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The document details the Hawaii Public Utilities Commission's (PUC) adoption of a performance-based regulation (PBR) framework featuring nearly 40 metrics and scorecards for Hawaiian Electric. It argues that PBR helps overcome traditional 'cost of service' regulatory incentives that hinder clean energy investments. The brief provides three primary lessons: the value of using non-financial scorecards for emergent outcomes like transportation electrification and customer equity, the necessity of using proxies and iterative analysis when precise data is unavailable (such as for LMI Energy Burden), and the importance of diverse stakeholder engagement to ensure a comprehensive portfolio of performance mechanisms.

The briefing highlights that global greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise, making the Paris Agreement targets of 1.5°C and 2°C increasingly difficult to achieve without significant 'overshoot'. It notes a critical gap in climate finance, where current levels are roughly ten times lower than the estimated USD 6.3 trillion needed annually by 2030. While net-zero commitments and renewable energy deployment have grown substantially, the document warns against an over-reliance on carbon dioxide removal (CDR) and emphasizes the need for rapid transformations in energy, agriculture, and urban planning.

The European Union has proposed a regulation to prevent commodities linked to deforestation and forest degradation from entering its market. While the author views the draft as an ambitious step toward reducing greenhouse gas emissions and protecting biodiversity, they identify four critical areas for improvement: clarifying definitions of 'forest' and 'agricultural use', expanding the scope to include rubber and other ecosystems like peatlands, increasing transparency through public disclosure of company declarations, and implementing targeted supply-side engagement to protect smallholder producers.

The report evaluates Georgia's greenhouse gas (GHG) emission strategies, specifically analyzing the 2030 National Climate Strategy and 2021-2023 Action Plan (CSAP). It identifies policy gaps across various sectors and proposes up to three priority mitigation areas per sector, supported by international examples, cost estimates, and technical analysis needs to guide policymakers and climate finance donors.

The briefing highlights the critical need for transparent supply chains to mitigate human rights abuses and environmental damage associated with the energy transition. It proposes using digital tools, such as blockchain data architecture, to track both embodied greenhouse gas emissions and broader ESG factors, moving away from anonymous commodity markets toward a system where data follows the goods.

The report finds that while China has a stringent regulatory framework for green bond reporting, actual post-issuance disclosure—particularly regarding environmental impacts—is lower than global averages. UoP reporting is more common than impact reporting, with financial institutions showing higher compliance due to stricter PBoC requirements. The study highlights a unique Chinese reliance on 'fossil fuel savings' as a metric and recommends shifting toward GHG and energy savings to align with international standards. While the quality of impact reporting among those who do report is generally high, the report notes significant inconsistencies across different bond types and regulatory bodies.

ClientEarth welcomes the European Commission's draft Horizontal Guidelines on Sustainability Agreements but argues that the Commission must move away from a "full compensation" theory for consumers toward a "fair share" and "polluter pays" approach. The submission advocates for the recognition of global out-of-market benefits—such as biodiversity protection and greenhouse gas reduction—and suggests that competition rules should not protect unsustainable production. It further recommends that agreements ensuring compliance with statutory requirements should fall outside the scope of Article 101 TFEU and calls for greater transparency through comfort letters and published guidance.

The Canadian Climate Institute concludes that Canada's 2030 Emissions Reduction Plan is credible and capable of delivering deep emissions reductions, putting the country on a path to meet its 2026 targets and nearly meeting its 2030 milestone. However, the assessment warns that success depends entirely on the timely execution of a complex policy package, with at least 43 per cent of reductions coming from policies that are announced but not yet developed. Five critical policies—carbon pricing, the oil and gas cap, the Clean Electricity Standard, the Clean Fuel Standard, and land-use reductions—are identified as accounting for 62 per cent of the total reductions needed by 2030.

The Canadian Climate Institute concludes that the 2030 Emissions Reduction Plan is credible and puts Canada on a path toward its 2050 net-zero goal, though a slight gap remains for the 2030 target. Independent modeling suggests that while the plan is transparent and ambitious, its success depends on the rapid implementation of five priority policies—carbon pricing, an oil and gas emissions cap, a clean electricity standard, a clean fuels standard, and land-use emission reductions—which together would account for 62% of the necessary reductions. The report emphasizes that the primary risk is no longer the plan's design but the speed and effectiveness of its execution.

The report details a global landscape where coal capacity is increasingly concentrated in China, while other regions face a decline in new projects. Despite a record number of phase-out announcements following COP26, the global fleet grew by 18.2 GW in 2021, primarily due to Chinese expansion. The document argues that 'clean coal' technologies are costly and ineffective distractions from the necessary total phase-out of coal power.

The report finds that while many countries are committing to end new coal power, China continues to expand its capacity, offsetting global declines. In 2021, global operating coal capacity increased by 18.2 GW, largely driven by China, which accounted for 56% of new operational capacity. Despite COP26 commitments, a significant gap remains between current plans and the 1.5°C warming limit, which would require decommissioning an additional 1,100 GW of capacity by 2030. The report also critiques 'clean coal' technologies like CCS as costly and ineffective distractions from renewable energy.

Global Witness argues that the EU's proposed Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive risks becoming a 'box-ticking exercise' unless it is strengthened. The briefing recommends establishing a clear 'duty to prevent' harm, mandating ongoing and outcome-oriented due diligence, and ensuring meaningful stakeholder engagement, particularly for human rights and environmental defenders. It calls for the inclusion of mandatory climate due diligence aligned with the Paris Agreement, the removal of exemptions for financial institutions, and the reduction of legal barriers to justice for victims of corporate abuse.

The report analyzes the intersection of voluntary sustainability standards (VSSs) and sustainable finance in eight agricultural commodity sectors. It argues that while VSSs effectively address environmental and social risks—such as deforestation and labor rights—they often lack the rigorous economic and business management criteria that financial service providers (FSPs) require for due diligence. By benchmarking 12 VSSs against sustainable finance frameworks, the document identifies gaps in areas like corruption prevention, economic viability, and climate adaptation. It recommends that VSSs align their criteria with FSP needs, that FSPs develop preferential loan programs for certified farmers, and that governments support land tenure and infrastructure to improve investment readiness.

Reclaim Finance argues that ENGIE's climate strategy is insufficient, citing a lack of short-term targets, a reliance on fossil gas, and a coal exit strategy based on asset sales rather than closures. The briefing recommends that investors vote against the 'Say on Climate' resolution and challenge the company on its gas and coal strategies.

The Consumption Compass is an Excel-based tool launched in April 2022 that provides CO2e estimates for all Swedish municipalities and postcodes. It employs a combination of bottom-up and top-down methodologies to downscale national consumption-based emissions data. The bottom-up approach is used exclusively for personal vehicle emissions, while the top-down approach utilizes four different approximations: MOSAIC lifestyle profile data, household expenditure surveys, other specific datasets (such as energy consumption and air travel), and per capita disposable income as a proxy. The tool integrates data from Statistics Sweden (SCB), InsightOne, and the Klimatkalkylatorn database to help local authorities prioritize climate actions.

The document argues that Kenya's coffee sector, which employs 30% of the agricultural workforce, faces existential risks from climate change and declining production. It proposes 17 specific Sustainable Consumption and Production Practices (SCPs) across the value chain—from farm-level organic fertilizers and shade trees to factory-level eco-pulping and the use of renewable energy in milling—to increase yields and reduce environmental impacts. The brief recommends that the Kenyan government incorporate SCPs into national coffee reforms, provide subsidies for sustainable technology, and enhance capacity-building through extension officers.

Global Shipping Watch is a data platform that matches cargo records with vessel movements from the Automatic Information System (AIS) to attribute maritime emissions to specific companies, products, and countries. By addressing the previous inability to associate emissions with individual cargo owners, the tool aims to improve scope 3 carbon reporting and life-cycle analyses. The initial 2019 data release covers US imports and exports, as well as exports from Brazil, Chile, Peru, and Indonesia.

The report analyzes urban greenhouse gas emissions, focusing on the transportation and built environment sectors. It evaluates the annual emissions reduction potential of various efficiency-based technologies—such as electric vehicles, LED street lighting, and building retrofits—and explores carbon removal strategies, including artificial technologies and nature-based solutions. The analysis provides a baseline for both global and Swedish emissions to guide municipal policymakers in selecting high-impact decarbonization strategies.

The document serves as a toolkit for the press to evaluate the environmental proposals of Colombian presidential candidates. It identifies critical areas of concern—including deforestation, climate change, energy transition, and marine conservation—and provides data-driven contexts and specific lines of inquiry to ensure candidates are held accountable to national and international commitments.

The document criticizes the World Bank Group (WBG) for promoting fossil gas as a transition fuel in Indonesia, asserting that such investments lock in greenhouse gas emissions and environmental degradation. It highlights contradictions between WBG strategies, such as the Country Partnership Framework 2021-24 and the Indonesia Economic Prospects report, and global climate goals. The authors call for an immediate shift in public funding away from gas and unproven technologies like CCUS and coal gasification toward sustainable renewable energy.