Hidden handbrakes preventing climate action

The invisible obstacles slowing down progress on climate change mitigation, adaptation and addressing loss and damage, hidden handbrakes are everywhere but little known. IIED is exposing these global barriers and forming coalitions to tackle them.

$ 80 billion

Fossil fuel companies have raked in over US$80 billion through shadowy investment tribunals

21

Countries that had submitted updated climate targets ahead of COP30

$ 42 billion

Carbon-intensive ultra-processed foods are subsidised by up to $42.5 billion a year

26%

Increase in days hitting 35°C in the 40 most populous capitals since the 1990s

Our research into hidden handbrakes has included revelations about how shadowy investment tribunals enable fossil fuel companies to claim US$80 billion of taxpayers’ money and how governments are subsidising ingredients for carbon-intensive ultra-processed foods by up to $42.5 billion a year despite the negative consequences for both people and planet.

Below are links to our research and reports:

Vector illustration of a woman at a laptop researching or reporting on environmental pollution, sustainability, and hazardous materials.

Can you help to expose any hidden handbrakes?

Are you working on a hidden handbrake? Let us know how we can join forces.

Email: [email protected]

We welcome contributions from individuals and organisations anywhere in the world – from local communities and civil society organisations to researchers and representatives of national governments and the private sector. If you are interested, please see our guidelines for contributors.

We also encourage journalists to explore the hidden handbrakes and follow up with contributors to shine a light on how the handbrakes are preventing the steps we need to take. You can connect with our press officer Jon Sharman via [email protected].

What are people saying about hidden handbrakes?

"I love the imagery of an invisible handbrake because when you see it, and it's not invisible any more, you can do something about it"

Gabrielle Walker
Co-founder CUR8 and Rethinking Removals

NYC Climate Week

G20 nations raked in $50 billion in debt repayments from poor countries since Covid, report finds

The Independent

"Low-income countries 'are piling on debt not to build infrastructure, not to grow, not to develop like other countries' but simply 'to rebuild and bring the economy back on track' when disaster strikes" 

Ritu Bharadwaj
IIED Director, climate resilience, finance and loss and damage

Vox

“When it comes to this, the role of the media is to expose the handbrakes in order to be able to try and release those handbrakes."

Megan Rowling
Deputy climate editor Thomson Reuters Foundation 

London Climate Action Week 2023

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‘Hidden handbrakes’ are invisible obstacles that are slowing down climate action. Read our overview to find out more.

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Generation Foundation logo

With support from the Generation Foundation

Despite global efforts to tackle the devastating effects of climate change, we are falling short of meeting the world's climate goals. So what is hindering our progress?

'Hidden handbrakes' are invisible obstacles that are slowing down climate action. They are the barriers, ingrained in societies and economies, away from the public eye.

But now IIED and the Generation Foundation are identifying and exploring the underlying systems of power that protect the status quo, and working with others to unlock the power of climate action.

This interactive platform, launched in September 2023 during Climate Week NYC, is designed to uncover and share these hidden handbrakes. With your help, we aim to uncover and remove these obstacles through research, coalitions, communication and influencing.

What are hidden handbrakes? Explained in just 53 seconds

Podcast: what’s holding back climate action?

In IIED's Make Change Happen podcast, guests unpack what we mean by ‘hidden handbrakes’ to climate action, with reflections on the role of governments that must be pressed to take long-term action, the law firms, marketing and advertising companies that act as enablers to oil and gas companies, and examples of countries challenging these barriers.

Guidelines for contributors

All submissions and comments should be concise and simple to understand, avoiding jargon. This platform is not intended to be an opportunity to condemn specific individuals or collective bodies, but rather highlight the systems and processes blocking climate action.

We are keen to encourage insightful, intellectually challenging discussion that is inclusive of diverse perspectives. We are open to strong opinions but please avoid bad language (including profanity). We will edit or not post submissions that we deem to be offensive.

Please respect other people’s views and beliefs when contributing and do not post personal information such as addresses, phone numbers, email addresses or other online contact details, which may relate to you or other individuals.

Do not make any commercial endorsement or promotion of any product, service or publication not relevant to the discussion. However, if it is helpful, please include a link to where more information on your submitted hidden handbrake might be found, or an article that illustrates your point.