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A WRI study identifies fragmented governance, uneven technical capacity, and limited localized data and finance as primary obstacles to effective climate adaptation in Brazil, India, and Indonesia. The report argues that adaptation must be a 'two-way process' where national resources support local implementation and local priorities inform national decisions. Key recommendations include establishing binding coordination mechanisms, providing differentiated technical support to under-resourced municipalities, and integrating adaptation criteria into fiscal transfers and budgeting systems to unlock finance.

The Institute for Economic Justice (IEJ) denounces the surge of anti-migrant rhetoric and violence in South Africa, attributing the social unrest to systemic economic crises rather than migration. The document highlights the role of vigilante groups and political actors in scapegoating migrants to deflect from government failures, including high unemployment and failing public services. It calls for a shift toward regional integration, the regularisation of undocumented migrants, and a pro-employment economic strategy to address the root causes of community despair.

The report highlights a critical shortage of holistic, AI-ready biological data in the US, which limits the potential of AI/ML in biotechnology and biodefense. It argues that the US government should transition from merely curating data to actively creating high-quality, standardized data sets. The authors emphasize that without rigorous benchmarks and standards to address biological variability, AI-driven discoveries face significant translational risks. The document also discusses the tension between open data sharing and the need to secure data to prevent the creation of enhanced bioweapons, calling for updated Dual Use of Research Concern (DURC) guidelines. Finally, it reviews recent US policy momentum, including the Genesis Mission and various cloud laboratory legislative efforts, as essential steps toward a secure bioeconomy.

The document argues that relying solely on landfill gas capture and flaring is insufficient for methane mitigation. It highlights that gas capture systems often have a default recovery rate of about 50% and can fail due to poor design or maintenance, with some sites with capture systems exhibiting higher average emission rates than those without. The brief promotes organic waste diversion as the primary strategy to prevent methane generation at the source and suggests complementary solutions such as microbial methane oxidation systems (biocovers, biofilters, and biowindows) and improved operational practices like minimizing active working faces and enhancing cover systems. It further notes that while enclosed flares can exceed 98% destruction efficiency, open flares are more variable, and neither can eliminate methane that bypasses the collection system.

The document examines the evolving role of the insurance sector from merely absorbing financial losses to actively supporting the adoption of resilience solutions. It contends that there is a gap between public expectations and the operational constraints of insurance markets, suggesting that a recalibration of these roles is necessary to achieve practical resilience outcomes.

The Clean Air Task Force recommends that the EU increase its 2029 public procurement mandates for low-carbon steel to 50% and low-carbon concrete and mortar to 10%. It argues that the current IAA proposal is insufficient to drive investment and suggests expanding mandates to 100% by 2040. The report also proposes extending these requirements to private construction projects over 1000 m2 and private automotive fleets by 2032, while broadening the scope to include low-carbon plastics and fertilisers.

The paper argues that fragmentation of trade-related climate measures (TrCMs) creates significant regulatory burdens, particularly for small and medium-sized enterprises in smaller economies. It distinguishes 'interoperability'—the ability to pass useful information between systems—from 'harmonization,' suggesting that focusing on the former allows governments to reduce trade barriers while preserving policy space. The author proposes several strategies to achieve this, including alignment with international standards like ISO 14067 and IPCC guidelines, adopting flexible information systems, focusing on high-impact sectoral products (e.g., steel, aluminium, and concrete), and utilizing a structured 'top-down' approach to collaboration based on a hierarchy of regulatory objectives and principles.

The study concludes that an EU prohibition on deep-sea minerals is legally feasible under Article 192(1) TFEU and potentially justifiable under WTO law via Article XX GATT, provided the measure is comprehensive, non-discriminatory, and grounded in the precautionary principle.

The Clean Air Task Force asserts that Europe faces an "untenable policy gap" regarding fusion energy despite the 2024 Draghi Report's call for an innovation strategy. While the US, China, Great Britain, and Germany are advancing regulations and public-private partnerships, the EU lacks a cohesive strategy to transition fusion from research to industrial application. The author advocates for a strategy that targets commercialisation in the 2030s, separates fusion from fission regulations, and utilizes public resources to de-risk common technological challenges. This call is supported by a broad ecosystem, including startups and Members of the European Parliament, who demand concrete timelines and funding commitments rather than mere intentions.

The author contends that current unilateral green industrial strategies and carbon border adjustments create an inequitable trade environment that disadvantages developing countries. To resolve this, the paper proposes 'transition compacts': plurilateral, sector-specific agreements that link market access to verified emissions performance while making equity provisions, such as technology transfer and investment, legally binding rather than aspirational. Using examples like the failed Global Arrangement on Sustainable Steel and Aluminium (GASSA) and the Agreement on Climate Change, Trade and Sustainability (ACCTS), the text suggests that these compacts should be designed to be resilient to the withdrawal of major powers and focused on cooperative management of the energy transition.

The report argues that the primary barriers to subsea power cable deployment in ASEAN are institutional rather than technical. It identifies gaps in regional planning, cost allocation, and maritime coordination, suggesting a phased approach to strengthen governance. Key recommendations include operationalising the ASEAN Power Grid Generation and Transmission Planning (AGTP) function, exploring cross-border cost allocation (CBCA) frameworks, and deepening the role of the Submarine Cable Working Group to manage the complexities of shared maritime spaces.

The United States has established a regulatory path for commercial fusion energy that avoids the frameworks used for nuclear fission reactors, instead adapting regulations for radioactive byproduct materials. Under the 10 CFR Part 30 framework, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and its Agreement State Program share authority, allowing compatible state agencies to license fusion facilities. The NRC is currently finalizing specific regulatory guidance in NUREG-1556, Volume 22, with a final rule expected by December 31, 2027. This proportional approach focuses on the confinement of radioactive materials, such as tritium, rather than fission criticality safety, aiming to provide the regulatory certainty needed for private investment and deployment.

The briefing advocates for a "soft energy path" based on efficiency and design rather than increasing energy supply. It argues that current anxieties over AI electricity demand and critical mineral shortages can be addressed through demand flexibility, efficiency, and system optimization rather than building more power plants and mines.

The document outlines Rwanda's transition from a low-income country to its aspirations for high-income status by 2050. It details the 'Vision 2050' strategic plan, which focuses on human development, competitiveness, agriculture, urbanisation, and state institutions. While Rwanda has seen significant GDP growth—averaging 7.2% from 2009 to 2019—it faces structural challenges including high inflation, rising external debt, and a large informal sector. The report also notes the role of the Rwanda Energy Group and the use of Lake Kivu for biogas extraction to meet energy needs.

The document highlights the growing political and economic opposition to Indonesia's Food and Energy Estates project, which is slated to destroy 4.3 million acres of forest. It specifically details the case of Mama Yasinta Moiwend, an Indigenous activist from Papua who was allegedly forcibly removed from her home by the Jhonlin Group and pressured by government-linked actors to distance herself from the documentary 'Pesta Babi'. The author links the project to broader economic instability, noting a 32 percent decline in Indonesia's stock index, and calls for the project to be redirected toward degraded lands.

The European Central Bank (ECB) is integrating a 'climate factor' into its collateral framework to account for climate transition risks when banks borrow from the ECB. This factor calculates an 'uncertainty score' based on sector exposure, company-specific emissions and disclosures, and asset maturity. Reclaim Finance argues that the current design is flawed due to annual rather than automatic calculations for new assets, a lack of transparency regarding the factor's parameters, and penalties that may be too small to deter the worst polluters. Furthermore, the document notes that the factor currently applies to less than 5% of pledged collateral (non-financial corporations) and urges the ECB to extend it to other asset classes, specifically credit claims, which represent nearly 30% of pledged collateral.

The Center for International Environmental Law asserts that ocean protection is impossible without confronting the expansion of offshore oil and gas, which it identifies as the primary driver of the climate crisis. The organization calls on governments at the 11th Our Ocean Conference in Kenya to halt new offshore licensing, end public subsidies for expansion, and reject speculative marine geoengineering technologies that risk irreversible ecosystem damage. It further argues that states have binding legal duties under international law to prevent climate harm and protect the marine environment, which necessitates a coordinated phaseout of fossil fuel demand and supply.

The research paper advocates for centering human rights in ecosystem-based adaptation (EbA) by aligning implementation with Section C of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF). It highlights that while EbA can be more cost-effective and equitable than top-down approaches, it requires a human rights-based approach (HRBA) to avoid maladaptation and the displacement of communities. Through case studies in Benin (sacred forest protection) and Kenya (rangeland restoration in Mount Marsabit), the document illustrates how integrating Indigenous knowledge and participatory governance enhances resilience. The author recommends establishing national coordination mechanisms to track EbA across sectors and leveraging global networks to scale rights-based evidence, noting that currently less than 0.2% of climate finance specifically targets locally led outcomes.

The Gitanyow people developed the Wilp Sustainability Assessment Process (WSAP) and a corresponding climate test to exercise sovereignty and protect their territory from the shortcomings of colonial environmental impact assessments. Refined in 2023, the climate test uses 13 specific criteria and a scoring grid to assess project performance, including carbon pollution and alignment with the Paris Agreement. The process has been applied to three projects, including the Eskay Creek mine and the Ksi Lisims LNG project, demonstrating a shift toward Indigenous-led impact assessments and legal pluralism in Canada.

The paper examines the potential for Indigenous-led electricity transmission in Canada, advocating for a transition from passive equity stakes to full project leadership. It highlights the economic benefits of regulated rate-of-return models for community revenue and proposes a financing structure using Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs) via the First Nations Finance Authority (FNFA) and the Canada Indigenous Loan Guarantee Corporation (CILGC) to overcome structural barriers like the Indian Act.