Search Climate Insights Directory

The report explores the integration of 'fintech' (IoT, big data, AI, and blockchain) into environmental science to address water challenges exacerbated by climate change. Through case studies like the Jefferson Project and Copernicus, it demonstrates how real-time data and advanced analytics enable early warning systems, fill critical data gaps, and inform sustainable decision-making in watersheds, agriculture, and urban environments.

The report details a growing movement across Europe to replace the 'war on drugs' with policies based on harm reduction, public health, and human rights. It provides country-specific accounts from Belgium, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Hungary, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain, and the UK, highlighting a tension between restrictive national laws and progressive proposals for decriminalisation, legalisation of cannabis, and the implementation of safe consumption rooms.

The author examines the tension between maintaining the US-led 'nuclear sharing' system and pursuing European strategic autonomy. While some propose a Franco-German nuclear cooperation to replace the US umbrella, the author warns against European militarism and instead advocates for a diplomatic strategy of preventive denuclearization, drawing on the Rapacki Plan to reduce nuclear stockpiles in Europe and move toward a world without nuclear weapons.

The authors examine the struggle of Social Democratic, Green, and far-left parties in the EU, noting their failure to translate voter concerns about climate change and unemployment into electoral success. They argue that the material prosperity brought by globalisation has complicated traditional left-wing appeals, while a sense of 'declinism' has benefited right-wing populists. The document suggests that progressives should avoid narratives of societal decline and instead offer a hopeful vision of the future to regain political influence.

ClientEarth argues that the post-2020 EMFF must avoid capacity-enhancing subsidies and instead prioritize marine biodiversity restoration, data collection, and fisheries control. The briefing criticizes the European Commission's proposal for reducing prescriptive eligibility rules and reintroducing harmful subsidies for vessel renewal and cessation schemes, which contradicts EU international commitments under UN SDG 14 and WTO negotiations. Key recommendations include ring-fencing 25% of budgets for biodiversity and control, strengthening conditionality to include environmental law violations, and limiting funding to SMEs and low-impact aquaculture.

The document advocates for the European Union to lead the 'Mission 2020' initiative, which aims to bend the global emissions curve by 2020 to stay within the 2-degree Celsius limit of the Paris Agreement. It argues that the EU can use its existing institutional frameworks, specifically regional cohesion and structural funds, to support a just transition toward low-carbon economies. The text emphasizes a shift from centralized energy production to decentralized, community-based renewable energy systems to empower local actors and counteract populist movements. It cites historical industrial transitions in regions like the Ruhr Area as evidence that such structural changes can be managed. Additionally, it highlights the role of bottom-up movements, such as the Transition Town Movement and the fossil fuel divestment movement, in driving decarbonization.

Suez has committed to reducing absolute Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions by 30% by 2030 from a 2014 baseline, a target approved by the Science Based Target initiative. The company focuses on transitioning customers to a "use-and-recover approach" through circular economy practices, such as diverting waste from landfills to reduce methane and converting wastewater treatment plants into carbon-neutral "bio-factories." To manage financial risk and guide technology choices, Suez employs an internal carbon price based on the EU ETS and IEA scenarios. By 2017, the company reported a 5.69% reduction in Scope 1 and 2 emissions since 2014 and supported nearly 200,000 jobs worldwide through its activities and supply chain.

The report analyzes 23 green bonds totaling USD 15.1bn issued in Q4 2017. It finds that USD green bonds generally achieve higher oversubscription and tighter pricing relative to initial price thoughts than vanilla bonds, while EUR green bonds perform similarly. Approximately 44% of allocations went to green investors. The 'greenium' (pricing inside the yield curve) was observed in only half of a limited sample of six bonds, indicating that a new issue premium is not always avoided. In the secondary market, over half of EUR green bonds outperformed their indices after 28 days, whereas USD green bonds lagged.

The document is an independent audit report and financial statement for the Asociación BC3 Basque Centre for Climate Change for the 2017 fiscal year. The auditor, MAZARS Auditores, S.L.P., issued an unqualified opinion, stating that the accounts provide a 'true and fair view' of the entity's financial position. The center's activities focus on interdisciplinary climate change research, high-level training, and knowledge transfer. Financially, the entity relies heavily on public subsidies, recording 3,074,214.81 Euros in subsidies, donations, and legacies for the 2017 period. The report includes a detailed balance sheet, profit and loss account, and an inventory of intangible and material assets, such as software and office equipment. It also notes that the association is exempt from Corporate Tax due to its social purpose.

The paper examines the Spanish light-duty vehicle market to determine how consumer behaviour—specifically whether they make 'absolute' or 'relative' decisions—influences the effectiveness of energy efficiency labels and financial incentives. Using the Quantity Based Demand System (QBDS), the authors calculate price elasticities of demand to show that the sensitivity of consumers to price changes varies depending on whether they seek the most efficient car in the entire market or the most efficient car within a specific segment. The study concludes that a mixed labelling scheme may be the most effective way to address diverse consumer behaviours.

The Achmea ruling establishes that ISDS provisions are incompatible with EU law when they sideline domestic courts and undermine the EU's judicial system. While the ruling explicitly applies to bilateral investment treaties (BITs) between EU Member States, the briefing argues that the same reasoning likely renders agreements with third countries impermissible if the tribunals are not part of the EU judiciary, may interpret EU law, and lack full judicial review by Member State courts. This creates significant legal uncertainty, potentially making awards unenforceable and hindering the negotiation of new treaties containing investment arbitration.

The Achmea judgment establishes that ISDS provisions are incompatible with EU law when they sideline domestic courts and undermine the EU's judicial system. While the ruling explicitly applies to bilateral investment treaties (BITs) between EU Member States, the briefing argues that the same reasoning likely renders agreements with third countries impermissible. This is because such tribunals are not part of the EU judicial system, may resolve disputes relating to EU law, and their awards lack sufficient review by Member State courts. Consequently, this creates significant legal uncertainty, potentially making awards won by non-EU investors unenforceable and hindering the negotiation of new agreements containing investment arbitration.

The study concludes that human-induced climate change had no significant influence on the occurrence of Storms Eleanor and Friederike. While observational data from the past 40 years show a decrease in near-surface wind speeds, climate models suggest a marginal increase in the probability of extreme hourly winds (0-20%) by the middle of the century due to greenhouse gases. The observed decline in storminess is attributed to factors other than climate change, such as increased surface roughness, aerosols, and decadal variability.

The document details various green asset-backed securities (ABS) and aggregation mechanisms used to fund low-carbon transitions. It highlights specific instruments such as synthetic ABS, PACE ABS, solar ABS, and green covered bonds, providing examples of issuers and the types of underlying assets—ranging from energy-efficient mortgages to electric vehicle leases—that enable institutional investors to finance smaller-scale green assets.

The document warns that without a 550gCO2/kWh limit on capacity payments, Europe's 256 operational coal plants could be 'supercharged', potentially extending their design life from 40 to 60 years. It identifies multiple EU policy gaps—including low carbon prices, biomass co-firing, and mining cross-subsidies—that already favour coal. The author contends that poorly designed capacity markets risk crowding out flexible, low-carbon alternatives like batteries and demand-side response, arguing that clean capacity is already cheaper than extending old coal plants.

The report examines Nestlé's infant milk products across 40 countries, finding that the company often uses nutritional science as a marketing tool rather than a formulation guide. It highlights inconsistencies where products contain ingredients like sucrose and flavourings that Nestlé's own labels advise against in other markets. Furthermore, the report notes that Nestlé uses health claims for probiotics and prebiotics in some regions despite these being prohibited in the EU due to insufficient evidence. The investigation concludes that product development is driven by consumer trends and profit maximization, leading to 'premium' products with varying compositions and prices that lack a clear scientific rationale.

The report argues that Nestlé prioritizes profit and growth over nutritional science in its infant milk business. Through an analysis of 79 products in 40 countries, the authors found that Nestlé's marketing claims often contradict its own nutritional advice and the scientific evidence provided by bodies like the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). Key discrepancies include the use of sucrose and flavorings in markets where the company advises against them, and the use of 'probiotic' claims in regions where such claims lack scientific authorization. The report concludes that 'premium' product differentiation is driven by consumer preferences and market trends rather than health outcomes.

The document outlines the process of declaring 'free territories' as a political practice of autonomy and self-determination. It provides a framework for preventive and reactive strategies, emphasizing the need for information dissemination, network organization, and propositional agendas to protect territories from extractivist models and corporate appropriation. The guide details specific regional examples, including mining-free zones in Mesoamerica, gasfield-free communities in Australia, and GMO-free regions in Europe and Costa Rica.

The document outlines the conceptual and practical framework for declaring 'free territories' as an exercise of autonomy and human rights. It provides a strategic approach to resisting the 'extractivist model'—specifically targeting REDD+, mining, fracking, and GMOs—by documenting successful community-led initiatives across Latin America, Europe, Australia, and other regions. The guide emphasizes that these declarations are not merely legal acts but political processes requiring permanent organization, public legitimacy, and the proposal of sustainable alternatives for local development.

The guide outlines the political and social process of declaring territories 'free' from specific threats, such as REDD+, mining, fracking, and GMOs. It frames these declarations as an exercise of autonomy and self-determination, providing strategic advice on prevention, information sharing, and alliance building. The document details various global case studies, including the M4 movement in Mesoamerica, anti-fracking efforts in Australia and Europe, and GMO-free initiatives in Costa Rica and the European Union, emphasizing that such declarations are tools for resisting corporate imposition and promoting sustainable, community-led development models.