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The report provides a geospatial analysis of the world's drylands, which cover approximately 40 percent of the global land area and support over two billion people. It evaluates the provision of ecosystem services including forage for livestock, food production, biodiversity conservation, freshwater, carbon storage, and energy. The analysis highlights that while drylands are often perceived as unproductive, they are critical for human survival, though they face significant threats from soil degradation, water scarcity, and human activities such as overgrazing and urbanization.

The report examines the conversion of unproductive sandy land in central Vietnam into shrimp aquaculture zones. While the practice offers significant poverty alleviation and economic growth opportunities, it faces critical challenges regarding groundwater depletion, unregulated wastewater discharge, and the need for integrated planning with afforestation to prevent sand movement.

The document calls for a five-year phase-out of all IFI funding for mining and fossil fuel projects, including a prompt moratorium on new projects in ecologically sensitive areas, indigenous territories, and conflict zones. It argues that such investments exacerbate poverty, human rights abuses, and climate change while failing to provide guaranteed economic growth. The author proposes shifting IFI portfolios toward decentralized renewable energy and energy efficiency to support poor communities and mitigate global warming.

The report asserts that while the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments reduced sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide emissions, ecosystems in North America remain damaged due to a 150-year accumulation of acidic compounds. It documents ongoing damage to aquatic life, forests, and wildlife, and argues that biological recovery requires emission cuts up to 80 percent beyond the 1990 mandates. The authors state that affordable technologies, such as scrubbers and renewable energy, are available to achieve these deeper reductions.

The document evaluates the state of global sustainability in 2001, highlighting a severe decline in ecosystem services and the rise of 'overshoot.' It identifies five key achievements since the Rio Summit—including the growth of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), civil society, and socially responsible investing—while warning of imminent climate instability, water shortages, and health crises. The authors advocate for 'Natural Capitalism,' a shift toward resource productivity and whole-systems governance, to replace the current industrial model that prioritizes labor productivity over natural capital.

The report details the environmental and health risks associated with the disposal of over 100 million tons of annual coal and oil combustion waste in the United States. It highlights that 76 million tons are typically disposed of in unlined, unmonitored onsite lagoons and landfills, leading to groundwater contamination and ecological damage. The authors argue that current state-level regulations are inconsistent and insufficient, and that the EPA's preliminary determination to maintain a regulatory exemption for these wastes ignores significant risks to low-income communities and people of color. The document calls for federal oversight under RCRA to mandate modern environmental controls like liners and groundwater monitoring.

The document warns that human beings and the natural world are on a 'collision course' due to the degradation of the atmosphere, water, oceans, soil, and forests. It argues that the earth's finite capacity to provide food and energy is being overwhelmed by unrestrained population growth and overconsumption by developed nations. To avert catastrophe, the authors advocate for a transition from fossil fuels to inexhaustible energy sources, the stabilization of the human population through voluntary family planning, the elimination of poverty, and the diversion of war funding—estimated at over $1 trillion annually—toward environmental stewardship.

The document examines the risks associated with atrazine, a herbicide common in Canadian corn fields but banned in the European Union since 2003. It highlights the chemical's high leaching potential and frequent contamination of surface and groundwater, particularly in corn-growing regions of Québec. The briefing details atrazine's role as an endocrine disruptor, linking it to reproductive toxicity in animals—such as the feminization of frogs—and various reproductive health issues in humans, though it notes a lack of consensus on its carcinogenicity. It further discusses the synergistic toxicity of atrazine when mixed with other pesticides and critiques the Canadian Pest Management Regulatory Agency's (PMRA) limited scope in its risk reviews. Finally, it suggests that corn yields can be maintained through integrated pest management and mechanical weeding, supporting the call for a national ban.

The document examines the use and impact of atrazine in Canada and globally, highlighting its role as a significant environmental and health risk despite declining sales in Quebec. It details the chemical's persistence in surface and groundwater, its classification as an endocrine disruptor by several governments, and its toxic effects on wildlife, particularly amphibians. The text also discusses the lack of consensus on human carcinogenicity, the risks associated with pesticide 'cocktails', and the legal challenges surrounding its regulation in North America, ultimately advocating for a ban based on the European example.

The report argues that the Arctic is warming twice as fast as lower latitudes, with black carbon and methane having a disproportionate impact. It proposes that the U.S., during its 2015-2017 Arctic Council Chairmanship, should champion best practices in the oil and gas sector, advocate for a heavy fuel oil ban in shipping, promote clean energy for residential heating, and implement strategies to curb open burning.

The document highlights that global warming, driven by greenhouse gas emissions, is causing a loss of oxygen and increased acidity in the global ocean, with the Peruvian sea being particularly susceptible due to its high productivity and circulation patterns. It notes that the South East Pacific OMZ has expanded in recent decades, and warns that if these low-oxygen waters reach coastal areas, they could synergize with human-induced pollution (such as agricultural runoff and sewage) to create 'dead zones'. The brief emphasizes that while the global ocean has lost approximately 2% of its oxygen over the last 50 years, the specific temporal variation of the OMZ off the coast of Peru is not yet fully understood. To mitigate these risks, the authors recommend expanding oceanographic monitoring across the Peruvian coastline, strengthening multidisciplinary research to improve climate models, tightening laws on organic waste disposal, and using this data to establish marine protected areas.

This report presents the Environmental Management Framework (EMF) and Strategic Environmental Management Plan (SEMP) for the Dr Pixley Ka Isaka Seme Local Municipality (PKISLM) in Mpumalanga, South Africa. Developed by SRK Consulting and BKS, the document provides a spatial and descriptive analysis of the region's environmental attributes—including biodiversity, water resources, and geology—to guide sustainable land-use planning and decision-making. It integrates legal frameworks, stakeholder recommendations, and socio-economic data to establish environmental management zones that balance development with the conservation of critical ecosystems, particularly the grassland biome and various wetland systems.

The document contains excerpts from the 2007 and 2012 National Frameworks for Air Quality Management in South Africa. It outlines the identification of pollutants of concern, the process for rating municipalities based on air quality status, and the establishment of national priority areas to address air pollution.

The Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment of South Africa has refused an application for Environmental Authorisation submitted by Karpowership SA (Pty) Ltd for a 540MW Gas to Power Powership Project at the Port of Ngqura. The refusal is based on significant failures in the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process, including inadequate public consultation, missing critical specialist studies on underwater noise, and gaps in the provided environmental assessments.

The Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) of South Africa has refused an application for Environmental Authorisation submitted by Karpowership SA (Pty) Ltd for a 415MW Gas to Power Powership Project at the Port of Saldanha. The refusal is based on significant failures in the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process, including inadequate public consultation, gaps in specialist studies, and non-compliance with legislative requirements.

The document identifies over 59 hazardous substances in carpets sold in the EU, including carcinogens and endocrine disruptors, which pose risks to consumers, workers, and the environment. It highlights a regulatory gap where many of these substances are not restricted and notes that recycled materials often face lower health standards than new materials. The briefing argues that these toxics hinder the circular economy by contaminating recycled products and complicating mechanical recycling. It recommends that the European Commission implement a product-specific carpet directive, establish Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) schemes, and introduce a comprehensive EU ecolabel to phase out hazardous chemicals and promote non-toxic, recyclable design.

The briefing identifies over 59 hazardous substances in EU carpets, including carcinogens and endocrine disruptors, which pose risks to consumers, vulnerable populations, and workers. It highlights that these toxics hinder circularity by contaminating recycled materials and creating technical recycling challenges. The document calls for a 'health-first approach' to the circular economy, recommending the introduction of a Carpet Product Directive, an EU-wide Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) scheme, and the banning of identified hazardous chemicals and PVC to ensure safe and recyclable products.

The report identifies that carpets sold in the EU can contain 59 harmful substances, including carcinogens and endocrine disruptors, which pose risks to human health and the environment. These chemicals hinder recycling efforts and contaminate water and air during production and disposal. The document advocates for stricter EU regulations, the implementation of extended producer responsibility (EPR), and the adoption of ecodesign standards to eliminate hazardous substances and promote a circular economy in the carpet industry.

The Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) argues that the BTC Pipeline Project's legal framework undermines the rule of law and sovereign regulatory power in Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Turkey. CIEL identifies significant deficiencies in the project's approach to climate change, public consultation, and compensation for affected populations, particularly in Turkey. The document further contends that the project fails to demonstrate a measurable contribution to poverty alleviation, potentially violating IFC mandates.

A coalition of NGOs urges the EU to set 2023 Baltic Sea fishing limits at or below scientific advice, specifically recommending zero catches for several cod and herring stocks. The document argues that current management fails to account for ecosystem dynamics, climate change, and widespread non-compliance with the Landing Obligation, calling for mandatory remote electronic monitoring and a transition away from bottom trawling.