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This briefing provides an update on the Initiative for Conducting a National Climate Assessment in Support of Adaptation and Mitigation (LACI), an effort led by the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) to strengthen climate risk assessments and decision-making in Latin America and the Caribbean.

The EU Deforestation-free Products Regulation imposes significant new obligations on EU Member States to ensure products consumed in the EU do not contribute to global deforestation. Member States must designate competent authorities within six months that possess adequate powers, functional independence, and resources. Within 18 months, they must establish national penalty rules that are effective, proportionate, and dissuasive, including fines of at least 4% of annual Union-wide turnover. The Regulation also requires the creation of annual risk-based compliance check plans and enhanced coordination between competent and customs authorities.

The steel sector accounts for 11% of global CO2 emissions, primarily due to the blast furnace-basic oxygen furnace (BF-BOF) route which relies on metallurgical coal. While secondary steelmaking via electric arc furnaces (EAF) and green hydrogen-based Direct Reduction of Iron (DRI) offer cleaner alternatives, coal-based capacity continues to grow, with 80 million tons of annual capacity planned for relining. The document highlights that ArcelorMittal has weakened its 2030 emissions intensity reduction target from 25% to 10% and prioritizes shareholder returns over decarbonization. It calls on financial institutions to adopt corporate-level exclusion policies for metallurgical coal and stop financing the relining of blast furnaces.

The document examines the unprecedented global outbreak of H5N1 avian influenza, highlighting the virus's increasing ability to infect mammals and the risk of potential human-to-human transmission. It details the devastating ecological impact on bird populations and the economic toll on poultry farms, particularly in the United States. The authors argue that current biosecurity efforts are lagging and call for urgent improvements in vaccine development, the implementation of safer industrial farming practices—specifically regarding mink and pig farms—and the expansion of wild bird surveillance to prevent a future pandemic.

The briefing examines the interdependencies between water systems and the transition to fossil-free energy, highlighting the environmental and social costs of hydropower and offshore renewables. Using Sweden as a primary example, it discusses how energy expansion can lead to habitat degradation and the marginalization of Indigenous communities. It calls for the Water Action Agenda to adopt integrated water resource management and accelerate SDG 6 targets to ensure a sustainable and equitable energy transition.

The October 2023 Polish parliamentary elections represent a critical juncture for the country's democratic governance and its relationship with the European Union. The contest pits the ruling nationalist coalition, led by the Law and Justice (PiS) party, against a fragmented but numerically stronger 'democratic opposition' including the Civic Coalition, Poland 2050, the Left, and the Polish People's Party. While PiS and its partner United Poland oppose EU decarbonisation and the Green Deal, the opposition generally supports the green transition and Eurozone accession. A victory for the opposition would necessitate extensive reforms to restore the rule of law and depoliticise state institutions, while a PiS victory would likely continue the undermining of European constitutional values.

The document asserts that the current cost of living crisis is driven by fossil fuel price volatility, particularly natural gas, rather than the costs of net-zero policies. It identifies that poorer households are disproportionately affected by energy poverty and argues that short-term government subsidies are insufficient. The briefing proposes that expanding renewable energy capacity, implementing building energy efficiency retrofits, installing heat pumps, and electrifying transport can lower energy bills, reduce market volatility, and enhance energy security.

The briefing outlines the necessity of a "managed phaseout" for coal plants, where stakeholders coordinate to retire plants early and replace them with clean energy. It identifies five specific financing mechanisms—managed transition vehicles, coal retirement credits, ratepayer-backed securitizations, power hedges, and concessional financing—that can provide the necessary capital to compensate workers and communities while funding renewable energy projects.

This briefing by Carbon Market Watch highlights a critical transparency gap in the voluntary carbon market (VCM), where intermediaries—including brokers, exchanges, and resellers—often hide their fees and mark-ups. The report argues that aggregate market value figures are misleading because they do not distinguish between funds reaching project owners and profits captured by financial go-betweens. Based on research by AlliedOffsets, the document reveals that 90% of intermediaries do not disclose exact fees, and some brokers may resell credits for at least three times the purchase price. It concludes with recommendations for buyers, industry standards, and registry managers to mandate the disclosure of pricing and account holdings to ensure climate finance effectively supports mitigation action.

The briefing highlights the significant energy consumption and emissions of Bitcoin, noting its annual consumption of 127 TWh and US emissions of 25 to 50 million tons of CO2. It discusses the transition of Ethereum to proof-of-stake as a successful model for reducing energy use by over 99.9 percent and advocates for Bitcoin to move away from proof-of-work to mitigate both emissions and e-waste. RMI details its contributions through the Crypto Climate Accord and the development of the RE Emissions Score to ensure renewable energy procurement is 'additional' rather than drawing from existing capacity. The document concludes that while RMI is ending its direct engagement with the crypto industry, it will focus on the broader goal of decarbonizing the global energy grid.

The briefing highlights a severe energy affordability crisis in the US, where high fossil fuel prices and rising electricity rates are increasing household bills, with estimated winter increases of 10 percent for electricity and 28 percent for natural gas. It details how this burden disproportionately affects low-income, Black, and Latinx households, often forcing them to choose between energy payments and basic necessities. The document proposes a suite of regulatory solutions, including shutoff moratoriums, arrearage management programs, expanded outreach for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), and the implementation of fuel cost-sharing structures to protect ratepayers from volatile fossil fuel prices. Long-term recommendations include adopting totex ratemaking, performance-based regulation, and leveraging Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) funds to transition toward a clean energy system.

The briefing highlights the socio-economic risks and opportunities for Africa amidst global decarbonisation, noting that while fossil fuel exports (40% of total) are threatened, the continent's mineral wealth can drive a just transition. It advocates for an 'African Green deal' to shift Africa from being a mere source of raw materials to an industrialised hub, mitigating climate-induced economic losses which reached US$38 billion in 2020.

The briefing proposes a phased framework for building decarbonization—moving from efficiency to electrification, renewable energy, and finally the removal of embodied carbon—to reach absolute zero. It argues that because the necessary technologies already exist, the primary barrier is cost and adoption speed. By performing segmentation analysis on real estate subsegments, such as large commercial office buildings, financial actors can provide targeted interventions that drive demand, push technologies up their learning curves, and lower prices for the broader market.

This report outlines the objectives of a community of practice on African climate finance, convened by the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung (KAS), the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA), and the African Development Bank (AfDB), to identify adaptation finance priorities for the COP27 conference in Egypt.

The document argues that the Paris financial center continues to support oil and gas expansion despite commitments to the 1.5°C goal. It systematically dismantles ten 'received ideas' used by banks, insurers, and asset managers to justify this support, citing IEA and IPCC data to show that no new fossil fuel projects are compatible with net-zero pathways. The briefing highlights that 'transition' claims by oil majors are often unsupported by investment data and that engagement without the threat of exclusion is ineffective.

The briefing challenges the narrative of natural gas as a climate solution, asserting that a global gas-based electricity system would be as harmful as one based on coal due to value chain emissions and methane's potency. It distinguishes between 'baseload' and 'peak' power, arguing that baseload plants are becoming obsolete as renewable penetration increases. While open-cycle gas turbines (OCGT) can provide necessary short-term flexibility to handle demand peaks, combined-cycle gas turbines (CCGT) lack the required agility and commercial viability in renewable-heavy grids. For long-term seasonal flexibility, the document cites IEA scenarios suggesting existing thermal plants and pumped-storage hydropower are sufficient, rendering new gas plants unnecessary. Reclaim Finance calls for financial actors to immediately cease all financial services supporting gas expansion, including new fields and LNG export terminals.

The document serves as an introduction to a briefing on 'loss and damage'—defined as climate impacts that cannot be adapted to—ahead of the COP27 negotiations in Egypt. It outlines the focus of a panel discussion involving experts from Climate Analytics, IIED, C2ES, and E3G, who addressed the international community's tools for managing loss and damage, the status of negotiations, and the specific relevance of these issues to U.S. policymakers. The briefing highlights that such impacts are global, citing examples of land loss in Louisiana and North Carolina.

WRI identifies six critical objectives for COP27: establishing a loss and damage financing mechanism, scaling adaptation support, strengthening national emissions targets (NDCs), ensuring the $100 billion climate finance goal is met, advancing the Global Stocktake, and converting previous Glasgow commitments into tangible actions.

The UN Human Rights Committee ruled that Australia violated the rights to family, home, and culture of Torres Strait Islanders due to inadequate climate adaptation. The decision establishes a precedent for state responsibility for climate-related 'loss and damage' and mandates that Australia provide compensation and secure the communities' continued existence on their islands.

The briefing maps the diverging positions of three EU institutions on the reform of the EU ETS, focusing on emissions reduction targets, the phase-out of free allowances via the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), and the funding of the Innovation and Modernisation Funds. While the European Parliament proposes a higher emissions reduction target of roughly 64% by 2030, the Environment Council maintains a more conservative approach to free allowances and fund sizes. Carbon Market Watch recommends a minimum 64% reduction target, a CBAM implementation by 2026, and the exclusion of fossil fuels and nuclear energy from the Modernisation Fund.