Search Climate Insights Directory

The IAI and CLARA have entered into a non-binding agreement to promote regional scientific capacities through the use of advanced networks, focusing on data management, open publications, and technological infrastructure for global change research in Latin America.

The statement argues that the COVID-19 pandemic has created an urgent need for governments to focus all resources on public health, specifically the procurement of medical supplies, vaccines, and medicines. It calls for the immediate suspension of trade and investment negotiations at the WTO, bilateral, and regional levels, asserting that such activities divert critical resources and personnel. The authors highlight that intellectual property rules under the WTO's TRIPS agreement and free trade agreements may obstruct the affordability and accessibility of life-saving supplies. The document demands the removal of all trade barriers and unilateral sanctions that hinder medical procurement and urges a fundamental rethink of trade rules that encourage monopolies and limit healthcare access.

Friends of the Earth International and a broad coalition of global endorsers call for an immediate cessation of trade and investment treaty negotiations. They argue that governments, particularly in developing and least developed countries, lack the resources to engage in these negotiations while managing the COVID-19 health crisis. The statement demands that trade negotiators focus exclusively on removing obstacles, such as intellectual property rules and unilateral sanctions, that hinder access to affordable vaccines, medicines, and diagnostics.

A solidarity statement calling for immediate government and international action to protect Amazonian indigenous peoples from COVID-19 by halting extractive industries and respecting indigenous self-governance.

The report outlines a four-step process—sector prioritization, landscape assessment, barrier identification, and intervention execution—to unlock private climate finance. Drawing from the International Climate Initiative Mobilizing Investment (IKI MI) program, it identifies common barriers such as unfavorable taxes, high capital costs, and a lack of proof points. It recommends that governments level the playing field by making low-carbon solutions commercially competitive against fossil-fuel alternatives and providing pilot projects to demonstrate business viability.

The briefing warns that emergency government responses to the COVID-19 pandemic—such as lockdowns, medical supply requisitions, and export bans—create an unprecedented risk of investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) claims under over 3,000 investment treaties. It highlights the unpredictability of arbitration tribunals and the high cost of defense, citing historical examples from Argentina and Egypt where states faced multi-billion dollar awards. The authors call for a coordinated global response, potentially through the UN or WTO, to suspend ISDS for pandemic measures or issue joint interpretations of the 'state of necessity' defense. As an interim measure, it suggests states may withdraw their consent to arbitration.

The briefing warns that emergency COVID-19 measures—such as lockdowns, nationalization of health services, and export bans—risk triggering a wave of investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) claims under over 3,000 investment treaties. It highlights the unpredictability of arbitration tribunals and the high cost of defense, which can average 8 million USD per case. Using historical examples like Argentina's 2001 crisis, the document illustrates how such claims can result in billions of dollars in awards, potentially undermining national health budgets and IMF rescue packages. The authors call for a coordinated global response via the UN, UNCTAD, or UNCITRAL to suspend arbitration for COVID-19 measures or issue joint interpretations of the 'state of necessity' defense. As an interim measure, it suggests that states may unilaterally withdraw their consent to arbitration.

The document outlines how developing countries can use tax policy to support the mining sector during the COVID-19 crisis. It identifies sector impacts, such as mine closures in Mongolia, Peru, Bolivia, and Madagascar, and fluctuating commodity prices. The guide recommends targeted relief for companies in severe financial distress, suggesting options like deferring payroll taxes, speeding up VAT refunds, and granting import duty relief. It explicitly advises against income tax holidays and withholding tax relief, while proposing that any state aid be conditioned on worker retention and the abandonment of aggressive tax avoidance.

The document outlines how governments in resource-rich developing countries can use fiscal policy to support the mining sector during the COVID-19 crisis. It identifies short-term impacts such as operational suspensions in Mongolia, Peru, Bolivia, and Madagascar, and fluctuating commodity prices. The guide recommends targeted tax relief—such as deferring payroll taxes, accelerating VAT refunds, and providing import duty relief—only for companies demonstrating severe economic distress. It emphasizes that such support should be conditional on maintaining employment, suspending executive bonuses, and adopting transparent pricing and tax practices. The guide warns against general income tax exemptions and the removal of withholding taxes on non-residents, as these are inefficient or risky for developing states.

The document outlines how governments in developing countries can use fiscal policy to support the mining sector during the COVID-19 crisis. It identifies specific pandemic-driven impacts—such as mine closures, fluctuating commodity prices, and supply chain disruptions—and proposes targeted relief options including the deferral of social charges, VAT credits, and royalty exemptions. The guide emphasizes that aid should be conditional on job retention and transparency, while warning against broad corporate income tax exemptions.

The document argues that off-grid solar (OGS) is a critical tool for achieving universal energy access and climate mitigation, particularly by replacing kerosene lamps and reducing black carbon emissions. Despite this, multilateral climate finance institutions have invested only a small fraction of the total capital deployed in the sector. The briefing identifies barriers such as the complexity of projects that combine mitigation, adaptation, and development, as well as a focus on large-scale projects. It recommends strategies including increased concessional financing for early-stage businesses, expanded use of blended finance to attract commercial equity, and the development of a uniform methodology to quantify the climate benefits of OGS, specifically regarding black carbon.

The paper examines how renewable energy policies diffuse between countries, arguing that policy transfer is a complex, iterative process rather than a simple adoption of policies from a lender to a borrower. Using an adapted Dolowitz and Marsh framework, the authors find that outcomes are shaped by interactions between national and international actors, with significant influence from the EU and international developments, while domestic factors ensure policies are adapted to local contexts.

The document argues that formal land titles are often used as a proxy for tenure security but frequently fail to provide women with actual control over land due to discriminatory laws, customary norms, and lack of access to resources. It highlights that individual titling can conflict with indigenous collective tenure systems and may even lead to dispossession. To achieve genuine security, the author recommends gender-equitable normative frameworks, the inclusion of women in land governance, and ancillary support such as technical training and credit access.

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.

The evaluation concludes that the GCF's interim ESS standards, based on IFC Performance Standards, are not fit-for-purpose as they focus on risk mitigation ('do no harm') rather than generating positive environmental and social outcomes ('do good'). Key gaps were identified in human rights, gender equity, and the monitoring of co-benefits. The report finds that the accreditation process is largely a desk review that fails to verify institutional capacity, and the Project Preparation Facility (PPF) suffers from excessive processing times. Monitoring is heavily reliant on AE self-reporting via Annual Performance Reports (APRs) due to the non-operationalization of the Monitoring and Accountability Framework (MAF). Additionally, the REDD+ pilot programme was found to be inconsistent with the Warsaw Framework for REDD+ (WFR) by imposing additional safeguard requirements and a binary pass/fail assessment.

The report analyzes Bolivia's quinoa sector through a 'value web' lens, identifying that while the country has high biocapacity and biodiversity, the industry remains heavily reliant on exporting bulk seeds. It highlights the underutilization of quinoa biomass—specifically saponins and residual stems/husks—and identifies critical gaps in public financing and knowledge exchange between industry and research institutions. The authors warn that current policies favoring specific varieties like quinoa real and organic monocultures may threaten biodiversity and climate resilience.

The Delhi Declaration on Local Green Enterprise asserts that micro, medium, and small enterprises (MSMEs) are essential for India's transition to a green economy, as they create 80% of new jobs and contribute 37% to the GDP. The declaration defines Local Green Enterprises (LGEs) as those demonstrating environmental consciousness in resource and waste management and inclusiveness in wages and revenue distribution. To scale these enterprises, the signatories call for affordable credit through blended finance, streamlined public procurement processes, and government-led triple bottom line impact assessments to incentivize the shift from 'brown' to green business practices.

The Green Economy Coalition (GEC) has established a 10-year action plan (2020–2030) to drive structural economic reform globally. The strategy identifies five systemic flaws in current economic models—including outdated metrics like GDP and short-termism in finance—and proposes five key interventions: reforming governance, financial systems, economic sectors, inequality, and the valuation of nature. To achieve these, GEC will pursue four pathways: telling new narratives, building critical mass through citizen dialogue, influencing policy via tools like the Green Economy Tracker, and transitioning to a decentralized 'network of networks' structure. The goal is to ensure that by 2030, inclusive green economy principles are central to decisions made by policymakers, business leaders, and citizens.

The document examines the intersection of gender, corruption, and natural resource management (NRM), asserting that corruption disproportionately affects marginalized groups and that gender-informed strategies can enhance accountability. It provides evidence that women's participation in forestry and fisheries management in India and Nepal leads to better conservation results. The briefing highlights gendered differences in corruption, noting that while men often dominate high-level grand corruption, women are more vulnerable to sexual extortion and bribery for public services. It presents practical examples of gender mainstreaming, such as the Akashinga all-female anti-poaching units in Zimbabwe and the Hariyo Ban Program in Nepal, and provides a framework of core questions and principles for practitioners to integrate gender analysis into policy design.

The report details how the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) integrates gender equality into climate change obligations through General Recommendations, joint statements, and State reporting. It highlights the Committee's focus on disaster risk reduction, the disproportionate impact of climate change on women and girls, and the necessity of women's active participation in climate policy. The document analyzes CEDAW's Concluding Observations from 2008 to 2019, noting a high volume of recommendations for Small Island Developing States and Least Developed Countries, primarily focusing on adaptation and procedural rights, while also issuing specific mitigation demands regarding fossil fuel extraction and fracking.