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The STARRS pilot project, initiated by Climate Group and Climate TRACE, demonstrates how satellite imagery and artificial intelligence can provide timely, granular greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions data for subnational governments. By tracking six pilot regions—Abruzzo (Italy), Basque Country (Spain), Jalisco (Mexico), Querétaro (Mexico), Pernambuco (Brazil), and Western Cape (South Africa)—the project addressed common barriers to emissions accounting, such as high costs and long timeframes associated with traditional bottom-up methods. The project provided historical data from 2015 to 2021 across sectors including electricity, heavy industry, and road transport, while also mapping biomass changes. Findings for the pilot regions highlighted specific emission drivers, such as the dominance of the Bilbao Refinery in the Basque Country's oil and gas sector and the significant impact of feedlots in Jalisco and Western Cape.

The document argues that the ETS2 is essential for Europe's climate objectives and competitiveness, warning that delays and revisions risk weakening the instrument's effectiveness. The signatories call for the operationalisation of ETS2 in 2028, the implementation of complementary social and fiscal policies, and transparency in the management of the resulting revenues to support vulnerable households and clean technology investments.

The City of Cape Town (CCT) conducted a three-year pilot project (2020-2022) comparing five BMWi3 electric vehicles (EVs) with five VW Golf GTI internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles. The study found that EVs are more affordable over a seven-year period when combining purchase price and operational costs, with the BMWi3 costing R768,950 compared to R1,415,281 for the ICE equivalent. The CCT identifies 477 hatchback vehicles in its fleet as potential candidates for electrification to reduce the 4,000 tonnes of CO2 emitted annually by that segment. The report emphasizes that EVs serve as a decarbonisation lever if charged with renewable energy and that future procurement must align vehicle range and charging infrastructure with operational requirements.

The SAVi assessment of the Uchkuduk-Kazakhstan Border Highway in Uzbekistan indicates that while the project has a low traditional benefit-cost ratio of 0.18, its sustainable benefit-cost ratio (S-BCR) is significantly higher at 1.38 to 1.95. The project is expected to generate cumulative discounted net benefits between USD 230 million and USD 567 million over a 30-year period (2022-2052), driven primarily by public revenues from raw materials trade and avoided traffic accident costs.

The document examines Namibia's strategy to position the Port of Walvis Bay as a competitive alternative to other SADC ports. It details the role of the Namibian Ports Authority (Namport) and the Walvis Bay Corridor Group (WBCG) in expanding infrastructure and improving trade facilitation. Key developments include a new container terminal funded largely by the African Development Bank and the conceptual SADC Gateway Port. While the port benefits from strategic location and political stability, it faces challenges in human capital and administrative bureaucracy.

The study identifies Zimbabwe's foreign exchange controls as the most costly non-tariff barrier (NTB) affecting bilateral trade between South Africa and Zimbabwe across multiple sectors. Other significant costs include administrative delays at the Beit Bridge border crossing and high freight costs resulting from a dysfunctional regional rail network. The paper also highlights congestion at Durban Port and specific sectoral barriers, such as South Africa's ban on second-hand vehicles traveling on its roads and two-stage conversion requirements for Zimbabwean textiles.

The study assesses the potential for China's road transport sector to peak greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and petroleum demand, estimating that emissions could be reduced by 50-95% by 2060 compared to 2020 levels. It highlights that freight transport requires more significant emission reductions than passenger transport, specifically a cumulative 19,367 million tonnes of CO2eq from 2020 to 2060. The research identifies vehicle electrification, structural changes, and fuel efficiency as critical drivers, with total low-carbon investment needs estimated between CNY 39-83 trillion through 2060.