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The 2026 State Healthcare Policy Review examines US state efforts to regulate private equity in healthcare, focusing on transparency, approval authority, targeted prohibitions, and the corporate practice of medicine. While several states enacted new disclosure and reporting laws, few expanded the power to block transactions, and many stringent proposals were narrowed or failed. Key developments include Maine's new administrative approval process and Connecticut's ban on hospital sale-leasebacks.

The Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) reviewed 107 unique documents from 2,984 public comments regarding the EPA's 2024 Cumulative Impacts (CI) Framework. The analysis identifies five core themes for a robust CI program: legal authority, program execution, community engagement, assessment methodology, and ensuring outcomes. The report notes that the second Trump administration has undermined these efforts by rescinding environmental justice executive orders, disbanding advisory councils, and eliminating the EPA's Office of Environmental Justice and External Civil Rights.

The document analyzes the rising trend of greenwashing litigation and regulatory enforcement against companies using carbon credits to claim carbon neutrality. It highlights a divergence between the European Union, UK, and Australia—where courts and regulators are increasingly skeptical of offsetting—and the United States, where outdated guidelines and judicial reluctance have created a more fragmented enforcement landscape. The briefing concludes that companies face growing financial and reputational risks and should shift from compensation-based claims to genuine internal emissions reductions.

Climate Central analysis reveals that residents in 65 of the largest U.S. cities experience an average of 8°F of additional heat due to the built environment. The document details mitigation strategies including green space, shade structures, water features, and cool pavements/roofs, while highlighting that heat exposure is disproportionately higher in historically redlined areas and low-income neighborhoods.

The report details a 50-year campaign by the natural gas industry to brand its product as "clean energy" and a "bridge fuel." It argues that this was a strategic fraud designed to protect residential markets from electrification and later to facilitate a massive expansion of infrastructure. The document highlights the role of industry-funded research, specifically the Gas Research Institute (GRI), and a flawed 1996 joint study with the EPA that underestimated methane emissions to legitimize gas as a climate solution. It further describes how the industry used voluntary programs like Natural Gas STAR to fend off mandatory regulations and co-opted environmental organizations to lend credibility to its claims.

The report evaluates Bhutan's MEL system for its 2023 National Adaptation Plan, finding significant institutional fragmentation, capacity gaps, and a lack of quantifiable metrics for resilience. It recommends establishing a formal coordination mechanism between the Department of Environment and Climate Change, the Office of the Cabinet Affairs and Strategic Coordination, and the Ministry of Finance, alongside a unified national M&E system to replace outdated web-based tools and fragmented Excel reporting.

The report finds that military climate strategies across 26 nations are largely unambitious, with most emissions uncovered by targets and progress relying on civilian grid decarbonisation or reduced activity rather than military technological innovation. While some success was seen in stationary base emissions in neutral countries like Ireland and Switzerland, core mobile emissions and supply-chain emissions remain largely unaddressed and are likely to rise due to increased global military spending.

Natural Justice critiques the draft National Energy Policy (NEP) 2025 for Kenya, highlighting a contradiction between its clean energy goals and its proposal to continue oil, coal, and nuclear development. The organization argues that these fossil-fuel and nuclear pathways risk creating stranded assets and undermine climate commitments. Key recommendations include the adoption of a dedicated Just Energy Transition chapter, the mandatory use of Community Development Agreements (CDAs), and the alignment of land acquisition practices with World Bank standards. Natural Justice specifically urges the removal of nuclear energy and liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the policy in favor of geothermal, solar, and wind alternatives.

A submission by a coalition of civil society organisations—including Law for Energy Transitions Africa, Natural Justice, The Green Connection, and Project 90 by 2030—providing detailed comments on the draft South African Wholesale Electricity Market (SAWEM) Code and Rules. The submission argues that the draft framework lacks sufficient alignment with constitutional rights and climate obligations, suffers from governance conflicts of interest due to the Market Operator's link to Eskom, and lacks transparency regarding costs and contracts.

The NewClimate Institute reviews the SBTi Corporate Net-Zero Standard v2.0, noting that while it provides a mature framework for value chain emissions and short-term action, its high flexibility may hinder the comparability of corporate climate strategies and fail to sufficiently reward the most ambitious leadership.

Africa possesses immense untapped ocean-based renewable energy potential, particularly in offshore wind, which could provide over USD 1 trillion in economic benefits and millions of jobs. While current deployment is minimal, tapping just 5% of the continent's 6,750 GW offshore wind potential could more than double its current power generation capacity and meet all new electricity demand through 2040. Realising this potential requires significant investment in infrastructure and policy frameworks, as Africa currently receives less than 2% of global renewable energy investment.

Kenya faces a significant economic burden from fossil fuel imports and subsidies despite having a nearly 90 percent renewable electricity grid. The report argues that transitioning away from fossil fuels is an economic imperative, as revenues from potential oil and coal projects are insufficient to address the national debt. It proposes a three-step pathway: immediate integration of phase-out plans, short-to-medium term divestment and investment in high-growth sectors (renewable energy, e-mobility, climate-smart agriculture, green manufacturing, and the digital economy), and long-term decarbonisation of hard-to-abate sectors. The document also highlights the risks of stranded assets and 'debt trap diplomacy' and recommends joining a Fossil Fuel Treaty to unlock international finance and technical support.

The report argues that India's rural electrification must shift from simple access to improving reliability and quality through distributed renewable energy (DRE). While centralized projects are essential for national targets, DRE can address last-mile constraints. The authors develop a 'Model DRE Village Framework' that uses load typologies—such as agriculture-dominant versus residential-dominant—to determine system sizing, storage needs, and grid integration. Through techno-economic modelling in Hiware Bazar (Maharashtra) and Bamun Sualkuchi (Assam), the study demonstrates that solarization is generally cost-competitive compared to average power purchase costs (APPC), though battery energy storage systems (BESS) require careful sizing to remain affordable. The framework emphasizes a co-implementation model where distribution companies (DISCOMs) lead technical planning and ownership, while Gram Panchayats manage community governance and onboarding.

The paper argues that LGBTQI+ individuals are specifically targeted for their nonconformity to cis-heteronormative norms, with visibility acting as a primary risk factor. It highlights that such violence occurs on a continuum across public and private spheres, perpetrated by state actors, armed groups, and family members. The authors advocate for an intersectional framework to avoid homogenizing the LGBTQI+ community and emphasize the agency of survivors in creating their own support systems.

Latvia employs a "Comprehensive State Defence" model that integrates biosecurity into a whole-of-society resilience framework, led by the Ministry of Health. While the country possesses solid institutional foundations—including a BSL-3 national reference laboratory and a new Crisis Management Centre established in July 2025—it lacks a standalone national biosecurity strategy and does not explicitly identify biological weapons as a distinct threat in its security documentation. Latvia is heavily integrated into EU and NATO mechanisms, regularly conducting CBRN exercises such as RADEX 2025 and participating in ECDC preparedness assessments. Key areas for improvement include modernizing disease surveillance IT infrastructure, formalizing access to BSL-4 capabilities, and articulating a clearer posture against deliberate biological threats.

The global iron and steel industry faces a 'coal lock-in crisis' as blast furnace (BF) capacity continues to expand despite decarbonization targets. While electric arc furnace (EAF) and direct reduced iron (DRI) capacities are growing, the transition is slowed by massive legacy assets in China and aggressive new coal-based developments in India. Green hydrogen remains a critical but underutilized bottleneck, with only 2% of operating DRI capacity using it as a primary reductant. The report highlights a significant gap between announced net-zero goals and actual industrial investment, particularly regarding the relining of existing blast furnaces.

The report examines the ESG frameworks of Chinese mining and processing companies, contrasting domestic voluntary standards with international benchmarks like IRMA 2.0 and RRA 3.0. It finds that while Chinese standards are increasingly aligned with international environmental norms, significant gaps remain in social dimensions, particularly regarding Indigenous Peoples' rights and community engagement. Using Indonesia's nickel sector as a case study, the study highlights challenges such as duplicative audits, tensions between transparency and Chinese data security laws, and the transfer of ESG risks from downstream buyers to suppliers. The report recommends aligning Chinese standards with global benchmarks, introducing financial incentives for ESG performance, and establishing bilateral technical cooperation with mineral-rich countries.

The report argues that low-density urban sprawl is fiscally unsustainable for Canadian municipalities, contributing to a national infrastructure deficit of CAD 270 billion. Using Winnipeg as a primary case study, it demonstrates how the failure to account for long-term maintenance and carbon costs in development decisions creates a 'municipal Ponzi scheme' where new growth is used to mask the liabilities of old infrastructure. The author recommends reforming development cost charges, property taxes, and fiscal impact assessments to prioritize compact, complete communities that generate more revenue and produce fewer emissions.

The report details how private equity firms have acquired Medicaid contractors to capitalize on government-backed revenue, often leading to operational failures. It highlights systemic payment errors and wage theft allegations at Public Partnerships, LLC; massive debt-driven cost-cutting and fraud allegations at Gainwell Technologies; and delays in care authorizations and the use of offshore labor at Acentra Health. The document also warns of the risks associated with AI-driven analytics and the offshoring of sensitive patient health information to India.

The report identifies a recurring 'implementation gap' where adaptation policies increasingly use the language of systemic risk—interconnected hazards, cascading impacts, and deep uncertainty—but continue to operate through hazard- and sector-based routines. Through comparative analysis of the EU, ASEAN, and the US, it finds that mandates, funding, and monitoring systems remain fragmented, often ignoring policy trade-offs and distributional inequities. It concludes by proposing a framework based on systemic risk framing, policy interlinkages, and deep uncertainty management to help decision-makers stress-test investments and avoid maladaptation.