Search Climate Insights Directory

ClientEarth argues that the MSFD has failed to achieve Good Environmental Status (GES) by its 2020 deadline and proposes a revision that turns GES into a binding 'obligation of result'. The response calls for clear, quantifiable EU-wide thresholds, the introduction of interim targets, and a strict non-deterioration obligation. It emphasizes the need for policy coherence between the MSFD and the proposed Ocean Act, as well as the alignment of fisheries management and climate obligations with marine protection. Furthermore, it advocates for dedicated funding streams and the introduction of robust compliance mechanisms, including access to justice, dissuasive penalties, and a right to compensation for damages resulting from breaches of the directive.

March 2026 was the warmest March on record for the contiguous U.S., characterized by a historic snow drought in the West and extreme heat that increased cooling energy demand. Globally, the month was the second-warmest on record, with Arctic sea-ice reaching a near-record low maximum. In the U.S., severe drought affected 77% of the contiguous region, while Hawaii experienced record-breaking precipitation due to Kona lows.

The 12th Meeting of the San Giorgio Group (SGG12) focused on moving climate finance from ideas to large-scale delivery, emphasizing system coherence and country-level impact. The group highlighted that annual climate finance now exceeds USD 2 trillion, driven by renewable energy and transport electrification. Key priorities include reforming Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs), scaling guarantees and catalytic equity, and addressing the high cost of capital in developing countries. The agenda also calls for 'radical localism' to center people in the climate narrative and suggests leveraging artificial intelligence and underutilized public financing institutions, such as export credit agencies, to accelerate the energy transition.

The document presents linear regression models based on 2017 Agricultural Census data to determine the impact of cooperatives and technical assistance (ATER) on the share of smallholder farmers accessing PRONAF in Brazil. The results indicate that both cooperative membership and ATER access are significant positive drivers of credit access across all analyzed regions, while illiteracy did not yield significant results.

The document details a quantitative analysis of Pronaf access in Brazil, using 2017 Agricultural Census data. It employs linear regressions to assess how the presence of cooperatives and Technical Assistance and Rural Extension (ATER) services impact the share of family farmers accessing the program. The results indicate that both cooperatives and ATER have a statistically significant positive effect on Pronaf access, with the South region showing a positive correlation and the North, Northeast, and Southeast regions showing negative correlations relative to the baseline.

The report analyzes inequalities in access to Pronaf credit among Brazilian family farmers, identifying technical assistance (ATER) and cooperatives as key drivers of access. It highlights a stark regional divide, with the South region having significantly higher access than the North and Northeast. The study argues that credit alone is insufficient for climate adaptation and calls for increased investment in ATER, which has seen a downward trend in federal spending, to ensure a just and sustainable agricultural transition.

The report finds that while significant financial flows reach the Cerrado, particularly in the MATOPIBA region, the current architecture fails to align agricultural finance with zero-deforestation goals. Sustainable subsidized credit represents only 5.7% of total rural credit in the biome and is highly concentrated among large producers and a few financial institutions. In MATOPIBA, Constitutional Financing Funds (FCFs) provide 62% of subsidized credit but lack transparency regarding sustainability criteria. Blended-finance instruments show promise through risk-mitigation and value chain partnerships but remain limited in scale due to high Brazilian interest rates, regulatory complexity for foreign investors, and the strong economic incentive for land conversion. The authors recommend improving transparency via the Brazilian Sustainable Taxonomy (BST), increasing the share of sustainability-linked public credit, and scaling innovative blended structures to mobilize private capital.

The report finds that while agricultural credit flows to the Cerrado are significant, the current financial architecture fails to align with sustainability goals. Sustainable credit is limited, highly concentrated among large producers and a few financial institutions, and lacks sufficient territorial coverage, particularly in the Matopiba region. The authors recommend improving transparency through tools like the Brazilian Sustainable Taxonomy, increasing the share of financing linked to sustainability results, and scaling innovative blended finance mechanisms to mobilize private capital.

The document establishes a 'pathways'-based framework to track capital mobilization, distinguishing between direct and indirect flows. It defines mobilization as capital deployed following CPI support to early-stage vehicles and identifies four specific pathways: direct capitalization, vehicle replication, investment unlocked by risk-sharing/asset platforms, and additional capital raised by end investees. The brief also clarifies how this tracking differs from the Global Landscape of Climate Finance (GLCF) by including intermediary capital flows that the GLCF typically excludes.

A survey of 930 registered U.S. voters reveals broad support for clean energy research and policies, such as soil restoration (88%) and carbon dioxide regulation (77%). While 58% prefer candidates who support climate action, significant political polarization remains regarding the priority of global warming for the president and Congress. Notably, 67% of voters believe global warming affects the U.S. cost of living, primarily impacting utility bills and groceries. The report also highlights a majority opposition (58%) to local data center construction due to concerns over electricity costs, and a general trust in climate scientists (71%) and primary care doctors (65%) as information sources.

The report examines how Africa is trapped in a cycle of debt and fossil fuel dependency, which disproportionately harms women and girls. It argues that the global financial architecture forces African nations into austerity and resource extraction, leading to 'petro-masculinity' and systemic gender-based violence. The authors advocate for a 'feminist decolonial green economy' and a Fossil Fuel Treaty to enable a just transition through debt cancellation and redistributive finance.

The briefing examines the US$107 billion in potential investment for LNG terminals and gas pipelines in Southern Asia, specifically India, Bangladesh, and Pakistan. While industry forecasts predict strong demand growth, Global Energy Monitor (GEM) finds that these countries have shelved or cancelled 2–3 times as much proposed LNG import capacity as they have brought online over the last decade. The document highlights that LNG remains uncompetitive against falling renewable power costs and that recent geopolitical shocks, such as the March 2026 conflict in Iran affecting the Strait of Hormuz, underscore the energy security risks of LNG dependence. While India continues to promote gas infrastructure, Pakistan has shifted toward domestic power and local gas exploration, and Bangladesh's new government signals a move toward renewables and domestic gas.

The document highlights the growing role of energy storage in supporting the global transition to renewable energy, noting that combined wind and solar capacity has reached 3,222 GWac. It identifies China, the U.S., and the EU as leaders in total capacity, while emphasizing the trend of colocating storage with renewables in emerging markets like Chile, Türkiye, Australia, and Nigeria to manage curtailment and grid instability. Specifically, Chile is identified as the leader in Latin America, utilizing BESS to address transmission constraints and target 80% renewable electricity generation by 2030.

Analysis of the Global Oil and Gas Extraction Tracker (GOGET) reveals that the time from discovery to production for new oil and gas fields has increased significantly, averaging 15.1 years for fields starting in 2025 compared to 4.9 years between 1960 and 1980. This trend is driven by the depletion of easy-to-access reserves, forcing companies toward technically complex '20K' high-pressure reservoirs, deepwater projects, and 'acid gas' fields. Additional delays stem from stricter environmental regulations, such as the UK's 2025 requirement to include Scope 3 emissions in impact assessments, and ecological risks in protected areas. The report argues that these long lead times increase the risk of creating stranded assets and conflict with the 1.5 °C warming limit, suggesting that capital should be redirected toward renewable energy.

The report documents systemic exploitation by Chinese-owned extractive companies in Nasarawa State, Nigeria. Avatar New Energy Materials Company Limited is found to be in flagrant violation of the Nigerian Labour Act and ILO Convention 98, employing a coercive labour regime with 12-hour shifts, no breaks, and a strict prohibition on unionisation. Hong Tai Quarry Company Limited is accused of failing to implement a 2021 Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Gurku chiefdom, neglecting promised social investments and causing environmental degradation through blasting and dust pollution. Additionally, the report identifies economically imbalanced land lease agreements by Hong Tai Quarry that result in the economic dispossession of landowners through low, inflation-eroded compensation and a lack of environmental remediation clauses.

The report documents a coordinated strategy in Guatemala where social media disinformation is used to delegitimise Indigenous leaders and land activists, facilitating their criminalisation by the state. It highlights the roles of Attorney General Consuelo Porras and networks of 'fake news' accounts in targeting figures like Luis Pacheco and Leocadio Juracán. The document argues that social media giants—Meta, X, and TikTok—are complicit by failing to moderate hate speech and disinformation, which often precedes legal persecution.

The document examines the progress of carbon pricing in three Southeast Asian nations. Indonesia has an advanced regulatory framework and a functioning carbon exchange (IDXCarbon) but struggles with low trading volumes and high emission allowances. The Philippines is in the early stages of designing an emissions trading system (ETS) and exploring voluntary markets. Viet Nam is piloting an ETS for power, steel, and cement sectors, driven by its 2050 net-zero commitment and the impact of the EU's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM).

The report identifies a significant gap in climate finance reaching South African local governments, noting that less than 10% of international public climate finance flows directly to them. Municipalities face technical capacity limitations, low creditworthiness, and rigid donor requirements, which prevent them from leveraging private debt or concessional loans. While frameworks like the Climate Change Act (2024) and the National Green Finance Taxonomy (2022) provide a basis for engagement, the report argues that a lack of bankable projects and misalignment between national policies and local capabilities stall progress. It recommends structured capacity-building, improved tracking of climate finance flows, and the development of cost-reflective tariff structures to improve municipal creditworthiness and attract private investment.

The document examines how the 2025 ICJ Advisory Opinion shifts climate adaptation from a voluntary domestic policy choice to a legally binding international obligation. It details the procedural and substantive obligations under the UNFCCC and Paris Agreement, the application of a 'due diligence' standard to assess state compliance, and the binding requirements for developed countries to provide adaptation finance and support. The brief also highlights the intersection of adaptation with international human rights law and other multilateral environmental agreements, recommending that states integrate these frameworks to ensure legal robustness and effective resilience.

The document examines how the ICJ's 2025 advisory opinion shifts climate adaptation from a voluntary national choice to a binding international legal obligation. It details the procedural and substantive requirements for states, the application of the 'due diligence' standard to evaluate compliance, and the mandatory role of developed countries in providing financial and technical support to developing nations. The briefing also highlights the intersection of adaptation with human rights and other multilateral environmental agreements.