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This policy brief by the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) argues that carbon markets and the purchase of carbon offsets do not constitute legitimate climate finance. The document asserts that relying on these markets allows Global North countries and polluters to avoid their legal obligations to fund mitigation and adaptation in the Global South while perpetuating the fossil fuel economy.

This policy brief by the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) argues that the proposed international legally binding instrument to end plastic pollution (the Plastics Treaty) must be grounded in a human rights-based approach. It asserts that plastic pollution violates multiple internationally recognized human rights and that the treaty should operationalize both substantive rights, such as the right to a healthy environment, and procedural rights, such as access to justice and public participation, to ensure equity and accountability.

This briefing by the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) provides initial reactions to the third 'non-paper' released on October 29, 2024, by the Chair of the intergovernmental negotiating committee (INC) tasked with developing a global plastics treaty. While CIEL views the non-paper as an adequate structure for negotiations at the upcoming INC-5 meeting in Busan, Republic of Korea, it argues that the current text relies too heavily on voluntary language and lacks essential provisions on production limits, chemicals of concern, and finance, which would result in an ineffective treaty.

This briefing by the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) and Break Free from Plastics (BFFP) provides a streamlined comparison between the Chair's third Non-Paper and the Compilation draft text for the future international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution. The document synthesizes these two sources to facilitate discussions at the fifth intergovernmental negotiating committee (INC-5), highlighting critical omissions in the Non-Paper and presenting various textual options for the treaty's articles, including those on product design, chemicals of concern, and financial mechanisms.

The International Platform Sustainable Finance (IPSF) Common Ground Taxonomy (CGT) Instruction Report (November 2024) provides a technical comparison between the sustainable finance taxonomies of the European Union (EU) and China. The report identifies areas of commonality and divergence to enhance the interoperability of green finance standards, aiming to reduce trans-boundary costs for green investments and scale up international green capital mobilization.

This document provides the technical annexes for a report on climate finance needs for agrifood systems. It details a taxonomy developed by the Climate Policy Initiative (CPI) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and describes two methodologies used to estimate finance needs: a top-down approach based on a literature review of third-party reports and a bottom-up approach based on the analysis of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).

This report by the Climate Policy Initiative (CPI/PUC-Rio) analyzes the regulatory and institutional advancements in Brazil's bioeconomy under the Lula government since 2023. It highlights the creation of the National Bioeconomy Secretariat and the National Bioeconomy Strategy, while evaluating how these frameworks integrate three distinct visions of bioeconomy: biotechnological, bio-resources, and bio-ecological.

This report by the Climate Policy Initiative (CPI/PUC-RIO) analyzes climate finance for land use in Brazil from 2021 to 2023, focusing on agriculture and forests. It identifies a significant increase in annual average flows to US$ 17.1 billion, driven primarily by domestic private resources and rural credit. The document details the roles of various financial instruments, the impact of public policies like the Agricultural Plan and RENOVABIO, and the distribution of funds across mitigation, adaptation, and loss and damage objectives.

The RES Tracker Methodology V2 describes Ember's process for collecting and categorizing national renewable energy deployment ambitions for the power sector across 96 countries and the EU as of November 2024.

This progress report by FSD Africa details the organization's efforts to deepen African capital markets to mobilize long-term, local currency finance for sustainable development. The report outlines a four-pronged strategy focusing on policy and regulatory development, market infrastructure, capital market product innovation, and convening and advocacy. FSD Africa highlights its role as a neutral facilitator, leveraging technical assistance and grants to address systemic barriers such as risk-averse institutional investors and underdeveloped regulatory frameworks, with a specific emphasis on green, social, and gender-themed financing.

This report by Global Energy Monitor analyzes the power sector transition in the Caucasus and Central Asia (CCA) region, highlighting a significant gap between stated renewable energy targets and actual project pipelines. It finds that fossil fuel capacity is being built at more than three times the rate of wind and utility-scale solar, with oil and gas leading the buildout. The report specifically critiques COP29 host Azerbaijan for low ambition in its renewable energy plans and a continued reliance on gas.

This policy brief by Good Governance Africa examines the implementation of South Africa's Climate Change Act of 2024, focusing on the critical but challenged role of local government in achieving climate resilience and a just energy transition.

This briefing examines the landscape of global responsible mining standards, highlighting their role in mitigating environmental and social risks during the energy transition. It details the categorization of standards, the move toward harmonization via the Consolidated Mining Standard Initiative (CMSI), and provides recommendations for governments to integrate these voluntary frameworks into national regulations to enhance transparency and accountability.

This report by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) analyzes the current state of green public procurement (GPP) in Indonesia. It examines the legal and governance frameworks, identifies key stakeholders, and evaluates existing tools such as eco-labels and the Timber Legality Verification System. The report highlights significant barriers to GPP adoption, including limited stakeholder knowledge, cost concerns, and procurer risk aversion, and provides four primary recommendations to accelerate the transition to sustainable procurement.

This report describes the development and pilot testing of the Responsible Agricultural Investment (RAI) Tool for Agribusiness, a management instrument designed to help agricultural value chain actors (AVCAs) align their operations with international standards like the CFS-RAI Principles and IFC Performance Standards. The report synthesizes results from five case studies of agribusinesses in Africa, analyzing how company strategy, management systems, and external business conditions influence their compliance with responsible investment practices.

This report provides a collection of stakeholder perspectives, interviews, and background data regarding a licensed buying company (LBC) operating within Ghana's cocoa industry. It details the financial challenges facing LBCs, the impact of climate change on cocoa yields, the implementation of digital traceability and certification systems, and the social dynamics of labor and gender in the sector.

The November 2024 Peace & Security Council Report examines the African Union's (AU) efforts to integrate climate change into security frameworks, the strategic direction of Africa's foreign policy, the outcomes of the AU's first G20 Summit, and the coordination between the AU Peace and Security Council (PSC) and the UN Security Council (UNSC).

This report analyzes the legal and institutional frameworks for protecting traditional knowledge (TK) in Mozambique, focusing on biodiversity, cultural heritage, and traditional medicine. It identifies a significant gap in functional regulatory frameworks specifically for TK associated with biological resources, though it highlights ongoing efforts to review access and benefit-sharing (ABS) regulations and develop a national TK database.

The November 2024 Warming Projections Global Update by the NewClimate Institute reports that global warming projections for 2100 have stagnated over the last three years. Current policies set the world on a path toward 2.7°C of warming, while the most optimistic scenario, assuming full implementation of all announced targets, projects 1.9°C. The report highlights a critical disconnect between the escalating climate crisis and the urgency of government policy implementation, noting that while renewable energy growth is record-breaking, it is being offset by all-time high fossil fuel subsidies.

This policy brief examines the intersection of municipal and traditional authority land management in South Africa, specifically focusing on case studies from the Vhembe District Municipality in Limpopo Province. It analyzes the hierarchical structures of traditional councils, the complex process of land development applications, and proposes innovations like the RECA model to mitigate land invasions and improve cooperative governance.