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The Centre for Social Justice (CSJ) and the Institute for Economic Justice (IEJ) oppose a proposed VAT increase in South Africa, claiming it disproportionately harms low-income households, African women, and people with disabilities. They argue that such a regressive tax is incongruent with the constitutional mandate for transformative governance and social justice. Instead, the organizations advocate for progressive alternatives, including wealth taxes, increased company tax, and improved tax collection efficiency, to address budget shortfalls without exacerbating hunger and poverty.

Main Street 1549 (Pty) Ltd proposes 'downscaled and non-invasive' surveys in Licence Blocks 9 and 11B/12B in the Outeniqua Basin to inform future oil and gas production infrastructure. The surveys involve seafloor mapping, sampling, and the use of Remote Operated Vehicles (ROVs), with a 500-metre exclusion zone around vessels. Potential impacts include disruption to marine life (specifically whales, dolphins, and migratory fish), noise and water pollution from vessel discharges, and negative effects on local livelihoods tied to fishing and tourism. The document also highlights risks to the cultural and spiritual heritage of indigenous groups who view the area as 'living' waters. Public comments on the Draft Scoping Report are requested by 3 April 2025.

In February 2025, Brazil experienced a record heatwave where temperatures reached up to 44°C, affecting over 170 million people. The event, linked to climate change, caused significant public health strain in Rio de Janeiro, water shortages in favelas, and school delays in Rio Grande do Sul.

Analysis of 232 U.S. cities shows that 91% have experienced a long-term decrease in freezing nights since 1970, with an average reduction of 15 nights. This trend is most pronounced in the West, Northeast, and Southwest, and is attributed to climate change driven by the burning of fossil fuels. While fewer freezing nights may reduce acute cold-exposure risks and home heating costs, the trend threatens snow-fed water supplies, winter recreation economies, and fruit crop yields that require winter chill, while potentially expanding the range of disease-carrying pests.

Climate change has significantly increased the number of days with temperatures above 32°C in West Africa's cocoa belt, particularly in Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana. This excessive heat, especially during the main crop cycle (October-March), can reduce cacao harvest quantity and quality by hindering photosynthesis and increasing water stress. In 2024, 71% of analyzed cacao-producing areas across Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Cameroon, and Nigeria experienced at least six additional weeks of such heat. Beyond temperature, production is threatened by erratic rainfall, the cacao swollen shoot virus (CSSV), smuggling, and illegal mining.

The document details the Trump administration's efforts to gut US climate policy, focusing on the rescission of the Justice 40 initiative and the freezing of related federal funds. It reports on the administrative leave of EPA employees, the suspension of Community Benefit Plans at the Department of Energy, and the removal of the Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool, while highlighting the intended goals of the original environmental justice programs.

Since the launch of the European Green Deal in 2019, the EU has seen a significant transformation of its power sector, with renewables increasing from 34% to 47% of the electricity mix by 2024. This shift was primarily driven by wind and solar, which together increased their share from 17% to 29%. This transition reduced the emissions intensity of EU electricity generation by 26% and avoided €59 billion in fossil fuel import costs. While coal use has dropped from 16% to under 10% of the mix, and gas power has declined from 20% to 16%, the EU still faces challenges with Russian gas imports, which accounted for 14% of total gas consumption in 2024.

In 2024, the EU's electricity transition continued with solar power overtaking coal for the first time and gas generation declining for the fifth consecutive year. Renewables reached a 47% share of the power sector in 2024, up from 34% in 2019, while fossil fuels dropped to a historic low of 29%. This shift reduced power sector emissions to less than half of their 2007 peak and avoided €59 billion in fossil fuel imports since the start of the European Green Deal. Despite this momentum, the report argues that wind power deployment and grid infrastructure must accelerate to meet 2030 targets.

The paper examines water management in Nogales, Sonora, where interbasin transfers are used to combat scarcity driven by population growth and climate change. It highlights a system where wastewater is exported north to the US and south to the Alisos basin, the city's primary drinking-water source, leading to indirect potable reuse via aquifer recharge. The study concludes that these strategies increase water scarcity in Nogales and cause negative health, livelihood, and environmental effects in the source basin.

The study examines water extremes in the Sauce Grande lagoon watershed from 1971 to 2010, finding that while 49% of cases were mild or incipient droughts, extreme events caused a 19% decrease in grain yields. Severe and extreme droughts occurred most frequently during summer months, with the 2008-2009 period significantly impacting regional agricultural and livestock production.

The research examines protected area (PA) strategies in the Brazilian Amazon, finding that deforestation impacts vary significantly by region and time period. While impacts are consistently higher within the 'arc of deforestation', there is no consistent ranking of PA types by their overall impact. The study notes that PA siting differs by region—with those in the arc of deforestation being relatively far from non-forest areas—and that internal deforestation patterns across PA types became more similar after 2000.

The SOO Green HVDC Link is a 350-mile, 2,100-MW underground transmission line connecting wind energy from MISO jurisdiction states to the PJM market. By co-locating the line within existing railroad rights of way and utilizing undergrounding, the project has significantly reduced community opposition and simplified siting. The developer has implemented a variety of benefits, including 'good neighbor payments' to adjacent landowners, municipal franchise agreements that fund local infrastructure like broadband expansion, and apprenticeship programs for underserved youth. While the project faces skepticism regarding the higher upfront costs of undergrounding compared to overhead lines, the developer argues that lifecycle costs are competitive, particularly when accounting for extreme weather resilience and reduced siting delays.

The document describes the intersection of a pediatric mental health emergency and the intensifying impacts of climate change. It details how displacement, extreme heat, air pollution, and the loss of natural spaces contribute to anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress in youth. It highlights the prevalence of 'eco-anxiety' and the role of adverse childhood experiences in worsening health outcomes. The text provides guidance for caregivers to support children through communication, stability, and collective action, while advocating for rapid carbon pollution cuts to protect future generations.

The Transparent 2024 report by WWF International reviews five years of progress among ReSource: Plastic members. Key findings show a collective reduction of 221,000 metric tons of virgin fossil-based plastic relative to baseline years and an increase in recycled content to 14.5% of the aggregate portfolio by 2023. However, the report notes that progress is incremental, with reusable packaging accounting for only 0.8% of the portfolio. Waste management modeling estimates that 16% of the members' plastic footprint is mismanaged globally, with China and India identified as the countries with the highest total tonnage of mismanaged waste. The report concludes that voluntary corporate action is insufficient and advocates for a legally binding global treaty on plastic pollution to mandate standards and drive systemic change.

The document details how climate change is manifesting in African mountains through rising temperatures and erratic precipitation, leading to decreased crop yields and livestock production. It highlights that while farmers are adapting by changing planting dates and adopting new crop varieties, they face significant barriers such as limited access to credit and land, and the destabilizing effects of violent conflict.

The report details how climate change is increasing the frequency and severity of extreme weather in Oregon, leading to significant economic losses and infrastructure needs. Key risks include intense heatwaves, devastating wildfires, disrupted water supplies for agriculture, and coastal flooding. The document provides specific cost estimates for adaptations, such as school air conditioning and coastal protection, while outlining the broader systemic risks to public health, fisheries, and the state's $5.7 billion agricultural industry.

Climate change in Illinois is manifesting as increased precipitation, rising temperatures, and intensified summer droughts, leading to significant infrastructure damage and public health risks. Since the 20th century, average annual precipitation has risen by 12-15%, while extreme events have increased by 40%, causing frequent flooding and sewage overflows in cities like Chicago. Rising temperatures are most pronounced in winter, with a predicted average increase of up to 9°F by 2100, which threatens agricultural yields—potentially reducing corn yields by 23-34% by mid-century—and necessitates an estimated $6.1 billion for school air conditioning by 2025. Additionally, intensified summer droughts threaten crop yields and river navigation, notably impacting barge transportation on the Mississippi River, while increasing the risk of wildfires and health issues from Canadian wildfire smoke.

The report details how Los Angeles County is affected by severe storms, rising sea levels, temperature extremes, and extreme drought. It highlights that flood risk threatens 27% of buildings in the city of Los Angeles and that the county spent 64% of the last 23 years in drought. The document provides extensive lists of potential costs, including infrastructure projects like seawalls, energy efficiency retrofits, and water treatment updates, while noting that disadvantaged populations are disproportionately exposed to flood risks.

Maryland is experiencing accelerating climate risks, including rising sea levels, more frequent extreme precipitation, intensified droughts, and increasing temperature extremes. These changes are causing significant land loss, infrastructure damage, and public health crises, necessitating costly adaptation measures such as seawalls, flood-proofing, and cooling systems.

The report details how climate change is increasing the frequency and severity of extreme weather in Michigan, leading to significant infrastructure damage, public health risks, and economic losses in tourism and agriculture.