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The report proposes the Reversing Deforestation Mechanism (RDM), a results-based payment system designed to scale up tropical forest restoration through jurisdictional agreements. Unlike existing frameworks like JREDD+ and TFFF, which focus on halting deforestation and maintaining standing forests, RDM incentivizes net carbon removal by compensating jurisdictions for carbon captured through restoration minus emissions from deforestation and degradation. The report simulates the potential of RDM to transform tropical forests into high-impact climate assets, highlighting its potential to generate significant revenues and carbon sequestration, particularly in the Brazilian Amazon.

The policy brief examines the misalignment between legacy gas utility energy efficiency programs and current state climate goals in the United States. It highlights how traditional cost-effectiveness tests often prioritize short-term gas appliance rebates over high-impact weatherization and electrification. Using examples from states like New York and Massachusetts, the document proposes six strategic reforms to redirect ratepayer funding toward long-term decarbonization and building efficiency.

The paper analyzes the energy transition pathways of Brazil and South Africa, focusing on the intersection of green skills and social protection. It highlights South Africa's struggle with coal dependency and fragmented skills planning versus Brazil's stronger renewable energy base and integrated social programs like Bolsa Verde. The authors argue that for a just transition, these nations must align green skills strategies with national development goals, increase funding for reskilling, and leverage South-South cooperation to protect vulnerable workers and reduce inequality.

The briefing argues that nuclear power is an impractical solution for near-term climate targets in Europe and Australia due to systemic delays, high costs, and a high rate of project cancellations. In Europe, utility-scale wind and solar capacity under construction or in pre-construction outweighs nuclear by fourteen to one, and solar generation surpassed nuclear in the EU for the first time in mid-2025. In Australia, the document concludes that nuclear is unlikely to replace coal by 2038 because construction timelines—estimated by CSIRO to be at least five years longer than the global average—would require groundbreaking by the end of 2025. Globally, the Global Nuclear Power Tracker indicates that 38% of all proposed nuclear capacity (566 GW) has been cancelled.

The Production Gap Report 2025 finds that governments are collectively planning more fossil fuel production than in 2023, with 2030 projected levels exceeding 1.5°C-consistent pathways by over 120%. While some countries are developing net-zero aligned scenarios, most continue to expand production and provide substantial financial support for fossil fuels, undermining Paris Agreement commitments.

The report finds that while green tax incentives are widely used in emerging and developing economies, there is a mismatch between the common reliance on profit-based incentives and the actual barriers to investment, such as high upfront capital costs. It argues that these tools are most effective when integrated into broader policy frameworks and transitioned toward market-based mechanisms as sectors mature.

The report examines governance in Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe, highlighting a systemic gap between the adoption of policy frameworks and their actual implementation. It identifies executive dominance as a primary barrier to the separation of powers and notes that corruption and structural inequality continue to undermine economic development. Environmentally, the report emphasizes that while Africa contributes the least to global emissions, it remains the most vulnerable region to climate change, with poor environmental practices and inadequate policy coordination exacerbating the crisis. The author argues that empowering civil society and youth is essential for building state resilience and achieving sustainable development.

The report examines climate litigation in the oil and gas sectors of Latin America and the Caribbean, highlighting a strong reliance on human rights and constitutional frameworks. While the region leads the Global South in climate cases, it faces significant barriers including institutional weaknesses, violence against environmental defenders, and a gap in scientific evidence. The study contrasts these with Global North trends, such as 'climate washing' and corporate-focused lawsuits, and discusses the potential for transnational litigation to hold Northern companies accountable for Southern impacts.

The report analyzes the first round of Biennial Transparency Reports (BTRs) under the Paris Agreement's Enhanced Transparency Framework, focusing on the voluntary adaptation sections (A-BTR). By reviewing 10 diverse countries, the authors find that while there is strong commitment to reporting, most countries lack comprehensive monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) systems, leading to a gap in evidence regarding the actual effectiveness of adaptation actions. The report highlights significant reporting gaps for Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and Least Developed Countries (LDCs), a lack of gender equity and social inclusion (GESI) integration, and insufficient transparency regarding financial flows.

Canada is falling behind its major non-U.S. trading partners in the implementation of key climate and sustainable finance policies, particularly in mandatory climate disclosure and the development of a national climate investment taxonomy. While Canada aligns on net zero commitments and carbon pricing, the lack of progress in other areas creates economic friction and risks exposing Canadian businesses to carbon tariffs. The report argues that accelerating these policies will help Canada diversify its trade and identify new growth opportunities in a global economy increasingly aligned on climate fundamentals.

The Canadian Climate Institute finds that Canada is lagging behind its major global trading partners in the adoption of key climate and sustainable finance policies. While Canada has implemented carbon pricing and net-zero commitments, it lacks a national taxonomy, mandatory climate disclosure, and formal transition plan frameworks. This policy gap risks increasing costs for Canadian businesses and hindering their ability to compete in markets that are increasingly aligning around carbon neutrality and transparent climate risk reporting.

The research paper examines whether South Africa has eclipsed Nigeria as Africa's dominant power. While Nigeria maintains significant demographic and resource-based weight, the author argues that South Africa has leveraged multilateral institutions, a diverse economy, and a value-driven foreign policy to achieve greater global visibility and influence. The analysis highlights Nigeria's internal security challenges and strategic drift as factors that have diminished its international standing, while noting that South Africa faces its own domestic vulnerabilities, including energy crises and high unemployment.

As of Q2 2025, US utility resource plans show a trend of increasing electricity demand projections and a corresponding increase in planned gas power plant capacity, leading to a widening gap between projected emissions and net-zero targets.

Analysis of 247 major U.S. cities shows that under high-emissions scenarios, summer high temperatures are projected to increase by an average of 3.6°F by 2060 and 7.9°F by 2100. For many cities, these future conditions will resemble current climates in locations hundreds of miles to the south, with 16 cities projected to reach temperatures only currently found in Pakistan, the Middle East, and North Africa.

BRICS nations now generate over half of the world's solar power, driven primarily by China, India, and Brazil. In 2024, these countries accounted for 51% of global solar electricity generation, with China alone contributing 39%. Solar power met 37% of the total increase in electricity generation across BRICS members in 2024, contributing to a total clean energy share of 70% for new generation growth. While China, India, and Brazil show strong continued growth in 2025, other members like Russia, Indonesia, and Egypt lag in solar deployment or remain dependent on fossil fuels.

The BRICS bloc generated over half of the world's electricity in 2024, with China dominating renewable energy production. While solar and wind capacity have grown exponentially in China, India, and Brazil since 2015, progress has stalled in Russia and South Africa. Hydropower's share of BRICS renewable generation fell from 82% in 2015 to 45% in 2023 as solar and wind expanded. China leads the bloc in total renewable energy jobs, though Brazil has the highest proportion of such jobs relative to its population.

The report analyzes the 2024 Chinese GSS+ bond market, noting that while cumulative issuance has exceeded $500 billion, annual growth in 2024 slowed due to a decline in financial institution activity. Green bonds remain dominant, though social and sustainable bonds saw significant growth. The report highlights a gap between domestic issuance and international CBI standards, particularly in sustainability-linked bonds (SLBs), and examines the potential for GSS+ financing in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

The Institute for Energy Economics Japan (IEEJ) produces energy forecasts with significantly higher gas demand and carbon emissions than those of the IEA, ExxonMobil, and BP. This is driven by higher projected costs for solar and wind, a preference for thermal power as a backup to renewables, and optimistic forecasts for carbon capture and storage (CCS) deployment. The IEEJ maintains close ties to the Japanese government and industry, while Japan remains a major global financier and trader of gas.

Nigeria faces a substantial annual climate financing gap of $15.8 billion, with tracked inflows of $1.9 billion remaining low relative to its economy. The document argues for a Country Platform for Climate Action (CPCA) to coordinate government, private sector, and international efforts, citing the Just Energy Transition Partnerships (JETPs) in South Africa, Indonesia, Vietnam, and Senegal as models. While JETPs have mobilized $46.5 billion across four countries, they are criticized for narrow focuses on energy systems and inadequate local engagement. A proposed Nigerian CPCA would expand this scope to include resilience, industrial growth, and social equity, while balancing geopolitical relationships with the EU, US, China, and India to meet a $1.9 trillion energy transition target by 2060.

The report analyzes organic waste management models in Indonesia and Brazil, finding that decentralized, community-based, and household-level systems often offer greater cost-efficiency (lower Levelized Cost of Waste Management) than large-scale centralized projects. While private operators achieve economies of scale, community groups face severe financial pressure due to low operational margins and reliance on short-lived assets. The study recommends holistic policy approaches, legal recognition for informal workers, and the integration of co-benefits like job creation and methane reduction to attract more diverse funding, such as green bonds and carbon credits.