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The report outlines a series of strategic interventions for the East African Community (EAC) to address poverty, inequality, and instability. Key recommendations include investing in climate-resilient WaSH infrastructure, harmonising agricultural and industrial policies, and improving regional security and governance to support a rapidly expanding population.

In 2025, global coal capacity grew by 3.5% while generation fell by 0.6%, as new plants in China and India are increasingly used as system insurance rather than primary generation. While the number of countries proposing new coal plants decreased to 32, political interventions in the US and EU delayed planned retirements. Latin America and the Caribbean achieved a status of 'No New Coal Plants' in 2025, though several countries, including Brazil and Chile, experienced setbacks in their decommissioning schedules.

In 2025, global coal capacity increased by 3.5% while generation fell by 0.6%, reflecting a trend where coal plants are increasingly used as backup reserves rather than primary energy sources. This divergence is most acute in China and India, where record capacity additions coexist with falling generation due to the rise of wind and solar power. While the number of countries proposing new coal projects declined from 38 to 32, political interventions in the US and EU delayed planned retirements. Regionally, Latin America reported no new projects, while Russia and Kazakhstan continue to integrate coal into their long-term energy security strategies despite international financing constraints and sanctions.

The report identifies significant gaps in the criminal justice response to tiger trafficking in Southeast Asia, noting that while arrests are frequent in some countries, they rarely lead to convictions. Indonesia is highlighted as a model for transparency due to its publicly accessible sentencing records, which reveal that successful prosecutions rely on interagency coordination and forensic evidence. However, the report finds that most prosecuted individuals are low-to-mid-level actors, while high-level organisers remain elusive. The authors recommend increasing judicial transparency, diversifying legal strategies to include anti-money laundering and organised crime statutes, and implementing restorative justice mechanisms to repair ecological harm.

The document examines the 'double exposure' of climate and globalization processes in the U.S.-Mexico border region, highlighting water scarcity as a primary vulnerability. It analyzes the challenges of binational institutional landscapes and evaluates three collaboration cases in the Arizona-Sonora region to identify factors that increase long-term resilience.

The report analyzes the Novo PAC's impact on the Amazon, arguing that the program lacks regional planning and fails to account for the area's socio-environmental complexity. It highlights contradictions between infrastructure projects and deforestation goals, such as the Ferrogrão railway and BR-319 paving, and criticizes the continued use of fossil fuels in energy projects. The authors recommend a comprehensive regional development plan, better alignment with the PPCDAm's zero-deforestation target, and a shift toward renewable energy and distributed generation.

The report examines the severe biodiversity loss in Latin America and the Caribbean, highlighting phenomena like 'empty forest syndrome' and the 'reverse terraforming' caused by gold mining in the Amazon. It emphasizes the critical link between biodiversity and human well-being, citing the water crises in the Northern Andes due to páramo degradation and the role of soil organic matter in climate mitigation. The document advocates for 'inclusive conservation' that integrates Indigenous and local knowledge, arguing that Indigenous lands are essential for climate mitigation. It also analyzes the impact of global trade and 'telecoupling'—where demand for energy transition minerals like lithium in the Global North drives environmental degradation in the Andes—and calls for a sustainable blue economy and the implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.

The U.S. experienced a record 28 billion-dollar disasters in 2023, causing over $93 billion in damages. Since 1980, tropical cyclones have been the costliest events, while severe storms are the most frequent. The document details how warming temperatures intensify specific hazards—such as increasing rainfall intensity and fueling stronger tropical cyclones—and notes that the average time between such disasters has shrunk from 82 days in the 1980s to 12 days in 2023.

Climate Central analyzed precipitation data from 1969-70 to 2022-23 for the contiguous U.S., finding that while some regions have balanced seasonal rainfall, others rely heavily on a single season. Specifically, the West and Northwest are dominated by winter precipitation, while the Plains and Upper Midwest rely on summer rainfall. Climate change is altering these patterns, with a general increase in precipitation east of the Rockies and a decrease to the west. Warmer temperatures are increasing atmospheric moisture—approximately 10% more since 1970—which enhances extremes such as heavy downpours and intensifying droughts.

The document argues that coastal and island countries in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) are highly vulnerable to climate risks like cyclones and sea-level rise, necessitating the use of ecosystem-based adaptation (EbA). While some progress exists, implementation is hindered by siloed governance, lack of capacity at local government levels, and insufficient finance. The brief recommends integrating specific EbA targets into 2025 Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), aligning biodiversity and ocean policies, and utilizing a newly established regional community of practice to share best practices and mobilize resources.

The document advocates for the adoption of ecosystem-based adaptation (EbA) to protect coastal communities in Southern Africa from climate risks such as cyclones and sea-level rise. It identifies key barriers to implementation, including policy silos, insufficient funding, and lack of community inclusion, and proposes the creation of a regional community of practice to share best practices among SADC member states.

The document argues that coastal and island nations in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) are highly vulnerable to climate risks, such as cyclones and sea-level rise, and should adopt ecosystem-based adaptation (EbA) as a cost-effective alternative to traditional engineering. While some progress exists, implementation is hindered by fragmented governance, lack of technical capacity, insufficient funding, and the exclusion of local communities. The brief recommends integrating specific EbA targets into 2025 Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), aligning cross-sectoral policies, and utilizing a newly established regional community of practice to share best practices and coordinate a regional EbA strategy.

This document, prepared by the IAI Directorate, presents preliminary findings from a Regional Assessment of IAI Parties' priorities regarding global change policy. The assessment utilized surveys, listening sessions, and the analysis of 86 policy documents to map the domestic and international global change policy landscape, identifying current and emerging priorities as well as barriers to integrating scientific information into decision-making.

The report details a regional assessment conducted by the IAI to map national and international global change policies and decision-making landscapes. Using surveys, listening sessions, and policy document analysis, the assessment identifies 'Climate Action' as the top current policy priority for member parties, followed by 'Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services'. It also highlights emerging priorities related to social consequences, such as human health and poverty, and identifies intersectoral collaboration gaps as a primary barrier to integrating scientific information into policy decisions.

The Asia Data Transparency Report 2023 finds that over half of the surveyed Asian economies have poor or insufficient power sector data transparency, affecting the electricity needs of 684 million people. While high-income economies generally score better, some lower-middle income nations like India, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka are demonstrating good practice. The report emphasizes that granular, real-time, and open-access data is essential for grid optimization and evidence-based policymaking to meet decarbonisation targets. It highlights a successful public-private partnership in India between NITI Aayog and the Vasudha Foundation and provides nine practical recommendations for improving data governance, including the use of machine-readable formats and unique identifiers.

The report evaluates the implementation of marine and coastal ecosystem-based adaptation (EbA) across SADC member states, highlighting the critical role of ecosystems like mangroves and coral reefs in protecting vulnerable coastal populations. It identifies a significant gap between the potential of EbA and its integration into national climate policies and Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). While showcasing successful regional examples—such as Madagascar's community-led mangrove projects and Seychelles' innovative blue bonds—the document notes systemic challenges including overlapping ministerial mandates, limited local government capacity, and a lack of bankable project proposals for international climate finance. It recommends mainstreaming EbA into 2025 NDC revisions and strengthening regional cooperation to scale up nature-based solutions.

The document analyzes the vulnerability of the ASEAN region to climate change and evaluates the current mitigation and adaptation strategies of its member states. It argues that while ASEAN countries have ambitious Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), there is a significant disconnect between climate goals and trade policy. The author recommends reducing tariffs and non-tariff barriers on environmental goods, reforming fossil fuel subsidies, and utilizing WTO flexibilities for technology transfer to bridge this gap.

The document reports that 97% of 246 analyzed U.S. locations experienced an increase in average temperature during the period from December 25 to January 5 between 1969 and 2021. It details regional shifts in snowpack and precipitation, noting that winter is the fastest-warming season for most of the U.S., which increases the likelihood of precipitation falling as rain rather than snow.

The 2022 Forest Declaration Assessment for the Congo Basin reports a rise in deforestation in 2021, with 636,000 hectares lost, meaning only Gabon and the Republic of the Congo are currently aligned with the trajectory to end deforestation by 2030. While the region is a critical carbon sink, absorbing 0.61 Gt CO2eq annually, it faces threats from small-scale agriculture, industrial mining, and weak land tenure security. Despite international pledges of 1.5 billion USD (2021-2025) and national legal frameworks, the report highlights significant gaps in law enforcement, intersectoral policy alignment, and funding for indigenous peoples and local communities.

The Congo Basin, the world's second-largest tropical forest and a critical carbon sink, experienced an increase in deforestation in 2021, reaching 636,000 hectares. While historically low, current trends show that only Gabon and the Republic of the Congo are aligned with the 2030 goal of zero deforestation. Primary drivers include small-scale subsistence agriculture combined with road construction, though industrial mining and logging pose severe risks to intact forest landscapes. Despite the existence of legal frameworks and international funding commitments—such as $1.5 billion from COP26 donors—implementation is hindered by poor governance, land tenure insecurity for indigenous peoples, and a lack of intersectoral policy alignment. The report emphasizes the need for stronger community land rights and more transparent, quantifiable financial mechanisms to protect this vital ecological region.