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The document details the expansion of salmon aquaculture in Chile, highlighting the ecological damage caused by open-net cages and the violation of Indigenous rights, particularly for the Kawésqar people. It argues that the industry faces increasing financial, legal, and regulatory risks due to its environmental footprint and failure to conduct proper due diligence.

The document examines the expansion of non-conventional hydrocarbon production in the Vaca Muerta region of Argentina, highlighting significant risks to water sources and public health. Using the OBSERVAR spatial data platform, the authors identify thousands of wells in high-risk proximity to communities and water bodies, while noting a critical lack of transparent data on wastewater management. The brief argues that current provincial regulations in Neuquén and Río Negro are insufficient or inconsistently enforced and recommends a watershed-based governance approach, the creation of buffer zones, and mandatory reviews of older conventional wells before new fracking permits are issued.

The report finds that 10 major international oil companies (IOCs) are responsible for 7% of global gas flaring on an equity-weighted basis, with a significant portion occurring at non-operated assets. In 2023, total global upstream flaring was 145 billion cubic meters (bcm), with an average intensity of 5.0 m³/bbl. The analysis highlights a gap between corporate commitments to the World Bank's Zero Routine Flaring (ZRF) initiative and actual performance, noting that non-routine flaring remains largely unabated and that no analyzed company meets the IEA's Net Zero Emissions scenario target of 0.3 m³/bbl by 2030. The report argues that IOCs have a broader influence on up to 40% of global flaring through their partnerships with national oil companies (NOCs) and recommends extending emissions targets to non-operated assets and implementing stricter regulatory and financial levers.

CIEL expresses concern over Donald Trump's reelection, citing his pledges to reverse climate regulations and expand fossil fuel production. The organization commits to resisting these 'regressive plans' by building alliances, defending the rule of law, and protecting the right to a healthy environment globally.

The document examines the prevalence of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), known as "forever chemicals," in the U.S. environment and population. It details the health risks, including cancer and immune suppression, and outlines the regulatory response led by the EPA's 2021 Strategic Roadmap and the 2024 National Primary Drinking Water Regulation. The brief also covers state-level phase-outs, legislative efforts in the 118th Congress, and technical challenges in remediating PFAS from water and soil.

The Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) evaluated 38 federal agencies on their adherence to scientific integrity metrics, finding that 71% scored 'poor' or 'worst'. The report argues that political interference in science disproportionately harms underserved communities and proposes a blueprint for the next presidential administration to strengthen scientific integrity through better policy enforcement, transparency, and the integration of environmental justice principles.

The author contends that recent US Supreme Court decisions, specifically those regarding the Chevron doctrine and the 'major questions doctrine', have crippled the government's ability to enforce environmental protections. To counter this regulatory paralysis, the author advocates for 'campaigns to change the private sector' by leveraging the needs of companies for customers, financing, and a social license to operate. The text cites the phase-out of CFCs by the Dupont Corporation and industry support for the EU Deforestation Regulation as examples of how private sector action can lead to broader environmental successes and a level playing field for competitors.

The author critiques the US Supreme Court's 5-4 decision to temporarily block the EPA's Good Neighbor Rule, which aimed to limit nitrogen oxide emissions from power plants and industrial sources in 23 states. The commentary argues that the Court disregarded significant public health benefits—including the prevention of 1,300 premature deaths in 2026 alone—and bypassed the standard judicial process by acting as a 'court of first view' rather than review. The author contends that the Court is inappropriately assuming a regulatory role ('Super-EPA') by making rushed assessments of highly technical environmental records without full briefing from lower courts.

The report examines how the Central Bank of Brazil (BCB) uses financial regulation to curb deforestation, particularly in the Amazon and Cerrado biomes. It details the BCB's 'Agenda BC# Sustainability', which integrates social, environmental, and climate risks into the national financial system. A central pillar of this strategy is the reform of rural credit, where the BCB has implemented restrictions on financing for properties with illegal deforestation, lack of environmental registration (CAR), or those located in protected areas. The document also highlights the role of the 'Bureau de Crédito Rural' and the 'Sicor' system in monitoring compliance in real-time.

The report examines how the Central Bank of Brazil (BCB) is leveraging its regulatory authority to align the national financial system with environmental goals. It details the BCB's 'BC# Sustainability Agenda', which introduces risk management requirements for social, environmental, and climate risks, and mandates disclosures based on TCFD recommendations. A significant portion of the analysis focuses on rural credit, where the BCB has implemented restrictions on financing for properties that violate the Forest Code or are located in protected areas. The report highlights the role of the Rural Environmental Registry (CAR) and the Rural Credit Bureau (SICOR) in monitoring compliance and suggests further integration of remote sensing data to enhance oversight.

The report analyzes 21 policy measures from 14 WTO members that triggered trade concerns, categorizing these frictions into six types: timing and implementation, transparency, absence of stakeholder engagement, proportionality, justification, and discrimination. It provides specific regulatory recommendations to ensure that environmental measures targeting plastics do not create unnecessary trade barriers.

The briefing examines L.I. 2462, a 2022 regulation that allows mining in Ghana's forest reserves. It argues that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) lacks the constitutional mandate to manage natural resources, a role reserved for Natural Resource Commissions. The document further contends that L.I. 2462 lacks a proper legal foundation under the Environmental Protection Agency Act, 1994, and cannot supersede the protections of forest reserves established by Executive Instruments or Acts of Parliament. Additionally, it highlights weak sanctions, a lack of stakeholder consultation, and the absence of gender quotas as significant shortcomings.

The document outlines Ghana's position as a leading gold exporter and the resulting economic benefits, contrasted with severe environmental and health impacts caused by mining, particularly illegal 'galamsey' operations. It details the legislative framework, centered on the Minerals and Mining Act 2006, and the institutional roles of entities like the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources and the Minerals Commission. The briefing introduces a series of thematic papers focusing on mineral rights, benefit sharing, stakeholder engagement, and mining in forest reserves.

The EPA has finalized a new rule closing a loophole in the 2015 Coal Ash Rule that previously exempted landfills and waste piles that stopped receiving coal ash before the rule's inception. This loophole allowed 320 coal plants across 41 states to avoid cleanup requirements for over half a billion tons of coal ash. The new regulation requires power plant owners to monitor and clean up all coal ash dumps to prevent the contamination of groundwater and drinking water, addressing a risk that affects an estimated 91 percent of coal plants.

The brief defends the EPA's use of the 'best system of emission reduction' (BSER) to mandate carbon capture and storage (CCS) for certain fossil-fuel-fired power plants. It argues that the phrase 'adequately demonstrated' in Section 111 of the Clean Air Act does not require a technology to be widely deployed, citing federal court precedents and legislative history to support the 'technology-forcing' nature of the Act. The document further asserts that this interpretation would remain valid regardless of potential changes to Chevron deference.

The document is a joint letter from NGOs to President Ursula von der Leyen calling for the withdrawal of a proposal to amend two CAP regulations. The authors argue that the Commission bypassed democratic safeguards, failed to conduct a proper impact assessment, and ignored the EU Climate Law and Green Deal objectives. They claim the proposal's 'ad-hoc consultation process' was too narrow and that removing environmental conditions in the CAP will aggravate biodiversity loss and hinder the transition to sustainable farming.

Nigeria is implementing a variety of regulatory tools and national plans to reduce methane emissions from its oil and gas sector, which accounted for approximately 41% of the country's total greenhouse gas emissions in 2020. While the country has reduced natural gas flaring by about 70% since 2000, it remains among the top 10 global gas flarers. National targets include reducing fugitive methane emissions by 60% by 2031 and achieving a 61% reduction in short-lived climate pollutants by 2030. However, progress is hindered by technical data gaps, inadequate leak detection infrastructure, and high mitigation costs.

Reclaim Finance accuses the French government of attempting to undermine the European Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive. The organization claims that France, via Bruno Le Maire, is demanding the company size threshold be raised from 500 employees to 5,000 employees, which would exempt approximately 14,000 companies from the requirement to prevent human rights violations and environmental pollution in their value chains.

NGOs warn that the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive is at risk of being blocked in the European Council due to pressure from corporate lobby groups and internal divisions within the German government. While the authors argue the directive is a necessary step for regulating multinationals, they criticize the exclusion of financial services from its scope.

The document examines the application of the major questions doctrine in lower federal courts, arguing that the doctrine lacks a clear framework and is being applied inconsistently, often aligning with the political affiliations of the judges' appointing presidents.