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The Africa Energy Guarantee Facility (AEGF), a risk-sharing instrument launched by the European Investment Bank in 2018, aims to unlock $1.4 billion in clean energy investment across Africa by providing insurance against political and sovereign risks. While the facility leverages the EU's position as a major investor and supports the African Trade Insurance Agency (ATI), its effectiveness may be hindered by high transaction costs, partial risk coverage, and low investor awareness. The document argues that for the AEGF to succeed, African policymakers must establish enabling regulatory frameworks and promote reforms that facilitate foreign direct investment and technical exchanges in climate-resilient infrastructure.

The document argues that South Africa must update its Trade Policy Strategic Framework to address the 'new normal' post-COVID-19, focusing on regional integration, digital trade, and a redesigned multilateral trading system. It highlights the critical role of the Southern African Customs Union (SACU) and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) in diversifying markets and enhancing industrialisation, while urging a strategic shift in South Africa's approach to the World Trade Organization (WTO) and traditional partners like the US and EU.

Nova Scotia has achieved significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions between 2005 and 2018 while maintaining economic growth, driven by fuel switching in electricity, energy efficiency, and a growing clean tech sector. However, the province faces structural unemployment in rural and Indigenous communities, high energy costs for households, and difficulties in decarbonizing the transportation sector to meet its target of net-zero emissions by 2050.

Nova Scotia has significantly reduced greenhouse gas emissions while maintaining economic growth, primarily through electricity sector decarbonization and energy efficiency. However, the province faces challenges including high rural unemployment, a continued reliance on fossil fuels for heating and transport, and air quality issues in rural areas.

The paper examines the UK's handling of the Covid-19 pandemic, highlighting a lack of decisive government action, contradictory messaging, and failures in PPE procurement. It notes that while the public was largely compliant, trust was undermined by perceived double standards and the impact of long-term austerity on the NHS. The author argues that the pandemic exacerbated existing social inequalities, particularly for BAME groups, and converged with the political tensions of Brexit and the Black Lives Matter movement.

The statement criticizes current financial institution commitments to the Paris Agreement as lacking concrete action and proposes two primary principles for alignment: adopting a commitment by COP26 that all supported projects and companies align with 1.5°C, and implementing processes to measure, disclose, and phase out financed emissions based on science-based targets.

The report analyzes green finance in India for FY 2017-2018, finding that average annual flows of USD 19 billion are insufficient to meet national climate goals, representing only about 10% of the total requirement. Domestic private investors are the largest contributors, primarily funding renewable energy, while international public finance focuses heavily on sustainable transportation and solar projects. The study highlights a critical need for a harmonized green finance taxonomy and an integrated measurement, reporting, and verification (MRV) system to address significant data gaps and transparency issues.

The report analyzes how the COVID-19 pandemic affects global emission pathways toward Paris Agreement goals, estimating a 2020 CO2 reduction of 4% to 8% depending on lockdown duration. It projects a potential 2030 emission reduction of 2.5 to 4.5 GtCO2e relative to pre-pandemic projections, though this could be offset by a rebound to fossil fuels. Additionally, it introduces a classification framework for recovery measures, finding that 31% of Germany's June 2020 stimulus package consists of 'green' measures.

The document exposes how the plastic industry uses a 'playbook' of confusion, delay, and prevention to thwart progressive laws. It argues that voluntary commitments by major corporations are largely 'lip service' and that the industry actively lobbies against mandatory collection and reuse systems while promoting 'false solutions' like chemical recycling.

The report argues that major plastic polluters use voluntary initiatives as a 'smoke screen' to delay, distract, and derail progressive legislation. It analyzes the commitments of the ten largest plastic polluters and over 50 joint initiatives, finding them lacking in ambition, transparency, and accountability. The document details industry tactics such as shifting blame to consumers and promoting chemical recycling, while calling for mandatory legislation, including 90% collection targets and deposit return systems.

The report argues that the plastic industry employs a 'corporate playbook' of delay, distraction, and derailment to protect profits and avoid mandatory regulation. It finds that voluntary commitments from major polluters are often 'paper promises' lacking transparency and accountability, while group initiatives serve as a 'smokescreen' for continued plastic production. The document calls for robust, mandatory legislation, including deposit return systems and virgin-plastic taxes, to address the crisis.

The Canadian Climate Institute presents a framework of 11 indicators divided into goals (low-carbon growth, economic resilience), catalysts (technology development, adoption, trade, and infrastructure), and fundamentals (low-carbon jobs, affordable energy, inclusive resilience, clean air, and flourishing ecosystems). The report finds that while Canada has decoupled GDP from emissions nationally, progress is uneven across provinces. It highlights significant data gaps, particularly regarding climate costs, social vulnerability, and ecosystem health, and recommends cross-governmental collaboration and improved data correlation to support a just transition.

The report finds that tracked green finance in India averaged INR 124 thousand crores (USD 19 billion) per year for FY 2017-2018, representing only about 10% of the estimated annual requirement for climate action. Domestic private finance was the largest contributor, with the vast majority of funds flowing into renewable energy, specifically solar and wind power. While public finance increased due to government initiatives and the role of Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs), the report highlights significant data gaps and the need for a standardized green finance taxonomy and a national measurement, reporting, and verification (MRV) system to scale investments.

The report finds that 11 of 18 EU coal-using countries lack Paris-compatible phase-out plans, with seven not planning to exit coal by 2030 and four replacing coal with increased fossil gas. It argues that the Just Transition Fund's current allocation methodology risks funding 'climate laggards,' as nearly two-thirds of the fund would go to countries without 2030 phase-out plans. The authors recommend making fund access conditional on ambitious coal phase-out dates and strictly excluding all fossil fuels, including gas, from the fund's scope.

The report contends that mainstream development models, which predict growth through a shift from agriculture to industrial manufacturing, have failed in Africa. It identifies five dynamic trends—climate change, rapid urbanisation, infrastructure deficits, epidemics/pandemics, and lawlessness—that interact to increase instability. These trends are exacerbated by three structural realities: pervasive informality, weak land management, and the proliferation of organised crime, often led by state actors. The authors argue that because the state is frequently compromised by criminal networks, development strategies should move away from state-centric models and instead focus on enhancing the resilience and resource control of local neighbourhoods and communities.

The document analyzes energy transition policies in 34 African countries, categorizing them as direct, integrative, or enabling. It identifies a trend toward market-oriented regimes using auction instruments and de-risking tools, while highlighting that only a few countries—including South Africa, Rwanda, Kenya, Mauritius, Ethiopia, and Egypt—effectively integrate energy justice (distributive, recognitional, and procedural) into their frameworks. The authors warn against over-reliance on market forces and recommend that AU-EU cooperation prioritize energy justice criteria, capacity building, and regional partnerships to ensure a just transition.

The document argues that the USDA's scientific integrity and research capacity were damaged between 2017 and 2020 through political suppression of research and the relocation of key agencies. It proposes a roadmap for recovery, including returning leadership to Washington, DC, implementing a suppressed climate resilience plan, and strengthening protections for scientists' communication with the public.

The report analyzes Canadian infrastructure investment flows and stocks from 2009 to 2019, noting significant growth in hydroelectric power and pollution abatement but a sharp decline in wind and solar investments. It highlights a total infrastructure value of 250 billion dollars in 2019, dominated by electricity assets. The author argues that current data is incomplete, lacking coverage of energy efficiency, natural infrastructure, and building renovations, and proposes a new classification system to better align investments with long-term climate goals and avoid 'path dependency' where current projects fail to meet future resilience needs.

The report analyzes the gap between Canada's GDP and GHG emissions, noting that while national decoupling has occurred, significant regional disparities exist. It highlights that Canada's economy remains more carbon-intensive than other developed nations and suggests three primary pathways for achieving low-carbon growth: reducing emissions intensity, reallocating resources, and accelerating the growth of low-carbon firms.

The report analyzes a pilot energy efficiency (EE) auction in Boa Vista, Roraima, identifying risks related to auction design, measurement and verification (M&V) methodologies, and the misalignment of incentives for electricity distributors. It suggests that the unique energy situation in Roraima—which is not part of the National Interconnected System and relies on expensive diesel plants—makes it a suitable pilot site but may limit the external validity of the results for other Brazilian states. Key recommendations include moving to open second-price auctions to avoid the 'winner's curse' and considering synthetic control methodology for M&V to maximize EE potential.