Search Climate Insights Directory

This report summarizes a November 2020 virtual event organized by the Stockholm Climate Security Hub, which convened Northern European scientists and decision-makers to discuss the security challenges posed by climate change's impact on the world's oceans.

This briefing by the World Resources Institute argues that the current disaster risk finance architecture is inadequate for developing countries facing 'compound shocks'—simultaneous or sequential disruptive events such as pandemics, economic crises, and climate-driven natural disasters. The authors propose systemic reforms to the World Bank's International Development Association (IDA) and the Global Risk Financing Facility (GRiF) to shift incentives from post-disaster relief toward pre-disaster resilience and preparedness.

This research paper proposes an interdisciplinary method to integrate qualitative insights from socio-technical transition studies into quantitative scenarios for integrated assessment modelling, specifically focusing on the European Union's 2050 greenhouse gas emission reduction targets.

This report examines the potential of the Croton megalocarpus Hutch tree in Kenya to enhance farmers' livelihoods and contribute to various economic sectors within the framework of a bioeconomy, specifically analyzing the business model and value chain of the company EFK.

This policy brief outlines the role of nature-based solutions (NBS) in upgrading informal settlements in African drylands to improve climate resilience and quality of life, highlighting pilot projects in Namibia.

This policy brief provides ten practical recommendations for urban policymakers in dryland Africa to develop inclusive urban climate policies. It emphasizes the need for alternative knowledge production and decision-making models to improve governance, social inclusivity, and innovation in rapidly growing African cities, particularly within informal settlements where residents face high climate risks and lack secure tenure.

This policy brief examines the critical role of peri-urban ecosystems in India, highlighting how rapid urbanisation and ambiguous administrative boundaries lead to the neglect of these areas. It argues that preserving peri-urban ecosystems is essential for city resilience, food security, and climate adaptation, and recommends integrated, participatory planning to bridge the rural-urban divide.

This report by the Climate Bonds Initiative provides a guide on utilizing green and sustainable bonds to finance low-carbon transport in Mexico. It highlights the sector's role as a primary source of greenhouse gas emissions in the country and identifies specific investment opportunities in electric mobility, public transit, and freight logistics to meet national climate goals.

This briefing by the Climate Bonds Initiative explores the potential for using green and sustainable bonds to finance low-carbon transport (LCT) in Mexico. It highlights the transport sector's significant contribution to national greenhouse gas emissions and identifies specific infrastructure projects and corporate initiatives that could benefit from green financing to meet Mexico's climate goals, including its unique commitment to reduce black carbon.

This policy brief, prepared by the Climate Bonds Initiative in partnership with the Inter-American Development Bank and commissioned by the Brazilian Ministry of Economy, explores how subnational consortia in Brazil can utilize innovative financial modeling to fund sustainable municipal infrastructure. It analyzes the legal barriers facing Brazilian municipalities, proposes the adoption of pooled financing mechanisms (MFGCs), and provides international case studies to support a green economic recovery.

This policy brief, prepared by the Climate Bonds Initiative and supported by the Inter-American Development Bank, examines the potential for Brazilian subnational consortia to use Pooled Finance Mechanisms (PFMs) to fund sustainable infrastructure. It identifies significant regulatory and financial barriers facing Brazilian municipalities and proposes updates to the legal framework and the adoption of blended finance models to attract private and international capital for climate-resilient projects.

This report by the Climate Policy Initiative and Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL) proposes a standardized Cooling Investment Tracking Framework to address significant data gaps in global cooling finance. The authors argue that current datasets focus too narrowly on equipment sales and lack the transaction-level granularity needed for governments and investors to align capital with sustainable cooling needs.

This technical note by the Climate Policy Initiative (CPI/PUC-Rio) analyzes Bill (PL) No. 2633/2020, which proposes changes to the legal framework for land regularization of federal public lands in Brazil. The authors argue that the proposed environmental safeguards are insufficient and ineffective, potentially rewarding illegal deforestation by granting titles without requiring the regularization of environmental liabilities.

This report by the Climate Policy Initiative (CPI) analyzes the public contracting processes for socio-environmental studies—specifically Technical, Economic, and Environmental Feasibility Studies (EVTEA) and Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA)—for federal land transportation projects in the Brazilian Amazon. The researchers identify significant gaps in transparency, budget allocation, and the timing of socio-environmental analyses within the project life cycle, providing recommendations to improve the robustness of infrastructure projects and their mitigation measures.

This report by the Climate Policy Initiative (CPI/PUC-Rio) analyzes the public procurement processes for socio-environmental studies—specifically Technical, Economic, and Environmental Viability Studies (EVTEA) and Environmental Impact Studies (EIA)—for land transport infrastructure projects in the Brazilian Amazon. The analysis identifies significant gaps in transparency, a lack of clear selection and evaluation criteria in bidding documents, and an imbalance in budget allocation that favors diagnostic data over impact assessment and mitigation. The authors recommend increasing transparency in bidding, specifying budget allocation for socio-environmental components, and introducing a 'pre-feasibility' phase to filter projects before they reach the environmental licensing stage.

This fact sheet from the Environmental and Energy Study Institute examines the history, economic and environmental benefits, funding mechanisms, and legislative landscape of conservation corps in the United States, highlighting their role in climate action and workforce development.

This case study by Ember evaluates the transition strategy of ENGIE, a France-based global energy company. The report argues that ENGIE's reliance on converting coal plants to fossil gas and biomass, its lack of a comprehensive coal phase-out schedule, and its 2°C Science Based Target initiative (SBTi) accreditation are not aligned with the Paris Agreement's 1.5°C objective.

This briefing paper by the Forest Declaration Assessment examines how the global transition to low-carbon technologies increases the demand for minerals, thereby posing a significant threat to forest ecosystems, particularly Intact Forest Landscapes (IFLs) in the Amazon and Congo Basin.

This briefing paper outlines findings from CDP's forest module of the States and Regions questionnaire regarding the role of regional governments in addressing forest loss driven by mining and infrastructure, as part of the New York Declaration on Forests (NYDF) Goal 3 assessment.

This 2021 report by FSD Africa, prepared in collaboration with Impact Value, defines the concept of 'sustainable futures' and outlines how it is operationalised and measured across FSD Africa's projects. The framework emphasizes a 'just transition' and the preservation of five types of capital—financial, manufactured, human, social, and natural—to ensure that current interventions do not compromise the needs of future generations.