Search Climate Insights Directory

This research paper examines how arms transfers to Libyan rebels by France and Qatar undermine the United Nations arms embargo and violate end-user certificate agreements, highlighting the lack of international monitoring and enforcement in arms control systems.

This practical guide, published by the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) and coordinated by the Groupe de recherche et d’information sur la paix et la sécurité (GRIP), provides detailed procedures for African states to ratify and implement the Treaty of Pelindaba. The treaty establishes the African Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone (ANWFZ) to prevent the development, production, testing, acquisition, or stationing of nuclear weapons on the continent while promoting the peaceful use of nuclear energy.

This guide, published by the Institute for Security Studies in March 2011, outlines the African Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone Treaty (Treaty of Pelindaba). It details the treaty's objectives to ensure Africa remains free of nuclear weapons, the legal procedures for state ratification and accession, the roles of the African Commission on Nuclear Energy (AFCONE), and the status of protocols involving non-African nuclear-weapon states.

This research paper examines the rise of transnational organised crime (TCOs) as a global security threat, analyzing how globalisation and the erosion of state authority have facilitated the growth of criminal networks. It explores the relationship between TCOs and various state types—particularly weak and transitional states—and provides a typology of state roles in facilitating or combating illicit activities. The document details the operational characteristics of TCOs, including their use of ethnic networks and risk management strategies, and assesses the specific threats they pose to national security, financial systems, and human rights.

This report by Natural Justice and Kalpavriksh analyzes the legal and institutional frameworks affecting Indigenous peoples’ and local communities’ conserved territories and areas (ICCAs). It identifies systemic threats to these areas, including a lack of legal recognition for customary land rights and the imposition of exclusionary conservation models. While noting positive developments in international law and specific national initiatives, the report argues that state institutions often continue to undermine ICCAs through discriminatory legislation and inaccessible judicial systems. It provides comprehensive recommendations for governments and international bodies to recognize the self-determination of Indigenous peoples and support the integrity of ICCAs through both legal reform and non-legal support mechanisms.

This briefing by Natural Justice analyzes the legal and institutional frameworks affecting Territories and Areas of Conservation by Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (TICCAs). It examines the gap between international human rights standards and national implementation, highlighting how fragmented laws and a lack of recognition for customary land rights undermine the ability of Indigenous and local communities to maintain the ecological integrity of their territories.

This report analyzes the legal and institutional frameworks for protecting traditional knowledge (TK) in Mozambique, focusing on biodiversity, cultural heritage, and traditional medicine. It identifies a significant gap between high-level policy commitments and functional regulatory frameworks, noting that while Mozambique has ratified international agreements like the Nagoya Protocol, it lacks specific, operational laws to prevent the misappropriation of TK. The document highlights ongoing efforts to revise the 2007 Access and Benefit-Sharing (ABS) regulation and the potential for using geographical indications and academic partnerships to safeguard community knowledge.

This document is a rebuttal by Amory B. Lovins of the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) to an article and subsequent response by Charles C. Mann in The Atlantic. Lovins argues that Mann ignores the role of efficiency and technological innovation in reducing oil demand and misrepresents the reliability and economic viability of renewable energy, specifically in Germany.

This 2006 report examines the prospects for aerospace co-operation among India, Brazil, and South Africa (IBSA). It identifies South Africa's role as a 'second-tier' supplier and highlights the government's Aerospace Industry Support Initiative (AISI) to integrate the sector into global supply chains. While identifying potential for collaboration in regional aircraft, strategic defence systems, and small satellites, the report notes significant hurdles, including corruption allegations involving Denel and the Indian government, and the challenge of balancing South-South co-operation with existing partnerships with 'first-tier' Northern contractors.

This report by the SELCO Foundation examines the technical requirements and solar power system designs for mechanical ventilators in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, with a specific focus on addressing ventilator shortages and power instability in India.

This executive summary, based on a 2009 report prepared for the Swedish Government Offices, outlines an integrated approach for the European Union to combine climate change mitigation and energy security with economic competitiveness. It advocates for an 'eco-efficient economy' through resource efficiency, the development of new technology markets, and the establishment of stable global carbon prices.

This 2020 report by the Stockholm Environment Institute analyzes Green Public Procurement (GPP) in Estonia and Europe. It defines GPP as a subset of sustainable procurement focusing on life-cycle environmental impacts. Finding that GPP represented only 3% of Estonian procurements in 2018, the report provides legal analysis, comparisons with countries like Austria, Bulgaria, and Spain, and detailed technical GPP criteria for products such as sanitary faucets, toilets, and urinals to encourage wider adoption.

This executive summary, produced by the Stockholm Environment Institute for the Combat Climate Change (3C) initiative, examines how resource scarcity in biomass, metals, and water could hinder the transition to a low-carbon economy. It evaluates various scenarios for resource availability and proposes strategies—including technological innovation, policy shifts, and efficiency improvements—to ensure the viability of green technologies.

This report by the World Resources Institute examines Concentrating Solar Thermal power (CST) as a large-scale, zero-carbon alternative to coal-fired power generation. It highlights the role of thermal storage in providing baseload power and discusses the policy and economic barriers—such as high upfront capital costs and the need for carbon pricing—that must be addressed to accelerate global deployment, particularly in rapidly developing economies.

This working paper by the World Resources Institute explores how climate finance can catalyze transformational change in low-carbon energy. By analyzing 20 case studies from developed and developing countries, the paper identifies the characteristics of systemic transformation, evaluates specific national experiences, and provides a planning framework and recommendations for recipient governments and development finance institutions.

This guide from the World Resources Institute outlines various instruments for raising public finance to support climate goals, focusing on international public finance, climate bonds, debt-for-climate swaps, and national climate funds. It details how these mechanisms can help developing countries fill funding gaps for their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), the benefits and challenges associated with each, and provides real-world examples of their implementation.

This working paper by the World Resources Institute, developed with the Open Data Charter and the Inter-American Development Bank, advocates for the adoption of open data strategies to enhance climate action. It outlines the benefits of making climate-related datasets freely available for redistribution and use, drawing on a literature review, expert consultations, and pilot projects conducted in Chile and Uruguay between August 2019 and August 2020.

This briefing by Johan Rockström argues for a 'new green revolution' in agriculture to simultaneously address immediate poverty and long-term climate risks. The author proposes shifting focus from large-scale irrigation to small-scale rainfed agriculture and water harvesting, particularly in tropical regions, to increase food production and turn agriculture into a carbon sink.

This fact sheet by WWF South Africa examines water crises in several global cities to provide insights for Cape Town. It details the causes of water stress—ranging from lack of planning and infrastructure decay to climate-driven droughts—and evaluates the effectiveness of short-term responses versus long-term resilience strategies like demand management and supply diversification.