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The report assesses the impact of COVID-19 on South Africa's economy, forecasting significant job losses and wage declines. Using a 10% contraction in final demand as a median scenario, it estimates 1.77 million jobs are at risk, with the most severe impacts falling on low-skilled, informal, and poverty-stricken workers. The analysis highlights that the service sector and agriculture are hardest hit due to their reliance on consumption spending. The authors argue that the government's R500 billion rescue package is insufficient and poorly implemented, recommending a net new expenditure of at least R500 billion, expanded social protection, and targeted support for the informal sector and primary industries.

The research evaluates national and international support policies for emissions-intensive trade-exposed (EITE) industries, specifically comparing Canada's approach with those of Australia, California, and the European Union. The evaluation is based on four specific metrics: administrative costs, economic efficiency, the incentive to reduce emissions, and equity both between and within sectors.

The document details the financial distress caused by COVID-19 in India's electricity sector, specifically the revenue losses of DISCOMs and the payment delays affecting power producers. It outlines a stimulus package of INR 90,000 crore for DISCOMs and lists specific loan terms from PFC-REC, including a 10-year loan period and requirements for digital payment and smart meter installation. The briefing also highlights best practices in billing and collection adopted by states like Odisha, Gujarat, Bihar, and Rajasthan to mitigate losses.

The document highlights that older adults are disproportionately affected by extreme heat due to physiological vulnerabilities and social isolation. It argues that while air conditioning is critical, it can be inaccessible due to poverty or power failures, and its use contributes to further warming. The report emphasizes that social connection is a primary defense against heat deaths and details successful community interventions in cities like Philadelphia and Phoenix, while warning that the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbates risks by increasing isolation.

The Institute for Economic Justice (IEJ) evaluates South Africa's R500 billion COVID-19 rescue package, concluding that the government's support measures have largely failed due to poor uptake, bureaucratic hurdles, and insufficient funding. The report highlights significant underspending, with an estimated R375 billion remaining unspent by June 2020. Key failures include the Temporary Employer/Employee Relief Scheme (TERS), which reached only 8% of employers, and the Social Relief of Distress Grant, where only 1.2 million of 6.2 million applicants had been paid by June 18, 2020. Business support, including tax deferrals and the Credit Guarantee Scheme, suffered from low uptake and stringent eligibility criteria. Health and municipal support were described as patchy or underspent, with critical gaps in ICU bed capacity and water infrastructure in informal settlements.

The report validates the California Air Resources Board's (CARB) analysis of the proposed Advanced Clean Trucks (ACT) rule, which aims for approximately 60 percent of new medium- and heavy-duty trucks sold in California to be zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs) by 2035. Using the California Energy Policy Simulator (EPS), the authors find that the rule would reduce nitrogen oxides (NOx) by nearly 60,000 tons and carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) by 17.6 MMT through 2040. Economically, the EPS estimates total savings of over $7 billion using CARB's battery cost forecasts, but this figure increases to more than $12 billion if a more aggressive battery cost reduction scenario (a two-year lag instead of five relative to the light-duty market) is applied. The report emphasizes that while upfront costs remain a hurdle, long-term fuel savings and Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) revenue create a significant economic opportunity.

The document evaluates the impact of protected areas—including conservation units and indigenous lands—on deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon. It finds that while these areas effectively shield the forests within their boundaries, they often shift deforestation activities to unprotected regions, resulting in a negligible impact on total deforestation rates. The authors recommend integrating territorial protection with broader, coordinated conservation policies to prevent this displacement.

The policy brief examines the intersection of migrant integration and development contributions, specifically focusing on the Norwegian experience. It argues that while diaspora members engage in development and remittance-sending largely independently of government policy, the quality of their integration—including their economic stability and legal security—significantly influences their capacity to contribute. The authors critique the current fragmentation of migration, integration, and development policies, noting that some security-focused narratives regarding remittances can stigmatize these contributions. The brief recommends recognizing diaspora initiatives as transnational civic engagement and reducing remittance costs to enhance development outcomes.

The document argues that environmental monitoring and enforcement focused on primary deforestation created a positive externality by deterring illegal activities more broadly, leading to increased natural regeneration in the Amazon. It highlights a critical gap in current monitoring systems (PRODES and DETER), which cannot detect secondary vegetation loss, and recommends that Brazil integrate tropical regeneration into its public policy agenda to enhance climate goals and ecosystem services.

A study by CPI/PUC-Rio found that environmental monitoring and law enforcement targeting illegal primary deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon from 2004 to 2014 created a positive 'spillover' effect, encouraging natural forest regrowth. The researchers argue that the perceived risk of punishment deterred illegal activities more broadly, leading offenders to abandon regions and allowing secondary vegetation to recover. However, current Brazilian monitoring systems, specifically PRODES and DETER, are designed to detect only primary vegetation loss, leaving secondary vegetation 'invisible' and vulnerable to deforestation. The brief recommends that Brazil adapt remote-sensing technology to monitor secondary vegetation and ensure law enforcement can penalize illegal secondary deforestation.

China is the world's largest primary energy consumer and energy-related CO2 emitter. While the country is on track to meet most 2020 targets from its 13th Five-Year Plan, energy-related CO2 emissions continued to grow through 2018, surpassing 10 GtCO2. The report's 'Continuous Improvement Scenario' projects that primary energy consumption will peak in 2029 at 5,400 Mtce and CO2 emissions will peak in 2025 at 10,930 MtCO2, subsequently declining to 5,010 MtCO2 by 2050. This outlook assumes the maximum adoption of commercially available energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies, leading to a power system where non-fossil sources generate 89% of electricity by 2050.

The analysis finds that rural credit for small farmers increases productivity and reduces deforestation pressures, whereas credit for large producers is associated with increased land expansion and deforestation. The document recommends prioritizing credit distribution to small producers to align subsidies with forest conservation goals.

The analysis finds that rural credit for small farmers (specifically through PRONAF) increases crop and cattle productivity and reduces deforestation by converting pasture to cropland. Conversely, credit for large farmers and firms is associated with the expansion of both cropland and pasture, leading to higher deforestation. The document recommends that Brazilian policymakers prioritize small farmers in credit distribution to align subsidies with forest conservation goals.

The report evaluates the use of EMFF funds in three EU Member States, identifying a tension between subsidies that support conservation and those that enhance fishing capacity or artificially maintain profitability. It argues that the future EMFF should prioritise small-scale fishers, invest in safety training and marine restoration, and strictly prohibit capacity-enhancing investments to meet international sustainability goals.

The report finds that kerosene subsidies in Bangladesh are largely ineffective, as official price cuts are not passed to consumers and many poor households remain unaware of the subsidies. While women are primarily exposed to the health risks of kerosene and biomass cooking, men dominate energy purchasing and decision-making. The study suggests that instead of reforming the kerosene subsidy, the government should shift support toward clean energy alternatives like solar PV and grid electricity, which 69% of households believe would most benefit women.

The report finds that kerosene subsidies in Nigeria were largely ineffective, as most low-income households paid significantly above the official price and women faced long queues and safety risks from adulterated fuel. The 2016 removal of these subsidies further strained women's budgets, pushing many in rural areas back toward biomass for cooking, which increases exposure to indoor air pollution and time spent collecting wood. While women often control daily energy choices, men typically own the electronic appliances. The report recommends against returning to kerosene or LPG subsidies, suggesting instead a shift toward technology-neutral clean cooking support and social protection programs targeted at female heads of households.

The document examines Ghana's engagement with the G20 Compact with Africa (CwA), noting that while the country has a strong appetite for reform, many commitments were already part of IMF programmes. It finds that while FDI generally increased between 2015 and 2018, there is little evidence that this was caused by the CwA, and the level of investment has not been commensurate with the reforms required. The author argues for a more inclusive, all-government approach and stronger engagement with the domestic private sector to unlock meaningful investment.

The 2020 NYDF Progress Assessment reports that large-scale, top-down infrastructure and extractive projects continue to threaten intact tropical forests with minimal benefit to local communities. Despite the adoption of environmental safeguards by financial institutions and the mobilization of Indigenous peoples, systemic barriers—including limited corporate transparency, slow government implementation of forest policies, and continued financial flows to destructive activities—hinder progress. The report argues that meeting forest and climate goals requires a fundamental economic shift away from exploitation toward alternative development models.

The Republic of Korea is the fourth-highest provider of public finance for fossil fuels among G20 countries, with an average annual government support of $12.4 billion between 2017 and 2019. While the government has committed to no new public finance for domestic coal projects and aims for carbon neutrality by 2050 under a Green New Deal platform, it has increased public finance for fossil fuels by 9% relative to 2014–2016 levels and provided $2.49 billion in emergency bailout loans to coal plant manufacturer Doosan Heavy Industries & Construction during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The report analyzes the failure of diplomatic efforts in Syria, including the Geneva and Astana processes, and maps the fragmented nature of the Syrian Sunni opposition. It details how external actors—primarily Russia, Turkey, and Iran—have established spheres of influence and proxy networks that complicate a sustainable political transition. The authors argue that the peace process has been largely detached from the Syrian people, exacerbated by the rise of extremist groups, the Kurdish issue, and a severe economic crisis compounded by COVID-19.