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The document introduces social accountability (SA) as a preventive anti-corruption strategy for conservation and natural resource management (NRM). It defines SA as a set of citizen-based methods—emphasizing transparency, voice, and dialogue—designed to hold authorities to account and improve public service delivery. While SA is effective at changing the enabling environment for corruption by increasing detection risks and shifting social norms, the briefing notes its limitations in addressing high-level political corruption or criminal networks. The text provides a framework for practitioners to assess contextual risks, power differentials, and the necessity of 'vertical integration' to link local efforts with higher-level reform.

The document outlines a systemic, context-specific approach to addressing corruption in biodiversity conservation, emphasizing political economy analysis and risk management over simple technical fixes.

The report finds that the introduction of a mandatory environmental conciliation stage has paralyzed 98% of deforestation-related infringement notices issued between October 2019 and May 2021, exacerbating impunity. This occurs against a broader trend of weakening environmental control since 2015, with deforestation rates returning to 2006 levels by 2021. The analysis also highlights severe transparency gaps in Ibama's open data, including the loss of geographic area data for sanctions after August 2019 and restricted public access to procedural documents.

ClientEarth criticizes the Society of Lloyd’s ESG Guidance for being non-binding and lacking transparency, short-term targets, and a fossil fuel phase-out plan. The letter asserts that the Guidance represents a retreat from previous commitments and risks legal breaches regarding climate risk management and public disclosure.

The report assesses the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) in Ghana, finding that while the office has a strong legal mandate, it has struggled with inadequate funding, staffing deficits, and political interference. Interviewed anti-corruption agencies generally agree that the OSP has not yet significantly reduced corruption or the public perception of it, though there is trust in the capacity of the second Special Prosecutor, Kissi Agyebeng. The document recommends amending the OSP Act to grant full prosecutorial independence from the Attorney General and increasing actual budget disbursements.

The briefing analyzes the challenges facing WTO agriculture negotiations at MC12, noting that deep divisions among members on domestic support, market access, and public stockholding likely mean that substantive outcomes will be limited to work programs for post-conference talks. The author identifies a potential positive outcome regarding an exemption for World Food Programme (WFP) food purchases from export restrictions and suggests that some progress on transparency may be achievable, though substantive issues like trade-distorting subsidies in cotton remain unresolved.

ClientEarth and BirdLife criticize the European Commission for failing to publish observation letters during the approval of revised Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) Rural Development Programmes (RDPs), arguing this opacity prevents public scrutiny of how recovery funds are used for the European Green Deal. They demand that the Commission publish remaining observations and ensure that future CAP Strategic Plans are made public early enough in the decision-making process for citizens to participate.

The document examines the opportunities and barriers to moving UNFCCC climate negotiations online. While digital tools could disrupt outdated and opaque practices, the transition is hindered by a lack of trust among Parties and concerns that virtual formats might exacerbate structural inequities or reduce transparency for media and NGOs. The author recommends the creation of a taskforce to design future session formats and calls for leadership from the UN Secretary-General and the UNFCCC Secretariat to modernize multilateral diplomacy.

The briefing argues that Brazil's new railroad authorization system, designed to streamline private sector infrastructure grants, lacks the necessary procedural clarity and transparency to ensure adequate socio-environmental oversight. It identifies critical gaps in the requirements for technical studies, the autonomy of the analyzing authority, and the public disclosure of project data, proposing specific amendments to PL no. 261/2018 to mitigate these risks.

The briefing by Climate Policy Initiative (CPI/PUC-Rio) examines the legal framework for private railway exploration in Brazil, specifically MP No. 1.065/2021 and PL No. 261/2018. It argues that while the authorization regime simplifies investment, it lacks procedural clarity and transparency, which may undermine the assessment of socio-environmental impacts. The authors identify critical gaps in the requirement for technical studies, the ambiguity of decision-making authority between the Ministry of Infrastructure and the National Land Transport Agency (ANTT), and the absence of mandatory publication for project documents, georeferencing, and financing conditions.

The report explores the potential for a digital transition of the UNFCCC process, finding broad stakeholder support for moving technical and preparatory activities online, while highlighting significant concerns regarding power imbalances, the digital divide, and the loss of informal relationship-building essential for political consensus.

The NewClimate Institute developed a methodology to assess the design of NDCs based on four criteria: increased mitigation ambition, comprehensiveness, implementation plans, and transparency. Applying this to 20 diverse NDCs, the analysis found that while most countries meet requirements for comprehensiveness and transparency, less than half demonstrated higher mitigation ambition compared to their first NDC, and many lack clear implementation plans.

The Zimbabwe APRM Popular Sensitisation (ZAPS) project validation workshop, held on 8 July 2021, served as a platform for civil society organisations (CSOs) to present and refine a submission to the APRM. The workshop identified critical governance failures in Zimbabwe, including a "constitutional amendment crisis" that has expanded presidential powers, the "militarisation of politics" through the installation of military leaders in political roles, and systemic corruption where legislative frameworks are applied only to "small fish" while elite corruption persists. Other key areas of concern included the shrinking of civic space—marked by 932 reported cases of organised violence and torture between March and November 2020—and the decline of state enterprises and parastatals, which now contribute less than 2% of the GDP. The project aims to use these findings to catalyze reform and enhance accountability and transparency in Zimbabwe's governance.

The analysis of 14 large-scale federal railroad and highway projects in the Legal Amazon reveals significant gaps in the viability phase of infrastructure concessions. Key issues include the absence of clear procedural rules, a lack of logical and temporal sequencing between Technical, Economic and Environmental Viability Studies (EVTEA) and Environmental Impact Studies (EIA), and severe transparency deficits, with 57% of essential documents unavailable. The document argues that these flaws increase environmental risks and jeopardize project quality. It recommends making EVTEAs mandatory before EIAs and establishing a centralized database for all concession documents to enhance monitoring and risk assessment.

A coalition of environmental NGOs is calling on the German government to grant NGOs equal access to fisheries quota negotiations and the Special Committee on Fisheries. The letter argues that current transparency is insufficient, as industry members have more access than environmental groups, and proposes the establishment of a formal observer status and proactive documentation publication to align with the Aarhus Convention.

The document analyzes 14 large-scale railroad and highway projects in the Legal Amazon, finding significant gaps in the viability phase. Key issues include the lack of a mandatory sequence between Technical, Economic and Environmental Viability Studies (EVTEA) and Environmental Impact Studies (EIA), and a severe lack of transparency, with 57% of essential documents unavailable. The authors recommend mandating that EVTEA precede EIA to identify risks earlier and establishing a centralized database for all concession documents.

The New Bidding Law (Lei nº 14.133) passed in April 2021 introduces detailed requirements for preliminary technical studies in Brazilian infrastructure projects. CPI/PUC-Rio argues that this creates an opportunity to introduce a formal pre-feasibility analysis phase to prevent low-quality or infeasible projects from proceeding. While the law improves transparency via a single official website and expands the oversight role of legal advisory bodies and courts of accounts, it is criticized for reducing mandatory social participation. The authors recommend that future regulatory decrees mandate the publication of key preparatory documents and formally integrate pre-feasibility assessments to better align technical studies with environmental licensing.

The briefing argues that the New Bidding Law provides an opportunity to strengthen the planning of infrastructure projects by introducing more robust preliminary technical studies. It proposes a 'pre-feasibility analysis' methodology to anticipate socio-environmental risks before projects reach the bidding stage, thereby reducing the likelihood of project interruptions or environmental damage. While praising new transparency measures and the role of audit courts, the document warns that the law represents a regression in mandatory social participation.

The briefing examines the 2021 New Bidding Law in Brazil, highlighting the potential for preliminary technical studies to serve as a new planning stage. CPI/PUC-Rio proposes integrating a pre-feasibility analysis—consisting of structuring questions and socio-environmental complexity assessments—to prevent low-quality or infeasible projects from proceeding. While the law improves transparency through a single official website and expands the oversight role of legal advisory bodies and courts of accounts, the authors criticize the reduction in mandatory social participation and the potential for delays in implementing environmental licensing priorities.

Carbon Market Watch argues that the rapid operationalisation of Article 6 of the Paris Agreement must not undermine environmental integrity or inclusiveness. The submission identifies several critical 'building blocks' required for the mechanism to function, including the establishment of a conflict-of-interest-free Supervisory Body, the implementation of independent grievance mechanisms, and the rigorous review of methodologies regarding additionality and permanence. It further advocates for an automatic partial cancellation of units to ensure overall mitigation in global emissions and the creation of proactive stakeholder notification systems to improve transparency beyond simple document availability.