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The document examines the impact of offshore oil and gas activities in the Wider Caribbean, highlighting the ecological threats to coral reefs and mangroves, the economic vulnerability of fossil-fuel-dependent states, and the legal obligations of states to prevent marine pollution and climate harm.

The report outlines a five-step strategy for the EU to transition from risky fossil fuel imports to domestic clean energy, emphasizing electrification, grid connectivity, flexibility, industrial decarbonization, and the use of the EU Methane Regulation to phase out high-emission imports.

ClientEarth argues that the JRC's preparatory study for textile ecodesign criteria under the ESPR is insufficient. The organization advocates for full alignment with REACH for reporting Substances of Very High Concern (SVHCs), the inclusion of all substances with harmonised classification and labelling (CLH), and the removal of exemptions for process chemicals. It further contends that the JRC has failed to implement legal requirements to reduce 'significant risks' to health and the environment and has overlooked the need for performance restrictions based on circularity concerns, such as the use of phthalates.

The report analyzes the first round of Article 6.2 reviews, finding that every reviewed Initial Report contained inconsistencies with reporting requirements. It argues that the Technical Expert Review Team (TERT) lacks the mandate to judge credit quality or enforce compliance, rendering the process a 'box-ticking exercise'. Case studies on Switzerland, Ghana, Guyana, and Vanuatu illustrate how high-risk or non-compliant credits can be traded despite transparency gaps. The author recommends extending the TERT mandate to include quality assessments and prohibiting the trade of credits until reviews are finalized.

The document analyzes how the 'attention economy' and the rapid integration of AI in advertising contribute to a global information crisis by funding disinformation and eroding trust. It highlights a 'governance gap' where regulatory frameworks fail to keep pace with AI adoption, leading to systemic opacity and the financial decline of independent media. The brief provides specific recommendations for advertisers to demand object-level transparency and for policymakers to establish enforceable labeling and auditing standards for AI-generated content.

Earthjustice reports that the EPA has proposed a rule to gut the 2015 and 2024 coal ash regulations, which would exempt hundreds of dumps from regulation and allow companies to delay or avoid cleaning up toxic contamination. The briefing details specific proposed rollbacks, such as removing safety standards for waste piles and permitting higher levels of heavy metals in contaminated water. Earthjustice intends to challenge these actions in court and urges members of Congress to oppose the proposal.

The document outlines three distinct 'tracks' for a just transition from fossil fuels. The UNFCCC and Paris Agreement provide a universal framework for emissions reduction but lack explicit obligations on fossil fuel production due to their consensus-based structure. The COP30 Presidency Roadmap, led by Brazil, serves as a non-binding, non-negotiated forum to facilitate political dialogue and identify barriers to transition. The proposed Fossil Fuel Treaty seeks to fill the governance gap by establishing binding, supply-side commitments through a coalition of high-ambition states, focusing on ending new project expansion, implementing a science-based phase-out, and providing just transition finance.

The briefing compares three pathways for a just transition from fossil fuels. It notes that while the UNFCCC provides a universal framework for emissions, it lacks explicit obligations for fossil fuel production. Brazil's COP30 'Roadmap' serves as a non-binding political dialogue to identify transition barriers. The proposed Fossil Fuel Treaty aims to fill governance gaps through binding commitments to end new project expansion, implement science-based phase-outs, and provide financial support for affected communities.

The report examines the tension between domestic data governance—driven by privacy, security, and industrial policy—and international trade rules. It argues that while data flows are essential for the global economy, the current legal architecture often reinforces structural asymmetries, where developing nations export raw data but import high-value services. The author analyzes the shift from WTO-led rules to preferential trade agreements (PTAs) and digital economy agreements (DEAs), highlighting the AfCFTA Digital Trade Protocol as a development-oriented model. The report concludes that developing countries must move beyond the binary of 'free flow vs. localization' toward calibrated, regional strategies that link trade commitments to implementation capacity and technology transfer.

The document assesses the socioenvironmental governance of nickel mining in Ontario, Canada, highlighting the lower carbon footprint of sulfide ores compared to laterites and the historical ecological recovery of the Sudbury region. It details the regulatory framework, including the impact of the Ontario Special Economic Zones Act 2025 on permitting timelines and Indigenous rights. Key environmental risks identified include acid mine drainage and the destruction of carbon-rich peatlands in the Ring of Fire, while social analysis focuses on the role of Impact Benefit Agreements and the underrepresentation of Indigenous women in impact assessments.

The report analyzes the integration of voluntary sustainability standards (VSSs) into trade policies to enhance market access for developing countries. It identifies two primary forms of integration: direct mandatory compliance and voluntary influence on national policies. Through case studies in Mozambique (cotton), Namibia (horticulture), Suriname (fisheries), and Vietnam (forestry), the report highlights that while VSSs can improve product quality and reputation, implementation is often hindered by high certification costs, limited institutional capacity, and market volatility.

The toolkit establishes a 'Harms Taxonomy' to classify the continuum from online misogyny to violent extremism, identifying online harassment, sexual extortion, and online impersonation as the categories most likely to intersect with extremist activity. It advocates for a public health-based, gender-transformative approach to prevention rather than pure securitization. The document analyzes legal frameworks in Canada, Jordan, and Kenya, noting gaps such as the lack of standalone TFGBV laws in Canada and concerns over vague cybercrime laws in Jordan and Kenya. It provides sectoral guidance for government, civil society, and platforms to ensure coordinated, rights-respecting responses to gendered harms.

The report critiques South Africa's National Climate Change Adaptation Strategy (NCCAS) 2020 and its 2025 Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) for failing to address the root causes of current vulnerability, such as poverty and inequality. It argues that focusing solely on system resilience—such as 'climate smart agriculture'—without reducing existing vulnerabilities like food insecurity leads to 'maladaptation' and risks a 'downward spiral of undevelopment.' The author proposes shifting from 'incremental adaptation' (technical adjustments) to 'transformative adaptation' (system transitions), incorporating a distributive justice framework similar to that used in energy transitions to ensure that the structural causes of vulnerability are dismantled.

The report examines the growing influence of private equity in Michigan, where 10% of the private sector workforce is employed by private equity-controlled companies. It details how leveraged buyouts and aggressive cost-cutting strategies have led to increased bankruptcy rates, labor disputes, and reduced quality in essential services. Specific case studies highlight staffing shortages and poor rankings at Apollo-owned hospitals, rent spikes in Blackstone-owned student housing, and safety violations and child labor at Hearthside Food Solutions. The document also notes that Michigan has the second-highest number of private equity-owned manufactured home parks in the U.S., often characterized by predatory rent increases and neglected maintenance. Finally, it calls for the Michigan State Treasury and Retirement System to adopt responsible workforce and property management standards to protect public investments and residents.

The report examines the growth of private equity (PE) in the autism therapy sector, highlighting a pattern of aggressive acquisitions and debt-driven management. It argues that PE-backed providers often prioritize profit over patient care by using standardized treatment plans, pressuring parents for more therapy hours, and engaging in fraudulent billing. State audits in Massachusetts, Indiana, Wisconsin, and Colorado reveal millions of dollars in improper Medicaid payments and inadequate staffing. The document concludes with policy recommendations, including facility-level licensure and rules to ensure a high percentage of Medicaid payments go directly to care worker compensation.

Between 2021 and 2024, 24 major European banks provided US$41.9 billion to companies developing new gas plants, with 63% of this funding coming from seven banks in France and the UK. The report contends that gas power is not a 'transition fuel' but a source of severe air pollution, price volatility, and long-term greenhouse gas emissions lock-in. It highlights that 78% of this financing is directed toward OECD and European countries, where power sectors are expected to be carbon neutral by 2035. The document concludes that banks must immediately end financial services to gas power expansion to align with a 1.5°C warming limit.

The document argues that current RBF programmes often prioritize short-term connection numbers over long-term business viability, creating 'cliff-edge risks' and deterring commercial investors. It proposes a four-pillar approach: aligning impact metrics with commercial viability (e.g., rewarding energy usage and productive-use connections), adjusting disbursement schedules to support capital raises, introducing risk-mitigation instruments for macroeconomic and operational risks, and fostering ecosystem-wide coordination between governments, funders, and investors.

The report argues that the abrupt closure of USAID in 2025 has had catastrophic short-term effects on funding-dependent newsrooms in Africa, leading to mass layoffs and a decline in investigative capacity. It highlights the role of Internews as a primary implementer of these projects and warns that the loss of funding increases the risk of 'media capture' by political actors, the 'juniorisation' of newsrooms as senior staff leave, and a shift toward commercial rather than public service reporting. The author concludes that the resulting vacuum in public accountability work may accelerate democratic backsliding in fragile states.

The report examines the expansion of geothermal energy in Indonesia, highlighting the role of the World Bank and Asian Development Bank in funding projects that mitigate corporate risk while shifting social and environmental burdens to local communities. It documents specific instances of water depletion, pollution, and human rights abuses, arguing for a 'Feminist Just Transition' to ensure climate justice.

The briefing argues that the ADB's financial intermediary (FI) lending, specifically its $95 million equity investment in Clifford Capital, creates a transparency loophole that allows continued support for fossil gas projects. It highlights that while the ADB claims to 'ring-fence' its funds, Clifford Capital continues to finance oil and gas projects globally and in Asia. The document provides case studies of the Tangguh LNG project in Indonesia and the Bhola-2 gas power plant in Bangladesh to illustrate the environmental and social harms resulting from such investments, including mangrove destruction and forced land acquisition. It concludes that the ADB's reliance on outdated 2009 policies for these investments avoids the stricter requirements of the 2025 Environmental and Social Framework.