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The 2021 state of global environmental governance was characterized by a heavy reliance on voluntary commitments and a transition toward hybrid and virtual negotiation formats due to the COVID-19 pandemic. While some substantive outcomes were achieved—such as the finalization of the Paris Agreement rulebook at COP26 and the adoption of the Marseille Manifesto by the IUCN—many multilateral environmental agreements were limited to procedural decisions. The report highlights a growing gap between political promises and actual implementation, alongside increasing global inequalities in vaccine access and digital connectivity that hinder inclusive environmental governance.

The policy brief identifies structural flaws in Brazil's infrastructure investment governance, noting a lack of long-term planning and a failure to integrate socio-environmental criteria in the land transport sector. It highlights that the Brazilian National Development Strategy (EFD) is medium-term and lacks specific targets for deforestation and biome sensitivities. To address these gaps, the authors propose a new 'pre-viability' phase for large greenfield infrastructure projects. This phase would use a structuring questionnaire and a socio-environmental complexity analysis to filter out unsustainable projects before they reach the costly viability study stage, thereby reducing investment misallocation and protecting sensitive regions like the Amazon.

The paper examines the persistent failure of South African municipalities to comply with financial and operational regulations despite increased oversight. It critiques the dominant 'capacity' and 'ethics' explanations for non-compliance, arguing instead that officials often follow 'uncodified rules'—such as political pressure, community loyalty, and personal survival—which they perceive as more appropriate or necessary than formal laws. Using ethnographic research, the author proposes the 'logics of appropriateness' framework to understand how institutional norms and multiple identities shape bureaucratic behaviour.

The document argues that the CAP's governance structure is too weak to guarantee the achievement of the European Green Deal (EGD) targets. It highlights that the European Commission lacks the legal power to reject national Strategic Plans (SPs) based on non-binding EGD strategies, cannot force modifications to plans even when they conflict with EU environmental legislation, and possesses monitoring tools—such as interim evaluations—that lack binding legal consequences for Member States.

The report details a consultation between the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA), the Botswana Council of Non-Governmental Organisations (BOCONGO), and various civil society organisations (CSOs) to determine the focus of Botswana's APRM submission. Based on a non-scientific survey of 24 CSOs, the meeting identified approximately 20 major governance concerns, including the lack of separation of powers, rampant corruption, and high inequality. The group discussed the need to narrow these down to 12 key issues, debating whether the final submission should adopt a problem-solving tone or remain critical of the government. Participants from Zambia and Namibia provided comparative perspectives on evidence-based submissions and common regional issues like gender-based violence and land reform.

The report argues that existing fragmented governance is insufficient to tackle the transboundary crisis of plastic pollution, which causes an estimated $13 billion in annual environmental damage to marine ecosystems. It proposes a new global Convention structured around four pillars: monitoring and reporting, plastic pollution prevention, coordination with other international instruments, and technical and financial support. Key recommendations include the implementation of national plastic pollution reduction plans, global caps and phase-downs of virgin plastic production, and the establishment of a financial mechanism based on the polluter-pays principle to support developing countries.

The document argues that the rapid government action and public support seen during the COVID-19 crisis provide a momentum that should be used to implement long-term green recovery strategies rather than short-term fixes. It emphasizes the need for a clear EU-wide dimension to investments to lower finance costs and suggests that recovery packages must prioritize social equity and local self-sufficiency to reduce vulnerability. The paper highlights the importance of defining 'green' across different sectors and suggests that cooperation on technology transfers and intellectual property, similar to WHO initiatives during the pandemic, should be applied to climate and clean energy action. It also notes the tension between EU reindustrialization and the needs of the Global South, as well as the geopolitical implications for Border Carbon Adjustment proposals.

The 2020 State of Global Environmental Governance report details the shift of international environmental negotiations to virtual platforms due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It analyzes the adoption of the 'silence procedure' for decision-making, the delays in scientific advice from bodies like the IPCC, and the temporary nature of pandemic-related emission dips. The document argues that the pandemic highlighted the interconnectedness of human health, biodiversity loss, and climate change, while warning that structural inequalities and nationalist responses to the pandemic could hinder the global cooperation necessary for a green and inclusive recovery.

The paper argues that Zambia is caught in a 'commodity trap' and 'quiescence trap', where over-reliance on copper exports and a lack of economic complexity hinder broad-based growth. While copper production has improved social indicators like the Human Development Index since 2000, the country faces a severe fiscal crisis with government debt projected to reach nearly 150% of GDP by 2020. The author identifies policy volatility, specifically frequent changes to the Mineral Royalty Tax (MRT), as a primary deterrent to long-term investment and exploration. To overcome these barriers, the paper suggests replicating 'islands of effectiveness'—local-level collaborative governance models—such as the town of Kalumbila, which integrates mining with upstream and downstream linkages. Key recommendations include securing property rights, reducing the cost of doing business, and reversing the 5% concentrate import tax to fully utilise smelting capacity.

The report provides a comprehensive assessment of Namibia's governance, highlighting systemic challenges such as executive dominance over the legislature, persistent poverty and inequality, and a lack of transparency. It offers specific policy recommendations across 13 key areas, including corruption, youth unemployment, education, healthcare, gender-based violence, land reform, and environmental sustainability, to support the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) process.

The report argues that Kenya suffers from 'state capture,' where a political elite has repurposed state institutions—specifically the Presidency and the Treasury—for private profiteering and to fund electioneering. It contends that conventional anti-corruption efforts, including high-profile arrests and commissions of inquiry, are tactical 'stagecraft' that fail to address the deep roots of the problem. The document details three major cases of state capture: the Goldenberg, Anglo Leasing, and Eurobond scandals. It further analyzes how the electoral management body, the police, and the judiciary have been compromised to maintain this system. The report concludes that while democracy has been hollowed out, it still offers potential for rupture through economic crises or the emergence of powerful anti-corruption coalitions, and suggests that civil society should focus on archiving evidence for future prosecutions and pursuing international indictments.

The report identifies significant regulatory and institutional hurdles to phosphorus (P) reuse in the Baltic Sea Region, particularly within the EU's fertilizer and waste frameworks. While the EU's Circular Economy package provides a positive signal, the study finds that 'silo-thinking' across sectors and a lack of harmonized national policies hinder the transition from linear to circular nutrient economies. It highlights a risk of 'lock-in' to sub-optimal technologies, such as mono-incineration in Germany, and recommends mainstreaming circular economy principles at local and national levels to support diverse systemic solutions like source separation.

The report evaluates global environmental governance in 2019, highlighting a disconnect between urgent scientific warnings and stalled political action. While progress was made in managing hazardous wastes and plastics, climate and biodiversity governance faced significant setbacks. The document emphasizes the growing need for integrated governance to address the interlinked nature of climate, ocean, and land degradation, while noting that most Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are not on track for 2030.

The report reviews global environmental governance in 2019, highlighting progress in plastic waste regulation and scientific reporting, while noting failures in climate ambition and biodiversity negotiations. It emphasizes the growing need for integrated governance and forecasts 2020 as a critical year for the Paris Agreement and the post-2020 biodiversity framework.

The Green Climate Fund (GCF) faces a crisis of confidence as it nears the end of its first funding period. The World Resources Institute outlines five key priorities for the GCF Board's final 2018 meeting in Bahrain: approving a record 20 funding proposals worth $1.1 billion, accrediting 16 new partners while managing capacity constraints, establishing a process for the fund's first replenishment, reforming decision-making to move beyond a strict unanimity-based consensus model, and conducting a comprehensive performance review of its portfolio.

This briefing, delivered by Richard Sizani, Chairperson of the Public Service Commission, addresses the tension between political and professional roles in South Africa's public administration. It advocates for a clear demarcation of roles to prevent service delivery breakdowns, proposes a structured professionalisation of the civil service and procurement functions, and suggests reforms to curb patronage and mismanagement in state-owned enterprises (SOEs).

The briefing argues that climate adaptation is currently undervalued and incorrectly viewed as a local problem, which hinders global ambition. It proposes a 'transboundary' approach to climate risk, recognizing that impacts in one country create risks in others through trade, biophysical flows, people, and finance. The authors review progress from COP23 and suggest that the Paris Agreement's mechanisms—such as the global stocktake and National Adaptation Plans—should be operationalized to track and manage these cross-border risks to avoid 'climate change contagion' in the global economy.

The document examines the lack of transparency in the ICAO's creation of the CORSIA offsetting scheme, highlighting risks to the Paris Agreement and the EU ETS. It argues that ICAO's current practice of closed meetings and non-disclosure agreements contradicts its own rules of procedure and the obligations of 13 member states under the Aarhus Convention. The brief recommends broadening observer diversity, opening meetings to the public, and providing access to key regulatory documents to ensure the environmental integrity of aviation carbon offsets.

The Eastern Arc Mountains in Tanzania and Kenya have lost approximately 70% of their original forest cover due to deforestation and degradation. Despite a comprehensive legislative framework and significant donor funding—including $75 million for REDD+ activities in Tanzania between 2009 and 2014—governance remains ineffective. Key drivers include high population growth and a heavy reliance on biomass for energy, with Dar es Salaam residents using over 1,900 tonnes of charcoal daily. The document argues that while participatory forest management through Local Authority and Village Land Forest Reserves shows promise, success is hindered by poor land tenure, lack of economic alternatives to charcoal, and insufficient state capacity. It recommends strengthening the science-policy interface, promoting climate-smart agriculture, and increasing resource allocation for state forestry agencies.

Tanzania possesses estimated natural gas reserves of roughly 60 TCF, with the potential to generate up to $6 billion in annual revenue. While the country has established formal governance frameworks, including the Petroleum Act and the Tanzania Extractive Industries Transparency and Accountability Act, the paper argues that the actual impact on development depends on the political will to combat 'grand corruption' and the ability of civil society to hold the ruling coalition accountable. The author warns that windfall rents could incentivize elite predation and weaken the state's incentive to maintain a broad tax base, potentially destabilizing the political equilibrium.