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Carbon Market Watch argues that the EU's net carbon sink is declining rapidly and that the current LULUCF Regulation contains loopholes, such as offsetting flexibility and reliance on forest biomass, that undermine climate goals. The organization recommends removing offsetting mechanisms, preventing double counting between national inventories and corporate claims under the Carbon Removal Certification Framework (CRCF), limiting forest harvesting for bioenergy, and strengthening synergies between LULUCF targets and the Common Agriculture Policy (CAP) and Nature Restoration Law.

The 2024 update by the NewClimate Institute finds that aggregated emissions for 25 major emitters could be 10% below 2019 levels by 2030 in a best-case scenario, an improvement over 2023 projections but still far short of the 43% reduction needed for the 1.5°C goal. While no country has strengthened its Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) since 2023, half of the assessed countries are likely on track to meet their unconditional targets, suggesting an opportunity to increase ambition.

The document details the health risks associated with radiation, ranging from acute radiation syndrome and skin burns to chronic conditions like cancer and cardiovascular disease. It highlights how social determinants of health compound these harms for vulnerable groups and critiques the US government's fragmented compensation system, which includes the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA), the Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation Program Act (EEOICPA), and Veterans Affairs Compensation. The text also notes the US's refusal to join the 2021 Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW).

ClientEarth argues that the EMFAF and its predecessor (EMFF) have failed to meet their objectives, with significant funding still supporting capacity-enhancing and biodiversity-harming subsidies. The organization calls for a categorical prohibition of harmful subsidies by 2027, increased funding for Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) to meet EU nature restoration targets, and a shift in financial priority toward small-scale and low-impact fishers (SSF), who currently receive a disproportionately small share of funding compared to industrial fleets.

ClientEarth asserts that the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) is a sound framework but suffers from systemic failures in implementation and enforcement. The organization argues that the EU has missed the 2020 deadline to end overfishing in all European sea basins and calls for the strict application of maximum sustainable yield (MSY), the landing obligation, and the integration of environmental legislation. Key recommendations include the deployment of remote electronic monitoring (REM) to combat illegal discards, the use of transparent social and environmental criteria for quota allocation, and the redirection of the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF) away from harmful subsidies toward small-scale, low-impact fisheries.

The study finds that the ABC Recuperação credit line has had modest effects on pasture recovery in the Cerrado, with most severely degraded areas remaining unchanged. While some pasture was converted to crops, the program's contribution to the ABC Plan's 2020 target of recovering 15 million hectares of degraded pasture was estimated at only 0.9% to 2.5%. The report highlights that technical assistance is a critical factor for success and recommends improved monitoring and the integration of credit with risk management instruments.

Carbon Market Watch (CMW) assessed several market-based proposals for international shipping decarbonization, scoring them based on alignment with the 1.5°C Paris Agreement goal, emission reductions, and equity. The analysis highlights that while the IMO's 2023 strategy aims for net-zero emissions by 2050, current measures are insufficient. CMW identifies the proposal by Canada as the strongest (Score A+), citing its high carbon levy of 150 $/tCO2e, while criticizing the Bahamas et al. proposal (Score C) for its reliance on a flexibility compliance mechanism that disincentivizes decarbonization.

Carbon Market Watch (CMW) assessed several market-based measure (MBM) proposals for the international shipping sector, using a methodology developed by CE Delft. The evaluation focused on alignment with the Paris Agreement's 1.5°C goal, immediate emission reductions, support for vulnerable nations and workers, and funding for research and development. The analysis highlights that current IMO strategies are insufficient for 1.5°C alignment and that only proposals with high carbon levies—such as those from Canada and Austria et al.—provide a strong enough price signal to drive the transition to zero-emission technologies.

Carbon Market Watch evaluated several greenhouse gas (GHG) pricing proposals for the International Maritime Organisation (IMO), scoring them based on criteria such as emission reduction potential, support for vulnerable nations, and revenue use for R&D. The analysis finds that while some proposals, such as those from Canada and Belize et al., show strength in levy levels and support for vulnerable nations, others, like the Bahamas et al. proposal, are insufficient as they do not function as robust market-based measures. The document argues that meeting the IMO's net-zero goals by or around 2050 requires ambitious levies and strong enforcement to incentivise zero-emission technologies.

The report evaluates Rwanda's progress on climate adaptation indicators for human settlements and transport. Key findings include an increase in rural households in planned settlements to 65.4% and the implementation of stormwater-inclusive master plans in 16 districts. However, urban informal settlements remain at 61.3%, and urban green space (19.89%) falls short of the 30% target. The transport sector has developed comprehensive resilience guidelines and expanded scheduled bus routes to 14,475 km, though road vulnerability assessments show significant risks in the Western, Northern, and Southern Provinces.

The report evaluates three primary climate adaptation indicators in Rwanda: the proportion of rural populations in clustered settlements, access to water and sanitation services, and the reduction of road vulnerability to floods and landslides. It finds that while planned rural settlements have increased to 65.4% and water access has improved, significant gaps remain in sanitation coverage and road resilience. The document highlights the effectiveness of engineering solutions like gabions and terracing for road stability and the social benefits of Integrated Development Programme (IDP) model villages, while recommending increased investment in climate-resilient infrastructure and better inter-sectoral coordination.

The report analyzes 450 votes and 5,850 voting decisions by African states at the UN Human Rights Council (HRC) between 2006 and 2022. It finds that the African Group generally opposes or is unwilling to defend civil and political rights, particularly regarding sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) and freedom of expression. The group frequently protects African states from international scrutiny through country-specific resolutions while remaining inconsistent or indifferent toward human rights violations in non-African countries. Despite a general decline in the domestic freedom scores of its members, the group's HRC voting patterns show a slight shift toward a more human rights-friendly direction after 2010, though it remains largely obstructive toward intrusive mandates for African nations.

China is leading global renewable energy deployment with 339 GW of utility-scale solar and wind power under construction, nearly double the capacity of the rest of the world combined. By the first quarter of 2024, wind and solar accounted for 37% of China's total power capacity. While the country is on track to potentially reach 1,200 GW of installed capacity by the end of 2024, significant obstacles remain, including a reliance on coal to mitigate intermittency, insufficient Ultra High Voltage (UHV) transmission lines, and rising curtailment rates in several provinces.

The briefing establishes that fossil fuels are responsible for approximately 70% of carbon dioxide emissions since the industrial revolution, with a small number of companies contributing a disproportionate share. It highlights the role of attribution science in linking specific extreme weather events to climate change and details the growing trend of using the 'polluter pays' principle in litigation and legislation to hold these companies financially accountable. The document further argues that to meet the 1.5C target, global fossil fuel production must decrease significantly by 2030, supported by a transition to renewable energy and electric vehicles.

The report analyzes how public development banks (PDBs) can align their operations with the Paris Agreement, distinguishing between 'project-level alignment' and 'portfolio-level net-zero' approaches. It argues that project-level alignment is the essential foundation for PDBs to support national low-emission climate-resilient development pathways, while portfolio-level tools can provide strategic benefits for those engaging with the private sector. The document details 11 operational benchmarks—such as inclusion/exclusion lists, shadow carbon pricing, and risk assessments—and provides case studies of institutions like the EBRD, BNDES, and AFD to illustrate practical implementation.

The report examines how the Central Bank of Brazil (BCB) is leveraging its regulatory authority to align the national financial system with environmental goals. It details the BCB's 'BC# Sustainability Agenda', which introduces risk management requirements for social, environmental, and climate risks, and mandates disclosures based on TCFD recommendations. A significant portion of the analysis focuses on rural credit, where the BCB has implemented restrictions on financing for properties that violate the Forest Code or are located in protected areas. The report highlights the role of the Rural Environmental Registry (CAR) and the Rural Credit Bureau (SICOR) in monitoring compliance and suggests further integration of remote sensing data to enhance oversight.

The report assesses the transition plans of Enel, ENGIE, EPH, Iberdrola, and Statkraft, finding that none have committed to phasing out fossil gas by 2035 as recommended by the IEA. While Iberdrola and Statkraft demonstrate better practices in transitioning to sustainable power systems, Enel, ENGIE, and EPH continue to develop fossil gas-fired plants and lack coal phase-out plans based on absolute closures.

The document argues that the U.S. coal fleet is already in a sustained economic decline, making the EPA's emissions rules a catalyst for prudent utility planning rather than a source of economic or reliability risk. It asserts that the 2032 compliance timeline is sufficient for utilities to procure replacement resources, citing hundreds of gigawatts of 'shovel-ready' projects in interconnection queues. The authors maintain that 'baseload' coal is no longer necessary for grid stability, as portfolios of wind, solar, battery storage, and low-utilization gas can meet peak loads and growing demand without compromising reliability.

The report evaluates the alignment of national laws in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia with EU environmental standards. While some progress in transposition is noted, the analysis identifies systemic failures in enforcement, inadequate institutional capacity, and significant gaps in the implementation of the Water Framework, Nature, and Environmental Liability Directives, which hinder the protection of rivers from hydropower development.

The report evaluates the alignment of national laws in six Western Balkan countries with EU environmental directives (EIA, SEA, ELD, WFD, Habitats, and Birds). While some progress in transposition is noted, systemic failures persist, including a lack of secondary legislation, inadequate institutional capacity, and poor data quality in environmental reports. Key issues include the exclusion of small hydropower plants from screening in some countries, restricted access to justice for strategic assessments, and the failure to designate Natura 2000 sites. Montenegro is the only country with functioning environmental liability regulations.