Search Climate Insights Directory

The Carbon-Free Regions Handbook: Buildings provides a framework for regional governments to reduce emissions in the building sector, which contributes nearly one-third of global emissions. It recommends three primary actions: establishing net-zero codes for new buildings, mandating energy efficiency upgrades for existing buildings, and requiring utilities to implement energy-savings programs through energy efficiency resource standards (EERS).

The Carbon-Free Regions Handbook: Electricity provides a framework for transitioning regional electricity systems to renewable or zero-emission energy. It outlines five primary actions: implementing ambitious Renewable Portfolio Standards (RPS), phasing out coal-fired generation through retirement and moratoriums, modernizing rate designs to include dynamic pricing, integrating distributed energy resources (DERs) into grid planning, and expanding community solar projects to increase accessibility.

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 report by the International Institute for Sustainable Development analyzes the Government of Canada's 'progressive and inclusive' trade and investment agenda. It argues that Canada's current model, based on investment protection and liberalization, fails to align with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and creates risks through investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) mechanisms. The author urges the government to use upcoming consultations on the model foreign investment promotion and protection agreement (FIPA) to fundamentally rethink investment governance rather than making marginal procedural fixes.

This policy brief by the Institute for Economic Justice (IEJ) outlines a strategic framework for transitioning South Africa's mining sector toward a low-carbon economy. It addresses the economic risks associated with coal dependency, the need for investment in minerals essential for clean technologies, and proposals for a 'just transition' to protect mineworkers and local communities through reskilling and infrastructure redeployment.

This policy brief by the Institute for Economic Justice (IEJ) argues that South Africa's development finance institutions (DFIs), specifically the IDC and DBSA, are constrained by their funding models and cannot sufficiently support labour-intensive manufacturing. The document proposes recapitalising these institutions with public funds, establishing an export-import (EXIM) bank, and adopting a funding model similar to Brazil's BNDES to drive job creation and industrial growth.

This fact sheet provides a global overview of high-speed rail (HSR) development, contrasting the extensive networks in Asia and Europe with the limited deployment in the United States. It details the history of HSR, the technical standards for speed, the economic and environmental benefits of rail over air and car travel, and the current status of projects in China, Japan, France, and the U.S.

This briefing by the Climate Bonds Initiative outlines key public sector green bond policy developments from the first half of 2018, focusing on sovereign issuance, national guidelines, financial incentives, and the role of central banks in supporting the energy transition.

This briefing by the Climate Bonds Initiative explores the critical role of climate adaptation and resilience in infrastructure investments to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It highlights the current investment gap in the green bond market, where adaptation is significantly underfunded compared to mitigation, and proposes principles for improving definitions and disclosure to scale capital mobilization.

This policy briefing examines how the EU–SADC Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA), which entered into force in October 2016, can be leveraged to develop Lesotho's agriculture and agro-processing sectors. While the EPA provides tariff preferences and an EUR 6 million development envelope, Lesotho struggles with low production volumes and stringent EU standards. The author recommends that Lesotho integrate into South African value chains as a stepping stone to the EU market and improve coordination between government and donor programs.

A June 2018 letter from four health and environmental non-profits to Canada's Chief Science Advisor, Dr. Mona Nemer, requesting an investigation into the scientific integrity and transparency of the Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA). The authors argue that the PMRA's regulatory processes for pesticides like neonicotinoids, glyphosate, and atrazine contravene government commitments to evidence-based decision-making by relying on non-public data and ignoring peer-reviewed science.

This research note examines 'consignment auctioning,' a hybrid carbon allowance distribution method used in California's emission trading system (ETS) that combines elements of free allocation and auctioning. The authors propose this model as a potential solution for China's national ETS to introduce auctioning while mitigating economic shocks to covered entities and bypassing institutional barriers regarding the handling of government revenue.

This June 2018 report from the Institute for Security Studies analyzes the African Union's (AU) institutional reforms, the AU's evolving role in the Sahel, the collapse of power-sharing talks in South Sudan, and the future of European Union funding for the African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA). It specifically examines whether the Peace and Security Council (PSC) Protocol remains adequate for contemporary security challenges.

This policy briefing examines the impact of the EU-SADC Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) on South Africa's agriculture and agro-processing sectors. While the agreement provides tariff preferences and liberal rules of origin, South Africa has struggled to fill its awarded quotas due to a lack of awareness, sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) issues, and climatic challenges. The document highlights the potential for SMEs, women, and youth to benefit from the EPA, particularly in the canned fruit and juice sectors, provided that barriers such as certification costs and a lack of specialized testing laboratories are addressed.

A letter from various Canadian civil society organizations to Prime Minister Trudeau urging the immediate end of neonicotinoid insecticide use in Canada, citing environmental contamination and international precedents.

This letter to the editor in Nature Climate Change critiques the methodology used in an article by Robiou du Pont et al. regarding equitable mitigation, arguing that the approach is biased in favor of wealthier, higher-emitting nations.

This policy brief by SEI, IDDRI, and ODI argues that climate adaptation must shift from a local-to-national focus to a transboundary perspective. It contends that because climate risks are 'borderless'—affecting global supply chains, migration, and ecosystems—international cooperation through the UNFCCC and the Paris Agreement is essential to prevent 'climate change contagion' in the global economy.

This research paper analyzes the potential for a regional macadamia nut value chain in Southern Africa, focusing on South Africa, Mozambique, and Malawi. While South Africa leads in production and technical capacity, regional integration is hindered by poor infrastructure in Malawi and Mozambique, a lack of trust between regional producers, and a heavy reliance on the Chinese market for nut-in-shell exports. The paper argues that for smallholder farmers to be included, governments must improve extension services, invest in processing infrastructure to move toward kernel exports, and establish a regional industry body to coordinate strategy and research.

The IAI Directorate reports on fundraising efforts including consultations with the Del Rio Family Foundation, the pursuit of 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status in the US, and the development of a crowdfunding platform. Strategic engagements were held with the Inter-American Development Bank and CAF, and the IAI was selected to host the Belmont Forum Secretariat in Brazil to enhance its capacity to reach donors and funding agencies.

This report from the Executive Director of the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) details fundraising activities conducted following Decision XXV/31. The efforts include consultations with private foundations, the development of a crowdfunding platform, the pursuit of US tax-exempt status, and strategic engagements with international development banks and the Belmont Forum to secure funding and cooperation for global change research.