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In 2023, the world's top six electricity sector emitters—China, the US, India, the EU, Russia, and Japan—accounted for approximately 72% of global emissions from this sector. China remains the largest emitter, though it leads the world in wind and solar growth. The US and EU have seen long-term emissions declines driven by the replacement of coal with gas and renewables. India's emissions continue to rise as demand growth outpaces clean energy additions. Russia's electricity mix remains largely unchanged over two decades, while Japan is seeing a recovery in nuclear generation and a significant increase in solar share, despite very low wind deployment.

The document outlines a framework for the Brazilian Sustainable Taxonomy, specifically focusing on land use activities such as crop production, cattle, and forestry. It argues for the need for harmonized, technical, and verifiable criteria to direct financial flows toward sustainable production and prevent greenwashing. The report proposes a phased implementation approach, suggests a three-tier verification system (automatic, remote, and on-site), and highlights the importance of interoperability with international standards. It also identifies critical challenges, such as defining the scope of the 'do no significant harm' (DNSH) principle and determining the appropriate level of granularity for classification (economic activity versus rural property).

The document provides a comparative analysis of French banks' commitments to cease financing new hydrocarbon projects. It details specific exclusions for upstream exploration and production and midstream infrastructure, noting that many banks apply restrictive criteria—such as limiting exclusions to non-conventional LNG or specific production-linked infrastructure—rather than comprehensive bans.

The analysis reveals a significant gap in climate action between large private and public companies, with private firms trailing in both the adoption of net zero targets and the publication of delivery plans. While 70% of the largest public companies have net zero targets, only 40% of the largest private companies have done so. Furthermore, only 20% of private companies with targets have published plans to deliver them, compared to 80% of public companies. Geographically, private companies in the EU and UK show higher adoption rates (75%) than those in the US (22%), while China has seen a slight increase from one to four companies with targets since 2022.

The report finds a substantial gap between the world's largest public and private companies regarding net zero commitments. While 70% of the largest public companies have set net zero targets, only 40% of the largest private companies have done so. Furthermore, private companies show a critical lack of integrity in their pledges; only 20% of those with net zero targets have published plans to achieve them, compared to 80% of public companies. The analysis highlights that high-emitting private sectors, particularly fossil fuels, are largely avoiding targets. The report argues that emerging regulations, such as the EU's CSRD and CSDDD, as well as California's SB 253 and SB 261, are essential to compel private companies to disclose emissions and adopt mandatory transition plans to mitigate transition risks.

The report examines several classification systems used to identify sustainable investments, including the Climate Bonds Taxonomy, the EU Taxonomy, the Colombian Green Taxonomy, and the Mexican Sustainable Taxonomy, as well as domestic Brazilian initiatives from FEBRABAN and BNDES. It provides detailed breakdowns of the technical screening criteria, eligibility requirements, and mitigation and adaptation goals for agricultural and forestry activities across these frameworks. The analysis highlights the transition from general environmental objectives to specific, measurable metrics such as GHG emission reductions and carbon stock increases, while noting the varying degrees of regulatory force—ranging from mandatory EU regulations to voluntary guides in Mexico and Colombia.

The policy brief highlights a disconnect between European transmission system operator (TSO) grid plans and actual energy policy targets or market outlooks. It argues that current regulatory requirements, which force TSOs to rely on outdated national legislation, lead to under-planned capacity and increased grid congestion. The author recommends that the European Commission provide guidance on anticipatory planning and that national regulators expand their oversight to assess the adequacy of grid plans beyond mere cost implications.

The document evaluates how CEE countries have integrated public consultation and multilevel climate and energy dialogues (MCEDs) into their updated NECPs, finding significant variability in quality and frequent failures to meet European law requirements for early and inclusive engagement.

The document evaluates the Montreal Protocol, Kyoto Protocol, and Paris Agreement to identify effective mechanisms for production controls. It argues that legally binding national targets and a mandatory global target are superior to voluntary commitments. Key recommendations for the plastics treaty include establishing a global production target with a past-year baseline, implementing national phasedown schedules, banning the expansion of production facilities (specifically ethylene plants), and eliminating production subsidies.

The report examines produced capital—human-made assets used in production—across Ethiopia, Indonesia, and Trinidad and Tobago from 1995 to 2020. It finds that while produced capital has grown, levels remain low compared to developed nations and are heavily concentrated in a few sectors, such as petroleum in Trinidad and Tobago and manufacturing and real estate in Ethiopia and Indonesia. This concentration creates economic risks and hinders the transition to renewable energy and sustainable agriculture. The authors argue that the lack of regular measurement of produced capital by national statistical offices leaves policy-makers blind to these structural challenges, underscoring the need to move beyond GDP toward comprehensive wealth metrics.

The analysis finds that while gas-fired power plants emit 58% less CO2 at the stack than coal, the lifecycle benefit is reduced to 24% when considering upstream emissions. This benefit varies wildly by production basin; gas from northeast Pennsylvania can significantly reduce GHG impacts, while gas from the Permian basin could potentially worsen them by 20% compared to coal. The report concludes that for natural gas to be compatible with net-zero goals, both aggressive upstream methane abatement and downstream carbon capture and storage (CCS) are required, noting that abated coal with CCS actually shows 37% lower emissions than abated gas with CCS due to the latter's persistent upstream methane and liquefaction emissions.

The report highlights a divide between emerging middle powers (IBSA) and Germany regarding the war in Ukraine, the dominance of the US dollar, and the role of BRICS+. While IBSA respondents prefer mediation in conflicts and view the US dollar's dominance unfavourably, German respondents support Ukraine and view the dollar's role as favourable. Despite these differences, there is shared optimism for the G20 and a common interest in the 2030 Agenda, specifically regarding technology transfer and global public investment.

In 2023, Türkiye became Europe's second-largest coal-fired electricity generator, producing a record 118 TWh, with coal's share of total generation rising to 36%. This trend was driven by imported coal, primarily from Russia, which accounted for 73% of imports and 22% of total electricity generation. While solar capacity grew to over 12 GW, wind installations hit a 13-year low of 411 MW. The report notes that Türkiye's trajectory diverges from the EU, where coal generation halved since 2016. Despite a 2053 net-zero target, the National Energy Plan still forecasts new coal and gas capacity by 2035, and the report argues that rooftop solar potential (120 GW) remains underutilised.

The report evaluates transparency in the voluntary carbon market (VCM) by analyzing a sample of 140 projects across the Verified Carbon Standard (VCS), Gold Standard (GS), American Carbon Registry (ACR), and Climate Action Reserve (CAR). It finds that no single standard provides full disclosure, with significant gaps caused by both inadequate rule-setting and insufficient enforcement. Specifically, CAR and ACR have structural limitations regarding the public disclosure of monitoring reports. The study also identifies widespread issues with mislabelled, duplicated, or missing documents, which rating agencies confirm hinder the independent assessment of carbon credit quality. The report recommends implementing stronger quality assurance/quality control (QA/QC) processes, standardized naming conventions, and regular audits to align with Integrity Council for Voluntary Carbon Markets (ICVCM) requirements.

The report finds that while 2023 ZEV sales reached the top end of post-IRA projections, utility-scale clean electricity additions are lagging behind the pathways required to meet the IRA's 40% emissions reduction goal by 2030. Despite a record 32.3 GW of clean capacity added in 2023, the pace remains below the 46-79 GW average annual additions projected for 2023-2024. The authors identify non-cost barriers, such as permitting delays and grid interconnect queues, as the primary obstacles to electricity deployment.

The document compares the macroeconomic resilience of Benin and Togo from 2000 to 2020, finding that Benin's economy was more volatile due to greater global integration, while Togo's performance was shielded by phosphate exports. Benin demonstrated more consistent counter-cyclical fiscal policy, whereas Togo's government spending tended to be procyclical during national crises. The brief recommends that Benin reduce its debt-to-GDP ratio and expand its tax base, while Togo should implement governance reforms and monitor inflation more closely.

The 2023 update shows minimal progress in climate commitments among the 70 largest PFIs, with only two institutions setting new targets. However, an analysis of smaller PFIs in emerging markets and developing economies reveals that institutional size is not a primary barrier to climate ambition; instead, government prioritization and national climate goals are the strongest drivers of engagement. The report highlights that banks with general development mandates tend to be more climate-ambitious than those with narrow sectoral mandates, though successful examples exist in infrastructure and agriculture.

The report identifies four global municipal solid waste (MSW) management archetypes—Build the Basics (BtB), Build the Basics Plus (BtB+), Move up the Hierarchy (MuH), and Close the Circle (CtC)—and proposes specific abatement strategies for each. It emphasizes that diverting organic waste from landfills and dumpsites is the most significant opportunity for methane reduction. The authors recommend a combination of source-separated organics (SSO) programs, improved landfill gas collection and control systems (GCCS), and enabling policy frameworks, such as landfill taxes and organic waste bans, to align waste management with the waste hierarchy and limit global warming.

The guide examines the legal frameworks for air quality in Turkey and the EU, analyzing the intersection of environmental law and human rights. It details the obligations of states to maintain air quality limit values, the requirements for air quality plans, and the regulation of industrial emissions. The document highlights the role of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) and the Turkish Constitutional Court in protecting the right to a healthy environment and discusses the process of aligning Turkish legislation with the EU Industrial Emissions Directive (IED).

The report reveals a 'plastic paradox' where a vast majority of consumers in four European countries view plastic packaging as environmentally negative, yet are frequently persuaded by green logos to perceive the same products as environmentally positive. High levels of trust in recycling logos and a strong preference for labels indicating recyclability or recycled content significantly drive purchasing behavior across all surveyed markets.