of transparency and failure to protect the rights of Indigenous Peoples and local communities.

The 2023 Forest Declaration Assessment reports that the world is off track to eliminate deforestation by 2030, with global gross deforestation in 2022 reaching 6.6 million hectares. While some countries and regions, such as Indonesia and Malaysia, show progress, these are outweighed by massive losses in Latin America, Africa, North America, and Europe. The report highlights a critical funding gap, noting that only USD 2.2 billion in annual public funds are channeled to forests, while private financial institutions provided USD 6.1 trillion in 2022 to companies at risk of driving tropical deforestation. It calls for a radical transformation of development pathways, increased transparency, and direct investment in Indigenous Peoples and local communities to secure forest ecosystems.

The 2023 Forest Declaration Assessment finds that global finance for forests is severely inadequate, with 'gray' finance (subsidies driving deforestation) vastly outweighing 'green' finance. Public green finance averages USD 2.2 billion annually, less than 1% of estimated needs. Private financial institutions continue to provide trillions in financing to high-risk companies, while the voluntary carbon market faces declining demand and pricing due to integrity concerns. The report highlights a critical funding gap for Indigenous Peoples and local communities, who receive only 3% of the finance needed for tenure reform.

The 2023 Forest Declaration Assessment finds that while global protected area coverage is increasing, significant gaps remain in the legal recognition of Indigenous and local community lands, with 1.375 billion hectares still unrecognized. The report highlights a sharp contrast in Brazil, where political leadership under President Lula da Silva led to a 42% drop in Amazon deforestation in early 2022, while other regions face high risks of illegal logging due to corruption. It notes the emergence of demand-side measures like the EU's Regulation on deforestation-free products (EUDR) and a global rise in climate litigation to protect forests. However, environmental defenders remain the most targeted human rights defenders, with 194 killings recorded in 2022.

The report finds that while global coal capacity is increasingly subject to carbon neutrality targets, a significant gap remains between current phase-out rates and Paris Agreement goals. China is the primary driver of new coal capacity, while the US leads in retirements. In Indonesia, the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP) provides a $20 billion financial commitment to accelerate the electricity sector's emission peak to 2030, though 'captive' coal plants for industrial use remain a significant challenge.

In 2022, Global Witness documented at least 177 killings of land and environmental defenders, with 88% occurring in Latin America. Colombia, Brazil, and Mexico accounted for over 70% of these deaths. The report highlights a critical situation in the Amazon, where 22% of global killings occurred, often linked to illegal mining and agroindustry. It also details the 'criminalization' of activists as a non-lethal strategy to silence dissent. The document advocates for the EU's proposed Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive to hold companies accountable for human rights and environmental abuses in their global supply chains.

The report outlines the transition of South Africa's automotive industry toward electric vehicles, highlighting key opportunities in public transport, micro-mobility, private passenger vehicles, and lithium-ion cell manufacturing. It emphasizes the pressure from the European Union's 2035 ban on internal combustion engine vehicles to drive local production and the role of South Africa's mineral reserves in the battery value chain.

The policy brief examines the shortcomings of South Africa's current climate finance landscape, specifically the Just Energy Transition Investment Plan (JET-IP) and the initial implementation of Climate Budget Tagging (CBT). It argues that current efforts suffer from horizontal and vertical incoherence, limited transparency regarding debt and private financing, and a top-down approach that marginalizes social justice and adaptation needs. To remedy this, the author proposes a comprehensive Climate-Responsive Budgeting (CRB) framework that integrates positive and negative expenditure tagging, revenue tracking, gender-responsive budgeting, and regular Climate Public Expenditure and Institutional Reviews (CPEIR).

The document outlines a methodology for applying the Comparable Uncontrolled Price (CUP) method to bauxite transactions, focusing on the impact of mineral quality and market indexes on pricing. It identifies available alumina and reactive silica as the primary drivers of economic value and provides a detailed process for adjusting benchmark index prices to reflect specific ore characteristics and transportation costs. The guide also lists reputable price-reporting agencies and provides a worked example of calculating a Free on Board (FOB) price for Guinean bauxite exported to China.

This guide establishes a methodology for valuing bauxite in transactions between related parties, focusing on the 'arm's length principle'. It identifies key economic drivers of bauxite pricing—such as available alumina content and reactive silica impurities—and explains how to use market price indices from agencies like CBIX, Fastmarkets, and CRU to establish fair market values. The document also details necessary comparability adjustments for product quality, transport costs (Incoterms), and economic circumstances to prevent tax revenue loss in developing nations.

The document applies the Comparable Uncontrolled Price (CUP) method to bauxite, detailing how physical characteristics, economic circumstances, and contractual terms influence pricing. It identifies key price drivers—specifically available alumina and reactive silica—and provides a methodology for using market indices from agencies like CBIX, Fastmarkets, and CRU to establish arm's length prices, including a practical calculation example for exports from Guinea to China.

The Chilling Prospects 2023 analysis identifies 1.12 billion people at high risk of lacking cooling access, primarily the rural and urban poor. While high-risk populations decreased slightly by 20.4 million since 2022, the lower-middle-income group at medium risk grew to 2.9 billion people. The report highlights significant gender disparities, with women overrepresented in high-risk groups, and identifies 'Critical 9' countries—including India, China, and Nigeria—where the most pronounced risks exist.

The 2023 Production Gap Report finds that global governments plan to produce significantly more fossil fuels by 2030 and 2050 than is consistent with the 1.5°C warming limit. Despite net-zero pledges, many major producers continue to plan increases in coal, oil, and gas extraction. The report argues for a rapid phase-out of fossil fuels, noting that reliance on carbon capture and storage (CCS) and carbon dioxide removal (CDR) is risky due to technical and economic uncertainties.

The appendix describes the technical process for estimating the 'government plans and projections' (GPP) pathway using data from 19 major producer countries and deriving climate-consistent pathways from IPCC AR6 mitigation scenarios. It outlines the conversion of physical production data into energy and extraction-based GHG emission units and explains the scenario-filtering process used to exclude pathways with unrealistic reliance on carbon dioxide removal (CDR) and carbon capture and storage (CCS). Additionally, it compares the 2023 findings with the 2021 assessment, noting a widening production gap for coal by 2030.

The 2023 Production Gap Report finds that governments plan to produce significantly more fossil fuels by 2030 and 2050 than is compatible with the 1.5°C goal of the Paris Agreement. Despite net-zero commitments, major producers continue to plan expansions, with coal production projected to increase until 2030 and oil and gas until at least 2050. The report emphasizes that relying on carbon capture and storage (CCS) and carbon dioxide removal (CDR) is risky due to technical failures and scale issues, urging a phase-out of coal by 2040 and a reduction of oil and gas to 25% of 2020 levels by 2050.

The report argues that trade policy can either exacerbate or support biodiversity conservation. It identifies specific entry points within the WTO—including existing rules on subsidies and intellectual property, and new member-led initiatives—that can be aligned with the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. The document proposes a 'nature-positive trade' approach involving the promotion of environmental goods and services, sustainable supply chain drivers, and the reform of harmful subsidies.

WRI Europe's 2023-2027 strategy focuses on transforming the food, land, water, energy, and city systems to achieve interconnected goals for people, nature, and climate. The strategy emphasizes Europe's role as a driver, consumer, and partner for change, specifically supporting the implementation of the EU Green Deal and managing the impacts of the energy transition, such as the demand for rare minerals. WRI Europe aims to act as an enabling office for focus countries with large emerging economies while addressing Europe's own environmental footprint through data-driven solutions and partnerships like the Systems Transformation Hub in Brussels.

The 2023 Year in Review for the Corporate Consultative Group (CCG) outlines how WRI partners with the private sector to accelerate the energy transition and protect nature. The report details member benefits such as 'Tailored Advice' and 'MindShare' events, while aligning corporate engagement with WRI's 2023–2027 Strategic Plan. It highlights specific goals for decarbonizing energy, halting deforestation, and shifting finance, noting that CCG members provide critical unrestricted funds and practical input to ensure WRI's research is fit for corporate application.

Fundación WRI Colombia submitted a request for its 2023 special tax regime update, reporting its mission to protect the environment and sustain natural resources. The entity reported receiving 3,749,179,091 pesos in donations and spending 765,537,756 pesos on salary payments to governing bodies.