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The document outlines the link between biodiversity and population health, positioning urban forests as a municipal tool to mitigate the 'triple planetary crisis' of climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution. It highlights the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and Canada's amended Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA) as policy drivers. Evidence is provided on the physical, mental, and social health benefits of urban trees, with specific advantages for children, seniors, and pregnant women. The briefing concludes with seven policy recommendations for municipal governments, including the adoption of Urban Forest Management Plans and equity-focused planting strategies.

The Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA) of South Africa responded to a request from the Centre for Environmental Rights (CER) to develop regulations for the implementation of the Highveld Priority Area (HPA) Air Quality Management Plan (AQMP). The DEA declined this request, stating that the AQMP is a collaborative plan rather than a regulation and that existing air quality management tools are sufficient. The document also provides a detailed response to the 'Broken Promises' report, outlining progress in air quality governance, monitoring, and intergovernmental cooperation within the HPA.

This document is a draft written reply from the South African Minister of Water and Environmental Affairs to a National Assembly question (No. 1277) posed by Mr N JJ van R Koornhof. The reply outlines the Department's response to pollution in the Loskop Dam, the Olifants River, and the Kruger National Park, detailing ongoing research and enforcement strategies.

A draft reply from the South African Minister of Water and Environmental Affairs regarding fish kills in the Blaaubankspruit in January 2011, attributing the event to sewage effluent rather than acid mine drainage.

The Vaal Environmental Justice Alliance (VEJA) and groundWork have appealed a decision by the National Air Quality Officer (NAQO) to grant ArcelorMittal South Africa (AMSA) postponements and alternative emission limits for Hydrogen Sulphide (H2S) at its Vanderbijlpark facility. The appellants argue that the granted limits are unlawfully weaker than existing plant standards and that AMSA's history of environmental non-compliance makes it unfit to receive such leniency.

The Constitutional Court upheld an appeal by Bengwenyama Minerals and the Bengwenyama-Ye-Maswazi Tribal Council, ruling that the Department of Mineral Resources (DMR) and Genorah Resources failed to meet legal obligations regarding community consultation, preferent rights, and environmental prerequisites.

The guide outlines the legal framework for mining in South Africa, emphasizing the rights of affected communities to information, a healthy environment, and consultation. It details the four primary government permissions required for mining—mining/prospecting rights, environmental management plans, water use licences, and environmental authorisations—and provides a roadmap for community members to object to applications, seek compensation, and report environmental crimes.

This document is a formal response from the South African Department of Environmental Affairs to a notice issued by the Centre for Environmental Rights (CER) under Section 28(12) of the National Environmental Management Act (NEMA), 1998. The CER had requested that the Department direct ArcelorMittal South Africa (AMSA) to address pollution and environmental degradation at its Vanderbijlpark operations. The Department declined to issue a new directive, arguing that existing measures—including a Remediation Order, waste management licenses, and compliance notices—are sufficient to address the concerns.

This document is a note from the secretariat of the intergovernmental negotiating committee to prepare a global legally binding instrument on mercury. It presents a new draft text for the instrument, incorporating views and proposals submitted by parties during the committee's second session in Chiba, Japan, and subsequent written submissions. The draft outlines various options for regulating mercury supply, international trade, mercury-added products, manufacturing processes, artisanal and small-scale gold mining, and emissions and releases to air, water, and land.

The fact sheet proposes specific targets for the EU's "Farm to Fork" Strategy, focusing on reducing pollution from farming, ending overfishing, and eliminating harmful chemicals and single-use plastics across the food system to align with climate commitments.

ClientEarth calls for the European Union to strengthen the rule of law and governance to address climate, biodiversity, and pollution crises. The organization advocates for the creation of a European Commission Vice-President for People and the Environment to oversee the European Green Deal's implementation and urges the EU to end public financial support for harmful activities, specifically fossil fuels and energy-intensive industries. The manifesto emphasizes the need for increased enforcement capacity at both EU and national levels and the strengthening of environmental democracy to ensure public participation and access to justice.

The document outlines key findings from a global report on the health impacts of fossil fuels, asserting that pollution affects individuals from fetal development to old age and causes harm throughout the entire fossil fuel life cycle. It highlights that these health impacts are systemic, persistent, and unjustly distributed across communities and nations, while noting that climate and health policies have generally ignored these multidimensional harms.

The course aims to strengthen public sector capacity to adapt to environmental determinants of health in the Americas. It focuses on transdisciplinary (TD) research, which integrates knowledge from multiple disciplines and stakeholders—including policy-makers and affected communities—to create solution-oriented public policies. The curriculum consists of five modules covering TD research definitions, implementation, design, teamwork management, and grant writing, supplemented by five science communication sessions. Participants are expected to dedicate 40 hours to the material and must score 70% or higher on a final 20-question quiz to receive a certificate.

The report argues that transdisciplinary research—which integrates academic and non-academic knowledge to solve real-world problems—often fails due to a lack of dedicated coordination. It proposes a three-pillar framework to improve this: changing scientific culture to value social impact over academic metrics, transforming funding mechanisms to be more flexible and inclusive of non-academic partners, and developing specialized capacities in facilitation, communication, and conflict resolution. The document emphasizes the need for these changes to support the Global South and ensure equitable partnerships in addressing the triple planetary crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution.

The document argues that poverty and environmental degradation are mutually reinforcing systemic issues that must be addressed together. It traces the shift from measuring poverty solely by household income to multidimensional indices, such as the Human Development Index (HDI) and the Planetary-Pressures Adjusted HDI, which incorporate carbon emissions and material footprints. The text highlights how climate change, conflict, and the COVID-19 pandemic disproportionately affect the poor, while noting that the resource consumption of the wealthiest 10% of the global population prevents the poor from escaping poverty within planetary boundaries. It recommends that governments shift from GDP-centric metrics to national well-being indices that include marginalized groups and environmental health.

The GEO Resource Book is a comprehensive guide designed to help practitioners and public agency leaders implement integrated environmental assessments (IEA). It outlines a structured eight-module process that moves from initial design and stakeholder engagement to data collection, trend analysis, scenario development, and communication of results. The manual emphasizes a participatory approach to link scientific knowledge with policy action, utilizing the Drivers-Pressure-State-Impact-Response (DPSIR) framework to analyze interactions between the natural environment and human society. It also provides strategies for ensuring that assessment findings lead to actual policy impact through targeted communication and continuous monitoring and evaluation.

The briefing outlines key environmental priorities for the WTO's MC12, focusing on fisheries subsidies, climate policy alignment with the Paris Agreement, and several member-led initiatives. It highlights the 'Structured Discussions on Trade and Environmental Sustainability' (TESSD), a ministerial declaration on plastic pollution, and a proposal for fossil fuel subsidy reform. The author emphasizes that success depends on integrating the needs of developing countries through enhanced 'Aid for Trade' and inclusive dialogue to avoid a two-speed global green economy.

The document advocates for a broad interpretation of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), arguing that agencies must analyze indirect environmental impacts beyond proximate effects, specifically in the context of a Surface Transportation Board decision regarding a railway in Utah's Uinta Basin.

The document argues that over 40 percent of the marine environment is already affected by a combination of global stressors, such as ocean warming and acidification, and local stressors, such as overfishing and pollution. It highlights that these stressors often interact synergistically, increasing the vulnerability of specific hotspots like the Arctic and ecosystems like coral reefs. The text emphasizes that while global stressors are driven by CO2 emissions, managing local stressors can buffer ecosystems and increase resilience, necessitating a cross-scale governance approach that integrates local action with global climate policy.

The report tracks the status of 2,900 commitments from the Our Ocean Conference, noting that as of May 2026, 41% are complete and 41% are in progress. While $26.5 billion has been delivered through completed commitments, the paper argues that implementation urgency must increase to meet 2030 global ocean conservation goals, specifically highlighting the need to address gaps in Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean.