Search Climate Insights Directory

This briefing by the Stockholm Environment Institute describes how integrating the Low Emissions Analysis Platform (LEAP) and Water Evaluation and Adaptation Planning (WEAP) tools, alongside macroeconomic modelling, allows governments to plan for climate-resilient development by analyzing the interdependencies between water and energy systems.

This briefing from the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) describes the Water Evaluation and Adaptation Planning (WEAP) platform, a scenario-based modelling tool designed to help decision-makers understand climate impacts on water systems and develop adaptation strategies. It highlights WEAP's role in supporting National Adaptation Plans (NAPs) and provides examples of its application in various global regions to manage water scarcity, resource allocation, and transboundary river basins.

The April 2025 report "Boom and Bust Coal" by Global Energy Monitor and its partners analyzes global trends in coal-fired power generation. It highlights a global trend toward decommissioning coal plants, contrasted by record-breaking construction starts in China and new proposals in India. The report specifically details Russia's divergence from global trends through its continued planning and construction of new coal capacity to support regional energy demands and the domestic coal industry.

This research paper examines the role of stakeholder participation and multi-tiered institutional arrangements in Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM), arguing that a failure to integrate local users into decision-making processes leads to water insecurity and threatens vulnerable populations.

This report, published in April 2024 by Global Energy Monitor and several partner organizations, tracks the global development of coal-fired power plants. It highlights a divergence in trends: while new construction is reaching record lows outside of China, China is seeing an eight-year high in new construction. The report specifically examines the risks of expanding coal capacity in Central Asia, where proposed projects contradict climate goals and add to an aging, worn-out energy infrastructure.

This report assesses power sector data transparency across 39 Asian economies, evaluating them against six criteria: time granularity, publishing lag, geographic granularity, fuel breakdown, ease of access, and additional data. The analysis finds that overall transparency is insufficient to support a coal-to-clean electricity transition in the region, with more than half of the economies scoring poorly.

This report analyzes the 2022 activities of United Nations Human Rights Treaty Bodies (HRTBs) regarding state obligations in the context of climate change. It tracks the increasing frequency of climate-related recommendations in state review processes and examines specific trends in mitigation, fossil fuel regulation, adaptation, and the protection of vulnerable groups, including Indigenous Peoples and persons with disabilities.

This report by the Center for International Environmental Law and the Global Initiative for Economic, Social and Cultural Rights analyzes the 2022 activities of seven UN Human Rights Treaty Bodies (HRTBs) regarding climate change. It documents an increase in climate-related references in State reporting procedures and highlights key developments in General Comments and individual communications, specifically the landmark Billy et al. v. Australia case.

This briefing by the Center for International Environmental Law and the Global Initiative for Economic, Social and Cultural Rights synthesizes the 2022 activities of the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR) regarding climate change. It details the Committee's interactions with State parties through the review process, its focus on mitigation, adaptation, and fossil fuel financing, and the publication of General Comment No. 26 on land and economic, social and cultural rights.

This research paper examines renewable energy project financing via public-private partnerships (PPP) in Southeast Asia and Central Asia, noting a transition from hydropower toward solar and wind projects to meet growing energy demands and emissions commitments.

This case study examines the risks and impacts of glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs) in the Hindu Kush Himalayas, highlighting the transboundary nature of these disasters and the need for regional cooperation in disaster risk reduction.

This report provides an assessment of the Kyrgyz Republic's readiness and capacity to implement the Intergovernmental Forum on Mining, Minerals, Metals and Sustainable Development (IGF) Mining Policy Framework (MPF). Conducted between December 2017 and May 2018, the study analyzes national laws, policies, and administrative processes across six thematic areas: legal and policy framework, financial benefit optimization, socio-economic benefit optimization, environmental management, mine closure, and artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM). The assessment identifies strengths in the general tax regime and the existence of 'social packages' for communities, while highlighting critical gaps in outdated technical standards, unpredictable fiscal changes, and a lack of comprehensive mine closure regulations.

This report analyzes the effectiveness of peer learning and peer pressure within three Multi-Stakeholder Initiatives (MSIs): the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM), the Open Government Partnership (OGP), and the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI). It evaluates how these initiatives use mutual dialogue, best practices, and sanctions to improve governance, transparency, and accountability among member states.

This working paper analyzes the experiences of seven Development Finance Institutions (DFIs) between 2011 and 2014 to identify strategies for driving private sector investment in climate resilience, specifically within agriculture, water-intensive industries, and infrastructure.

This report summarizes the outcomes of the SDplanNet-Asia Pacific Regional Workshop Series held in Nairobi, Kenya, in April 2014. It analyzes existing governance practices for sustainable development in the Asia-Pacific region, identifies gaps in vertical and horizontal integration, and proposes a capacity-building agenda for 2014–2015 to help national and subnational planners implement the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

This briefing, published by the Climate and Development Knowledge Network in 2012, synthesises key findings from the IPCC Special Report on Managing the Risks of Extreme Events and Disasters to Advance Climate Change Adaptation (SREX) specifically for ecosystem management. It examines the interplay between climate extremes, human vulnerability, and ecosystem resilience, advocating for ecosystem-based adaptation (EbA) as a cost-effective strategy to reduce disaster risk and support sustainable development.

This research paper analyzes Russian President Dmitry Medvedev's June 2009 visit to Africa and parallel summits in Yekaterinburg as part of a broader Russian strategy to challenge a unipolar world dominated by the United States and reassert influence in the developing world.

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.

The Healthy NDC Scorecard is a visual tool designed to evaluate whether national climate commitments (NDCs) are sufficient to protect human health, measuring them against the Paris Agreement and science-aligned targets.

This position paper by Geres, an international development NGO, outlines its strategy for achieving universal energy access as a catalyst for the energy transition and poverty reduction. The document details Geres' approach to providing affordable, renewable energy services to households and small businesses at the 'base of the pyramid,' emphasizing the integration of energy efficiency, local capacity building, and gender equality to ensure sustainable development and climate resilience.