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India's cumulative aligned GSS+ debt reached USD 55.9bn by December 2024, a 186% increase since 2021. Green debt dominates the market, accounting for 83% of the total volume, with low-carbon energy as the primary use of proceeds. The market is supported by sovereign green bonds and evolving regulatory frameworks from SEBI, RBI, and IFSCA. While green debt is mature, social and sustainability segments remain small but show growth potential. Significant investment needs are identified for 2030, particularly in renewable energy (USD 179bn private need) and electric mobility (USD 153bn private need), while hard-to-abate sectors like steel and cement require an estimated USD 650bn for decarbonisation.

The report finds that the implementation of ecological flows in Spain is largely a failure, with water administrations frequently prioritizing economic and agricultural demands over environmental objectives. While minimum flows have been extended to most water bodies in the third cycle, other critical components—such as maximum flows, flooding regimes, and change rates—remain poorly defined or unimplemented. The report highlights severe anomalies in the Tagus basin, where minimum flows are being implemented gradually until 2027 to protect water transfers to the Segura basin, and in the Ebro Delta, where a lack of sediment management and insufficient flows are leading to ecosystem regression. Across all basins, the report notes a lack of adaptive monitoring and a failure to integrate the specific water requirements of Natura 2000 protected areas into flow calculations.

The report argues that Spanish river basin planning continues to prioritise socioeconomic demands over environmental objectives, leading to the degradation of aquatic ecosystems. It identifies systemic failures in quantifying water resources under climate change, an over-reliance on ineffective irrigation modernisation, and the misuse of WFD exemptions to defer environmental recovery. Case studies of the Tagus, Ebro Delta, Doñana, and Mar Menor illustrate severe overexploitation and pollution, while the Alcolea dam project is cited as an example of flawed cost-recovery and strategic planning.

The report argues that Spanish hydrological planning consistently fails to prioritize environmental objectives over agricultural demands, leading to widespread failure in achieving 'good status' for water bodies. It highlights a systemic reliance on irrigation modernization as a flawed adaptation strategy, the misuse of WFD exemptions to delay environmental recovery, and the critical failure to implement adequate ecological flows, particularly in the Tajo and Ebro basins. Case studies on Doñana, Mar Menor, and the Alcolea dam further illustrate the gap between legal protections and actual water management practices.

The report details a National Dialogue held in Bogotá on August 30, 2024, involving 22 participants from the public sector, private sector, academia, civil society, and international organisations. The dialogue identified four primary barriers to a just energy transition in Colombia: a lack of clear definitions for the transition, inconsistent public policy, weak institutions and regulations, and inadequate social participation mechanisms. While Colombia has a robust regulatory framework, including Law 1715 and CONPES documents, stakeholders emphasized the need for evidence-based policy design, improved territorial engagement, and new incentives for private sector investment in renewable energy. The report concludes by aligning these stakeholder needs with the Colombian government's official JTWP priorities and offering recommendations to the UNFCCC to broaden the JTWP's scope, enhance financial support, and improve accountability.

The report argues that the initial impact of the G7 and EU oil price caps has faded as Russia redirected exports to China, India, and Turkey and developed a 'shadow fleet' of tankers to circumvent sanctions. While Russia's nominal GDP grew by 3.6% in 2023, the economy shows signs of overheating with labor shortages and skyrocketing military spending. The authors recommend closing the 'refining loophole,' gradually lowering the crude oil price cap to $30 per barrel, and using U.S. secondary sanctions to pressure third-country intermediaries.

The document examines the prevalence and risks of PFAS 'forever chemicals' in the U.S., highlighting the EPA's efforts to regulate drinking water and the significant financial burden on states to implement these standards. It details the widespread contamination of water and soil, the health risks associated with PFAS exposure, and the legislative and legal challenges surrounding remediation and liability.

The report identifies a global shift toward embedding social justice in climate action and the rise of green macroeconomic policies like the US Inflation Reduction Act and the EU Green Deal. While renewable energy capacity and electric vehicle sales are hitting records, the transition faces significant hurdles, including a 'gold rush' for critical minerals often lacking governance, inadequate private sector investment in nature, and a trust deficit between citizens and institutions. The document argues for a new 'eco-social contract' based on participatory governance and a fundamental reform of the multilateral financial system to support low- and middle-income countries.

China is currently off track to meet its 2025 climate commitments, including targets for carbon and energy intensity and the share of non-fossil fuels. This is driven by a surge in coal power permitting and construction, with 114 GW approved and 70 GW starting construction in 2023. Despite official rhetoric that new coal plants serve a 'supporting' role for grid stability and renewable integration, the report finds this is often a 'smokescreen' for bulk power generation, leading to significant overcapacity and stranded asset risks.

The document assesses the viability of transitioning South Africa's minibus taxi (MBT) fleet to electric vehicles (E-MBTs), highlighting significant operational cost savings and the alignment of vehicle range with current driver patterns. It identifies key barriers, including high upfront costs, inadequate charging infrastructure, and restrictive tax structures. To unlock local manufacturing, the brief proposes a three-step transition: moving from imports to local assembly and finally to scaled-up local production. It emphasizes the Atlantis Special Economic Zone (ASEZ) as a strategic hub for this industry, supported by existing automotive skills and government incentives like the Automotive Investment Scheme.

Kenya's 2024 Adaptation Communication details the nation's vulnerability to droughts, floods, and sea level rise, particularly in arid and semi-arid lands (ASALs). It outlines a comprehensive policy framework centered on the National Adaptation Plan (NAP) 2015-2030 and the National Climate Change Action Plan (NCCAP) 2023-2027, prioritizing food security, water management, and disaster risk reduction. The report estimates a financial requirement of USD 44 billion by 2030 to implement priority adaptation actions.

The report examines the energy landscapes of seven southern African states, highlighting a stark divide between vast renewable energy potential and a continued reliance on fossil fuels or traditional biomass. While most surveyed countries have established renewable energy targets and some have liberalized their energy markets, the transition is often hindered by governance challenges, high rural-urban electricity gaps, and the pursuit of new oil and gas reserves. The document advocates for an 'energy justice' framework to ensure that the shift to low-carbon energy is inclusive, transparent, and protects the rights of marginalized communities and future generations.

The document evaluates the implementation of the Zondo Commission's recommendations in South Africa, focusing on systemic reforms rather than individual prosecutions. It finds that while some legislative progress has been made—such as the NPA Amendment Act and the Public Procurement Act—many critical recommendations regarding parliamentary oversight, the independence of law enforcement, and the protection of whistleblowers have been ignored or insufficiently addressed. The report highlights a persistent gap between procedural compliance and the deep structural changes needed to prevent future state capture.

The document argues that EU readmission agreements are often ineffective because they lack incentives aligned with the national interests of partner countries. Using Nigeria as a case study, it highlights how the decoupling of visa facilitation from readmission agreements has hindered negotiations. The authors recommend that the EU shift toward a 'responsibility sharing' framework that includes legal migration channels and reintegration support rather than focusing narrowly on returns.

The global mini-grid market has seen significant growth, with installations in 2024 projected to be six times higher than in 2018. There is a clear transition from diesel to solar PV, with solar's share of installed capacity rising from 14% in 2018 to 59% in 2024. While funding has increased—with total committed funding for ongoing programmes exceeding USD 3.1 billion—a significant financing gap remains, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. The sector is shifting toward Productive Use of Energy (PUE) business models and innovative technologies like mesh grids and lithium-ion batteries to improve financial viability. However, the report notes that regulatory implementation often lags behind formal policy, and there is a critical need for standardized reporting and better data sharing to attract private investment.

Between 2015 and 2021, Indonesia's financial sector committed USD 41.7 billion in climate-aligned investments, representing 15% of the country's total climate finance needs. Public and private financial institutions contributed nearly equal annual averages (USD 3.5 billion and USD 3.4 billion, respectively), though private contributions represent only 3% of their total investments. While public finance is dominated by Development Finance Institutions targeting renewable energy, private finance is concentrated in the AFOLU sector, particularly certified sustainable palm oil. To meet 2030 targets, Indonesia faces a climate finance gap of approximately USD 145 billion, requiring climate-aligned investment to scale by at least 4.5x this decade.

The Council on Strategic Risks (CSR) reports on the 2023 status of the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention (BWC), noting a breakthrough in consensus at the previous year's Review Conference despite a difficult geopolitical climate. The document advocates for the establishment of a multi-layered verification mechanism, the creation of an International Agency for Biological Safety, and the development of independent scientific assessment tools. It highlights successful BWC universalization efforts in Africa led by the ISU and UNODA, while warning that baseless non-compliance allegations undermine the treaty's goodwill.

The World Resources Institute describes the COP28 agreement to transition away from fossil fuels as a historic outcome but warns that the transition requires a massive scale-up in climate finance for developing countries. While praising the activation of the Loss and Damage Fund and the Global Goal on Adaptation framework, the statement criticizes the deal's failure to limit the role of carbon capture technology and the lack of quantified targets for adaptation.

The document presents findings from the EEIST programme in Brazil, arguing that risk-opportunity analysis (ROA) is a more effective tool for policymakers than traditional cost-benefit analysis (CBA) when assessing the green transition. It highlights how Brazil's specific financial and landscape dimensions can facilitate low-carbon re-industrialisation, supporting these claims with empirical and modelling case studies.

The NewClimate Institute finds that most COP28 sectoral initiatives are insufficient to close the emissions gap, with approximately half of estimated savings unlikely to be achieved without further action. While the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Pledge shows potential to close a third of the gap to 1.5ºC by 2030, the Oil and Gas Decarbonisation Accelerator is characterised as greenwashing because it focuses only on upstream emissions rather than a full fossil fuel phase-out.