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The International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) supports Manitoba's proposed watershed-based policy framework, which includes the GRowing Outcomes in Watersheds (GROW) program, the Watershed-Based Drainage and Water Resource Management initiative, and the Modernization of Manitoba's Conservation Districts Program. To maximize the effectiveness of these initiatives, IISD recommends that the province target specific geographic regions for the most cost-effective impact, aim for net gains in ecological goods and services, and implement a robust evaluation framework that incorporates diverse monitoring methods and value-for-money analysis.

The document advocates for a shift in the EU Energy Union's governance from a top-down administrative process to a participatory model. It specifically proposes 'Multi-Level Climate and Energy Dialogue Platforms' to integrate the expertise and actions of cities and regions into National Energy and Climate Plans (NECPs). The authors argue that current Commission proposals treat local actors as mere side stakeholders and suggest that permanent national structures, aligned with the Aarhus Convention, are necessary to achieve the EU's 2050 decarbonization goal. The briefing provides examples of successful local-national coordination in Ireland, Luxembourg, Croatia, France, and the Netherlands.

The briefing proposes the use of Solar Investment Trusts (SEITs), structured as Infrastructure Investment Trusts (InvITs), to address financing barriers for small-scale rooftop solar projects in India. By pooling assets, SEITs aim to attract institutional investors, reduce the cost of equity by 300-350 basis points, and potentially mobilize USD 1 billion for the rooftop solar sector within five years. However, the document identifies significant barriers to immediate implementation, including SEBI's minimum asset value requirement of INR 500 crore and strict leverage limits of 49%, which currently exceed the capacity of even the largest Indian rooftop solar developers.

Sustainable Energy Bonds (SEBs) are proposed as a mechanism to bridge the debt financing gap for small-scale sustainable energy projects in India. By aggregating small projects through a Non-Banking Finance Company (NBFC), SEBs reduce transaction costs and provide standardized impact reporting to attract impact investors. The analysis suggests that initial issuances, such as a proposed USD 5 million pilot by cKers Finance, require approximately 4% in public finance support—covering credit enhancement and monitoring, reporting, and verification (MRV) costs—to maintain competitive lending rates of around 10% for project developers.

The document examines the challenges RTOs face as the U.S. grid shifts from large central generators to variable renewables and distributed energy resources (DERs). It argues that 'flexibility'—the ability to respond to changes in supply and demand across various timeframes—is essential for reliability and cost minimization. The authors recommend eliminating self-scheduling for all generators and imports, preserving negative pricing, and improving the coordination between natural gas and electricity markets. It also suggests creating technology-neutral products that value specific capabilities, such as ramping and frequency response, and highlights successful examples like MISO's Dispatchable Intermittent Resource category and CAISO's Flexi-Ramp product.

This report by Friends of the Earth International documents systemic human rights and environmental violations by transnational corporations (TNCs) across eight Latin American and Caribbean countries. It highlights cases of corporate impunity, the use of investor-state dispute settlement mechanisms to challenge public health and environmental policies, and the violent suppression of territory defenders. The document advocates for a legally binding international treaty to hold TNCs accountable and the creation of an International Tribunal on Human Rights and Transnational Corporations.

This report by Friends of the Earth International documents systemic human rights and environmental violations by transnational corporations across eight Latin American and Caribbean countries. It argues that a 'architecture of impunity'—composed of free trade agreements, investment protection treaties, and the ICSID arbitration system—shields corporations from accountability while allowing them to challenge public health and environmental policies. The report advocates for a legally binding UN treaty on transnational corporations and human rights, including the creation of an International Court to ensure justice for affected communities.

The report advocates for a binding UN treaty to hold transnational corporations and International Financial Institutions (IFIs) accountable for human rights and environmental abuses. It highlights the problematic immunity of IFIs, the environmental destruction caused by palm oil and paper plantations in Indonesia, and the systemic violence faced by environmental defenders, particularly women. The authors argue that current voluntary guidelines are insufficient and that legal liability must extend across entire supply chains.

The analysis identifies women as central actors in Cambodian agricultural value chains, particularly in rice and cassava, though they face systemic barriers in literacy, technical training, and access to extension services. While women often control household finances and run a majority of micro-enterprises, they are more vulnerable to climate shocks and labor shortages caused by rural-urban migration. The report recommends a Gender Action Plan (GAP) to increase women's participation in agricultural machinery operation, infrastructure construction, and value chain management, leveraging the Women Farmers Network for outreach.

The International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) recommends that Manitoba's watershed-based policy framework—comprising the GROW program, water resource management, and the Conservation District Program—adopt a robust, evidence-based evaluation framework focused on cumulative impacts. Key recommendations include targeting ecological goods and services (EGS) to specific high-impact regions, ensuring a net gain in water retention to combat climate-induced floods and droughts, and strengthening the authority and resources of local watershed authorities. The briefing emphasizes the need for open data, the integration of Indigenous and local knowledge, and the use of offsets to maintain wetland protection and water quality, particularly in the Red River Basin and Lake Winnipeg.

The Union of Concerned Scientists proposes a regional emissions limit for the Northeast US transportation sector, modeled after the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) for electricity. The document highlights that transportation is the region's largest pollution source, contributing over 40% of global warming emissions and causing significant health costs. It recommends a cap-and-invest strategy to hold oil companies accountable and fund clean mobility solutions, including electric vehicles and expanded public transit.

The briefing argues that President Macron's 2017 climate summit should implement a public finance package to offset U.S. budget cuts to the Green Climate Fund and other programs. The proposed package includes approving the reuse of Clean Technology Fund (CTF) reflows, converting CTF debt from Germany, France, and Canada into equity, and securing new pledges for the Adaptation Fund and the Least Developed Countries Fund (LDCF).

The Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (CAPE) supports the draft guiding principles for Canada's next food guide, particularly the shift toward plant-based proteins and unsaturated fats. However, CAPE argues that the current draft incorrectly treats human health and the environment as separate entities. They advocate for a 'planetary health' approach that recognizes the ecosystem as a fundamental determinant of health and suggests incorporating Indigenous wisdom regarding sustainability and seven-generation planning. Additionally, CAPE highlights the absence of guidance on cultivation methods, citing research that links organic foods to higher antioxidant levels and lower pesticide residues, while warning that pesticide exposure is associated with neurodevelopmental deficiencies and certain childhood cancers.

A coalition of environmental and animal welfare organizations urges the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) to withdraw proposed incidental harassment authorizations (IHAs) for five industrial seismic surveys off the U.S. East Coast. The document argues that NMFS used outdated scientific thresholds to underestimate the 'take' of marine mammals, failed to account for cumulative impacts of multiple surveys, and ignored significant harm to prey species and acoustic habitats. It specifically highlights the risk to the critically endangered North Atlantic right whale, asserting that the proposed activity could be a "tipping point" for the species' survival. The coalition further claims that the proposed mitigation measures, such as seasonal closures and visual monitoring, are insufficient and not based on the best available science.

The document argues that while resettlement and relocation can reduce hazard exposure, these interventions often leave populations worse off socially and economically. It advocates for treating resettlement as a last resort, prioritising on-site mitigation and the prevention of new settlements in hazard-prone areas, and ensuring the protection of human rights through strengthened legal frameworks.

The Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (CAPE) urges the Federal Minister of Environment and Climate Change to ensure the 2030 coal-fired power plant phase-out is not undermined by a reliance on natural gas. CAPE recommends amending regulations to shorten the 'useful life' of coal generators to 40 years, enforcing stricter emission rates for gas plants, and requiring that at least two-thirds of generation be replaced with renewable energy. The organization highlights that a successful phase-out could prevent 1,000 premature deaths and 900 hospital visits while reducing greenhouse gases by up to 325 Mt between 2015 and 2035.

The World Resources Institute urges the U.S. government to support the TCFD's voluntary climate-risk disclosure framework at the 2017 G20 Summit. The author contends that climate change poses material financial risks—citing potential GDP losses and operational shutdowns—and that a consistent reporting framework is necessary to prevent capital losses and disorderly asset price changes. The document highlights strong support for these guidelines from major U.S. corporations and institutional investors, arguing that U.S. endorsement ensures the country helps shape a private-sector-led regime rather than being subject to foreign mandates.

The authors caution CEOs that current business models based on increased consumption are unsustainable given that the global middle class is expected to grow by 3 billion people between 2009 and 2030. They argue that while efficiency helps, companies must shift toward sharing, repair, and service-based models to avoid exceeding the planet's capacity to provide raw materials, energy, and water.

The Union of Concerned Scientists identifies several California communities, including Alameda and San Mateo, that face 'chronic flooding'—defined as high tides flooding 10% or more of usable land at least 26 times per year—by the end of the century. Under a high-emission scenario, these impacts could arrive by 2080. Critical national security infrastructure, such as the Naval Station San Diego, is also at risk. The document argues that limiting global warming to 1.8°C could prevent any California community from reaching the chronic flooding threshold by 2100 and urges immediate policy reforms regarding coastal development, disaster funding, and population relocation.

The Union of Concerned Scientists identifies numerous Florida communities at risk of chronic flooding—defined as high tides flooding 10% or more of usable non-wetland area at least 26 times per year. Under an intermediate sea-level rise scenario, five communities will face chronic flooding by 2035 and 53 by 2100. High-risk areas like Miami Beach and Cayo Biscayne could see 60% and 50% of their area chronically flooded by 2060, respectively. The document argues that limiting global warming to approximately 1.8°C could save between 13 and 71 Florida communities from such flooding by the end of the century. Recommended actions include updating flood risk maps, reforming insurance premiums, funding FEMA programs, and implementing population relocation strategies for chronically flooded areas.