Search Climate Insights Directory

A coalition of social movements and NGOs argues that the FAO's current forest definition is reductionist and primarily benefits industrial timber, pulp, paper, and rubber companies. The authors contend that by defining forests simply as land with a certain percentage of tree cover, the FAO erroneously classifies large-scale monoculture plantations as 'reforestation' and ignores the structural and cultural importance of forests to the 300 million people who depend on them for their livelihoods. The letter calls for a new, community-led definition process that recognizes the role of forests in food sovereignty and biological diversity.

The report finds that while the EU ETS initially focused management attention on CO2, a declining carbon price and free allocation rules have since diminished its impact. Most emission reductions were driven by economic cycles or non-ETS regulations. The authors argue that current free allocation creates distortions, such as discouraging asset rationalization and incentivizing excess clinker production. To unlock deep mitigation like Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) and clinker substitution, the report recommends strengthening the carbon price signal, reforming leakage protection through output-based allocation or the inclusion of consumption, and providing targeted innovation support.

The document examines Europe's position within a global 'leading group' of countries advancing energy efficiency, renewable energy, and carbon pricing. It argues that staying in this group is essential for Europe to attract investment, drive innovation, and reduce dependence on energy imports. The authors contend that energy prices are not the primary driver of global competitiveness for most industries, as 92% of German manufacturing spends less than 1.6% of revenue on energy. For the small minority of energy-intensive sectors, the report asserts that price differentials are primarily caused by natural resource endowments rather than climate policies, and that existing 'Carbon Leakage' protections in the EU ETS mitigate competitive risks. The report concludes that a coordinated European low-carbon strategy can create net-employment gains and maintain international credibility in climate negotiations.

The document outlines the three primary areas of MRV—greenhouse gas emissions, mitigation actions, and support—and highlights the specific challenges LDCs face, particularly regarding the lack of common definitions for climate finance and the capacity burdens of reporting requirements.

The document examines the 'sustainability of democracy,' exploring how representative systems can be reformed to address ecological challenges and the rights of future generations. It analyzes the role of Green political foundations as bridges between civil society and state institutions, critiques the 'short-termism' of current political cycles, and presents various democratic experiments—such as the Finnish Citizens' Initiative and the Green Primary—as pathways toward a more participatory and post-national European democracy.

The document examines the nature of far-right extremism in Europe, categorising agents into youth gangs, terrorist cells, political/paramilitary groups, and nativist/anti-Islam movements. It identifies four primary government approach structures: general crime prevention, securitised, social-integration linked, and multi-agent/multi-level. The report highlights significant implementation challenges, including poor data collection, lack of frontline awareness, and the 'securitisation' of the issue which can alienate civil society. It concludes with ten key recommendations, emphasizing the need for comprehensive legal frameworks on hate crime, national Exit programmes for disengagement, and long-term funding for sustainable prevention.

The document outlines a comprehensive framework for tackling far-right extremism through seven key action areas: diverting individuals from involvement, responding to hate speech, managing public order, ending violent behaviour, supporting victims, raising awareness, and pushing public agencies to act. It emphasizes the importance of experiential learning, non-judgemental intervention, and the use of credible messengers, such as former extremists and survivors. The guide provides specific guidance for different professional roles, including police, educators, and local authorities, while highlighting the necessity of staff well-being and the strategic use of digital platforms to counter extremist narratives.

The document evaluates the outcomes of COP19 through a human rights lens, noting progress in establishing the Warsaw Mechanism for loss and damage and rules for REDD+ safeguards, while criticizing the lack of accountability in the Green Climate Fund and the postponement of Clean Development Mechanism reforms.

The COP19 analysis by Carbon Market Watch describes the conference as demoralizing due to the influence of corporate interests and the lowering of climate targets by countries like Japan. While the conference established a mechanism for loss and damage and made progress on REDD+ safeguards and funding, it failed to reach decisions on future carbon markets, the Framework for Various Approaches (FVA), or the New Market Mechanism (NMM). The document also notes that reforms to the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) and Joint Implementation (JI) were largely postponed, though some guidance on stakeholder consultation for the CDM was improved.

The report examines the potential of South Africa's shale gas reserves, estimated by the US Energy Information Administration as the eighth largest globally. It contrasts a 'Base Case' of no fracking with a 'Shale Boom' and a 'Blue Bridge' scenario. While a shale boom could boost GDP and reduce poverty, it risks significant water contamination in the semi-arid Karoo region and may increase long-term carbon emissions by delaying renewable energy investment. The authors propose a 'Blue Bridge' approach, using an excise tax on fracking to fund renewable energy infrastructure, which they argue could maximize economic growth while ensuring long-term environmental sustainability.

The study examines pig production in the Neman/Nemunas river basin, covering Belarus, Lithuania, Latvia, Poland, and Kaliningrad (Russia). It highlights a shift toward large-scale industrial farming, which now constitutes 70-85% of the sector, while noting the continued importance of household farms for food security. The report identifies significant water pollution risks from manure management, particularly diffuse-source pollution, and notes a lack of transboundary coordination. Key recommendations include promoting nutrient reuse by linking pig and crop farms, improving manure handling through technologies like biogas plants and deep-litter housing, and strengthening regulatory frameworks to include small-scale producers.

A coalition of civil society organisations calls for the UNFCCC to implement formal rules to prevent the fossil fuel industry and major polluters from influencing climate policy. The letter highlights the problematic presence of corporate partners and coal industry lobbyists at COP19 in Warsaw, arguing that their commercial interests are irreconcilable with ambitious climate action. The authors suggest following the World Health Organisation's model for excluding the tobacco industry from public health policy-making.

Friends of the Earth U.S. supports the walkout of climate activists from COP19 in Warsaw, arguing that developed countries, particularly the U.S., have failed to take necessary action to combat the climate crisis and are instead protecting corporate polluters.

The document is a statement by activist Gerry Arrances of the Philippine Movement for Climate Justice, written during a UN climate conference in Warsaw. It links the severity of extreme weather events, such as Typhoon Yolanda, to the continued use of dirty energy and specifically coal. The author criticizes the governments of Poland, Australia, and Japan for supporting coal interests and calls for the Philippine government to implement a national moratorium on new coal projects in favor of renewable energy systems.

The document is an open letter signed by 87 civil society networks and organisations from 33 countries. It calls on UNFCCC delegates at COP-19 to ensure ambitious mitigation commitments to maintain a temperature limit of 2°C and to prevent carbon market mechanisms from weakening these goals. Specifically, the signatories demand the rejection of a pilot phase for trading carbon market units under the Framework for Various Approaches (FVA), the establishment of an international accounting framework to prevent double counting, and the exclusion of non-additional project types, such as large power projects and coal power, from the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) and Joint Implementation (JI). The letter also advocates for the cessation of fossil fuel subsidies and the implementation of human rights safeguards for projects under the CDM, Green Climate Fund, and Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Actions (NAMAs).

The document outlines the state of climate finance negotiations leading up to COP19, focusing on the mobilization of US$100 billion per year by 2020 and the operationalization of the Green Climate Fund. It details the work of the Standing Committee on Finance, the challenges facing the Adaptation Fund due to falling carbon prices, and the need for 'enabling environments' in both developed and developing countries to attract and deploy investment. The guide emphasizes that providing financial assurance to developing countries is critical for securing their commitment to a new global climate agreement in 2015.

The document examines the evolution of the EU ETS through its first three phases, focusing on how carbon pricing affects the international competitiveness of energy-intensive industries. It analyzes the phenomenon of 'carbon leakage'—where production relocates to countries with laxer environmental rules—and argues that while this risk exists for specific sectors like steel and cement, it is often mitigated by free allowance allocations and broader economic restructuring trends. The author suggests that for countries like South Korea, the EU experience shows that the risk of leakage is manageable if policy focuses on the most vulnerable sectors and the decarbonization of the energy mix.

Carbon Market Watch argues that the Framework for Various Approaches (FVA) should not be established or piloted until the Ad Hoc Working Group on the Durban Platform for Enhanced Action (ADP) defines mitigation commitment requirements and common accounting rules. The author contends that carbon markets have failed to incentivize adequate national commitments and warns that without stringent eligibility criteria and international oversight, the FVA could facilitate the use of low-quality units and 'hot air' offsets. Key recommendations include linking market access to high ambition, eliminating all forms of double-counting to ensure a 'net atmospheric benefit', and excluding detrimental sectors like coal power and REDD+ activities from the framework.

A coalition of organizations requests transparency regarding EDF Trading's involvement in CDM project 2716 and calls for the project's approval to be withdrawn. The letter cites a Ministry of Environment and Forest report indicating that the project fails to meet sustainable development criteria, harms local fishing and pastoralist communities, and causes significant air pollution. Additionally, the authors argue that the project lacks additionality and relies on a flawed crediting methodology that was suspended in 2011.

A coalition of organizations requests that the French government provide transparency regarding EDF Trading's involvement in and subsequently withdraw its approval for CDM project 2716, a coal-fired power plant in Mundra, India. The authors argue the project fails sustainable development criteria due to environmental damage, lack of community consultation, and flawed carbon crediting methodologies.