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The document outlines a framework for a Just Energy Transition (JET) in the Global South, specifically focusing on Latin America, the Caribbean (LAC), and Africa. It argues for a comprehensive transformation across social, economic, and environmental spheres, emphasizing the phase-out of all fossil fuels by 2040. For LAC, the brief highlights a strong dependence on extractive industries and the need for economic diversification. For Africa, it emphasizes the urgency of energy access, as 600 million people lack electricity, and warns against increasing debt through loans for transition. Both regions call for increased social participation, the protection of human rights, and the sustainable management of transition minerals. The brief concludes with specific demands for COP28, including new and additional funding from developed nations and the transfer of renewable energy technology as a public good.

This report by the Union of Concerned Scientists highlights the challenges and successes of frontline communities in the US and Puerto Rico in building climate resilience. It identifies four key themes: displacement, government negligence, funding inequities, and the effectiveness of community-driven solutions. The authors argue that while scientific solutions exist, a lack of political will and bureaucratic barriers hinder progress. The report provides specific recommendations to shift toward inclusive, community-led adaptation strategies that respect tribal sovereignty and prioritize the lived experiences of marginalized populations.

The report finds that passenger vehicles manufactured before 2004, while representing only 19% of California's fleet, produce the vast majority of nitrogen oxides and reactive organic gases, contributing to PM2.5 pollution. This pollution disproportionately affects Black and Latino Californians and low-income households, particularly in Southern California and Los Angeles County. The authors recommend prioritizing vehicle replacement incentives for these priority populations and expanding transportation solutions beyond private car ownership.

Analysis of 241 U.S. locations shows that 95% have experienced summer warming since 1970, with an average increase of 2.4°F. The West, Southwest, Northwest, and western Texas saw the most heating, with Reno, Nevada, recording the highest increase at 11.1°F. Additionally, 58% of analyzed locations now experience at least two more weeks of above-normal summer days than in 1970. The document highlights that excessive heat is the leading cause of weather-related deaths in the U.S. and disproportionately affects vulnerable groups, including children, the elderly, and people of color living in urban heat islands.

Austin ISD passed a resolution in September 2022 committing to purchase exclusively electric school buses by 2030 and achieve full fleet electrification by 2035. This transition is aligned with the city of Austin's goal of net-zero community-wide emissions by 2040 and is supported by a $2.4 billion 2022 Bond, which allocated $25.7 million for bus replacement. The district is initiating the transition with a pilot of three electric buses arriving in fall 2023 to test performance across various routes. Key challenges include the higher initial cost of electric buses, which are three to four times more expensive than diesel models, leading to potential funding gaps in initial bond estimates.

The author argues that German-African health cooperation is shaped by a colonial legacy and currently prioritizes European security and economic interests over African public health needs. While Germany promotes multilateralism and human rights, the document highlights contradictions in vaccine equity, intellectual property regimes, and the recruitment of African health workers. The author calls for a transition toward a partnership based on solidarity, climate and health justice, and respect for an 'African New Public Health Order'.

The Allied for Climate Transformation by 2025 (ACT2025) consortium calls for COP28 to accelerate climate action through four primary pillars: advancing ambition to limit warming to 1.5 degrees C, scaling up people-centered adaptation, operationalizing loss and damage institutions, and mobilizing trillions in climate finance. The document emphasizes that G-20 nations, responsible for approximately 75% of global emissions, must lead in phasing out fossil fuels and meeting financial commitments to support the most vulnerable nations.

The document is a petition addressed to Japanese government officials, banks, and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) regarding the Cirebon coal-fired power plant projects in Indonesia. The authors demand the immediate suspension of loan disbursements for Cirebon 2 (1,000 MW) and a responsible, rapid early retirement of Cirebon 1 (660 MW). They argue that these projects have caused severe damage to the livelihoods, health, and culture of local coastal communities, specifically affecting small-scale fishing and salt production. The petition highlights allegations of corruption, noting that a former Cirebon Regent was indicted by the KPK for receiving bribes from Hyundai Engineering and Construction Co., Ltd. and Cirebon Energi Prasarana (CEPR) to expedite permits for Cirebon 2. The authors criticize the use of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) as an inadequate solution and call for a 'just' energy transition that includes environmental restoration and genuine community participation, rather than technical fixes like biomass co-firing.

The IAI's STeP Fellowship program, designed to train early-career scientists in the science-policy interface, has seen significant growth with 64 total fellows from 13 countries. In November 2022, 30 fellows participated in a Science Diplomacy Leadership Workshop in Uruguay, resulting in a leadership declaration. This declaration commits the fellows to transdisciplinary approaches, inclusive decision-making, and the pursuit of transformative change to address urgent challenges in the Americas.

The document examines the devastating impact of the 2020 floods in Naivasha, Kenya, specifically within the Kihoto informal settlement. It details how rising lake levels, attributed to climate change, displaced over 1,400 residents, destroyed livelihoods in agriculture and fishing, and coincided with the Covid-19 pandemic to exacerbate vulnerability. The study highlights the specific struggles of women, youth, and persons with disabilities, while documenting the community's calls for permanent resettlement schemes, infrastructural improvements, and inclusive social support.

Climate Central analyzed 247 U.S. locations from 1970 to 2022, finding that 232 locations experienced an increase in annual 'risky heat days'—days where temperatures exceed the local minimum mortality temperature (MMT). On average, these locations saw an increase of 21 such days per year. While increases occurred in every U.S. region, the South and Southeast were hotspots, with 91% of the 22 locations seeing the highest increases (40+ days) located there. The analysis emphasizes that extreme heat is the deadliest natural hazard in the U.S. and disproportionately affects vulnerable populations, including children, seniors, and low-income communities of color.

The paper reviews 15 criteria used in literature to determine the sequencing of a global oil extraction phase-out, arguing that the choice of criteria significantly alters which countries phase out first and that current gaps in these indicators risk undermining just transition goals.

The author contends that while South Africa requires urgent energy stabilization, the proposed Karpowership deal is an exorbitant and risky option. The text highlights the need for grid reconfiguration to support renewable energy and suggests that short-term gas needs could be more cost-effectively met via Mozambique rather than a 20-year contract with a company accused of circumventing environmental regulations.

The STeP Fellowship Program aims to build human and institutional capacities in IAI member states to provide expert scientific advice for public policy on global change. Between 2022 and 2023, the program expanded its cohort to 64 fellows from 13 countries, providing training in science diplomacy, communication, and leadership. Key achievements include the graduation of the first cohort of 17 alumni in February 2023 and the development of science diplomacy projects covering topics such as the lithium supply chain, circular economy, and climate justice. The program is currently seeking financial support from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation.

The document argues that the pursuit of GDP growth is incompatible with ecological stability and proposes a shift toward 'degrowth' and 'postgrowth' models. It examines the role of new institutions, such as ethical cooperatives and not-for-profit businesses, and discusses policy instruments like working time reduction and the 'Cap and Share' framework. The text also addresses the geopolitical risks of this transition, the rise of eco-fascism, and the need for a just transition for workers and the Global South.

The document analyzes the South African food system as a site of deep social inequality and climate vulnerability. It highlights a dualistic production structure where a small number of large-scale commercial farms dominate, while millions of smallholder farmers lack resources. The paper details the system's vulnerability to climate change—specifically heatwaves, droughts, and rainfall variability—and its contribution to greenhouse gas emissions, primarily through livestock and synthetic fertilizers. It critiques 'market-centred' and 'technofix' approaches to sustainability, advocating instead for a 'deep just transition' based on agroecology, food sovereignty, and the redistribution of power and resources to ensure the right to food and decent work for all.

The report analyzes 41 multisectoral National Adaptation Plans (NAPs) to explore their role in managing loss and damage. It finds that while nearly half of NAPs explicitly mention loss and damage and almost all incorporate disaster risk management, there are significant gaps in addressing non-economic losses and irreversible impacts. The authors argue that NAPs are essential tools for minimizing loss and damage and recommend that international funding and planning for loss and damage build upon existing NAP risk assessments and institutional frameworks.

The report analyzes 41 multisectoral NAPs to determine the extent to which they integrate loss and damage (L&D) information and actions. It argues that NAPs are fundamental tools for minimizing L&D through adaptation and disaster risk management, though they often lack detailed analysis of irreversible impacts and non-economic losses. The authors propose a 'spectrum' approach to L&D—ranging from avoidance (mitigation) to minimization (adaptation/DRR) and addressing (humanitarian response/reparations)—and recommend that international financing mechanisms leverage existing NAP risk assessments to avoid duplication and ensure climate justice.

The report analyzes 41 multisectoral National Adaptation Plans (NAPs) to assess their integration of loss and damage (L&D) strategies. It finds that while nearly half of NAPs explicitly mention L&D and almost all include disaster risk management (DRM) components, there is a significant gap in addressing non-economic losses and irreversible impacts. The document proposes a 'spectrum' approach to L&D, ranging from avoidance (mitigation) and minimization (adaptation/DRR) to remediation (humanitarian response and reparations). It recommends that governments and international funders leverage existing NAP risk analyses as a starting point for L&D assessments and ensure that new L&D financing targets impacts that exceed adaptation limits to avoid duplicating existing adaptation efforts.

The policy brief highlights the increasing violence and criminalization of Environmental Human Rights Defenders (EHRDs) globally and specifically in Kenya. It identifies a lack of specific national legislation for EHRD protection, corruption, and restrictive laws as key enablers of these threats. The document recommends the enactment of a dedicated national protection law, the domestication of international human rights obligations, and the repeal of laws that limit civic space to ensure the safety of activists and the rule of law in environmental governance.