Search Climate Insights Directory

This fact sheet describes the Long-range Energy Alternatives Planning System (LEAP), a software tool developed by the Stockholm Environment Institute for energy policy analysis and climate change mitigation assessment. It outlines the software's capabilities in integrated modelling, scenario analysis, and decision support, noting its widespread adoption by government agencies, academics, and NGOs in over 150 countries.

This report examines the environmental consequences of the rapid expansion of Thailand's electrical and electronic equipment (EEE) sector, driven by trade liberalization and export-led growth. It identifies risks associated with production and e-waste management while proposing policy and industry interventions to improve environmental performance and market competitiveness.

This research paper examines commodity income management in Southeast Asian economies, focusing on coffee in Vietnam and palm oil in Malaysia. It analyzes the impacts of price volatility on producers and evaluates various state interventions, including supply management, diversification, and transition schemes, to provide recommendations for stabilizing commodity revenues.

This research paper by the Stockholm Environment Institute evaluates the Swedish Ozone Layer Protection programme (OLP), a bilateral initiative from 1999 to 2006 designed to support the implementation of the Montreal Protocol in developing countries and economies in transition. The report identifies country ownership, capacity building, and stakeholder participation as critical governance factors for the successful national phase-out of ozone-depleting substances (ODS). It argues that a shift from top-down regulation to bottom-up governance is necessary for sustainable implementation and provides recommendations for reforming the incentive structures of implementing agencies and the status of national ozone units.

This fact sheet from the Environmental and Energy Study Institute describes various technologies for generating electricity from the ocean's tides, waves, currents, and heat, detailing their technical requirements, existing global projects, and associated benefits and challenges.

This report evaluates the 'Next Generation Policy Directions' project, which trained young researchers from seven developing countries to integrate information society and sustainable development policies. It finds that while youth can directly influence national ICT strategies and bridge policy gaps due to their interdisciplinary flexibility, they require strong institutional support and tailored gender-inclusive strategies to be effective. Key success factors included 'learning by doing' and providing researchers with a sense of ownership over their work.

This fact sheet by Friends of the Earth International argues that genetically modified (GM) plants have failed to deliver on promises of reducing hunger and poverty, instead serving to increase the market control and profits of biotechnology multinationals, specifically Monsanto. The document details the limited variety of GM crops, the concentration of their cultivation in a few countries, and the negative socio-economic and environmental impacts across North America, South America, Asia, Europe, and Africa.

This report by Friends of the Earth International argues that World Trade Organization (WTO) negotiations and regional free trade agreements prioritize corporate profit over environmental sustainability and human rights, leading to the loss of livelihoods for millions of small-scale farmers, fishers, and indigenous peoples. The document details how trade liberalization facilitates the privatization of natural resources, undermines food sovereignty, and exacerbates climate change and desertification across various global regions.

This briefing by the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) analyzes draft provisions for the protection of traditional knowledge (TK) and traditional cultural expressions/folklore against misappropriation, specifically within the context of the World Intellectual Property Organization's (WIPO) Intergovernmental Committee (IGC). The document argues that current draft provisions lack sufficient focus on the intellectual property (IP) system, which is where misappropriation primarily occurs. It advocates for a legally binding international instrument and specific IP-related measures—such as disclosure requirements and stricter patentability criteria—to prevent the illegitimate granting of IP rights over TK.

This research paper by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) analyzes the ongoing WTO negotiations on environmental goods. It argues that current lists of goods for liberalization are dominated by developed countries and proposes including environmentally preferable products (EPPs) and implementing Special and Differential Treatment (SDT) to ensure a balanced distribution of trade gains for developing nations.

This guide, published by the Center for International Environmental Law and Physicians for Social Responsibility, provides a comprehensive framework for using international law and institutions to protect children's environmental health. It details how human rights, labor, environmental, and health treaties can be leveraged to hold governments accountable, build capacity, and resolve disputes regarding the disproportionate vulnerability of children to environmental toxins and degradation.

This 2005 IISD report examines food security as a fundamental human right, moving beyond simple supply metrics to include distribution and individual access. It evaluates four strategies for achieving food security: food self-sufficiency, trade liberalization, food sovereignty, and multi-functional agriculture. The report argues that while trade can stabilize supply, it can also undermine local production and increase vulnerability. It concludes that a pragmatic approach combining flexible trade rules with national policy space and sustainable agricultural practices is necessary to ensure long-term food security.

The report analyzes the impact of bilateral trade agreements on copyright and access to knowledge, noting that agreements involving the U.S. often impose protections (such as 70-year terms and anti-circumvention of TPMs) that exceed multilateral standards. It also summarizes IP disputes in the WTO regarding pharmaceutical compulsory licensing and genetic resource disclosure, as well as tensions at WIPO over the Substantive Patent Law Treaty.

This briefing paper by Friends of the Earth International argues that the US government is implementing a policy to make the contamination of the food supply with experimental genetically modified (GM) crops 'acceptable.' The document details the risks of such contamination, the lack of rigorous regulation for field trials, and the potential for these traits to spread globally through US food exports.

This December 2003 report by Friends of the Earth International argues that International Financial Institutions (IFIs), including multilateral development banks and bilateral export credit agencies, should phase out funding for the extractive industries. The document contends that IFI-supported oil, gas, and mining projects frequently lead to environmental disasters, human rights abuses, and the marginalization of indigenous peoples, while failing to alleviate poverty in resource-rich developing nations.

This report by Friends of the Earth International argues that international financial institutions (IFIs) should cease funding extractive industries—specifically oil, gas, and mining—due to their devastating impacts on local communities, human rights, and the global environment. Through multiple case studies across Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Americas, the document illustrates how public funding for these projects often exacerbates poverty, fuels corruption, and contributes to climate change, while providing minimal economic benefit to host countries.

This briefing by Friends of the Earth International examines the theories, institutions, and impacts of the global trade system, arguing that its core principles are fundamentally flawed and prioritize economic growth and corporate interests over environmental sustainability, social equity, and human development.

This report by Friends of the Earth International (FOEI) examines how multilateral trade negotiations within the World Trade Organization (WTO) could negatively impact the rights of Indigenous Peoples, specifically regarding territorial rights, traditional knowledge, and the management of protected areas and natural resources.

This executive summary examines the domestic import regulations for genetically modified organisms (GMOs) across various global regions and analyzes their compatibility with World Trade Organization (WTO) rules. It highlights the contrast between the stringent regulatory regimes in the European Union and the more flexible approach in the United States, while also detailing the emerging biosafety frameworks in Asia, Latin America, and Africa. The document specifically evaluates potential legal conflicts regarding mandatory labelling, traceability, and the 'precautionary principle' within the context of WTO agreements such as the SPS and TBT Agreements.

This position paper by Friends of the Earth International argues that current global trade rules, particularly those of the WTO, undermine food sovereignty and sustainability. It advocates for a shift from industrial, export-oriented agriculture toward localized, sustainable food systems that prioritize the rights of small farmers and the environment over corporate interests.