Search Climate Insights Directory

The COP26 Resilience Hub Synthesis Report outlines key messages and future directions for climate adaptation and resilience, emphasizing the need for locally led action, diversified finance, and the integration of nature-based solutions. It synthesizes findings from the Resilience Hub's activities at COP26, focusing on three pillars (urban, coastal, and rural) and ten thematic areas to guide action toward COP27.

The NAP Global Network 2020–2021 Progress Report details the activities of a network dedicated to supporting developing countries in formulating and implementing National Adaptation Plans (NAPs). During the reporting period (December 2020 to November 2021), the Network shifted toward providing rapid, short-term technical assistance via its Country Support Hub and focused on integrating gender, health, and finance into adaptation planning to accelerate climate-resilient recovery.

This report analyzes regional trends in cooling access gaps for 2021, focusing on high-impact countries in Africa, Asia, the Middle East, Latin America, and the Caribbean. It highlights an overall increase in populations at highest risk—specifically the rural and urban poor—across all regions, with the COVID-19 pandemic cited as a contributing factor to rising poverty and cooling access challenges.

The Recover Better with Sustainable Energy Guide for South Asian Countries outlines the energy access challenges and economic risks facing South Asian nations during the pandemic, urging leaders to utilize recovery efforts to transition toward sustainable development and updated Nationally Determined Contributions.

This report by Ember evaluates the availability, quality, and transparency of timely electricity data across various countries in Asia and Oceania. It establishes a scoring framework based on eight criteria—including time granularity, fuel breakdown, and ease of access—to rank national data sources and identify gaps that hinder the tracking of the energy transition.

The 'Energizing Finance: Understanding the Landscape' report analyzes financial commitments for electrification and clean cooking in 20 high-impact countries (HICs) across Sub-Saharan Africa and Asia for the year 2018. It finds that current investment levels are significantly below the requirements to meet Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG7) by 2030, with a notable misalignment between where funds are allocated and where the greatest energy needs exist.

The executive summary of 'Energizing Finance: Understanding the Landscape 2020' analyzes energy access finance commitments in 2018 across 20 high-impact countries (HICs) in Sub-Saharan Africa and Asia. It finds a significant gap between actual and required investment for Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG7), noting that funding is poorly distributed geographically and often favors fossil fuels over sustainable, off-grid solutions.

The SEforALL 3-Year Business Plan 2021-2023 outlines the transition to 'SEforALL 3.0,' a strategic shift from global agenda-setting toward an implementation-focused model. The plan prioritizes data-driven decision-making, partnerships with high-impact countries, and the delivery of specific 'Results Offers' across four thematic areas: Energy Diplomacy and Advocacy, Energy Access and Closing the Gap, Energy Transitions and Climate Change, and Intersection with Other SDGs. The organization aims to mobilize USD 58.9 million over three years to accelerate progress toward Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG7) by 2030.

The Bhungroo rainwater harvesting system in Gujarat, India, empowers marginal women farmers by providing them with ownership of water-management technology. This has led to increased agricultural productivity, the conversion of fallow land to cultivable land, and the eventual transfer of land ownership to women. The initiative has reached over 20,000 farmers and contributed to the reverse migration of approximately 6,100 farmers.

This briefing paper by the Stockholm Environment Institute analyzes the Green Climate Fund's (GCF) allocation of energy finance between 2015 and July 2018. It finds that the GCF significantly underfunds energy access projects compared to large-scale renewable energy and energy efficiency projects, and that funding largely bypasses 'high-impact' countries and low-income nations most in need of energy access.

This report analyzes the evolving jurisprudence of UN human rights treaty bodies (HRTBs) from 2008 to 2019, concluding that States have legal obligations under human rights treaties to implement ambitious climate mitigation (including phasing out fossil fuels), ensure inclusive adaptation, and provide international cooperation. Key developments include a 2019 joint statement by five HRTBs and the Human Rights Committee's recognition that climate change threatens the right to life, potentially triggering non-refoulment obligations in deportation cases.

This March 2020 report by Global Energy Monitor and partners tracks the global development of coal-fired power plants in 2019. It highlights a general global decline in new coal plant starts and pre-construction activity, contrasted with a net increase in global capacity driven primarily by China. The report details the shift in financing away from Western commercial banks toward public finance, particularly from Japan and China, and notes a record low in global coal plant utilization.

Boom & Bust 2020 is a report by Global Energy Monitor and partners analyzing global coal-fired power plant development in 2019. It details a general decline in the pipeline for new coal capacity, driven by financial restrictions and climate commitments, though this trend is countered by significant new capacity coming online in China.

This report by Global Energy Monitor and partners tracks global coal-fired power plant plans as of 2019. It highlights a general decline in new coal plans and construction globally, though China remains a significant outlier due to the completion of projects permitted years prior. The report details the shift in financing away from commercial banks toward public funding and examines regional trends across the OECD, Asia, Africa, and Latin America.

The 'Boom and Bust 2020' report by Global Energy Monitor and partners analyzes global coal power plant trends in 2019. It highlights a general decline in new coal project proposals and construction, though China remains a significant outlier with continued capacity increases. The report emphasizes the growing gap between current trends and the IPCC's requirement to reduce coal power by 80% by 2030 to limit global warming to 1.5°C.

The 2019 Global Coal Plant Tracker report reveals a contradictory trend: while the global pipeline for new coal plants has shrunk by two-thirds since 2015 and generation fell by 3% in 2019, net global capacity actually increased by 34.1 GW due to a surge of new plants in China. Western commercial banks have largely ceased direct financing for coal, but Chinese state banks and Indian state-owned finance corporations continue to provide significant funding. The report emphasizes that current trends are insufficient to meet the IPCC's goal of an 80% reduction in coal use by 2030 to limit global warming to 1.5°C.

This report by Global Energy Monitor, Sierra Club, Greenpeace, and CREA analyzes global coal power plant trends in 2019. It highlights a general decline in new coal development and operational capacity globally, though this trend is heavily skewed by China, which continued to increase its capacity. The report details the financial pressures on the coal industry, the role of public funding, and regional shifts in Southeast Asia, South Asia, and the OECD.

This report by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) estimates the public funding required by 2030 to end hunger, double the incomes of smallholder farmers, and maintain agricultural greenhouse gas emissions within the limits of the Paris Agreement. Using a computable general equilibrium (CGE) model, the authors determine that donors must nearly double their current annual contributions to food security, supplemented by increased domestic tax revenue in low- and middle-income countries.

This report by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) estimates the public investment required to eradicate hunger, double the incomes of small-scale producers, and maintain agricultural greenhouse gas emissions within Paris Agreement limits by 2030. Using a computable general equilibrium model, the authors determine that donors must increase their annual contributions by 14 billion USD, complemented by 19 billion USD from low- and middle-income countries, to achieve these goals.

This report by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) estimates the public spending required to end hunger, double the incomes of small-scale producers, and maintain agricultural greenhouse gas emissions within Paris Agreement limits by 2030. It identifies a significant funding gap, requiring both an increase in official development assistance (ODA) and higher domestic taxation in low- and middle-income countries.