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The Union of Concerned Scientists analyzed US Senate lobbying disclosure reports from January 2019 to December 2023 to quantify corporate influence on the food and farm bill. The analysis found that giant agribusiness companies and industry associations spent over half a billion dollars during this period to influence legislation. The methodology involved searching the Senate database for the phrase "farm bill," cleaning duplicate data, accounting for report amendments and terminations, and categorizing entities into sectors such as Agribusiness, Fuel/Energy, and Pharmaceuticals to assess the scale of corporate profit prioritization in federal farm policy.

The report finds that there are enough projected tax credit-qualifying Energy Attribute Certificates (EACs) to meet the stated electrolytic hydrogen production goals across the seven Regional Clean Hydrogen Hubs. However, it identifies the lack of developed markets and data infrastructure for accessing these EACs as a critical challenge. The analysis suggests that while the physical availability of clean power is sufficient, the primary bottlenecks for the green hydrogen economy are traditional deployment issues such as siting, permitting, and interconnection.

This case study analyzes the sensitivity of sustainability classifications for rural credit in Brazil, comparing five different taxonomies and initiatives applied to data from the BCB's SICOR system between July 2015 and June 2023.

The report finds that while most countries are reducing coal proposals, global operating capacity grew by 48.4 GW in 2023, primarily driven by China. It highlights a stark divergence between China's construction surge and a record low in new starts elsewhere, while noting that only 15% of global operating coal capacity has a Paris-aligned retirement commitment.

The researchers developed metrics to improve the estimation of soil heterotrophic respiration (Rh) in seasonal forests by analyzing the relationship between Rh and higher-level fluxes like total soil surface respiration (Rs) and whole ecosystem respiration (Re). Through a literature review and the use of two new datasets, the study found that land cover significantly influences the relative contribution of heterotrophic respiration to these fluxes. The authors conclude that the fractional coefficients used for these estimations should be derived from studies of similar ecosystems to account for variations between growing and dormant seasons.

The report analyzes transmission development between 2010 and 2020, finding that while projects requiring an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) represent only 3.5% of new lines, they account for 26% of new line miles. These projects are typically longer, more likely to be driven by renewable generation interconnection, and more likely to cross state or international borders. The average EIS review timeline is 4.3 years, with a moderate correlation between line length and review duration. The authors argue that these long and unpredictable timelines pose a challenge to future grid reliability and decarbonization goals, especially as federal funding and authority increase the likelihood of projects triggering federal reviews.

The assessment identifies agriculture as the most vulnerable sector in the Kassena Nankana Municipality, with high sensitivity in zonal councils like Biu and Doba due to the prevalence of mud-brick housing and flood-prone farmlands. While the quantitative Vulnerability Index suggests that adaptive capacity currently outweighs exposure and sensitivity across all zonal councils, Naaga is identified as the most vulnerable area due to its low adaptive capacity and high exposure to the White Volta River. Future projections indicate rising temperatures and irregular rainfall, which are expected to reduce maize and soybean yields and increase the prevalence of climate-sensitive diseases like cerebrospinal meningitis.

The report finds that women in South African politics face significant online abuse, particularly on TikTok and X, often targeting their physical appearance, age, and intelligence. While South Africa possesses a comprehensive legal framework to combat gender-based violence, enforcement is weak. Social media platforms are criticized for inadequate moderation of non-English content and a lack of transparency in their enforcement processes. The report recommends that the South African government integrate OGBV into the remit of the National Council on Gender-Based Violence and Femicide and that platforms expand multilingual moderation to cover all 12 official languages.

An analysis of 2020 Residential Energy Consumption Survey data reveals that extremely low-income US households—those earning less than 30% of the state median income—face a disproportionately high average energy burden of 14%, exceeding the 10% threshold for energy poverty. The report highlights that the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act could save American families approximately $38 billion on electricity bills through technology upgrades and rebates. It identifies successful state-level interventions, such as California's percentage of income payment plans (PIPPs) and Colorado's low-income community solar programs, as models for alleviating energy poverty. The analysis further notes that extremely low-income households in southern states experience the highest energy burdens, often correlating with higher income inequality and diversity indices. The document concludes that states can simultaneously pursue decarbonization and energy affordability, citing Colorado and Washington as examples of states integrating specific energy affordability policies into their climate targets.

The report analyzes the limited scale of climate-related on-lending from multilateral development banks (MDBs) to national development banks (NDBs) and the divergence in their approaches to Paris alignment. It identifies operational frictions, such as currency risks and capacity gaps, and recommends strengthening collaboration through concessional support, clarified mandates, and shared institutional expertise.

The briefing asserts that tripling renewables and doubling energy efficiency by 2030 will provide 85% of the required cuts in unabated fossil fuels for that period. By 2035, these two actions alone are projected to reduce total CO2 emissions by more than half. The document emphasizes that while nuclear energy and carbon capture and storage (CCS) play roles, their contributions are significantly smaller due to slow deployment and technology immaturity, making renewables and efficiency the most effective tools for a rapid fossil fuel phaseout.

The 2023 Production Gap Report reveals that governments plan to produce approximately 110% more fossil fuels by 2030 than is consistent with the 1.5°C temperature limit. Specifically, projections indicate 460% more coal, 29% more oil, and 82% more gas in 2030 compared to the 1.5°C pathway. The report notes that while major producers have pledged net-zero emissions, none have committed to production reductions aligned with the 1.5°C goal. To mitigate risks, the report recommends a near total phase-out of coal by 2040 and a three-quarters reduction in oil and gas production by 2050 from 2020 levels.

The Green Climate Fund's overall pipeline as of October 2023 consists of 427 projects with a total value of $74,261M, including GCF funding and co-financing. The pipeline is divided into public sector (DMA) and private sector (PSF) projects, with the private sector accounting for a higher total value ($46,265M) compared to the public sector ($27,996M). Geographically, Asia-Pacific has the highest total project value at $36,551M, followed by Africa at $24,696M. Thematically, cross-cutting projects represent the largest financial volume at $49,056M. The pipeline includes 73 funding proposals and 354 concept notes, with significant allocations directed toward Least Developed Countries (LDCs), Small Island Developing States (SIDS), and Africa.

The report finds that while the EU and UK have made progress in aligning TACs with scientific advice since 2015, they missed the 2020 legal deadline to end overfishing. Analysis of 2023 TACs shows that 25% still exceed scientific advice. The report highlights a systemic lack of ambition for data-limited stocks (precautionary advice) and bycatch stocks compared to target stocks. It also criticises the lack of transparency in the TAC-setting process and the poor implementation of the landing obligation, which risks further overfishing. Key recommendations include setting TACs below scientific advice to account for ecosystem needs and climate change, and improving public access to the decision-making process.

Average annual climate finance reached nearly USD 1.3 trillion in 2021/2022, nearly doubling from 2019/2020 levels, though this remains only 1% of global GDP. Growth was primarily driven by mitigation finance in energy and transport, with significant concentration in China, the US, Europe, Brazil, Japan, and India. Adaptation finance, while reaching a record USD 63 billion, remains severely underfunded compared to the USD 212 billion annual need for developing countries by 2030. The report highlights a critical investment gap, noting that annual needs will increase to between $8.1 and $9 trillion through 2030, and over $10 trillion annually from 2031 to 2050.

The report finds that only 15% of Brazilian family farmers access credit, with resources heavily concentrated in the South region, larger properties, and grain production. It argues that the current eligibility criteria, particularly the outdated 'fiscal module' system, create distortions that exclude the most vulnerable producers. The authors recommend revising these criteria and integrating sustainability requirements to support a transition to low-carbon agriculture.

The report examines the pathways for a just energy transition in the Pacific, highlighting that while 14 Pacific Island Countries (PICs) contribute only 0.23% of global emissions, they are disproportionately affected by climate change. It estimates the upfront cost of replacing fossil fuel electricity generation in eight profiled PICs between $691 million and $1 billion USD. The document argues that a just transition must go beyond technology swaps to include economic diversification, poverty eradication, and the protection of workers, particularly in Papua New Guinea's fossil fuel sector. It also warns of a 'double exposure' where the region faces both climate impacts and potential environmental damage from increased mining of Energy Transition Metals (ETMs).

The analysis of over 800,000 responses from the Klimatkalkylatorn tool reveals that the average Swedish household carbon footprint is 4.3 tons CO2e per person, with significant variations based on municipality type, income, and family structure. Food is the largest emission driver overall, while air travel causes the widest disparities between households. The study highlights that residents in commuting municipalities near large cities often have the highest footprints, whereas those in large cities have the lowest overall footprints, primarily due to reduced car travel.

Global power sector emissions plateaued in the first half of 2023 at 5,795 million tonnes of CO2, a slight increase of 0.2% over the previous year. While emissions fell significantly in high-income economies like the EU (-17%) and US (-8.6%), they rose in China (+7.9%) and India (+3.7%). A historic 8.5% decline in global hydro generation, largely driven by droughts in China, prevented a larger drop in emissions by forcing a reliance on fossil fuels. Wind and solar increased their global electricity share to 14.3%, though their growth rates (10% for wind and 16% for solar) remained below the IEA's net zero scenario requirements. Global electricity demand grew by only 0.4%, hampered by demand falls in the EU, Japan, the US, and South Korea.

The report analyzes the job creation potential of decentralized renewable energy (DRE) in Ghana and Senegal. It introduces a 'job factor' to quantify direct employment per kWc installed and finds that with forward-looking policies, both countries could create over 20,000 direct DRE jobs by 2030. The study highlights the role of DRE in formalizing the informal economy and empowering women and youth, while recommending the removal of import duties and the implementation of targeted training programs to address skilled labor shortages.