Search Climate Insights Directory

This research paper, part of the SEI-led CANDIES project, evaluates the effectiveness of carbon footprint labels on consumer food choices through an in-store experiment at Urban Deli in Stockholm.

This policy brief examines the security, environmental, and geopolitical threats to marine infrastructure in Europe, specifically within the Baltic Sea region, based on a workshop held in Riga on 26 April 2024.

This executive summary from the Climate Policy Initiative (CPI) details the expanded tracking of climate commitments across 170 public development banks (PDBs) between 2015 and 2024. The report finds that climate ambition among these institutions is plateauing and remains insufficient to address the global climate finance gap, with fewer than half of the tracked banks pledging full alignment with the Paris Agreement.

Friends of the Earth U.S. analyzes the Biden-Harris administration's 6-point policy framework aimed at reducing U.S. imports of products linked to deforestation. While commending the framework's direction, the organization advocates for a holistic approach to illegal deforestation, the establishment of a public due diligence system independent of third-party certifications, and the passage of the federal FOREST Act.

Trase provides recommendations for stakeholders to utilize the one-year postponement of the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) implementation, which is now set for 30 December 2025. The organization emphasizes the need for the European Commission to prioritize the delivery of benchmarking and IT systems, for member states to resource competent authorities, and for companies and producer countries to collaborate on inclusive traceability systems to avoid excluding smallholders.

This research paper examines the waste management crisis in Africa, highlighting how inadequate infrastructure leads to significant methane and black carbon emissions. It emphasizes the health risks to women and children from open burning and the under-utilization of informal waste workers. The paper advocates for a circular economy approach to reduce global costs and environmental impact, noting that Africa's waste generation is expected to double by 2050.

This briefing examines the implementation of Brazil's Rural Environmental Registry (CAR) and its technological platform (Sicar). It highlights a 2024 shift toward shared governance between the SFB and MGI and the migration of data to Dataprev. While automation tools like 'Análise Dinamizada' and 'CAR Digital' are increasing efficiency, only 3.3% of registries nationwide have completed the full analysis cycle due to data quality issues and technical constraints.

This white paper by the Green Economy Coalition argues that transitioning to a circular economy (CE)—characterized by recycling, reusing, and refurbishing—is essential for achieving a green, just, and inclusive transition and meeting global climate and social targets.

This report examines the role of multilateral development banks (MDBs) in promoting low-carbon procurement within the infrastructure sector, identifying both the opportunities for MDBs to lead the transition and the systemic challenges that hinder the adoption of sustainable practices in developing countries.

The Climate Policy Initiative (CPI) has introduced a methodology framework for creating Climate Finance Roadmaps. These roadmaps are designed to identify the specific financial actors, instruments, and policy measures needed to close climate investment gaps across various sectors and geographies, addressing a global annual investment gap estimated at USD 6.1 trillion by 2030.

This report by the International Institute for Sustainable Development evaluates the financial support required for India to meet its 2030 clean energy goals across five key technologies: battery energy storage systems (BESSs), solar photovoltaic (PV), electric vehicles (EVs), offshore wind, and green hydrogen (GH2). It identifies cost gaps—the amount costs must drop to reach parity with conventional technologies—and assesses whether current government subsidies are sufficient to bridge these gaps.

This report provides guidance on transitioning the construction industry from prescriptive concrete specifications—which dictate a specific 'recipe'—to Performance Standards and Specifications (PSS) that focus on desired properties. The author argues that PSS is essential for scaling low-carbon concrete and reducing sector emissions by 25% or more, as traditional standards are geared toward ordinary Portland cement (OPC). The document outlines stakeholder roles, suggests specific tests for workability, strength, and durability, and provides case studies from the US and international examples to demonstrate how PSS can be trialed on real-world projects.

This briefing analyzes the 'echo' effect of climate-related industrial policies among the world's largest trading economies, finding that subsidies and import curbs in net-zero sectors frequently trigger reciprocal responses from other major jurisdictions within 6 to 24 months.

A research paper by the NewClimate Institute analyzing the alignment between the net-zero targets of 20 countries and their short-to-mid-term emissions policies and Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).

RMI has released the Plastics Extrusion and Molding Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reporting Guidance to improve emissions transparency across the plastics supply chain, enabling stakeholders to make better-informed decisions and drive demand for low-emissions plastics.

This policy brief examines the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Digital Trade Protocol, focusing on overcoming digital exclusion and harmonising regulations to boost intra-African digital trade. It provides specific recommendations for member states across regulatory reform, digital public infrastructure, and human capital development to bridge the digital divide and create a predictable business environment for digital services.

These conference proceedings, compiled by the World Resources Institute, document the 50th anniversary of Bogota's Ciclovía and its influence on open-streets initiatives globally. The document details how Bogota's model of closing arterial roads to cars on Sundays has inspired similar programs in Los Angeles, Lima, and Cape Town, while analyzing the social, economic, and policy-driven impacts of these initiatives.

This report by the Climate Policy Initiative outlines recommendations for developing financial instruments for climate adaptation, drawing on a decade of experience from The Global Innovation Lab for Climate Finance (The Lab), which has supported 78 instruments and mobilized over $1.2 billion for adaptation projects.

This report by Ember explores the potential for an electricity interconnector between Europe and North America to enhance grid security and efficiency as both regions decarbonise. The analysis suggests that differences in time zones and weather patterns—specifically uncorrelated wind, temperature, and rainfall—could provide significant arbitrage opportunities and system resilience, potentially offering a more cost-effective solution than nuclear power or hydrogen.

This report examines the potential for artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) to expand its role in the global supply of critical minerals required for digital technology and low-carbon energy, emphasizing the need for formalization to mitigate environmental damage and support local livelihoods.