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The document examines the shift from physical to digital public spaces, highlighting the rise of 'surveillance capitalism' and 'data colonization' by tech giants and states. It defines 'democratic public communication spaces' as those that strengthen excluded voices and guarantee data sovereignty. The authors warn of 'voice poverty' and the erasure of linguistic diversity, noting that only 7% of the world's languages appear online. To combat these injustices, the paper recommends revitalizing public interest media, supporting community-managed infrastructure, and implementing comprehensive media literacy training.

The briefing analyzes the proposed return of U.S. nuclear-armed sea-launched cruise missiles (SLCMs) from a Japanese security perspective. It argues that the capabilities once sought by Japan—such as low yield, stealth, and survivability—are already provided by other modernized U.S. assets, including the W76-2 low-yield SLBM warhead, B61-12 bombs, and long-range stand-off (LRSO) missiles. The author concludes that nuclear SLCMs would be a duplicative capability with low marginal benefit, especially given China's increasing anti-access and anti-denial (A2/AD) capabilities.

The Private Equity Stakeholder Project and the UE union argue that PAI Partners' commitment to ESG is contradicted by Refresco's labor abuses, safety violations, and environmental non-compliance.

The statement criticizes the Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero (GFANZ) and its member alliances for a lack of urgency in meeting the '50x30' target of halving emissions by 2030. It highlights that most alliances lack near-term targets, allow the use of emission intensity metrics instead of absolute emissions, and fail to prohibit the financing of fossil fuel expansion.

The report analyzes the evolution of biological weapons threats from the 1940s to the 2010s, noting a shift from battlefield utility and strategic deterrence toward hybrid warfare and assassination tools. It argues that the COVID-19 pandemic acts as a 'game changer' that could either trigger a new era of proliferation or foster unprecedented international cooperation. The authors propose three future scenarios: one where bioweapons become a key component of deterrence, one where the world pivots toward collective biosecurity, and a hybrid world of ambiguous threats driven by disinformation. The report concludes that U.S. policy must rebalance its focus from bioterrorism to state-based threats and increase funding for biodefense.

The European Electricity Review 2022 identifies a 'paradigm shift' in the EU power sector where soaring gas prices in 2021 led new renewable energy to replace fossil gas instead of coal. While wind and solar reached record generation of 547 TWh in 2021, overall power sector emissions declined at less than half the rate required to meet 1.5°C targets. The report highlights that coal phase-outs are stalling in some regions, such as Poland, and that the structural decline of nuclear power is further slowing decarbonization by forcing renewables to replace lost nuclear capacity rather than fossil fuels.

The document reports that while commodity-driven deforestation rates have declined since 2016, the original 2020 target for ending agriculture-driven deforestation was not met. It highlights significant gaps in corporate commitments, particularly in Latin America's beef and soy sectors, and a lack of comprehensive policies among major financial institutions. While technological tools and jurisdictional approaches are gaining traction, the brief calls for stronger government due diligence policies and increased private sector transparency to drive transformational change.

The document identifies infrastructure and extractive industries as 'drivers of drivers' that open forest access and facilitate further deforestation. While these sectors directly cause less loss than agriculture (10% and 7% respectively), they enable vast indirect degradation. The brief highlights systemic failures, including power imbalances excluding Indigenous peoples and local communities (IPLCs), lack of transparency, and finance flowing to destructive activities. Despite some progress through G7 commitments, World Bank initiatives, and increased legal actions by IPLCs, the document argues that a fundamental realignment of economic pathways and incentives is required to protect intact forests.

The document highlights a severe funding gap for forest protection, where annual needs range from USD 45 to 460 billion but current funding averages only USD 2.4 billion. While there has been growth in REDD+ commitments, private finance from voluntary carbon markets, and ESG funds since 2015, 'grey finance'—investments driving deforestation—continues to dominate. The brief identifies systemic barriers such as perverse economic incentives and weak governance, and calls for governments and the private sector to align budgets, reform subsidies, and increase investment transparency to meet global climate goals.

The report argues that while COVID-19 provided a temporary respite for the environment, it exacerbated social inequalities and led to a rebound in carbon emissions. It contends that current 'green recovery' efforts are insufficient, primarily limited to wealthy nations and focused narrowly on decarbonisation while neglecting nature and social justice. The authors advocate for a structural shift toward a circular economy, nature-based solutions, and innovative finance like debt-for-nature swaps to ensure a sustainable and equitable transition.

The document reports a surge in China's coal power construction and coal-based steelmaking investments in 2021, contradicting the country's carbon neutrality goals. It highlights that 33 GW of new coal power plants started construction in 2021 and 74 million tonnes of coal-based steelmaking capacity were approved. The report warns that these investments risk creating billions of dollars in stranded assets and lock the sectors into coal dependency, while noting a simultaneous but insufficient scale-up of clean energy.

The report assesses the cyclical nature of violence in South Sudan and the failure of successive peace agreements to establish lasting stability. It argues that durable peace requires a multi-level approach that links local and national processes, prioritises long-term investment over 'quick-fix' events, and integrates livelihood support with social cohesion. The authors highlight the devastating humanitarian cost, noting that 8.3 million people needed assistance as of October 2021, and emphasize that resilience-building must address root causes of inequality and justice rather than treating resilience as an end goal. A key identified opportunity for innovation is addressing the gendered dimensions of conflict-driven hunger, which the report argues has been overlooked in national peace frameworks.

Mighty Earth's analysis of satellite data and field research indicates that tropical forest destruction in Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana remains high despite the 2017 Cocoa & Forests Initiative. The report highlights ongoing canopy loss in protected areas and a lack of transparent monitoring systems, calling for joint public monitoring and a shift toward agroforestry.

The report finds that most French financial investors have inadequate climate engagement policies, characterized by vague objectives, a lack of rigorous escalation strategies, and poor transparency. While many claim to use engagement to support corporate transition, the analysis suggests this often functions as a 'greenwashing' tool to avoid divestment from fossil fuels. The document recommends that investors define precise greenhouse gas reduction targets, implement clear sanctions for non-compliance, and systematically integrate climate criteria into their voting decisions.

The Stockholm Environment Institute argues that current global efforts are inadequate, highlighting a significant 'production gap' where fossil fuel plans exceed 1.5°C limits. The report emphasizes the need for 'just resilience' in adaptation, the urgent requirement for dedicated loss and damage financing, and the necessity of aligning financial flows with low-emission pathways while ensuring equity for developing nations.

The report finds that while updated NDCs show increased country ownership, better alignment with national planning processes like National Adaptation Plans (NAPs), and a higher number of prioritized actions, most of these actions remain implementation-unready due to a lack of clear indicators, costs, and time frames. It highlights a general lack of understanding and explicit planning for transformative adaptation and a limited operationalization of 'Loss and Damage' concepts within national contexts.

The paper examines the transition of the EU Energy Taxation Directive from a volume-based system to one based on energy content and environmental impact. It highlights how the current system favors fossil fuels and industries over households and greener alternatives. The proposed revision aims to expand the scope to aviation, shipping, and fishing, introduce taxes for hydrogen, and implement differentiated rates that penalize high-carbon fuels while favoring renewables.

The Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) evaluates the first year of the Biden administration's efforts to restore scientific integrity and address environmental and health crises. The report assesses progress in rehiring government scientists, rolling back previous administration initiatives that harmed the environment and climate, and identifies urgent areas requiring further action across nine specific issue areas.

Reclaim Finance evaluates the CA100+ Net-Zero Company Benchmark, noting improvements such as the adoption of the IEA's Net Zero Emissions scenario and expanded scope. However, it criticizes the tool for being overly complex, focusing too much on commitments rather than absolute alignment, and using flawed methodologies for GHG emissions targets. The organization urges investors to use a simplified version of the framework to ensure voting behavior aligns with benchmark results, citing the 2021 TotalEnergies AGM as an example of this disconnect.

Laos is highly vulnerable to climate change but has low per capita emissions, with the transport sector being the primary source of CO2. While the government has set ambitious goals to increase forest cover to 70% and expand hydropower, these policies risk negatively impacting the livelihoods of the 70% of the population working in agriculture and forestry. The report identifies significant barriers to a just transition, including low awareness of the concept among policymakers, limited governmental capacity, data gaps, and a heavy reliance on external financing. It recommends improving cross-governmental coordination, enhancing data collection, and establishing participatory mechanisms to engage poor and marginalised communities in climate planning to ensure equitable benefit-sharing.