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This report examines the economic challenges of transitioning China's energy-intensive steel industry to near-zero-carbon production and proposes policy, demand-side, and financial mechanisms to accelerate the deployment of low-carbon technologies.

A statement from the World Resources Institute (WRI) criticizing proposed amendments to the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), arguing that they create loopholes, rely on outdated data, and introduce regulatory uncertainty.

This briefing by Zero Carbon Analytics argues that progress toward net zero is overestimated due to inconsistencies in how land-based carbon accounting is handled in Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) compared to IPCC methods. It highlights that current NDCs rely on unrealistic land-based removal targets that ignore ecological limits, social risks, and the declining ability of natural sinks to store carbon under rising temperatures.

This report, co-authored by RMI and China University of Mining and Technology (Beijing), examines the status, recovery potential, and future outlook of coal mine methane (CMM) recovery and utilization technologies in China to support the country's carbon peaking and neutrality goals.

This policy brief examines the potential for carbon markets to provide finance for climate-resilient smallholder farmers in Africa. It argues that while carbon markets can fund climate-smart agricultural practices that improve soil health and food security, significant barriers—including strict credit requirements, high costs, and a lack of localized research—currently limit participation. The document calls for policymakers to move away from 'one-size-fits-all' regulations and instead prioritize frameworks that value non-carbon co-benefits like nutrition and economic development.

This fact sheet by the Institute for Economic Justice (IEJ) examines the mechanisms and consequences of exclusion from South Africa's COVID-19 Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant. Through a mixed-methods study, the IEJ finds that narrow poverty targeting and flawed automated verification systems lead to high rates of erroneous exclusion, disproportionately affecting the most marginalized populations, including women, rural dwellers, and those with limited digital or financial access.

This research paper examines the governance challenges of solar radiation modification (SRM), arguing that the current fragmented landscape risks unilateral deployment and the marginalization of the Global South. The authors advocate for the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) to formally integrate SRM into its agenda, specifically suggesting COP29 in Baku as a starting point to ensure that ethical, social, and justice-based considerations guide the technology's development.

This research paper by the Africa Policy Research Institute examines strategies for reducing methane emissions in global agriculture, emphasizing the need for equitable policies that balance climate goals with food security and economic development, particularly in low- and middle-income countries.

This research paper by the Africa Policy Research Institute examines how green technologies in renewable energy, sustainable agriculture, waste management, and green construction can address youth unemployment in Africa. It identifies significant job creation potential but highlights critical barriers including financing gaps, infrastructure deficits, and policy implementation failures.

This research paper by the Africa Policy Research Institute examines the intersection of gender inequality and climate change, specifically within the African context. It argues that existing societal disparities magnify women's vulnerability to climate risks and that transformative climate action requires gender-responsive strategies, financial inclusion, and the integration of gender equity into international negotiations like COP29.

This policy brief by the NewClimate Institute examines the inclusion of non-CO2 emissions (methane, nitrous oxide, and fluorinated gases) in Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), highlighting a general lack of gas-specific quantitative targets and focusing on the potential for China to increase its ambition in the next NDC cycle.

This report analyzes the rural credit policy landscape for climate finance related to land use in Brazil from 2021 to 2023. It examines the volume of climate-related credit, the criteria used for classification, the sources of funding, and the challenges regarding the verification and actual environmental impact of these financial flows.

This briefing by Zero Carbon Analytics examines how a potential US slowdown in clean technology investment and deployment under a Donald Trump presidency could create market opportunities for emerging economies, specifically China, Brazil, and India.

This policy brief, produced by the Stockholm Environment Institute in collaboration with Adaptation without Borders and Adaptation at Altitude, identifies opportunities for UNFCCC Parties and Observers to integrate transboundary climate impacts and mountain area adaptation into international climate negotiations, specifically targeting COP29 and subsequent conferences.

This policy brief by the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) argues that carbon markets and the purchase of carbon offsets do not constitute legitimate climate finance. The document asserts that relying on these markets allows Global North countries and polluters to avoid their legal obligations to fund mitigation and adaptation in the Global South while perpetuating the fossil fuel economy.

This policy brief by the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) argues that the proposed international legally binding instrument to end plastic pollution (the Plastics Treaty) must be grounded in a human rights-based approach. It asserts that plastic pollution violates multiple internationally recognized human rights and that the treaty should operationalize both substantive rights, such as the right to a healthy environment, and procedural rights, such as access to justice and public participation, to ensure equity and accountability.

This briefing by the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) provides initial reactions to the third 'non-paper' released on October 29, 2024, by the Chair of the intergovernmental negotiating committee (INC) tasked with developing a global plastics treaty. While CIEL views the non-paper as an adequate structure for negotiations at the upcoming INC-5 meeting in Busan, Republic of Korea, it argues that the current text relies too heavily on voluntary language and lacks essential provisions on production limits, chemicals of concern, and finance, which would result in an ineffective treaty.

This report by the Climate Policy Initiative (CPI/PUC-Rio) analyzes the regulatory and institutional advancements in Brazil's bioeconomy under the Lula government since 2023. It highlights the creation of the National Bioeconomy Secretariat and the National Bioeconomy Strategy, while evaluating how these frameworks integrate three distinct visions of bioeconomy: biotechnological, bio-resources, and bio-ecological.

This progress report by FSD Africa details the organization's efforts to deepen African capital markets to mobilize long-term, local currency finance for sustainable development. The report outlines a four-pronged strategy focusing on policy and regulatory development, market infrastructure, capital market product innovation, and convening and advocacy. FSD Africa highlights its role as a neutral facilitator, leveraging technical assistance and grants to address systemic barriers such as risk-averse institutional investors and underdeveloped regulatory frameworks, with a specific emphasis on green, social, and gender-themed financing.

This report by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) analyzes the current state of green public procurement (GPP) in Indonesia. It examines the legal and governance frameworks, identifies key stakeholders, and evaluates existing tools such as eco-labels and the Timber Legality Verification System. The report highlights significant barriers to GPP adoption, including limited stakeholder knowledge, cost concerns, and procurer risk aversion, and provides four primary recommendations to accelerate the transition to sustainable procurement.