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Global Witness characterizes COP27 as a failure, primarily because world leaders did not agree to phase out fossil fuels despite the presence of 636 fossil fuel lobbyists. While the organization acknowledges the historic adoption of a loss and damage fund and the inclusion of the right to a healthy environment in the cover decision, it criticizes the lack of tangible progress on deforestation and the failure to specifically acknowledge the contributions of land and environmental defenders.

Global Witness asserts that BP's claim of alignment with Paris climate goals is false, as more than half of its planned $140 billion investment in oil and gas over the next decade involves new extraction. The organization contends that BP's models rely on an improbable 14,000% increase in Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) capacity over 20 years to justify continued fossil fuel production, whereas IPCC findings suggest a need for a 40% drop in oil and gas production over the next decade.

Global Witness calls on the new UK government to address its role in global deforestation by making the 2030 target to halt biodiversity loss legally binding, expanding import laws to cover all deforestation regardless of legality, and stopping financial institutions from funding deforesting companies.

Global Witness reports that industrial agriculture is accelerating biodiversity loss in Brazil, with over 27 million hectares of jaguar habitat converted to agricultural land in Mato Grosso and Pará as of 2023. The investigation highlights JBS's role, finding that 75% of identified farms in JBS's supply chain overlapping jaguar territory in these states violated environmental laws between 2018 and 2023. The report specifically identifies the Canoeiro farm as having cleared over 1,200 hectares of protected jaguar territory between 2013 and 2023, using 'cattle laundering' to enter JBS's supply chain. Global Witness argues that stronger supply chain and finance regulations are necessary to prevent the extinction of keystone species and meet global climate goals by 2030.

An investigation by Global Witness found that AI chatbots vary significantly in their tendency to share climate disinformation based on user personalisation. Grok demonstrated the highest risk, endorsing conspiracy tropes, recommending known climate misinformers, and offering to make social media posts more "violent" to increase engagement. ChatGPT provided some conspiratorial content to the sceptic persona but included cautionary notes and scientific consensus. MetaAI showed the least personalisation, providing similar information to both conventional and conspiratorial personas.

The document urges the UK's new Prime Minister to use the Financial Services and Markets Bill to align financial flows with climate and nature goals. Global Witness claims the current draft prioritises 'international competitiveness' over climate targets and fails to meet COP26 pledges. The author proposes two amendments: a statutory objective for regulators to consider nature and climate, and a 'forest finance amendment' requiring due diligence on clients dealing with forest-risk commodities. The text highlights that over £300 billion of UK pension money is invested in high deforestation risk entities, with £200 billion in exposure specifically to Brazilian beef and soy and Indonesian palm oil supply chains.

A Global Witness investigation of ChatGPT, MetaAI, Grok, and Gemini found that these AI tools often fail to adequately reflect the complicity of fossil fuel companies in the climate crisis. The report identifies instances of 'greenwashing'—where AI provides uncritically positive narratives about oil and gas firms—and 'bothsidesism,' where the tools present the industry's climate claims as having equal weight to evidence of their contribution to climate change. The investigation highlights that some models draw data directly from company websites, potentially allowing firms to influence the AI's output.

The report argues that BP and Shell engage in greenwashing by promoting environmentally friendly narratives on social media that are not supported by their core business investments. It finds that both companies disproportionately showcase green projects while continuing massive investments in fossil fuels, potentially breaching the UK's Green Claims Code. Additionally, it highlights Shell's failure to declare political ads on Meta platforms and Meta's failure to detect and enforce its own transparency requirements.

The document outlines several deceptive strategies used by corporations at COP to appear environmentally friendly while continuing harmful practices. It specifically critiques the promotion of natural gas and 'blue' hydrogen as low-carbon solutions, the use of 'net zero' and 'nature-based solutions' to mask continued pollution, and the use of 'green finance' and voluntary anti-deforestation pledges by banks to hide ongoing investments in fossil fuels and deforestation.

The document examines the necessity of post-investment technical support for green SMMEs in South Africa, noting that one-off investments are insufficient for scaling. Through a pilot project involving three circular economy SMMEs funded by the Anglo American Foundation and the Green Outcomes Fund, the study identifies recruitment of middle management, marketing, and R&D as primary growth barriers. Results from the six-month pilot include revenue increases between 10% and 114%, the creation of 735 direct and 818 indirect jobs, and improved access to new investors and customers. The report recommends extending project durations to at least one year and expanding funding to include cash flow and asset purchases.

The document highlights the funding gap for green small, medium and micro-sized enterprises (SMMEs) in South Africa, noting that while the country requires significant annual investment to meet net zero and NDC goals, there is a low risk appetite for early-stage funding. It presents the FNF GreenPitch Challenge as a mechanism to source investment pipelines and support SMME investment readiness. As a specific example, it profiles BioAge, a 2023 pre-growth winner and agri-biotech startup producing the organic fertilizer Nitro-Gro, which aligns with sustainable agriculture market opportunities to improve soil health and crop resilience.

The document highlights a gap in South Africa's climate finance landscape, where a low risk appetite for early-stage green SMMEs coincides with a lack of investment-ready pipelines. It presents the FNF GreenPitch Challenge as a mechanism to address this by sourcing pipelines and supporting SMME investment readiness. The case of STROOM, a women-owned electric cargo bike enterprise, illustrates the potential for micro-mobility to reduce operational costs by over 80% and create jobs in township and rural markets.

The document examines the intersection of the circular economy and international trade, highlighting how shifting from primary to secondary raw materials can significantly reduce carbon emissions. It discusses the growth of secondary material markets, the rise of circular business models like sharing economies and product longevity, and the need for trade policies to eliminate barriers to circular goods and services. The authors advocate for international standards, the use of bilateral and regional free trade agreements, and a more proactive role for the WTO in facilitating a low-carbon circular economy.

The document serves as a practical handbook for climate negotiators, particularly those from the Global South who may lack institutional support. It covers the scientific basis of climate change, the evolution of the international regime from the 1992 UNFCCC to the Paris Agreement, and the procedural rules of the COP. A significant portion of the guide is dedicated to negotiation theory, offering strategies for 'disadvantaged' negotiators to overcome resource gaps and power imbalances through coalition building, integrative negotiation techniques, and precise drafting skills.

The document serves as a survival manual for climate negotiators, particularly those from the Global South. It details the scientific basis of climate change, the evolution of the international regime from the 1992 UNFCCC to the Paris Agreement, and the operational mechanics of the COP. It provides practical advice on navigating formal and informal negotiation spaces, managing the challenges of 'hollow mandates,' and utilizing coalitions like the G-77 and China to increase bargaining power.

The document serves as a survival guide for climate change negotiators, detailing the scientific basis of the climate crisis, the evolution of the international regime from the 1992 UNFCCC to the Paris Agreement, and the formal and informal structures of the UN process. It specifically addresses the structural disadvantages faced by negotiators from developing countries, such as 'hollow mandates' and limited coalition-forming power, and offers practical strategies for drafting, bargaining, and coping with the pressures of high-stakes diplomacy.

The report identifies a resurgence of outright climate denial and the rise of 'culture war' narratives used to delay climate action. It highlights systemic greenwashing by fossil fuel entities on Meta and the algorithmic amplification of the #ClimateScam hashtag on Twitter. The analysis reveals that climate misinformation is increasingly integrated into broader 'anti-woke' and conspiratorial communities, with a small number of high-influence actors driving a significant portion of the engagement.

The report details five dialogues focused on state capacity in South Africa, specifically addressing the energy transition, freight and public transport, the criminal justice system, and water security, concluding with a synthesis on public sector professionalization. A recurring theme is the detrimental impact of state capture and political interference on institutional memory and technical expertise. The document argues that state capability requires not just administrative skills but the agency to 'reach into society' and coordinate complex projects. Key recommendations include reforming senior appointment processes to insulate the public service from politics, creating a single administration to reduce fragmentation, and rethinking the municipal fiscal framework to ensure the viability of basic service delivery.

The guide outlines three primary areas of inquiry for investors to evaluate private equity firms: the plan for a net-zero energy portfolio, the implementation of a just and equitable transition for workers and communities, and the alignment of political spending and lobbying with the Paris Agreement. It argues that conventional energy investments, including pipelines and coal plants, have largely underperformed over the last decade, highlighting both financial and climate risks.