Search Climate Insights Directory

This document is an appeal submitted by groundWork and the Vukani Environmental Justice Movement in Action against a decision by the National Air Quality Officer (NAQO) to grant Eskom a postponement of compliance with Minimum Emission Standards (MES) for the Kusile Power Station. The Appellants argue that the decision is unlawful, violates constitutional rights to a healthy environment, and was based on flawed health and atmospheric impact assessments and unfounded claims regarding the reduction of load shedding.

The NewClimate Institute's guide introduces the 'climate contribution' approach, which encourages companies to provide financial support for climate action outside their own value chains as a complement to, rather than a replacement for, direct emission reductions.

This fact sheet summarizes a Nature paper by World Resources Institute (WRI) researchers regarding the carbon costs of global wood harvests. The analysis finds that wood harvests significantly increase atmospheric carbon, contributing annual emissions that exceed 10% of recent human annual carbon dioxide emissions. The document critiques 'netting' approaches in prior research that treat wood harvests as carbon neutral by offsetting them against general forest growth, arguing that such growth would occur regardless of harvesting.

This report by the Africa Policy Research Institute examines the potential impacts of the G7 Climate Club on African countries. While acknowledging the goal of achieving global net-zero emissions by mid-century, the author argues that the Club's current design—particularly its focus on rapid decarbonisation and carbon-leakage reduction—could undermine African economic growth, energy security, and industrialisation. The report calls for a co-designed approach that prioritises climate justice, technological transfer, and financial support over trade-based sanctions.

A statement by the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) during the 53rd Session of the Human Rights Council, supporting the UN Secretary-General's report on the right to food and climate change and calling for a transition away from fossil-fuel-dependent industrial agriculture and risky geoengineering.

Ember's submission to the Climate Change Authority recommends an overhaul of Australia's coal mine methane measurement and reporting laws to ensure accuracy and transparency, as a basis for achieving significant emissions reductions by 2035 and net zero by 2050.

A statement by the Center for International Environmental Law to the 53rd Session of the Human Rights Council regarding the intersection of climate change, industrial food production, and the right to food.

The Advanced Clean Fleets (ACF) regulation, passed by California legislators on April 28th, aims to phase out medium- and heavy-duty (MDHD) internal combustion engine trucks to transition the state's transport system to zero-emissions vehicles (ZEVs) by 2045. The regulation establishes specific compliance pathways for high-priority fleets, drayage truck fleets, and public fleets, while providing extensions for infrastructure, electrical, and delivery delays.

This policy brief examines the barriers to inclusive clean energy transitions in low-income economies, emphasizing that without intentional policy design, these transitions risk reinforcing existing socioeconomic and gender inequalities. It highlights significant financing gaps, implementation barriers, and the systemic marginalization of women, while providing recommendations for the G20 to facilitate knowledge sharing and innovative financing to support vulnerable populations.

This report provides a technical comparison between the Colombian Green Taxonomy and the EU Taxonomy as of June 2023. It evaluates the alignment of Technical Screening Criteria (TSC), Do No Significant Harm (DNSH) principles, and Minimum Safeguards (MS) across various economic sectors to facilitate cross-border financial flows and reduce research costs for international investors.

This report compares the Green Taxonomy of Colombia and the EU Taxonomy, finding a high degree of similarity (47%) in technical eligibility criteria for climate mitigation, particularly in Energy and Manufacturing. While Colombia's criteria are less ambitious in 27% of cases, it is more detailed in some 'Do No Significant Harm' (NHDS) areas, specifically the circular economy. Key differences include Colombia's focus on land-use sectors (Agriculture, Forestry, Livestock) and the EU's more advanced framework for climate adaptation and mandatory disclosure requirements.

The report warns that the Amazon is nearing a tipping point where deforestation disrupts the water cycle, causing a 'domino effect' of degradation. CPI/PUC-Rio modeling shows that for every 100 trees deforested, 22 more die in distant areas due to water loss. If deforestation reaches 40%, the forest could lose 60% of its vegetation density and face climate collapse.

This report by the Climate Policy Initiative and the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro (CPI/PUC-Rio) examines how deforestation in the Amazon Rainforest triggers a 'domino effect' of degradation in distant areas by disrupting the water cycle and 'flying rivers'. Using a climate-forest model, the authors demonstrate that deforestation reduces rainfall downwind, leading to further tree death and potentially pushing the forest toward a tipping point and climate collapse.

This 2023 report by the Climate Policy Initiative maps Brazil's agricultural policies for climate mitigation and adaptation, evaluating their alignment with 'just transition' principles. It finds that while a framework exists—largely driven by the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (Mapa) and the Plano ABC—justice elements are often limited to specific programs like Pronaf ABC+ and PNAPO. The report highlights a critical need to extend technical assistance to small-scale farmers and improve coordination between the ministries of agriculture, agrarian development, environment, and social assistance.

This report examines the high climate risk faced by rural producers in Brazil's Caatinga biome, highlighting that family farmers—who make up 79% of rural properties—are the most vulnerable. It finds that increased aridity leads to significant productivity losses in corn, beans, and livestock, while also correlating with severe long-term social impacts, including higher infant mortality, school delays, and poverty.

The July 2023 report 'Pedal to the Metal' by Global Energy Monitor assesses the global iron and steel plant fleet, highlighting a critical gap between current capacity developments and the decarbonization targets required for net-zero emissions by 2050. While there is a growing shift toward Electric Arc Furnace (EAF) technology, the continued expansion of coal-based Blast Furnace-Basic Oxygen Furnace (BF-BOF) capacity, particularly in Asia, threatens to lock in high emissions and create significant stranded asset risks.

This policy brief from the Southern African Resilience Academy (SARA) examines the interconnected policies shaping urban food systems in Southern Africa. It argues that resilient and equitable food systems—those capable of withstanding shocks while ensuring fair access to nutritious food—require an integrated approach to urban planning that incorporates food considerations, supports informal food actors, and ensures inclusive stakeholder representation.

This toolkit, published by the Global Resilience Partnership in July 2023, provides guidance for Zambian policymakers and urban planners to create resilient and equitable urban food systems. Based on household surveys conducted between 2019 and 2021 in 14 Zambian cities, the document identifies food insecurity drivers and suggests leveraging the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) and various national and local policies to improve food access, support urban agriculture, and empower women in the food value chain.

This briefing, published by the Institute for Economic Justice and endorsed by 74 organisations and individuals, critiques the World Bank's 'Evolution Roadmap'. The authors argue that the Roadmap fails to address the structural inequalities of the global financial architecture and relies too heavily on the 'Cascade' approach—prioritising private finance over public interest. The document proposes a radical shift toward 'public sector solutionism', including the adoption of a human rights policy, the end of fossil fuel financing, and a rethink of how inequality is measured and addressed.

This executive summary by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) analyzes the evolution and current state of national investment laws. It argues that these laws are versatile policy instruments that have shifted from supporting national development goals in the 1950s-70s to aligning with international investment treaties between 1980 and 2010. The document provides a framework for policymakers to redesign these laws to better serve sustainable development and avoid the legal risks associated with treaty-style protections.