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The report identifies critical research gaps in sustainable consumption and production (SCP), focusing on three themes: cross-cutting systemic issues, natural resource management, and food waste and loss. It argues that political efforts must shift from increasing efficiency to decreasing overall consumption and calls for a more integrated, whole-supply-chain approach to research and policy.

The SEI Initiative on City Health and Wellbeing focuses on the intersection of urban growth, environmental quality, and resident wellbeing, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. Using case studies in Nakuru, Kenya, and Udon Thani, Thailand, the initiative employs a multi-disciplinary approach to study the impact of urban forms, co-design citizen science monitoring, analyze urban metabolism through participatory modelling, and examine governance for urban equity. The goal is to generate evidence that informs holistic decision-making and sustainable urban planning, integrating health and wellbeing with climate change mitigation and resilience.

The report reviews research needs for SDG 14, categorizing them into three themes: marine pollution, ocean and climate, and sustainable use of marine resources. It highlights critical knowledge gaps in the Arctic and Baltic Sea, the need for standardized global monitoring of microplastics and acidification, and the challenge of balancing short-term economic demands with long-term environmental protection. The document emphasizes that while science can characterize challenges and provide solutions, effective mitigation depends on political will and multi-disciplinary collaboration.

This report examines the expansion of geothermal power in Kenya, highlighting its role in the country's climate mitigation goals and the challenges of attracting private investment due to social, political, and environmental risks.

The Centre for Environmental Rights (CER) argues that the draft IRP 2018 is unlawful and irrational because it includes 6,732MW of new coal capacity despite its own findings that a least-cost plan would exclude coal. The CER highlights severe failures in the draft, including inflated electricity demand forecasts, outdated and high cost assumptions for renewables and battery storage, and a total lack of consideration for water and climate change externalities. The document specifically objects to the Thabametsi and Khanyisa coal projects, citing their high emissions and risks to water resources in the Waterberg and Highveld regions. Furthermore, the CER criticizes the Department of Energy for failing to conduct meaningful public consultations with impacted communities and for withholding the Plexos modelling data necessary for transparent stakeholder review.

The document identifies four primary areas of negotiation for COP24: resolving the impasse on climate finance, standardizing the communication of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), establishing a timetable for the Enhanced Transparency Framework, and defining the outcomes of the Talanoa Dialogue in light of the IPCC Special Report on 1.5°C.

The Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (CAPE) opposes Bill 4, which proposes repealing the Climate Change Mitigation and Low-carbon Economy Act, 2016. CAPE argues that Ontario's cap-and-trade program is essential for reducing emissions in the transportation (33%), buildings (22%), and industry (18%) sectors, and has collected $2.8 billion to fund public transit, electrification, and energy efficiency. The organization emphasizes that climate change is the "greatest public health threat of this century," citing recent extreme heat in Ontario and Quebec, as well as an increase in Ontario wildfires (1,312 in 2018 compared to a 10-year average of 716). CAPE recommends that if the government proceeds with the repeal, it must immediately implement a replacement plan that commits to reducing emissions to 80% below 1990 levels by 2050 to align with the 1.5 degrees C warming limit.

Vigeo Eiris conducted a limited assurance engagement in September and October 2018, concluding that Royal Schiphol Group's 2018 first Green Bond is in conformance with the Climate Bonds Standard version 2.1. The bond's proceeds are intended to finance low carbon emissions vehicles, charging infrastructure, and the construction or refurbishment of low carbon buildings. The verification confirmed that the nominated assets meet the technical criteria for Low Carbon Buildings and Low Carbon Land Transport, though the verifier noted that the lack of quantified contributions to corporate sustainability objectives and the absence of a commitment to periodic assurance engagements are areas for improvement.

At its 21st meeting in October 2018, the GCF Board approved 19 new projects and programmes totaling USD 1.04 billion in GCF investment to support over USD 4 billion in climate action across more than 50 countries. The Board also accredited 16 new entities, appointed the World Bank as the Fund's Trustee, and launched the process for the GCF's first formal replenishment to be concluded by October 2019. Governance updates included the establishment of a Performance Oversight Committee and the appointment of Javier Manzanares as Executive Director ad interim.

The document examines the barriers to expanding geothermal energy in Kenya, noting that while the resource is abundant and central to the country's climate goals, development is slowed by high upfront exploration costs and infrastructure expenses. It highlights political risks such as the financial viability of the offtaker, Kenya Power, and bureaucratic tensions between national and county governments. Socially, the report identifies community opposition due to land relocation and the uneven distribution of benefits, where marginalized local populations bear the environmental and social costs while urban centers and elites receive the energy benefits. It concludes that for geothermal expansion to be sustainable, the government must better mitigate these risks and ensure equitable benefit-sharing.

The document examines the role of Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs) in supporting the Paris Agreement's temperature goals. It reviews scientific scenarios and existing MDB tools to propose approaches for aligning portfolios, specifically targeting direct project investments, financial intermediaries, and policy-based lending within the energy supply and transport sectors.

The document details a high-level dialogue on the disparity between 'gray' finance (subsidies and investments driving deforestation) and 'green' finance for forest restoration. It highlights the systemic barriers facing small-scale forest enterprises, the need for better supply chain transparency to avoid stranded assets, and the potential for innovative financial models—such as blended finance and carbon monetization—to accelerate the goals of the New York Declaration on Forests.

As of 31 August 2018, the GCF pipeline included 103 funding proposals requesting USD 6.3 billion and 192 concept notes requesting USD 10.16 billion. The report details the distribution of these requests by sector, region, and theme, while also tracking the progress of the Simplified Approval Process (SAP) pilot, the Project Preparation Facility (PPF), and several active requests for proposals (RFPs) including Enhanced Direct Access and REDD-plus result-based payments.

The briefing examines the intersection of poverty eradication and climate action, arguing that the "leave no one behind" (LNB) principle is essential for ensuring that the poorest populations—who are most vulnerable to climate impacts—benefit from and participate in the energy transition. It outlines four key implications for climate policy: including the poor in decision-making, targeting them as implementers of adaptation and mitigation, maximizing direct benefits for them, and providing compensatory measures to offset regressive impacts like carbon taxes. The author notes that while many Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) mention inequality, few contain concrete measures to realize these benefits, suggesting that upcoming NDC updates provide a critical opportunity to integrate LNB principles.

The Independent Evaluation Unit (IEU) review of the GCF's Results Management Framework (RMF) finds that while the RMF helps classify projects into adaptation and mitigation themes, it suffers from critical flaws in its logical models and a lack of measurement protocols. The review reveals that 39% of approved projects lack impact indicators for at least one targeted result area, representing a reporting gap for USD 1.3 billion in investments. Key deficiencies include the absence of baseline data in 50% of projects and insufficient M&E budgeting in 70% of cases. The IEU recommends developing theories of change, creating a technical guide to consolidate scattered Board decisions, and strengthening the role of National Designated Authorities (NDAs) beyond the granting of non-objection letters. The report also notes that gender-related tools are not yet fully integrated into the RMF.

The paper examines environmental integrity in international carbon markets, defining it as a state where carbon unit transfers result in the same or lower aggregated global emissions. It identifies four primary risk factors: accounting for transfers, the quality of generated units, the ambition of transferring countries' targets, and potential disincentives for future mitigation action. The author recommends that policy-makers employ a combination of approaches to mitigate these risks.

The paper introduces a method to calculate maritime shipping emissions by combining shipping manifest cargo data with Automatic Identification System (AIS) vessel tracking data. It demonstrates this approach using 2014 Brazilian exports, finding that shipping these goods added 25.99 million tonnes of CO2 to Brazil's reported emissions.

The Bangkok Climate Change Conference focused on operationalizing the Paris Agreement through the PAWP, covering mitigation, adaptation, finance, and transparency. While some technical progress was made in streamlining negotiating texts, overall progress was characterized as "uneven," with significant deadlocks remaining over climate finance (Article 9.5) and the principle of differentiation in Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).

The report evaluates the role of cities, regions, companies, and investors in climate mitigation. While the potential for these actors to reduce emissions is vast—potentially up to 15-23 GtCO2 e per year by 2030—their current contribution remains limited. The document highlights a lack of consistent reporting and data, and calls for improved transparency, quantifiable targets, and stronger government support to scale up these efforts.

WRI transitioned its $40 million endowment to a sustainable investment strategy starting in 2014, moving from a focus on maximizing financial returns to integrating environmental, social, and governance (ESG) criteria. The organization rejected a simple divestment approach in favor of a holistic ESG integration strategy and a 15% 'impact' carve-out for private equity solutions. To manage this complexity, WRI shifted its governance model to an Outsourced Chief Investment Officer (OCIO) partnership with Goldman Sachs. Despite challenges with inconsistent ESG data and a lack of sustainable products in certain asset classes, WRI reports that its new portfolio has performed nearly identical to its benchmark with slightly lower risk.