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The Clean Air Task Force (CATF) contends that the Department of Energy's (DOE) "Restoring Reliability: Coal Recommissioning And Modernization" funding opportunity redirects up to $350 million from carbon capture pilot programs to maintain aging coal plants without requiring carbon capture installation. CATF argues that targeting plants scheduled for retirement before 2032 makes carbon capture infeasible due to the 3-7 year construction timeline and the 12-20 year operational period needed to recover capital costs. Furthermore, the document states that allocating $350 million across up to five plants is too diluted, as a single large-scale retrofit often exceeds $500 million. CATF recommends that the DOE limit eligibility to plants expected to operate beyond 2040 and mandate explicit capture performance requirements to meet the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) mandate for two coal-based carbon capture demonstrations.

The U.S. pulp and paper industry, which accounts for 9% of industrial energy consumption, offers significant potential for net-negative emissions through CCS due to its reliance on waste biomass. A new mapping tool evaluates facilities based on capture costs, capture potential, storage costs, infrastructure clustering, and co-benefits. The analysis identifies the Gulf Coast—specifically Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas—as having the highest opportunity scores. While private sector interest is growing, the document argues that the 45Q tax credit requires enhancement and regulatory certainty for transport infrastructure is needed to scale these technologies.

The document argues that Europe needs a more integrated financial toolbox to bridge the 'valley of death' for cleantech innovators. It recommends increasing the budget for Horizon Europe to €200 billion and the ECF InvestEU guarantee to €50 billion, while calling for binding budgets for clean transition windows and the use of retail financial instruments to stimulate demand from end-consumers.

In November 2025, the United States experienced an average temperature anomaly of 2.1°F across 194 analyzed cities, with the western half of the country seeing exclusively above-average temperatures. The Southwest, South, and Northern Rockies and Plains were the most unusually hot regions, with anomalies exceeding 4.8°F. Waco, Texas, recorded the highest anomaly at 7.5°F. Long-term trends show 183 of 194 stations have warmed since 1970, with El Paso, Texas, seeing the greatest increase of 6.9°F. Climate attribution via the Climate Shift Index (CSI) highlighted San Juan, Puerto Rico, with 27 days at CSI 5, meaning temperatures were at least five times more likely due to climate change.

Viet Nam, the Philippines, and Indonesia are transitioning from coal-reliant economies to renewable energy hotspots, collectively accounting for nearly 60% of ASEAN's power demand and emissions. While all three have set ambitious 2030 targets for renewables to exceed 50% of installed capacity, they face bottlenecks in permitting, grid infrastructure, and financial risk. The report highlights that solar-plus-battery integration significantly improves internal rates of return (IRR), particularly in Indonesia, and emphasizes the role of market reforms—such as Viet Nam's Direct Power Purchase Agreements and the Philippines' removal of foreign ownership restrictions—in attracting private capital.

US and Japanese advocacy groups are calling on Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) to reform the Feed-In Tariff (FIT) system for wood pellets. They argue that Japanese subsidies have fueled an industry in the US characterized by repeated legal violations and pollution. The groups propose prohibiting subsidies for non-compliant mills, mandating full public disclosure of supply chains, and requiring direct due diligence rather than reliance on certification schemes.

Reclaim Finance advocates for a revised SFDR framework (SFDR 2) to address confusion and greenwashing caused by the original 2019 regulation. The organization supports the exclusion of fossil fuel developers from sustainable and transition categories, calls for clearer criteria for 'transition' assets, and identifies inconsistencies in the European Commission's proposal regarding reporting obligations and fund claims.

The document argues that the original SFDR created confusion and enabled greenwashing due to a lack of clear minimum guarantees. It proposes that the revised 'SFDR 2' should exclude fossil fuel developers from all categories, establish stricter and clearer criteria for 'transition' assets, and resolve inconsistencies regarding reporting obligations for non-categorized funds to restore investor trust.

The paper examines how Green parties in Europe use cultural policy to combat far-right narratives and promote core values. It highlights specific initiatives: Ireland's Basic Income for the Arts (BIA) to reduce precarity, Luxembourg's Kulturentwécklungsplang (KEP) to strengthen the legal and social status of artists, and Latvia's use of culture as 'social glue' for cohesion amid security threats. The author argues for a future green cultural policy that localises funding, integrates culture into the just transition of post-industrial areas, and establishes a clear stance on copyright and AI to protect creative autonomy.

The report details the disproportionate risks faced by women environmental and human rights defenders (WEHRDs) in Africa, including gender-based violence, criminalization, and digital surveillance. It highlights a significant gap between the actual violence experienced and official data, which often underreports attacks against women. Through country spotlights on Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, South Africa, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Nigeria, the document illustrates how patriarchal norms and corporate-state collusion exacerbate the vulnerability of WEHRDs. It concludes with recommendations for African states and international donors to implement gender-responsive protection frameworks, end the criminalization of activism, and provide flexible, long-term funding for women-led grassroots initiatives.

The study finds a substantial disconnect between African climate commitments (NDCs) and national development blueprints (NDPs), with NDCs focusing on climate-centric sectors like energy and forestry while NDPs prioritize economic growth, finance, and the private sector. This 'parallel policy framework' is driven by institutional fragmentation, where NDCs are often externally funded and led by environment ministries, whereas NDPs are domestically anchored and led by economic planning ministries. The authors recommend a 'whole-of-government' approach to embed climate goals into national budgets and development strategies to maximize socio-economic co-benefits.

The U.S. produces and consumes approximately 14 million metric tons (MMT) of hydrogen annually, with over 90% of demand concentrated in petroleum refining, ammonia, and methanol production. While current production is dominated by steam methane reforming (SMR), the report projects significant demand growth by 2050 from aviation, marine, and on-road transportation, potentially adding 40-50 MMT/yr. The report argues for prioritizing decarbonization in existing industrial corridors, particularly along the Gulf Coast, while preparing for these emerging sectors.

The report finds that recycled polyester releases significantly more microfibers than virgin polyester, contradicting industry claims of sustainability and highlighting the risks of 'bottle-to-textile' downcycling.

The report argues that the fashion industry's shift to recycled polyester is a form of greenwashing, as recycled synthetic fibres release more microplastics than their virgin counterparts. Based on tests of 51 garments from major brands, the study finds that recycled polyester releases approximately 55% more fibres per gram than virgin polyester, and these fibres are smaller and potentially more toxic. The document also highlights the issue of 'downcycling' plastic bottles into textiles, which removes them from closed-loop recycling and creates garments that cannot be effectively recycled. It concludes that the only fundamental solution is to reduce the overall use of both virgin and recycled synthetic fibres.

The report finds that recycled polyester sheds significantly more and finer microfibres than virgin polyester, challenging industry claims of sustainability. Testing of 51 garments from Adidas, H&M, Nike, Shein, and Zara revealed that recycled polyester released an average of 12,430 fibres per gram, compared to 8,028 for virgin polyester. The study argues that the 'bottle-to-textile' recycling model is a form of downcycling that worsens pollution and allows brands to mask a continued reliance on virgin plastics. It also identifies discrepancies in 'recycled' labelling, particularly with Shein, and calls for EU-wide eco-design criteria and a global plastics treaty to cap virgin plastic production.

The document details a proposed expansion of at least 45 ammonia facilities in the US, primarily in Texas and Louisiana, which could quadruple production. It critiques the 'blue ammonia' label as greenwashing, noting that carbon capture systems often fail and that ammonia is a highly toxic substance. The text highlights the dangers of ammonia leaks to human health and aquatic ecosystems, citing specific recent disasters in Oklahoma, Iowa, and Illinois, and argues against creating speculative markets for ammonia as a shipping fuel or energy carrier.

The report argues that inadequate housing is a critical determinant of health for Indigenous peoples in Canada, exacerbating respiratory illnesses and mental distress. It introduces the concept of 'Healthy Energy Homes'—dwellings that are energy-efficient, climate-resilient, and supportive of holistic well-being. The authors identify systemic institutional barriers, including fragmented government responsibilities, rigid and insufficient funding models (described as 'firefighting'), and significant capacity gaps within communities. To address these, the report recommends a coordinated 'single-window' government approach, the co-development of policies with Indigenous leaders, long-term investment agreements, and flexible funding models that prioritize holistic outcomes over prescriptive activities. It highlights successful community-led initiatives and international models from Ireland and New Zealand as evidence that integrated housing and health policies can generate significant social and economic returns.

The report advocates for 'Indigenous Healthy Energy Homes'—housing that is energy-efficient, climate-resilient, and supportive of occupant well-being—as a means to improve health outcomes for First Nations, Inuit, and Métis people while contributing to Canada's net-zero goals. It identifies current government solutions as fragmented and disconnected from local realities, often failing to account for long-term health costs and greenhouse gas emissions associated with inadequate housing. The authors call for a shift from one-time project funding to long-term, flexible, and self-determined financial partnerships. Key recommendations include the creation of intergovernmental coordination mechanisms, the co-design of policies with Indigenous leaders, and the implementation of holistic measurement tools to track social, cultural, and environmental impacts of housing projects.

The report argues that inadequate housing for First Nations, Inuit, and Métis people in Canada creates severe health burdens and climate vulnerabilities, which are exacerbated by fragmented government accountability and rigid funding models. It introduces the 'Healthy Energy Homes' concept—housing that is energy efficient, climate resilient, and supports well-being—as a way to achieve co-benefits for public health and Canada's net-zero goals. The authors recommend a shift toward long-term, flexible, and Indigenous-led investment agreements, the creation of interdepartmental coordination mechanisms, and the adoption of outcomes-based procurement to replace current 'firefighter' funding approaches.