Search Climate Insights Directory

The document provides the technical appendices for the 2021 Production Gap report, outlining the data sources and calculations used to determine the discrepancy between planned fossil fuel production and climate-consistent levels. It describes the 'countries’ plans and projections' (CPP) pathway, which aggregates data from 15 major producer countries and scales it globally using IEA STEPS. It also details the selection of 1.5°C and 2°C consistent pathways from the IPCC SR1.5 database, applying specific constraints on carbon dioxide removal (CDR) technologies. Finally, it compares the 2021 findings with the 2019 assessment, noting that the overall production gap remains largely unchanged despite minor declines in coal and oil projections.

The document details 15 on-the-ground projects in Brazil, Guatemala, Kenya, Madagascar, Mexico, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zimbabwe. These initiatives focus on improving water security through rainwater harvesting and irrigation, enhancing food security via conservation agriculture and school gardens, and diversifying livelihoods to reduce pressure on natural ecosystems. The projects are co-designed with local communities based on data collected through key informant surveys to address specific threats such as drought, erratic rainfall, and soil degradation.

The report identifies 24 deforestation fronts across Latin America, sub-Saharan Africa, Southeast Asia, and Oceania, where over 43 million hectares of forest were lost between 2004 and 2017. It argues that while commercial agriculture remains the dominant direct driver, indirect pressures such as population growth, dietary shifts toward meat, and weak governance amplify forest loss. The analysis evaluates a range of responses, from area-based protections and indigenous land rights to commodity-specific certifications and REDD+ frameworks, concluding that no single approach is sufficient and that integrated, context-specific solutions are required to halt deforestation.

The document traces the history of international climate governance, highlighting the shift from the 'top-down' Kyoto Protocol to the 'bottom-up' Paris Agreement. It analyzes the central tension between ensuring universal participation and maintaining the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities (CBDR). While the Paris Agreement achieved universality by allowing self-differentiation through Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), the brief notes that current collective pledges are insufficient to limit warming to 1.5°C or 2°C, and that the regime's success depends on the ambition of major emitters.

The report examines the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Peasants and Other People Working in Rural Areas (UNDROP), adopted in December 2018. It argues that UNDROP fills a gap in international human rights law by recognizing peasants and other rural workers as collective rights holders, rather than just a sum of individuals. The document details how the Declaration protects collective rights to land, food sovereignty, seeds, water, and a healthy environment, while debunking myths that collective rights oppose individual rights or are exclusive to Indigenous Peoples. It provides strategies for applying the Declaration at national, regional, and international levels to hold states and transnational corporations accountable.

The document analyzes the 2018 UN Declaration on the Rights of Peasants (UNDROP) as a tool to shift human rights frameworks from purely individualistic perspectives to the recognition of collective rights. It details how UNDROP protects the rights of peasants, indigenous peoples, and nomadic communities to food sovereignty, land, seeds, and a healthy environment. The report highlights the role of collective rights in supporting agroecology and community forest management, while debunking myths that collective rights oppose individual rights or are exclusive to indigenous peoples. It provides examples of national and regional applications and advocates for a binding UN treaty on transnational corporations to ensure corporate accountability for human rights violations in rural areas.

The report argues that the UN Declaration on the Rights of Peasants and Other People Working in Rural Areas (UNDROP) is a landmark instrument that recognizes peasants and other rural workers as holders of collective rights. It details how the Declaration protects food sovereignty, land tenure, and environmental rights, debunking the misconception that human rights apply only to individuals. The document provides examples of national and international applications of these rights and advocates for their inclusion in a Binding Treaty on Transnational Corporations and Human Rights.

The policy brief examines the restart of WTO agriculture negotiations under Chair Gloria Abraham Peralta, identifying seven key negotiating areas and the political obstacles hindering progress. It highlights the impact of COVID-19 on food export restrictions and the ongoing tension between developed and developing nations over farm subsidies and market access. The author suggests a phased approach to negotiations, identifying 'low-hanging fruit' such as humanitarian food aid exemptions and transparency improvements, while proposing compromise frameworks for domestic support and public stockholding to foster more equitable global food markets.

The document examines the evolution of the digital divide from basic infrastructure access (A2A) to access to knowledge and data (A2K). It assesses how the WTO's JSI on e-commerce addresses these gaps, arguing that current proposals—largely driven by developed nations—often overlook the developmental needs of LDCs and developing countries. Key areas of analysis include the necessity of 'enabling' e-commerce ecosystems, the risks of restrictive data flow and localization rules, and the impact of prohibiting government access to source code on technology transfer.

The report details a System Scale Planning (SSP) framework applied to Nepal's hydropower sector, specifically the Karnali Basin. Using a Multi-Objective Evolutionary Algorithm (MOEA) and integration with the SWITCH energy model, the methodology identifies 'pareto-optimal' portfolios of projects that balance installed capacity and cost against environmental and social metrics. Key findings demonstrate that strategic project selection can significantly reduce biodiversity and livelihood impacts for a given level of energy output, and that restricting development on mainstem rivers (Scenario K03) can achieve a favorable balance of low environmental impact and low system cost.

The document examines the intersection of climate change and human rights, detailing how environmental degradation threatens rights to life, food, health, water, and housing. It outlines the obligations of states to respect, protect, and fulfil these rights, and the responsibilities of businesses to reduce emissions and provide remedies. The handbook specifically focuses on the role of National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs), presenting case studies of their work in monitoring impacts, handling complaints, providing policy advice, and engaging in international mechanisms like the UNFCCC and the Universal Periodic Review. It highlights that nearly half of Paris Principles-compliant NHRIs have engaged in climate change work, using tools ranging from digital mapping to formal inquiries into 'carbon majors'.

The report examines the potential for green bonds and other sustainable financial instruments to drive the decarbonization of Mexico's construction sector, highlighting existing certifications, market examples, and regulatory goals.

The document examines the potential for green bonds to drive the decarbonisation of Mexico's building sector. It highlights that while only 10.6% of green bond proceeds from Mexican issuers were allocated to low-carbon buildings as of September 2020, there are significant opportunities, including a USD 18bn potential in Mexico City's housing growth. The briefing details the use of international and local certification proxies, such as EcoCasa, to identify eligible assets under the Climate Bonds Standard and discusses alternative financial instruments like CKDs, CERPIS, and FIBRAS that could be labelled as green.

The green bond market saw record third-quarter issuance in 2020, totaling USD 69.4 billion, driven by strong policy signals and corporate adoption. The USA led in 2020 issuance, while the Luxembourg Stock Exchange remained the most popular listing venue. JP Morgan was the top global underwriter for the first three quarters of the year.

The Global Innovation Lab for Climate Finance (the Lab) has supported 49 instruments that mobilized over USD 2.3 billion. This document identifies four critical success factors for scaling these innovations: establishing a track record, building economies of scale, assembling a robust team and governance structure, and securing strategic long-term partnerships. Through case studies of Climate Investor One, Energy Savings Insurance, and Long-Term Foreign Exchange Risk Management, the brief demonstrates how these factors enable instruments to move beyond initial implementation to broader geographic or sectoral replication.

The report by Friends of the Earth Latin America and the Caribbean (ATALC) examines how Transnational Corporations (TNCs) drive a capitalist system of accumulation through extractivism and the commercialization of services. It highlights the 'architecture of impunity'—including Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) mechanisms—that allows TNCs to avoid accountability for environmental destruction and human rights abuses. The document details the impacts of agribusiness, forestry, mining, and energy sectors, noting that more than two-thirds of global territory defenders killed in 2019 were in Latin America. It advocates for a UN Binding Treaty to regulate TNCs and a transition toward an economy based on the sustainability of life and peoples' sovereignty.

The report by Friends of the Earth Latin America and the Caribbean (ATALC) analyzes how transnational corporations (TNCs) exercise disproportionate economic and political power to exploit natural resources and labor in Latin America and the Caribbean. It details the 'architecture of impunity' created by trade agreements and investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) mechanisms, which allow TNCs to avoid accountability for human rights and environmental violations. The document categorizes impacts across extractivism, agribusiness, forestry, mining, energy, and services, highlighting the specific burdens on women and the criminalization of land defenders. It advocates for a legally binding UN treaty to regulate TNCs and a transition from a capitalist, extractivist model to one based on popular sovereignty and sustainability.

The 2020 assessment concludes that the goal of restoring 150 million hectares of forest by 2020 is not on track, with global forest cover gain meeting only one fifth of the target. While political will is evident through 63 Bonn Challenge pledges totaling 172.82 million hectares, biophysical progress is hindered by data gaps and the fact that tree cover gains are often offset by ongoing deforestation. A case study of Central America highlights this dynamic, showing a net loss of 320 million hectares of tree cover between 2011 and 2018 despite significant gross gains. The report notes a growing trend of private-sector restoration pledges from companies like Amazon and Nestle, though financial transparency and systematic planning remain significant hurdles for scaling forest landscape restoration (FLR).

The 2020 assessment of NYDF Goal 9 reveals that while nearly USD 4.7 billion in results-based finance has been committed since 2010, only 40 percent has been disbursed. The report highlights a significant gap in funding for the implementation phase of REDD+ activities and notes that carbon markets have channeled USD 2.5 billion to forests over 20 years. While private sector demand for forest carbon offsets is rising among airlines and petroleum companies, current carbon prices remain too low to meet Paris Agreement objectives. Additionally, the report details various domestic compliance schemes in countries like Australia, Canada, and China that allow for forest carbon credits.

The report finds that international and domestic public finance for forests is significantly lower than the sector's climate mitigation potential. It highlights a gap where 'grey' finance for agriculture far outweighs 'green' finance for forest protection. Additionally, the document notes that most major financial institutions lack deforestation policies, and private investment in sustainable commodity production remains difficult to quantify and insufficient in scale.