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The 2022 state of global environmental governance was marked by a post-pandemic return to in-person multilateralism, resulting in significant milestones such as the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and the agreement to establish a loss and damage fund for vulnerable countries. The report notes the rise of 'nature-based solutions' across various treaties and the formal recognition of the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment by the UN General Assembly. However, geopolitical tensions, specifically the war in Ukraine, and ongoing financial gaps continue to challenge the implementation of these global goals.

The Climate Action Handbook is a guide designed to empower South African communities to respond to climate change by combining scientific understanding with legal action. It defines climate vulnerability and resilience, outlines South Africa's specific climate risks and legal framework—including constitutional rights and environmental legislation—and provides a ten-step practical framework for community-led climate action, ranging from advocacy and information gathering to formal legal proceedings.

The Administrative Court of Paris ruled that the French government's failure to implement effective measures to address climate change caused ecological damage. In October 2021, the court ordered the State to take immediate and concrete actions by December 31, 2022, to comply with emission reduction commitments and repair damage by subtracting excess emissions from its 2021 and 2022 targets.

The Supreme Court of Nepal ordered the government to enact a new climate change law after finding that the Environmental Protection Act of 1997 was inadequate for mitigation and adaptation. The court ruled that inaction violated constitutional rights to a dignified life and a healthy environment, as well as international commitments under the UNFCCC and the Paris Agreement. Following the decision, Nepal passed the Environment Protection Act of 2019 and the Forests Act of 2019.

The briefing discusses the need for a post-2025 climate finance goal and proposes four procedural pathways: creating an ad hoc Technical Committee, mandating a process led by the Subsidiary Body for Implementation (SBI), establishing a dedicated Work Program, or having the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Paris Agreement (CMA) outline the process via co-facilitators. It emphasizes that a robust technical process is necessary to address the needs of developing countries and scale up finance mobilization.

The document examines the opportunities and barriers to moving UNFCCC climate negotiations online. While digital tools could disrupt outdated and opaque practices, the transition is hindered by a lack of trust among Parties and concerns that virtual formats might exacerbate structural inequities or reduce transparency for media and NGOs. The author recommends the creation of a taskforce to design future session formats and calls for leadership from the UN Secretary-General and the UNFCCC Secretariat to modernize multilateral diplomacy.

The research finds that climate adaptation finance for Africa is significantly lower than mitigation finance and the actual investment needs of the region. Between 2014 and 2018, adaptation finance was dominated by loans over grants, heavily concentrated in only two sectors, and suffered from low disbursement rates compared to general development finance.

The document establishes that Adaptation Communications (ADCOMs) are voluntary, country-driven, and flexible tools designed to avoid imposing additional burdens on developing countries. It explicitly states that ADCOMs are not intended for direct comparison between parties and are not subject to review.

The document explains that Adaptation Communications (ADCOMs) are voluntary reports under the Paris Agreement designed to synthesize a country's climate adaptation priorities, needs, and lessons. It outlines four primary purposes: increasing the visibility of adaptation relative to mitigation, mobilizing support for developing countries, providing data for the Global Stocktake, and enhancing learning. The text details flexible submission methods—as standalone documents, linked to other reports, or as components of existing documents like NDCs or NAPs—and emphasizes that ADCOMs should not create additional burdens for developing nations. It also provides a detailed list of optional content elements and explains how countries can leverage their ongoing NAP processes to inform their ADCOMs.

The document explains that Adaptation Communications (ADCOMs) are optional reports under the Paris Agreement used by countries to share climate adaptation priorities, needs, and lessons. It outlines four main objectives: increasing attention to adaptation, strengthening support for developing countries, contributing to the Global Stocktake, and improving knowledge of adaptation measures. Countries can submit ADCOMs as standalone documents, jointly with other reports, or as components of existing documents like NDCs or NAPs to minimize administrative burdens. The text emphasizes that ADCOMs are country-driven, flexible, and not intended for direct comparison between parties.

The report explores the potential for a digital transition of the UNFCCC process, finding broad stakeholder support for moving technical and preparatory activities online, while highlighting significant concerns regarding power imbalances, the digital divide, and the loss of informal relationship-building essential for political consensus.

The document examines the political challenges hindering the coordination of climate finance, focusing on the relationship between the Climate Investment Funds (CIF) and the Green Climate Fund (GCF). It highlights how divergent governance structures, domestic bureaucratic politics in recipient countries, and fragmented development coordination frameworks create inefficiencies. Using examples from Kenya and Zambia, it illustrates the tension between different government ministries over who should lead climate finance coordination. The brief recommends that contributor governments provide more consistent guidance and that the UNFCCC Standing Committee on Finance helps clarify the organizational strengths and roles of various funds.

The guide outlines strategies for maximizing productivity at a COP, including how to use different access passes, the importance of daily planning across overlapping agendas, and techniques for professional networking. It emphasizes the value of attending negotiations as an observer to track national delegations and suggests practical tips such as wearing comfortable shoes and using digital business cards.

The document outlines the objectives of a joint briefing by several institutes to analyze how the EU's CBAM, part of the "Fit for 55" package, affects climate-vulnerable countries, including least developed countries and small island developing states. It focuses on the differences between the European Commission and European Parliament positions, the identification of most-affected countries based on carbon-intensive sectors and export reliance, the implications for UNFCCC climate action, and the potential for CBAM revenues to support low-carbon transitions abroad.

The policy brief examines the history and impact of UN mega-conferences on sustainable development, focusing on the 1972 Stockholm Conference, the 1992 Rio Earth Summit, the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg, and the 2012 Rio+20 conference. It highlights the persistent tension between developed and developing nations regarding the priority of economic development versus environmental protection. While these events have established global agendas, common principles, and institutional mechanisms like UNEP and the HLPF, the author notes that they often struggle to catalyze national-level action due to a lack of political will and a tendency for negotiations to protect narrow national interests. The document concludes that while mega-conferences are valuable for stakeholder integration and agenda-setting, they are not a substitute for the political will required to solve global sustainable development challenges.

The report characterizes "net zero" agendas as a "Great Cheat," asserting that they allow major polluters to continue emissions while relying on unproven technologies and flawed offsetting schemes. It details how these entities use lobbying, financial influence over academia, and corporate capture of international forums like the UNFCCC to displace real emission reductions. The document highlights specific failures in the plans of companies such as Shell, Total SA, and JBS, and calls for a transition to "Real Zero" by 2030 through systemic change and climate justice.

A September 2021 survey of 898 registered U.S. voters shows broad support for international climate action, including a 73% approval rate for the U.S. pledge to reduce carbon pollution by 50% by 2030. While 66% of voters believe the U.S. should reduce emissions regardless of other countries' actions, there is even stronger consensus that developing countries (81%) and other industrialized nations (74%) should do more to address global warming. Support for providing financial and technical aid to developing countries for mitigation (66%) and adaptation (61%) has increased since March 2021, though significant partisan divides remain, particularly among conservative Republicans.

The document describes COP Pavilions as spaces for Parties and observer organisations to host events, showcase research, and network. It details the types of activities held there, how attendees find events, and the application process for COP26.

The document explains that COP26 is divided into a UN-managed Blue Zone for accredited experts and decision-makers and a host-nation-managed Green Zone for the public. It outlines various methods of attendance, including official accreditation, volunteering, obtaining passes from partner entities, participating in city-wide events in Glasgow, and engaging via online broadcasts and social media.

The document explains that human activities, primarily the burning of fossil fuels, are the main drivers of global warming, which has seen average global temperatures rise by about one degree Celsius since 1880. It details the resulting environmental impacts, such as rising sea levels, ocean acidification, and increased frequency of extreme weather events, while highlighting the specific vulnerability of the United States to billion-dollar disasters. The text outlines mitigation and adaptation strategies, including the transition to renewable energy and energy efficiency, and discusses the role of international agreements like the Paris Agreement and the influence of climate finance in supporting these transitions.