Search Climate Insights Directory

This document outlines the methodology used by Ember for the European Electricity Review 2022, detailing the data sources, definitions, and calculation methods for electricity generation, capacity, and carbon intensity across European countries from 2000 to 2021.

This report by the Stockholm Environment Institute analyses the decarbonization potential of the heavy-duty vehicle sector in the EU up to 2030. It evaluates three indicative pathways to reach net-zero emissions by 2050, comparing the EU's 'Fit for 55' plan, an adjusted IEA scenario, and a linear reduction pathway. The authors conclude that while individual measures like electrification, energy efficiency, and biofuels are available, they must be combined to achieve significant reductions, though even a combined approach falls short of the most aggressive linear pathway to zero.

This report examines the growth of green banking in China, noting that while the 'Big Four' banks are major global funders of fossil fuels, there is a significant shift toward green finance driven by top-down government policy. Key findings include that green loans have lower non-performing loan rates (0.42%) than overall credit (1.83%) and that the PBoC uses monetary tools like the SLF and MLF to incentivize green lending. A case study of ICBC shows a green loan portfolio of 199 billion USD and leadership in 'Belt and Road' green bonds, though green activities remain a small fraction of its total balance sheet.

This fact sheet details a EUR 20 million green bond issued by Ghelamco Invest (Ghelamco Group) on January 21, 2020, to finance or refinance sustainable and energy-efficient real estate projects.

This report by the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) and the Global Initiative for Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (GI-ESCR) synthesizes the work of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) regarding climate change up to 2020. It details the Committee's use of General Recommendations, Joint Statements, and the State reporting procedure to establish that States have human rights obligations to protect women from climate-related harms and ensure their participation in climate policy.

This briefing note from the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) outlines recommendations for UNFCCC Parties at COP-25 to integrate human rights, gender equality, and participatory processes into climate action. It emphasizes the need for rights-based safeguards in Article 6 market mechanisms, the ratification of the Escazú Agreement, and the protection of indigenous peoples and local communities in adaptation and loss and damage frameworks.

This briefing note from the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) argues for the integration of procedural rights—specifically access to information, public participation, and access to justice—into climate governance and the implementation of the Paris Agreement. It highlights the roles of the Aarhus Convention and the Escazú Agreement in promoting environmental democracy and provides specific recommendations for the COP-25 agenda to ensure climate policies are inclusive, rights-based, and gender-responsive.

Millicom issued a SEK2bn (USD210m) senior unsecured green bond on May 15, 2019, maturing in May 2024. The funds are allocated toward energy efficiency in data centres and networks, spectrum acquisition for underserved communities, and ICT skills training. The Climate Bonds Initiative views this as a positive diversification of the Swedish green bond market.

This briefing by the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) and the Global Initiative for Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (GI-ESCR) analyzes the activities of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) regarding climate change in 2018. It details how the Committee uses General Recommendations and the State reporting procedure to define the human rights obligations of States to protect women from the disproportionate impacts of climate change, focusing heavily on adaptation and disaster risk reduction.

The Climate Bonds Initiative's Q3 2018 report on the Chinese green bond market details a total issuance of USD 8.5 billion for the quarter, with a cumulative USD 21.5 billion for the first three quarters of 2018. The report highlights the dominance of financial corporates, the growth of local government financing vehicles, and the ongoing alignment challenges between Chinese and international green bond definitions.

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 explains how green securitisation—the process of creating asset-backed securities (ABS) from low-carbon assets—can unlock finance for small-scale projects. It details various structures including synthetic ABS, PACE ABS, solar ABS, and green mortgage-backed securities, highlighting how aggregating small assets allows institutional investors to provide capital to SMEs and urban infrastructure.

This briefing paper by the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) and the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) advocates for the widespread ratification of the Mauritius Convention on Transparency in Treaty-based Investor-State Arbitration. The document explains how the Convention provides a mechanism for states to 'opt-in' to the UNCITRAL Rules on Transparency for disputes arising from investment treaties concluded before April 2014, thereby increasing public accountability and democratic governance in investor-state arbitrations.

The 'GREEN FINANCE: GREEN BOND DIRECTIONS COP22 Highlights' report by the Climate Bonds Initiative details the rapid growth of the green bond market in 2016, emphasizing its role in funding climate mitigation and adaptation to meet Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). It highlights the shift toward private sector issuance, the emergence of China as a dominant market, and the necessity of reaching USD 1 trillion in annual issuance by 2020 to substantively address climate change.

This directory, compiled by the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) with financial support from Denmark, provides an inventory of assistance and capacity-building programmes available to African states in chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) areas. It details the offers of nearly 50 states, various international and regional organisations, and civil society entities, primarily within the framework of UN Security Council Resolution 1540 and other international non-proliferation treaties.

This briefing by the World Resources Institute outlines six critical areas of climate finance to monitor during the COP 21 negotiations in Paris. It emphasizes the need for developed countries to meet the $100 billion annual funding goal by 2020, the importance of increasing adaptation funding, and the necessity of transparent reporting and a predictable finance cycle to support developing nations.

This report by the International Institute for Sustainable Development analyzes policy failures in the governance, accountability, and transparency of financial market actors and proposes policy innovations to advance green finance, specifically focusing on how China can adopt these measures to green its financial markets.

This report documents a seminar held by the Institute for Security Studies on September 19, 2009, regarding the unionisation and democratisation of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF). The discussions focus on the tension between constitutional labour rights and military discipline, the adversarial relationship between the Department of Defence (DOD) and military unions, and the systemic grievances of soldiers leading to protests.

This research paper examines the relationship between greenhouse gas emissions and human well-being, using China as a primary case study. It analyzes how income per capita, energy production mixes, and geography correlate with CO2 emissions across 174 countries and 30 Chinese provinces, arguing that current high-consumption lifestyles in rich countries are incompatible with low-emission stabilization targets.

This research paper examines the relationship between remittances and political influence in Cape Verde, the Comores, and Lesotho. It argues that the political weight of a diaspora is not determined by its size or the volume of remittances, but rather by the structure and organization of the recipient state.