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The global pipeline of proposed coal power plants has decreased by 76% since 2015. As of July 2021, 44 economies have formally committed to no new coal, while another 40 are positioned to do so because they have no projects in their pre-construction pipeline. However, 37 economies still consider new coal, with China, India, Viet Nam, Indonesia, Turkey, and Bangladesh accounting for 82% of the remaining global pipeline. The report provides detailed profiles of these economies, highlighting the role of Chinese financing and the impact of local opposition and environmental concerns in halting projects.

The U.S. oil and gas sector exhibits extreme variability in methane emissions, with some small producers and specific large companies contributing disproportionately to totals. The author argues that the EPA must implement a regulatory floor mandating best practices to reduce leaks and flaring, noting that existing technology could reduce sector methane emissions by 65% at little to no cost.

The report identifies the electrification of ridehailing services, such as Uber and Lyft, as a key strategy to accelerate the broader electric vehicle transition in the United States. Based on an analysis of 100 million miles of vehicle data, it identifies three primary barriers to implementation: technological capability, financial competitiveness, and charging infrastructure.

The Arctic sea ice reached its 2020 minimum extent of 1.44 million square miles on September 15, marking the second lowest extent in the nearly 42-year satellite record. This loss is driven by factors including a Siberian heat wave and a reinforcing feedback loop where the darker ocean surface absorbs more heat, contributing to the Arctic warming twice as fast as the rest of the planet. The 14 lowest extents in the satellite era have all occurred within the last 14 years, with the record low set in 2012.

The report finds that EU electricity demand nearly returned to 2019 levels by August 2020, leading to a surge in coal generation. This trend was exacerbated by record low nuclear output in France, which created a supply gap that wind and solar growth could not fully fill, resulting in coal generation reaching its highest level since March 2020.

The document outlines the methodology and data used to analyze pesticide application rates and heat index exposure for farmworkers in the US. It details the use of USGS and NASS data to identify high-risk pesticides and calculate heat index days, providing specific state-level and county-level data for California, Florida, and Washington.

Climate change is extending the freeze-free growing season in the United States, leading to longer periods of pollen exposure for nearly 20 million allergy sufferers. Analysis of 201 cities shows that 83% experienced longer growing seasons since 1970, with the most significant increases in the western U.S. Additionally, rising atmospheric CO2 levels are shown to increase the quantity and allergenicity of pollen from plants like ragweed.

The report details a systemic failure in Peru's forestry sector where official documents, such as Forest Management Plans and Forest Transport Permits, are used to legitimize illegal logging. Analysis of 1,024 permits from 2017 shows that a significant portion of timber is high-risk, particularly from the Loreto and Ucayali regions. The document identifies specific public officials and regents who approved plans for nonexistent trees and argues that weak enforcement of administrative and criminal penalties creates an environment of impunity for organized crime networks.

The briefing argues that cities are critical for implementing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and presents an IISD tool that uses official Statistics Canada data to monitor SDG indicator trends in 13 major Canadian cities. Because global indicators cannot be directly applied to cities due to data limitations, the initiative identifies 12 specific indicators to track progress from 1995 to 2030. The tool aims to help policy-makers identify performance gaps, assess the feasibility of targets, and facilitate cross-scale coordinated action between municipal, provincial, and federal governments.

The report finds that a significant portion of Peruvian timber exports are high-risk or illegal, despite being accompanied by official Transport Guides (GTF). Analysis of 2015 export data reveals that exporters strategically direct 'green-listed' (low-risk) timber to strictly regulated markets like the US and EU, while sending 'red-listed' (high-risk) timber to markets with weaker regulations, such as China and Mexico. The study highlights a shift toward using Native Community permits and Local Forests to launder illegal wood, noting that 66% of analyzed GTFs were either not supervised or lacked critical traceability data like the harvest year (zafra).

The report analyzes 855 Visual Inspection Certificates and 2,364 Forest Transport Permits (GTFs) from the Port of Callao in 2015 to trace the supply chain of Peruvian timber. It finds that a significant portion of exports are high-risk or illegal, with exporters strategically directing 'red list' timber to countries with weak import laws, such as China and Mexico, while sending 'green list' timber to the US and EU. The study highlights a shift toward using Forest Permits in Indigenous Communities and Local Forests to circumvent oversight, as these modalities often lack supervision or exhibit high rates of illegality.

The document analyzes natural gas flaring in the Bakken formation of North Dakota, noting that in 2013, 32% of all produced gas was flared. It disputes the claim that slow federal permitting for pipelines is the primary driver of flaring, providing data that 72% of 2013 flaring occurred on private or state-owned land and 57% of statewide flaring came from wells already connected to gathering pipelines. The author argues that flaring is instead caused by insufficient infrastructure capacity, lack of front-end planning, and investment gaps, and opposes HR 4293, which would allow the Secretary of Interior to bypass the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process for pipeline and compressor station permits on federal lands.

The Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) analyzed responses from 1,824 companies to a 2013 CDP climate-reporting questionnaire to determine if companies disclosed their board seats in four influential U.S. trade associations: the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM), the U.S. Chamber of Commerce (COC), the American Petroleum Institute (API), and the Edison Electric Institute (EEI). The analysis found low rates of disclosure across these groups, with many companies failing to acknowledge their board positions even when publicly responding to the questionnaire.

Amory Lovins argues that the California electricity crisis was caused by botched restructuring and concentrated market power rather than a shortage of generating capacity or soaring demand from the Internet. He provides data from the California Energy Commission to show that per-capita electricity use remained flat for twenty-five years and that peak loads in 2000 did not show a general upward trend. Lovins asserts that the crisis was exacerbated by dominant suppliers strategically withholding power to maintain high prices, and he defends his advocacy for energy efficiency and decentralized renewables as successful policies that would have forestalled the disaster had they not been abandoned in the mid-1990s.

This fact sheet provides a detailed table and analysis of current pollutant emission rates (SO2, NOx, and PM10), estimated stack concentrations, and the emission limits requested by Eskom for 13 power stations. The document highlights inconsistencies in Eskom's reported data and argues that Eskom is effectively seeking exemptions from future Minimum Emission Standards (MES).

The report analyzes EFSA data from 2007-2014, finding that acrylamide levels in many European foods remain unchanged or are increasing despite voluntary industry 'toolboxes'. It highlights significant benchmark exceedances in baby foods and specific products in Belgium and Denmark, concluding that the European Commission's proposal to mandate codes of practice without setting enforceable legal limits is insufficient to protect consumers.

The report evaluates the UK's open register of beneficial owners, finding that while 87% of companies comply, significant loopholes allow thousands to hide real ownership through 'no PSC' statements, ineligible foreign corporate entities, and circular ownership structures. It argues that Companies House lacks the resources and mandate to verify data or sanction non-compliance, and recommends the adoption of unique identifiers and automated red-flagging systems to detect financial crime.

Global Witness reports that industrial agriculture is accelerating biodiversity loss in Brazil, with over 27 million hectares of jaguar habitat converted to agricultural land in Mato Grosso and Pará as of 2023. The investigation highlights JBS's role, finding that 75% of identified farms in JBS's supply chain overlapping jaguar territory in these states violated environmental laws between 2018 and 2023. The report specifically identifies the Canoeiro farm as having cleared over 1,200 hectares of protected jaguar territory between 2013 and 2023, using 'cattle laundering' to enter JBS's supply chain. Global Witness argues that stronger supply chain and finance regulations are necessary to prevent the extinction of keystone species and meet global climate goals by 2030.

This report presents findings from the Schools’ Air quality Monitoring for Health and Education (SAMHE) initiative for the 2023/2024 academic year. Based on data from hundreds of UK schools, the report examines the relationship between outdoor temperatures and indoor air quality, specifically focusing on carbon dioxide (CO2), relative humidity, and particulate matter (PM2.5).

The report analyzes greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions for Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, and Wisconsin. Utilizing the World Resources Institute's Climate Analysis Indicators Tool (CAIT-US), it examines all six Kyoto GHGs across the regional economy to overcome inconsistencies in previous state-level inventories. The analysis covers regional, sectoral, and state levels, assessing major emission sources, trends, and socioeconomic drivers to inform stakeholders on the Midwest's role in global climate change.