Search Climate Insights Directory

This report assesses progress toward Goal 5 of the New York Declaration on Forests (NYDF), which aims to restore and maintain 350 million hectares of landscapes and forestlands by 2030. It highlights a significant gap between political commitments and actual implementation, noting that previous targets were not met and that monitoring remains technically challenging.

This policy brief by Transforma evaluates the economic recovery strategies of Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) following the COVID-19 pandemic, arguing that current 'inertial' recovery paths risk locking in fossil fuel dependency and hindering climate goals. It advocates for a 'just and resilient recovery' that integrates social equity, gender perspective, and climate adaptation into long-term economic planning.

The IDFC Green Finance Mapping Report 2021 analyzes the green finance commitments of the International Development Finance Club (IDFC) members for the year 2020. It highlights a milestone where cumulative green finance since 2015 surpassed $1 trillion, while noting a 6% decline in new 2020 commitments due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The report introduces a new dedicated tracking mechanism for biodiversity finance alongside traditional climate mitigation and adaptation flows.

This fact sheet provides a summary of the Zero Hunger Private Sector Pledge as of May 24, 2022, listing the financial commitments and geographic focus of 43 participating companies.

This briefing by Zero Carbon Analytics examines agroecology as a science-based alternative to the industrial food system, which it describes as unsustainable and a major source of greenhouse gas emissions. The document details the environmental, social, and economic benefits of agroecological practices, while identifying systemic barriers—such as skewed government subsidies and limited research funding—that hinder its global scaling.

This briefing by the World Resources Institute argues that the current disaster risk finance architecture is inadequate for developing countries facing 'compound shocks'—simultaneous or sequential disruptive events such as pandemics, economic crises, and climate-driven natural disasters. The authors propose systemic reforms to the World Bank's International Development Association (IDA) and the Global Risk Financing Facility (GRiF) to shift incentives from post-disaster relief toward pre-disaster resilience and preparedness.

The 2020 assessment of NYDF Goal 5 finds that the target of restoring 150 million hectares of forest by 2020 is not on track, with only 18% of the goal met since 2000. While some Central American countries like El Salvador and Costa Rica show net tree cover gains, others like Nicaragua and Honduras show net losses. The report highlights significant challenges in monitoring restoration due to satellite data limitations and emphasizes the need for better financial transparency and planning to scale forest landscape restoration (FLR).

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed on April 24, 2020, between the Executive Direction of the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) and the Latin American Cooperation of Advanced Networks (CLARA) to promote collaboration in science, technology, and innovation in Latin America.

This guide by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) examines the increasing trend of states terminating old-generation bilateral investment treaties (BITs) to reform investment regimes. It details the legal mechanisms for termination under international law, analyzes common termination and survival clauses, and provides recommendations for states on how to manage the extinction of these treaties and draft new ones.

This report details the history and current state of e-commerce negotiations at the WTO, focusing on the Joint Statement Initiative (JSI). It examines how existing WTO rules apply to digital trade, the growth of the JSI membership to 83 countries, and the critical divides between developed and developing nations regarding data flows, customs duties, and technical capacity.

A 2020 fact sheet from the Centro de Movilidad Sostenible detailing fuel quality standards (specifically sulfur levels and octane ratings) and emission standards for light-duty vehicles (LDV) across several Latin American and Caribbean countries.

This guide, published by the Climate and Development Knowledge Network (CDKN) in 2019, distils the findings of the IPCC's Special Report on the Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate specifically for decision-makers in Latin America. It details the physical changes occurring in the oceans and high mountain frozen lands, the resulting risks to marine life and human societies, and the necessity of integrating mitigation, adaptation, and inclusive governance to build climate resilience in the region.

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.

A statement from RMI expressing disappointment over President Trump's decision to withdraw the United States from the Paris Climate Agreement, while asserting that subnational actions and the global energy transition will continue.

A statement from the World Resources Institute's President and CEO, Andrew Steer, arguing against the potential withdrawal of the United States from the Paris Agreement.

The 2016 Annual U.S. & Global Geothermal Power Production Report details a global operating capacity of 13.3 GW across 24 countries, with a forecast to reach 18.4 GW by 2021. While the U.S. maintains a significant presence with 3.7 GW of nameplate capacity, the report highlights vast untapped global potential (only 6-7% utilized) and growth in regions like East Africa and Central/South America. It emphasizes the role of geothermal energy in meeting COP21 climate commitments and outlines the GEA's project tracking methodology.

This science report from the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) details the outcomes of the Small Grants for Cooperative Research in the Americas (SGP-CRA) and the Third Cooperative Research Networks program (CRN3) between June 2015 and May 2016. It highlights the transition toward interdisciplinary research and the application of scientific findings to legislative and policy decisions across the Americas.

This report by the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) details eight case studies of deep energy retrofits implemented via Energy Savings Performance Contracts (ESPCs) in federal and municipal settings. It identifies six best practices for achieving significant energy reductions—averaging 58% across the highlighted projects—without upfront capital costs or Congressional appropriations.

The report details the design and pilot of the Energy Savings Insurance (ESI) instrument, aimed at stimulating energy efficiency investments for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) by mitigating the risk of underperformance. It focuses on a 2015 pilot in Mexico's agro-industry sector and outlines a replication strategy for Latin America, the Caribbean, Asia, and Africa.

This briefing by the Stockholm Environment Institute examines the health impacts and adoption rates of improved cookstoves in Central America. It highlights a gap between laboratory emission reductions and actual personal exposure reductions, identifies key drivers for successful technology uptake, and recommends the establishment of standardized performance measures and national certification bodies to improve public health outcomes.