Search Climate Insights Directory

This case study examines a virtual power purchase agreement (VPPA) signed in August 2017 between Cummins, a global industrial manufacturer, and EDP Renewables (EDPR) North America. The deal focuses on expanding wind capacity in Indiana to help Cummins meet its corporate sustainability and greenhouse gas reduction goals.

This fact sheet from the Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) describes the Rural Energy Savings Program (RESP), a USDA initiative providing zero-interest loans to rural electric cooperatives and utilities to fund energy efficiency and renewable energy projects for their members.

This case study by FSD Africa examines the remittance landscape in Uganda, identifying it as a net recipient of remittances with significant inflows from the UK, South Sudan, and Rwanda. While the market is advanced, it faces high costs, significant informality, and regulatory hurdles, particularly regarding mobile money and KYC requirements.

Friends of the Earth details its 40-year campaign to phase out nuclear power in the United States, citing the dangers of 60-year-old technology and the availability of clean renewables. The organization highlights its role in the scheduled 2024-2025 shutdown of the Diablo Canyon reactors in California—which were found to be on a major fault line—and the mid-construction abandonment of the V.C. Summer plant in South Carolina due to cost overruns and competition from cheap renewables.

A statement by Friends of the Earth International calling for a radical systemic overhaul of global energy, food, political, and economic systems to prevent global warming from exceeding 1.5 degrees Celsius. The document argues that current incremental measures and 'false solutions' are insufficient and that a transition to decentralized, people-led renewable energy is necessary to achieve climate justice.

A statement by Friends of the Earth International calling for a radical systemic change in global energy, food, political, and economic systems to limit global warming to 1.5°C and achieve climate justice.

This guide introduces the Zero Over Time (ZOT) approach for commercial building portfolios, noting that US commercial buildings use 36% of the nation's electricity. It highlights that global retrofit rates must rise from 1% to 3.2% annually to meet COP21's 2040 climate targets.

This case study details the World Resources Institute's (WRI) transition from a traditional financial-return-focused investment strategy to a sustainable investing approach for its $40 million endowment. Starting in 2014, WRI integrated environmental, social, and governance (ESG) criteria into its portfolio management, moving from a model of internal board oversight to a partnership with an Outsourced Chief Investment Officer (OCIO). The document outlines the challenges of ESG data interpretation, the decision to prioritize holistic ESG integration over simple fossil fuel divestment, and the financial results of this shift.

This guide outlines the methodology used by the Climate Bonds Initiative (CBI) to assess and include debt instruments in its Green Bond Database. It details a three-step screening process based on the Climate Bonds Taxonomy to ensure that listed bonds align with climate science and the 2-degree Celsius warming limit set by the Paris Agreement.

The Climate Bonds Initiative (CBI) employs a rigorous screening methodology to identify eligible green bonds for its database, requiring at least 95% of proceeds to align with the Climate Bonds Taxonomy. The taxonomy spans eight sectors, including energy and transport, while strictly excluding fossil fuel-related assets. Bonds certified under the Climate Bonds Standard are automatically included, and the CBI maintains a dynamic process for the re-classification of bonds based on updated information or evolving scientific criteria.

A statement by EESI Board Chair Jared Blum reflecting on Senator John McCain's early bipartisan leadership on climate change and its influence on business, state policy, and national security perspectives.

This fact sheet examines the role of insurance and alternative risk financing in building financial resilience against climate change. It details the growing 'protection gap'—the difference between total economic losses and insured losses—and explores emerging tools such as catastrophe bonds, microinsurance, and sovereign risk pools designed to manage the increasing frequency and intensity of climate-related disasters.

This report assesses the greenhouse gas emission reduction commitments of over 6,000 cities, states, and regions and more than 2,000 companies across 9 high-emitting countries and the European Union, concluding that while these non-state actor actions are significant, they are insufficient on their own to limit global temperature increases to 1.5°C or well-below 2°C.

This systematic review analyzed 244 studies to determine the impact of prescribed burning on biodiversity in temperate and boreal forests, finding positive effects on certain plant richness but noting high heterogeneity and potential risks to conservation-dependent taxa.

The Carbon-Free Regions Handbook: Finance is a guide for regional governments on organizing and delivering financial solutions to enable low-carbon transitions. It outlines strategies for increasing capital availability, overcoming up-front costs, creating market incentives, and reducing procurement costs for clean energy assets.

A statement from Dan Lashof, WRI United States Director, criticizing the Trump administration's proposal to replace the Clean Power Plan, arguing it will increase emissions, costs, and premature deaths.

This scoping study examines the growth of the digital economy and digital trade, analyzing how these shifts create both opportunities for economic leapfrogging and risks of a widening 'digital divide' for developing and emerging economies.

This research paper by the NewClimate Institute analyzes global trends in national climate change legislation, strategies, and targets between 2007 and 2017, highlighting the influence of international agreements on national policy adoption.

This research paper quantifies the global impact of tropospheric ozone on crop yields, estimating a total annual loss of 227 Tg. It identifies the highest losses in the Americas, China, India, Bangladesh, and Indonesia, noting that these areas often face concurrent stresses from heat, pests, and disease. The authors recommend integrating ozone tolerance into crop breeding and management to improve food security.

The Center for International Environmental Law criticizes the Trump Administration's Safe Affordable Fuel-Efficient (SAFE) Vehicles Rule, arguing that loosening carbon emissions standards for 2021-2026 and rolling back the Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) program undermines climate goals and ignores global market trends toward low-carbon vehicles.