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The report examines the role of the EU's captive tiger population in the global trade of tigers and their derivatives. It identifies significant regulatory loopholes in the keeping and disposal of tigers, particularly in private facilities and circuses, which may be exploited by organised criminal groups to supply Asian markets. While accredited zoos are well-regulated, the report finds inconsistent national laws across the EU, a lack of centralised traceability registers, and weak oversight of deceased specimens. Trade data from 2013–2017 confirms the EU's continued commercial export of captive-bred tigers and parts to countries like Viet Nam and Thailand, which may stimulate demand and increase poaching pressure on wild populations.

The document highlights the critical risk that unsustainable groundwater abstraction poses to Cape Town's water resilience and ecosystems, particularly following a severe drought between 2015 and 2019. It details a citizen science pilot project revealing a high number of unregistered boreholes in areas like Newlands and Epping. To address these gaps, the Table Mountain Water Source Partnership was formed in 2020 to integrate government, private sector, and community efforts in monitoring groundwater levels and quality.

The document is a transcript of a congressional briefing on West Coast coastal resilience. Experts from the USGS, California coastal agencies, and the Puget Sound region discuss the physical drivers of sea level rise, the vulnerability of critical infrastructure, and various adaptation strategies. Key discussions include the 'coastal squeeze' effect on beaches, the use of nature-based 'soft shore' stabilization in Washington, and the implementation of regional planning and environmental justice policies in the San Francisco Bay Area.

The report examines the high cost and regressive nature of India's energy consumption subsidies, which totaled INR 87,830 crore (USD 13.1 billion) in 2017. It highlights a critical knowledge gap, as the last comprehensive distributional analysis is based on 2011 census data. The document proposes several targeting mechanisms, including opt-out schemes, volumetric quotas, categorical targeting based on social or geographic criteria, and the use of proxy means testing via income and asset data. It specifically analyzes the Ujjwala scheme's success in connection targeting and the challenges of sustained LPG usage among the poor due to ongoing consumption costs.

The report assesses Tanzania's vulnerability to climate change, specifically sea-level rise and storm surges, and evaluates the role of ecosystem-based adaptation (EbA) in mitigating these risks. It finds that while Tanzania possesses critical ecosystems like mangroves and coral reefs, these are threatened by population growth and industrial development. The document highlights a gap in policy architecture, noting that EbA is not explicitly included in the current Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC). It identifies institutional fragmentation and a lack of spatial data as key challenges, while suggesting opportunities in blue carbon, sustainable ecotourism, and community-led co-management models.

The document argues that 20th-century infrastructure paradigms are ill-suited for 21st-century climate extremes and that current 'sustainable' infrastructure efforts focus too heavily on low-carbon goals while neglecting nature-based resilience. It highlights a critical gap in 'upstream' strategic planning, where natural capital is often ignored until the project approval stage. Through case studies in Mozambique, Mexico, Myanmar, and South Africa, the report demonstrates the value of integrating ecosystem services and climate scenarios into land-use planning. It introduces the 'Visioning Futures' framework, which emphasizes defining spatial scope, identifying future objectives, and performing sensitivity testing under various climate scenarios to avoid environmental risks and optimize infrastructure siting.

The report identifies a significant 'production gap,' noting that planned fossil fuel production by 2030 exceeds levels consistent with a 2°C pathway by 50% and a 1.5°C pathway by 120%. It argues that these plans are inconsistent with Paris Agreement pledges and are driven by national plans, subsidies, and public finance, while highlighting the need for international cooperation and policy alignment in updated nationally determined contributions (NDCs).

The document describes a pioneered practice of harvesting cattails and other plants from water retention areas and drainage ditches to remove phosphorus, improve habitat, and create biomass for energy and bioproducts. It highlights the role of this 'unconventional' waste biomass in a circular economy by recycling nutrients and sequestering carbon in soil. The review specifically looks at global carbon markets since the Kyoto Protocol and Paris Agreement to find verification methodologies suitable for bioeconomy projects in Manitoba and Canada.

The report examines the legal framework protecting Sami reindeer husbandry from hydropower exploitation in Sweden. It details the historical marginalisation of Sami rights, the current permit process under the Environmental Code, and the implications of new 2019 legislation requiring the review of existing hydropower plants for modern environmental conditions. The analysis highlights the challenges Sami villages face in being recognised as stakeholders and the financial burdens of legal proceedings during reviews.

The document outlines how gender and social inclusion are addressed across four major international frameworks: the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), the Paris Agreement, and the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction. It highlights that while SDG 5 is dedicated to gender equality, other frameworks like the Paris Agreement integrate gender primarily in adaptation and preamble sections rather than mitigation. The Sendai Framework emphasizes inclusive policies and the needs of disproportionately affected people in disaster risk management.

India's energy system is heavily reliant on fossil fuels, which provided 75% of its total energy supply in 2017. The state derives significant revenue from this sector—17.8% of general government revenue in 2017—but also provides substantial subsidies. While India has set ambitious renewable energy targets, including 450 GW, coal is projected to remain a mainstay of the energy mix through 2040. The government faces risks from stranded assets, with approximately 40 GW of coal-fired power plant capacity identified as "non-performing" as of 2018.

Brazil's economy is influenced by significant fossil fuel reserves, particularly 'pre-salt' oil, though it is the least dependent on fossil fuels among BRICS nations due to biofuels and hydropower. In 2017, fossil fuel revenues accounted for 6.8% of general government revenue, while subsidies represented 0.3% of GDP. The government continues to seek increased oil and gas production despite climate commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 43% by 2030. Fiscal complexities include high state-level VAT on fuels, significant tax exemptions for production, and the earmarking of royalties for health and education.

The document analyzes China's heavy reliance on fossil fuels, particularly coal, and the fiscal implications of this dependence. It details the structure of government revenues from fossil fuels, the influence of state-owned enterprises, and the prevalence of subsidies. While China has implemented policies to reduce coal overcapacity and peak emissions by 2030, it continues to provide significant subsidies and finance fossil fuel projects internationally through the Belt and Road Initiative.

The report analyzes the intersection of China's climate policies and public health, arguing that achieving NDC targets—primarily through reducing coal dependence and expanding renewables—would significantly reduce premature deaths from cardiovascular and respiratory diseases. It highlights a budgetary contradiction where China continues to provide substantial fossil fuel subsidies despite the high health and environmental externalities associated with them. Quantitative models cited in the report suggest that the economic value of avoided premature deaths would far outweigh the costs of implementing climate policies by 2050.

The report analyzes the intersection of gender and climate change adaptation in Benin, highlighting how patriarchal land tenure and social roles increase women's vulnerability. It identifies institutional gaps in the current NAP process and provides specific recommendations for gender-responsive adaptation in agriculture, water, health, and other priority sectors.

The report assesses South Africa's approach to marine and coastal ecosystem-based adaptation (EbA), highlighting a strong policy framework but significant challenges in local-level implementation and funding. It emphasizes the interconnection between biodiversity, climate change, and human well-being, arguing that maintaining ecosystem integrity is primary for social resilience.

The report argues that a negative feedback loop exists in the United States where restrictive voting laws and partisan gerrymandering insulate legislators from accountability, leading to the adoption of policies that exacerbate public health disparities. Using data from America's Health Rankings and the Cost of Voting Index, the author finds that states with greater partisan bias and higher barriers to voting are associated with lower life expectancy and more severe health declines between 2010 and 2017. Specifically, the report links extreme gerrymandering to higher increases in opioid deaths among African Americans in high-poverty states and higher infant mortality for non-Hispanic black communities. To break this cycle, the document recommends reforms to reduce the costs of eligibility (such as automatic voter registration), reduce the costs of casting a vote (such as early in-person voting), and protect the equal value of votes through independent redistricting commissions and public campaign financing.

The report reveals a pattern of funding, investments, and corporate memberships linking leading UK professional engineering and science organisations to the fossil fuel and arms sectors. It highlights a lack of transparency in financial disclosures and the promotion of these industries to schoolchildren without discussing associated ethical issues. The authors recommend that PESOs implement ethical investment policies, end corporate branding in education, and disclose all corporate payments over £1,000.

The document assesses the integration of the UNFCCC's Cancun safeguards into the national legal frameworks of Ghana, Liberia, and the Republic of Congo. It finds that while broad principles of participation and transparency exist in constitutions and forestry laws, they often lack practical procedural detail or consistent implementation. The briefing highlights a gap between high-level policy goals and the legal reality for local communities and indigenous peoples (LCIPs), particularly regarding land tenure and equitable benefit sharing. It suggests that REDD+ can act as a catalyst for legal reform, leveraging existing mechanisms like Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) and the EU's FLEGT-VPA initiative to strengthen forest governance.

The GCF's Private Sector Facility (PSF) aims to green the financial systems of developing countries by addressing capacity, market, and policy barriers. The GCF utilizes three primary pillars: providing concessional financing and project preparation grants, implementing policy-level interventions through its Readiness Programme, and conducting outreach through partnerships with global networks. The document highlights the critical role of central banks as regulators and the importance of local financial institutions (LFIs) in reaching micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and households. Case studies from Mongolia, Ghana, and West Africa demonstrate the use of on-lending models and risk-sharing instruments to scale up renewable energy and climate-resilient agriculture.