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The UrbanCircle project, an initiative by the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI), focuses on transforming urban waste streams—including wastewater, excreta, and food waste—into valuable products like fertilisers, biogas, and dry fuels. Using the Naivasha sub-county in Kenya as an initial study site, the project employs a three-step process: inventorying waste and demand, co-developing future scenarios with stakeholders, and using the REVAMP (Resource Value Mapping) tool to estimate economic costs and benefits. The initiative argues that shifting from a linear to a circular economy can reduce environmental degradation, mitigate greenhouse gas emissions, and create new business opportunities for local entrepreneurs.

oekom research has verified that ABN AMRO's 2018 Green Bond is in conformance with the Climate Bonds Standard's Pre-Issuance Requirements. The verification covered the selection of nominated projects and assets, internal processes and controls, and reporting requirements. The bond's asset pool includes renewable energy projects, specifically offshore wind in the Netherlands and Germany, and residential properties that meet Dutch energy efficiency standards. ABN AMRO's framework aligns with the Green Bond Principles and targets energy efficiency, renewable energy, and the circular economy.

The policy brief examines the intersection of the extractive industries, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and the Fourth Industrial Revolution. It argues that 'social risk' arises from a failure to achieve 'shared value'—where communities, governments, and companies all benefit from resource endowments. The authors propose the Socio-Economic Technology Initiative (SETI), an open data platform designed to aggregate structured quantitative and unstructured qualitative data to improve development planning and community engagement. Using South Africa as a case study, the document highlights failures in integrated planning and the risk of 'post-mining ghost towns' due to maturing ore bodies and increased mechanisation. It concludes that big-data analytics can reduce transaction costs for collaboration and ensure more equitable socio-economic outcomes.

The report examines the urgent need for innovation in mining due to declining productivity and rising costs. It details advancements in automation, electrification, and renewable energy, while highlighting the role of governments in ensuring these gains are shared with local communities. Case studies illustrate specific applications of AI, solar power, and new business models across Canada, Australia, Chile, and other regions.

The European manufacturing sector has seen minimal emission reductions, with industrial emissions in the EU falling by only 0.2% in 2016 and 1% since 2012. The author contends that the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) fails to incentivise low-carbon transformation because it allows industries to profit from the system rather than pricing pollution effectively. This environment protects incumbents and hinders innovators, such as low-carbon cement producer Ecocem, whose solutions can reduce the carbon footprint of concrete by over 50%. To achieve the Paris Agreement goals, the document calls for a Low-Carbon Industrial Strategy to scale demand for low-carbon products and remove market barriers. It suggests specific technological shifts: using recycled scrap in electric arc furnaces for steel, substituting clinker in cement, and replacing fossil fuel-based feedstock with biomass in the chemical sector. The author highlights a regulatory imbalance where pollution payouts via free permits are over 15 times the amount allocated for innovation under the EU ETS reform after 2020, and suggests alternatives like a carbon border tax.

The document advocates for 'green urban industrialisation' in Ethiopia, specifically through a corridor approach that connects urban clusters. Using the Kombolcha–Mek’ele corridor as a case study, it suggests that integrating transport, infrastructure, and resource management across administrative boundaries can prevent carbon-intensive development and maximise economic productivity. Key recommendations include identifying catalytic projects in green housing, waste, and water management, improving institutional coordination between federal and regional levels, and aligning local urban plans with national climate strategies.

The Western Cape Industrial Symbiosis Programme (WISP) facilitated a one-off exchange where Apollo Brick accepted 55 tonnes of charred wood and ash from Pallet Cycle following a fire. The ash was incorporated into bricks, and the charred wood was used as kiln fuel, resulting in a saving of 16 tonnes of CO2e and R24,750 in disposal costs for Pallet Cycle.

The Western Cape Industrial Symbiosis Programme (WISP) connected Scan Display, a marketing company, with Sealand Gear, a bag manufacturer, to divert textile waste from landfills. Since October 2015, Scan Display has supplied 2 tonnes of polytwirl material annually to Sealand Gear, resulting in 54 tonnes of avoided CO2 emissions per year and significant cost savings for both companies.

The South African waste landscape is shifting toward a resource-efficient economy driven by legislative changes and rising landfill costs. In the Western Cape, significant opportunities exist for alternative waste treatment (AWT) of organics, e-waste processing, and the reuse of builders' rubble. The report highlights the role of Operation Phakisa and Industry Waste Management Plans (IndWMPs) in unlocking feedstocks and creating jobs, while noting barriers such as inadequate source separation and a lack of reliable data.

The report identifies significant knowledge gaps hindering the achievement of the 2030 Agenda and argues that research must play four roles: characterizing challenges, providing solutions, coordinating dialogue, and critically analyzing the goals. Using SDGs 12, 14, and 17 as examples, it highlights the need for more applied 'action research' and a deeper understanding of goal interactions and international spill-over effects. The authors propose a tiered approach to structural reform, ranging from incremental improvements in open data and communication to transformative changes such as funding research led by third countries and reorienting the innovation system away from incremental economic growth toward social and climate justice.

The document analyzes Pune's efforts toward urban sustainability and equity, highlighting the role of civil society organization (CSO) coalitions in collaborating with the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC). While progress was made in sustainable transport (via the BRTS) and solid waste management (via the SWaCH cooperative), these gains are threatened by fragmented governance, the corporatization of waste, and a shift toward centralized, high-tech infrastructure like the Metro rail. The authors argue that lasting transformation is hindered by the PMC's lack of financial and political autonomy from the state government of Maharashtra.

The report argues that redirecting surplus food—edible food that is not 'true waste'—can alleviate hunger for 13 million South Africans while providing cost savings and tax benefits to food firms. It highlights that 95% of food waste in South Africa occurs before the consumption stage, with agricultural production (26%), processing/packaging (25%), post-harvest handling (24%), and distribution/retail (20%) being the primary sources. The document details the environmental impact, noting that Food Forward's donation of 4,400 tonnes of food in 2017/8 avoided 17,400 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions. It identifies barriers such as liability concerns and date labelling, while proposing solutions like 'Good Samaritan' legislation and the use of technology platforms like FoodShare to coordinate logistics.

The document argues that eco-blend cements, which use industrial by-products like fly ash and slag to replace clinker, offer the most feasible near-term path to reducing the carbon footprint of South Africa's cement industry. It highlights that while these materials are abundant locally, regulatory caps on clinker substitution (currently 35%) and outdated structural standards act as primary barriers to wider adoption.

The document argues that South Africa must shift from a carbon-intensive export model to low-carbon manufacturing to avoid international trade barriers and leverage a global market for low-carbon products estimated at US$5 trillion. It details several technical approaches to achieve this, including eco-design, material substitution, additive manufacturing, and remanufacturing, while highlighting the systemic challenges of R&D, cost, and technological lock-in.

The report argues that while ECHA has made some progress in transparency, it continues to withhold critical data on tonnage bands, exposure scenarios, and non-compliant companies, thereby hindering the ability of civil society, investors, and innovators to promote safer chemical alternatives.

The paper explores the intersection of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) and climate goals, arguing that exponential technologies—those with rapidly falling costs and improving performance—can allow developing nations to 'leapfrog' obsolete infrastructure. By analyzing the NDCs of six priority countries, the authors map potential applications of AI, blockchain, IoT, and advanced materials across energy, transport, and agriculture sectors. While highlighting opportunities for decarbonization and financial inclusion, the document warns of risks including job displacement due to automation and the potential for energy-intensive technology lock-in.

The authors contend that proposed loopholes in the EU's Effort Sharing Regulation—which covers over 60% of EU greenhouse gas emissions—could allow member states to avoid real climate action between 2021 and 2030. They highlight a disconnect between national governments, such as those of Spain and Italy, and ambitious local authorities in cities like Gijón and Salerno, arguing that the EU must support urban-led mitigation efforts to achieve its climate commitments.

The document highlights the critical role of cities in meeting the EU's 2020 and 2030 climate targets, noting that urban areas deliver over a third of the 2020 target. It warns that national governments—specifically Poland, Italy, and Spain—are pushing for regulatory loopholes in the Effort Sharing Regulation (ESR) that could stifle local climate actions. The briefing provides case studies from Barcelona, Gijón, Niepolomice, Gdynia, Salerno, and Parma to demonstrate the effectiveness of local initiatives in transport, energy efficiency, and waste management, and recommends closing ESR loopholes to unlock these co-benefits.

ClientEarth opposes a proposed derogation that would allow recycled PVC to contain up to 1% lead compounds, arguing that it underestimates environmental risks, creates enforcement loopholes, and undermines the circular economy by associating recycled materials with substances of very high concern.

EcoPost, founded by Lorna Rutto in 2009, converts discarded plastic from Nairobi's streets into durable building materials, reducing the demand for timber and mitigating deforestation. The company employs approximately 250 plant workers and 2,000 casual collectors, providing health benefits and salaries above the national average.