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Solar speciality shop in Gulu, Uganda. Photo by James Anderson/Flickr.
Commentary

Can Clean Distributed Energy Solutions Close Africa’s Access Gap?

Africa is home to some of the fastest-growing economies on the planet, but the lack of affordable, reliable energy could challenge continued economic and social development. Distributed power generation could be part of the solution.

Commentary
Solar thermal panel in Mumbai, India. Photo by Jiri Rezac/The Climate Group
Commentary

5 Key Takeaways from India’s New Climate Plan (INDC)

As the world’s third-largest emitter and a country that’s highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, it is encouraging to witness India invest in actions to tackle climate change while addressing poverty, food security and access to healthcare and education.

Commentary
Agricultural expansion can't come at the expense of ecosystems like forests, grasslands and wetlands. Photo by Neil Palmer/CIAT
Commentary

If Croplands Expand, Where Should They Go?

New WRI research finds that in order to help secure a sustainable food future, cropland expansion should be limited to lands with "low environmental opportunity costs."

Commentary
South Africa is the first country to apply a carbon budget approach to determine whether its INDC represents a fair share of global emission reductions. Photo by Lollie-Pop/Flickr.
Commentary

South Africa Pledges to Peak Its Greenhouse Gas Emissions by 2025

South Africa’s newly released climate plan pledges to peak national emissions that cause climate change by 2025 and goes further than other countries on adaptation by quantifying what it will cost to adapt to climate change in light of several possible emissions scenarios.

Commentary
Brazil's INDC proposes achieving a 45 percent share of renewables in the energy mix by 2030. Photo by Lance Cheung/Flickr.
Commentary

A Closer Look at Brazil’s New Climate Plan (INDC)

This week Brazil formally submitted its climate plan, also known as its Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (INDC). The country’s INDC comes on the heels of joint climate change declarations it’s made in recent months with China, Germany and the United States, showing that the country is committed to a creating a successful international climate agreement in Paris later this year.

Commentary
Pope Francis delivered environmental messages before the UN General Assembly and U.S. Congress. Photo by Mazur/catholicnews.org.uk
Commentary

7 Big Moments from Climate Week 2015

Even for those of us who work on climate change every day, last week was one of the most inspiring events in a long time.

Commentary
Photo Credit: <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/45423546@N07/9003418479/">CIFOR</a> via <a href="http://compfight.com">Compfight</a> <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.0/">cc</a>
Commentary

Setting the Bar for Success at the Paris Climate Summit

Negotiators from nearly 200 countries will convene in Paris in December with the aim of forging a legally-binding international climate agreement. The new pact will incorporate more ambitious national commitments to address climate change than ever before. But what is the proper yardstick for measuring success in Paris?

Commentary
As China prepares to lead the G20, it is well-positioned to set an example. Photo by The Climate Group/Flickr.
Commentary

US-China Climate Change Announcement Signals New Phase for Global Action

China committed to establish a national emissions-trading program, while the United States announced new actions to help reduce its emissions 26 to 28 percent below 2005 levels by 2025.

Commentary
Installing solar panels on the Hongqiao Passenger Rail Terminal in Shanghai, China. Photo by Jiri Rezac/The Climate Group
Commentary

China’s Climate Policies: How Have They Performed, and Where Do They Need to Go?

Two new papers from the Open Climate Network find that with further ambitious actions, China can peak its emissions at a lower level than planned, with lower cumulative emissions than initially thought.

Commentary
Air pollution in China's Shaanxi Province. Photo by Gilad Rom/Flickr
Commentary

In Order to Solve Pollution, We Must First Solve Governance Challenges

Solving the challenges of air and water pollution will require more than the adoption of top-down solutions or greener technology. It will require countries to address key governance challenges, like inaccessible information and a lack of public participation.

Commentary

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