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The report argues that the proliferation of certification labels creates consumer confusion and allows companies to greenwash their operations without achieving substantive environmental improvements. In fisheries, the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) and Friends of the Sea (FOS) are criticized for certifying overfished areas and lacking transparency. In the palm oil sector, programs like RSPO, ISCC, and ISPO are found to have failed in slowing deforestation or peatland drainage. In textiles, the Higg Index and Better Cotton Initiative (BCI) are highlighted for weaknesses such as reliance on self-assessment and allowing GMO seeds. The authors call for a shift toward mandatory government regulations and a reform of certifications based on transparency, independence, holistic life-cycle approaches, and scientific standards.

The report assesses voluntary sustainability certifications in fisheries, palm oil, and textiles, concluding that many schemes act as 'greenwash' and fail to prevent deforestation, overfishing, or pollution. It argues that the proliferation of labels creates consumer confusion and a 'race to the bottom' in standards. The authors call for the abolition of ineffective schemes and a transition toward science-based, transparent, and holistic regulations that cover the entire product life-cycle.

The report examines voluntary sustainability certifications in the palm oil, fisheries, and textile industries, concluding that these schemes often lack transparency, lower their standards to increase volume, and fail to prevent deforestation or overfishing. It argues that certifications are being used as 'greenwashing' tools by corporations and governments and calls for a shift toward strict, independent, and comprehensive standards that cover the entire product life cycle, while emphasizing that voluntary initiatives cannot replace government regulation.

The document argues that the proliferation of voluntary certifications in the palm oil, fisheries, and textile sectors has created consumer confusion and a 'race to the bottom' in standards. It finds that these schemes often fail to stop deforestation, overfishing, or pollution, and are sometimes used by companies to mask unsustainable operations. The report calls for the abolition of most current schemes in favor of a few high-ambition, transparent, and science-based standards that complement, rather than replace, government regulation.

The report investigates voluntary certification in three high-impact sectors: fisheries, palm oil, and textiles. It concludes that a proliferation of low-ambition schemes creates consumer confusion and allows companies to 'greenwash' unsustainable practices. In fisheries, the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) and Friend of the Sea (FOS) are criticized for certifying fisheries with high bycatch and destructive methods. In palm oil, the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) and government-led schemes like ISPO are found ineffective at stopping deforestation and peatland drainage. In textiles, the report highlights the lack of transparency in the Higg Index and the low standards of the Better Cotton Initiative (BCI) compared to the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS). The authors call for the abolition of the least ambitious schemes and a shift toward mandatory due diligence, transparency, and science-based regulations.

The report argues that the UK is on track to phase out coal by 2025 without needing new large gas plants. It finds that renewables, particularly offshore wind, and increased electricity imports via interconnectors will replace coal generation. Analysis of the Capacity Market shows that coal is being replaced by batteries, demand-side response, and small peaking gas plants rather than large combined cycle gas turbines (CCGTs). The report suggests that new large gas plants are incompatible with climate targets and would be unnecessarily costly due to low required load factors.

The 2018 Green Economy Barometer for Mongolia highlights a significant gap between the country's international commitments and domestic implementation. While Mongolia has adopted the Green Development Policy and the Sustainable Development Vision 2030, it ranked 79th out of 80 countries in the 2016 Global Green Economy Index. The report identifies severe environmental challenges, including air pollution in Ulaanbaatar, desertification affecting 77.8% of the territory, and water scarcity. Economically, the report argues that investing 4% of GDP annually into green development could reduce poverty to 10% and unemployment by 2% by 2030. Current green employment accounts for 9.9% of total jobs. Financial needs for energy efficiency, renewables, and pollution control are estimated at over 11 billion USD, though green financing remains limited.

The 2018 Green Economy Barometer for Mongolia highlights a significant gap between the country's legislative commitments and actual implementation. While the government has adopted the National Green Development Policy and Sustainable Development Vision 2030, Mongolia ranked 79th out of 80 countries in the 2016 Global Green Economy Index. The report argues that investing 4% of GDP into green development could reduce poverty to 10% and cut greenhouse gas emissions by 17% by 2030. Current challenges include severe air pollution in Ulaanbaatar, land degradation affecting 77.8% of land, and a precarious economic dependence on volatile mineral exports.

The paper argues that while South Africa possesses the necessary legal tools—primarily through the Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act (MPRDA) and the National Environmental Management Act (NEMA)—to achieve the targets of SDG 12, practical implementation is hindered by systemic failures. These include a lack of political will, administrative inefficiency within the Department of Mineral Resources (DMR), and poor inter-departmental coordination. The authors highlight a specific governance risk where the DMR acts as both the awarding authority for environmental authorisations and the body responsible for their implementation, which weakens oversight.

The report argues that the UK's current vehicle taxation system is insufficient to meet legal air quality limits and the 2040 target for banning new internal combustion engine vehicles. It proposes a three-tiered strategy: mandating charging Clean Air Zones in the short term, replacing the plug-in grant with a time-limited VAT rebate for ULEVs in the medium term, and developing a road-user charging system in the long term to replace eroding fuel duty revenues.

The OSCE has struggled to implement its 2004 Gender Action Plan due to increased political polarisation, a consensus-based decision-making rule that grants all 57 participating States veto power, and budget constraints. While conservative states and the Holy See have resisted the 'gender' agenda, the document argues that the OSCE's field missions provide a critical opportunity to implement gender-oriented policies on the ground, provided their autonomy is protected from political turmoil.

The report evaluates the APRM, OGP, and EITI, finding that while the OGP and EITI successfully employ peer learning and pressure to enforce standards and protect civil society, the APRM lags behind due to a lack of critical engagement and a failure to implement sanctions for non-compliance.

The report finds that while MSIs like the APRM, OGP, and EITI produce significant research on governance, they remain largely unknown to the general public and are often perceived as esoteric, technical exercises for elites. A media monitoring survey from mid-2016 to mid-2017 showed that the EITI has the highest media footprint, followed by the OGP, with the APRM lagging behind. The authors argue that MSIs struggle with 'open-washing,' where governments join for publicity without intending to reform, and that their reports are often too long and technical for journalists to translate into public action. To increase impact, the report recommends that MSIs move beyond merely informing the public toward mobilizing citizens through strategic alliances with social movements, using local languages and radio, and adopting a more aggressive 'naming and shaming' approach for non-compliant members.

The report examines the effectiveness of the APRM, EITI, and OGP in four African nations, finding that while these initiatives create spaces for policy dialogue and transparency, their success is heavily dependent on sustained high-level political will, adequate funding, and institutional capacity. The EITI is identified as the most effective of the three due to its strict compliance thresholds and narrow focus on extractive sectors. Common challenges across all case studies include a significant administrative reporting burden, weak implementation of supporting domestic legislation, and a lack of coordination between different initiatives, leading to duplicated efforts.

The document examines how private-sector investment can be mobilised for climate mitigation in Sub-Saharan Africa, focusing on the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), Climate Investment Funds (CIF), the Green Climate Fund (GCF), and South Africa's REIPPPP. It argues that while market mechanisms like the CDM have successfully engaged the private sector, further tailoring of rules to African circumstances and stronger synergies between multilateral and national finance are necessary to meet Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) goals.

The Union of Concerned Scientists report 'Betrayal at the USDA' examines the first year of Secretary Sonny Perdue's leadership at the USDA. It argues that the administration has systematically sidelined science and expertise to favor large agribusiness corporations. Key concerns include the appointment of unqualified personnel, the rollback of school nutrition and food safety standards, the disregard for World Health Organization guidelines on antibiotics in livestock, and the promotion of climate change denial. The report also criticizes proposed cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the elimination of protections for small farmers through the dismantling of the Grain Inspection, Packers, and Stockyards Administration (GIPSA).

The report highlights the economic and environmental advantages of transitioning transportation network company (TNC) drivers to electric vehicles. It demonstrates that high-mileage drivers can achieve significant annual savings in fuel and maintenance, which eventually offset the higher initial purchase price of EVs. Using Austin, Texas, as a case study, the document details specific utility incentives and compares EV acquisition methods—purchasing, renting, and leasing—to guide TNC drivers toward electrification.

The document highlights the link between cocoa cultivation and dramatic forest loss in key producing regions, specifically noting that cocoa is the top driver of deforestation in Ivory Coast and Ghana. While it acknowledges a commitment by major chocolate companies and the governments of Ivory Coast and Ghana to 'No New Deforestation' in West Africa, it argues that this effort must be expanded globally to protect biodiversity in countries like Cameroon, Indonesia, and Peru. The guide encourages consumers to use a scoring system based on three criteria: participation in the West African pact, adoption of worldwide shade-grown agroforestry policies, and a global commitment to refuse deforestation cocoa.

The agreed ESR reform requires only 14 Mt CO2 additional annual reductions for the EU28, which is approximately 0.5% of 2005 emissions, leaving the EU likely to miss its 2030 climate target. The document asserts that the non-ETS 2030 target would need to be tightened to at least -40% to align with the Paris Agreement. To achieve the current -30% target cost-effectively, the report advocates for project-based cooperation where higher-income Member States finance reductions in lower-income Member States. This mechanism could potentially generate up to 614 million AEAs in supply, compared to only 96 million AEAs without additional reductions.

The report examines the transition of public procurement from a back-office function to a strategic tool for delivering government services and addressing climate change. It highlights a global trend toward reforming procurement laws to ensure value for money across the lifecycle of assets and aligns with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to shift markets toward sustainable consumption and production. The document defines sustainable public procurement as a mechanism to reduce environmental impact, create positive social and economic outcomes, and foster markets for innovative, climate-friendly technologies and infrastructure.