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Finland relies on Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Storage (BECCS), biochar, and land sinks to reach its 2035 carbon neutrality target, but faces significant delivery risks. The government has disregarded scientific advice from the Finnish Climate Change Panel to moderate logging levels to restore the declining land sink, which currently shows rising net emissions. While the government is pursuing BECCS, it lacks domestic geological storage and must rely on international transport and storage, which are constrained by limited capacity in Northern Europe. Furthermore, current financial allocations for BECCS are significantly lower than the estimated needs to achieve projected removal volumes.

The Mediterranean region's renewable power capacity is projected to double from 315 GW in 2023 to 626 GW by 2030, primarily driven by solar and wind. However, this trajectory falls 374 GW short of the TeraMed Initiative's 1 TW goal. To bridge this gap, the region would need to install an additional 54 GW of wind and solar annually beyond current plans, totaling 98 GW per year, which significantly exceeds the historical maximum annual deployment of 45 GW.

The report evaluates the COP29 Presidency's goals to achieve 1,500 GW of energy storage and add 25 million km of grid infrastructure by 2030. It concludes that the storage goal is highly achievable due to surging battery manufacturing capacity and falling prices, while the grid goal requires a 50% increase in the current build rate and faces significant regulatory and supply chain hurdles. The potential for green hydrogen to provide flexibility is noted, though current deployment rates remain low despite high numbers of announced projects.

The document describes an ongoing scoping study in Morocco aimed at addressing the green finance gap. The project focuses on identifying financial instruments and structures to support green SMEs and projects, with a feasibility analysis currently in progress to inform the development of a new financing instrument.

The policy brief examines the tension between national climate measures and international trade rules, such as those of the WTO. Based on a literature review and 26 expert interviews, it categorizes 22 options for alignment by their short-term political feasibility. The authors recommend six immediate actions: leveraging regional trade agreements (RTAs), engaging in plurilateral efforts like the Environmental Goods Agreement, intensifying WTO and UNFCCC coordination, voluntarily including climate issues in the WTO Trade Policy Review Mechanism, advancing border carbon adjustments (BCAs) via like-minded coalitions, and promoting fossil fuel subsidy reform through a group of WTO Members.

The document outlines a pathway for California to halve its oil use by 2030 by extending and enhancing existing policies on vehicle efficiency, electrification, and land use planning.

Argentina is uniquely positioned to lead the global market in deforestation and conversion-free (DCF) beef due to its existing national traceability systems and strong market position, particularly with China. By integrating its cattle movement monitoring with the Forest Law's satellite-based Early Warning System, Argentina could provide credible DCF exports. This approach would help the country meet Paris Agreement commitments, attract trade finance from European and Chinese markets, and protect critical ecosystems like the Gran Chaco. While challenges include the lack of price premiums for DCF products and the need for an interoperable data platform, the model offers a scalable alternative to fragmented company-led sustainability commitments.