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The document details the systemic contamination of groundwater by coal ash at 91% of monitored U.S. coal plants, highlighting the toxicity of substances like arsenic and lead. It describes legal actions and community advocacy used to challenge the Trump administration's attempts to weaken the 2015 coal ash rule and discusses the implementation of the Coal Ash Pollution Prevention Act (Senate Bill 9) in Illinois to ensure financial assurance and transparency in cleanups.

The briefing argues that empowering forest-linked communities is essential for forest protection and is most effectively achieved through tiered organizational structures that aggregate strength-in-numbers. While some progress has been made in recognizing indigenous and local community rights, overall empowerment in rural areas remains constrained by land fragmentation, gender inequality, and insufficient access to finance. The document highlights successful innovations in business development and policy advocacy from the Forest and Farm Facility (FFF) and warns that while digital technologies offer new market opportunities, they may also facilitate commercial land acquisition that threatens community assets.

The report provides a comprehensive assessment of Namibia's governance, highlighting systemic challenges such as executive dominance over the legislature, persistent poverty and inequality, and a lack of transparency. It offers specific policy recommendations across 13 key areas, including corruption, youth unemployment, education, healthcare, gender-based violence, land reform, and environmental sustainability, to support the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) process.

The report identifies 175 policy recommendations across 18 categories, finding that governance (31%) is the most frequent focus, followed by financing and methods/tools. While the European Commission and HELCOM focus heavily on governance and monitoring, BONUS projects contribute more to financing and innovative policy design. The study notes a significant lack of recommendations addressing global issues like climate change and biodiversity, despite their presence in the documents' background sections.

Natural Justice submitted a set of recommendations to the County Government of Kilifi to improve the 2018 draft Air Quality Regulations. The organization argues for the inclusion of more stringent penalties, the removal of exemptions for contaminant discharge, and the requirement that the County Director of Environment (representing NEMA) be involved in notifications and monitoring to ensure transparency and compliance with national laws and the Constitution of Kenya.

The report assesses the gender-specific vulnerabilities and socioeconomic barriers facing rural communities in central and north Benin to ensure the 'Enhanced Climate Resilience' project is gender-responsive. It identifies significant gaps in land ownership, education, and decision-making power between men and women, noting that women are more susceptible to economic shocks and 'time poverty'. The assessment proposes a Gender Action Plan to mainstream gender equality into forest management and agricultural interventions, aiming to prevent the marginalization of women as EbA strategies are implemented.

The report examines how Kazakhstan can integrate climate adaptation into its governance structure, focusing on two primary entry points: high-level national strategic documents and sub-national development programs. It highlights a gap in methodological knowledge for conducting Risk and Vulnerability Assessments (RVAs) and suggests a model where national scientific bodies conduct RVAs while provincial departments prioritize and implement measures. The document recommends leveraging the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) process and the Green Economy Concept to mainstream climate resilience, while proposing specific adjustments to the Ministry of National Economy's Territorial Development Program to ensure investments are climate-proofed.

The document examines how Kazakhstan can vertically integrate climate action by linking national strategic documents and subnational development programs. It highlights the role of the Ministry of Energy and the Ministry of National Economy in coordinating these efforts, while emphasizing the need for improved climate information, systematic risk and vulnerability assessments (RVA), and capacity building for local authorities. The report proposes specific mechanisms to embed climate risks into regional development planning and suggests a 'training of trainers' model to sustain methodological expertise.

The document analyzes the migration experiences of South Africa and Germany, noting that while both are regional economic hubs attracting diverse migrants, Germany has developed a more sophisticated, integration-focused infrastructure. South Africa struggles with high unemployment, xenophobia, and a securitized approach to migration, often lacking the resources and policy coordination seen in Germany. The author argues that South Africa can benefit from Germany's model of inter-departmental coordination, private sector involvement, and proactive integration to avoid the creation of 'parallel societies' and potential radicalization of unintegrated migrant populations.

This briefing from the IAI Directorate updates the Conference of the Parties on the implementation of decisions to invite Rede Clima, the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), and Future Earth as Associates of the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI). It also recommends a review of the mechanisms used to establish the IAI's regional network of cooperating entities.

The document outlines the climate-related risks facing health care facilities (HCFs) and provides a framework for mitigation and adaptation. It highlights that 90% of health care life-cycle GHG emissions in Canada are generated upstream in the supply chain, with pharmaceuticals and hospitals being major contributors. The guide recommends using resiliency checklists, vulnerability assessments, and sustainable procurement to reduce environmental footprints. It also discusses specific interventions in energy efficiency, transportation (including telemedicine), and the reduction of potent inhalation anesthetic gases.

The Climate Change Toolkit for Health Professionals, published by the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (CAPE), is a comprehensive guide designed to empower healthcare workers to act as educators and advocates. It details the science of anthropogenic climate change, the disproportionate health risks faced by vulnerable populations, and the specific regional vulnerabilities across Canada. The document emphasizes 'health co-benefits'—the immediate health improvements resulting from climate mitigation, such as reduced air pollution from phasing out coal and improved cardiovascular health through active transportation. It provides a framework for health care facilities to assess their own climate resiliency and reduce their carbon footprints, while offering strategies for health professionals to engage patients, peers, and policymakers in the transition to a low-carbon economy.

The report argues that industrial aquaculture is unsustainable due to its heavy reliance on wild-caught fish for feed, which threatens marine ecosystems, undermines food security in the Global South, and creates a massive animal welfare crisis. It highlights that nearly 20% of wild fish catches are processed into FMFO, often targeting keystone forage species and juveniles. The document criticizes the lack of transparency among aquafeed companies and the inadequacy of current certification schemes like the MSC and IFFO. To address these issues, it recommends a transition toward herbivorous species, alternative proteins like insects and algae, and stricter governance to eliminate illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing.

The report argues that industrial aquaculture's reliance on fishmeal and fish oil (FMFO) is unsustainable, plundering marine ecosystems and undermining food security in the Global South. It highlights the exploitation of forage fish and 'trash fish', the lack of transparency among major aquafeed companies, and the failure of certification schemes to prevent the use of food-grade fish for animal feed.

The document details Ghana's approach to integrating climate adaptation into government policy and planning. It identifies priority sectors for adaptation—including agriculture, energy, water, health, infrastructure, gender, and forestry—and lists specific climate threats such as increased temperatures, rainfall variability, and sea level rise. It also provides a timeline of policy milestones from 2012 to 2018, including the development of the National Climate Change Policy and the submission of a NAP Readiness Proposal to the Green Climate Fund.

Sierra Leone is developing its first National Adaptation Plan (NAP) framework to coordinate institutional adaptation, mobilize resources, and reduce vulnerability to climate change. The process identifies agriculture, biodiversity, fisheries, and tourism as priority sectors for adaptation. Key observed and anticipated climate impacts include coastal erosion, sea-level rise, mangrove destruction, saline water intrusion in aquifers, seaweed invasion, landslides, flooding, and extreme weather events. The document also maps the evolution of the country's climate policy milestones from the 2007 National Climate Change Strategy and Action plan to the 2019 finalization of the NAP Framework.

The document highlights that EVs in Colorado produce significantly lower emissions than gasoline cars, with an average of 2.71 metric tons of CO2e per year compared to 4.9 metric tons. It notes substantial fuel savings for drivers, particularly in rural areas where savings can reach $602, and cites a 71 percent increase in Colorado EV sales between 2017 and 2018. The text advocates for the extension of federal tax credits and the expansion of Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) programs to lower upfront costs and increase vehicle variety.

The document argues that existing human rights obligations under legally binding treaties must inform climate action to protect those most affected and ensure non-discrimination and public participation. It highlights the role of UN human rights treaty bodies (HRTBs) in elaborating these obligations and reviews their 2018 guidance on emissions reduction, adaptation, procedural rights, and international cooperation, including specific contributions from CEDAW, CESCR, and the CRC.

The report analyzes the legal landscape for RES prosumers and renewable energy communities (REComs) in the EU and nine Member States: Belgium/Flanders, Croatia, France, Germany, Italy, Portugal, Spain, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom. It finds a significant gap between recent EU-level efforts to promote active citizen participation—such as the RED II and the draft recast Electricity Directive—and the diverse, often restrictive, national laws. While some countries like Germany and France have more advanced frameworks, others like Portugal and Belgium/Flanders face substantial regulatory barriers, including the lack of legal definitions for energy communities and restrictions on peer-to-peer energy sharing. The report concludes that EU legislation is likely to drive national policy changes toward more progressive, citizen-centered energy models.

The document discusses the necessity of 'taxonomies'—systematic classifications of green assets—to prevent greenwashing and provide clear guidance for issuers and investors. It highlights the transition from voluntary international guidelines, such as the Green Bond Principles, to more comprehensive regulatory frameworks, most notably the EU Taxonomy for Sustainable Finance. The report also details the development of the ISO 14030 international standard and provides examples of regional guidelines in ASEAN, China, and other markets.