Search Climate Insights Directory

The report critiques the AIIB's Climate-Focused Policy-Based Financing (CPBF) instrument, arguing that it contains significant loopholes regarding fossil fuel finance and lacks robust safeguards for human rights and gender equality. Based on an analysis of programmes in Brazil and Bangladesh, the authors find that while CPBF loans are counted as 100% climate finance, the funds are fungible and not tracked for specific climate outcomes. The document recommends banning all fossil fuel finance, strengthening the Project-affected Peoples’ Mechanism (PPM), and aligning Paris alignment methodologies strictly with the 1.5°C goal.

The author critiques the field of climate communication for being dominated by Global North institutions and research, which often fails to account for the realities of the Global South, such as limited connectivity and the value of traditional ecological knowledge. The text advocates for a 'bottom-up' approach that treats communication as a right and supports local media ecosystems as essential 'climate stability infrastructure.' Examples of successful community-led communication are highlighted in Ecuador, Colombia, and Brazil, alongside a call for the implementation of the Escazú Agreement and increased funding for local voices.

The report argues that the period from 2026 to 2028 is a critical window to shape global digital governance before norms become entrenched. It focuses on the operationalisation of the Global Digital Compact (GDC) and the WSIS+20 outcome document, urging a shift toward 'digital justice' to address structural inequalities, 'compute deserts' in Africa and the Pacific, and the environmental costs of AI. The author outlines specific advocacy pathways within the UN General Assembly, OHCHR, ITU, and UNESCO, while highlighting the unique role of faith-based organisations as trusted intermediaries in restricted civic spaces. It also assesses regional dynamics across Africa, Europe, Latin America, Asia Pacific, the Caribbean, and the MENA region, noting the tension between security-driven policies and human rights.

Mighty Earth's CEO asserts that JBS's decision to drop its 2040 net-zero target exposes the company's lack of a credible climate plan. The author claims the original target was deceptive, focusing only on Scope 1 and 2 emissions while JBS continued to drive large-scale deforestation and expand cattle slaughter in Brazil and Nigeria. The document calls for continued pressure from investors and governments to push JBS toward large-scale solutions like regenerative practices and animal-free protein.

The document outlines the expected impacts of El Niño across Latin America and the Caribbean, highlighting risks such as water shortages in Colombia, agricultural losses in Mexico and Central America, and fisheries disruptions in the South Pacific. It emphasizes that while El Niño is a natural phenomenon, climate change intensifies its effects, leading to more frequent extreme weather events. The guide also lists specific resources, expert contacts, and training programs for journalists covering these issues.

The report synthesizes interviews with 25 climate litigation practitioners to identify critical gaps in scientific evidence needed for legal accountability. It highlights ten research priorities, including advances in end-to-end attribution science, quantification of noneconomic loss and damage, and the impact of industry disinformation. The authors also detail barriers to integrating science in courts, such as the 'resource imbalance' between public-interest lawyers and industry defendants, the differing standards of 'certainty' between science and law, and political interference in the judiciary.

The report reviews literature from 2007 to 2025 to establish a shared knowledge base for net-zero nature-positive (NZNP) finance, supporting the Net-Zero Nature-Positive Accelerator Integrated Programme (NZNPA IP).

The document outlines how climate change affects mental health through acute impacts following disasters and chronic stress from environmental degradation. It highlights that these impacts are unevenly distributed, disproportionately affecting vulnerable groups in Latin America and Spain. The guide advises journalists to avoid pathologizing legitimate emotional responses, protect source dignity, and follow WHO/PAHO guidelines when reporting on suicide.

The document argues that the climate crisis in Latin America is a legal matter of human rights, supported by the Inter-American Court of Human Rights and the Escazú Agreement. It categorizes climate-related rights violations into three groups: those affected by extreme weather and environmental degradation, those harmed by extractive industries (including transition minerals like lithium and copper), and environmental defenders facing violence. It emphasizes that Latin America is the most dangerous region for environmental activists, with Colombia, Guatemala, Mexico, and Brazil being particularly high-risk. The guide encourages investigative journalism to monitor the application of legal protections for indigenous communities and defenders.

The guide explains that climate change acts as a multiplier of existing vulnerabilities, driving both sudden and gradual displacement. It highlights that internal displacement is more common than cross-border migration and notes the lack of international legal recognition for 'climate refugees'.

The report examines government capacity in Africa, primarily through the lens of revenue mobilization and the tax-to-GDP ratio. It notes that while Africa's average tax-to-GDP ratio is around 15.6% to 16.5%, this remains lower than in Asia, Latin America, and OECD countries. The document highlights that low-income and larger African countries, such as Nigeria and the DR Congo, struggle more with resource mobilization and are often characterized by neo-patrimonialism and corruption, which undermine the effective use of revenues. However, it suggests that significant unmet tax potential remains, particularly in low-income countries, which could be unlocked through appropriate policies to improve public finances and reduce borrowing.

GreenLatinos asserts that international climate spaces, such as UN COPs and specialized conferences, are critical for shaping policies and funding that affect Latino communities. The organization highlights the importance of the Belém–Antalya Mechanism and the Santa Marta Fossil Fuel Phaseout Conference in building momentum for a just transition and fossil fuel phaseout, while criticizing the lack of U.S. federal leadership under the Trump Administration.

The document outlines the challenges and success factors for scaling up ecosystem-based adaptation (EbA) in Costa Rica, Ecuador, and Guatemala. It argues that scaling up requires a combination of technical interventions and enabling environments, such as political leadership and sustainable financing. Based on 18 cases, the text demonstrates that scaling up occurs through both vertical processes (public policies and institutional frameworks) and horizontal processes (replication of community and sectoral practices).

The document analyzes methane abatement through improved flaring practices in nine African and Latin American countries. It identifies removing unlit flaring as a priority low-cost action and notes that while most measures fall below a low-cost threshold of 596 USD/tCH4, costs vary by country based on flaring volumes per site. Key barriers include regulatory focuses on flaring volumes rather than efficiency and high operation and maintenance requirements.

The document evaluates the replacement of methane-bleeding pneumatic devices in the oil and gas sector with electric or instrument air systems. It finds that while adoption is already medium-to-high in several assessed countries, the remaining abatement potential is cost-effective, with instrument air systems often falling below a low-cost threshold of 596 USD/tCH4. Key barriers to further deployment include technical constraints at aging facilities and weak economic incentives where gas has low commercial value.

The document outlines the lethal nature of extreme heat, noting that over 540,000 people die annually worldwide, with 13,000 estimated annual deaths in 17 Latin American countries. It highlights that heat exacerbates cardiovascular, respiratory, and mental health issues, disproportionately affecting vulnerable groups such as children, the elderly, and outdoor workers. The text links the increasing intensity and frequency of heatwaves to the burning of fossil fuels and notes that 71% of the global workforce is exposed to excessive heat. It suggests reporting on solutions like public cooling centers, urban greenery, and labor protections rather than using leisure-related imagery.

As of 2022, 41.5% of Africa's population lacked electricity, with sub-Saharan Africa lagging significantly at 51.5% access. The document argues that traditional grid expansion is too slow and expensive for rural areas, proposing a 'leapfrog' strategy centered on solar-based off-grid and mini-grid solutions. World Bank estimates suggest that providing electricity to 380 million people by 2030 would require over 160,000 mini-grids costing approximately US$ 91 billion. Despite possessing 60% of the world's best solar resources, Africa faces severe financing shortfalls, with clean energy finance growing by only 2.5% in sub-Saharan Africa between 2021 and 2022, compared to over 100% in Latin America. Barriers to deployment include high public debt, regulatory bottlenecks, and shifting geopolitical priorities, such as the end of the US Power Africa initiative.

The briefing examines how global warming, extreme weather, and habitat loss facilitate the spread of the Andes hantavirus by expanding the range of its primary reservoir, the long-tailed mouse. It highlights a current lethal season in Argentina with 101 confirmed cases and 32 deaths, noting that the virus has appeared in regions like Tierra del Fuego where there are no historical records. The text emphasizes that this is a matter of climate justice, as rural communities in Argentina and Chile are disproportionately affected despite contributing least to the climate crisis. It calls for mitigation through the cessation of fossil fuel use and adaptation via improved epidemiological surveillance and medical training in non-endemic areas.

The report finds that methane emissions from anaerobic digestion (AD) systems typically range from 0.5% to 6% of total production, with some plants reaching 41%, which is significantly higher than average levels in the oil and gas industry. Current regulatory frameworks in countries like France and Germany often prioritize worker safety over methane mitigation, and the United States lacks dedicated federal or state regulations for AD methane emissions. The report emphasizes that digestate storage is frequently the largest emission source, particularly in the U.S. where lagoons are often uncovered. It recommends implementing robust, facility-level MMRV, mandatory leak detection and repair (LDAR) programs, and the use of conservatively high default emission factors in carbon crediting methodologies to incentivize actual emission reductions.

In 2025, global coal capacity grew by 3.5% while generation fell by 0.6%, as coal plants increasingly serve as 'system insurance' rather than primary power sources. This trend is most prominent in China and India, where record-high new capacity is being offset by the rapid expansion of wind and solar energy. While the number of countries proposing new coal plants decreased from 38 in 2024 to 32 in 2025, significant expansion continues in China and India, which together account for 95% of global coal capacity under construction. In the US and EU, energy security concerns and government interventions have delayed planned retirements of coal units.