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The ECB is criticized for limited progress on climate action in 2024, with the author arguing that current efforts are insufficient. While noting some advances in nature inclusion and fossil fuel exclusions in non-monetary portfolios, the document highlights missed opportunities in monetary policy and the abandonment of greening measures for the collateral framework. It calls for transparent sanctions against banks failing climate risk assessments, the adoption of robust transition plans, the exclusion of fossil fuel assets from collateral, and the consideration of dual interest rates in the upcoming 2025 monetary policy strategy review.

The document argues that fossil fuel sponsorship of political gatherings, specifically the UBCM Convention, constitutes greenwashing and improperly influences municipal decision-making. It links fossil fuel combustion to severe health crises, including 8.1 million annual global deaths from air pollution and extreme weather events in British Columbia such as the 2021 heat dome and historic wildfires. The authors call for a total ban on fossil fuel advertising and sponsorship in BC municipalities, drawing parallels to the historical ban on tobacco industry influence in medicine.

The report finds that providing a better life for future generations remains the top motivation for U.S. voters to reduce global warming across all political groups. Since 2017, there has been a significant increase in voters citing the prevention of extreme weather and global poverty/starvation as primary motivators, while support for economic arguments (green jobs) and energy independence (foreign oil) has declined.

This report discusses the restructuring of South Africa's Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) into two separate entities—the Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources and the Department of Electricity and Energy—following the formation of a Government of National Unity. It outlines the roles these new departments must play in managing the coal phase-out, the growth of renewable energy, and the sustainable mining of minerals required for the green economy.

The briefing links the increased frequency and intensity of US extreme weather events, such as the July 2023 heatwave and August 2024 California wildfires, to climate change driven by fossil fuels. It highlights that US oil and gas production emissions rose roughly 42% between 2011 and 2022 and notes that 88 large fossil fuel and cement companies are responsible for 48% of the rise in fire-danger conditions in the region. The document argues for corporate accountability, citing a Climate Analytics estimate that the 12 most polluting companies are responsible for USD 15 trillion in economic damages from 1985 to 2018. While the US has seen significant growth in solar and wind capacity and electric vehicle sales, primary energy consumption remains dominated by petroleum (38%), natural gas (36%), and coal (9%) as of 2023.

Civil society organisations have written to AIIB President Jin Liqun to express concern over the bank's limited engagement with external stakeholders. The group argues that the AIIB's current internal focus overemphasizes project benefits and underplays risks. They propose several critical discussion topics for the 2024 Annual Meeting, including the bank's fossil fuel divestment, Paris Agreement alignment, and the development of a Gender Action Plan. The letter also highlights logistical barriers for participants in Uzbekistan, including visa difficulties and the risks associated with the country's closed civic space.

Reclaim Finance criticizes ENGIE for continuing to rely on fossil gas for over 50% of its 100 GW installed capacity and for pursuing new gas projects, such as the conversion of the Mejillones plant in Chile and a new plant in Nijmegen, Netherlands. The report highlights that French banks provided $3.4 billion to ENGIE between 2019 and 2023, representing one-third of its total funding, yet most lack robust sectoral policies to exclude gas power. Specifically, it notes that Société Générale's exclusion policy for Combined-Cycle Gas Turbines (CCGT) is ineffective because its emission threshold of 420 kg CO2-eq/MWh is higher than current CCGT emissions. Reclaim Finance calls on these banks to cease funding new gas projects and demand a transition plan that triples renewable capacity by 2030 instead of merely doubling it.

The policy brief highlights the economic importance of natural capital, noting that nature's services are valued at over 1.5 times global GDP. It emphasizes that Africa, despite possessing vast resources, is the only region where natural capital per capita declined between 1995 and 2018. The authors recommend that South Africa's 2025 G20 presidency should build consensus on a definition of natural capital, address data gaps through the G20 Data Gaps Initiative, and implement a bioeconomy hub to translate the Brazilian Bioeconomy Initiative into practical investment and growth.

The document analyzes China's dominance in Africa's critical minerals landscape, highlighting its role as a primary investor and buyer. It argues that while Africa's reserves are vital for the global energy transition, the current model of exporting raw materials without local processing limits socioeconomic benefits and risks environmental degradation. The brief recommends that African governments pursue strategic partnerships, invest in research and development, and build energy infrastructure to move up the value chain, while urging international partners to support technology transfer and local capacity building.

The document argues that the current OECD-led international tax framework is inadequate for African nations, which lose significant revenue to illicit financial flows (IFFs) and base erosion and profit shifting (BEPS). It proposes that South Africa, during its G20 presidency, should promote the UN Framework Convention on International Tax Cooperation as a more inclusive and democratic alternative. The author suggests several levers for the G20 to support African development, including strengthening tax rules for digital economies, enhancing financial information exchange, investing in digital infrastructure and AI for tax administration, and promoting quality infrastructure to expand the tax base.

The author contends that the rise of far-right parties, such as Germany's AfD, is partly a reaction to climate policies that lack social equity. To combat this, the text advocates for a 'post-growth' framework and the implementation of community-led energy solutions that prioritize human well-being over profit. It calls for developed nations to accelerate emission cuts and for the EU to shift fossil fuel subsidies toward carbon-free heating to ensure a just transition.

Mr Nelson Muffuh discusses the upcoming UN Summit of the Future, emphasizing the need to 'turbocharge efforts to bring about sustainable development and combat climate change'. He argues that the current international financial architecture and the UN Security Council are failing, particularly in their response to crises in Africa. Muffuh highlights Africa's potential in renewable energy—specifically solar power in the Sahara and geothermal energy in the Rift Valley—and calls for permanent African representation with veto power on the Security Council. He positions the Summit as a catalyst for the 'Pact for the Future', which aims to advance a New Agenda for Peace, a Declaration on Future Generations, and a Global Digital Compact.

The report examines the push for natural gas as a 'transition fuel' in South Africa, contrasting government plans with the environmental and financial risks of stranded assets. It details the activities and financing of Kinetiko Energy's Mpumalanga Gas Project and Renergen's Virginia gas field, highlighting significant concerns regarding groundwater contamination, methane leakage, and a lack of transparency in governance.

The report details a community health screening in Phola, Mpumalanga Highveld, finding severe environmental degradation and widespread health issues linked to coal mining. Key findings include high rates of respiratory symptoms, chronic conditions, and a strong community perception that the environment is hazardous. The study also highlights socio-economic vulnerabilities, including high unemployment and reliance on social grants, and recommends strategies for government, healthcare providers, and the community to mitigate these impacts.

ClientEarth argues that the EMFAF and its predecessor (EMFF) have failed to meet their objectives, with significant funding still supporting capacity-enhancing and biodiversity-harming subsidies. The organization calls for a categorical prohibition of harmful subsidies by 2027, increased funding for Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) to meet EU nature restoration targets, and a shift in financial priority toward small-scale and low-impact fishers (SSF), who currently receive a disproportionately small share of funding compared to industrial fleets.

Since 2014, the Global Innovation Lab for Climate Finance has supported 78 instruments that mobilized over USD 4 billion, including USD 1.6 billion from the private sector. The report highlights the necessity of balancing innovation with 'actionability'—ensuring projects are bankable and scalable. Key strategies for unlocking private capital include blended finance to mitigate chronic risks, aggregation to handle small-ticket investments, and the use of Theory of Change (ToC) frameworks to quantify social and environmental impacts. Case studies illustrate successes like Brazil's Green FIDC, which achieved 100% private funding, and challenges like South Africa's Climate Adaptation Notes, which stalled due to an unreliable project pipeline. The document also emphasizes the importance of gender-responsive finance and the need for systemic regulatory shifts to make low-carbon investment the default for institutional investors.

The report finds that while urban climate finance more than doubled to USD 831 billion in 2021/2022, it must increase more than fivefold to align with a 1.5°C pathway. Mitigation needs are dominated by transport, energy, and buildings, with a significant financing gap particularly in emerging markets and developing economies (EMDEs). The document identifies systemic challenges including weak enabling environments and city-level capacity gaps, and proposes the '4C Urban Climate Finance Agenda' (Commitment, Collaboration, Capacity, and Capital Mobilization) to scale investment.

The methodology employs Functional Urban Areas (FUAs) to define urban scope and tracks primary capital flows for mitigation and adaptation. It combines project-level data from sources like the OECD-DAC and BNEF with capital expenditure estimations for transport, buildings, and energy systems. Needs assessments are derived from top-down global models, adjusted by regional urban population shares and sector-specific inclusion criteria.

The Clean Utilities for Affordable Housing instrument aims to raise USD 54 million (ZAR 976 million) to provide renewable energy as a service to affordable housing residents in South Africa. By partnering with major landlords to aggregate demand and using a catalytic subordinated funding vehicle to derisk investments, the model attracts commercial senior debt to fund solar installations. The first phase targets 28,000 housing units over five years, aiming to generate 1,352 GWh of renewable energy and avoid 1,369 ktCO2e. The instrument is designed to be financially sustainable, with a projected Fund internal rate of return (IRR) of 20-30% in the base case, and intends to expand into township retail and the Kenyan market.

The report argues that India requires cumulative investments of US$10.1 trillion by 2070 to reach net-zero, yet current tracked mitigation finance is only about 25 percent of the required amount. It distinguishes between 'green finance' for near-zero emission technologies and 'transition finance' for hard-to-abate sectors that lack immediate green alternatives. The document identifies critical gaps in the supply of finance, noting a lack of standardised taxonomy and an underdeveloped corporate bond market. On the demand side, it analyses the decarbonisation needs of the steel, cement, transport, power, and agriculture sectors, highlighting the high capital costs and technical risks of transformative technologies like Carbon Capture, Utilisation, and Storage (CCUS). The report proposes a five-pillar roadmap covering scope and definition, transparency, cooperation, supply chain support, and financial innovation, while recommending the establishment of a Prime Ministers Net Zero Council (PMNZC) to coordinate inter-ministerial efforts.