Global Policy

Adelle Thomas: Putting the most vulnerable at the centre of COP27

“It’s a trend: record-breaking hurricanes are not isolated episodes, extreme events are increasing in intensity and negative impacts are being experienced by the most vulnerable”. For Small Island Developing States, loss and damage is the key issue at the upcoming UNFCCC conference: IPCC author and director of the Climate Change Adaptation and Resilience Research Centre, Adelle Thomas, explains why and provides insight on science, policy and implementation of adaptation strategies.

Climate issues at the UN General Assembly

From deadly flooding in Pakistan to the energy crisis and climate justice, the 77th session of the UN General Assembly will have to face climate issues notwithstanding the overarching shadow of war.

Carbon market

Giving a price to carbon means innovation, technological deployment, and profound changes in the economic system. However, the costs of a low-carbon transition will not be felt equally by all. Trading emissions in a carbon market allows us to start cutting emissions where it is cheapest whilst leaving room for the most virtuous to make gains. Origins and evolutions of a flexible and cost-effective policy with almost 20 years of history.

Carbon border adjustments

As countries implement measures to curb emissions they are also looking to protect local industry players from unfair competition and ensure that emissions aren’t simply shifted outside of their jurisdiction. Carbon border adjustments use levies and rebates to do just that. How do they work and why are they contentious?

Davos

Interwoven crises at the World Economic Forum

Environmental, Social, and Governance, carbon markets and unfolding global crises were at the core of the agenda as leaders juggled priorities whilst looking at the role of science in future policy decisions. Foresight’s collection of key contributions, commentaries and media takeaways from Davos.

Global media reactions to the IPCC’s mitigation report

One message rings clear above all others: it’s now or never for tackling climate change. Headlines, editorials, tweets, webinars, podcasts and more reactions from around the world to the latest instalment of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) AR6 assessment report (WGIII).

Is greenwashing a sign of real change?

Increasingly, large corporations (with even larger carbon footprints) are putting forward ambitious climate pledges. Yet these commitments often lack clear planning and direction, making it

Global Risks Report: Environmental Concerns Take Top Spots Just As Business Leaders Lag Behind

The World Economic Forum’s annual Global Risks Report brings together around 800 experts in business, government and civil society to create a summary of what “the world’s most pressing challenges” for the coming year by likelihood and impact will be. Unsurprisingly, climate-related issues featured in all of the top long-term risks. However, the report also revealed how different global actors perceive these risks and, alarmingly, business leaders are lagging behind other respondents. A finding that was emphasized by the Annual CEO Survey that revealed just how far behind business leaders are in their concern for climate risks.