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The policy brief examines the long-standing tension between the World Trade Organization's (WTO) focus on trade liberalization and the need for environmental protection. It highlights the failure of the Committee on Trade and Environment (CTE) to produce recommendations and the persistence of harmful subsidies in agriculture, fisheries, and fossil fuels. The author argues that the WTO must integrate science-policy interfaces and prioritize sustainable development to support the Paris Agreement and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, noting recent member-led initiatives on plastics and climate as potential paths forward.

The report argues that while COVID-19 provided a temporary respite for the environment, it exacerbated social inequalities and led to a rebound in carbon emissions. It contends that current 'green recovery' efforts are insufficient, primarily limited to wealthy nations and focused narrowly on decarbonisation while neglecting nature and social justice. The authors advocate for a structural shift toward a circular economy, nature-based solutions, and innovative finance like debt-for-nature swaps to ensure a sustainable and equitable transition.

The paper assesses how the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) and the sustainability movement shape the industrialisation trajectory of the SADC region. It argues that while 4IR technologies offer opportunities for leapfrogging legacy industries and formalising the informal sector, they also risk creating high-tech enclaves, global monopolies, and 'gig-economy sweatshops'. The authors propose a reimagined strategy that integrates 4IR and green economy goals to achieve broad economic wellbeing rather than focusing solely on job creation.

The Bioplastic Feedstock Alliance (BFA) methodology establishes a two-tier screening process—Executive Level and Survey Level—to evaluate biobased plastic feedstocks across 13 environmental and social indicators. The tool aims to decouple plastic production from fossil fuels while mitigating risks related to biodiversity loss, food security, and human rights. It emphasizes regional specificity, climate resilience, and the use of science-based indicators to identify trade-offs and mitigation strategies for both traditional agricultural and novel feedstocks.

The analysis finds that current bioeconomy transitions in Brazil, India, and Indonesia often promote unjust production systems that benefit agribusiness while marginalizing traditional communities and local populations.

The report outlines a strategy for the Norwegian culture sector to align with the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement. It identifies a shift in the sector from merely inspiring others to addressing its own carbon footprint, highlighting tools like the Green Producers Tool and certifications such as Miljøfyrtårn. The authors propose three main instruments: making sustainability goals the foundation of all cultural policy, requiring sustainability information for all public funding, and establishing a dedicated competence center for sustainability, climate, and culture, potentially linked to the Sustainability Center in Trondheim.

The report identifies systemic barriers for NEETs in remote island regions, including limited vocational training in green skills, high costs of mobility, and a lack of specialized financial support. It recommends that the EU establish mandatory funding shares for green employment and innovation within the 2021-2027 budget and NextGenerationEU, implement a centralized EU student loan system, and create a 'Sustainability for islands secretariat' to expand support beyond energy to include education.

The document argues that while nearly 25% of global deaths are linked to economic decisions affecting the environment, the health community remains largely invisible in global environmental negotiations. It identifies a 'triple planetary crisis' (biodiversity loss, climate change, and pollution) and a 'Triple Billion' health burden, asserting that the merger of environmental and health governance is necessary to prevent environmental policies from negatively impacting health or widening inequities. The guide provides specific entry points for health stakeholders within Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs), such as the CBD and UNFCCC, and recommends shifting toward multi-sectoral health governance where health data informs national environmental plans and health experts participate in intersessional decision-making bodies.

The report outlines a consensus among approximately 30 Canadian civil society organizations to prioritize absolute emissions reductions over carbon removals and offsets. Key recommendations include establishing a firm fossil fuel phase-out date, ending subsidies for nuclear and carbon capture technologies, and integrating Indigenous reconciliation and just transition principles into climate policy. The document highlights a tension between incremental government targets and the systemic change required to align with a 1.5°C warming limit.

The report details a series of virtual workshops held in 2021 involving approximately 30 civil society organizations to discuss Canada's net-zero goals. The findings highlight a strong consensus on the need for absolute emission reductions, the phase-out of fossil fuels, and the prioritization of 'safe bets' like clean electricity and energy efficiency over uncertain technologies. Key areas of concern include the role of carbon capture and storage (CCS), the use of carbon offsets, and the necessity of integrating climate justice and Indigenous reconciliation into national strategies. The document concludes with a set of proposed 'guardrails' and policy demands to guide Canada's transition to carbon neutrality.

The document argues that while nearly 25% of global deaths are linked to economic decisions affecting the environment, health stakeholders remain largely invisible in global environmental negotiations. It provides a technical roadmap for health professionals to engage with key multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs), emphasizing that environmental governance is effectively health governance. The guide details specific opportunities within the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), the UNFCCC, chemicals conventions, and the Committee on World Food Security (CFS), advocating for a multi-sectoral health governance model that incorporates Planetary Health and One Health frameworks.

The document outlines ten principles for the credible implementation of chemical recycling, emphasizing that it must complement rather than replace mechanical recycling and upstream reduction and reuse strategies. It argues that chemical recycling is currently unproven in its environmental performance and warns that it could increase carbon emissions or divert investment from more effective solutions. Key requirements include demonstrating a minimum 20% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions compared to virgin resin, ensuring no negative impacts on local communities or nature, and restricting the definition of recycling to material-to-material applications, explicitly excluding plastic-to-fuel processes.

The report finds that biomass supply chains, particularly those using lignocellulosic biomass, could offset a significant portion of the approximately 4,000 coal trucking jobs expected to decline during South Africa's energy transition. By modelling four SAF production pathways, the study estimates that nearly 75% of current coal trucking jobs could be directly transitioned to biomass transport using existing side tipper trucks. Additional opportunities exist for super link and tanker drivers, though these may require capital investment for truck conversion or specialized training. The analysis concludes that embracing a bio-based and circular economy is essential for an inclusive just transition for workers in the coal value chain.

The Basque Centre for Climate Change (BC3) has developed a guide containing 10 educational activities for high school students, aligned with BC3's research lines. The activities use active methodologies to cover topics such as carbon footprints, planetary boundaries, climate justice, and urban heat islands. The guide includes a conceptual overview of climate change, emphasizing the need to limit global warming to 1.5ºC, and provides structured lesson plans with specific goals, competencies, and resources.

The catalog consists of 10 independent educational activities linked to five BC3 research lines: Climate Basis, Low Carbon, Terrestrial Ecosystems, Adaptation Laboratory, and Integrated Models of Human and Natural Systems. These activities employ active methodologies, such as cooperative learning and research-based learning, to develop students' scientific and social competencies. Key topics include carbon footprint calculation, planetary boundaries, climate justice, degrowth, and urban heat islands. The guide also provides a conceptual overview of climate change, citing IPCC AR6 data to emphasize the need to limit global warming to 1.5 ºC by reducing global emissions by 43% and methane emissions by 34% by 2030.

The report examines how a 'just transition'—ensuring the costs of moving to low-carbon societies are fairly distributed—can be applied in the Global South. Through studies in nine countries, it identifies systemic barriers such as high rates of informal labour, insecure land tenure, and a lack of socio-economic data. It argues that international climate finance is currently too focused on technical transitions and must be broadened to support the social and economic needs of affected communities, including re-skilling and social safety nets.

The report argues that while Kenya is advancing in renewable energy and climate policy, its transition to a low-carbon economy risks marginalizing informal workers, women, and youth. It examines sectoral vulnerabilities in agriculture, energy, transport, industry, forestry, waste, and tourism, highlighting a critical gap between national climate goals and the social protection mechanisms needed to ensure a just transition. The document recommends integrating just transition principles into the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and Medium-Term Plans, emphasizing the need for reskilling, gender quotas, and the formalization of the informal sector to prevent livelihood losses.

The Green Economy Climate Finance Database 2022, developed by GreenCape with support from the Western Cape Department of Economic Development and Tourism, tracks over 150 financing opportunities across approximately 125 stakeholders, with a total available value of ZAR 25 billion. The report identifies a market failure characterized by a mismatch between available climate finance and a bankable pipeline of projects, noting a particular scarcity of high-risk early-stage finance and venture capital in South Africa. While clean energy is the primary focus of available funding, the database covers eight financial instruments, including debt, equity, and grants, primarily targeting small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and projects in the growth phase.

The document details a partnership between Tradewinds, a parasol manufacturer, and Mors Design, an upcycling initiative, facilitated by WISP. By repurposing textile offcuts that were previously destined for landfill, Mors Design created a new product line of 'Brollie bags', reducing waste disposal costs for Tradewinds and increasing revenue and artisan employment for Mors Design.

The 2022 Waste Market Intelligence Report by GreenCape identifies significant value-add potential in the waste sectors of Cape Town and the Western Cape, estimating a total potential of R320 million to R5 billion annually. The report highlights organic waste as the greatest opportunity, driven by provincial landfill restrictions aiming for 100% diversion by 2027 and the City of Cape Town's (CCT) goal of 100% organic waste diversion by 2027. Key drivers include rising landfill gate fees—with the CCT having the highest metropolitan fee in South Africa at R557 per tonne (excl. VAT)—and the implementation of mandatory Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for paper, packaging, electronics, and lighting as of November 2021. The report details specific opportunities in black soldier fly larvae production, biogas, and composting, while noting barriers such as inadequate source separation and the lack of reliable e-waste data. It also outlines the CCT's planned investments in four new material recovery facilities (MRFs) and its strategic shift toward a circular waste economy.