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The Cooling for All Policy Review, published by Sustainable Energy for All in March 2018, examines the global landscape of cooling policies, focusing on Minimum Energy Performance Standards (MEPS) for air conditioners and refrigerators, building efficiency codes, urban heat island mitigation, and cold chain infrastructure.

The Centre for Environmental Rights (CER) submitted a formal statement to the South African Department of Environmental Affairs on 23 February 2018, requesting clarity on the strategic alignment of various climate mitigation and adaptation documents, including the 'Pathways documents'. The CER expressed concern over the lack of transparency regarding the purpose of these documents and the confidentiality of pollution prevention plans for major emitters, while arguing that climate modelling should reflect research showing that new coal-fired power capacity is unnecessary for South Africa's energy security.

This briefing by the Center for International Environmental Law reviews the status of human rights, gender equality, and other social considerations within the negotiations for the Paris Agreement's implementation guidelines as of February 2018. It analyzes four key agenda items—Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), Adaptation Communications, the Enhanced Transparency Framework (ETF), and the Global Stocktake (GST)—detailing the proposals made by various countries and the extent to which these social dimensions were reflected in the co-facilitators' notes following COP-23.

This report outlines how combining fossil fuel subsidy reform (FFSR) and increased gasoline and diesel taxation can generate government revenue, lower greenhouse gas emissions, and fund sustainable development goals.

The Centre for Environmental Rights (CER), acting for several NGOs, sent a letter to the Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA) on 19 January 2018. The letter outlines the outcomes and commitments from a meeting held on 12 December 2017 regarding the implementation of the Highveld Priority Area (HPA), specifically addressing the DEA's delayed response to the 'Broken Promises Report' and the roles of NGOs in community representation.

The Green Economy Barometer 2017 by the Green Economy Coalition analyzes the global transition toward sustainability, noting a contrast between booming green markets and persistent reliance on fossil fuels and systemic socio-economic gaps.

This report summarizes progress toward Goal 10 of the New York Declaration on Forests, which focuses on strengthening forest governance, transparency, and the rule of law, while empowering indigenous peoples and local communities. It details developments in producer and consumer countries regarding illegal timber trade, the rising violence against environmental defenders, and the status of financial resources and data collection for land tenure security.

The Peru Green Economy Barometer 2018, produced by Foro Nacional & Internacional and Libelula, assesses Peru's transition toward a fair and green economy. The report argues that while the traditional 'brown' economic model is struggling, a fragmented but promising alternative is emerging through private sector innovation, government policy shifts in transport and energy, and community-led conservation efforts.

The Senegal Green Economy Barometer 2018, produced by IED Afrique and IUCN Senegal, assesses the country's progress toward a fair and green economy. It highlights a tension between strong GDP growth and rising absolute poverty, while detailing efforts to integrate renewable energy, sustainable agriculture, and green job creation into national development frameworks like the Emerging Senegal Plan (PSE) 2035.

The South Africa Green Economy Barometer 2018 evaluates the country's transition toward a fair, green economy, awarding it a score of 5 out of 10. While South Africa possesses strong policy foundations, such as the National Development Plan and the 2011 Green Economy Accord, the report finds that the economy remains locked into carbon-intensive 'brown' systems, particularly in energy and mining, and fails to adequately include marginalized populations and the informal sector in its transition.

This policy brief examines the disconnect between water resource management and economic development planning in the Berg Water Management Area (WMA). It warns of severe economic losses and job deficits by 2040 due to water constraints and advocates for integrated planning, the potential creation of a regional water utility, and increased support from the Western Cape Government to help municipalities manage water augmentation and financing.

The 2018 report by RMI and the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG) analyzes the commercial minigrid market in Nigeria, identifying it as a high-potential investment opportunity to address the fact that 55% of the population lacks electricity. Through audits of ten commercial projects, the report establishes best practices in site selection, community engagement, and owner-operator business models. It outlines a regulatory environment that is generally supportive but hindered by overlapping mandates and import barriers, and proposes specific interventions across the project development, construction, and operation phases to scale the market toward a potential annual revenue of ₦2.8 trillion (US$8 billion).

This briefing by WWF South Africa examines the urban and environmental impacts of parking infrastructure, specifically focusing on the transition from minimum to maximum parking requirements. It argues that oversupplying parking incentivizes private car use and increases greenhouse gas emissions, while providing case studies from the USA and UK to suggest policy reforms for developing countries like South Africa.

This report by WWF South Africa outlines the business and climate case for redirecting surplus food—edible food that is not 'true waste'—from farms and firms to people in need. It identifies significant opportunities for greenhouse gas mitigation and socio-economic benefit, while highlighting systemic barriers such as liability concerns and date labelling.

The Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) submitted comments on December 20, 2017, regarding the World Bank's Draft Guidance Notes for the Environmental and Social Standards (ESS) of the Environmental and Social Framework (ESF). CIEL argues that the Guidance Notes are "severely lacking in substance" and often merely reiterate the standards or use vague language rather than providing the detailed implementation guidance necessary to prevent harm to people and the environment.

This issue brief examines how climate change impacts United States national security, detailing the Department of Defense's (DOD) conceptualization of climate change as a 'threat multiplier' and the resulting operational, infrastructural, and geopolitical challenges. It outlines the adaptation and mitigation strategies adopted by the DOD and other security agencies, while analyzing the role of Congressional legislation and funding in shaping these efforts.

This October 2017 report by the Centre for Environmental Rights, groundWork, and the Highveld Environmental Justice Network evaluates the failure of the Highveld Priority Area (HPA) to improve air quality in South Africa. Despite the 2007 declaration of the HPA and the 2012 Air Quality Management Plan (AQMP), the report concludes that air quality remains poor and non-compliant with health-based standards, largely due to industrial emissions, inadequate monitoring, and a lack of government capacity and enforcement.

This executive summary provides a comparative legal analysis of forest protection and land use legislation across seven major agricultural exporting countries: Argentina, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, and the United States. The study specifically examines riparian buffer zones and biodiversity conservation policies on private lands to contextualize the stringency of the Brazilian Forest Code (Law No. 12.651/2012).

The Centre for Environmental Rights (CER), representing several environmental justice organizations, submitted preliminary comments on the 2017 draft review of South Africa's National Framework for Air Quality Management. The submission criticizes the Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA) for failing to meet previous targets, lacking transparency in progress reviews, and neglecting meaningful public participation in high-pollution priority areas.

The Centre for Environmental Rights (CER) provides critical feedback on the Department of Water and Sanitation's (DWS) draft Mine Water Management Policy Position. The CER argues that the draft understates the crisis of mine water management in South Africa, citing a systemic failure in mine closures and a lack of compliance monitoring and enforcement. The CER recommends that the DWS utilize existing legislative tools—specifically the National Water Act (NWA), the National Environmental Management Act (NEMA), and the Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act (MPRDA)—to enforce the 'polluter pays' principle and secure financial provisions for water treatment before granting licenses.