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Reclaim Finance argues that the financial sector continues to drive biodiversity loss by funding fossil fuel exploitation, which causes deforestation, habitat fragmentation, and pollution. The organization criticizes current financial frameworks like the TNFD for focusing too much on transparency rather than concrete action. It demands that financial actors and regulators exclude all support for oil, gas, and coal projects in critical areas such as the Amazon, the Arctic, and the Coral Triangle, noting that the latter is threatened by over 450 offshore exploration blocks and 31 LNG terminals.

The document outlines the environmental and social risks of fracking, highlighting its high water consumption and methane emissions. It specifically discusses Mexico's shift toward exploiting unconventional gas reserves under President Claudia Sheinbaum to reduce dependence on US gas, while noting the technique's controversy in Argentina and other Latin American nations.

Ghana faces a critical juncture where economic recovery is threatened by a fragile, high-carbon energy sector and widespread illegal mining. The energy sector is characterized by high debt, a heavy reliance on thermal generation, and a lack of renewable energy investment. Simultaneously, illegal mining (galamsey) causes severe deforestation and water pollution, threatening food security and the viability of hydropower. The document proposes a transition toward sustainable growth through competitive solar auctions, the establishment of a green investment facility, the formalization of artisanal mining via the Ghana Gold Board, and large-scale ecosystem restoration.

The World Resources Institute argues that introducing a 'no-risk' category to the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) would undermine the law's effectiveness by creating loopholes for 'deforestation laundering' and risking World Trade Organization (WTO) legal challenges. The author contends that the current system, which includes a 'low-risk' category for countries like the United States and EU Member States, is sufficient and that removing due diligence requirements for 'no-risk' countries would make it 'effectively impossible' to prevent deforestation-linked goods from entering the EU market. The document emphasizes that the EUDR, set to take effect in December 2026, must maintain its core requirements for seven key commodities—timber, cattle, cocoa, coffee, oil palm, rubber, and soy—to meet the EU's goal of halting forest loss by 2030.

The report details how the Nsuta manganese mine in Ghana, operated by the Ghana Manganese Company (GMC) and controlled by China's Ningxia Tianyuan Manganese Industry Group (TMI), is causing severe health and environmental damage. Findings include the use of toxic mine pit water for dust suppression, leading to skin, eye, and respiratory issues among residents, and the existence of an unstable tailings dump that threatens local homes. The report also highlights the risk to the Neung Forest Reserve, a critical biodiversity hotspot, as mining operations expand to meet the rising demand for manganese in EV batteries for companies like Tesla, Ford, and General Motors.

WWF's report explores using market forces to manage invasive species, specifically focusing on the development of a framework to evaluate the ecological and business viability of such efforts. It highlights a proof-of-concept project involving the processing of invasive carp for pet food via the company IGNIZA, which utilizes a former limestone mine to reduce energy costs. The report provides detailed ecological and business checklists to prevent unintended consequences, such as incentivizing the spread of invasive species, and applies these to case studies of invasive carp and black locust trees.

Analysis of the Global Oil and Gas Extraction Tracker (GOGET) reveals that oil and gas fields now take significantly longer to come online than in the 1960–1980 period, with 2025 startups averaging 15.1 years. This increase is driven by the depletion of easily accessible fields, forcing companies to target technically challenging 'hard-to-recover' reserves, such as ultra-high pressure '20K technology' fields in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico and remote Arctic projects in Russia. Additional delays stem from reservoir compositions (e.g., sour gas), ecological risks in protected areas, and more stringent environmental regulations, such as the UK's 2025 guidance on scope three emissions. The report argues that these long lead times increase the risk of creating stranded assets and locking in production that contradicts global climate targets to limit warming to 1.5°C.

The report details the disproportionate burden of climate change on Africa, noting that since 1984, the continent has faced 1,865 climate-related disasters resulting in US$53 billion in losses. It highlights a critical lack of financial protection, with only 9% of disaster losses insured. Regional analysis shows water-related disasters as the primary threat, with severe flooding in East Africa and historic droughts in Southern Africa and the Horn of Africa. The document also links climate change to the spread of diseases like cholera and malaria, and the risk of desertification in the Sahel and West Africa.

The report analyzes the evolution of state governance in the Global South, identifying a disconnect between political participation and institutional capacity. It employs a horizon scan across five domains and develops four scenarios—the Growth World, Sustainable World, Divided World, and World at War—to model potential governance trajectories. Key findings highlight the rise of hybrid governance, the destabilizing effect of extreme inequality, and the urgent need for anticipatory governance to manage systemic shocks like the global debt crisis and climate vulnerability.

A coalition of NGOs, including Reclaim Finance, asserts that TotalEnergies' response to their complaint about the Papua LNG project is insufficient. They highlight critical gaps in transparency regarding climate risk assessments, human rights impacts, and biodiversity studies. The authors argue that the project risks emitting 220 million tonnes of CO2, threatening endangered species and indigenous rights, while failing to provide clear information to local communities or adhere to the Equator Principles and IFC standards.

The document examines the role of the proposed UN Legally Binding Instrument (LBI) in addressing corporate impunity for environmental and human rights abuses. It argues that existing voluntary frameworks, such as the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, are inadequate because they lack enforceable obligations. The LBI is presented as a mechanism to turn the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment (RtHE) into actionable obligations, including strict liability for parent companies and extraterritorial jurisdiction. The text highlights specific cases of corporate harm in Uganda, Chile, Senegal, India, Brazil, Colombia, Serbia, Iraq, and the 'Lithium Triangle' to illustrate the need for binding regulation. It also discusses how recent Advisory Opinions from the International Court of Justice and the Inter-American Court of Human Rights reinforce the necessity of state-led regulation of private actors to prevent climate and environmental harm.

ClientEarth argues that the Vision 2040 for fisheries and aquaculture must move beyond 'paper commitments' by integrating environmental, climate, and fisheries laws. The organization emphasizes the need for tangible, measurable targets, the phase-out of harmful subsidies, and a shift in funding toward small-scale fishers and marine restoration to ensure Europe's strategic autonomy and food security.

ClientEarth argues that the MSFD has failed to achieve Good Environmental Status (GES) by its 2020 deadline and proposes a revision that turns GES into a binding 'obligation of result'. The response calls for clear, quantifiable EU-wide thresholds, the introduction of interim targets, and a strict non-deterioration obligation. It emphasizes the need for policy coherence between the MSFD and the proposed Ocean Act, as well as the alignment of fisheries management and climate obligations with marine protection. Furthermore, it advocates for dedicated funding streams and the introduction of robust compliance mechanisms, including access to justice, dissuasive penalties, and a right to compensation for damages resulting from breaches of the directive.

Analysis of the Global Oil and Gas Extraction Tracker (GOGET) reveals that the time from discovery to production for new oil and gas fields has increased significantly, averaging 15.1 years for fields starting in 2025 compared to 4.9 years between 1960 and 1980. This trend is driven by the depletion of easy-to-access reserves, forcing companies toward technically complex '20K' high-pressure reservoirs, deepwater projects, and 'acid gas' fields. Additional delays stem from stricter environmental regulations, such as the UK's 2025 requirement to include Scope 3 emissions in impact assessments, and ecological risks in protected areas. The report argues that these long lead times increase the risk of creating stranded assets and conflict with the 1.5 °C warming limit, suggesting that capital should be redirected toward renewable energy.

The briefing examines the legal implications of the 2025 ICJ Advisory Opinion on climate change, arguing that the provision of fossil fuel subsidies may constitute an internationally wrongful act. It extends this reasoning to other harmful subsidies, such as those in agriculture and plastics, and provides recommendations for states to reduce legal risk through transparent, phased reforms and international coordination via the Coalition on Phasing Out Fossil Fuel Incentives Including Subsidies (COFFIS).

The document argues that the ICJ's 2025 advisory opinion transforms the removal of fossil fuel subsidies from a political commitment into a legal imperative, as such subsidies may constitute an 'internationally wrongful act'. It suggests this reasoning extends to other harmful subsidies, such as those in agriculture and plastics, increasing the legal risk for states. The briefing recommends that governments implement transparent, gradual phase-out plans, prioritize social protection over production subsidies, and coordinate internationally through initiatives like the Coalition on Phasing Out Fossil Fuel Incentives including Subsidies (COFFIS).

The European Central Bank (ECB) will introduce a 'climate factor' on 15 June 2026 to adjust the valuation of marketable assets issued by non-financial corporations used as collateral. The factor penalizes assets tied to high-emission activities based on sector-specific stressors, issuer-specific climate scores, and asset maturity. Reclaim Finance argues the measure is a positive step but suffers from transparency gaps and a flawed annual calculation cycle that may misrepresent risks for short-term assets. The briefing recommends making climate factors public, automating calculations, and extending the framework to credit claims and other asset classes to ensure comprehensive integration of climate risks into monetary policy.

The Indigenous Advisory Group (IAG) of the Banks and Biodiversity Initiative calls on financial institutions to uphold the Amazon Soy Moratorium's (ASM) zero-deforestation standards despite Brazilian political rollbacks. The IAG argues that soy expansion drives land encroachment and tenure insecurity for Indigenous Peoples, while abandoning ASM criteria increases legal, reputational, and transition risks for banks. The group advocates for farm-level traceability, the treatment of all Amazon deforestation as incompatible with financing, and the integration of Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) into due diligence.

In January 2026, severe wildfires affected central-southern Chile and northern Patagonia in Argentina, driven by temperatures above 38°C, drought, and winds of 40–50 km/h. The fires destroyed at least 1,000 homes in Chile, killed 23 people, and burned over 109,000 hectares across both countries, impacting the UNESCO world heritage site Los Alerces National Park. An attribution study using the hot-dry-windy index (HDWI) found that these conditions, typically 1-in-5-year events, were made more likely by human-induced climate change by a factor of approximately 3 in Chile and 2.5 in Patagonia. Additionally, fire-season rainfall intensity decreased by about 25% in Chile and 20% in Patagonia. The study highlights that nonnative monocultural pine plantations increased flammability and that natural variability, such as La Niña and the Southern Annular Mode, further enhanced the hot and dry conditions.

The author argues that the IPBES Assessment on Businesses and Biodiversity relies on the flawed assumption that companies lack awareness of their environmental impacts. The text asserts that biodiversity destruction remains profitable, leading companies to lobby against regulations. It highlights the failure of voluntary corporate actions, noting that less than 1% of reporting companies significantly disclose biodiversity impacts. The author rejects market-based instruments like biodiversity credits and certifications as 'false solutions' and 'greenwashing,' calling instead for binding international norms and strict limits on corporate impacts to prevent ecological collapse.