Search Climate Insights Directory

Russia is identified as the second-largest provider of government support to fossil fuels globally, with an annual average of USD 80.9 billion between 2017 and 2019. This support is primarily driven by state-owned enterprise (SOE) investments and tax expenditures for oil and gas production. While the country has phased out some property tax exemptions for pipelines, overall tax expenditures for fossil fuels rose 79% compared to 2014–2016 averages. The report notes significant unquantified support via preferential rail tariffs for coal and regional programs for Arctic oil and gas, as well as a lack of commitment to G20 peer reviews on subsidies.

The document analyzes the scale and nature of food export restrictions during the COVID-19 crisis compared to the 2007/08 period. It finds that while 22 countries imposed restrictions in 2020, the overall impact on globally traded calories and monetary value is significantly lower than in 2008. The brief notes that current food availability challenges are driven more by logistical disruptions than the supply shortages and high energy prices that characterized the previous crisis.

The document highlights that current WTO disciplines fail to constrain high levels of trade-distorting support in major economies like the US, EU, China, and India, while hindering the ability of other members to invest in food security. It proposes simplifying rules through new overall limits tied to agricultural output, increased transparency, and special treatment for developing countries.

The G20 Scorecard evaluates OECD and non-OECD members across seven criteria related to fossil fuel funding, including transparency, pledges, and the scale of support for coal, oil, gas, and power generation. It ranks countries such as Germany, France, and Brazil at the top of their respective groups, while others like the United States and Saudi Arabia receive lower scores in multiple categories.

The report maps the 'online ecosystem' of the German far-right, identifying 379 channels across ten alternative platforms. It finds that while these platforms provide safe havens for extremist discourse, they generally have a much smaller reach than mainstream platforms. The study suggests that banning extremists from mainstream sites reduces their overall reach and does not lead to a direct mass migration to alternative platforms. It also highlights the role of 'alt-media' in amplifying far-right narratives, such as the 'great replacement' myth, which are rarely prominent in mainstream media.

The report analyzes the fragmented state of Libya, characterized by a stalemate between General Khalifa Haftar's Libyan National Army (LNA) and the UN-recognized Government of National Accord (GNA). It details how the conflict has evolved into a proxy war involving regional powers like Turkey, Egypt, the UAE, and Russia, and examines the resulting humanitarian crises, including mass migration and the resurgence of jihadist networks. Additionally, it highlights the geopolitical tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean triggered by a maritime delimitation agreement between Turkey and the GNA.

The report analyzes the failure of diplomatic efforts in Syria, including the Geneva and Astana processes, and maps the fragmented nature of the Syrian Sunni opposition. It details how external actors—primarily Russia, Turkey, and Iran—have established spheres of influence and proxy networks that complicate a sustainable political transition. The authors argue that the peace process has been largely detached from the Syrian people, exacerbated by the rise of extremist groups, the Kurdish issue, and a severe economic crisis compounded by COVID-19.

The Living Planet Report 2020 documents a severe global decline in wildlife populations and ecosystems, highlighting the interconnectedness of nature and human health. It identifies land-use change, overexploitation, and climate change as primary drivers of biodiversity loss and proposes a roadmap to 'bend the curve' of this decline through integrated conservation and food system reform.

The report examines the global wildfire crisis, highlighting that humans are responsible for 75% of all wildfires and that climate change is increasing fire season length and severity. It details the devastating impacts on biodiversity, human health, and economies, while calling for urgent global action through improved climate ambition, a shift toward prevention-based budgeting, and the halting of deforestation.

The author argues that while the EU views renewable energy as a path to energy security and industrial strength, it currently lacks a clear objective or blueprint for its future integrated energy system. This absence of a systemic plan creates domestic risks, such as redundant spending and political friction between Western and Eastern member states, and external vulnerabilities in the face of competition from China and the US. The text suggests that the EU must integrate its energy, infrastructure, and industrial policies to secure critical materials and market share, potentially utilizing the European Green Deal and the Just Transition Fund to mitigate internal disparities.

The briefing warns that up to 40 billion carbon credits lacking environmental integrity could undermine the Paris Agreement. These include legacy units from the Kyoto Protocol's CDM, JI, and IET mechanisms, as well as projected 'hot air' from NDCs set above business-as-usual levels. The author advocates for strict rules on the timing of reductions, the transferability of credits from weak targets, and the use of old credits to ensure the 1.5°C goal is not compromised.

The report analyzes how WTO rules targeting illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, overexploited stocks, and overcapacity would affect the sardinella fishery in West Africa. It finds that most industrial and artisanal fleets in the region, particularly those from Senegal, Mauritania, and the EU, rely on subsidies—especially fuel and access subsidies—to remain economically viable. The document argues that while removing these subsidies would likely lead to stock recovery and long-term profitability, it could cause short-term socio-economic hardship for artisanal fishers. It recommends a phased approach, prioritizing the removal of industrial subsidies first, and emphasizes the need for improved monitoring, control, and surveillance (MCS) to prevent a shift toward IUU fishing.

The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) outlines a comprehensive strategy for the U.S. to achieve net-zero emissions by mid-century. Key recommendations include restoring CAFE standards, investing in sustainable aviation fuels and electric aircraft, establishing national energy efficiency and renewable portfolio standards, and targeting net-zero energy for new buildings by 2050. The report emphasizes environmental justice, calling for a national climate bank and increased funding for the Rural Energy Savings Program. It also advocates for carbon pricing with border tax adjustments, the elimination of fossil fuel subsidies, and a transition to a circular economy to reduce plastic pollution.

In 2017, fossil fuels accounted for 92% of South Africa's primary energy supply, with related taxes and revenues making up 6.8% of general government revenue. The document argues that these revenues should be used to diversify the economy and cover the social costs of a just transition, while the phasing out of fossil fuel subsidies would increase government revenues and promote clean energy.

In 2017, fossil fuels accounted for 89% of China's primary energy supply, with related taxes and revenues representing 4.2% of general government revenue. The document argues that phasing out fossil fuel subsidies and strategically using these revenues can support economic diversification and the social costs of a just transition for vulnerable workers and communities.

The report analyzes the reliance of BRICS nations on fossil fuel revenues and subsidies, urging a strategic shift in fiscal policy to diversify economies and support vulnerable groups during the clean energy transition.

In 2017, fossil fuels accounted for 55% of Brazil's primary energy supply, with related taxes and revenues comprising 6.8% of general government revenue. The document argues that these revenues should be used to diversify the economy and cover the social costs of a just transition, while the phasing out of fossil fuel subsidies would increase government revenues and support the shift to clean energy.

The author argues that EU enlargement in the Western Balkans has stalled due to a 'dull reality' where local leaders benefit from the status quo and the EU lacks the political will or understanding to enforce genuine rule of law. The Berlin Process is critiqued as a 'plan B' that prioritised technical compliance over substantive reform. The document highlights specific failures in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Serbia, North Macedonia, Kosovo, and Albania, while warning that an economic and strategic vacuum is being filled by China, Russia, Turkey, and the USA. It further expresses concern over Croatia's 2020 EU presidency given its nationalist tendencies and strained relations with neighbours.

The report examines the legal framework protecting Sami reindeer husbandry from hydropower exploitation in Sweden. It details the historical marginalisation of Sami rights, the current permit process under the Environmental Code, and the implications of new 2019 legislation requiring the review of existing hydropower plants for modern environmental conditions. The analysis highlights the challenges Sami villages face in being recognised as stakeholders and the financial burdens of legal proceedings during reviews.

The report documents the risks faced by 'Defenders of Territories' in the Asia Pacific, linking violence and impunity to resource extraction, infrastructure projects, and weak rule of law. Through case studies in Bangladesh, Indonesia, Malaysia, Palestine, Russia, Sri Lanka, and the Philippines, it illustrates how corporate and state actors displace communities and suppress dissent. The document advocates for a systemic shift away from neoliberalism toward agroecology and renewable energy, while calling for a binding UN Treaty on transnational corporations to ensure accountability for human rights violations.