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Africa's green transition is projected to generate between 3.8 and 7.9 million jobs by 2030, rising to 65.9–84.5 million by 2050. The report argues that this growth will be service-led and decentralized, with indirect roles—such as installation, distribution, and maintenance—accounting for 56% of employment by 2030. Clean cooking is identified as the largest green value chain by 2030. However, the report highlights significant structural inequalities: 86% of 2030 green jobs are projected to be informal, and women remain concentrated in low-value roles despite high participation in sectors like clean cooking. The analysis of South Africa, Nigeria, and Kenya reveals diverse transition architectures, ranging from South Africa's formal, utility-scale model to Nigeria's nano-enterprise-driven decentralized approach. Key recommendations include directing finance toward service-led value chains, reforming TVET systems through modular programs, and extending social protection to informal workers via mobile platforms.

The document advocates for the substitution of problematic shrink sleeve materials (PET, PETG, and PVC) with floatable polyolefins, such as polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP), to enhance the recyclability of PET bottles. It highlights that problematic sleeves cause recycling facilities to reject bottles, leading to landfill waste and pollution. The transition, supported by the SA Plastics Pact and early adopters like Woolworths and SPUR Corporation, is part of the broader 'Plastic Reboot – South Africa' project aimed at implementing upstream circular interventions in the food and beverage sector.

ClientEarth argues that the JRC's preparatory study for textile ecodesign criteria under the ESPR is insufficient. The organization advocates for full alignment with REACH for reporting Substances of Very High Concern (SVHCs), the inclusion of all substances with harmonised classification and labelling (CLH), and the removal of exemptions for process chemicals. It further contends that the JRC has failed to implement legal requirements to reduce 'significant risks' to health and the environment and has overlooked the need for performance restrictions based on circularity concerns, such as the use of phthalates.

The document details the global copper market, highlighting Chile as the top producer and China's dominance in refining and consumption. It examines the transition to electric vehicles as a demand driver, the challenges of end-of-life recycling, and the environmental risks associated with copper production, particularly water scarcity in producing regions.

The document details the global nickel market, highlighting Indonesia's dominance in production and the shifting demand from stainless steel toward electric vehicle batteries. It outlines the technical processing pathways for Class I and Class II nickel, the geopolitical impact of export bans, and the environmental footprints associated with different mining and refining methods.

The document advocates for 'lifecycle thinking' in packaging to avoid 'greenwashing' and suboptimal design. It explains that both overpackaging and underpackaging create environmental burdens, and that the optimal design varies by product. The report details the functions of packaging—containment, protection, utility, and communication—and evaluates various end-of-life (EOL) options, noting that waste management infrastructure in low-income countries often relies on open dumps. It concludes that policy interventions like Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) and Deposit Return Schemes (DRS) are essential for improving material collection and sorting.

The document examines the tension between Africa's potential as a clean energy leader and the restrictive nature of unilateral trade instruments like the EU's CBAM. While Africa possesses significant renewable energy potential and 30% of global critical mineral reserves, the paper argues that CBAM could reduce collective GDP by 0.91% (approximately USD 25 billion) and limit fiscal space for green R&D. It suggests that African nations leverage their strategic mineral advantages, utilize the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) to eliminate 97% of internal tariffs, and push for more structured discussions on trade restrictions within the UNFCCC and WTO.

The document examines how four countries—Germany, the UK, Japan, and Australia—successfully reduced waste sector methane emissions through a combination of legislation, market-based tools, public education, and voluntary agreements. It highlights a general trend of diverting waste from landfills toward recycling, composting, and incineration, while noting that high-income countries in Europe, Asia, and Oceania have seen the most significant progress.

The global economy consumes approximately 100 billion metric tons of resources annually, with 75% coming from non-renewable sources. While the European Union leads in circular economy policy, global resource productivity has stalled since 2000, and the world must reduce per capita material consumption from 12.6 metric tons in 2022 to below 5 metric tons by 2050 to ensure sustainability. Significant disparities exist in consumption, with the top 25% of the population using 52% of the world's resources. Despite some progress in municipal waste recycling—averaging 35% across OECD countries—and the regulation of single-use products in 75 countries, systemic changes in product design and corporate monitoring are required to decouple economic growth from resource extraction.

The document analyzes the surging demand for critical minerals driven by the energy transition, the environmental impacts of mining, and the strategic trade policies developing countries can employ to add value to their mineral resources while ensuring climate resilience.

The document analyzes various treaty flexibility mechanisms—such as reservations, differentiated timelines, and optional annexes—to recommend an approach for the future plastics treaty that balances broad adoption with environmental effectiveness. It argues against using optional annexes for chemicals of concern, suggesting instead a system of general and specific exemptions similar to those in the Minamata and Stockholm Conventions.

The document outlines a new energy security framework for Central and Eastern Europe, emphasizing the transition to clean energy to reduce vulnerabilities associated with fossil fuel imports and geopolitical instability. It advocates for the removal of fossil fuel subsidies, the establishment of a grid security framework to counter hybrid warfare, and the expansion of the EU single energy market through harmonized permitting and increased interconnectivity. Additionally, it calls for the EU to adopt an incentive-based investment approach, similar to the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act, to maintain global competitiveness and avoid reliance on non-EU financing.

The document outlines a new energy security framework for Central and Eastern Europe, emphasizing the transition from fossil fuel imports to clean energy to mitigate geopolitical risks. It calls for the elimination of fossil fuel subsidies, the creation of a grid security framework to counter hybrid warfare, and the expansion of the EU single energy market through harmonized permitting and increased interconnector investment. Additionally, it advocates for an incentive-based investment approach similar to the US Inflation Reduction Act to maintain European competitiveness and prevent reliance on non-EU financing.

The document assesses the pervasive role of the informal economy in Ethiopia, noting that it accounts for 80-90% of national employment and approximately one-third of GDP. It highlights a disconnect between official national surveys, which show a decline in informality, and international estimates that suggest the sector remains dominant. The analysis focuses on the drivers of informality—including rural-to-urban migration and structural exclusion—and the challenges of formalization, such as bureaucratic burdens and limited financial access. In Addis Ababa, the city administration has shifted from viewing informal trade as 'illegal' to implementing regulations (such as Regulation No. 184/2025) to recognize and gradually integrate street vendors into the formal economy.

WWF International calls on the US Congress and state leadership to finalize several pending bills before the end of 2024. Key priorities include reauthorizing the WILD Act to protect global species, passing the Indian Buffalo Management Act for tribal-led restoration, and enacting the US Foundation for International Conservation Act to leverage private funding. The document also emphasizes the need to address illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing as a national security threat, improve recycling infrastructure through the Recycling and Composting Accountability Act, and renew the Farm Bill with climate-smart agriculture investments. Additionally, it urges New York Governor Kathy Hochul to sign the TREES Act to prevent deforestation in state supply chains.

India aims for 500 GW of non-fossil electricity capacity by 2030, but the target has slipped to 2031-32. While India produces 70-80% of its wind turbines domestically and exports significantly to the US, its solar PV sector is heavily dependent on China, which held over 80% of the global module market in 2022. India is attempting to build domestic solar supply chains via the Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme and the Approved List of Models and Manufacturers (ALMM), though it remains reliant on imports for critical minerals like lithium, cobalt, and nickel. Recycling is identified as essential for future supply chain security, with solar PV waste projected to reach nearly 19,000 kt by 2050.

The Transforming Foundation Industries Research and Innovation Hub (TransFIRe) is working to optimize resource use across six UK foundation industries and their supply chains. Based on interviews with 12 academic leads and seven trade organization representatives, the report identifies shared barriers to innovation, such as inadequate infrastructure and poor recycling incentives, while highlighting regulation changes and financial support as key enablers for decarbonization.

The document outlines the 'Waste Clinic' methodology, where local government representatives (patients) and waste management experts (doctors) collaborate to address solid waste challenges. It details a structured process involving planning—such as selecting decision-makers and regional experts—and a five-session execution phase including expert presentations, challenge identification, and solution development. Based on experience in Colombia, Mexico, and Ecuador, the Clean Air Task Force (CATF) recommends a two-day format and the use of hypothetical city scenarios to encourage more open problem-solving.

The report forecasts that Africa will create between 1.5 and 3.3 million new direct green jobs by 2030 across 12 material value chains. The energy and power sector is the primary driver, with solar energy alone projected to generate up to 1.7 million jobs. The analysis highlights a significant need for both unskilled labor (40% of total) and specialized skills (30%), particularly in solar, climate-smart agriculture, and waste recycling. Five focus countries—South Africa, Kenya, Nigeria, Ethiopia, and the DRC—are expected to contribute up to 720,000 of these jobs, with South Africa, Kenya, and Nigeria showing the highest potential. The report emphasizes that while long-term estimates suggest up to 100 million green jobs by 2050, immediate investment in human capital and vocational training is required to realize this growth.

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.