Trade Associations Speak on Carbon Pricing. Will Action Follow?
Carbon pricing has had broad business support for over a decade. As a market-based mechanism, this is often the private sector’s preferred approach in addressing climate change. Consequently, carbon pricing is a convenient mechanism to measure trade association support for
A Just Transition to a Zero-carbon World Is Possible. Here’s How.
The global shift to a green economy could create 18 million jobs, with the potential to provide high-quality employment and livelihoods around the world. But what about the people and communities whose livelihoods, right now, depend on the fossil fuel or other
5 Reasons the US Should Cut its GHG Emissions in Half by 2030
Climate change already affects millions of Americans, from worsening asthma and other respiratory problems to spurring destructive and costly hurricanes, wildfires, heat waves and other extreme weather. Disadvantaged and marginalized communities often bear the brunt of such devastating climate change
Brazil’s Forests Are Being Restored — Now We Can See Where
We often hear how Brazil’s deforestation crisis threatens its major ecosystems and the people who live in them. That’s an undeniable truth. But, even as the country lost 2.7 million hectares (6.6 million acres) of tree cover in 2019 alone, regenerating forests
How Do Countries’ New Emissions-reduction Plans Stack Up?
A new UN report finds that countries’ emissions-reduction commitments under the Paris Agreement are falling far short of what’s needed to prevent the most dangerous impacts of climate change. It is imperative that countries that have not yet submitted their plans deliver much
Unpacking the US CLEAN Future Act
U.S. Representative Frank Pallone, chair of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, together with subcommittee chairs Bobby Rush and Paul Tonko, introduced the CLEAN Future Act on March 2, 2021. While numerous climate bills are introduced in each Congress, this proposal deserves
With Patchy Guidance, Companies May Have Climate Risk Blind Spots
The record-breaking wildfires and hurricanes of 2020 may not stand out as the worst catastrophes in a year defined by compounding crises. But these natural disasters are among the long list of physical climate hazards becoming more frequent and intense. Globally, natural disasters caused $210
5 Lessons for Securing Women’s Collective Land Rights
The ability to own land and access natural resources allows women to secure food for their families, increase their agricultural productivity and livelihoods, and help drive local economies. Land rights empower women to have a say in matters that affect their lives,
3 Shifts to Advance Adaptation and Resilience in 2021
The COVID-19 pandemic did not break the world, but rather revealed a world already broken. COVID-19 and the climate crisis exposed the fragility of economies and societies, upending the lives of people worldwide and, in particular, harming vulnerable communities and countries already facing
Just 7 Commodities Replaced an Area of Forest Twice the Size of Germany Between 2001 and 2015
New analysis shows that just seven agricultural commodities — cattle, oil palm, soy, cocoa, rubber, coffee and plantation wood fiber — accounted for 26% of global tree cover loss from 2001 to 2015. These agricultural commodities replaced 71.9 million hectares
What’s Next for State Climate Action in the US? 7 Areas to Watch
The Biden administration has committed to a historically ambitious climate agenda. We can expect a profound shift in U.S. federal climate policy — from one of continued domestic rollbacks and international disengagement, to one of forward progress and cooperation. This is
5 Opportunities of a Circular Economy
More than 100 billion tons of resources enter the economy every year – everything from metals, minerals and fossil fuels to organic materials from plants and animals. Just 8.6% gets recycled and used again. Use of resources has tripled since 1970 and could double