Search Climate Insights Directory

The TGNR project identifies a symbiotic relationship between corruption and organized crime that drives illegal gold mining, timber trafficking, wildlife trafficking, and land grabbing in Colombia. These activities undermine national security, cause significant environmental degradation, and result in economic losses through tax evasion and money laundering. The report recommends legal reforms, institutional strengthening, improved information systems, and international cooperation to mitigate these drivers and protect environmental leaders.

The guidance outlines a target-setting framework for the aviation sector based on the Science Based Targets initiative's (SBTi) Sectoral Decarbonization Approach (SDA). It defines carbon intensity pathways derived from the IEA's Sustainable Development Scenario, requiring the sector to reduce average carbon intensity by approximately 35-40% between 2019 and 2035, and 65% by 2050. The framework covers Well-to-Wake (WTW) emissions, excluding non-CO2 factors due to scientific uncertainty. It provides specific instructions for aircraft operators to converge toward sector intensity levels and for aviation service users to address Scope 3 emissions, including a linear annual reduction rate of 0.4% for business air travel. The document also specifies criteria for the use of Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF) and explicitly excludes out-of-value-chain carbon offsets from meeting science-based reduction targets.

The report analyzes the intersection of corruption and organized crime within four primary drivers of environmental degradation in Colombia: illegal gold mining, illegal logging, wildlife trafficking, and land grabbing. It identifies systemic institutional weaknesses, such as deficient traceability systems and the instrumentalization of subsistence regimes, which allow 'invisible' economic and political elites to finance illicit activities through proxies and criminal networks. The document provides detailed recommendations for regulatory reform, including amending the Criminal Code to link environmental crimes to money laundering, improving the interoperability of environmental information systems, and implementing a 'traffic light' security risk assessment for territorial interventions.

The document argues that the choice of corruption definition—whether focusing on individual abuse of power or systemic institutional failure—fundamentally shapes the anti-corruption responses practitioners implement. It contrasts the 'principal-agent' theory, which emphasizes individual control and punishment, with 'collective action' approaches that address underlying social norms and trust. The author emphasizes that practitioners must account for their own 'positionality' and incorporate local knowledge, particularly in non-Western contexts, to develop effective remedies for corruption in natural resource sectors.

The document examines voluntary and mandatory digital traceability systems used to track timber and fish from harvest to consumer. It argues that while these systems can flag anomalies to deter crime, they are vulnerable to 'garbage in, garbage out' scenarios where initial data is falsified through corruption. Mandatory systems are viewed as having higher potential due to government enforcement, but their success depends on the political will to act on red flags. The authors recommend linking voluntary and mandatory systems and increasing transparency to reduce corruption risks.

The Sustainable Luangwa project aims to secure water resources and biodiversity in the Luangwa Upper Sub-catchment, specifically targeting the Mafinga Hills National Forest Reserve (NFR) and surrounding areas. Classified as a Category B (Medium-risk) project, it implements a safeguards framework to mitigate risks such as elite capture, conflict over land tenure, and restrictions on natural resource access. Key project components include the establishment of a Water Resource Protection Area (WRPA), improved management of the Mafinga Hills NFR, and the promotion of climate-resilient conservation agriculture. The framework mandates participatory processes, including Livelihood Restoration Plans (LRP) for affected persons and a Grievance Redress Mechanism (GRM) administered by a Project Management Unit (PMU).

The document advocates for a multifaceted approach to plastic pollution that combines a circular economy with the use of renewable, plant-based feedstocks to replace virgin plastics derived from fossil fuels. It emphasizes that because infinite recycling is impossible, some virgin plastic remains necessary for health and safety standards. To prevent new environmental issues, the Bioplastic Feedstock Alliance (BFA) urges policymakers to implement sustainability metrics—covering carbon emissions, water use, and impacts on wildlife and communities—to ensure plant-based plastics are responsibly sourced and managed.

The report 'Driven to Waste' estimates that 1.2 billion tonnes of food, or 15.3% of global production, is lost on farms. When combined with retail and consumer waste, total global food loss and waste is estimated at over 2.5 billion tonnes (approximately 40% of all food produced), contributing 10% of total global greenhouse gas emissions. The document highlights a geographic disparity: high- and middle-income countries in Europe, North America, and Industrialised Asia contribute 58% of global harvest loss, while low-income countries account for 54% of post-harvest farm-stage loss. It argues that farm-stage loss is driven by downstream market decisions and asymmetric power balances, and calls for national governments to include food loss and waste in Paris Agreement national carbon plans.

Between 2017 and 2020, eBay blocked or removed 522,000 listings violating its prohibited wildlife policies, with 257,000 of those actions occurring in 2020. As a founding member of the Coalition to End Wildlife Trafficking Online, eBay has harmonized its policies, trained staff to detect items like elephant ivory and pangolin leather boots, and utilized academic and coalition-identified keywords to improve automated detection.

The document examines how corruption in natural resource management (NRM) undermines human rights and how reframing corruption as a human rights issue can provide more effective solutions than a purely criminal justice approach. It uses the illegal abalone trade in South Africa and the role of rangers as case studies to illustrate how structural injustices and power asymmetries drive corruption and environmental crime. The brief advocates for integrating human rights mechanisms into anti-corruption strategies to address the root causes of illegality and protect vulnerable communities and environmental defenders.

Power Forward 4.0 finds that 60% of Fortune 500 companies have set at least one climate or energy target, a 12-percentage-point increase since 2017. While GHG reduction targets are most common (54%) and Science-Based Targets (SBTs) have increased sixfold, only 20% of the Fortune 500 have set or committed to an SBT. The report highlights a rise in net-zero commitments (17%) and 100% renewable energy targets (58 companies), though it notes significant gaps in the financial, fossil fuel, and retail sectors. Despite progress, the report argues that voluntary action is insufficient and calls for federal and state policies, such as carbon pricing, to align the US private sector with the Paris Agreement and the US Nationally Determined Contribution.

The report estimates that 1.2 billion tonnes of food are wasted on farms annually, representing 15.3% of global production. This waste contributes 2.2 gigatonnes of CO2 eq, approximately 4% of all anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions. The analysis reveals that high- and middle-income regions contribute a disproportionate share of harvest waste per capita. The document argues that farm-stage waste is driven not only by direct biological or technical factors but by indirect systemic drivers, including market power imbalances, rigid retail specifications, and the diversion of edible food to animal feed. It calls for a 50% reduction target from 'farm to fork' by 2030 and a shift toward holistic interventions involving governments, retailers, and citizens.

The 'Investment Readiness for the Landscape Resilience Fund' project aims to bridge the gap between private investors and SMEs implementing climate-resilient practices in sustainable agriculture, forestry, and nature-based solutions. By providing technical assistance, zero-interest loans, and matchmaking services, the project seeks to make at least nine SMEs 'investment-ready,' thereby unlocking private capital for climate adaptation in developing countries and Least Developed Countries (LDCs).

The project aims to create a standardized global reporting framework for nature-related financial risks, modeled after the TCFD. It involves a phased approach: preparing the taskforce, building the framework, testing it with a diverse group of institutions, and conducting public consultations. The goal is to redirect global financial flows toward nature-positive outcomes by increasing transparency regarding biodiversity loss and natural capital dependencies.

The document identifies significant value gaps between Peruvian export data and the import data of its primary trading partners, suggesting patterns of under-invoicing and over-invoicing. These discrepancies serve as red flags for tax evasion, money laundering, and the abuse of export subsidies, all of which facilitate the illegal timber trade and deforestation in the Peruvian Amazon.

As of May 2021, WWF spent $1,390,408 from its Emergency Fund for Amazon Fires to support firefighting equipment, supplies, and risk management in Brazil and Bolivia following the 2019 fire season, which saw over 12 million hectares burned.

The report finds strong overall support (85%) for closing high-risk wildlife markets to prevent future pandemics, though this varies by country. While many participants associate COVID-19 with wild animals, perceptions of root causes and the effectiveness of government interventions differ significantly across the five surveyed nations. The study also tracks wildlife and exotic pet purchase behaviors, noting that while some consumption has decreased due to the pandemic, a segment of the population still intends to purchase wildlife products through alternative channels like online platforms or overseas suppliers.

The guide encourages Americans to reduce their environmental footprint during outdoor dining by choosing sustainable foods and eliminating single-use plastics. It details the high water and land requirements of cotton and livestock, the vulnerability of wine production to climate change, and the low recycling rates for plastics in the US. Practical tips include planning menus to reduce waste, using reusable containers, choosing local and in-season foods, and opting for carbon-free transportation to picnic sites.

Deloitte is implementing its WorldClimate strategy to reach net-zero emissions by 2030, supported by the #iAct campaign. This initiative, launched in collaboration with the World Wildlife Fund, aims to educate and empower 330,000 professionals to make sustainable choices in their personal and professional lives to accelerate the transition to a low carbon future.

The report finds that self-reported ivory purchase in the past 12 months reached a four-year low of 12% in 2020. While the 'Diehard Buyers' segment has shrunk from 14% to 8% of the population, those remaining are more persistent, with higher purchase rates and a stronger belief in ivory's artistic value. Conversely, 'Rejectors' have grown to 72% of the sample. The study highlights that while 88% of participants believe ivory trade is illegal, spontaneous awareness of the specific 2017 ban has declined. The Ma Weidu campaign showed strong resonance, particularly among 'Diehard Buyers' and regular overseas travelers, with 74% of future intenders changing their minds after exposure to the ban and the campaign video.