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The Changing Markets Foundation writes to Unilever regarding its 'Talking Trash' report, which found a global trend of corporations undermining legislative solutions to plastic pollution. While acknowledging Unilever's progress in disclosing its plastic footprint and trialling refill pilots, the foundation criticises the company's low recycled content (1% of total purchased resin in 2018) and its reliance on chemical recycling. The letter demands that Unilever publicly support mandatory deposit return systems globally, increase transparency on its full plastic footprint, and commit to measurable reductions in single-use plastics.

The South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA) convened a youth working meeting on 8 October 2020 to determine the priorities for a civil society submission to the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM). Participants defined a 'picture of success' for South Africa, emphasizing the need for committed leadership, youth representation in decision-making, and the eradication of gender-based violence and corruption. The meeting identified a broad range of governance concerns, including unemployment, climate change, and the digital divide, which will be organized into 12 working groups to develop evidence-based recommendations by January 2021.

The report examines how firms utilize services to support circular economy activities and the impact of digitalization on this transition. Based on a survey of 96 firms, it finds that a high proportion of small and medium-sized enterprises engage in international services trade, particularly through digital trade and offshore commercial presence. While 40% of respondents faced no barriers, others identified regulatory differences concerning waste treatment and environmental impact reporting as significant obstacles to trade.

The document examines the progress of five EU Member States in developing policies for a climate-neutral industry. It finds that while most have set 2030 targets, these are generally conservative and focused on energy efficiency. The Netherlands and Germany are the most advanced, implementing specific incentives for advanced technologies, whereas Hungary, Poland, and Spain remain largely in the agenda-setting and policy-formulation stages. The brief emphasizes the need for a predictable legal environment and harmonized EU policies to avoid distorted competition in the basic materials sector.

The report examines how services—ranging from R&D and IT to waste management and repair—enable circular economy business models. Based on a survey of 96 firms, it finds that approximately 70% of circular service providers export their services, often via digital means (Mode 1) or foreign subsidiaries (Mode 3). The study highlights that micro and small enterprises are disproportionately active in this trade. Key barriers identified include divergent national regulations on waste and secondary materials, as well as data flow restrictions. The authors argue for an integrated trade policy that liberalizes both goods and services simultaneously to accelerate the global transition to a circular economy.

The report argues that traditional mining taxation, heavily reliant on corporate income tax and royalties, is insufficient for developing countries due to profit shifting and outdated paradigms. It highlights new pressures, including the transition to low-carbon minerals, disruptive automation technologies that reduce local employment and payroll taxes, and the financial burdens of climate change. The document proposes a three-step roadmap—understanding current roles, crowdsourcing innovative ideas, and researching these options—to create a handbook of improved mining revenue collection strategies.

The guide argues that traditional mining tax regimes, primarily based on corporate income tax and royalties, are outdated and vulnerable to profit shifting. It highlights how the energy transition, disruptive technologies like AI and automation, and climate change are altering the economic landscape of the extractive sector. The document proposes a three-step dialogue process involving governments, industry, and civil society to identify innovative fiscal reforms that ensure sustainable and equitable revenue collection for resource-rich developing nations.

The report argues that traditional mining tax regimes, primarily based on corporate income tax and royalties, are outdated and often fail to generate expected revenues due to aggressive tax planning by multinationals and overly generous incentives. It highlights how the transition to a low-carbon economy, the rise of automation and AI in mining, and the pressures of climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic necessitate a reconsideration of how states tax mineral resources. The document proposes a three-step dialogue process involving governments, industry, and civil society to develop a manual of innovative fiscal ideas that ensure equitable and sustainable returns from mining.

The document examines how SADC member states can leverage their vast reserves of EV-related minerals and metals (EVMM) to move from raw material export to regional beneficiation. It highlights the need for a public-private EVMM working group and coalition to coordinate value chains, formalise artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM), and implement a circular economy approach to mining waste. The brief emphasizes that a regional 'green deal' and the finalisation of the Africa Mining Vision (AMV) are essential for a just transition to a low-carbon economy.

Ghost gear is identified as the most lethal form of marine plastic debris, contributing between 500,000 and 1 million tonnes of plastic to the oceans annually. It causes indiscriminate 'ghost fishing' that threatens endangered species, damages critical habitats, and creates economic losses for fisheries and other maritime sectors. While various international frameworks like UNCLOS and MARPOL exist, the report describes them as fragmented and ineffective. WWF advocates for a combination of preventive measures (gear marking, circular design), mitigation (biodegradable materials), and curative actions (retrieval programs), culminating in the call for a new UN treaty on marine plastic pollution.

The document argues for a comprehensive AU-EU partnership on the green transition and energy access that moves beyond a risk-based lens to address Africa's developmental goals. It highlights the critical need to expand electricity access, leverage private investment through de-risking mechanisms, and integrate nexus issues such as agriculture and the digital economy. While acknowledging the disruption of the COVID-19 pandemic, the briefing suggests the crisis offers an opportunity to redesign the partnership to ensure a just transition that includes skills development and gender mainstreaming.

The document examines the role of the circular economy in the economic recovery of the EU and AU following the COVID-19 pandemic. It highlights the EU's Green Deal and its goal of carbon neutrality by 2050, while noting that African countries often practice circular economy principles without formal policies. The brief suggests that the EU's desire to shorten global value chains for food and medical security presents an opportunity for Africa to enhance its regional value chains in mining and agriculture through partnerships. It recommends that the EU-AU Summit prioritize a circular economy baseline for all future programmes to ensure sustainable development and the attainment of Sustainable Development Goals.

The We Mean Business Coalition argues that integrating climate ambition into economic recovery is a strategic necessity for long-term growth and resilience. The statement highlights that green recovery measures are more effective at creating jobs and increasing GDP than traditional stimulus. It calls for specific policy actions, including the removal of fossil fuel subsidies, mandatory TCFD-aligned financial disclosures, and the requirement that companies receiving public financial assistance adopt science-based targets consistent with a 1.5°C warming limit.

The report argues that the plastic industry employs a 'corporate playbook' of delaying, distracting, and derailing progressive legislation to protect profits and maintain a linear economy. It analyzes the voluntary commitments of ten major polluters, including Coca-Cola, Nestlé, and PepsiCo, finding them largely non-binding and lacking transparency. The document details how industry groups use 'greenwashing' tactics—such as promoting chemical recycling and bioplastics—to divert attention from the need for mandatory collection systems like Deposit Return Schemes (DRS). Case studies across 15 countries, including the US, EU, China, and Kenya, illustrate how corporations lobby against bans on single-use plastics and shift responsibility to consumers. The report concludes that voluntary initiatives have failed and calls for mandatory legislation, including high collection targets, virgin plastic taxes, and a global treaty on plastic pollution.

The report argues that the plastics industry employs a 'corporate playbook' of delay, distraction, and derailment to protect its business model. It analyzes voluntary commitments from major polluters, finding them lacking in accountability and ambition. Through case studies in 15 countries, it demonstrates how companies lobby against mandatory collection systems like Deposit Return Systems (DRS) and promote 'false solutions' such as chemical recycling and bioplastics to shift responsibility onto consumers.

The report argues that the plastic industry employs a 'playbook' of distraction, delay, and diversion to protect profits while appearing to address the plastic crisis. It analyzes the voluntary commitments of ten major polluters, finding them largely lacking in transparency and accountability. The document highlights how companies use trade associations and fake environmental groups to lobby against mandatory collection and reuse laws, even while publicly supporting some initiatives. It concludes that voluntary actions have failed and calls for mandatory legislation, including deposit return systems and taxes on virgin plastics.

The document exposes how the plastic industry uses a 'playbook' of confusion, delay, and prevention to thwart progressive laws. It argues that voluntary commitments by major corporations are largely 'lip service' and that the industry actively lobbies against mandatory collection and reuse systems while promoting 'false solutions' like chemical recycling.

The document argues that the plastic industry uses a 'manual' of delay, distraction, and derailment tactics to protect profits and avoid mandatory regulations. It analyzes voluntary commitments from ten major polluters and over 50 collective initiatives, concluding that they lack transparency, accountability, and effectiveness. The report highlights how companies promote 'false solutions' like chemical recycling and bio-based plastics while lobbying against deposit return systems and mandatory collection targets. Case studies across 15 countries demonstrate a pattern of corporate hypocrisy, where companies may support legislation in the EU while fighting it in Africa, China, and the US.

The report argues that major plastic polluters use voluntary initiatives as a 'smoke screen' to delay, distract, and derail progressive legislation. It analyzes the commitments of the ten largest plastic polluters and over 50 joint initiatives, finding them lacking in ambition, transparency, and accountability. The document details industry tactics such as shifting blame to consumers and promoting chemical recycling, while calling for mandatory legislation, including 90% collection targets and deposit return systems.

The report argues that the plastic industry employs a 'corporate playbook' of delay, distraction, and derailment to protect profits and avoid mandatory regulation. It finds that voluntary commitments from major polluters are often 'paper promises' lacking transparency and accountability, while group initiatives serve as a 'smokescreen' for continued plastic production. The document calls for robust, mandatory legislation, including deposit return systems and virgin-plastic taxes, to address the crisis.