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The document details EU member state reactions to the proposed extension of the Emission Trading System (ETS) to road transport and buildings (RTB). While many delegations support the measure to meet the -55% emission target by 2030, significant concerns persist regarding socio-economic impacts on vulnerable groups, the sufficiency of the Social Climate Fund (SCF), and the timing of implementation. The briefing also notes discussions on the Effort Sharing Regulation, LULUCF targets, and CO2 standards for vehicles.

The report analyzes 57 SEI projects from 2010-2021, finding a heavy concentration in circular bioeconomy, solid waste, and water management, primarily in Europe and Asia. It identifies critical knowledge gaps in impact assessment, just transition, business models, and consumer behavior, recommending a shift toward higher-priority circularity strategies (refuse and rethink) and transdisciplinary, multi-stakeholder collaborations.

The document analyzes the EU's proposed Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), which aims to prevent carbon leakage by imposing a carbon price on imports in sectors like iron, steel, cement, aluminum, fertilizers, and electricity. It specifically examines the phase-out of free EU ETS allowances, the exclusion of export rebates, the scope of emissions (direct vs. indirect), and the crediting of third-country climate policies. Swedish stakeholders are divided: industry groups generally fear competitiveness losses due to the lack of export rebates and the exclusion of Scope 2 emissions, while environmental groups advocate for a faster phase-out of free allowances.

The report outlines a consensus among approximately 30 Canadian civil society organizations to prioritize absolute emissions reductions over carbon removals and offsets. Key recommendations include establishing a firm fossil fuel phase-out date, ending subsidies for nuclear and carbon capture technologies, and integrating Indigenous reconciliation and just transition principles into climate policy. The document highlights a tension between incremental government targets and the systemic change required to align with a 1.5°C warming limit.

The report details a series of virtual workshops held in 2021 involving approximately 30 civil society organizations to discuss Canada's net-zero goals. The findings highlight a strong consensus on the need for absolute emission reductions, the phase-out of fossil fuels, and the prioritization of 'safe bets' like clean electricity and energy efficiency over uncertain technologies. Key areas of concern include the role of carbon capture and storage (CCS), the use of carbon offsets, and the necessity of integrating climate justice and Indigenous reconciliation into national strategies. The document concludes with a set of proposed 'guardrails' and policy demands to guide Canada's transition to carbon neutrality.

The report details a three-day workshop in Niger focused on the governance of artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM). It identifies critical challenges including environmental degradation, the use of prohibited chemicals, and the role of ASM in illicit financial flows and regional insecurity. The document outlines a proposed vision for the sector based on 16 'good practices' and provides a comprehensive list of recommendations to formalize the sector, reduce the tax burden on miners, and improve state surveillance to combat criminality.

The document presents recommendations from African stakeholders to improve the quantum and quality of climate finance. Key priorities include establishing a global goal for adaptation finance, streamlining access to the Green Climate Fund (GCF), and creating national regulatory environments to unlock private investment. It emphasizes the need for grant-based finance to avoid exacerbating debt crises and calls for a broader definition of return on investment for adaptation projects.

The document details user experiences with three existing climate tools—the Global Climate Monitor, World Bank Climate Change Knowledge Portal, and Copernicus Climate Information Portal—and provides a set of design recommendations for the upcoming ClimVis tool. Key user preferences include the need for national language support, intuitive layered complexity, high-quality metadata, and the ability to compare real-time weather data with long-term climate trends.

The report advocates for the establishment of a UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights and Climate Change to address the holistic impact of the climate crisis on human rights. Based on consultations with 157 participants across 55 countries, it argues that a dedicated mandate would ensure consistency in how the Human Rights Council addresses climate change, increase accountability for state and non-state actors, and protect vulnerable groups, including Indigenous Peoples and environmental defenders. The document outlines regional priorities—such as addressing climate debt in Africa and climate displacement in Asia and the Pacific—and emphasizes the need for the role to be supported by sufficient financial resources and political will from Member States.

The report advocates for a UN Special Rapporteur on human rights and climate change, detailing regional priorities and global consensus on the need for a rights-based approach to climate action.

The report advocates for the establishment of a UN Special Rapporteur on human rights and climate change to address the existential threat of the climate crisis and its disproportionate impact on vulnerable populations. Based on consultations with 157 participants from 55 countries, the document outlines the need for a dedicated mechanism within the Human Rights Council to ensure a coordinated approach to climate-related human rights violations. Key priorities identified include holding state and non-state actors accountable, protecting environmental defenders, and ensuring that climate actions—such as carbon trading and nature conservation—do not further violate human rights. The report emphasizes that such a mandate requires strong political support and sufficient resources to be effective, while working in synergy with existing UN mandates and institutions like the UNFCCC.

The South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA) convened a youth working meeting on 8 October 2020 to determine the priorities for a civil society submission to the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM). Participants defined a 'picture of success' for South Africa, emphasizing the need for committed leadership, youth representation in decision-making, and the eradication of gender-based violence and corruption. The meeting identified a broad range of governance concerns, including unemployment, climate change, and the digital divide, which will be organized into 12 working groups to develop evidence-based recommendations by January 2021.

The report details a consultation between the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA), the Botswana Council of Non-Governmental Organisations (BOCONGO), and various civil society organisations (CSOs) to determine the focus of Botswana's APRM submission. Based on a non-scientific survey of 24 CSOs, the meeting identified approximately 20 major governance concerns, including the lack of separation of powers, rampant corruption, and high inequality. The group discussed the need to narrow these down to 12 key issues, debating whether the final submission should adopt a problem-solving tone or remain critical of the government. Participants from Zambia and Namibia provided comparative perspectives on evidence-based submissions and common regional issues like gender-based violence and land reform.

The report examines the vulnerability of Vietnam's private sector, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), to climate change and natural disasters. It identifies significant gaps in current policy frameworks, which often treat businesses as entities to be managed rather than partners. The document proposes specific mechanisms, such as public-private partnerships (PPPs), tax incentives, and improved disaster insurance, to mobilize private investment for the National Adaptation Plan (NAP) across sectors including agriculture, tourism, and infrastructure.

The document investigates the integration of the private sector into Vietnam's National Adaptation Plan (NAP). It highlights that while the private sector is a critical source of funding and innovation, current policies often view businesses as entities to be managed rather than partners. The report identifies significant gaps in climate risk awareness and financial resilience among small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and proposes specific strategies, including public-private partnerships (PPPs), green bonds, and tailored insurance products, to incentivize private investment in climate adaptation across various economic sectors.

The report analyzes bioeconomy visions in Colombia based on a 2019 expert workshop, concluding that a 'bioresources' vision—balancing economic growth with environmental sustainability—currently predominates. While sectors like agriculture, biochemistry, bio-pharmaceuticals, and bioenergy show varying alignments with biotechnology or bioecology visions, common barriers include land tenure insecurity, poor rural road infrastructure, and the risk of overexploiting commercial species. The document argues that for a bioeconomy to be truly sustainable, Colombia must move beyond viewing biodiversity as a mere competitive advantage and instead integrate holistic monitoring of environmental outcomes and inclusive regional development.

The report examines six specific policy cases from the UK, Netherlands, Sweden, Germany, and Austria to provide a roadmap for decarbonising the non-ETS transport and buildings sectors in CEE countries. It uses a participatory transferability assessment involving experts from Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, and Bulgaria to identify regional barriers and opportunities for 'leap-frogging' to best practices.

The report details a three-day event focused on 'Local Green Enterprises' (LGEs)—MSMEs that prioritize nature, resource efficiency, and social justice. It examines global green economy trends, applies Gandhian philosophy to local development, and identifies sector-specific roadblocks in India. The document concludes with the 'Delhi Declaration,' which calls for the Government of India to improve public procurement, provide affordable credit, and recognize Triple Bottom Line (TBL) impacts for LGEs.

The report details a workshop held in Thailand that produced text proposals and key messages to weave human rights into the post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework. It argues that human rights and a healthy planet are mutually dependent and suggests that the framework must move beyond a utilitarian view of nature to recognize the rights of indigenous peoples and local communities, particularly regarding land tenure and the protection of environmental defenders.

The document outlines a framework for building a resilient 1.5-degree world, focusing on three pillars: resilient economies, people/communities, and environments. It emphasizes the need to bring adaptation and resilience investment on par with mitigation, noting that current resilience finance is only around 5%. The report highlights specific global initiatives, such as the Insuresilience Global Partnership and the CRAFT fund, and provides a detailed annex of stakeholder contributions regarding data access, nature-based solutions, and the empowerment of marginalized groups.