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The document argues that while Aid for Trade (AfT) is a vital tool for sustainable development, there is a significant mismatch between the low levels of development assistance for plastic pollution and the high financial flows to the petrochemical sector. It identifies specific capacity-building needs for developing countries—such as circular economy strategies, technology access, and regulatory frameworks—and proposes short- and medium-term deliverables for WTO members to integrate plastic pollution priorities into AfT work programmes.

The policy brief argues that reliable, granular trade data is essential for evidence-based policymaking to tackle plastic pollution, but the current World Customs Organization (WCO) Harmonized System (HS) lacks sufficient detail. It highlights seven key shortfalls in the HS, including inadequate differentiation of primary plastics, gaps in identifying harmful chemical additives, and a failure to track 'hidden' plastics embedded in other products. The authors propose a series of amendments for the 2022–2027 HS cycle, focusing on disaggregating polymer types, improving the classification of plastic waste to align with the Basel Convention, and revealing information on single-use plastics and packaging.

The European transport sector requires a fundamental shift to support a green Europe by 2049. Current transport systems contribute significantly to greenhouse gas emissions, air pollution, and noise, impacting both human health and biodiversity. Proposed solutions include widespread electrification, automation, and shared mobility to reduce resource consumption and urban congestion. A vision for 2049 involves a multimodal system where public transport, cycling, and walking dominate urban areas, while electric bikes and sustainable liquid fuels (such as advanced biofuels or e-fuels) serve rural and long-distance needs. Achieving this requires strategic urban planning, pricing reforms—such as road pricing to replace fuel taxes—and EU policies that accelerate the adoption of zero-emission vehicles and renewable energy.

ClientEarth argues that the current REACH risk management system is unable to match the volume and rate of chemicals entering the market. The document proposes simplifying restriction processes, introducing a 'high concern' trigger for action, and creating a tiered system for transition periods to ensure the significant reduction of hazardous chemicals.

The document argues that Kenya's coffee sector, which employs 30% of the agricultural workforce, faces existential risks from climate change and declining production. It proposes 17 specific Sustainable Consumption and Production Practices (SCPs) across the value chain—from farm-level organic fertilizers and shade trees to factory-level eco-pulping and the use of renewable energy in milling—to increase yields and reduce environmental impacts. The brief recommends that the Kenyan government incorporate SCPs into national coffee reforms, provide subsidies for sustainable technology, and enhance capacity-building through extension officers.

The report examines the plastic recycling ecosystem in Mombasa, Kenya, identifying a value chain that ranges from informal waste pickers to formal converters. While PET, HDPE, and PVC are recycled, other polymers like LDPE and polystyrene largely end up as litter. The study highlights significant barriers to a circular economy, including high licensing costs, poor working conditions for marginalized collectors, and a lack of designated recycling infrastructure. It emphasizes the potential of upcoming Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) regulations to transform the sector and recommends implementing waste segregation at the source and providing financial incentives for recyclers.

The report analyzes urban greenhouse gas emissions, focusing on the transportation and built environment sectors. It evaluates the annual emissions reduction potential of various efficiency-based technologies—such as electric vehicles, LED street lighting, and building retrofits—and explores carbon removal strategies, including artificial technologies and nature-based solutions. The analysis provides a baseline for both global and Swedish emissions to guide municipal policymakers in selecting high-impact decarbonization strategies.

The document maps the various 'entry points' for environmental policy within the WTO, ranging from formal committees and negotiating groups to newer, member-led plurilateral initiatives. It highlights that while no single environmental agreement exists, the WTO manages this nexus through general exceptions (GATT Article XX), monitoring bodies (TBT and SPS committees), and specific negotiations on fisheries subsidies and environmental goods. The brief also details three recent ministerial statements from December 2021 focusing on environmental sustainability, plastic pollution, and fossil fuel subsidy reform, which aim to foster cooperation ahead of the Thirteenth WTO Ministerial Conference.

The document profiles Esther Mirembe and the Namungona Women Empowerment Initiative, a savings group in a Kampala informal settlement. It details how the group provides pro-poor loans to women, converts waste from blocked drains into charcoal, and diversified into soap and mask production during the COVID-19 pandemic. The case study highlights the role of the National Slum Dwellers Federation of Uganda and Slum Dwellers International in promoting locally-led adaptation and resilience against climate change and disasters.

The report highlights the potential for India to establish a sustainable battery industry by implementing reuse and recycling strategies for lithium-ion batteries. It forecasts that between 3.5 and 17 GWh of batteries from passenger and freight vehicles will reach the end of their usable life by 2030. By capturing value through second-life applications and mineral recovery, India can reduce its reliance on imported precious metals and support its goal of 500 GW of non-fossil fuel energy generation by 2030.

Business leaders call on the EU to prioritize the green transition as the primary strategic response to geopolitical instability and high energy costs. They advocate for a rapid shift away from fossil fuel subsidies, the acceleration of electrification across sectors, and a renewed focus on energy efficiency and the circular economy to ensure long-term energy independence and climate resilience.

The US produces a disproportionate amount of global solid waste and recycles only 9% of its plastic. To combat this, the document advocates for policies that protect afflicted communities, shift recycling costs to producers via Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), and support a globally binding UN treaty on plastic pollution.

The report investigates ten prominent textile certification and voluntary schemes, concluding that most are unambitious, opaque, and lack independence. It argues that these initiatives provide a 'licence to greenwash' for fashion brands, allowing them to project a sustainable image while continuing to rely on fossil-fuel-derived synthetic fibres and overproduction. The analysis highlights specific failures in the Higg Index, Cradle to Cradle, and the Microfibre Consortium, while noting that only a few schemes, like OEKO-TEX®, deliver on their narrow promises of chemical management. The document concludes that voluntary self-regulation has failed and calls for mandatory government legislation to ensure true sustainability and accountability in the fashion sector.

The briefing assesses the failure of the EU ETS to reduce emissions in the steel sector, which accounts for 221 megatonnes of CO2 annually. It identifies flaws such as excessive free allowances and stagnant benchmarks—particularly for hot metal—that have led to flatlining emissions since 2012. The author proposes replacing free permits with a Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) and increasing funding for the Innovation Fund to support zero-carbon technologies like hydrogen direct reduction.

The GCF is developing its own Environmental and Social Safeguards (ESS) to replace the interim IFC Performance Standards. The proposed framework expands from eight to ten standards, adding dedicated standards for Stakeholder Engagement and Information Disclosure (ESS 9) and Climate Change Resilience and Adaptation (ESS 10). Key updates across all standards include a shift from a 'do-no-harm' to a 'do-good' approach, emphasizing the generation of positive co-benefits, the integration of circular economy principles, and a stronger focus on human rights, gender equality, and intersectionality. The document outlines specific structural and content changes for each standard, including new requirements for greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions disclosure, the use of a precautionary approach, and enhanced protections for Indigenous Peoples and vulnerable groups.

The report evaluates four sanitation configurations in Montero, Bolivia, finding that while the city's utility cooperative COSMOL successfully manages a mix of centralized and decentralized systems, significant gaps in governance, technical optimization, and public awareness persist. It highlights that urine-diverting dry toilets (UDDTs) offer the highest environmental potential and that local farmers are open to using treated sanitation by-products as fertilizers, provided quality and price are managed. However, household adoption of non-sewered systems is hindered by perceptions of odors and a view of such technologies as merely transitional.

The report evaluates four sanitation system configurations in Montero, Bolivia, finding that while the utility COSMOL has successfully implemented mixed services, significant gaps remain in environmental sustainability and governance. It highlights that minor technical optimizations can reduce health and environmental risks across all systems, with urine-diverting dry toilets (UDDTs) offering the highest potential for impact reduction. While local farmers show interest in sanitation-derived fertilizers, household acceptance of on-site systems is hindered by concerns over odors and vectors. The report concludes that upscaling sustainable sanitation requires stronger collaboration between local authorities and COSMOL, new policy instruments, and a long-term strategic vision.

The report analyzes 57 SEI projects from 2010-2021, finding a heavy concentration in circular bioeconomy, solid waste, and water management, primarily in Europe and Asia. It identifies critical knowledge gaps in impact assessment, just transition, business models, and consumer behavior, recommending a shift toward higher-priority circularity strategies (refuse and rethink) and transdisciplinary, multi-stakeholder collaborations.

The WWF-US Corporate Partnership Report for FY2021 outlines the organization's strategic approach to private sector engagement, categorizing partnerships into sustainable business practices, communications and awareness, philanthropy, and employee engagement. The report lists numerous corporate partners across various budget tiers, highlighting specific collaborations on issues such as plastic waste, deforestation, and climate targets. In FY21, income from these corporate partnerships accounted for 3% of the WWF-US office's total income.

The report argues that EPR should be a core component of the EU's strategy for sustainable textiles to operationalise the 'polluter pays' principle and reduce over-consumption. It recommends a harmonised EU-wide approach to EPR, including a consistent definition of 'producer', a broad scope of in-scope products, and the use of eco-modulation to incentivise better design. Because EPR alone cannot address all environmental, social, and animal welfare impacts, the report proposes a suite of complementary measures, such as banning hazardous chemicals, implementing minimum eco-design requirements for durability and repairability, and introducing recycled content targets. The authors advocate for a single, industry-owned, not-for-profit EPR scheme per Member State to better coordinate strategic infrastructure investment and data reporting.