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The report 'État de la gouvernance environnementale mondiale 2021' analyzes the state of global environmental governance during the COVID-19 pandemic, highlighting a shift toward voluntary commitments, the challenges of virtual diplomacy, and the exacerbation of socio-economic inequalities that hinder environmental progress.

This briefing by the Public Affairs Research Institute (PARI) examines the failure of the South African government to fulfill its 1998 White Paper on Energy promise of affordable energy for all. It specifically highlights the systemic failure of the Free Basic Electricity (FBE) program, where billions of rands allocated for low-income households are not reaching the intended beneficiaries due to municipal mismanagement.

This briefing by the Public Affairs Research Institute (PARI) examines the failure of the South African government to fulfill its 1998 commitment to provide affordable electricity to low-income households, small businesses, and farmers. It highlights a systemic failure in the implementation of the Free Basic Electricity (FBE) policy, where billions of rands intended for poor households are not reaching the intended beneficiaries due to municipal mismanagement.

This policy brief, based on a report by the Stockholm Environment Institute, examines transboundary climate risks to global food security through the trade of six key agricultural commodities. It argues that traditional risk management strategies like diversification are becoming ineffective due to the systemic nature of climate change, necessitating a shift toward multilateral cooperation and a global systemic view of adaptation to prevent geopolitical tension and protect import-dependent, low-income countries.

This report by the Stockholm Environment Institute analyzes the implementation of Green Public Procurement (GPP) in Tallinn, Estonia. It evaluates the current state of procurement within city agencies, identifies systemic barriers—such as lack of time and expertise—and compares Tallinn's approach with other Nordic and Dutch cities. The document concludes with a four-stage strategic roadmap to increase the prevalence of environmental criteria in city contracts.

This policy brief by Transforma argues for a planned, inclusive phase-out of coal mining in Colombia using a 'just transition' framework. It highlights the vulnerability of the national and regional economies to declining global coal demand and recommends diversifying the economy toward low-carbon assets, addressing historical socio-environmental liabilities, and expanding social protections beyond simple employment metrics to include regional development and climate justice.

This RMI briefing outlines recent US federal legislative activity and executive appointments at the end of 2020 that signal an increase in climate action for 2021. It highlights the passage of an energy package within coronavirus relief legislation, the introduction of bipartisan and renewable energy bills, and the strategic appointment of climate-focused personnel to the incoming Biden administration's cabinet.

This policy brief examines the global plastic pollution crisis, arguing that current waste-management strategies are insufficient because they focus on the waste stage rather than the production stage. The author discusses the limitations of recycling, the role of the petrochemical industry, and the potential for a new global treaty to address the lifecycle of plastics.

This research paper by the Public Affairs Research Institute identifies two critical gaps in South Africa's just transition discourse: an over-emphasis on energy generation at the expense of energy distribution, and a reactive focus on future transition-induced inequalities rather than existing systemic drivers of poverty.

This policy brief explores green growth financing mechanisms to support Africa's economic recovery following the COVID-19 pandemic. It argues that the 'twin COVID–climate crisis' provides an opportunity to 'build back better' by integrating sustainable investment into stimulus packages, leveraging private capital through green bonds, and reforming fiscal and financial regulations to increase climate resilience.

This research paper by the NewClimate Institute examines the use of carbon market mechanisms to deliver results-based finance (RBF) within the framework of the Paris Agreement. It analyzes the strengths of using CO2e as a standardized metric, identifies systemic limitations—such as the bias toward cheap mitigation and risks borne by developers—and proposes strategies to shift from rewarding to enabling climate action. The paper concludes that RBF is most effective for a specific niche: technologies that are proven but not yet mature or widely adopted.

This policy brief examines the allocation of COVID-19 recovery funds to cities, noting a significant gap between global pledges and city-specific commitments, and provides recommendations to improve the accessibility and effectiveness of green urban recovery finance.

This analysis evaluates the outcomes of the virtual Climate Ambition Summit held in December 2020, which served as a substitute for the postponed Glasgow Climate Change Conference. While the summit resulted in 45 announcements of new or updated Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), the author argues that these commitments often lack the urgency required by climate science and are frequently conditional on financial support for developing nations.

This briefing by the World Resources Institute outlines four critical technical and political areas that UN negotiators must resolve by COP26 in November 2021. It reviews the outcomes of the 2020 Climate Dialogues and highlights significant gaps in the Paris Agreement rulebook, climate finance commitments, and mechanisms for loss and damage and adaptation.

An analysis by Ember reveals that the first German national auction to accelerate the hard coal phase-out awarded €317 million in compensation to 11 plants, many of which were already economically unviable. The report argues that the German government is using public funds to close plants that would likely shut down due to market forces, while potentially accelerating the closure of newer, more efficient units over older ones.

This briefing by the International Institute for Sustainable Development analyzes the UN Climate Change Dialogues 2020, which served as a virtual bridge to COP 26. It evaluates the effectiveness of the virtual format, the progress made on outstanding Paris Agreement issues, and the tension between stated national ambitions and scientific requirements for emissions reductions.

This report by the Climate Policy Initiative/Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro (CPI/PUC-Rio) analyzes the role of rural credit policy in Brazil as a tool for increasing agricultural productivity while reducing deforestation. It argues that improving the efficiency and sustainability alignment of rural credit can allow Brazil to expand food production without further area expansion, leveraging existing cleared lands.

The 2020 NDC Update report by the NewClimate Institute evaluates the preparedness of countries to increase climate ambition during the first NDC update cycle, drawing on a survey of 98 policy makers and experts from 83 countries. The report highlights the tension between the urgency of the Paris Agreement goals and the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, noting that while some countries may use green stimulus to accelerate transition, many others face economic constraints that threaten structural climate change.

This report by the NewClimate Institute examines methods for implementing sustainable development impact assessments within climate change mitigation mechanisms, specifically focusing on project-level indicators for monitoring, reporting, and verification (MRV) in voluntary and mandatory carbon markets.

This report by the NewClimate Institute examines methods to strengthen the role of sustainable development and safeguarding provisions within the design of mechanisms under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, drawing on experiences from the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), voluntary markets, and non-UNFCCC multilateral institutions.