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The document analyzes how New York and California are reforming permitting processes to overcome delays in clean energy deployment. Key measures include creating 'one-stop shop' agencies, setting statutory time limits for approvals, and mandating community benefit agreements to reduce local opposition. While New York has seen project approval timelines drop from five-ten years to under two years, challenges remain regarding administrative capacity, Indigenous rights, and the failure of state reforms to address the critical backlog of grid interconnections, which remains a federal jurisdiction.

The document examines the shift from paper-based to digital identification in East Africa, specifically focusing on Ethiopia's 'Fayda' and Uganda's 'Ndaga Muntu' systems. While digital IDs aim to improve access to government services and reduce fraud, the briefing highlights significant risks including the exclusion of marginalized groups, potential for ethnic profiling, and the absence or weakness of data protection laws. It recommends transparent roll-outs, the maintenance of analogue alternatives, and the establishment of strong legal frameworks for cybersecurity and privacy.

The document examines the conflict between current global food systems and biodiversity, noting that while food systems depend on natural capital, they are the primary drivers of biodiversity loss. It highlights that USD 700 billion in annual government agricultural support often incentivizes harmful practices like the overuse of chemical fertilizers and pesticides. To address this, the author analyzes three national case studies: the UK's transition to paying for 'environmental public goods', India's support for organic 'clusters' to improve soil health, and Brazil's ABC+ plan for climate adaptation and low-carbon agriculture. The paper concludes that achieving the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework's Target 18 requires better practical guidance for policymakers and greater coherence between international frameworks, including the WTO, the Paris Agreement, and the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Allston Brighton Community Development Corporation (CDC) is implementing deep energy retrofits (DER) at three residential properties in Boston to reduce energy consumption by an average of 55 percent across 103 units. By conducting portfolio-wide Capital Needs Assessments and leveraging a diverse stack of local and federal funding—including an expected $8 million in support—the CDC aims to eliminate on-site fossil fuel combustion and improve tenant well-being. The project utilizes guidance from RMI’s REALIZE-MA initiative and LISC’s 1000 Apartment Challenge to navigate the complex predevelopment phase and align with Massachusetts' climate goals and Boston's Building Energy Reduction and Disclosure Ordinance (BERDO).

The report examines the role of green hydrogen in a just energy transition, arguing that its deployment must prioritize sustainable development and decarbonisation over simple profit. It recommends that development finance institutions support the build-up of local renewable energy supply chains, integrate electrolysers into national grids to enhance electrification, and prioritise domestic industrial use of green hydrogen in the Global South over exports. Case studies of Namibia, India, and Colombia reveal inconsistent definitions of 'green' hydrogen, a tendency to target inefficient applications like road transport, and significant environmental risks such as water scarcity.

The report examines Community Benefits Agreements (CBAs) as legally binding contracts between developers and communities to ensure equitable outcomes in energy transitions. Through nine case studies and an analysis of DOE, DOT, and EPA guidelines, it identifies critical failure points—such as lack of representative stakeholders and poor enforceability—and proposes best practices for planning, negotiation, and monitoring to better align project development with community needs.

The report examines the GWP* metric, which focuses on changes in methane emissions over time rather than absolute levels. It argues that this methodology allows high-polluting companies and countries to present minor reductions as negative emissions, thereby escaping accountability and undermining the Paris Agreement's 1.5°C goal. Through case studies of Tyson, Fonterra, and New Zealand, the document demonstrates how GWP* can make significant emitters appear climate neutral. It further details lobbying efforts by the animal agriculture industry in the US, UK, Ireland, and New Zealand to adopt this metric.

The report provides a toolkit for investors to assess the climate credentials of Brazilian agri-food companies using the 'Five Principles for Transition' and 'Five Hallmarks for a Credible Transitioning Company'. It highlights the critical role of the agricultural sector in Brazil's emissions profile, where land-use change and agriculture account for nearly 75% of gross emissions. Through case studies of Syngenta and Amaggi, the document illustrates the application of these screening tools, noting that while major companies are developing transition plans, gaps remain in financial strategies and the alignment of actual emissions trends with 1.5°C goals. Additionally, it outlines the landscape of sustainable finance instruments in Brazil, such as LCAs and CRAs, and discusses regulatory pressures like the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR).

The report provides a toolkit for assessing corporate transition plans in Brazil's agri-food sector, using case studies of Syngenta and Amaggi to illustrate the application of the 'Triple A' (Ambition, Action, Accountability) framework. It highlights Brazil's significant role as a GHG emitter, primarily through land use and livestock, and outlines various sustainable finance instruments available to fund the transition to net-zero.

The global aligned GSS+ debt market reached a cumulative volume of USD 4.2 trillion by the end of Q3 2023, though year-to-date volumes declined by 10% compared to 2022. Green bonds remain the dominant theme, surpassing a cumulative USD 2.5 trillion milestone. In the Middle East and Africa (MEA), the market grew by 158% in 2023, driven largely by Saudi Arabia and the UAE, with a strong preference for green instruments and a recent increase in public sector issuance.

The report examines the implementation of the Public Forest Management Law (LGFP) in the Amazon, highlighting that federal and state concessions have fallen short of 2006 targets. Focusing on Pará, the study identifies governance failures—including frequent annulment of bidding processes, non-concession of areas, and contract terminations—driven by poor technical capacity and restrictive legal limits on the size and number of areas a single company can manage. It recommends enhancing staff training and removing legal restrictions on concession scale to attract more qualified operators.

The document examines the implementation of the Public Forest Management Law (LGFP) in the Amazon, noting that federal and state concessions have fallen short of targets. Focusing on Pará, the study identifies governance failures—including annulled bids, non-conceded areas, and terminated contracts—driven by administrative errors and restrictive legal limits on concession size and quantity. It recommends enhancing the training of public officials and removing legal caps on the area a single company can manage to attract more qualified operators.

The report analyzes forest replacement in Matopiba, noting that current practices often prioritize commercial timber over ecological restoration. It suggests adopting digital platforms for credit management, using Payments for Environmental Services (PSA), outsourcing fund management to specialized entities, and employing blended finance to scale restoration efforts.

The report examines the pathways for a just energy transition in the Pacific, highlighting that while 14 Pacific Island Countries (PICs) contribute only 0.23% of global emissions, they are disproportionately affected by climate change. It estimates the upfront cost of replacing fossil fuel electricity generation in eight profiled PICs between $691 million and $1 billion USD. The document argues that a just transition must go beyond technology swaps to include economic diversification, poverty eradication, and the protection of workers, particularly in Papua New Guinea's fossil fuel sector. It also warns of a 'double exposure' where the region faces both climate impacts and potential environmental damage from increased mining of Energy Transition Metals (ETMs).

The report argues that nature-based solutions (NBS) and carbon offset schemes often serve as 'escapes' for major polluters to continue emitting greenhouse gases while facilitating land grabbing and violating human rights. It provides numerous case studies across Africa, Asia-Pacific, Europe, and the Americas, highlighting systemic issues such as inflated carbon baselines, lack of free, prior, and informed consent (FPIC), and the failure of projects to deliver promised carbon reductions or community benefits. Specific examples include REDD+ projects in Gabon and Zimbabwe, soil carbon initiatives in Kenya and the US, and cookstove offsets in India.

The report finds that most National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs) fail to meaningfully engage Indigenous Peoples (IPs) and local communities (LCs) or secure their land tenure and rights. While traditional knowledge is more frequently recognized, there is a critical absence of safeguards to prevent human rights violations during conservation efforts. The assessment recommends a rights-based approach that treats IPs and LCs as full and equal partners, ensures direct access to finance, and enshrines legal safeguards and land tenure security within national biodiversity strategies.

Global Witness reports that the rush for lithium in Africa is characterized by corruption and ESG failures. In Zimbabwe, the Sandawana mine is linked to sanctioned elites and ZANU-PF allies, with reports of child labour and illegal exports. In Namibia, Xinfeng Investments is accused of bribery and using small-scale mining permits to avoid environmental assessments. In the DRC, the Manono project is stalled by ownership disputes and allegations that shell companies and politically connected individuals profited from the deposit while the state treasury received negligible funds.

The document analyzes the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), highlighting a significant misalignment between its aggressive production expansion plans and the 1.5°C global warming limit. It details how ADNOC is increasingly relying on international equity, bonds, and bank financing, thereby exposing global investors to transition and litigation risks. The brief maps these financial connections across upstream, midstream, and downstream operations and recommends that investors and banks push for greater transparency and a cessation of new fossil fuel infrastructure to mitigate these risks.

The report examines two nature-based solutions (NbS) projects: mangrove restoration in Grenada and interurban biological corridors in Costa Rica. It highlights the importance of establishing ecological baselines, using participatory monitoring and citizen science, and integrating biodiversity targets into urban planning to ensure that climate adaptation efforts also provide net gains for ecosystem health.

The document presents two case studies to illustrate the practical application of nature-based solutions (NbS) for climate adaptation. The first case focuses on mangrove restoration in Grenada, emphasizing the use of a specific restoration protocol and diverse biodiversity monitoring tools to improve seedling survival and ecosystem health. The second case examines the Biodiver_City project in Costa Rica, which implements interurban biological corridors in the San José metropolitan area to combat urban heat islands and flooding while enhancing ecological connectivity. Both cases highlight the importance of baseline data, citizen science, and multi-stakeholder coordination in achieving biodiversity co-benefits.