Search Climate Insights Directory

The report examines how gender norms and power dynamics influence vulnerability and adaptive capacity in the ocean economy of SIDS and coastal LDCs. It highlights the undervalued roles of women in small-scale fisheries and tourism and analyzes how climate change, market shifts, and COVID-19 disproportionately affect women due to socio-economic structures. The document advocates for the systematic collection of sex-disaggregated data, the implementation of gender-transformative policies, and the alignment of international finance, such as Official Development Assistance (ODA) and climate risk insurance, with gender equality goals to enhance overall community resilience.

The Subnational Climate Fund (SnCF), approved by the GCF in 2020 and running through 2028, aims to mobilize USD 750 million to support approximately 40 subnational projects with deal sizes between USD 5 million and 75 million. The fund utilizes a Technical Assistance Facility and USD 150 million in concessional equity from the GCF to attract USD 600 million in commercial equity, targeting subnational governments that lack fiscal autonomy or the ability to borrow from international capital markets. The fund involves 42 countries, including 16 in Africa, and focuses on projects aligned with NDCs that incorporate Nature-based Solutions.

The WACA program aims to strengthen coastal resilience in Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Mauritania, São Tomé and Príncipe, Senegal, and Togo by mainstreaming climate risks into national policies and investing in transport, urban, and natural resource sectors. Supported by a USD 222 million package approved by the World Bank in 2018, the initiative utilizes a 'WACA Marketplace' to match investment demand with partner financing. As of June 2021, 17% of committed funds were disbursed, with specific outcomes in Benin including the securing of 3,500 households from erosion and flooding. The document highlights that the success of such regional instruments depends on strong regional cooperation, political stability, a pipeline of bankable projects, and currency stability.

The African Risk Capacity (ARC) operates as a mutual insurance company and agency to help African Union members manage climate shocks through weather-index insurance. Since 2014, ARC Ltd has provided USD 720 million in coverage and paid USD 65 million in claims, primarily targeting the agriculture sector. Participation requires the use of Africa RiskView (ARV) software to define payout thresholds based on rainfall deviation. The program's viability depends on robust subnational climate data, government technical expertise in sovereign insurance, and high-level political awareness.

The document describes Cooling as a Service (CaaS) as a pay-per-service model that removes upfront costs for customers by having service providers own and maintain energy-efficient cooling equipment. It highlights the role of sale-leaseback arrangements with banks to scale financing and identifies Nigeria's ColdHubs as a practical application for solar-powered cold storage. The text also notes the importance of legal frameworks, national energy efficiency policies, and the potential for CaaS implementation in 21 countries that prioritized urban planning in their NDCs.

The Desert to Power G5 Sahel Facility is a large-scale program requesting US$ 150 million from the Green Climate Fund (GCF) to leverage a total of US$ 966.7 million in financing. The initiative aims to add 500 MW of solar generation capacity and 239 MWh of utility-scale storage across five G5 Sahel countries to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 14.4 million tCO2equ over its lifetime. The program is structured into three components: grid investments to de-risk solar Independent Power Producers (IPPs), incremental finance for solar power generation, and technical assistance to improve the regulatory and institutional environment. The African Development Bank (AfDB) serves as the Accredited Entity, coordinating with national governments and private sector stakeholders to address technical, financial, and legal barriers to renewable energy adoption.

The report examines gender inequality in the African maritime sector, highlighting that current frameworks often equate gender equality solely with women's inclusion. It advocates for an intersectional analysis—considering race, age, and class—to address the systemic exclusion of youth and other marginalised groups. The document reviews African Union maritime instruments, finds a lack of implementation and data, and provides examples of gender-sensitive initiatives in fisheries and coastal management.

The report argues that the aquaculture industry faces significant systemic risks due to high fish mortality rates and a dependence on fishmeal and fish oil (FMFO) derived from wild-caught fish. It finds that most investors fail to integrate these material risks into their policies, often relying on inadequate certification schemes. The document highlights the economic cost of fish deaths, the threat to food security in regions like West Africa due to FMFO extraction, and the potential for 'greenwashing' through green bonds. It recommends that investors require full supply chain transparency, the elimination of wild-caught fish in feed by 2025, and the adoption of robust fish-welfare standards.

The report examines how the fishmeal and fish oil industry in West Africa, particularly in Mauritania, Senegal, and The Gambia, diverts critical protein sources from local human consumption to feed aquaculture and livestock in Europe and Asia. It highlights the ecological collapse of sardinelle and bonga stocks, the socio-economic marginalization of local fish processors (primarily women), and the role of European feed giants and retailers in driving this demand.

The report finds that French supermarkets are largely failing to address the unsustainable nature of 'fed aquaculture,' which relies heavily on wild-caught fish meal and fish oil (FMFO). While some retailers like Auchan, Carrefour, and Système U acknowledge the issue, few have firm commitments to eliminate FMFO. The study highlights a systemic lack of transparency in labeling and supply chains, and criticizes the industry's reliance on certifications (such as ASC and MSC) that do not guarantee the absence of wild-fish inputs or ensure animal welfare. It specifically identifies major producers like Mowi and Lerøy as key suppliers to French retail, noting their links to problematic sourcing in Peru and West Africa.

The report finds that industrial salmon farming in the four primary producing regions (Norway, Scotland, Canada, and Chile) generated approximately USD$47.3 billion in private and external costs between 2013 and 2019. Economic losses are driven by high mortality rates and the cost of sea lice control, while environmental costs include carbon emissions, local pollution, and the depletion of wild fish stocks. Social costs are primarily linked to poor fish welfare and the diversion of forage fish from human consumption in developing regions like West Africa. The authors argue that current intensive farming practices are a 'false economy' and recommend a transition to alternative feeds and improved husbandry standards.

The Global Resilience Partnership (GRP), in collaboration with the UNDP and GEF, is seeking Expressions of Interest from organizations managing innovative finance mechanisms in fragile and conflict-prone regions. The initiative aims to support private sector solutions that address the 'triple threat' of COVID-19, climate change-induced extreme weather, and geopolitical instability. Selected organizations will receive grants, technical assistance from a multidisciplinary mentoring facility, and networking opportunities to improve the scale and effectiveness of their funds. Eligible mechanisms must be based in specific Least Developed Countries (LDCs), demonstrate a sustainable revenue model, and focus on the intersection of climate adaptation, food and water security, and disaster risk reduction.

The report finds that Spanish supermarkets are failing to address the sustainability of their aquaculture supply chains, with none setting targets to eliminate wild fish from feed. It highlights the ecological damage caused by the production of Fish Meal and Fish Oil (FMFO) in regions like Peru and West Africa and criticizes the industry's reliance on certifications as a substitute for genuine sustainability.

The report identifies systemic gender inequalities across seven Sahelian countries that hinder women's resilience to climate change, specifically citing limited land ownership, high burdens of unpaid care work, and restricted access to climate information and financial services. It proposes a Gender Action Plan to increase women's economic empowerment, reduce workloads through solar-powered technologies, and improve access to climate-smart agricultural inputs and micro-insurance, targeting at least 40% of interventions for women.

The briefing examines the environmental and social impacts of Mowi, the world's largest salmon producer and a key supplier to Sainsbury's. It highlights the unsustainable use of wild-caught fish in aquafeed, high fish mortality rates, frequent escapes, and the use of antibiotics and chemicals, arguing that these practices contradict Sainsbury's sustainability claims.

In 2019, wind and solar generated 8.2% of global electricity, with the EU leading at 18%. The report highlights that wind and solar are now the cheapest new generation sources for two-thirds of the global population and that electricity grids remained stable during the 2020 Covid-19 lockdowns even as renewable shares reached record highs in countries like Denmark (65%), Germany (45%), and Greece (41%). To limit temperature increase to 1.5 degrees, the report notes that coal's market share must drop from 35% to 8% by 2030, requiring wind and solar's share to increase to approximately 29%.

The document outlines a project preparation phase to design a larger intervention in northern Mauritania. It identifies severe desertification and water scarcity in the hubs of Aoujeft, Rachid, Tamchekett, and Nema. The proposed full project intends to implement ecosystem-based adaptation, land rehabilitation, and water management strategies to protect these regions and prevent the southward expansion of the Sahara.

The document identifies the Technical Assistance (TA) Facility for the Global Subnational Climate Fund as a Category I-2 environmental and social safeguards project. It lists target countries across Africa, Asia-Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean, and the Mediterranean, and confirms that an Environmental and Social Management System (ESMS) has been disclosed in multiple languages to comply with requirements.

The report details a Zoom workshop held on 20 May 2020, organized by the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA) and the Botswana Council of Non-Governmental Organisations (BOCONGO). The session aimed to build the capacity of Botswana's civil society organisations (CSOs) to participate in the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) by providing an overview of the mechanism and sharing lessons from Namibia and Zambia. Key discussions focused on the importance of inclusive National Governing Councils (NGC), the role of umbrella bodies like BOCONGO in coordinating CSOs, and the challenges of maintaining momentum and independence from government. The workshop also addressed the impact of COVID-19 on the process and outlined a plan for CSOs to develop evidence-based written submissions on up to 12 key governance issues in Botswana.

The report evaluates UK supermarkets' reliance on fishmeal and fish oil (FMFO) for farmed seafood, arguing that the current 'fed aquaculture' model is unsustainable and threatens marine ecosystems and global food security. It ranks retailers based on their policies, transparency, and in-store practices, finding that none have a time-bound target to eliminate wild-caught fish in feed.