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The document argues that the 2030 global mitigation targets of the Paris Agreement cannot be met without protecting and empowering IPLCs. Analysis of Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, and Peru shows that 92% of forested IPLC lands are net carbon sinks, sequestering an average of 30 metric tons of carbon per hectare annually—more than twice the rate of non-IPLC lands. Despite this, the NDCs of these four countries largely fail to acknowledge the role of IPLC lands in meeting national targets. The paper identifies critical governance gaps, including lack of legal land recognition, limited land rights, and poor implementation of free, prior, and informed consent (FPIC). It also highlights the prevalence of illegal deforestation and violence against environmental defenders. The authors recommend that governments strengthen partnerships with IPLCs, ensure full legal land titling, and integrate specific IPLC carbon sequestration data into national inventories.

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 report examines the governance trajectories of Kenya, Mozambique, and Uganda, the only three African countries to have completed the APRM review process twice. It finds that while all three made legislative and constitutional strides in democracy and political governance, they remain vulnerable to ethnic conflict and struggle with persistent issues of corruption, poverty, and gender inequality.

The document argues that Zimbabwe exhibits the form but not the substance of constitutionalism, characterized by an overweening Executive that subordinates the Judiciary and Legislature. It details a 'party-military-business coalition' that maintains power through the militarisation of politics, organised violence, and the shrinking of civic space. Economically, the report describes chronic fragility, hyperinflation, and a failing parastatal sector plagued by corporate governance breaches. While the government has introduced anti-corruption strategies and joined the APRM, civil society contends these are often symbolic, noting a persistent 'catch and release' syndrome for high-profile offenders and a lack of genuine political will to align laws with the 2013 Constitution.

The Zimbabwe APRM Popular Sensitisation (ZAPS) project validation workshop, held on 8 July 2021, served as a platform for civil society organisations (CSOs) to present and refine a submission to the APRM. The workshop identified critical governance failures in Zimbabwe, including a "constitutional amendment crisis" that has expanded presidential powers, the "militarisation of politics" through the installation of military leaders in political roles, and systemic corruption where legislative frameworks are applied only to "small fish" while elite corruption persists. Other key areas of concern included the shrinking of civic space—marked by 932 reported cases of organised violence and torture between March and November 2020—and the decline of state enterprises and parastatals, which now contribute less than 2% of the GDP. The project aims to use these findings to catalyze reform and enhance accountability and transparency in Zimbabwe's governance.

The report examines the transition of Ibama's environmental sanctioning process toward a model centered on environmental conciliation. It argues that while conciliation could theoretically speed up processes, its implementation under the current administration has been deficient due to regulatory delays, a lack of technical qualification in key appointments, and a dangerous centralization of power. These failures, combined with the replacement of career staff with political appointees, are found to weaken the deterrent effect of environmental fines and contribute to increased deforestation in the Amazon.

Carbon Market Watch critiques the TSVCM's objective of scaling the voluntary carbon market (VCM), arguing that growth should not be the primary goal and that financial speculation through secondary markets and futures contracts does not benefit the climate. The organization emphasizes the need for a truly independent governance body, free from industry associations and conflicts of interest, and calls for more rigorous Core Carbon Principles (CCPs). Key recommendations include excluding ex-ante and retroactive crediting, requiring a minimum permanence timeframe of at least 100 years, and ensuring that credits used for offsetting include corresponding adjustments to national reporting to avoid double claiming.

A youth-led submission to South Africa's second APRM review identifies nine critical governance gaps, including youth political exclusion, extreme economic inequality, and the tension between economic growth and climate action. The report calls for systemic reforms in land distribution, education quality, and the implementation of social protection and health schemes.

The document outlines systemic governance failures in South Africa from a youth perspective, highlighting exclusion from political decision-making, extreme economic inequality, and poor infrastructure in education and health. It argues that while progressive policies often exist on paper, implementation is slow and unsystematic, particularly regarding land reform, climate change transition, and youth employment. The submission recommends institutionalising youth quotas, expanding social protection through a basic income grant, and reforming the electoral system to allow independent candidates.

The authors argue that while the T20 has grown in diversity and productivity, it suffers from limited policy impact, a lack of continuity across presidencies, and an over-reliance on the production of policy briefs over substantive dialogue. To address these, they propose establishing a permanent steering committee based on a troika system, decoupling the T20 timeline from the G20 calendar to allow for earlier agenda-setting, and reducing the volume of policy briefs in favor of higher-quality, joint recommendations. The goal is to transform the T20 into a more continuous process that engages both current and incoming G20 presidencies and mid-level government officials.

The document examines the systemic failure of natural resource governance since the 1972 Stockholm Declaration, noting that material demand per capita grew from 7.4 tons in 1970 to 12.2 tons in 2017. It highlights severe inequalities in resource distribution, where high-income countries have a per capita material footprint thirteen times larger than low-income countries. The brief argues that sustainable governance requires shifting from linear 'extract-use-discard' models to circular economies, strengthening tenure security for marginalized groups, and ensuring the free, prior, and informed consent of Indigenous Peoples. It specifically calls for extended producer responsibility and gender-responsive decision-making to protect ecological integrity and human rights.

The document examines the unsustainable trajectory of global natural resource use, noting that material demand per capita grew from 7.4 tons in 1970 to 12.2 tons in 2017. It highlights systemic inequalities in resource distribution, where high-income countries have a material footprint thirteen times larger than low-income countries. The brief argues that current governance often favors powerful actors and marginalizes women, Indigenous Peoples, and local communities. To address this, it recommends adopting circular economy models, strengthening tenure rights, and implementing extended producer responsibility to decouple economic activity from environmental degradation.

The report identifies 12 governance challenges in Botswana, noting that while the country has a history of good governance, it now faces rising corruption and a lack of accountability. Key areas of concern include the marginalisation of smaller parties and women/youth due to the First Past the Post electoral system, poor public service performance resulting from a lack of comprehensive decentralisation policy, and economic exclusion where many citizens remain below the poverty line despite national growth. The submission recommends a Mixed Member Proportional Representation system, the creation of a national action plan on human rights, and the development of a written overarching foreign policy framework centered on the economy.

The document examines South Africa's history of nuclear energy planning, from the 2008 Nuclear-1 plan to the current 2,500MW nuclear build programme. It identifies critical failures in governance, including the impact of state capture during the Zuma presidency and the resulting financial instability of Eskom. The brief highlights challenges such as aging infrastructure at the Koeberg Nuclear Power Plant and the SAFARI-1 research reactor, a decline in technical expertise, and budget constraints exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. It recommends updating the 2008 Nuclear Energy Policy, improving parliamentary oversight of spending, and ensuring transparency and public consultation to make future nuclear expansion financially viable and safe.

The report evaluates Botswana's governance across 12 thematic areas, including human rights, separation of powers, and sustainable development. While acknowledging Botswana's global reputation for stability and economic management, it highlights systemic failures such as high gender-based violence, a lack of true separation between the Executive and Parliament, and significant economic inequality. It recommends structural reforms to the electoral system, the decentralisation of public services, and the establishment of a National Human Rights Institution to ensure more inclusive and accountable governance.

The report analyzes the varying stages of nuclear energy development in Egypt, Ghana, and South Africa. Egypt is currently constructing a nuclear power plant with Russian assistance, though it faces criticism for a lack of transparency. Ghana is in the early infrastructure-building phase, following the IAEA Milestones Approach. South Africa possesses the continent's only operational plant, Koeberg, but struggles with ageing infrastructure and the financial legacy of previous failed expansion plans. The document emphasizes the importance of robust governance, international non-proliferation commitments, and civil society engagement to ensure the safe and sustainable use of nuclear energy in Africa.

The report analyzes the historical and legal framework of rural land ownership in Brazil, highlighting a systemic lack of a unified land registry that fosters legal insecurity and land grabbing (grilagem). It examines the complexities of the current registration and cadastral systems, including the RGI, SNCR, and CAR, and identifies significant barriers to land regularization for traditional and vulnerable populations. The document specifically details the administrative processes and political pressures affecting Indigenous lands, quilombola territories, conservation units, and agrarian reform projects, arguing that recent legislative changes often prioritize large-scale land titling over social and environmental safeguards, thereby risking land reconcentration and increased deforestation.

The document analyzes 'ecological civilisation' as a uniquely Chinese vision for sustainable development that integrates ambitious environmental targets with centralized state power and traditional philosophy. It argues that this framework is central to China's modernization project under President Xi Jinping, shifting from a focus on civil society engagement to a top-down, technocratic approach. While the 13th Five Year Plan (2016-2020) saw significant progress in meeting environmental targets and establishing a national carbon market, the report notes a recent rhetorical shift toward 'innovation-driven development' and challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic and strained US-China relations. Ultimately, it suggests that engaging with China's green transition requires understanding its core priorities of stability, legitimacy, and security.

The report details South Africa's transition from a secret nuclear weapons programme to a global advocate for nuclear disarmament and peaceful nuclear use. It analyzes the current nuclear governance framework, the state of aging facilities like the Koeberg Nuclear Power Plant, and the political and financial turmoil surrounding nuclear expansion plans, particularly during the Zuma presidency. The document highlights systemic challenges including state capture, dwindling expertise, and fragmented governance, while outlining the Ramaphosa administration's more cautious approach to adding 2,500MW of nuclear capacity.

The document examines five major industrial clusters in Belgium and the Netherlands, highlighting their economic significance and high greenhouse gas emissions. It argues that because each cluster's governance and industrial makeup differ, 'tailor-made policy' is required rather than generic instruments. The brief identifies the Antwerp-Rotterdam-Rhine-Ruhr Area (ARRRA) as a critical meta-cluster connected by extensive pipeline infrastructure. It recommends a multi-level governance approach where cluster authorities handle local planning and implementation, while national and EU bodies provide high-level coordination, regulatory frameworks, and the bulk of the financing for the transition to net-zero by 2050.