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The document examines how autonomous vehicles (AVs) could either reduce or increase greenhouse gas emissions depending on whether they are deployed as shared, electric mass transit or as private, single-occupancy vehicles. While AVs offer potential efficiency gains through 'platooning' and reduced vehicle weight, they risk increasing vehicle miles traveled (VMT) and urban sprawl. The brief highlights the necessity of integrating AVs into multimodal urban systems and reviews current testing and regulatory efforts in the U.S., Europe, and Asia.

The Vanuatu GCF Country Program outlines a strategic approach to climate transformation, identifying key vulnerabilities, policy gaps, and a prioritised portfolio of project ideas. It emphasizes a shift from top-down interventions to demand-driven, community-led solutions involving the private sector and civil society. The program categorizes project ideas into Pipeline A (high priority for 2019-2020) and Pipeline B, covering sectors such as water security, climate-resilient agriculture, renewable energy, and coastal protection, with a total estimated grant requirement of over 710 million USD.

The document examines the OECD's global digital tax reforms, noting that while labeled as 'digital,' the scope extends to the mining sector. It analyzes Pillar One's allocation of taxing rights and Pillar Two's global minimum tax, highlighting risks for developing countries such as the potential for revenues to flow to headquarters jurisdictions and the misalignment of effective tax rate calculations with mining-specific depreciation rules.

The report argues that while Canada has made positive climate commitments, there is a significant investment gap between current budget allocations and the funding required to reach net-zero emissions by 2050. By comparing federal spending with recommendations from expert coalitions, the document identifies critical funding shortages across seven sectors: transport, building retrofits, clean energy, nature and adaptation, agriculture, industry and innovation, and workforce development. It highlights that Canada's per capita climate spending during the pandemic is more than eight times lower than the promises made by the US under Joe Biden. The report calls for the 2021 Budget to prioritize deficit spending on green infrastructure, eliminate fossil fuel subsidies, and implement a just transition for workers, particularly in the coal, oil, and gas sectors.

The document examines how the OECD's global digital tax reforms, specifically Pillar One and Pillar Two, affect the extractive industries. While Pillar One's 'Amount A' excludes non-renewable resources, 'Amount B' lacks specific rules for mining, and Pillar Two's minimum tax presents risks regarding depreciation rules and revenue distribution for developing nations.

The document examines the existential threats faced by small island developing states (SIDS), highlighting their extreme vulnerability to sea-level rise and economic shocks despite contributing less than 1% of global carbon emissions. It advocates for a transition from seeing themselves as 'small islands' to 'large ocean states' by leveraging their exclusive economic zones (EEZs) through the 'blue economy.' The brief emphasizes the need for innovative financing, such as blue bonds and debt-for-climate swaps, and the urgent transition to domestic renewable energy to reduce dependence on fossil fuel imports.

The report analyzes three types of food system shocks—the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2015–2016 Southern African drought, and the US-China trade war—to argue that existing WTO rules are insufficient to prevent harmful trade measures during crises. It highlights how climate change will increase the frequency of extreme weather events, further destabilizing food markets. The authors propose 13 recommendations centered on four objectives: ensuring food access for the poor, safeguarding farmer livelihoods, improving market functions through sustainable resource allocation, and restoring multilateral trust. Key proposals include banning export restrictions on humanitarian aid, cutting high tariff peaks, and establishing a special safeguard mechanism for low-income countries.

The report argues that the Central African Republic remains trapped in a cycle of violence despite numerous peace agreements, most recently the 2019 Political Agreement for Peace and Reconciliation. It finds that the 2019 agreement is untenable because key provisions, such as the creation of mixed special security units (MSSUs) and an inclusive government, have failed to deter armed groups from continuing violence and controlling territory. The author highlights a 'war economy' where armed groups and some government officials benefit from instability and the illicit exploitation of resources. Furthermore, the report suggests that heavy reliance on international humanitarian aid has inadvertently reduced state responsibility and created local resentment. It recommends a comprehensive plan involving the African Union, ECCAS, and the UN that focuses on rebuilding the economic fabric, securing borders through regional cooperation with Chad, Sudan, and South Sudan, and establishing time-bound objectives for self-reliance.

The Green Central Banking Scorecard evaluates G20 monetary and prudential authorities across four categories: Research and Advocacy, Monetary Policy, Financial Policy, and Leading by Example. The findings reveal a significant gap between rhetoric and action, with most institutions scoring high in research but failing to implement high-impact policies that restrict financial flows to fossil fuels. China, Brazil, and France are the top-ranked countries, though no G20 institution has implemented a 'high impact' policy as defined by the report's criteria.

The document assesses the transition to low-carbon transport in the SADC region, focusing on the synergy between e-mobility and the power sector. Using the South Africa TIMES (SATIM) model, it compares four scenarios: Fossil-Car, Fossil-Efficiency, Electric-Car, and Eco-Mobility. The analysis finds that while modal shifts (road-to-rail and transit-oriented development) significantly reduce energy demand, the adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) is the primary lever for rapid GHG emission reductions. The paper highlights that a transition to EVs would eliminate the need for new crude-oil refinery capacity in South Africa but would increase electricity demand by approximately 20% by 2050. It also explores the role of hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles (FCEVs) for heavy corridor freight and the potential for a regional value chain leveraging the mineral resources of the DRC and Zambia.

The document analyzes the evolving economic relationship between Africa and China, highlighting a trade imbalance where Africa primarily exports raw commodities and imports manufactured goods. It suggests that the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and Special Economic Zones (SEZs) can attract Chinese foreign direct investment to boost local manufacturing. While China is a primary source of infrastructure funding via the Belt and Road Initiative, the report notes concerns over debt sustainability, though it argues these are often tainted by geopolitics. Finally, it discusses the opportunities and risks of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR), urging African nations to harmonize regulations and improve digital infrastructure to avoid a widening digital divide.

Ghana is pursuing a nuclear power programme to address chronic electricity shortages and support industrialisation, aiming for a plant by 2030. While the country has made significant progress in establishing a regulatory framework and converting its research reactor from highly enriched uranium to low enriched uranium, it still faces challenges in funding, stakeholder involvement, and the completion of a national strategy. The report also highlights Ghana's extensive use of nuclear technology in medicine, agriculture, and research.

The document identifies systemic barriers to nature-positive infrastructure, including a lack of decision-relevant biodiversity data, limited technical capacity among engineers, and financial models that prioritize short-term returns over long-term ecosystem benefits. It argues for a paradigm shift toward nature-based solutions (NbS) and ecological connectivity, recommending the adoption of standardized metrics like the European Taxonomy and the Task Force for Nature-Related Disclosure (TNFD). The report emphasizes that 'upstream' policy and spatial planning are the most effective levers for change, urging governments to redirect COVID-19 recovery stimulus packages away from fossil-fuel reliant sectors toward sustainable, decarbonized infrastructure.

A coalition of climate and accountability organisations argues that Shell's 2021 strategy update is insufficient to limit global warming to 1.5°C. They claim the company relies on intensity-based targets rather than absolute reductions, continues heavy investment in upstream oil and gas, and depends on unrealistic carbon capture and offset projections. The authors call on investors to support a resolution requiring Shell to set quantitative, Paris-aligned targets for Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions.

Ghana is pursuing a nuclear power programme to support its goal of becoming a highly industrialised economy within four decades and to ensure a sustainable electricity supply as natural gas and oil reserves are predicted to be depleted by 2045. Despite a history of nuclear research and the operation of the Ghana Research Reactor-1 (GHARR-1) since 1994, the country has faced setbacks due to political instability and military coups. Current efforts are guided by the IAEA's Milestones Approach and Integrated Nuclear Infrastructure Review (INIR) missions, with the government aiming to incorporate nuclear energy by 2029.

Reclaim Finance critiques Santander's new environmental policy, noting that while the bank aims for zero exposure to thermal coal mining by 2030 and restricts non-conventional oil and gas financing, it fails to implement immediate exclusion criteria for high-exposure clients or a comprehensive exit plan for conventional fossil fuels.

Reclaim Finance evaluates Santander's February 2021 policy updates, noting a commitment to 0% thermal coal mining exposure by 2030 and new exclusions for unconventional oil and gas. However, the organization argues these measures are 'too little too late,' citing a high 10% revenue threshold for coal power exclusions and a lack of immediate exclusion criteria for existing coal developers, which allowed the bank to channel $5.7bn to 25 coal companies between 2018 and 2020.

The Institute for Economic Justice (IEJ) reports that only about one-third of South Africa's R500-billion Covid-19 rescue package has materialised, citing a systematic failure in implementation and the impact of austerity measures. The statement asserts that economic recovery is impossible without first providing comprehensive rescue and relief, particularly as unemployment has reached 43% (expanded definition). The IEJ recommends increasing income support, fully allocating the R100-billion job protection fund, expanding public employment programmes, and increasing taxes on wealthy individuals to fund these measures. It also highlights corruption, noting that the Special Investigating Unit was investigating R10.3-billion in spending on Covid-19 goods and services as of February 2021.

The document argues that fossil fuel extraction on U.S. public lands and waters is incompatible with climate goals, noting that nearly 25% of U.S. climate emissions originate from these areas. It highlights President Biden's early actions, including a pause on new oil and gas leasing and the protection of the Arctic Ocean and Atlantic canyons from drilling. The author calls for further measures, such as reinstating a coal leasing moratorium, strengthening methane regulations, and shutting down the Dakota Access Pipeline.

The report analyzes China's green finance landscape, noting that while significant progress was made during the 13th Five-Year Plan through top-down policy and the growth of green loans and bonds, current funding levels are insufficient. It estimates that annual investment must increase fourfold to approximately $1.4 trillion to meet 2015 climate goals. The analysis highlights a heavy reliance on public sector funding, with 51% of green finance coming from public sources, and identifies barriers for private sector participation, including high search costs and a lack of incentive structures. The report also examines the potential for 'greening' the Belt and Road Initiative, where half of energy-related investments currently go to fossil fuels, and suggests leveraging fintech and innovative risk-sharing mechanisms to expand the climate finance scale.