Climate Briefs
This page features a growing collection of recommended climate briefs. These materials are designed to support learning, inspire action, and empower communities to accelerate the transition to a sustainable society and planet.
IUCA | September 2026 Global Dialogue Webinar | Living Labs as Climate Policy Accelerators Report
How can universities turn climate research and innovation into practical action that informs policy and strengthens communities?
Following IUCA’s global dialogue webinar, this report brings together insights from eight Living Labs across different contexts, highlighting how universities are working with communities, practitioners and policymakers to co-create and test climate solutions.
Discover the approaches, challenges, outcomes and lessons emerging from these inspiring Living Labs.
STRENGTHENING THE BUSINESS CASE
SMALL AND MEDIUM ENTERPRISES (SMEs) CLIMATE ACTION
Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are central to global economies but remain highly exposed to climate risks and under-supported in the net-zero transition. This report brings together global academic evidence on what drives, enables, and hinders their ability to become climate-resilient and low-carbon.
CLIMATE-PROOFING SMALL & MEDIUM ENTERPRISES (SMEs)
SMEs are central to climate action, yet they face major challenges and opportunities in becoming climate-resilient and low-carbon. This report maps the latest global evidence on how small and medium enterprises can be “climate-proofed” to survive impacts, cut emissions, and drive innovation in the transition to net zero.
WATER FOR CLIMATE MITIGATION: ESTIMATING THE GLOBAL
FRESHWATER REQUIREMENTS OF CLIMATE MITIGATION
MEASURES
Cutting carbon isn’t enough if it drains the world’s most critical resource, water. This report uncovers the hidden freshwater costs of major climate solutions and why they could reshape how we think about the path to net zero.
UN-Water Analytical Brief on Water for Climate Mitigation | Source:UN
Net-zero solutions aren’t just a question of carbon, they’re also a question of water. This brief reveals how some of the most popular climate strategies could quietly intensify global water stress unless they’re planned with water limits in mind.
UNIVERSITIES COLLABORATING FOR CLIMATE IMPACT
Universities have a critical role to play in the global climate response, and this report shows how collaboration across research, policy, and education can accelerate real-world action. It highlights the growing influence of the International Universities Climate Alliance in shaping evidence-based solutions to some of the world’s biggest climate challenges.
The Fourth Climate Change Risk Assessment – Independent Assessment (CCRA4-IA) Technical Report | Source: UK Climate Risk
How prepared is the UK for the growing risks of climate change? The CCRA4 Independent Assessment Technical Report brings together the latest evidence on climate threats, from infrastructure and health to food systems and nature, to help shape a more resilient future for communities across the UK.
Parliamentarians’ Global Guide to Climate Change and Climate Solutions| Source: Arizona State University | University of Exeter
A timely new resource for policymakers, the Parliamentarians’ Guide to Climate Change and Climate Solutions distils the latest climate science into clear, practical insights for decision-makers. Covering topics from adaptation to the energy transition, it offers an accessible guide to navigating the complex challenges of climate action.
Global Recommendations on Nationality and Statelessness in the Context of Climate Change | Source: University of Melbourne
This report sets out recommendations for governments and other stakeholders to address the risks climate change poses to nationality and statelessness. It highlights the need to protect the rights of displaced and vulnerable populations, strengthen birth registration and nationality safeguards, and ensure climate policies prevent and reduce statelessness.
Powering the Feed: The Digital Advertising Strategies of Major Energy Companies in Brazil and the UK | Source: University of Exeter | NetLab UFRJ
This report maps and compares narrative patterns in the textual and visual content of energy-company advertising on Meta platforms in Brazil and the United Kingdom, seeking to understand how the sector frames the energy transition and the socioenvironmental impacts of its activities, builds positive corporate narratives, and shapes broader dynamics of information integrity in the context of the climate crisis.