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ClientEarth warns the Aviva Staff Pension Scheme trustees that treating climate change as a general ESG issue rather than a specific material financial risk may expose them to legal challenges for breach of fiduciary duty. The letter outlines the financial risks of high-carbon assets, the opportunities in the low-carbon transition, and emerging market standards among OECD asset owners. It provides a detailed set of recommended actions, including reallocating capital away from coal and risky fossil fuels, adopting TCFD-aligned reporting, and implementing active stewardship policies to ensure the long-term security of members' retirement outcomes.

ClientEarth warns the BAE Systems Main Scheme trustees that ignoring climate risk could lead to legal challenges for breach of fiduciary duty. The letter outlines material financial risks associated with fossil fuels, the opportunities of a low-carbon transition, and emerging market standards among OECD asset owners. It provides a detailed set of recommended actions, including reallocating capital away from coal and high-risk fossil fuels, adopting TCFD-aligned reporting, and pursuing active stewardship of portfolio companies.

ClientEarth warns the BP Pension Fund trustees that ignoring climate-related financial risks may constitute a breach of fiduciary duty and jeopardize member retirement outcomes. The letter outlines material risks associated with fossil fuel assets, highlights emerging market standards for climate-aware investing among OECD asset owners, and provides a detailed set of recommended actions for the fund to safeguard its assets and align with the Paris Agreement.

ClientEarth argues that the Lloyds Bank Pension Scheme trustees may be failing their fiduciary duties by not sufficiently addressing climate risk. The letter outlines the material financial risks of climate change, particularly for fossil fuel assets, and the opportunities in the low-carbon transition. It provides a framework for action, including reallocating assets away from coal and high-carbon sectors, adopting TCFD-aligned reporting, and pursuing active stewardship of portfolio companies.

ClientEarth warns the National Grid UK Pension Scheme trustees that treating climate risk merely as part of general ESG issues may be insufficient to meet their legal obligations. The letter outlines material financial risks associated with fossil fuels, the potential for returns from low-carbon investments, and emerging market standards for asset owners. It concludes with a set of recommended actions, including reallocating capital away from coal and high-carbon assets, adopting TCFD-aligned reporting, and pursuing active stewardship of portfolio companies.

ClientEarth warns the Rolls-Royce Pension Scheme trustees that treating climate risk merely as a general ESG issue may expose them to legal challenges for breach of fiduciary duty. The letter asserts that climate change is a material financial risk, particularly for fossil fuel assets, and that transitioning to low-carbon investments can protect portfolios without sacrificing returns. It provides a detailed framework for action, including reallocating capital away from coal and high-risk fossil fuels, adopting TCFD-aligned reporting, and implementing active stewardship policies to ensure portfolio companies align with the Paris Agreement.

ClientEarth warns the Shell Contributory Pension Fund trustees that failing to strategically manage climate risk may breach their fiduciary duty to act in the best interests of members. The letter asserts that climate change is a material investment risk and provides evidence that fossil fuel assets, particularly coal, are highly exposed to financial losses. It highlights emerging market standards among OECD asset owners, including the use of TCFD frameworks and divestment policies. ClientEarth recommends specific actions: evaluating physical and transitional risks, reallocating capital away from coal and risky fossil fuels, and pursuing active stewardship to align portfolio companies with the Paris Agreement.

The paper examines transparency as a site of political conflict, arguing that while transparency is often seen as a tool for improving environmental outcomes, it can be used to avoid strict regulation. Using a new theoretical framework, the authors analyze climate finance under the Paris Agreement, finding that strong transparency norms have not translated into effective accountability mechanisms or donor compliance, meaning transparency alone is insufficient for an equitable climate policy regime.

The document outlines a proposal by the Project for Advancing Climate Transparency (PACT) to assist climate negotiators in creating cohesive implementing guidelines for the Paris Agreement. It focuses on the cycle of planning, implementing, and reviewing climate actions, identifying core requirements for elements such as common timeframes and cooperative processes to ensure accountability and sustainable development.

The Life After Coal Campaign (LAC) argues that new coal-fired power plants in South Africa are irrational, costly, and contrary to international climate obligations. The campaign highlights the severe water externalities of coal, the health risks associated with the proposed Khanyisa power station, and the financial risks of stranded assets as global investment shifts away from thermal coal. LAC advocates for a just transition that prioritizes renewable energy, protects workers' livelihoods, and ensures Eskom's active role in a sustainable energy system.

The Centre for Environmental Rights (CER), representing the Life After Coal/Impilo Ngaphandle Kwamalahle Campaign, submitted detailed comments on the Climate Change Bill, 2018. The CER argues that the Bill focuses too heavily on government bureaucracy and fails to address the urgency of the climate crisis or provide sufficient mechanisms for holding emitters accountable. Key recommendations include setting a strict, legally binding emissions trajectory aligned with the Paris Agreement, ensuring full public disclosure of carbon budgets and GHG reports, and establishing independent oversight and appeals bodies.

The analysis finds that while national climate legislation and strategies grew rapidly before 2009 and now cover 69% of global GHG emissions, their growth has recently stagnated. In contrast, economy-wide GHG targets increased significantly leading up to the 2015 Paris Agreement, covering 93% of global emissions by 2017. Renewable energy targets also showed steady growth, increasing from 45% of global GHG emissions coverage in 2007 to 79% in 2017, with notable increases in developing countries.

The Centre for Environmental Rights (CER), on behalf of the Life After Coal/Impilo Ngaphandle Kwamalahle Campaign, has written to Eskom to challenge the procurement of two coal-fired independent power producers (IPPs): Thabametsi and Khanyisa. The CER argues that these projects are not 'value for money' as they would increase system costs by 19.6 billion Rand, raise greenhouse gas emissions, and risk becoming stranded assets. The letter highlights that the projects lack necessary licenses and are subject to pending High Court reviews. It requests detailed information on the status of the PPAs, the 'value for money' assessment, and compliance with the Public Finance Management Act (PFMA) and New Generation Regulations.

The Centre for Environmental Rights (CER), representing the Life After Coal Campaign, is challenging the progression of the Thabametsi and Khanyisa coal-fired power stations. The CER argues that these projects fail the 'value for money' test, would increase greenhouse gas emissions, and are unable to reach commercial close due to missing licenses and pending High Court reviews. The letter requests detailed information on the status of the procurement process and the specific regulatory approvals required before PPAs can be signed.

The document provides specific wording suggestions to ensure that the Paris Agreement's rights-based vision is reflected in the guidelines for Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), the Transparency Framework, the Global Stocktake, and Article 6 mechanisms. It emphasizes that these guidelines should promote the integration of human rights, gender equality, and indigenous rights without creating new obligations for Parties or new conditionalities for climate finance.

The 2018 Talanoa Dialogue, facilitated by the Fijian and Polish presidencies, aims to raise climate ambition by taking stock of progress toward the Paris Agreement and informing 2020 Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). The process uses a non-adversarial, story-based methodology to foster consensus. NHRIs and civil society are encouraged to provide actionable, positive inputs that link climate action to human rights, including gender equality, indigenous peoples' rights, and just transitions. The dialogue consists of preparatory phases (online submissions and in-session dialogues) and a final political phase at COP-24 in Katowice, Poland.

As of June 30, 2018, Australia and New Zealand have established themselves as leaders in the use of the Climate Bonds Standard, despite differing national climate policy environments. Australia's market is driven by major banks and sub-sovereign entities, with significant issuance in energy, transport, and buildings. New Zealand's market is more nascent, featuring a world-first green borrowing programme for geothermal energy. Both nations are noted for high levels of certification and best-practice reporting, though further policy support and project pipelines are needed to meet Paris Agreement targets.

The policy brief examines the tension between national climate measures and international trade rules, such as those of the WTO. Based on a literature review and 26 expert interviews, it categorizes 22 options for alignment by their short-term political feasibility. The authors recommend six immediate actions: leveraging regional trade agreements (RTAs), engaging in plurilateral efforts like the Environmental Goods Agreement, intensifying WTO and UNFCCC coordination, voluntarily including climate issues in the WTO Trade Policy Review Mechanism, advancing border carbon adjustments (BCAs) via like-minded coalitions, and promoting fossil fuel subsidy reform through a group of WTO Members.

The document analyzes the role of insurance in mitigating the fiscal shocks of climate change, highlighting the growing 'protection gap' where economic losses far exceed insured amounts. It details the shift from historical actuarial data to forward-looking 'catastrophe models' and explores innovative tools such as catastrophe bonds, microinsurance, and sovereign risk pools. The text also discusses the integration of insurance into international climate governance frameworks like the Paris Agreement and the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction.

The document outlines a dialogue between stakeholders on the necessity of a managed decline of Canada's oil and gas sector to avoid the economic and social disruptions of an unmanaged collapse. It emphasizes that climate leadership for wealthy fossil fuel producers requires ending production expansion and implementing supply-side policies. Key discussions focus on the need for a dedicated transition fund, the reform of fossil fuel subsidies and Alberta's low royalty regimes, and the importance of participatory planning that protects workers and communities. The paper argues that a comprehensive policy portfolio—combining demand-side carbon pricing with supply-side production limits—is essential for Canada to meet its global fair share of emissions reductions.