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The report analyzes the complementary roles of VCEFs, MDBs, and NDBs in scaling climate finance, highlighting the potential for financial instruments like guarantees and catalytic equity to mobilize private investment. It identifies systemic barriers—such as complex accreditation and slow approval processes—and proposes a roadmap for non-financial collaboration through country platforms, technical assistance, and the creation of enabling policy environments. The document provides specific recommendations for the G20 Sustainable Finance Working Group to improve interoperability and leverage NDBs' local expertise to bridge the investment gap, particularly for adaptation in low-income countries.

The report identifies a significant gap in the integration of climate action within Nigeria's Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment (FMITI), noting that while high-level executive interest exists, bureaucratic capacity and policy coherence are lacking. It highlights contradictions between Nigeria's climate commitments, such as its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) targeting a 45% emissions reduction by 2030, and its continued state-led investment in oil exploration. The document argues that the FMITI must align industrial and trade policies with environmental goals, leveraging carbon markets and public-private partnerships to transition away from fossil fuel dependence. It recommends the development of a new 'green' industrial policy and draws on South Africa's experience with the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JET-P) as a model for coordinated national strategy and international funding.

The document discusses how developing countries can use the results of the first global stocktake to refine their national adaptation plans (NAPs), advocate for implementation support, and contribute to future global assessments to ensure their priorities are represented in the global goal on adaptation.

The document examines the threats to Africa's development financing, including trade fragmentation, the 'securitisation' of economic policy, and high debt burdens. It proposes five ring-fencing mechanisms—public expenditure reviews, medium-term expenditure frameworks, independent funds, statutory protections, and debt-relief linkages—to ensure continuity in funding for education, infrastructure, and climate resilience. It further suggests that African governments frame development as complementary to security to leverage international financing and calls for reforms in the international financial architecture to support these protections.

India's electric vehicle (EV) market grew elevenfold between FY2020 and FY2025, driven by central and state government subsidies. The transport sector, particularly road transport, is a critical focus for India's goal to reach net-zero emissions by 2070. Key policy mechanisms include the FAME-I, FAME-II, and PM E-DRIVE schemes, alongside state-level policies in over 25 states.

Deep-sea mining targets critical minerals like cobalt and nickel from polymetallic nodules, sulfides, and crusts, primarily in international waters such as the Clarion-Clipperton Zone. While proponents argue it can meet surging demand for the energy transition and avoid some terrestrial mining harms, the practice faces significant opposition due to risks of species extinction, disruption of the ocean's carbon sink, and threats to food security in small island states. Commercial exploitation remains stalled as the International Seabed Authority (ISA) has failed to reach a consensus on regulations as of July 2025, though some companies may attempt to bypass this via U.S. domestic law. Alternatives such as scaling up recycling and shifting to LFP or sodium-ion batteries could reduce the necessity of seabed extraction.

The document highlights the critical nature of the INC-5.2 negotiations in Geneva, emphasizing the need for a treaty that includes plastic production caps, addresses toxic chemicals, and establishes robust financial mechanisms. It warns against the influence of fossil fuel lobbyists, the risks of consensus-based decision-making that could lead to gridlock, and the danger of postponing key decisions to future Conferences of the Parties (COPs).

The paper examines how the geopolitical contest between the US and China over critical minerals creates a strategic window for African countries to diversify investors and build domestic green value chains.

The document outlines the challenges and opportunities for expanding non-motorized transport in Indonesian cities to address road congestion, air pollution, and health issues. Using Medan as a case study, it identifies fragmented infrastructure and systemic barriers—including inefficient budgeting and weak regulation enforcement—that hinder the goals of the National Vision of Non-Motorized Transport Infrastructure. It argues that a coordinated approach involving infrastructure upgrades, policy enforcement, and financial incentives is necessary to achieve sustainable, inclusive, and low-carbon urban mobility.

The paper examines how trade policy can accelerate the clean energy transition by expanding access to renewable technologies. It highlights the role of the APEC List of Environmental Goods and the need to address non-tariff measures and global value chain complexities. The author advocates for a comprehensive approach that includes preferential treatment for components and services to reduce the cost and increase the efficiency of renewable energy deployment.

The Trump administration has initiated the process to reopen the Powder River Basin in Wyoming and Eastern Montana for new coal leasing, reversing a 2024 Interior Department decision that halted leasing due to declining demand and the climate crisis. Earthjustice contends that this move, alongside a budget bill slashing coal royalty rates and mandating permit approvals, prioritizes corporate profits over public health and climate goals. The briefing notes that wind and solar power surpassed coal in the U.S. in 2024 and warns that coal mining continues to threaten the air, water, and health of frontline communities, including the Northern Cheyenne Tribe.

The briefing identifies regulatory uncertainty, slow permitting, and the lack of a cohesive strategy as primary barriers to geothermal energy in California. It proposes establishing a statewide strategic plan, streamlining environmental reviews, updating decades-old well regulations to accommodate next-generation technologies, reforming interconnection and resource adequacy frameworks to reflect year-round value, and increasing funding for high-upfront pre-development costs.

Carbon Market Watch criticizes proposals to compensate EU exporters under the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), arguing that the actual competitiveness risk is limited and that subsidies would reward polluters. The author contends that CBAM revenue should not be used to subsidize EU producers, as this could conflict with WTO rules and encourage the export of polluting products. Instead, the document advocates for targeted financial support for clean technology innovation and the global expansion of carbon pricing.

Global Witness reports that 92% of surveyed environmental defenders have suffered online abuse, with Meta-owned platforms (Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram) being the most frequent sites of harassment. The report highlights a direct link between digital attacks and offline violence, noting that 75% of those harmed offline believe online abuse contributed to it. It criticizes social media algorithms for promoting polarization and argues that inadequate moderation resources, particularly in Africa and Asia, leave defenders vulnerable to doxxing, cyberattacks, and criminalization. The document concludes that these digital threats create a chilling effect on the climate movement, leading to productivity loss and, in some cases, the cessation of activism.

The document warns that reforming the MSR2 before the ETS2 launches in 2027 could lead to an oversupply of allowances, weakening the price signal and jeopardizing the EU's 2030 climate target of a 42% reduction in covered emissions. It argues that high prices should be managed through 'complementary measures'—such as CO2 standards for vehicles and boiler phase-outs—and the strategic use of the Social Climate Fund and €300 billion in ETS2 revenue. The authors contend that existing safeguards, including a 'soft price cap' of approximately €55 per tonne and the early auctioning of 30% more allowances, are sufficient for the initial phase. They caution that any increase in allowance supply must be 'cap neutral' to avoid exceeding the carbon budget.

The report investigates the factors behind the acceleration of coal power approvals in China between 2022 and 2024, including rising power demand and energy security concerns. It details China's strategy to maintain supply continuity through flexibility retrofits and carbon-reduction pilots while proposing a transition toward clean power generation and storage technologies to replace coal's role in system reliability.

The United States faces significant vulnerabilities in its critical mineral supply chain, relying on imports for 100% of 12 critical minerals and 50% or more for another 28 as of 2024. While the U.S. possesses deposits of many essential minerals, domestic production is hindered by permitting processes that average 16 years and the higher cost of domestic operations compared to overseas production. The document highlights the environmental risks of open-pit mining—including greenhouse gas emissions and groundwater contamination—and the specific impact on Native American reservations, where a high percentage of nickel, lithium, and cobalt resources are located. It explores secondary recovery from waste like coal ash and desalination brine as a sustainable alternative, though these methods currently face economic and technical barriers. Recent U.S. policy efforts include the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, the Inflation Reduction Act, and 2025 executive orders aimed at expediting permitting and exploring deep-sea mining.

The EU agrifood sector has significant untapped potential for climate action, but current policies are expected to yield only modest emissions reductions. Key opportunities for deep reductions include food waste reduction and the shift toward plant-based foods, which could improve public health and farmer income. However, progress is hindered by CAP subsidies that favour animal-based production and a lack of economic incentives for sustainable protein innovation. While EU long-term climate scenarios rely heavily on technology and assume only moderate dietary shifts, current trends in declining beef consumption suggest that more ambitious progress is feasible if supported by targeted policy and investment.

The report identifies the necessity of a high-capacity charging network—comprising private depot charging, public charging, and grid upgrades—to enable the adoption of zero-emission trucks in India. It argues that a combination of public and private finance, including blended finance and government intervention, is required to unlock capital and mitigate risks for distribution companies (DISCOMs) and charging point operators (CPOs) to meet India's 2070 net-zero goals.

The briefing highlights that while food systems contribute over 30% of global greenhouse gas emissions, there is no cohesive global pathway with clear targets and timelines to reach net zero. Current efforts, such as the FAO roadmap, are deemed insufficient because they omit the need to reduce animal-sourced product consumption and lack key biodiversity targets. The author notes that while over 55 relevant targets exist across frameworks like the Paris Agreement and SDGs, they are disconnected, often non-binding, and lack financial targets. The document calls for a coordinated framework similar to the IEA's energy roadmap to integrate climate, health, and nature goals and minimize trade-offs.