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The document details ten significant court cases across ten different countries—China, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Belgium, Finland, Australia, Tanzania, the Philippines, and India—where legal action successfully protected habitats or species. These cases highlight the application of the precautionary principle, the recognition of the 'rights of nature', and the use of public interest litigation to challenge government inaction or illegal industrial activities. Key outcomes include the halting of a hydroelectric dam in China, the liability of landowners for illegal deforestation in Brazil, and the reintroduction of Asiatic lions in India.

The briefing argues that Brazil's new railroad authorization system, designed to streamline private sector infrastructure grants, lacks the necessary procedural clarity and transparency to ensure adequate socio-environmental oversight. It identifies critical gaps in the requirements for technical studies, the autonomy of the analyzing authority, and the public disclosure of project data, proposing specific amendments to PL no. 261/2018 to mitigate these risks.

The report by ClientEarth, WWF Italy, and ECCO think tank opposes Enel's plan to convert the Federico II plant in Brindisi from coal to gas. It argues that the project is not needed for security of supply, risks creating stranded assets and overcapacity in Southern Italy, and causes adverse climate impacts through CO2 and methane emissions. The authors contend that the project contradicts EU and national decarbonisation goals and should be rejected by the Ministry for Ecological Transition.

The Centre for Environmental Rights (CER), acting on behalf of groundwork, wrote to the National Energy Regulator SA (NERSA) on 6 July 2021 to request a 90-day extension for commenting on electricity generation licence applications for three Karpowership gas power projects. The CER argues that the public participation process is flawed and that the projects' national significance warrants wider advertisement beyond local newspapers.

The policy brief analyzes the gap between international guidelines, sectoral manuals, and the actual implementation of environmental studies for land infrastructure in the Legal Amazon. It finds that studies prioritize socio-economic and physical factors over the biotic environment, often fail to comply with their own terms of reference, and lack coordination between the EVTEA and EIA phases. The authors recommend making EVTEAs mandatory before EIAs, incorporating international standards into binding terms of reference, and establishing transparent approval criteria to reduce environmental risks and transaction costs.

The analysis of 14 large-scale federal railroad and highway projects in the Legal Amazon reveals significant gaps in the viability phase of infrastructure concessions. Key issues include the absence of clear procedural rules, a lack of logical and temporal sequencing between Technical, Economic and Environmental Viability Studies (EVTEA) and Environmental Impact Studies (EIA), and severe transparency deficits, with 57% of essential documents unavailable. The document argues that these flaws increase environmental risks and jeopardize project quality. It recommends making EVTEAs mandatory before EIAs and establishing a centralized database for all concession documents to enhance monitoring and risk assessment.

The analysis reveals that environmental studies for federal land infrastructure in the Legal Amazon prioritize socio-economic and physical factors over the biotic environment. It finds a lack of coordination between EVTEAs and EIAs, with only 30% of EIA components appearing in EVTEAs, and notes that studies frequently fail to comply with their own terms of reference (TRs) or sectoral manuals. The brief recommends incorporating international guidelines into TRs and making EVTEAs mandatory before EIAs to improve project viability and environmental protection.

The policy brief evaluates the quality and consistency of socio-environmental analyses in federal railway and highway concessions in the Legal Amazon. It finds that these studies often prioritize socio-economic and physical factors over biotic ones, fail to align with international guidelines or sectoral manuals, and frequently do not fully comply with their own terms of reference (TRs). The authors recommend incorporating international guidelines into TRs, making sectoral manuals binding, and establishing transparent approval processes to ensure full compliance.

The document analyzes 14 large-scale railroad and highway projects in the Legal Amazon, finding significant gaps in the viability phase. Key issues include the lack of a mandatory sequence between Technical, Economic and Environmental Viability Studies (EVTEA) and Environmental Impact Studies (EIA), and a severe lack of transparency, with 57% of essential documents unavailable. The authors recommend mandating that EVTEA precede EIA to identify risks earlier and establishing a centralized database for all concession documents.

The policy brief examines 14 federal railway and highway concession projects in the Legal Amazon, finding significant procedural uncertainty and a lack of transparency. It highlights the absence of a mandatory sequence between Technical, Economic, and Environmental Viability Studies (EVTEA) and Environmental Impact Studies (EIA), which delays the identification of socio-environmental risks. Additionally, 57% of key documents for these projects were unavailable, hindering monitoring and investor risk assessment. The authors recommend mandating that EVTEAs precede EIAs and centralizing project data in a transparent database.

The Centre for Environmental Rights (CER), representing Earthlife Africa, groundWork, and the Mining and Environmental Justice Community Network of South Africa (MEJCON-SA), submitted a formal objection to the Department of Economic Development Environment and Tourism in Limpopo regarding the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for the Musina-Makhado Special Economic Zone (MMSEZ) metallurgical cluster. The CER argues that the Final Environmental Impact Report (FEIR) contains fatal flaws, including insufficient public participation and missing critical data on water and energy, and asserts that the application should have been refused by the regulatory deadline of 19 May 2021.

The New Bidding Law (Lei nº 14.133) passed in April 2021 introduces detailed requirements for preliminary technical studies in Brazilian infrastructure projects. CPI/PUC-Rio argues that this creates an opportunity to introduce a formal pre-feasibility analysis phase to prevent low-quality or infeasible projects from proceeding. While the law improves transparency via a single official website and expands the oversight role of legal advisory bodies and courts of accounts, it is criticized for reducing mandatory social participation. The authors recommend that future regulatory decrees mandate the publication of key preparatory documents and formally integrate pre-feasibility assessments to better align technical studies with environmental licensing.

Mighty Earth responds to fatal mudslides at the Batang Toru hydroelectric dam site in Indonesia, calling for a moratorium on development. The organization highlights warnings about landslide risks due to terrain and rainfall, the project's threat to the critically endangered Tapanuli orangutan, and the withdrawal of major international financiers.

The document outlines proposed amendments to two Isiolo County bills. For the Wildlife Management and Conservation Bill, it suggests expanding the definition of 'problem animal' for proactive conflict management, ensuring community nomination for the Board of Trustees, and protecting the land access rights of indigenous pastoralists. For the Community Conservancies Bill, it recommends adopting the 'community' definition from the Community Land Act 2016, introducing public access to information, and detailing meaningful community participation processes.

The briefing examines the 2021 New Bidding Law in Brazil, highlighting the potential for preliminary technical studies to serve as a new planning stage. CPI/PUC-Rio proposes integrating a pre-feasibility analysis—consisting of structuring questions and socio-environmental complexity assessments—to prevent low-quality or infeasible projects from proceeding. While the law improves transparency through a single official website and expands the oversight role of legal advisory bodies and courts of accounts, the authors criticize the reduction in mandatory social participation and the potential for delays in implementing environmental licensing priorities.

The document provides a framework for governments to manage four critical environmental areas in the mining sector: water, biodiversity, waste, and emergency response. It emphasizes the use of legislative, regulatory, and policy tools—specifically Environmental and Social Impact Assessments (ESIAs) and Environmental and Social Management Plans (ESMPs)—to minimize negative impacts and protect ecosystems and communities. The guide outlines a five-step gap analysis process (review, assess, prioritize, implement, and monitor) to help governments align their national legal frameworks with international best practices and the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

The document outlines four critical areas of environmental management in mining: water, biodiversity, mine waste, and emergency preparedness. It emphasizes the role of national governments in regulating these areas through legislative and policy tools, such as Environmental and Social Impact Assessments (ESIAs) and Environmental and Social Management Plans (ESMPs). The guide advocates for a risk-based approach to governance, the application of the mitigation hierarchy for biodiversity, and the inclusion of vulnerable groups—including women and indigenous peoples—in emergency planning and monitoring. Finally, it proposes a five-step gap analysis process (review, evaluate, prioritize, implement, and monitor) for governments to align their national legal frameworks with international best practices and Sustainable Development Goals.

The document outlines a comprehensive approach for governments to regulate the environmental impacts of large-scale mining throughout a project's life cycle. It emphasizes the use of Environmental and Social Impact Assessments (ESIAs) and Environmental and Social Management Plans (ESMPs) to ensure sustainable resource management. The guide details specific standards for water quality and basin-level management, the application of the mitigation hierarchy to achieve 'no net loss' or 'net positive impact' on biodiversity, the technical and financial requirements for stable mine waste storage (particularly tailings dams), and the necessity of inclusive, risk-based emergency response planning. It concludes with a five-step gap analysis process—review, evaluate, prioritize, implement, and monitor—to help governments align their national legal frameworks with international sustainability standards.

The report identifies thousands of mining concessions and dozens of coal-fired power plants (PLTU) located in areas high-risk for earthquakes, tsunamis, floods, and landslides. It argues that a 'science-policy gap' exists where economic interests of oligarchs override disaster mitigation and environmental safety. The document highlights specific cases, such as the PLTU in Teluk Sepang and the mining in Wadas, to illustrate how these projects exacerbate disaster risks and marginalize local communities. It further claims that the Minerba Law and the Omnibus Law (Job Creation Law) weaken environmental protections and facilitate the expansion of risky extractive projects.

The report identifies thousands of mining concessions and dozens of coal-fired power plants located in areas prone to earthquakes, floods, and landslides across Indonesia. It argues that a 'science-policy gap' exists where the Indonesian government ignores disaster risks to facilitate investments for 'extractive oligarchs,' often through National Strategic Projects (PSN). The document details specific case studies, such as the Panau Coal Steam-Power Plant and the Bener Dam project, to illustrate how these investments increase community vulnerability and environmental degradation. It concludes that recent legislative changes, including the Job Creation Law (Omnibus Law), further exacerbate these risks by loosening environmental regulations and centralizing spatial planning authority.