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The report assesses Sweden's vulnerability to climate risks originating in other countries through its open economy and global trade links. Using three types of trade data—national toll logs, input-output tables, and resource footprints—the study finds that while direct trade partners (e.g., Germany and Nordic countries) are relatively resilient, deeper supply chain tiers reveal significant dependencies on climate-vulnerable emerging economies in Asia and Africa. A detailed case study on Brazilian soy demonstrates that while production risks in key sourcing areas like Mato Grosso are currently low, transport risks—specifically landslides and flash floods on long roads to ports—pose a higher threat. The authors argue that traditional risk management strategies like substitution are limited by the systemic nature of climate change and the 'stickiness' of trade relationships, recommending that Sweden integrate transboundary risk into its National Adaptation Strategy and lead global multilateral efforts for systemic resilience.

The document examines how climate-driven extreme weather events, such as floods and droughts, create cascading failures in essential services that disproportionately affect vulnerable populations in Halmstad, Sweden. It identifies key drivers of social vulnerability—including age, income, and disability—and argues that municipalities should integrate social perspectives into their risk and vulnerability analyses of critical infrastructure to improve crisis preparedness.

The briefing examines social vulnerability in Halmstad, Sweden, in the context of climate-driven water-related hazards. It argues that while Sweden is generally resilient, specific social groups remain vulnerable due to intersecting factors such as age, income, and disability. Using the impact chain model, the authors demonstrate how disruptions to critical infrastructure—such as water, energy, and transport—can create cascading effects that disproportionately impact the most vulnerable and can even create new vulnerable groups. The document highlights 'erosive coping' where disaster responses may inadvertently reinforce existing inequalities. It recommends that local authorities integrate social dimensions into their risk and vulnerability assessments to design more effective disaster risk reduction strategies.

The paper examines how multilateral development banks (MDBs) use policy-based operations (PBOs)—unearmarked budget support provided in exchange for policy reforms—and finds that current risk screening is insufficient to prevent these operations from undermining climate goals. Through an analysis of 126 PBOs and six case studies, the authors argue that policy actions can create path dependence in fossil-fuel-reliant activities and delay urgent climate spending. The document recommends that MDBs integrate long-term climate risks into macro-fiscal assessments, include at least one climate results indicator in every PBO, and provide more concessional finance, such as grants, to support ambitious climate action in vulnerable countries.

In 2025, Global Witness verified the killings of 124 land and environmental defenders, continuing a trend of lethal violence primarily concentrated in Latin America. The report identifies land disputes and extractive projects as primary drivers, with a significant increase in the role of organized crime and hitmen. It highlights the vulnerability of Indigenous peoples and small-scale farmers, who comprise 75% of the victims. The document argues against individual-focused security models, instead promoting 'collective protection'—community-led systems like Indigenous Guards—and calls for the ratification of the Escazú Agreement and the repeal of laws used to criminalize activism.

Global Witness reports that 1,733 land and environmental defenders were killed between 2012 and 2021, with 200 deaths recorded in 2021 alone. The report highlights a disproportionate impact on indigenous peoples, who represent over 40% of fatal attacks despite being only 5% of the global population. Mexico, Brazil, and Colombia are identified as the most dangerous countries, where extractivism, land inequality, and corporate impunity drive violence. The document calls for the implementation of the Escazú Agreement and stricter mandatory human rights and environmental due diligence for companies, particularly within the European Union.

The report documents the killing of 124 land and environmental defenders in 2025, with Latin America remaining the most dangerous region. It highlights the role of organized crime, extractive industries, and state repression in these attacks, while advocating for 'collective protection' and the legal recognition of indigenous guards.

In 2024, Global Witness documented 146 land and environmental defenders murdered or disappeared globally, with 82% of cases occurring in Latin America. The report identifies mining as the deadliest industry and highlights the disproportionate targeting of Indigenous Peoples and small-scale farmers. It examines specific crises in Colombia, Mexico, Brazil, the Philippines, Guatemala, and Palestine, while critiquing the failures of state protection mechanisms and the rise of criminalization. The document calls for the ratification of the Escazú Agreement, the implementation of mandatory corporate due diligence, and the formal recognition of defenders' roles in climate solutions ahead of COP30.

In 2024, 146 land and environmental defenders were murdered or disappeared globally, with 82% of cases occurring in Latin America. Mining remains the most lethal sector, followed by logging and agribusiness. The report highlights systemic failures in state protection, high levels of impunity, and the criminalization of activists. It specifically examines the precarious situation of indigenous and peasant communities in Colombia, Mexico, Brazil, the Philippines, Honduras, Guatemala, and Chile, while also addressing the environmental destruction and land expropriation in occupied Palestinian territories. The document calls for the ratification of the Escazú Agreement, the implementation of the EU's Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive, and the guaranteed safe participation of defenders in COP30.

In 2024, 146 environmental and land defenders were killed or disappeared globally, with 82% of cases occurring in Latin America. The report identifies mining as the deadliest industry for defenders and highlights the role of organized crime and state actors in these attacks. It specifically examines the critical situations in Colombia, Mexico, Brazil, the Philippines, Honduras, and Guatemala, while detailing the systemic failures of state protection mechanisms and the criminalization of activism. The document calls for the ratification of the Escazú Agreement, the implementation of binding corporate due diligence laws, and the recognition of defenders' roles in climate solutions ahead of COP30.

The document introduces a framework designed to evaluate the environmental and social benefits and trade-offs of circular economy approaches to urban organic waste. Developed through literature reviews and stakeholder interviews, the framework allows for sustainability assessments even with limited data. When applied to Naivasha, Kenya, the framework identified potential benefits including reduced greenhouse gas emissions, improved natural resource efficiency, and job creation, alongside risks such as negative impacts on worker health and smallholder farmers.

The document describes how the organization Neighbours United used deep canvassing—a listening-based outreach method—to overcome climate skepticism in Trail, British Columbia. By conducting 1,181 in-depth conversations focused on storytelling rather than facts, the campaign achieved a 40% persuasion rate, leading the city council to unanimously vote in April 2022 to transition to 100% renewable energy by 2050.

A randomized control trial in the Peruvian Amazon demonstrated that Indigenous communities using Global Forest Watch satellite alerts reduced deforestation rates by 52% in the first year and 21% in the second year compared to a control group. The system, which costs approximately $6 per hectare annually, empowers local monitors to detect illegal clearing and coordinate community responses.

The report examines the shift from traditional energy efficiency programs, which focus on raw energy savings, toward 'climate-forward efficiency' that prioritizes GHG reductions. It identifies two types of performance incentive mechanisms (PIMs): 'explicit GHG' PIMs, which directly reward carbon reductions, and 'policy intent' PIMs, which implicitly encourage GHG reductions through fuel switching or time-based savings. The document highlights early implementations in New York, Vermont, and Washington, D.C., and suggests that tracking metrics and scorecards can serve as a starting point for states not yet ready for full PIMs.

This case study describes the installation of a hybrid solar grid system by Aptech Africa for the UNDP country office in Yaoundé, Cameroon, to ensure power stability for critical IT equipment and reduce the organization's carbon footprint.

The document details how Lucy Lemashisha and the Rural Women Network (RWN) established the Climate Resilience and Learning Center in Kajiado County, Kenya, to combat the effects of recurrent drought and famine on the Maasai community. By promoting climate-smart agriculture, rainwater harvesting, and alternative income sources, the initiative has improved food security and shifted patriarchal power dynamics, enabling women to take leadership roles in climate justice and local governance.

The First Baptist Church of Glenarden in Maryland has installed four solar arrays—one ground-mounted and three rooftop—totaling 3.2 megawatts of capacity. These projects, developed with Suntrail Energy and IGS Solar, provide over 80 percent of the church's energy usage and have generated nearly $1 million in savings over three years. The installations include a 2.06 MW ground-mounted farm at the Upper Marlboro campus and rooftop arrays at the Family Life Center, Ministry Center, and Empowerment Center.

The briefing examines the impact of extreme heat and the urban heat island effect in Delhi, highlighting that the city is ranked as the second most heat-stressed city globally. It proposes that while Delhi has significant green space, including 18,000 parks and the Central Ridge, much of it is underutilized or dominated by invasive species like Prosopis juliflora. The author advocates for a transition from emergency heatwave planning to long-term nature-based solutions, specifically through the planting of locally adapted native species tailored to specific micro-habitats. The document provides five recommended practices for maximizing ecosystem health, emphasizing the need for a scientific species selection framework and the prioritization of greening in low-income, high-density neighborhoods to address heat equity.

The report examines the role of the Global Stocktake (GST) in enhancing national climate action and international cooperation, specifically focusing on the alignment of finance flows under Articles 2.1c and 9 of the Paris Agreement. It highlights a significant shortfall in international climate finance for developing countries, particularly for adaptation and loss and damage. The study suggests that the GST could improve progress by standardising reporting metrics, bridging the gap between long-term strategies (LT-LEDS) and near-term Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), and developing a registry for the demand and supply of climate finance. However, it notes that countries have not yet initiated preparations for the GST, indicating a need for better communication regarding its relevance.

The paper identifies a critical lack of robust climate risk data and analysis in Africa, which may lead to incorrect asset valuations and increased financial stability and sovereign risks. It proposes a six-category framework for climate risk information—data, analysis, disclosure and reporting, targets, risk management, and capacity-building—to help financial decision-makers close these gaps. While all four studied countries have initiatives for disclosure and reporting, South Africa shows the most comprehensive approach, covering five of the six categories. The author recommends that countries integrate financial sector transformation into their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and expand climate risk mapping to include public financial institutions.