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The report argues that solar thermal technology is an ideal fit for South Africa's food and beverage industries, where up to 77% of energy use is for heating, mostly below 250°C. While the current local industry is dominated by domestic water heaters, there is a significant opportunity to scale industrial applications. The report estimates that replacing non-coal fuels with solar thermal could save 158,685 tonnes of CO2e per annum, while replacing coal could save 942,556 tonnes. Financial viability is high for replacing fuels other than coal, with potential Internal Rates of Return above 10% over 20 years. However, barriers include a lack of sustained demand, a skills gap in industrial design, and limited familiarity among financial institutions.

A coalition of environmental and social justice organisations has formally objected to a planned 'energy indaba' scheduled for December 2017, arguing that it does not constitute meaningful public participation for the draft Integrated Energy Plan (IEP) and Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) Update. The organisations claim the event's short notice and single venue in Gauteng exclude many affected parties. Furthermore, they allege that the Department of Energy has failed to provide critical technical reports and modelling data requested under the Promotion of Access to Information Act (PAIA), which are essential for stakeholders to provide informed input on South Africa's energy future.

The study finds that federal and state subsidies, including tax preferences, make nearly half of new US oil investments profitable at oil prices of USD 50 per barrel. This support could increase US oil production by 17 billion barrels over several decades, contributing up to 6 billion tonnes of CO2 and representing as much as 20% of US oil production through 2050 under a 2 °C warming limit. The authors argue that removing these incentives would align with G20 commitments and provide climate benefits.

The document examines the gap in the Paris Agreement regarding fossil fuel supply and proposes mechanisms to address it. It suggests that countries could use Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and Long-Term Strategies (LTSs) to articulate production phase-downs. The authors argue that such actions would provide clearer signals to financial markets, foster international norms, and support a just transition for affected workers. The paper identifies several entry points within the Paris Agreement, including the enhanced transparency framework, the global stocktake, and finance reform, while acknowledging that consensus-based decision-making in the UNFCCC may require a 'coalition of the willing' to lead by example.

The document outlines a phased carbon tax for South Africa starting at R120 per ton of CO2 equivalent, designed to internalise the cost of GHG emissions while protecting industrial competitiveness through allowances. Economic modelling suggests the tax could reduce emissions by 26% to 33% by 2035 compared to business-as-usual, with significant growth in renewable energy sectors and relative declines in coal and heavy industry. The policy includes revenue recycling mechanisms to protect poor households and ensure electricity price neutrality during the first phase.

A coalition of environmental organizations calls on the Italian government to strengthen the EU's Effort Sharing Regulation by lowering the emission starting point, limiting the use of LULUCF and ETS credits, capping accumulated surpluses, and introducing periodic upward revisions of 2030 targets to align with the Paris Agreement.

A joint letter from environmental organizations to Italian MEPs arguing that the European Commission's Effort Sharing Regulation proposal is inadequate and proposing specific amendments to reduce the carbon budget, limit the use of credits, and introduce periodic target reviews.

A coalition of NGOs argues that the expansion of Vienna airport is incompatible with Austria's climate goals and the Paris Agreement. They highlight that aviation is the most carbon-intensive transport mode, benefiting from tax exemptions and an ineffective carbon offsetting scheme (CORSIA), and call for the end of airport expansions and fuel tax exemptions to meet emission reduction targets.

ClientEarth expresses concern over the incremental delays in publishing the Emissions Reduction Plan | Clean Growth Plan, noting that the government's timeframe shifted from December 2016 to "as early on in 2017 as possible". The organization argues that Sections 12 and 14 of the Climate Change Act require the plan to be published "as soon as is reasonably practicable" following the setting of the fifth carbon budget. ClientEarth highlights that institutional investors require a "detailed policy framework" to mobilize capital for the Paris Agreement targets and calls for a formal consultation process similar to the one used for the 2011 Carbon Plan. The letter demands a revised publication date and an explanation for any further delays.

The document examines the intersection of private sector activity and climate policy, highlighting the potential for a 'new industrial revolution' in green technology. It balances optimism regarding falling costs of renewables and new financial instruments with warnings about 'brown pillars' of the economy, market failures, and the risk of social dislocation similar to that seen during globalisation. The author argues for a public-private partnership where governments shape markets and provide social safety nets to ensure a just transition.

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is conducting a comprehensive review of the Federal coal program via a Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS). This scoping report identifies key areas for reform, including increasing royalty rates to ensure fair market value, accounting for greenhouse gas emissions through carbon budgets or royalty adders, and improving lease process efficiency. The document summarizes extensive public input and proposes several combination packages of policy options to be analyzed in the Draft PEIS, alongside 'no action' and 'no leasing' alternatives.

The study finds that at oil prices of $50 per barrel, U.S. government subsidies make nearly half of discovered, not-yet-producing oil fields profitable, potentially adding 20 billion barrels of production. This would result in approximately 8 billion tonnes of CO2 emissions, representing about 1% of the remaining global carbon budget to limit warming to 2°C. The analysis highlights that while subsidies significantly drive production at lower prices, they primarily function as transfers to industry profits at higher prices (e.g., $100 per barrel). The most impactful subsidy identified is the immediate expensing of intangible drilling costs (IDCs).

The report examines the intersection of climate change and fiduciary duty for public pension fund trustees. It identifies four primary financial risks—physical impact, carbon asset, transition, and litigation—and argues that these risks necessitate the exercise of duties to inquire, monitor, diversify, and act impartially. The document suggests that failure to account for these risks may lead to lawsuits for breach of fiduciary duty, particularly regarding the interests of future beneficiaries. Recommended actions include modifying investment principles, divesting from climate-vulnerable assets, active shareholder engagement, and investing in clean energy.

ClientEarth argues that the Commission on Human Rights of the Philippines has the jurisdiction to investigate the Carbon Majors because climate change threatens fundamental civil and political rights. The brief asserts that there is a linear causal relationship between greenhouse gas emissions and global warming, and that the Carbon Majors' emissions have contributed significantly to this process. It recommends that the Philippine government ratify the Paris Agreement and that the Carbon Majors publish business plans aligned with a warming limit of well below 2 degrees Celsius, in accordance with the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.

ClientEarth calls on the UK government to fulfill its commitment to legislate a net zero emissions target. While the Committee on Climate Change (CCC) suggests that now is not the right time for such a target, ClientEarth argues that a legal target is necessary to signal international support for climate action, provide confidence to investors, and encourage the development of zero-carbon options and removal technologies. The document asserts that establishing a long-term goal does not undermine the immediate priority of meeting existing carbon budgets under the Climate Change Act, nor does it require a detailed 'bottom-up' plan for the distant future.

The document defines the 'Decade Zero' as the critical window to prevent irreversible climate warming. It critiques the current global energy system and neoliberal economic models, labeling market-based mechanisms like carbon trading and REDD as 'false solutions' that protect corporate profits while violating human rights. The report advocates for a systemic transformation centered on climate justice, where developed nations pay their 'climate debt' to the Global South and energy production is shifted to decentralized, community-owned, and sustainable models.

Friends of the Earth International asserts that humanity has entered the 'Decade Zero', the final window to prevent dangerous climate change through drastic action. The document criticizes the neoliberal economic system and the power of transnational corporations, which it claims drive the climate crisis and promote 'false solutions' like carbon markets and REDD. It proposes a transition to 'energy sovereignty', agro-ecology, and community forest management, while demanding that wealthy industrialised nations pay their 'climate debt' to support developing countries.

The Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment and other health professionals argue that the Pacific Northwest LNG Project should be rejected because its environmental assessment fails to fully consider human health impacts. They highlight that the project's emissions would consume a significant portion of British Columbia's 2050 carbon budget, contradicting the Paris Agreement. Additionally, they cite evidence of local health risks from hydraulic fracturing, including groundwater contamination and reproductive toxicity, and express concern over the psychological distress ('solastalgia') and treaty rights violations affecting Indigenous communities, specifically the Blueberry River First Nations.

ClientEarth asserts that while the UK's Climate Change Act 2008 is legally ambitious, successive governments have failed to implement the necessary governance to meet long-term targets. The report highlights a persistent 'policy gap' for the fourth carbon budget and a decline in investor confidence due to abrupt policy shifts, such as the withdrawal of carbon capture and storage (CCS) funding. It recommends the urgent publication of a detailed, annually updated Emissions Reduction Plan and the restoration of cross-departmental coordination and transparent emissions tracking.

The 2030 Effort Sharing Regulation (ESR) is a central EU tool covering approximately 60% of total greenhouse gas emissions, specifically targeting the transport, buildings, agriculture, and waste sectors. While the proposal aims for a 30% reduction in non-ETS emissions by 2030 compared to 2005 levels, Carbon Market Watch argues that this target is insufficient and threatened by various 'loopholes'. These include the use of ETS allowances and LULUCF forestry credits to offset emissions, as well as an inflated starting point based on 2016-2018 average emissions rather than 2020 targets. The brief recommends increasing the 2030 non-ETS target to 45%, implementing five-yearly ratchet mechanisms, and prohibiting the use of forestry and ETS credits to ensure environmental integrity.