Search Climate Insights Directory

A statement by the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) and World’s Youth for Climate Justice (WYCJ) urging UN member states to support a resolution on May 20, 2026, to operationalize the International Court of Justice's (ICJ) Advisory Opinion on states' climate obligations.

The High Seas Treaty, formally the Agreement on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ agreement), enters into force on January 17, 2026. The treaty establishes a legal framework to protect biodiversity and manage natural resources in the 'high seas'—ocean areas outside any single country's jurisdiction, which cover approximately half of the planet's surface.

This guide from the World Resources Institute explains the concept of 'loss and damage' in the context of climate change, detailing the distinction between economic and non-economic losses, the history of UN negotiations, and the operationalization of the Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage (FRLD).

The Clean Air NDC Scorecard 2023 evaluates how 170 Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) integrate air quality and health considerations. The analysis reveals a significant gap in recognition of the links between climate action and air quality, particularly among high-income countries and major emitters, while low- and middle-income countries generally demonstrate higher levels of integration.

The 2023 CleanAir NDC Scorecard by the Global Climate and Health Alliance analyzes 170 Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) to assess how governments integrate air quality and health considerations into their climate plans. The report finds that while most NDCs mention air quality, there is a significant gap in quantifying health impacts and establishing forward-looking targets, with low- and middle-income countries generally showing higher levels of integration than high-income nations.

A statement from the High Level Panel for a Sustainable Ocean Economy (Ocean Panel) issued during COP26, reaffirming commitments to sustainably manage 100% of national waters and outlining key ocean-based climate actions to meet Paris Agreement goals.

This report analyzes the evolving jurisprudence of UN human rights treaty bodies (HRTBs) from 2008 to 2019, concluding that States have legal obligations under human rights treaties to implement ambitious climate mitigation (including phasing out fossil fuels), ensure inclusive adaptation, and provide international cooperation. Key developments include a 2019 joint statement by five HRTBs and the Human Rights Committee's recognition that climate change threatens the right to life, potentially triggering non-refoulment obligations in deportation cases.

This report by the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) and the Global Initiative for Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (GI-ESCR) synthesizes the work of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC) regarding climate change. It details the CRC's use of General Comments, the State reporting procedure, and the communications procedure to establish that States have legal obligations to protect children's rights—including the rights to life, health, and culture—against the impacts of global climate change.

This briefing by the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) and the Global Initiative for Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (GI-ESCR) examines how the Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC) addresses climate change within the framework of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC Convention). It focuses on the CRC's 2018 state reporting procedure, highlighting recommendations on mitigation, adaptation, procedural rights, and international cooperation.

This Stockholm Environment Institute working paper analyzes climate finance flows to 15 Pacific Island states between 2010 and 2014, utilizing data reported to the OECD Development Assistance Committee.

This research paper by the Stockholm Environment Institute analyses international climate finance flows to 15 Small Island Developing States (SIDS) in the Pacific from 2010 to 2014, using data from the OECD Development Assistance Committee's Creditor Reporting System (CRS). It quantifies the volume, sources, and sectoral distribution of funds, highlighting a heavy reliance on bilateral grants and project-based delivery.

This WRI fact sheet summarizes the 'Reefs at Risk Revisited' analysis for the Pacific region, detailing the extent of coral reefs, the human populations dependent on them, current local threats, and projected impacts of climate change through 2050.

This document is a book of abstracts from the Science and Research Symposium, a segment of the first-ever Global Sustainable Blue Economy Conference (SBEC) held in Nairobi, Kenya, from November 26th to 28th, 2018. It compiles nearly seventy abstracts submitted by global scholars and practitioners, focusing on the role of scientific research, technology, and innovation in harnessing the Blue Economy sustainably. The abstracts are organized into thematic areas including sustainable resource use, climate action resilience, global connectivity and transportation, and sustainable cities, with an additional focus on human resource capacity.

This research paper excerpt provides a detailed breakdown of climate finance flows to Palau between 2010 and 2014, detailing the amounts, sources, and specific policy objectives of the funding.

This project document outlines a global initiative titled "Strengthening the Blue Economy: the Economic Case, Science-Informed Policy, and Transparency," executed by the World Resources Institute (WRI) and implemented by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). The project aims to transition governments and businesses toward a sustainable ocean economy by developing a landmark High Level Panel (HLP) report, producing six thematic "Blue Papers," and creating a beta version of an online monitoring system called "Ocean Watch."

The WRI Results Framework is a strategic document that maps the organization's goals, intervention targets, and impact indicators across three primary human systems: food, land & water; energy; and cities. It establishes a hierarchy of results from global targets (by 2030) to WRI intervention targets (by 2027) and specific country-level targets, all designed to improve human well-being, protect nature, and tackle climate change.