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The global energy crisis has exposed critical vulnerabilities in the energy systems of Southeast Asian nations, particularly their reliance on imported fossil fuels. While governments in Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines, and Viet Nam have implemented short-term measures to mitigate price shocks and secure fuel supplies, the report argues that these responses fail to address underlying vulnerabilities. It calls for an acceleration of fossil fuel phasedowns, a reconsideration of natural gas as a transition fuel, and a prioritisation of renewable energy scale-ups and energy efficiency to build long-term resilience.

Solar generation in seven Asian countries avoided approximately US$34 billion in fossil fuel costs in the first half of 2022. The report highlights rapid capacity growth in China, India, and Viet Nam, while noting that solar capacity across five key Asian economies is expected to grow by an average of 22% annually until 2030. However, the transition faces hurdles including grid instability in Viet Nam, high installation costs in Japan and South Korea, and policy bottlenecks in the Philippines and Thailand.

The report warns that massive LNG expansion and a lack of ambitious national climate targets are jeopardizing the 1.5°C warming limit. It highlights that current 2030 targets lead to 2.4°C of warming and that LNG capacity under construction could increase emissions by over 1.9 GtCO2e per year by 2030 above Net Zero scenarios. While some policy progress is noted in the US, China, and the EU, international climate finance remains insufficient, and the phase-down of coal is largely being ignored by major emitters.

The document argues that biogas and biomethane should primarily be reserved for hard-to-abate sectors like petrochemical production and industrial heating, as electrification via renewable energy is more cost-effective for power and heat. It highlights that biogas only addresses a minority of agricultural emissions (at most 28.9%) and warns that scaling production to meet targets, such as the EU's 35 bcm goal by 2030, could threaten food security by requiring significant arable land. Additionally, the briefing notes risks from fugitive methane emissions, high reliance on public subsidies, and safety hazards including explosions and toxicity.

The report provides a comprehensive overview of the climate finance landscape in Bangladesh, India, and Nepal, detailing the mechanisms used to fund climate action. It analyzes the roles of multilateral funds (such as the GCF and GEF), bilateral aid, national budgets, and emerging private sector instruments like green bonds and blended finance. The document highlights significant funding gaps, particularly for adaptation, and recommends strengthening institutional frameworks, adopting climate budget tagging, and improving technical capacity to develop bankable projects.

The global steel sector, responsible for approximately 7% of worldwide energy-related CO2 emissions, faces a critical transition period as 71% of coal-based blast furnace capacity will require reinvestment by 2030. The report highlights the disparity between current production methods—specifically the high emissions of Blast Furnace-Basic Oxygen Furnace (BF-BOF) versus Electric Arc Furnace (EAF)—and the massive investment required for enabling infrastructure, such as green hydrogen and CO2 pipelines. It advocates for a combination of upstream, midstream, and downstream policies, including Carbon Contracts for Difference (CCfDs) and Green Public Procurement (GPP), to avoid stranded assets and align the industry with a 1.5°C-compatible trajectory. Additionally, the Climate Bonds Initiative introduces sector-specific criteria to guide the certification of climate-aligned steel assets and companies.

The document argues that 'net zero' strategies serve as a 'smoke screen' for large corporations to continue fossil fuel extraction and industrial agriculture. It specifically critiques 'nature-based solutions' and soil carbon sequestration as mechanisms that facilitate land grabbing, data appropriation, and the co-optation of agroecology, ultimately benefiting agribusiness and tech firms while undermining the rights of small-scale producers and Indigenous peoples.

The report establishes a monitoring tool for forest legality and governance in the Congo Basin, based on Chatham House methodology. It defines 50 indicators categorized into forest goals, sustainable production and development, forest financing, and forest governance. Additionally, it provides a comparative matrix of the legal frameworks, dedicated agencies, and development policies of Cameroon, Gabon, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and the Republic of the Congo, specifically addressing drivers of deforestation such as commercial agriculture, extractive industries, and small-scale farming.

The Forest Declaration Assessment provides a structured monitoring tool for the Congo Basin, utilizing 50 indicators across four themes: forest goals, sustainable production and development, forest finance, and forest governance. The framework evaluates the quality and implementation of policies adopted by public and private stakeholders. Additionally, the document provides a detailed comparative annex of the existing forest laws, coordinating entities, and strategic policies in Cameroon, Gabon, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and the Republic of the Congo.

The 2022 Regional Assessment for the Congo Basin reveals that while deforestation rates have historically been low, there was a 4.9% increase in forest loss in 2021 compared to the 2018-2020 period. Only Gabon and the Republic of the Congo are currently on track to meet the 10% annual reduction in forest cover loss required to reach the 2030 goal of zero deforestation. The report identifies subsistence agriculture as the primary driver of deforestation, while industrial mining, logging, and commercial agriculture pose the greatest risks to core intact forests. Despite the existence of legal frameworks and community forest laws in several countries, implementation is hindered by weak governance, lack of tenure security for indigenous peoples and local communities, and contradictory sectoral laws. Financial commitments, including USD 1.5 billion pledged by international donors between 2021 and 2025, are deemed insufficient to meet the region's needs, with the land sector needs of Cameroon and the DRC alone estimated at US$29.8 billion for 2020-30.

The 2022 Regional Assessment of the Congo Basin reveals that while the region is a critical global carbon sink, deforestation increased in 2021 by 4.9% compared to the 2018-20 period. Only Gabon and the Republic of the Congo are currently aligned with the trajectory to end deforestation by 2030. The report identifies subsistence agriculture and infrastructure development as primary drivers, while noting that industrial mining and logging cause the most severe damage to intact core forests. Despite the existence of legal frameworks and international funding commitments, such as the USD 1.5 billion Joint Declaration for the Congo Basin, the report highlights significant gaps in policy enforcement, land tenure security for Indigenous peoples and local communities, and the alignment of economic development plans with forest conservation goals.

The policy brief argues that the USD 8.5 billion Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP) in South Africa relies on a 'de-risking' model that prioritises private finance and Independent Power Producers (IPPs), shifting commercial risks to the state and consumers. This approach is criticised for potentially worsening South Africa's debt profile, increasing energy poverty through higher tariffs, and undermining local renewable energy manufacturing. The authors suggest alternatives including the regulation of PPPs, debt cancellation of 'odious debt' (such as World Bank loans for the Medupi plant), climate reparations, and the implementation of allocative green credit policies to direct investment toward productive, labour-intensive green industries.

The report examines the global cocoa market, highlighting the tension between growing demand and climate-related supply risks. It analyzes how VSSs like Fairtrade and Rainforest Alliance attempt to improve sustainability and farmer incomes, while noting that power imbalances and low farm-gate prices continue to drive poverty among the 5 to 6 million cocoa farmers worldwide.

The report argues that Ethiopia's national dialogue initiative is hindered by a fundamental clash between a 'deliberative' approach favored by the government—which seeks a rational consensus to resolve differences—and the reality of a severely divided society characterized by deep-seated historical injustices. The author contends that the process will only succeed if stakeholders shift toward an 'agonistic' model that focuses on transforming antagonistic relations into adversarial politics and reckoning with the past, rather than attempting to manufacture a final consensus on fundamental national issues.

The report details how the North Carolina Retirement System (NCRS) has invested $3.25 billion in Landmark Partners, a firm that backs Progress Residential, the largest single-family rental company in the U.S. It argues that this investment supports a business model that squeezes profits from tenants through high rents, excessive fees, and neglected maintenance, while simultaneously reducing homeownership opportunities for working-class and Black residents in North Carolina.

The 2022 Green Central Banking Scorecard evaluates G20 monetary and prudential authorities, finding that most remain insufficiently ambitious in mitigating climate risks. While research and advocacy have improved, the report argues that central banks prioritize analysis over action and are hindered by a commitment to 'market neutrality' and flawed taxonomies. The Banque de France is the top-ranked institution, while Saudi Arabia is the lowest. The report recommends implementing green lending schemes, increasing capital requirements for fossil fuel exposures, and adopting a 'double materiality' framework to account for the financial sector's impact on the environment.

The report finds that IFIs have historically had limited exposure to the steel sector, with most investments focused on business-as-usual modernization rather than transformative decarbonization. While barriers such as the high capital intensity of steel projects and a lack of national policy frameworks in developing countries exist, the authors argue that IFIs can accelerate the transition by de-risking first movers, supporting green hydrogen strategies, and creating demand through green public procurement standards for infrastructure projects.

The statement highlights the high risks faced by environmental defenders in Latin America, noting that 200 deaths were recorded in 2020 alone. It criticizes the lack of effective protection provided by the Escazu Agreement and the 30x30 conservation project, emphasizing that indigenous people and women are disproportionately targeted. The text calls for UN and US government intervention to protect these activists.

The document argues that the EU faces a 'policy vacuum' regarding methane emissions from livestock farming, which accounts for 53% of the EU's anthropogenic methane. While the Global Methane Pledge targets a 30% reduction by 2030, business-as-usual projections suggest livestock methane will only drop by 3.7%. The report identifies failures in the Common Agriculture Policy (CAP) and the Effort Sharing Regulation, and highlights the undue influence of the agri-food lobby on the Industrial Emissions Directive (IED). It concludes that shifting to healthier diets offers the highest potential for reductions and calls for a specific 2030 methane reduction target.

Between October 2021 and September 2022, wind and solar energy became the primary source of electricity in Chile, accounting for 27.5% of generation and surpassing coal at 26.5%. This shift follows a period of rapid growth where wind and solar generation doubled between 2018 and 2021. Since 2016, these renewable sources have fully met the growth in electricity demand, contributing to a 6% reduction in annual CO2 emissions between 2016 and 2021 despite an 11% increase in demand. The report highlights Chile's progress toward its goals of 80% renewable electricity by 2030 and a zero-emissions grid by 2050, noting the closure of 8 coal plants as part of a broader decarbonization plan.