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The document analyzes the growth of commercial aviation and its contribution to climate change, noting that while aircraft efficiency has improved, increasing traffic is driving up total emissions. It details the specific warming effects of CO2 and contrails, the role of air freight, and the economic drivers—particularly the expanding middle class in Asia—that are projected to triple commercial aircraft emissions by 2050. It also discusses international and U.S. regulatory efforts to set CO2 standards for new aircraft.

Large financial institutions are increasingly acquiring smaller firms specializing in environmental, social, and governance (ESG) expertise to improve their analytical capabilities regarding climate risk. This trend is driven by the need for high-quality data and the ability to integrate forward-looking climate scenarios into risk frameworks, partly spurred by the TCFD recommendations. The author predicts a similar wave of M&A activity will shift toward 'climate alignment'—the process of aligning portfolios with 1.5°C targets—as financial firms seek the proprietary data and technology necessary to meet net-zero commitments.

As of March 2022, 12,275 electric school buses have been committed across 38 US states, with California leading in adoption. While a large portion of these commitments stem from a single 10,000-bus contract between Midwest Transit Equipment and SEA Electric, the report finds that adoption is trending toward historically underserved communities, particularly those with high PM2.5 pollution and high populations of non-white and/or Hispanic people.

As of December 2021, 1,828 electric school buses were committed across 36 US states, representing a 57% increase since June 2021. California is the primary leader in adoption, holding nearly half of all commitments. While adoption correlates with high median household income, it is more evenly distributed across different poverty levels. The report notes that the vast majority of the US school bus fleet (95%) still relies on diesel, and that the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act has allocated $5 billion over five years to accelerate the transition to lower-emission buses.

The report finds that fossil fuel subsidies in India increased relative to clean energy in FY 2020, with electricity transmission and distribution (T&D) remaining the largest subsidy category. While electric vehicle (EV) subsidies grew, renewable energy support stagnated. The authors argue that India's energy PSUs remain heavily skewed toward fossil fuel investments and lack clear decarbonization roadmaps. The report recommends a 'second generation' of clean energy support focusing on storage, green hydrogen, and offshore wind, alongside reforms to DISCOM finances and a strategic shift in PSU capital expenditure.

The analysis of 29 long-term climate strategies reveals a general commitment to Paris Agreement goals and a growing trend toward 'net-zero' targets regardless of a country's economic development. While these strategies typically include mitigation modeling, near-term targets, and considerations for a just transition, the paper notes that many nations still need to submit strategies or require support for implementation.

The document outlines the environmental and economic benefits of bicycle infrastructure, noting that federal investment rose from $22.9 million in 1992 to over $970 million in 2017. It describes various infrastructure types, such as protected lanes and bike-sharing systems, and highlights a significant increase in cycling and e-bike sales during the Covid-19 pandemic. Data indicates that bicycle commute shares rose in many major U.S. cities between 1990 and 2015, and research suggests that replacing car lanes with bike lanes often has positive effects on local retail and food service businesses.

The ASEAN sustainable finance market reached a record high of USD 12.8bn in GSS bond and loan issuance in 2020. Singapore leads the region in volume, particularly through green loans for real estate, while Indonesia and Thailand show strong growth driven by sovereign issuances. The market is increasingly diversifying into sustainability-linked instruments and social bonds, although the latter remained less active in 2020. The report highlights the critical role of government support, the development of regional and national taxonomies, and the influence of Development Finance Institutions (DFIs) in scaling green infrastructure.

The global sustainable debt market reached USD 1.7 trillion by the end of 2020, with USD 700 billion issued during the year. While green bonds remain the largest segment, social and sustainability bonds saw dramatic growth in 2020, largely driven by pandemic-related funding. The European Union has emerged as a global leader, integrating GSS bonds into its climate neutrality goals for 2050 and developing comprehensive taxonomies and standards to ensure market integrity.

In 2020, global coal power capacity grew by 12.5 GW for the first time since 2015, driven primarily by China, which accounted for 76% of new commissions. While the US and EU saw record retirements, China's new capacity of 38.4 GW offset these gains. Meanwhile, South and Southeast Asian nations, including Indonesia, Vietnam, and the Philippines, significantly reduced their planned coal pipelines due to financing difficulties and the falling cost of renewables. The report concludes that current global trajectories remain far from the IPCC 1.5C pathway, which would require the cancellation or retirement of an additional 1,350 GW by 2030.

In 2020, global coal-fired power capacity increased by 12.5 GW, driven primarily by China, which operated 38.4 GW of new capacity. This offset record closures in the US (11.3 GW) and EU27 (10.1 GW). While China's development grew as an economic stimulus during the pandemic, other Asian nations like Indonesia, Vietnam, Bangladesh, and the Philippines announced plans to cancel up to 62 GW of planned projects due to falling renewable costs and financing difficulties. The report concludes that current global trajectories remain far from the 1.5°C warming limit, with approximately 1,350 GW of capacity needing to be cancelled or closed to meet IPCC targets.

The report highlights a global divergence in coal energy: while most of the world is decommissioning coal plants due to financial pressures and climate goals, China significantly increased its capacity in 2020. In 2020, China's new coal capacity of 38.4 GW nearly offset the total global decommissioning of 37.8 GW. Meanwhile, Southeast Asian and South Asian nations like Indonesia, Vietnam, Bangladesh, and the Philippines have moved to cancel or review plans for 62 GW of coal capacity. The US saw record decommissioning under Donald Trump, and the EU continues to phase out coal. However, the report warns that current trajectories, especially in China, make the IPCC's 1.5°C warming limit unattainable without massive cancellations of planned projects.

The report finds that baseline projections for oil, gas, and coal production are significantly higher than the levels required to limit global warming to 1.5°C or 2°C. It highlights that the largest production increases are projected in the United States, Brazil, Iran, Canada, and Saudi Arabia. The analysis argues that a managed wind-down of production is necessary to avoid inequitable outcomes, as the projected production from high-income and low-dependence countries alone would exceed the 1.5°C-consistent global budget.

In 2020, renewables generated 38% of the EU's electricity, surpassing fossil-fired generation (37%) for the first time. This shift was driven primarily by wind and solar, while coal generation fell by 20% to 13% of the total mix. However, the report notes that the transition remains too slow to meet 2030 and 2050 climate targets, as gas generation remains high and nuclear output saw a record 10% decline.

In 2020, renewables became the EU's primary electricity source for the first time, generating 38% of electricity. While wind and solar growth remained robust despite the pandemic, the report argues that deployment must nearly triple to meet 2030 Green Deal targets. Coal generation fell by 20% in 2020, though this decline was partially offset by increased gas generation and a record 10% drop in nuclear output. Consequently, Europe's electricity carbon intensity fell to 226 grams of CO2 per kilowatt-hour in 2020, a 29% reduction since 2015.

The global GSS+ debt market reached a cumulative volume of USD 2.8 trillion by the end of 2021, with new issuance in 2021 alone surpassing USD 1 trillion. Green bonds remain the largest segment, while sustainability-linked bonds (SLBs) showed the fastest year-on-year growth. The report highlights the dominance of developed markets, particularly Europe, and the emerging role of sovereign issuers and taxonomies in standardising the market.

The 2021 Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) Index reveals a slowing pace of global improvement and widening disparities in women's status. While developed countries, particularly Nordic nations, lead the index, fragile states and regions like South Asia perform poorly. The report highlights how the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated existing inequalities, particularly through job losses in female-dominated sectors and increased risks of intimate partner violence. Additionally, new indices for forcibly displaced women and subnational data for Afghanistan, Pakistan, and the United States demonstrate that national averages often conceal severe internal disparities and the compounding disadvantages of displacement.

Cooling access gaps for the rural and urban poor grew across all analyzed regions in 2021. In Africa, 776 million people across 31 high-impact countries face cooling challenges, with 215 million urban poor at highest risk. In Asia and the Middle East, the population at highest risk rose to 645 million in 2021, with significant rural poor increases in India and Bangladesh. In Latin America and the Caribbean, the number of people at highest risk in six high-impact countries reached 48.8 million, with the majority being the urban poor.

The report finds a global increase in concern for nature loss, particularly in emerging markets, driven by digital activism and changing consumer habits. While public demand for sustainability is rising and influencing corporate behavior in sectors like fashion and cosmetics, a gap remains between public sentiment and effective government enforcement of environmental laws.

The Climate Policy Initiative provided updated estimates for global climate finance flows for 2017 and 2018, and a preliminary estimate for 2019, to inform the UNFCCC's fourth Biennial Assessment and Overview of Climate Finance Flows.