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The report examines the state of democracy in Southern Africa, highlighting a gap between public support for democratic values and frustration with governance failures. Through youth consultations and a comparative analysis of West African civil society networks, it argues that cross-border solidarity among civil society organisations (CSOs) is essential to hold governments accountable and protect human rights. It identifies technology, socio-economic inequality, and youth exclusion as primary threats to democracy and recommends that Southern African CSOs leverage regional networks, such as the Southern African Council of Non-Governmental Organisations (Saf-CNGO), to increase their influence and coordinate responses to regional democratic backsliding.

Liberia's NDC 3.0 establishes a target to reduce economy-wide greenhouse gas emissions by 64% below business-as-usual (BAU) levels by 2035, consisting of a 10% unconditional reduction and a 54% conditional reduction. The plan expands mitigation to the transport and waste sectors and introduces quantitative adaptation targets for agriculture, coastal zones, health, and fisheries. It emphasizes climate justice and gender-responsive actions, specifically targeting youth and children, while aligning with the ARREST Agenda for Inclusive Development (2025–2029). Implementation is highly dependent on international finance, technology transfer, and capacity building.

The submission argues that South Africa's draft second NDC lacks sufficient ambition and fails to reflect the 'highest possible ambition' required by the Paris Agreement. It proposes more stringent emission targets—350 Mt CO2e for 2025-2030 and 248 Mt CO2e for 2031-2035—based on 'fair share' calculations and the best available science. The document highlights legal risks under the South African Constitution, the Climate Change Act, and NEMA, while criticizing the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) for a non-transparent process that delayed the release of the underlying technical report. It further calls for a stronger focus on phasing out fossil fuels, enhancing climate adaptation for vulnerable groups, and incorporating climate justice principles from the Presidential Climate Commission's recommendations.

The briefing evaluates the draft second NDC from the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) and the recommendations from the Presidential Climate Commission (PCC), arguing that the DFFE's targets lack sufficient ambition and scientific justification compared to the PCC's evidence-based approach.

The statement contends that current global trade frameworks often undermine the climate ambitions of developing nations through protectionist policies and geopolitical self-interest. It highlights the negative potential of the EU's Carbon-Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) and the limitations of the International Maritime Organization's shipping emissions tax. The author advocates for the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) and regional coalitions as viable alternatives to a 'broken' World Trade Organization (WTO) to foster green industrialization, technology transfer, and climate adaptation, specifically citing Mozambique's vulnerability as a case for adaptation-focused trade policy.

The document analyzes how employment in outdoor sectors—such as agriculture and construction—correlates with public concern about extreme heat in the US. It finds a moderate positive correlation overall, though this varies by region: concern is higher in the South and West but lower in the Midwest and Northeast. The briefing highlights the disproportionate impact of heat on marginalized groups and the economic risks of inaction, while comparing state-level heat protections and international policy examples.

The document examines the intersection of climate change, housing quality, and health in Toronto, proposing that an equity-focused Building Emissions Performance Standards (BEPS) policy can mitigate health risks for marginalized communities. It highlights how retrofits—such as switching from gas to electric heating and stoves, improving insulation, and adding mechanical ventilation—can reduce asthma risks, protect against extreme temperature events, and lower outdoor air pollution. The brief warns against the risks of tenant displacement and 'renovictions' and recommends strong tenant protections, the creation of Community Accountability Boards, and the integration of health metrics into BEPS monitoring to ensure benefits are shared equitably.

The report outlines a framework for an energy transition that prioritizes gender justice, human rights, and systemic transformation over corporate profit. It argues that the current fossil-fuel-based system is rooted in patriarchal and colonial oppression, which disproportionately affects women, LGBTQIA+ individuals, and Indigenous peoples. The proposed transition is based on ten principles: feminist popular power, a life-centered feminist economy, decent work, energy sovereignty, colonial reparations, the right to free, prior and informed consent (FPIC), demilitarization, fair public finance, the rejection of 'false solutions' like carbon markets, and the decolonization of knowledge and technology. The document emphasizes that renewable energy deployment must not replicate existing inequalities or lead to new forms of extractivism, particularly in the Global South.

The G20 is a consensus-seeking dialogue mechanism established in 1999 to address global financial crises, comprising 19 countries, the European Union, and the African Union. It operates through a rotating presidency—with South Africa hosting in 2025—and is organized into Finance and Sherpa tracks. While it lacks a formal international mandate or binding decision-making power, it provides a platform for global economic coordination and civil society engagement via 'Engagement Groups' such as the C20.

The document highlights a critical gap between global SDG indicators and the lived experiences of Indigenous peoples and local communities affected by lithium extraction in Argentina. Through a case study in Catamarca, Salta, and Jujuy, the authors identify socio-environmental impacts—such as limited childcare and educational setbacks—that are often missing from academic literature. The brief recommends implementing free, prior, and informed consent (FPIC), mandatory benefit-sharing agreements, and the co-creation of SDG indicators with Indigenous peoples to improve accountability and sustainability in the energy transition.

The document examines the gap between global SDG indicators and the lived experiences of Indigenous Peoples and local communities affected by lithium mining in Argentina. It highlights that while lithium is essential for the global energy transition, extraction processes often ignore local perspectives and reinforce historical inequalities. The authors recommend implementing free, prior and informed consent (FPIC), mandatory benefit-sharing, and the co-creation of SDG indicators with Indigenous Peoples to ensure a socially just and environmentally responsible transition.

The document analyzes ODS destruction projects, which provide high-impact carbon credits by permanently eliminating potent greenhouse gases like CFCs. While these projects are considered highly additional and have high retirement rates, they face scaling challenges due to a lack of destruction facilities in developing countries and complex transboundary regulations. Key quality risks involve the monitoring, reporting, and verification (MRV) of the chain of custody and baseline leakage assumptions, though these are generally well-mitigated by existing methodologies.

The research paper examines whether South Africa has eclipsed Nigeria as Africa's dominant power. While Nigeria maintains significant demographic and resource-based weight, the author argues that South Africa has leveraged multilateral institutions, a diverse economy, and a value-driven foreign policy to achieve greater global visibility and influence. The analysis highlights Nigeria's internal security challenges and strategic drift as factors that have diminished its international standing, while noting that South Africa faces its own domestic vulnerabilities, including energy crises and high unemployment.

A coalition of over 50 organizations in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) demands urgent, health-centered climate action to protect vulnerable populations. The document highlights that the region faces severe health risks from heatwaves, air pollution, and vector-borne diseases, yet lacks sufficient national health-climate plans and dedicated financing. It calls for the alignment of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) with health goals, a just transition away from fossil fuels, the implementation of the Escazú Agreement, and the inclusion of health indicators in international climate funding.

The Common Position of Latin America and the Caribbean on Climate Change and Health outlines a multisectoral framework to center health in climate governance. It identifies critical gaps, such as the fact that only 11 countries in the region have national health and climate change plans and only 11.6% of Green Climate Fund investments in the region address health. The position advocates for six pillars: protecting health from climate impacts, mitigation with health co-benefits, climate justice and equity, adaptation and health system resilience, health leadership, and financing.

The authors contend that the ICJ has a legal and moral imperative to name fossil fuels as the root cause of climate change and mandate their phase-out. They argue that international law, including the transboundary harm and precautionary principles, requires States to constrain fossil fuel production and hold corporate polluters accountable. The text highlights recent advisory opinions from the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACtHR) and the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) as precedents for a heightened due diligence standard regarding climate emissions. The authors criticize the political reluctance within the UNFCCC and the UN Human Rights Council to explicitly mention fossil fuels, asserting that legal clarity from the ICJ is necessary to overcome political paralysis and protect human rights, particularly for climate-vulnerable Pacific Island States.

Global Witness reports that 92% of surveyed environmental defenders have suffered online abuse, with Meta-owned platforms (Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram) being the most frequent sites of harassment. The report highlights a direct link between digital attacks and offline violence, noting that 75% of those harmed offline believe online abuse contributed to it. It criticizes social media algorithms for promoting polarization and argues that inadequate moderation resources, particularly in Africa and Asia, leave defenders vulnerable to doxxing, cyberattacks, and criminalization. The document concludes that these digital threats create a chilling effect on the climate movement, leading to productivity loss and, in some cases, the cessation of activism.

The document examines the limitations of global frameworks like the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in reflecting the values of Indigenous Peoples, using lithium mining in Argentina's High Andean Plateau as a case study to advocate for more equitable, context-sensitive energy transition programs.

The author contends that the climate crisis is driven by unchecked corporate power and a global legal system that protects polluters. Using the case of Chevron in Ecuador—where the company is accused of dumping 60 billion liters of toxic waste and avoiding a $9.5 billion court-ordered cleanup—the text criticizes Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) mechanisms for prioritizing corporate profits over human rights and environmental protection. The author calls for a systemic change and international regulatory frameworks to hold corporations accountable, urging the global climate movement to center the justice of affected communities ahead of COP30.

An opinion piece by Pablo Fajardo detailing the environmental crimes of Chevron in Ecuador and calling for a systemic overhaul of international legal frameworks, such as ISDS, to ensure corporate accountability as a prerequisite for global climate action.