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The report examines the emerging role of the TCFD framework in South Africa, noting that while awareness is growing, actual implementation remains low. It highlights that the banking and extractive resource sectors are leading adoption due to investor pressure, while pension funds and private equity investors are lagging. Key barriers include 'first mover fear', reporting fatigue from multiple frameworks, and a lack of technical skills for scenario analysis. The document argues that TCFD adoption is critical for South Africa's economic resilience given its high reliance on coal and vulnerability to extreme weather.

The document examines the systemic failure of plastic recycling and the environmental and health impacts of plastic pollution. It evaluates the potential for a new global treaty versus voluntary measures and highlights the link between plastic production and fossil fuel demand.

The document finds that African LICs' economic responses to COVID-19 were modest and suboptimal compared to developed nations, primarily due to pre-pandemic structural weaknesses such as high debt, inflation, and limited fiscal space. While expansionary monetary policy was the most common tool, fiscal stimulus was generally low (1% to 2% of GDP), with exceptions like Senegal, Niger, and Mozambique. The brief highlights a significant financing gap in donor support and argues that recovery requires a shift toward data-driven policy, increased digital and financial inclusion, and the independence of monetary and debt management authorities.

The document argues that 'neutral' macroeconomic policies in Nigeria and Uganda have exacerbated inequalities by primarily benefiting the formal sector while excluding the urban poor, women, youth, and informal workers. It highlights failures in cash transfer coverage, the lack of impact of monetary easing on high-risk borrowers, and the regressive nature of budget restructuring. The brief recommends leveraging electronic platforms for aid distribution, improving tax capacity, and promoting renewable energy for low-income households to ensure a more inclusive recovery.

The statement argues that French financial actors are failing to translate their Paris Agreement commitments into concrete action. It highlights that since COP21, financial actors have provided $1,600 billion in funding to fossil fuel companies, with French banks and investors contributing $126 billion in financing and $22 billion in investments. The text specifically calls out the Banque de France for not having adopted a coal exit policy or restrictions on other fossil fuels, despite the governor's public calls for climate action. It also notes that ten other French actors, including Covéa and SCOR, have insufficient policies, and contrasts the French government's plan to fund fossil fuel projects until 2035 with the UK's goal to end such funding by COP26 in November 2021.

The Climate Ambition Summit resulted in 45 announcements of new or updated Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), including ambitious targets from the EU, UK, and Denmark. However, the analysis finds that these commitments often rely on existing policies, remain conditional on unmet financial promises to developing nations, and fall short of the urgent emission cuts required by science to limit warming to 1.5°C.

The World Resources Institute acknowledges a growing momentum toward net-zero transformations following the Climate Ambition Summit, noting new targets from the EU, UK, Colombia, and China. However, it emphasizes that too few major economies provided bold 2030 emission cuts or the financial mobilization necessary for developing nations, specifically noting the failure of developed countries to provide clear signals on meeting the $100 billion annual climate finance commitment.

The Canadian Climate Institute states that Canada now has a credible climate plan aligned with its 2030 goals. The centerpiece is a carbon price increasing to $170/tonne by 2030, which the Institute argues minimizes overall economic costs while maintaining industrial competitiveness through production-based pricing. While the plan includes regulations for fuels, vehicles, and electricity, and supports low-carbon technologies, the Institute identifies a lack of a comprehensive national adaptation strategy as a remaining gap.

The Canadian Climate Institute asserts that Canada now possesses a credible climate plan capable of meeting its 2030 targets. The centerpiece of this strategy is a nationwide carbon price projected to reach $170/tonne by 2030, which the Institute claims minimizes overall economic costs while driving low-carbon innovation. The plan includes output-based pricing to maintain industrial competitiveness and quarterly rebates to ensure household affordability. While the document notes the inclusion of regulations for fuels, vehicles, and electricity, it identifies the lack of a national adaptation strategy as a current gap in the overall strategy.

Reclaim Finance criticizes BlackRock's 2021 Stewardship Expectations, arguing that the asset manager's commitment to support more climate-related shareholder votes is undermined by a lack of robust engagement strategies. The document highlights that BlackRock supported only 11% of climate resolutions in 2020 and continues to invest in companies expanding fossil fuel infrastructure, including 240 companies planning new coal projects. Reclaim Finance asserts that effective engagement requires public, time-bound demands for 1.5ºC alignment and absolute emission reductions by 2030, alongside the use of divestment for non-transitioning companies.

Ember's analysis of Germany's first hard coal phase-out auction reveals that the state awarded €317 million to 11 plants, many of which were already economically unviable. The report finds that 93% of the German hard coal fleet has been running at a loss since late 2018, collectively losing over €1 billion. Ember argues that the current phase-out model is inefficient, as it may lead to the closure of newer, more efficient plants while compensating older units that would have closed due to market forces regardless of subsidies.

Five years after the Paris Agreement, there has been a significant increase in net-zero commitments from major economies and businesses, though current pledges only limit temperature rise to 2.1ºC. The author argues that green recovery plans provide better economic and employment benefits than traditional stimulus and calls for mandatory climate-related financial disclosures and the removal of fossil fuel subsidies to unlock further private investment.

The UK's decision to increase its 2030 emissions reduction target to at least 68% compared to 1990 levels is framed as a positive signal for business investment and economic growth. The author asserts that a zero-carbon transition is the most effective way to drive job creation and GDP growth during the recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic, outperforming traditional stimulus measures. The text highlights the role of the Science Based Target initiative, with over 1,060 companies committing to Paris Agreement-aligned decarbonization plans, and calls for clear roadmaps incorporating finance and just transition principles to maximize competitiveness.

The report examines how to effectively measure the sustainable development impacts of carbon market mechanisms, such as those under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement. It argues that the rigour and complexity of these assessments should be tailored to the programme's rationale to balance impact understanding with transaction costs. The authors provide a criteria-based checklist for creating objective indicators and emphasize that while pre-defined indicators are useful, stakeholder consultations and grievance mechanisms are essential to safeguard against negative impacts.

The document contends that replacing coal with biomass is not a viable climate solution, as solid biomass can emit 3% to 50% more CO2 per unit of energy than coal. It highlights that biomass production drives deforestation and ecosystem loss, particularly in Europe and North America, and releases harmful air pollutants. For financial institutions, the document warns of reputational, financial, and regulatory risks, noting that biomass is more expensive than wind or solar and heavily dependent on subsidies.

The document defines net zero as the balance between greenhouse gas emissions released and those removed from the atmosphere. It identifies the primary U.S. emitting sectors as transportation (28%), electricity (27%), and industry (22%), and outlines solutions including the electrification of transport and buildings, the expansion of wind and solar power, and the use of natural and technological carbon sinks. It highlights that while 12 U.S. states have net-zero mandates by 2050, massive adoption of electric vehicles and carbon removal technologies is necessary to meet Paris Agreement targets.

The Climate Action Tracker reports that net zero pledges announced by November 2020 could limit global warming to 2.1°C by 2100, though current policies still track 0.8°C higher than this optimistic target. While the Paris Agreement has driven a 0.7°C decrease in real-world emissions projections since 2015, the report emphasizes that governments must strengthen 2030 nationally determined contributions (NDCs) and implementation plans to bridge the remaining gap to 1.5°C.

The landing obligation, in force since January 2019, requires EU fishers to bring almost all catches to shore to eliminate wasteful discarding and provide accurate catch data. However, ClientEarth argues that compliance is poor and the system is riddled with exemptions, with 48% of 2019 and 55% of 2020 Total Allowable Catches (TACs) subject to one or more exemptions. These gaps in reporting, combined with a 'margin of tolerance' for underreporting, make it difficult to monitor illegal discarding and risk overfishing. Because TACs were 'topped up' to reflect total catches rather than just landings, they were on average 50% higher in 2020 than landings-based scientific advice. The document recommends removing the 50 kg reporting threshold, requiring electronic reporting for all vessels (including those under 10 metres), installing Remote Electronic Monitoring, and transparently deducting exemption discards from TACs.

The report analyzes the Brazilian National Rural Credit System, highlighting its complexity and fragmentation. It provides empirical evidence that rural credit, particularly when directed to small farmers, increases land and labor productivity and reduces deforestation pressures by promoting the conversion of pasture to cropland. The document advocates for the integration of the Forest Code and the ABC Program into credit eligibility to foster sustainable agriculture and suggests reducing political interference and increasing private sector participation in rural finance.

The report argues that while carbon markets were originally designed for zero-sum offsetting, they can be repurposed for results-based climate finance (RBCF) to quantify and verify mitigation impacts. It identifies a specific 'niche' for RBCF: supporting technologies that have passed the R&D stage but are not yet market-mature. The authors highlight several limitations, including a bias toward the cheapest mitigation options, high transaction costs for monitoring, reporting, and verification (MRV), and a lack of effectiveness in least developed countries (LDCs) where emissions are low. To maximize impact, the report suggests shifting from rewarding to enabling through host-country policy commitments, reducing MRV stringency when credits are not used for offsetting, and complementing RBCF with upfront grants or loans.