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The author contends that hydropower projects in Sikkim, such as Teesta III and Teesta VI, are not 'additional' because hydropower is common practice in India's North East, meaning they do not actually reduce emissions. The text alleges that developers misled the UNFCCC and bypassed mandatory stakeholder consultations regarding CDM credits. Furthermore, it highlights the failure to recognize Lepcha peoples' land rights and the absence of holistic impact assessments in Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs), leading to landslides and house destruction. The document concludes that the CDM's verification process is weak and calls for the immediate revocation of all big hydro CDM registrations in the region.

Over 440 labour and social lawyers from Europe have issued a manifesto calling on the European Union to protect fundamental social rights against the pressures of the economic and financial crisis. The signatories argue that austerity measures and labour market deregulaton—often forced by the 'troika' (IMF, European Commission, and ECB)—are undermining collective bargaining, increasing poverty, and threatening the viability of the European project. They urge the EU to adhere to the Lisbon Treaty and the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights, asserting that high labour and social standards are essential pre-conditions for sustainable economic development.

Friends of the Earth President Erich Pica criticizes Ernest J. Moniz's support for nuclear power and fracking, while praising Gina McCarthy's record at the EPA and calling for stronger White House support for climate regulations.

Friends of the Earth Asia Pacific (FoE APac) expresses concern that the South Korean government is promoting the 'Four Rivers Project' as a model for a similar water management contract in Thailand despite evidence of ecological destruction. FoE APac asserts that the project damaged river ecology by blocking flows with dams and straightening serpentine rivers, and argues that claimed benefits like flood control and water quality improvement were used to obfuscate these impacts. The statement also condemns the South Korean government's labeling of critical environmental NGOs as "unpatriotic" and "anti-state" during a Cabinet meeting on January 15th, viewing this as an attempt to suppress civil society and hinder collaborative environmental responses.

The CAO audit reveals that the IFC "knows very little" about the environmental and social impacts of its financial market lending, which constitutes over 40% of its portfolio. The audit found that the IFC focuses on whether clients have management systems rather than actual outcomes, leading to a situation where approximately 60% of subclients showed non-improved performance. Furthermore, 10% of sampled clients were non-compliant with requirements, and 25% were only partially compliant or uncertain. Despite these findings, the IFC has not committed to changing its practices, suggesting the issue is one of "corporate messaging." Civil society organizations have called for a fundamental overhaul of this lending approach to increase transparency, accountability, and focus on development outcomes.

Carbon Market Watch challenges the project boundaries of a JI waste coal processing project in the Luhansk region of Ukraine, stating that the lack of specific waste heap identification and the potential for adding new facilities during the monitoring period violate the requirements for a conventional JI project.

The author argues that the European Commission's proposal for the 7th EU Environment Action Programme is a 'mockery' of environmental policy because it contains no concrete actions, instead repeating existing Treaty provisions and vague objectives. The text claims this approach prioritizes economic growth over environmental protection and warns that the EU's failure to provide strong environmental leadership may lead to the renationalization of environmental issues by Member States.

Former National Mine Health and Safety Academy Director Jack Spadaro opposes Senate Bill S.3512, claiming that relying on independent engineers employed by operators—rather than strict federal regulations—creates a dangerous risk of dam failure. He cites historical disasters in Buffalo Creek and Martin County to illustrate the failure of inadequate oversight and notes an EPA study finding 25% of over 400 coal ash dams are in 'poor' condition without legal requirements for owners to remedy deficiencies.

The report estimates the annual value of improving Florida's water quality between $1.3 billion and $10.5 billion, highlighting the severe economic and ecological impacts of nutrient pollution and harmful algae outbreaks.

The document critiques the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) for failing to deliver sustainable development benefits, noting that host countries often lack incentives to enforce rigorous sustainability criteria to avoid deterring investment. It highlights that only greenhouse gas reductions have economic value in the current system, leading to projects that may cause local harm, such as displacement and pollution. The author, CDM Watch, advocates for international sustainability criteria, mandatory safeguards, monitoring plans, and grievance mechanisms to prevent negative impacts.

The document argues that the European Commission's Second Regulatory Review on Nanomaterials is inconsistent with its own scientific analysis and fails to protect human health and the environment. The signatories claim that the Commission ignores evidence that nanomaterials have distinct toxicological properties compared to larger particles and that the proposed amendments to REACH are insufficient to close information loopholes. They specifically criticize the shift of the burden of proof to employers and workers and the lack of reliable data generation, calling for a strict application of the precautionary principle and the 'no data no market' principle.

A group of environmental and scientific organizations argues against the EPA's proposal to include Arundo donax (giant reed) as an approved advanced biofuel feedstock. They cite the species' status as a high-risk invasive weed that threatens native vegetation and endangered species, noting that the high cost of eradication makes the ecological and economic risks outweigh the benefits of its cultivation under the Renewable Fuel Standard.

The document argues that Argentina's shift toward a large-scale extractivist mining model, accelerated by the 2004 National Mining Plan, has led to systemic human rights violations. It highlights the repression of community protests against open-pit mining, citing police violence, arbitrary detentions, and the criminalization of dissent through legislation like the 2011 Anti-Terrorist Law. The text specifically identifies threats to the fundamental right to water and a healthy environment, while documenting numerous clashes in provinces such as Catamarca, Tucumán, and La Rioja.

The text critiques the universal imposition of intellectual property rights, such as the ACTA treaty, arguing that they are counter-productive and undemocratic. It proposes a 'collaborative economy' based on the concept of the commons, where digitised knowledge is treated as a non-rival good. The author suggests that alternatives like open-source licenses and 'software as a service' business models provide sustainable paths for innovation and distribution, contrasting these with the 'old' concept of scarcity and the restrictive legal measures used by traditional industries.

An open letter from Scientists for Global Responsibility to the UK Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change arguing that the Draft Energy Bill and current energy policies are unambitious and biased toward the nuclear industry at the expense of renewables and energy efficiency.

The global trade union movement criticizes the Rio+20 Summit Declaration for lacking targets, timelines, and a strategic vision for planetary justice. The statement argues that the summit failed to provide a new model of development to address unemployment, poverty, and environmental destruction, while noting a significant lack of public trust in government economic decision-making.

The author contends that industrialised governments at Rio+20 have avoided reaffirming key 1992 Rio principles, specifically 'common but differentiated responsibility' and the 'precautionary principle'. The text further rejects the 'Green Economy' framework, arguing that it prioritizes economic mechanisms and monetary valuation over democratic participation and risks turning nature into a subject of financial speculation.

The document argues that the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) has failed its dual goals of reducing emissions and promoting sustainable development. It highlights that 40-70% of projects are non-additional, meaning they would have occurred without CDM registration, and that many projects cause social and environmental harm. The signatories call for the exclusion of fossil fuel and large hydro projects, the implementation of 'do no harm' assessments, and the creation of meaningful public participation and grievance mechanisms.

The letter expresses concern that 555 million carbon offset credits were surrendered into the EU ETS between 2008 and 2011, costing an estimated €5.9bn. The signatories argue that offsets stifle domestic reductions, support business-as-usual coal and large hydro projects in the CDM, and allow for 'hot-air laundering' through Track 1 Joint Implementation.

The author contends that austerity policies in Europe, especially in post-socialist states, have led to substantial budget cuts in higher education and a push toward the commodification of learning. The text highlights that these measures often shift costs to students through tuition fees and prioritize market-driven research over humanities and fundamental sciences, thereby undermining social equality and the goals of the Europe 2020 strategy.