Search Climate Insights Directory
490 results
Asset managers feeling the heat on climate from pension funds
Pension funds, managing over USD 73 trillion globally, face systemic risks from climate change that could reduce returns by 33% by 2050. While 200 major funds have begun divesting from fossil fuels to fulfill fiduciary duties, third-party asset managers often maintain carbon-intensive investments. This misalignment has led pension funds to withdraw over USD 100 billion from managers including BlackRock and State Street.
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Document type: Fact sheet
TARGETING FAILURE
The report finds that investor climate targets are often opaque, lack ambition, and are poorly linked to real-world emission reductions. Analysis of 83 global investors reveals that many targets rely on volatile financial metrics, exclude scope 3 emissions, and are frequently reported as achieved long before their deadlines. The document recommends that investors adopt science-based sectoral targets, increase transparency in reporting, and align climate solutions investments with established taxonomies.
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Document type: Report
Resilience and Vulnerability to Misinformation and Disinformation in Political Information Environments: A Comparative Review of Ten Indexes
The report evaluates ten distinct indexes designed to diagnose the resilience or vulnerability of political information environments to mis- and disinformation. It develops a typology of these tools—categorizing them as advertising-oriented, policy-driven, academically oriented, or public outreach—and analyzes their conceptual foundations, data collection methods, and scoring architectures. The review finds that most indexes rely on proxy indicators (such as institutional trust or media freedom) rather than direct measurement of false content. Comparative case studies reveal that while some indexes converge on structural constants in advanced democracies, others diverge sharply due to different operational definitions of 'resilience,' such as distinguishing between reactive mobilization and long-term structural capacity. The document concludes that current measurement is fragmented and recommends a more unified architecture that integrates structural, behavioral, and platform-specific dynamics.
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Document type: Research paper
LIVING PLANET REPORT 2026
The Living Planet Report 2026 documents a 73% average decline in monitored vertebrate populations between 1970 and 2022. It identifies the energy, food, and financial systems as the primary drivers of this loss. The report introduces a framework of 'positive tipping points'—thresholds where beneficial change becomes self-amplifying—to accelerate the transition to a nature-positive economy. While the energy sector is already in an 'accelerating phase,' the food and finance sectors remain in the 'enabling phase.' The report emphasizes that achieving the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework targets by 2030 requires coordinated global action, subsidy reform, and the inclusion of Indigenous Peoples and local communities in governance.
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Document type: Report
Global Assessment of Migratory Freshwater Fishes
The assessment identifies 349 migratory, transboundary freshwater fish species that potentially meet CMS Appendix criteria, with 325 not yet listed. These species are facing rapid declines due to connectivity loss, habitat degradation, and overexploitation. The report emphasizes the need for basin-scale cooperation in priority areas such as the Amazon, Mekong, and Danube, proposing a 'toolbox' of CMS instruments—including Appendix listings, Action Plans, and MOUs—to restore 'swimways' and ensure the survival of these ecologically and economically vital species.
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Document type: Executive summary
Neonicotinoid Seed Treatments in North American Row Crops: A Literature Review of Yield and Profitability Outcomes
The review finds that neonicotinoid seed treatments (NSTs) often fail to provide statistically significant increases in yield or profitability for North American farmers, particularly in colder regions like the Midwest and Northern U.S. where early-season pest pressure is lower. While some positive returns on investment (ROI) were observed in the U.S. South due to milder winters and higher pest pressure, these results were inconsistent year-to-year. The document highlights significant ecological harms, including the reduction of predator insect populations, damage to pollinators, and disruption of soil decomposition. It argues that a shift from prophylactic use to an 'assess-and-decide' approach based on actual pest pressure would save farmers money without reducing yields.
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Document type: Research paper
From Concept to Commitment – Iron and Steel Producers Answer the Call for Near-Zero Steel
RMI's Sustainable Steel Buyers Platform (SSBP) conducted its first North American request for proposal (RFP), aggregating demand from nine buyers seeking over one million tons of near-zero emission (NZE) steel. The process yielded 13 commercial-scale project proposals targeting production by the early 2030s, featuring a mix of hydrogen-based direct reduced iron (DRI), novel ironmaking pathways (electrochemical, bio-based, and sodium-based), and electric arc furnace (EAF) retrofits. The findings highlight that binding multi-year, take-or-pay agreements and 'book and claim' mechanisms are critical for project bankability and linking buyer premiums to first-of-a-kind projects.
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Document type: Briefing
State of OECD Pension Funds' Climate Transition: Insights and Recommendations from the Net Zero Finance Tracker
The report evaluates the climate transition of 594 OECD pension funds using Net Zero Finance Tracker data. While target-setting is improving, significant exposure to expansionist fossil fuel companies remains. The analysis finds that funds with formal climate targets and transition plans hold higher shares of clean energy and that robust regulatory frameworks in countries like the UK, Denmark, and the Netherlands correlate with stronger climate action.
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Document type: Report
Hohe Arbeitslosigkeit und Unsicherheit treiben die Abwanderung der westafrikanischen Jugend voran
The document analyzes the rising trend of youth emigration from West Africa, driven by high unemployment, insecurity, and structural inequality. It highlights the resulting brain drain in critical sectors and suggests leveraging the digital economy and diaspora skills to create regional opportunities.
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Document type: Research paper
Attribution Science 101
The document introduces attribution science as a method to measure how human-caused climate change affects the likelihood, frequency, and intensity of weather events by comparing current observations with simulated 'counterfactual' worlds. It details Climate Central's specific tools, such as the Climate Shift Index (CSI) for air and sea surface temperatures and the Tropical Cyclone CSI for hurricane wind speeds. The guide distinguishes between different types of attribution—event, trend, source, and impact—and notes that while temperature-related events are highly quantifiable, other severe weather like tornadoes remains an active area of research.
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Document type: Guide
ERS Spotlight Partial Substitution of Nitrogen Fertilizer
The document highlights the use of soil activators and organic substitutes to reduce synthetic nitrogen fertilizer application by up to 20% without compromising crop yields, noting a specific project impact of 12,765 tCO2e in North America.
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Document type: Fact sheet
How To Assess the Alignment of Corporate Investment Pipelines
The document outlines a forward-looking framework for financial institutions to evaluate corporate investment alignment. It moves beyond high-level disclosures by analyzing asset-level data to project future emissions and production trajectories. The process involves selecting metrics, gathering asset data, calculating company-level trajectories, choosing benchmarks (such as IEA scenarios or company targets), and interpreting the 'alignment delta' to identify transition risks and engagement opportunities.
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Document type: Guide
Global Landscape of Climate Finance 2025
Global climate finance reached a record USD 1.9 trillion in 2023, driven by a 30% compound annual growth rate in private finance from 2018 to 2023. While mitigation finance dominates at 94% of total flows—primarily targeting energy systems and transport—adaptation finance decreased by 16% in 2023 to USD 65 billion. Significant regional disparities persist, with 79% of finance concentrated in East Asia and the Pacific, Western Europe, and the US and Canada. Despite growth, current investment levels remain three times lower than the most conservative estimates of global needs.
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Document type: Fact sheet
CEO Note: A new era of South-South cooperation for nature
The document highlights Indonesia's decision to contribute to the Tropical Forest Forever Facility (TFFF), a fund initiated by Brazil to raise up to $125 billion for nature conservation. The author describes this as a move away from the historical reliance on 'Global North' funding and urges wealthy nations to invest in the fund to reach the necessary scale, while noting that Indonesia and Brazil must still address internal deforestation drivers.
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Document type: Statement
The Right to be Forgotten: Balancing Privacy and the Public's Right to KnowS Know
The September 2025 Carbon Minefields monitor reports that while licensing activity may decline slightly compared to 2024, significant global expansion continues. In August 2025, 8,700 square kilometers of acreage were awarded, with oil and gas volumes reaching their highest point for this stage of the year in five years. Over the past 12 months, 492 new licences were awarded, which could emit 1,777.8 MtCO2 if fully combusted. National oil companies (NOCs) are key drivers, acquiring over one third of these licences and accounting for half of global production. Future outlooks indicate 77 licences currently open or under evaluation and 454 additional blocks in planning, with China having the largest planned block emissions at approximately 2,670.4 MtCO2.
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Document type: Research paper
People Exposed to Climate Change: June-August 2025
Between June and August 2025, human-induced climate change significantly increased global temperatures, with at least 22% of the global population experiencing temperatures at Climate Shift Index (CSI) level 2 or higher every day. Nearly 955 million people faced 30 or more 'risky heat days' added by climate change, with the highest impact seen in Asia. The report also documents severe climate-driven events, including record rainfall and flooding in China, India, Pakistan, and the U.S., as well as historic wildfires in Europe and Canada.
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Document type: Report
Forging ahead: China’s electricity transition in action
China is transitioning from a focus on adding renewable capacity to building a "new electricity system" that integrates high levels of variable energy. In 2024, China invested $625 billion USD in clean energy, significantly outpacing other major regions. This shift, combined with expanding electrification in industry, transport, and buildings, is contributing to a structural decline in fossil fuel generation. By the first half of 2025, combined wind and solar generation surpassed the combined output of hydro, nuclear, and bioenergy, and total installed capacity for these sources exceeded that of coal for the first time.
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Document type: Report
Digital Transformation Trade, Climate, and Net Zero Pathways: Scenarios and Implications for Developing Countries and Climate-Resilient Development
The document examines the 'twin transition' of digital and green transformations, highlighting how digital technologies can both enable climate action and contribute significantly to global greenhouse gas emissions. It identifies critical gaps in infrastructure and financing for developing countries and proposes five priority decarbonization levers: green infrastructure, energy-efficient operations, sustainable supply chains, circular economy models, and climate-compatible infrastructure. The authors argue for coordinated international cooperation, targeted financial incentives, and the integration of environmental provisions into digital trade agreements to ensure an inclusive transition to net zero.
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Document type: Briefing
CEO Note: Undoing the Soy Moratorium
The Brazilian competition authority (Cade) has suspended the Amazon Soy Moratorium, a voluntary agreement where soy and animal feed companies pledged not to buy soybeans from areas deforested in the Amazon after 2008. The author contends that the moratorium was an economic and environmental success, saving an estimated 18,000 square kilometers in its first decade while allowing agricultural expansion onto previously degraded lands. The document asserts that the suspension, driven by meat and feed industry lobbyists, is illegal under the Brazilian Constitution's principle of environmental protection. Mighty Earth intends to pressure retail sellers of meat to ensure commercial consequences for deforestation and advocates for a shift toward alternative proteins.
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Document type: Statement
Grounding Global Water Risk Assessments in Local Data
The document describes a methodology for bridging the gap between high-level global water risk assessments and local ground truths. Using Unilever as a case study, it illustrates how global tools like Aqueduct provide a necessary starting point for screening hundreds of sites, but require validation through facility manager feedback and expert consultants to correct for limitations in global modeling, such as the inability to account for human-made water transfers or local water quality issues.
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Document type: Case study