Search Climate Insights Directory
1,618 results
Climate Investor One
Climate Investor One is an integrated financing mechanism designed to overcome barriers to renewable energy investment in low and lower-middle income countries. It combines a Development Fund for early-stage bankability, a Construction Fund to reduce debt costs and negotiation complexity, and a Re-financing Fund to attract institutional investors to de-risked projects. A pilot phase aims to deploy 300 MW of capacity and reduce 600ktCO2 emissions annually, with a goal to mobilize USD 2 billion in private finance by 2020.
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Document type: Case study
Ecosystems and human health: towards a conceptual framework for assessing the co-benefits of climate change adaptation
The document argues that climate change adaptation measures involving green and blue areas provide significant co-benefits for human health, which are often overlooked in policy design. It develops a conceptual framework based on five pathways: prevention of climate and pollution effects, improvement of ecosystem quality, social environment benefits, economic activity development, and interaction with microorganisms. The authors review existing literature using objective, self-reported, and mixed methodologies, finding a generally positive but inconsistent correlation between natural environments and health outcomes, with green areas being more extensively studied than blue areas.
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Document type: Research paper
Lobby group EFILA’s stake in investment arbitration
The document examines EFILA, established in 2014, asserting that its members and board consist of law firms and individuals with direct financial stakes in the investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) system. It highlights how EFILA's policy recommendations to the European Commission regarding the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) oppose meaningful reforms, such as appellate mechanisms or limits on investor rights, to protect the profitability of the arbitration industry. The briefing details specific high-profile cases and the 'revolving door' career of EFILA's general secretary to illustrate the conflict of interest inherent in the group's advocacy.
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Document type: Briefing
Die Mär vom freien Handel
The author contends that modern trade agreements like TTIP, CETA, and TiSA are not about 'free trade' but are tools for corporations to secure interests through secret negotiations. The text argues that these agreements erode national sovereignty, prioritize capital protection over ecological and social rights via private arbitration courts, and threaten public services through privatization. Using NAFTA and a US-Peru agreement as examples, the author claims that promises of growth and jobs often fail to materialize for citizens, benefiting only large corporations.
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Document type: Statement
Report on Activities of the Secretariat
The Green Climate Fund Secretariat report details operational progress between October 2014 and February 2015. Key achievements include the launch of the Online Accreditation System on 17 November 2014, the appointment of 100 national designated authorities, and the mobilization of approximately US$ 10.2 billion in pledges. The Secretariat also advanced the development of its investment framework, results management indicators, and administrative structures, while increasing staff diversity with female representation rising to 35% and staff from developing countries to 39%.
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Document type: Report
Freedom and tolerance are the answers rather than security
The author contends that increasing security measures and restricting liberties in response to terrorist attacks in Paris and elsewhere is ineffective and risks further marginalizing religious groups. The text highlights the rise of far-right movements like Pegida in Germany and the AfD, as well as the growth of populist discourse in Austria, the Netherlands, Sweden, and Denmark. It argues that structural issues—such as the 'apartheid' between French cities and banlieues, youth unemployment, and resource tensions—drive instability. The document advocates for a strategy based on education, equal rights for minorities, and the reinforcement of universal values of freedom and solidarity to combat extremism.
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Document type: Statement
Policy in a Time of Monsters: Ten Theses
The author diagnoses a crisis in political ecology caused by the Greens' alignment with the productivist Left, specifically the Socialist Party (PS), which led to electoral losses in 2014. The text proposes ten theses to rebuild the movement, emphasizing a return to 'contractual autonomy'—where alliances are based on specific policy content rather than 'Left/Right' labels—and the adoption of a 'cooperative' organizational model to engage civil society and prepare for the 2017 elections.
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Document type: Statement
Integrating flood risk reduction, river basin and resilience management in planning: A case study of Kristianstad, Sweden
The report analyzes flood and nutrient risks in Kristianstad, Sweden, finding that current flood risk management is too narrowly focused on urban flood control via embankments and pumps, neglecting river basin-wide abatement and resilience. It identifies a lack of cross-sectoral integration between urban planning, agriculture, and forestry, and notes that governance structures for water quantity are fragmented compared to those for water quality. The author argues for a shift toward 'adaptive river management'—living with floods—to better address climate change and sea-level rise.
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Document type: Research paper
Fourth Report of the Green Climate Fund to the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
The Green Climate Fund reached operational effectiveness in May 2015 after securing signed contribution agreements totaling US$ 5.47 billion, exceeding the 50 per cent threshold of its US$ 10 billion in pledges. The Fund has accredited seven initial entities and is implementing a Readiness and Preparatory Support Programme to assist over 120 developing countries in nominating national designated authorities and developing climate strategies. It has also established initial investment, risk management, and results management frameworks to begin funding mitigation and adaptation projects by its third meeting in 2015.
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Document type: Report
Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Action (NAMA) to accelerate geothermal power: Lessons from Kenya
Kenya developed a Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Action (NAMA) to accelerate geothermal power expansion by increasing private sector investment. The process highlighted several institutional and financial barriers, including a lack of stakeholder awareness and the rigid processes of Development Finance Institutions (DFIs). Key lessons include the need for tailored communication and a 'prospectus' approach to documenting NAMA options for donors. The NAMA aims to support 820 MW of additional capacity by 2020, contributing to a long-term goal of 5,000 MW by 2030.
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Document type: Briefing
Shifting to a green economy: Lock-in, path dependence, and policy options
The research paper examines the economic barriers to a green transition, specifically 'carbon lock-in' where existing high-emission infrastructure reinforces itself. Using a post-Keynesian 'brown-green capital' model, the author argues that a transition cannot be achieved through carbon pricing alone but requires sustained public investment and a dynamic policy mix. The paper finds that the macroeconomic impact of green investment depends on whether an economy is 'wage-led' or 'profit-led', and that investor uncertainty often leads to underinvestment in green capital even as it becomes more productive.
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Document type: Research paper
Increasing the EU’s Energy Independence
The report analyzes how the EU 28 can decrease its reliance on natural gas imports through cost-effective energy efficiency and renewable energy deployment across the buildings, industry, and energy supply sectors. It argues that these measures can reduce the share of natural gas in primary energy demand to 16% by 2030, significantly outperforming the European Commission's proposed 2030 framework.
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Document type: Report
Carbon Control and Competitiveness Post 2020: The Steel Report
The report identifies a portfolio of low-carbon opportunities for the European steel sector, ranging from energy efficiency and fuel shifting to breakthrough technologies like Carbon Capture and Sequestration (CCS) and increased recycling. It argues that current EU ETS mechanisms, particularly free allocation based on historic volumes, fail to provide sufficient incentives for deep decarbonisation and high-value product innovation. The authors recommend a structural reform of leakage protection, specifically proposing a combination of output-based allocation and the inclusion of consumption in the EU ETS to create a credible business case for breakthrough technologies and material efficiency. The report also emphasizes the need for sustained public funding for process innovation to overcome the 'valley of death' in technology scaling and suggests strengthening links between steel producers and downstream consumers, particularly in the automotive and construction sectors, to drive demand for lightweight, high-strength steels.
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Document type: Report
4 miljard ton hete lucht in de EU kan het voorgestelde 40% klimaatdoel verminderen tot slechts 26%
The briefing warns that loopholes in the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) and the Effort Sharing Decision (ESD) have created a massive surplus of emission rights. This "hot air"—estimated at 4 billion tonnes—threatens to undermine the EU's 2030 climate ambitions by allowing continued pollution, effectively lowering a proposed 40% emission reduction target to 26%. The author calls for the permanent removal of these surpluses to protect climate goals.
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Document type: Briefing
PERFORMANCE-BASED SPECIFICATIONS: Exploring when they work and why
The report examines performance-based specifications (PBSs), which define desired outputs rather than prescriptive inputs, as a tool for sustainable public procurement. While PBSs can drive innovation and circular economy models, they shift the public sector's burden to the evaluation and monitoring stages and require robust data and financial frameworks to succeed.
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Document type: Report
Increasing the EU’s Energy Independence
The report argues that implementing cost-effective energy efficiency and renewable energy measures could halve the EU's net natural gas imports and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 49% relative to 1990 levels by 2030. It identifies the buildings sector as having the highest potential for savings, followed by energy production and industry, while noting that domestic production, including shale gas, is unlikely to increase substantially.
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Document type: Report
NEW YORK DECLARATION ON FORESTS Action Agenda
The New York Declaration on Forests Action Agenda provides a framework for governments, companies, indigenous peoples, and multilateral institutions to combat deforestation. It highlights significant progress, such as Brazil's 71% reduction in deforestation by 2013 and the adoption of zero-deforestation policies by major palm oil traders covering 60% of global trade. The agenda details specific roles for stakeholders, including the implementation of the Warsaw Framework for REDD+ and the commitment of indigenous peoples to protect 400 million hectares of forests. It also notes financial commitments from developed nations like Germany, Norway, and the UK to provide predictable REDD+ financing.
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Document type: Report
Kolejna demokratyczna rewolucja: od zielonych prawyborów po listy europejskie
The 2014 European Green Party primaries served as an unprecedented experiment in pan-European internal party democracy, allowing members across the continent to select the lead candidate for the European Parliament campaign. While the process faced challenges regarding communication and turnout, it demonstrated the potential for transnational political mobilization. The author argues that this experience should lead to the creation of transnational electoral lists—specifically proposing a 25-member general European list—to shift the political narrative from national interests to a shared European project and to counter populist discourse.
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Document type: Report
The Next Democratic Revolution: From the Green Primary to European Lists
The Green Primary served as a first-of-its-kind transnational experiment to select leading candidates for the European Green Party in the May 2014 elections. While it faced challenges such as varying national contexts and low turnout in some regions, it demonstrated the potential for European-level party structures. The author argues that the next step for European democratic institution building is the creation of transnational lists, as proposed in the Duff Report, to shift the political narrative from national interests to a collective European vision.
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Document type: Research paper
TomorrowNow— Manitoba’s Green Plan: Toward a New Provincial Climate Change and Green Economy Plan Consultations Background Paper
The document outlines the current state of greenhouse gas emissions in Manitoba, identifying the transportation sector as the largest source at 38% of total emissions in 2012. It highlights the vulnerability of provincial infrastructure to extreme weather, such as the CAD$1.2 billion cost of the 2011 flood and the instability of winter roads. The paper reviews climate policies from other jurisdictions—including electric vehicle programs in Vancouver and green trucking in Quebec—to provide a basis for developing a new integrated plan that balances mitigation and adaptation while fostering a green economy.
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Document type: Briefing