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A statement from World Resources Institute President & CEO Ani Dasgupta evaluating the outcomes of COP26, noting that while 151 new national climate commitments were submitted, they are insufficient to limit warming to 1.5°C. The statement highlights progress on phasing down coal, doubling adaptation funding, and addressing loss and damage, while criticizing the failure of developed countries to meet the $100 billion annual finance goal and the decision to allow old emission credits in carbon markets.

This report by the Climate Policy Initiative evaluates the effectiveness of public policies used to combat deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon, consolidating academic evidence to propose a strengthened policy framework for forest protection and sustainable development.

This executive summary evaluates the progress of Goal 7 of the New York Declaration on Forests (NYDF), which aimed to agree by 2015 to reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation as part of global climate agreements. While the goal is considered achieved through the Paris Agreement, the report finds that national commitments and investments remain insufficient to halt global forest loss.

This October 2021 report evaluates progress toward Goal 7 of the New York Declaration on Forests (NYDF), focusing on national climate action for forests. While it acknowledges the Paris Agreement's confirmation of the role of forests in the international climate agenda, it concludes that current efforts are insufficient to end deforestation and greenhouse gas emissions by 2030. The document provides a comprehensive set of recommendations for governments to strengthen ambition, increase financing, and implement six specific strategies to protect and manage forests sustainably.

This October 2021 report evaluates progress toward Goal 7 of the New York Declaration on Forests (NYDF), focusing on national climate actions for forests. While it acknowledges that the Paris Agreement confirmed the role of forests in the international climate agenda, the report concludes that current efforts are insufficient to end forest loss and associated greenhouse gas emissions by 2030. It provides a comprehensive set of recommendations for governments to improve forest climate mitigation through six key strategies: strengthening land-use governance, securing Indigenous peoples and local communities' rights, aligning financial incentives, promoting multi-stakeholder collaboration, ensuring robust monitoring, and expanding demand-side measures for forest-risk commodities.

This report by the Forest Declaration Assessment evaluates progress toward Goal 7 of the New York Declaration on Forests (NYDF), focusing on national climate actions for forests. It argues that while the Paris Agreement has recognized the role of forests, current government actions are insufficient to stop forest loss and GHG emissions by 2030. The document provides a comprehensive set of recommendations for governments to increase mitigation ambition, align financial flows with climate goals, and implement six specific strategies ranging from governance reform to demand-side measures in importing countries.

This policy brief analyzes the relationship between Russia and the three elected African member states (A3) in the UN Security Council (UNSC) from 2014 to 2020. Using statistical voting data, the authors argue that Russia's influence over the A3 is often exaggerated, as African states remain more aligned with the P3 (US, UK, and France) and act largely independently of Russian vetoes and abstentions.

This special report by the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA) analyzes the first and second African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) reports for Kenya, Mozambique, and Uganda. It examines patterns of progress and regression in democracy, political governance, and socio-economic development, noting that while legislative improvements are evident, practical implementation often lags, particularly regarding corruption, poverty, and gender inequality.

This briefing by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) evaluates the readiness of governments to manage mine closures and post-mining transitions. Based on a 2019-2020 survey of 17 countries and 14 Mining Policy Framework (MPF) assessments, the document finds that while governments recognize the importance of mine closure, many lack the necessary policies, financial instruments, and technical capacity to implement them effectively.

This final synthesis report by the Centre for Environmental Rights provides strategic and technical guidance on managing sulphur dioxide (SO2) emissions from old solid fuel combustion plants in South Africa, specifically focusing on Eskom and Sasol facilities. The report utilizes a cost-benefit analysis (CBA) to recommend minimum emission standards (MES) based on plant lifetime and economic viability, concluding that reducing SO2 emissions is technologically feasible and provides significant net societal benefits through improved public health and macroeconomic growth.

This research paper assesses the implications of the African Peer Review Mechanism's (APRM) Expanded Mandate, a series of decisions taken between 2016 and 2019 to revitalise the agency. While the expansion has renewed momentum and increased membership, the author argues that the APRM must now consolidate these gains to avoid distracting from its core mission of comprehensive country reviews.

This policy brief examines the history and effectiveness of United Nations 'mega-conferences' on sustainable development, from the 1972 Stockholm Conference to Rio+20 in 2012. It analyzes how these events have attempted to integrate economic development, social equity, and environmental protection, while highlighting the persistent tensions between industrialized and developing nations regarding financial responsibility and the right to development.

This executive summary describes a report based on a survey of over 900 households in Jharkhand, India, which evaluates the targeting of LPG subsidies. It finds that subsidies are poorly distributed, with the poorest households receiving significantly less support than wealthier consumers, and suggests that policy-makers address the causes of low consumption among the poor and restrict benefits for the wealthy.

This report evaluates the distribution of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) subsidies in the Indian state of Jharkhand and tests policy options to improve targeting. Using survey data from 960 households, the study finds that current subsidies are highly regressive, with a disproportionate share of benefits accruing to wealthier households due to their higher consumption rates. The report tests two targeting strategies—volumetric limits and differential subsidies for Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) beneficiaries—but finds that neither significantly improves subsidy incidence, though volumetric targeting does reduce overall government expenditure.

This policy brief by the Climate Policy Initiative/Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro (CPI/PUC-Rio) analyzes the potential for increasing cattle productivity in the Legal Amazon. It finds that current livestock production is homogeneously low-productivity and extensive, meaning that simply disseminating existing local best practices would only yield modest gains. The authors argue that significant productivity increases require a new business model involving technologies not yet used at scale and a crackdown on land grabbing and illegal deforestation.

This fact sheet, published by the Institute for Economic Justice, SECTION27, and the Center for Economic and Social Rights, examines South Africa's social protection systems during the COVID-19 pandemic. It evaluates the government's response against the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), highlighting failures in providing an adequate standard of living, food security, and housing, while detailing recommendations from the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.

This report details the outcomes of the ENHANCE project (2017-2020), an Interreg Europe initiative designed to improve regional policy instruments that support the EU Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS) to increase resource efficiency and promote the circular economy. The project involved six partners across Europe who identified 24 good practices and implemented 31 actions, primarily focusing on regulatory reliefs and promotional incentives for EMAS-registered organizations.

This policy brief analyzes the fiscal implications of the gradual phase-out of coal production in Colombia, focusing on the role of royalties and the economic vulnerability of producing regions like Cesar and La Guajira. It examines production trends, international trade dynamics, and the impact of the General Royalties System (SGR) reform, concluding that current policy measures are insufficient to offset the projected decline in coal demand and revenue.

This report analyzes electricity subsidies in India from FY 2016 to FY 2019, evaluating the impact of the Ujjwal DISCOM Assurance Yojana (UDAY) scheme. It finds that direct tariff subsidies increased by 32% during this period, reaching INR 110,391 crore in FY 2019, while most electricity distribution companies (DISCOMs) failed to meet financial performance targets regarding revenue recovery and loss reduction.

The International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) responds to Canada's updated climate plan, highlighting commitments to carbon pricing, national adaptation, and low-carbon economy investments while calling for further action from provinces and the private sector.