Search Climate Insights Directory

The paper argues that Canada should implement federal legislation to mandate a comprehensive just transition strategy, embedding International Labour Organization principles of social dialogue and decent work. It recommends linking this transition to a 1.5°C-aligned pathway, ensuring the respectful inclusion of Indigenous Peoples, and establishing independent advisory bodies with adequate authority and accountability. Beyond legislation, the author suggests mainstreaming just transition principles across government departments, improving corporate accountability, and planning a managed wind-down of fossil fuel production to support workers.

The policy brief examines the role of science-policy interfaces (SPIs) in identifying environmental risks and informing global policy since the 1972 Stockholm Conference. It analyzes successful models like the IPCC and IPBES, while evaluating current proposals for new SPIs focused on chemicals and waste and food systems. The author highlights the challenges of power imbalances and the need for credibility, inclusivity, and transparency in SPI design.

This policy guide by the International Institute for Sustainable Development advocates for the integration of health and environmental sectors to address the "triple planetary crisis" of climate change, pollution, and biodiversity loss. It aims to bridge the gap between health professionals and global environmental policy negotiations to support planetary health and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The SAVi assessment of forest restoration in the Brantas River basin demonstrates that nature-based infrastructure is more cost-effective than building a reservoir for water storage. Over 20 years, the interventions are projected to generate net societal benefits between USD 104.34 million and USD 131.59 million through avoided flood and erosion damages, carbon storage, and improved water quality.

A 2020 survey of 70 producers in Manitoba, Canada, found that age, education, farm size, and financial assistance significantly impact the adoption of agri-environmental beneficial management practices (BMPs). The primary barriers to adoption are high upfront and maintenance costs and a lack of financial support, while participation in the Living Lab program increased the likelihood of future BMP adoption.

The document traces the history of international efforts to combat land degradation, from the 1972 Stockholm Conference to the establishment of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD). It details the shift toward 'land degradation neutrality' (LDN), a goal integrated into SDG target 15.3, which aims to balance productive land loss with recovery. The paper identifies critical barriers to LDN implementation, including insecure land tenure, gender inequality in land ownership, lack of national coordination, and insufficient funding, while highlighting initiatives like the Great Green Wall and the LDN Fund.

The document discusses the 'brownfield to brightfield' transition, where contaminated or abandoned mine sites are transformed into renewable energy hubs. It highlights the benefits of this practice, such as mitigating greenhouse gas emissions and turning financial liabilities into economic opportunities. The report specifically details the SunMine solar farm in British Columbia and a wind park converted from a coal mine in Ruhr, Germany, noting that former mine sites are often ideal for such projects due to existing proximity to power lines and the land-clearing nature of the remediation process.

The report argues that Canada requires comprehensive federal just transition legislation to provide certainty for workers and communities as the country moves toward a low-carbon economy. It identifies critical gaps in Canada's previous approach to the coal transition, such as a lack of negotiating power for advisory bodies and insufficient monitoring. Drawing on case studies from Spain, New Zealand, the US, South Africa, and the EU, the authors recommend that new legislation entrench International Labour Organization (ILO) principles, mandate a comprehensive just transition strategy, and establish a dedicated implementation agency. Key priorities include the inclusion of Indigenous Peoples as full partners, the use of 'tripartite-plus' social dialogue, and the enforcement of corporate accountability to ensure the polluter-pays principle is upheld.

The document argues that while nearly 25% of global deaths are linked to economic decisions affecting the environment, the health community remains largely invisible in global environmental negotiations. It identifies a 'triple planetary crisis' (biodiversity loss, climate change, and pollution) and a 'Triple Billion' health burden, asserting that the merger of environmental and health governance is necessary to prevent environmental policies from negatively impacting health or widening inequities. The guide provides specific entry points for health stakeholders within Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs), such as the CBD and UNFCCC, and recommends shifting toward multi-sectoral health governance where health data informs national environmental plans and health experts participate in intersessional decision-making bodies.

The report analyzes Investment Dispute Prevention and Management Agencies (DPMAs), which are government bodies designed to prevent or manage investor-state disputes. It critiques the assumptions of international institutions—such as the World Bank and UNCTAD—that promote DPMAs, arguing that these bodies often overlook the tension between public interests and investor rights. The authors propose a four-part typology (Aftercare, Treaty Compliance, Litigation Management, and Administrative Review) and provide case studies from seven countries, including South Korea, Brazil, and Peru, to illustrate how these agencies function in practice.

The report analyzes a 2020 survey of 70 Manitoba producers to identify drivers of beneficial management practice (BMP) adoption. It finds that younger, more educated producers operating larger farms, those receiving financial assistance, and those in Living Lab – Eastern Prairies watersheds are more likely to adopt BMPs. Primary barriers are economic, specifically high upfront costs, while the strongest incentives are improving soil health and farm profitability. The study emphasizes the importance of peer-to-peer networks and tailored information delivery, noting that Living Lab participation generally improves producer relationships with government agencies and other farmers.

The report outlines a consensus among approximately 30 Canadian civil society organizations to prioritize absolute emissions reductions over carbon removals and offsets. Key recommendations include establishing a firm fossil fuel phase-out date, ending subsidies for nuclear and carbon capture technologies, and integrating Indigenous reconciliation and just transition principles into climate policy. The document highlights a tension between incremental government targets and the systemic change required to align with a 1.5°C warming limit.

The report details a series of virtual workshops held in 2021 involving approximately 30 civil society organizations to discuss Canada's net-zero goals. The findings highlight a strong consensus on the need for absolute emission reductions, the phase-out of fossil fuels, and the prioritization of 'safe bets' like clean electricity and energy efficiency over uncertain technologies. Key areas of concern include the role of carbon capture and storage (CCS), the use of carbon offsets, and the necessity of integrating climate justice and Indigenous reconciliation into national strategies. The document concludes with a set of proposed 'guardrails' and policy demands to guide Canada's transition to carbon neutrality.

The report compiles academic articles, toolkits, and policy documents focusing on the role of women in artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM). It highlights systemic marginalization, including restricted access to high-paying roles, finance, and land, while noting that ASM often provides a critical source of income and agency for women. The bibliography emphasizes the need for gender-responsive policies and formalization strategies to prevent further marginalization of women.

The document examines the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on women in the artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) sector, highlighting increased job losses, food insecurity, and health vulnerabilities. Through case studies in Zimbabwe, Peru, and the Philippines, it demonstrates how pandemic-related restrictions and market disruptions reinforced gender pay gaps and marginalization. The brief argues for the adoption of rapid gender assessments, gender-disaggregated data analysis, and gender-responsive budgeting to ensure inclusive recovery and structural reform in the ASM sector.

The document argues that COVID-19 exacerbated pre-existing gender inequalities in the artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) sector, disproportionately affecting women through job losses, reduced incomes, and increased vulnerability to gender-based violence. Using case studies from Zimbabwe, Peru, and the Philippines, it highlights how women's roles—often considered 'peripheral' or informal—left them without government support and increased their domestic burdens. The brief recommends the adoption of rapid gender analyses, sex-disaggregated data collection, and gender-responsive budgeting to create emergency and long-term structural reforms that protect marginalized women in the mining sector.

The document argues that while nearly 25% of global deaths are linked to economic decisions affecting the environment, health stakeholders remain largely invisible in global environmental negotiations. It provides a technical roadmap for health professionals to engage with key multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs), emphasizing that environmental governance is effectively health governance. The guide details specific opportunities within the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), the UNFCCC, chemicals conventions, and the Committee on World Food Security (CFS), advocating for a multi-sectoral health governance model that incorporates Planetary Health and One Health frameworks.

The document argues that while nearly 25% of global deaths are linked to economic decisions affecting the environment, the health community remains largely invisible in global environmental policy negotiations. It analyzes four primary domains—biodiversity, climate change, pollution, and food systems—and examines how health expertise can be integrated into the legal frameworks and decision-making processes of the CBD, UNFCCC, CITES, and other international bodies. The guide emphasizes the need for a 'multisectoral governance of health' and the adoption of holistic frameworks like Planetary Health and One Health to address the 'triple planetary crisis' of biodiversity loss, climate change, and pollution.

The document argues that global environmental governance is inherently health governance, as nearly 25% of global deaths are linked to economic decisions affecting the environment. It identifies a critical gap where health stakeholders are often invisible in Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs) negotiations. The guide proposes strategic entry points for health experts to influence policy language and implementation across four key domains: biodiversity (CDB), climate change (UNFCCC), pollution (BRS and Minamata), and food systems (CSA). It emphasizes that national implementation of these global treaties is the primary mechanism for achieving health outcomes and recommends the adoption of a common vocabulary including 'planetary health' and 'One Health'.

The document outlines the conceptual and practical framework for moving beyond Gross Domestic Product (GDP) toward comprehensive/inclusive wealth (C/IW) measurement. It argues that GDP is biased toward short-term market growth and ignores critical determinants of well-being, such as environmental degradation and social capital. C/IW is presented as a portfolio of human, natural, social, produced, and financial capital that allows countries to determine if their development is sustainable. The briefing provides a three-step implementation strategy: informing decision-makers through tailored briefings, compiling official estimates via national statistical offices, and integrating these measures into ex ante and ex post policy analysis.