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The document argues that Alberta's proposed methane regulations are weaker than federal rules and will fail to meet the province's 2014 pledge to reduce oil and gas emissions by 45% by 2025.

The report analyzes twelve sustainability standards for infrastructure, categorizing them into project screening tools (e.g., SuRe, Envision, CEEQUAL, ISCA, IFC Performance Standards) and accounting tools (e.g., SASB, TCFD, GHG Protocol, UN PRI). It evaluates these tools based on comprehensiveness, objectivity, clarity, transaction costs, and traction. The study finds that the industry lacks a single global standard, with investors often using multiple tools depending on the project's local context and regulatory regime. It highlights a fundamental tension between 'preservationist' public sector assessments, which determine if a project should be built, and 'conservationist' investor metrics, which focus on implementing projects in the most sustainable way possible.

Carbon Market Watch criticizes the European Commission's proposal to reduce the scope of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS) for international aviation. The organization argues that replacing the EU ETS with the ICAO's Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) would reduce the coverage of global aviation emissions from 35% to 8% and significantly lower the cost per tonne of CO2 emitted from 5 EUR to 0.31 EUR. The document asserts that the EU ETS is more ambitious than CORSIA because it utilizes an absolute cap and mandatory compliance, whereas CORSIA is voluntary until 2027 and based entirely on offsetting.

The report finds that East Africa is the largest regional crowdfunding market in Africa, though it is dominated by non-financial return models (donation and reward) and lacks bespoke regulation. While loan and equity-based models dominate globally, they are in embryonic stages in East Africa. The authors recommend against immediate bespoke regulation to avoid stifling growth, instead proposing a phased approach involving sector mapping, the creation of a regulatory sandbox ('RegLab'), and government-backed co-investment and currency hedge funds.

The report finds that the CIF provides a unique, programmatic approach to climate finance that differs from the project-by-project model of the GCF. It has been the largest source of external concessional finance for Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs), particularly in high-risk technologies like geothermal and concentrated solar power. The authors recommend keeping the CIF operational to maintain momentum and bridge investment gaps, suggesting it work complementarily with the GCF.

The paper evaluates sanitation policies in Rwanda, Uganda, and Tanzania against seven criteria, finding that while frameworks are ambitious and reforms toward decentralization and Sector Wide Approaches (SWAps) are positive, significant gaps remain in funding, technical capacity at the district level, and the translation of policy into functional facilities.

The 2016 CAPE Scorecard evaluates Canadian provincial bans on cosmetic pesticides, ranking Ontario as the highest providing 'Excellent Protection' with a score of 9. Other provinces such as Nova Scotia and Manitoba are rated as 'Good Protection', while Quebec provides 'Some Protection'. Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, and Newfoundland & Labrador are rated as providing 'Little Protection', and Saskatchewan, Alberta, and British Columbia are listed as providing 'No Protection'.

The report analyzes the land-sector climate pledges (INDCs) of four major tropical-forest nations. It finds that while Brazil and Indonesia provide some transparency, their land-sector ambitions are low. India's submission lacks critical specifics on GDP and sequestration timing. In contrast, the Democratic Republic of the Congo is highlighted as a model for both transparency and ambition, despite its limited national capacity. The author concludes that smaller countries are generally producing better land-sector INDCs than larger emitters.

The Union of Concerned Scientists analyzed the second wave of INDCs for China, Canada, Ethiopia, and Morocco, focusing on agriculture, forestry, and other land use (AFOLU). The analysis reveals a disparity between developed and developing nations: Morocco and Ethiopia provided detailed, ambitious land-sector plans, while Canada and China showed significant gaps. Canada's submission lacked specific mitigation actions and excluded natural disturbances from accounting, while China failed to distinguish between new and existing programs and lacked a detailed accounting framework. Morocco's INDC was identified as the strongest, offering concrete actions and differentiating between unconditional and conditional goals.

The study analyzes 48 bottom-up energy system scenarios for Japan's 2030 GHG emissions. It finds that high-mitigation scenarios consistent with a 2°C target result in emissions 16-39% below 1990 levels. The authors argue that a minimum reduction of 25% from 1990 levels is necessary, which could be achieved through a combination of restarting nuclear reactors, increasing renewable energy and CCS deployment, and significantly reducing total final consumption (TFC). The paper emphasizes that the choice between coal and natural gas for electricity is as critical as the share of renewables, noting that unabated coal-fired power must remain below 21% to achieve reductions exceeding 20% from 1990 levels.

The Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) evaluated the land sector (AFOLU) plans within the initial INDCs of the US, EU, and Mexico. The analysis finds a stark contrast between developed and developing nations: while the US and EU provide reasonable accounting standards, they lack specific action plans to realize their substantial mitigation potentials. In contrast, Mexico provides a highly transparent and ambitious plan, including a goal of zero deforestation by 2030 and a target for emissions to peak and decline by 2026. The report emphasizes that the land sector is critical for closing the global emissions gap, but current INDCs from developed nations are insufficient in detail to determine if their ambitions match their capacities.

The analysis compares a 'No-Policy' scenario with a 'Policy Proposal' scenario for 2020, focusing on the upstream emissions from the production, processing, and transport of fuels. Under the base case using EPA figures, the policy proposal is projected to increase total upstream greenhouse gas emissions by 9.9 million metric tons (MMT) of CO2e, consisting of a 9.6 Tg increase in CO2 and a 0.3 Tg CO2e increase in methane. A sensitivity 'high case', which assumes non-hydraulic fracturing methane emissions are twice the EPA's 2011 reports, projects a total increase of 16.9 MMT CO2e. The document notes that upstream CO2 emissions are higher for natural gas (ratio of 0.108 to stack CO2) than for coal (ratio of 0.0193 to stack CO2).

The research paper evaluates strategies to decarbonise urban transportation, focusing on modal shifts, fuel switching, and electricity decarbonisation. Using a Spanish urban area as a model, it finds that aggressive measures—including a 50% reduction in car demand, improved fuel economy, and a shift to nuclear or CCS-equipped power—are necessary to significantly lower emissions and health burdens from particulate matter.

The report examines water governance in four European countries, focusing on the implementation of the EU Water Framework Directive (WFD) and the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD). It finds that while there is a general shift toward integrated, river-basin-based management, significant challenges remain in coordinating freshwater and marine policies, managing spatial boundaries, and ensuring meaningful stakeholder participation. The study highlights diverse models of service delivery, from the privatized system in the UK to the public-private partnerships and user associations in Spain, and the strong tradition of community-led water protection in Finland.

A Clean Air Task Force (CATF) study indicates that new CNG buses are not necessarily superior to new diesel buses regarding air quality or climate impact. While CNG buses may have marginally lower particulate matter and volatile organic compound emissions, they can have higher nitrogen oxide and greenhouse gas emissions. Furthermore, the higher purchase price of CNG buses may limit the number of older, high-emitting vehicles retired per dollar of capital funding, potentially resulting in lower fleet-wide emission reductions compared to a diesel fleet update. The climate impact of CNG is heavily dependent on methane leakage rates during production and the choice of Global Warming Potential (GWP) timeframes (GWP20 vs GWP100). Despite these factors, low fuel costs and federal funding structures incentivize transit agencies to choose CNG.

The report concludes that the Hong Kong Convention does not provide an equivalent level of control to the Basel Convention and therefore fails to ensure the environmentally sound management of shipbreaking. It argues that the Hong Kong Convention undermines key Basel protections through narrower scope, a weaker notification system that allows tacit consent, a lack of criminalization for illegal traffic, and the absence of a duty to re-import waste. Furthermore, the analysis finds that the Hong Kong Convention fails to sufficiently consider the interests of developing countries, where most shipbreaking occurs, by lacking funding mechanisms and mandatory minimum standards to phase out dangerous 'beaching' practices.

The report examines six case study destinations—Khao Lak, Patong, and Phi Phi Don in Thailand; and Hikkaduwa, Anuradhapura, and Kataragama in Sri Lanka—to identify drivers of tourism system vulnerability. It introduces a Destination Sustainability Framework (DSF) to analyze how exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive responses interact with socio-political contexts. Findings indicate that established destinations with diversified markets and strong institutional networks, such as Patong, recovered more quickly than newer or more isolated sites like Khao Lak and Phi Phi Don. In Sri Lanka, recovery was hampered by the civil conflict and weak local governance. The report concludes that resilience is strengthened by diversified livelihoods, robust social networks, and strong public-private collaboration, while it is undermined by corruption, poor infrastructure, and social exclusion of minority groups.

The report assesses whether genetic engineering can reduce nitrogen fertilizer pollution by improving nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) in crops. It finds that while some GE genes show promise in controlled environments, no GE NUE crops have been commercialized, and they may cause unpredictable side effects. In contrast, traditional breeding has a proven track record of improving NUE, and ecosystem-based methods like cover crops and precision farming offer complementary ways to reduce nitrogen loss. The authors argue that a multi-pronged approach, supported by increased public investment in non-GE methods, is necessary to feed a growing population while mitigating environmental damage.

The report assesses whether genetic engineering (GE) can reduce the environmental impact of reactive nitrogen in agriculture. It finds that while GE research is ongoing, no NUE-improved GE crops have been commercialized, and their prospects remain uncertain due to complex gene interactions and potential regulatory hurdles. In contrast, traditional breeding and system-based approaches like cover crops and precision farming have already demonstrated significant improvements in NUE and nitrogen loss reduction. The authors argue that a diversified approach, supported by increased public investment in non-GE methods, is essential to mitigate global nitrogen pollution.

The report contends that nuclear power is economically unviable, citing soaring capital costs and a lack of private investment. It argues that decentralized 'micropower'—including wind, solar, and cogeneration—alongside end-use efficiency, provides a more cost-effective means of displacing CO2 emissions and enhancing energy security. The authors assert that nuclear power's slow deployment and high financial risk make it a liability for urgent climate action, suggesting that resources should instead be shifted toward distributed energy resources.