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The Centre for Environmental Rights (CER) submitted a comment on 20 May 2021 objecting to a proposed amendment by the Minister of Environmental Affairs to extend the transitional period for mining right holders to comply with the 2015 Financial Provision Regulations.

The Centre for Environmental Rights (CER) submitted a formal objection on 20 May 2021 to the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment regarding proposed amendments to the Financial Provision Regulations, 2015. The CER opposes the extension of the transitional period for certain right or permit holders to comply with these regulations, arguing that such delays increase the risk of environmental degradation and mine abandonment.

This policy brief by the South African Institute of International Affairs examines the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on green finance and development, contrasting the robust recovery packages in the global North with the funding gaps and systemic challenges in the global South. It highlights the risk that urgent health-sector spending may undermine environmental sustainability and advocates for institutional reforms, increased South-South cooperation, and coordinated global efforts to bridge the climate finance gap.

This policy brief examines the international governance of biosafety, focusing on the 2000 Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety. It details the history of modern biotechnology, the tensions between exporting and importing nations regarding genetically modified organisms (GMOs), and the mechanisms used to manage the transboundary movement of living modified organisms (LMOs) to protect biodiversity and human health.

A briefing by the World Resources Institute (WRI) analyzing the World Bank Group's draft Climate Change Action Plan through 2025, arguing that the plan is insufficient and proposing five specific areas for improvement to better align with the Paris Agreement and net-zero goals.

This research paper by the NewClimate Institute examines the design and data requirements for an effective Global Stocktake (GST) process under the Paris Agreement, identifying four primary functions the process should fulfill and proposing specific mechanisms to maximize its effectiveness.

This policy brief by the South African Institute of International Affairs examines the impact of COVID-19 on agricultural value chains within the Southern African Development Community (SADC). It argues that while the agricultural sector was less severely affected than others, the pandemic exacerbated existing structural weaknesses, such as food insecurity and a heavy reliance on subsistence farming. The document proposes a 'dual approach' to development that supports both small-scale and large-scale commercial farming, alongside the adoption of digital technologies, climate-smart infrastructure, and the full implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) to drive regional integration and growth.

The Climate Action Tracker (CAT) reports that global warming estimates for 2100 have reached a record low of 2.4°C, driven by announcements from President Biden’s Leaders Summit on Climate and other pledges since September 2020. Despite this 0.2°C improvement, current projections remain above the Paris Agreement's 1.5°C limit, and a significant gap persists between targets and the policies required to achieve them.

This policy brief by the Climate Policy Initiative analyzes the specific characteristics of rural credit in the Brazilian Amazon biome, highlighting a heavy reliance on cattle production, limited access to credit compared to other Brazilian regions, and a lack of competition among financial institutions. The analysis suggests that these financial structures contribute to extensive land use and deforestation, advocating for a credit system better aligned with the Forest Code and sustainability indicators.

This policy brief examines how regional trade agreements (RTAs) can be used to support the transition to a circular economy, suggesting methods for integrating circularity provisions into existing trade policy frameworks.

This report examines methods for setting national mitigation targets under the Paris Agreement to align with long-term temperature limits, specifically comparing cost-effectiveness and equity-based approaches. It discusses the role of international support in bridging the gap between these approaches, the spill-over effects of domestic climate policies, and the potential for the European Union to accelerate global climate efforts through its own neutrality goals and leadership.

This policy brief examines the role of Hermetic Storage Technologies (HSTs) in mitigating climate-driven post-harvest losses in Kenya and Uganda. It argues that climate change increases pest and disease pressure, leading to significant grain losses and food safety risks like aflatoxin contamination. The document recommends the adoption of quality standards, increased farmer education on correct usage, and the removal of VAT to make HSTs more affordable for smallholder farmers.

This report by the Climate Policy Initiative analyzes the industrial policy of the Zona Franca de Manaus (ZFM), arguing that while it is named a 'free zone,' it functions conceptually as an 'enterprise zone' focused on regional development rather than international trade. The authors suggest that the current incentive structure fails to drive productivity or wage growth and recommend redefining the ZFM's identity to align its fiscal incentives with either international competitiveness or sustainable regional development.

This report by the Climate Policy Initiative (CPI/PUC-Rio) analyzes rural credit in the Brazilian Amazon, identifying six specific patterns that distinguish it from the rest of Brazil. The analysis highlights limited credit access, a heavy reliance on public banks, and a predominance of livestock financing, which the authors link to extensive land use and deforestation.

This briefing by the Climate Policy Initiative (CPI/PUC-Rio) analyzes how Brazil's New Bidding Law (Lei nº 14.133/2021) can be used to better prevent socio-environmental impacts in infrastructure projects. The authors argue that the law's detailed requirements for preliminary technical studies provide an opportunity to introduce a 'pre-feasibility analysis' phase, which would identify risks earlier in the project lifecycle and improve the quality of subsequent environmental studies and licensing processes.

This executive summary, published by the Stockholm Environment Institute in May 2021, analyzes the potential for hydrogen resource usage in Estonia between 2020 and 2050. It evaluates the hydrogen value chain—production, storage, distribution, and consumption—across the transport, industrial, building, and power sectors. The report identifies the transport and chemical industries as the primary areas for decarbonization and outlines the necessary investments, infrastructure, and policy measures required to transition to a hydrogen economy.

This statement by the Climate Policy Initiative (CPI/PUC-Rio) analyzes a new substitute text for Bill (PL) no 2633/2020, which proposes changes to land regularization rules for federal lands in Brazil. The analysis identifies some procedural improvements regarding inter-agency consultation and the requirement for active Rural Environmental Registry (CAR) status, but criticizes the lack of environmental safeguards and the creation of unjustified benefits for small properties, which the authors argue may reward environmental crimes.

This briefing by RMI outlines the requirements for the United States to meet its commitment to reduce carbon pollution by at least 50-52 percent below 2005 levels by 2030. It argues that immediate action is necessary to limit cumulative emissions and stay within a remaining "carbon budget" to restrict warming to 1.5°C. The document identifies renewables, electrification, and efficiency as the primary cost-effective levers for this transition, while highlighting co-benefits such as job creation, improved public health, and the redress of historical land-use inequities.

A statement from WRI Brasil analyzing President Jair Bolsonaro's climate commitments made during the Leaders Summit on Climate, noting a contradiction between the announced goals and the administration's actual environmental actions.

This document is the oral testimony of Peter Erickson, a senior scientist at the Stockholm Environment Institute, delivered on April 22, 2021, to the House Oversight and Government Reform Subcommittee on the Environment. Erickson argues that fossil fuel subsidies are inefficient, undermine climate action, and harm public health.