Search Climate Insights Directory

The research uses Structural Decomposition Analysis (SDA) and a global multi-regional input-output framework to examine how value-added creation from climate finance is distributed between recipient and donor countries. It identifies four primary drivers of economic impact: value-added intensity (VAiE), domestic multiplier (DME), foreign multiplier (FME), and trade structure (TSE). The study finds that Brazil and India are often benchmarks for retaining local benefits, while the USA and Japan are benchmarks for capturing spillovers, with results varying by the type of climate action (e.g., renewable energy vs. adaptation).

The report analyzes international climate finance for land use in Indonesia, finding that while international support is well-targeted toward building 'enabling environments' (capacity building and policy), it is significantly smaller than domestic funding and often bypasses local government institutions. The authors recommend longer project durations, better coordination through a centralized government database, and capacity building for local organizations to access international funds directly.

The document analyzes the evolution of ethanol use in the U.S., noting that while E10 blends have reduced oil dependence, corn-based ethanol causes significant environmental damage and can spike global food prices. It argues for a shift toward advanced biofuels derived from wastes, agricultural residues, and perennial crops to lower lifecycle emissions and protect biodiversity. The report forecasts that by 2050, emissions from biorefineries, agriculture, and land use can be substantially reduced through technological optimization and smarter crop choices.

The Global Resilience Partnership highlights the severe humanitarian risks posed by a strong El Niño phase, citing specific crises in Ethiopia, Indonesia, and India, and advocates for adaptive measures such as early warning systems and innovative financing.

The document details how palm oil production, primarily in Indonesia and Malaysia, drives deforestation and releases significant carbon and methane emissions, particularly through the draining and burning of peatlands. It notes that while Indonesia and Malaysia have implemented some protections and the RSPO seeks to improve sustainability, RSPO standards remain insufficient. The text highlights a shift in the supply chain, with over 60 percent of globally traded palm oil covered by deforestation-free commitments as of 2016, while warning that future expansion in countries like Brazil and Colombia must be managed to protect forests.

The study finds that ethanol produced from cane molasses in Indonesia results in a 67% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions compared to gasoline, with emissions estimated at 29 gCO2e per MJ. While the Net Energy Value is -7 MJ/l, the Net Renewable Energy Value is 17.7 MJ/l and the energy yield ratio is 6.1. The analysis indicates that results are highly sensitive to molasses price, ethanol yield, and sugarcane yield, and suggests that energy and environmental gains can be improved through biogas recovery from wastewater and surplus bioelectricity generation via efficient cogeneration using sugarcane biomass residues.

The document outlines strategies for Indonesia to reform its regressive LPG subsidies, which currently allow high-income households to capture a disproportionate share of benefits. It identifies four international pricing mechanisms—deregulated, automatic adjustment, pre-determined increases, and stabilization mechanisms—and argues that the ideal goal is market pricing achieved through gradual transitions. The report emphasizes that reforms must be paired with targeted social protections to ensure low-income households maintain access to clean cooking fuels. It details various international targeting models, including El Salvador's mobile-phone based vendor payments, India's Direct Benefits Transfer (DBTL) and voluntary 'Give it Up!' campaign, Peru's FISE voucher system, and Thailand's electricity-consumption based eligibility. Finally, it highlights the critical role of communication and the demonstrable effectiveness of alternative subsidy delivery systems in securing public approval for reform.

The report analyzes global LPG pricing mechanisms and subsidy reform strategies, highlighting the need for targeted assistance to protect vulnerable populations. It details specific case studies from El Salvador, India, Mexico, Peru, and Thailand, emphasizing that successful reform requires a combination of gradual price adjustments, effective targeting technologies, and comprehensive communication strategies to maintain public support.

The report analyzes the regressive nature of universal LPG subsidies in Indonesia and examines reform strategies from El Salvador, India, Mexico, Peru, and Thailand. It argues that successful reform requires depoliticizing pricing mechanisms, implementing targeted social mitigation measures to protect vulnerable groups, and utilizing strategic communication to build public support. Key findings highlight the effectiveness of direct benefit transfers, voucher systems, and gradual price increases, while warning against overly complex registration processes and differential pricing structures.

The document argues that international aviation emissions grew by over 75% between 1990 and 2012 and could increase by 300% by 2050 under a business-as-usual scenario. It critiques the ICAO's proposed global market-based mechanism (GMBM), which aims for 'carbon neutral growth 2020' starting in 2021, citing concerns over lack of transparency, non-binding goals, and low environmental standards. Carbon Market Watch recommends that the GMBM include mandatory targets, a 'negative list' of ineligible project types (such as fossil fuel power plants and most LULUCF projects), and strict credit quality criteria to ensure real and permanent emission reductions.

The fact sheet advocates for a binding international treaty to regulate transnational corporations (TNCs), highlighting the inadequacy of voluntary corporate policies. It presents evidence of corporate-linked harms, including deforestation and forest fires in Indonesia caused by palm oil and paper companies, hazardous shipbreaking practices in Bangladesh, water rights violations by Mekorot in Palestine, and a chemical disaster in South Korea involving Reckitt Benckiser's humidifier sterilisers. The document emphasizes that TNCs often operate across jurisdictions to escape accountability, necessitating a legal framework supported by the UN Human Rights Council and various global governments.

This document is an official contribution from Friends of the Earth International (FoEI) to the second session of the UN open-ended intergovernmental working group (IGWG) in October 2016. It advocates for a legally binding international treaty to hold transnational corporations (TNCs) and their executives accountable for human rights violations and environmental crimes, proposing the creation of a World Court on TNCs and Human Rights and a Public Centre for control. FoEI argues that the treaty must prioritize human rights over trade and investment agreements, specifically calling for the restriction of Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) mechanisms that undermine public health and environmental protections.

Friends of the Earth International's 2016 submission to the UN Intergovernmental Working Group advocates for a legally binding treaty to hold transnational corporations and their financiers civilly and criminally liable for human rights and environmental violations. The document proposes the creation of an international court, the primacy of human rights over investment treaties (including ISDS), and the establishment of a public monitoring center to prevent corporate capture of the regulatory process.

Friends of the Earth International (FoEI) argues for a legally binding UN Treaty that establishes civil and criminal liability for transnational corporations (TNCs) and their executives. The submission emphasizes the need for a World Court on TNCs and Human Rights to overcome national judicial weaknesses and the 'pattern of impunity' enjoyed by corporations. FoEI specifically calls for the primacy of human rights over investment treaties, the elimination of Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) mechanisms that undermine public health and environmental policies, and the protection of the treaty negotiation process from corporate lobbying. The document supports these claims with case studies of corporate abuses in Nigeria, Brazil, Indonesia, and other regions.

Friends of the Earth International (FoEI) advocates for a legally binding UN treaty to end the systemic impunity of transnational corporations (TNCs). The submission argues that the treaty must establish civil and criminal liability for TNCs, their executives, and financiers across global supply chains. FoEI proposes the creation of an independent international court to judge environmental crimes and human rights abuses, emphasizing the need for a hierarchy where human rights obligations prevail over trade and investment agreements, specifically targeting the Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) mechanism. The document highlights cases of corporate abuse in Nigeria, Brazil, Mozambique, and elsewhere to illustrate the failure of current voluntary standards and national judicial systems.

Friends of the Earth International (FoEI) advocates for a binding UN Treaty to end corporate impunity. The proposal emphasizes the need for direct legal obligations for transnational corporations (TNCs) and their executives, the creation of a World Court on TNCs and Human Rights, and the primacy of human rights over investment treaties. FoEI highlights systemic failures in national courts and the harmful impact of Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) mechanisms, calling for a process free from corporate lobbying that prioritizes the rights of affected communities and environmental defenders.

The 2016 assessment of NYDF Goal 2 finds that while corporate commitments to deforestation-free supply chains are increasing—reaching 415 companies and 701 commitments—implementation remains uneven. Progress is most advanced for palm oil and wood products, while soy and cattle lag behind. Despite improvements in risk assessment and procurement rules, fewer than half of assessed companies have time-bound actionable plans, and only 45% report on compliance. The report highlights that over 90% of assessed companies operate in deforestation hotspots, specifically Brazil, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Paraguay. However, the overall impact on global forest loss cannot yet be measured due to a lack of comprehensive global data sets linking supply-chain efforts to actual deforestation reductions.

The SEI Initiative on Low Emission Development Pathways (LED-P) provides tools and research to help governments, particularly in developing countries, simultaneously address greenhouse gas emissions, short-lived climate pollutants (SLCPs), and air pollution. A central output is the LEAP-Integrated Benefits Calculator (LEAP-IBC), which quantifies the health, vegetation, and climate benefits of specific mitigation measures. The initiative focuses on filling data gaps, building technical capacity, and developing policy frameworks to move beyond aspirational scenarios toward credible transition pathways.

The document outlines a research initiative to break down barriers between disaster risk reduction (DRR), adaptation, and development. It argues that development processes often create the very risks they seek to mitigate, and proposes a framework based on understanding risk trade-offs, promoting 'equitable resilience' to address social injustice, and implementing adaptive governance. The brief highlights the Sendai Framework as a key opportunity to integrate these transformative practices globally.

The document evaluates the 'adaptation readiness' of ASEAN countries, categorizing them based on their policy engagement and institutional frameworks. It identifies the Philippines and Vietnam as pioneers, Cambodia, Indonesia, and Myanmar as emerging champions, and Laos, Malaysia, and Thailand as 'wait-and-see' adaptors. The analysis highlights critical gaps in funding, sub-national engagement, and the failure to address structural inequalities and the specific needs of smallholders. It recommends a regional agenda for smallholder adaptation, increased direct engagement with rural populations, and the establishment of regional knowledge-sharing and monitoring systems.