Climate change and biodiversity

This Paper was originally published on sciencedirect.com This paper assesses the national and regional impacts of the Marrakech–Fès highway project in Morocco using a Spatial Computable General Equilibrium (SCGE) model combined with GIS-based road network data. The analysis captures how improved connectivity alters economic performance and emissions patterns across space and time. Results show that while overall economic gains are modest, the benefits are unevenly distributed—f ...

The post-1945 international order, an architecture born of war-weariness and colonial twilight, is now a majestic but empty shell. Its foundational promise—a universal system of rules administered impartially—has been hollowed out by decades of selective enforcement, instrumentalized law, and a chasm between the rhetorical ideals of its custodians and their geopolitical practice. This is not a temporary dysfunction, but a systemic failure of legitimacy. From the invasion of Iraq und ...

Introduction: COP30 as a Test of Reality, Not AmbitionCOP30 in Belém was never going to be a breakthrough. In a world marked by fiscal exhaustion, geopolitical rivalry, and eroding trust in multilateralism, expecting transformational climate cooperation bordered on denial. The choice of the Amazon as host carried symbolic weight, but symbolism does not override power, interests, or institutional capacity.The outcome of COP30 confirms a deeper truth: the global climate regime has ent ...

In response to developing countries’ dissatisfaction with the New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG) of $300 billion, which was decided at the Twenty-Ninth Conference Of the Parties (COP29) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, in 2024 in Baku, Azerbaijan, the COP29 and COP30 presidencies promised to develop a roadmap to achieve $1.3 trillion in external climate finance that developing countries need, and to present it at COP30 in Belém, Brazil[1]. The two pre ...

This policy brief was originally published on : euromesco.net This paper examines the nexus between governance structures, digital transformation, sustainability, and port service efficiency through an international comparative lens, with a specific focus on the Tanger Med–Algeciras corridor in the strait of Gibraltar. Using global best practices—from Singapore to Busan and Kaohsiung—it explores how public-private coordination, digital innovation, and green transition policies ...

Ce Policy Paper analyse les enjeux politiques, économiques et opérationnels du Fonds pour les pertes et dommages, créé pour répondre aux impacts climatiques irréversibles subis par les pays les plus vulnérables. Il clarifie d’abord la notion de pertes et dommages, qui mêle effets économiques et non économiques, et souligne les défis d’attribution liés à la superposition entre chocs climatiques et fragilités structurelles. L’analyse met ensuite en lumière les tensions d’économie poli ...

In 2025, the global landscape became increasingly fragmented and uncertain. Great power competition intensified, regional conflicts became protracted and exacerbated, while economic nationalism reshaped the rules of trade and development. The mechanisms for conflict resolution and cooperation that have long provided a foundation for international cooperation are now under strain due to polarization and mistrust. Even longstanding alliances, bilateral and collective security architec ...

Dix ans après l’Accord de Paris, la trajectoire mondiale semble s’orienter vers un réchauffement de +2,8°C d’ici la fin du siècle, si les politiques actuelles ne sont pas renforcées en termes d’engagements climatiques. Pourtant, la prise de conscience collective face aux enjeux climatiques est globalement affirmée, appelant à la nécessité de transformer nos modes de consommation, de production et de mobilité vers des solutions à plus faible empreinte carbone. ...

Africa today has only one real climate priority: adaptation. Africa should still push the rich countries of the Global North to cut emissions. But Africa should not have any illusions. Past mitigation efforts have had some positive effects but have not been sufficient to stay on track with the targets of the Paris Agreement. There is no reason to believe that future efforts will fare any better. Political developments in the United States and Europe do not augur well for global miti ...

This Opinion was originaly published on kalam.chathamhouse.org Morocco’s environmental governance rests on a comprehensive constitutional and legal architecture that establishes the right to a healthy environment as a fundamental right. The 2011 Constitution obliges the state to ensure equal access to water, a healthy environment, and sustainable development while also requiring the protection of natural resources and future generations, and guaranteeing equal environmental rig ...

Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly emerging as both an energy optimizer and a structural source of energy demand. While AI promises efficiency gains in forecasting, grid management, and emissions reduction, its expansion is already reshaping electricity systems: data center consumption could more than double by 2030. Beyond this techno-economic duality lies a deeper challenge: the sovereignty of digital and energy systems. AI rests on highly concentrated supply chains of chips, ...

This Blog was originally published on ettg.eu Europe and North Africa are intensifying cooperation, driven by shared interests in renewable energy deployment, trade and industrialisation. This renewed focus is opening doors for deeper energy partnerships, including on green hydrogen, and offers North African countries new opportunities to expand into European markets. At the same time, it raises concerns about the uneven distribution of benefits and insufficient international f ...

This Paper was originally published on ettg.eu KEY MESSAGES1. Aligning climate and energy priorities for mutual benefit - North Africa’s solar and wind potential could help meet the EU’s decarbonisation and energy security goals. A longterm, equitable partnership integrating green industrialisation, energy market integration and climate resilience can deliver shared economic, environmental and geopolitical gains. 2. Transforming energy partnerships for a just transition - ...

The impacts of climate change are increasingly manifesting through severe and multifaceted loss and damage, particularly across vulnerable regions such as the Mediterranean. These impacts extend beyond environmental degradation, contributing to forced displacement, food insecurity, political instability, and the erosion of human rights and dignity. Furthermore, they reinforce structural inequalities between the Global North and South, thereby challenging global principles of climate ...

The author of this opinion, David Michael Terungwa, is a 2017 alumnus of the Atlantic Dialogues Emerging Leaders Program. As the world commemorates Earth Day 2025 under the theme "Planet vs. Plastics," it is a timely moment to turn our attention to one of the planet’s most overlooked heroes: the soil. Often hidden beneath our feet and largely absent from climate conversations, soil plays a vital role in sustaining life, supporting biodiversity, and buffering the impacts o ...

Fluctuating precipitation and extreme weather are long-standing features of life in West Africa, the Sahel, and the Lake Chad Basin. Communities across the region have historically adapted to these unique climatic conditions in diverse ways. However, the growing impact of climate change, coupled with challenges to food security and ecological resilience, has elevated these issues on the agendas of  regional and international policy platforms. Despite this recognition, the regio ...

The second Trump administration’s reversal of federal climate policy is reshaping the U.S. energy and industrial landscape, with significant implications for macroeconomic performance, clean technology competitiveness, and global climate cooperation. While the deregulatory shift and emphasis on fossil-fuel production may generate short-term output gains in selected sectors, the long-term structural transformation necessary for sustained growth in an increasingly low-carbon global ec ...

Le lithium a vu ses prix s’effondrer au cours des deux dernières années, alors que sa demande devrait fortement croître pour alimenter l’essor programmé des véhicules électriques et des ‘’ clean techs ‘’. Paradoxe ou situation caractéristique des marchés mondiaux de matières où l’instabilité fait loi et où la géostratégie joue pleinement son rôle ? Une analyse des mécanismes à l’œuvre sur le marché de cette ressource stratégique est nécessaire, afin de comprendre la p ...

Lithium prices have plummeted over the past two years, while demand is set to rise sharply to fuel the planned boom in electric vehicles and "clean tech". Is this a paradox, or is it typical of global commodity markets where instability is the rule and geostrategy plays a key role? An analysis of the mechanisms at work in the market for this strategic resource is needed to understand the shape this market may take over the next few years. ...

This Opinion was originally published in Project Syndicate   As the world prepares for COP30 in Belém, Brazil, African countries have an opportunity to advocate for equitable carbon-pricing mechanisms that align climate action with sustainable development. While cutting emissions is important, so, too, is ensuring fairness and equity for the communities most vulnerable to climate change. ...

While the very reality of the energy transition is sometimes questioned, even challenged (Fressoz, 2023), the carryover effect it creates on mineral resources, highlighted by numerous forward-looking studies, appears indisputable. More copper, lithium, nickel, graphite or rare earths: these are the non-exhaustive conditions that will enable us to support the development of electromobility and renewable energies, and thus contribute to limiting global warming, in line with the commit ...

The global energy landscape in 2024 reflects a complex interplay of geopolitical tensions, economic pressures, and uneven progress in clean energy transitions. Despite record growth in renewable energy deployment and advancements in low-carbon technologies, the world continues to fall short of meeting its climate goals. Fragmented markets, entrenched fossil fuel dependencies, and supply chain vulnerabilities continue to challenge energy security and hinder global decarbonization eff ...

The Lake Chad Basin and the Sahel regions have faced multidimensional conflict since 2011. Violence, attributed mostly to violent extremist organizations (VEOs) affiliated to al-Qaeda and the Islamic State, has put both regions on the global map of the deadliest armed conflicts and worst humanitarian crises. Since 2012, tens of thousands of people have been killed, while at least six million people have been displaced in the two regions combined. Simultaneously, floods since August ...

The agreement reached at COP 29 to provide $300 billion annually in climate financing to developing countries (excluding China) by 2035 marks a significant milestone, tripling the previous target. Yet, the response from developing countries has been overwhelmingly negative. A statement from the group of least developed countries labeled the agreement “a staggering betrayal of the world’s most vulnerable.” Similarly, representatives from major developing countries like India and Nige ...

This paper assesses the outcomes of COP29 in Baku, focusing on its achievements and shortcomings in advancing global climate governance. Key milestones included the adoption of the new collective quantified goal (NCQG), the tripling of climate finance commitments to $300 billion annually by 2035, and progress on Article 6 carbon markets to mobilize international cooperation and finance. However, finance remains insufficient to meet the needs of developing countries, and unresolved i ...

The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region is at a critical juncture, facing an intricate polycrisis defined by interlinked challenges including energy insecurity, water scarcity, migration, conflict, and socio-political fragmentation. These crises are not isolated; their interconnectedness amplifies their impact, creating a destabilizing feedback loop that hinders sustainable development and peacebuilding efforts. This paper explores the concept of polycrisis through the lens o ...

2024 marked the largest election year in history, with millions of people across the world going to the polls to elect their representatives and leaders. However, in the Global North, Donald Trump’s decisive election victory in the United States threatens to undermine multilateral governance structures that are already under strain. In the Global South, emerging economies from the expanded BRICS group and beyond strive to speak with a single voice, and their ...

Communities around the Lake Chad Basin (LCB) rely on three major economic activities: farming, fishing, and livestock herding. The floods that began in August 2024 damaged and destroyed hundreds of thousands of hectares of farmland, killed thousands of livestock, and rendered fishing unsafe for fishermen. This climate shock caused families dependent on these activities to lose their primary sources of income. Worse still, these economic activities also serve as the main source of da ...

At the COP29 climate summit that began on November 11, 2024, in Baku, Azerbaijan, one of the main focuses is Article 6 of the Paris Agreement. Article 6, introduced at COP21 in 2015 and shaped through years of negotiation, enables countries to meet climate targets collaboratively, either through carbon markets or non-market strategies. This section of the Paris Agreement has the potential to unlock significant climate finance, cut the cost of reducing emissions, and foster cooperati ...

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Si la réalité même de la transition énergétique est parfois questionnée, voire remise en cause (Fressoz, 2023), l’effet de report qu’elle crée sur les ressources minérales, mis en évidence par de nombreuses études prospectives, apparaît indiscutable. Plus de cuivre, de lithium, de nickel, de graphite ou de terres rares : telles sont les conditions non exhaustives permettant de soutenir le développement de l’électromobilité et des énergies renouvelables et, ainsi, de contribuer ...

This paper examines the complex interplay between global climate ambitions and national interests within the New South—defined as a diverse group of emerging economies, each pursuing distinct geopolitical strategies, economic priorities, and development goals—seen through a realist lens at the COP29 climate summit. As the climate crisis deepens, the geopolitical stakes involved in climate governance become more pronounced. The New South, grappling with the dual challenges ...

This paper was originally published on t20brasil.org   In a global context marked by unprecedented economic and environmental challenges, Africa stands at a crossroads. The rapid rise in public debt, coupled with the climate emergency, imposes a dual constraint on the continent's countries, severely limiting their ability to pursue sustainable development and mitigate the effects of climate change. This critical situation calls for innovative and effective solutions capa ...

The earth’s average surface temperature in May 2024 was higher than any other May on record, marking the twelfth consecutive such record-breaking month. According to the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service, May’s temperature was 1.52 degrees Celsius above the pre-industrial average, while temperatures over the past twelve months have averaged 1.63°C above (Figure 1). Global sea surface temperatures have also set records over the past fourteen months.   Consider ...

This paper was originally published in nature.com   Deforestation in the Brazilian Legal Amazon remains a challenge due to its detrimental effects on ecosystems and the associated increase in greenhouse gas emissions. Such deforestation can be driven by foreign demand in terms of international exports, as well as domestic demand. However, most efforts to quantify the associations between consumer markets and deforestation mainly consider international exports rather than dome ...

Carbon trading have long been touted as a silver bullet to channelise climate finance to African countries lacking the capital to support climate mitigation and adaptation efforts. The erstwhile ‘Kyoto Protocol’ and its successor ‘The Paris Agreement’, though much more comprehensive and wider in scope, both recognize the importance of carbon trading (a form of carbon pricing) in combatting climate change, and in the Paris Agreement the same is enshrined under Article 6 and its sub-c ...

It all began in 1924, when the World Energy Council (WEC) was established in order to harness the collective expertise of the global energy community and translate vision into tangible outcomes. In April 2024, the city of Rotterdam hosted the 26th Congress of the World Energy Council, whose theme was “Redesigning Energy for Better Lives and a Healthy Planet”.  It is not about a single energy transition, but rather many energy transitions. The concept of energy transition is ...