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As of year-end 2025, the cumulative issuance of GSS+ bonds meeting Climate Bonds Initiative standards reached USD 6.8 trillion. Green bonds remain the dominant segment, surpassing USD 4 trillion in outstanding balance. The report highlights a growing focus on adaptation and resilience (A&R) finance, exemplified by the world's first certified resilience bond issued by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government and the development of the Climate Bonds Resilience Taxonomy (CBRT).

The document argues that transport is a critical driver of development but a major source of emissions, accounting for 23% of energy-related CO2. It defines sustainable transport as safe, affordable, and efficient mobility that minimizes environmental impacts. The report details the evolution of international policy from the 1972 Stockholm Conference to the Sustainable Development Goals, and provides examples of successful interventions, such as Jakarta's BRT system and various cities' shifts toward active mobility (cycling and walking). It specifically notes the COVID-19 pandemic as a catalyst for structural changes in urban transit, though it warns that 30 major economies continue to provide significant subsidies to fossil fuels over clean energy.

The report analyzes Ethiopia's trajectory toward lower-middle-income status, highlighting significant progress in GDP growth and health indicators alongside persistent challenges in food security, education quality, and political inclusion. It uses scenario modeling to demonstrate that integrated investments in agriculture, human capital, and governance are essential to harness a looming demographic dividend and avoid instability driven by a large youth bulge.

The IISD Global Connectivity Program examines how the 'global connectivity system'—including ICTs and internet governance—can facilitate the flow of knowledge and leadership required for sustainability. The program identifies key trends such as the rise of 'smart' systems for resource efficiency, a global digital economy that exceeds the agriculture and energy sectors in consumption and expenditure, and the shift toward networked, social-media-driven information exchange. IISD emphasizes the need for open, accessible communications infrastructure to gather environmental data and monitor resources, while simultaneously seeking to minimize the negative environmental impacts of ICTs.

The document provides a comprehensive overview of the climate and energy landscapes in China and the United States. For China, it highlights a 4.7% increase in CO2 emissions in 2023, the growth of non-fossil fuel power capacity to 53.9% of the total, and the implementation of the 'Carbon Peak' pilot program and the restart of the CCER market. For the United States, it notes a projected 1.9% decrease in emissions for 2023, the impact of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), and the focus on decarbonizing the power sector by 2035. The briefing also details the 'Sunnylands Statement' as a framework for bilateral cooperation on methane and energy transition, while noting tensions regarding trade policies and the potential impact of the 2024 US election.