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The document details a March 3 hearing where U.S. defense officials discussed the strategic challenges of the Arctic. Key issues include the military buildup of Russia and China, the degradation of military and local infrastructure due to permafrost thaw, and a critical shortage of icebreakers. While the U.S. is pursuing a Polar Security Cutter Program, officials acknowledged current limitations in conducting Freedom of Navigation Operations (FONOPs) in ice-congested waters compared to Russia's extensive icebreaker fleet.

Reclaim Finance argues that Barclays' new fossil fuel policy is inadequate, citing weak exclusion thresholds for coal, flawed metrics for measuring coal exposure, and limited restrictions on oil and gas projects, particularly in the US and Argentina.

The authors use the 2019 Worldwide Threat Assessment's accurate prediction of a pandemic to urge policymakers to act on similar warnings regarding climate change. They highlight how environmental degradation and climate hazards threaten global infrastructure, food and water security, and geopolitical stability, particularly in coastal areas and the Arctic.

The document calls for an immediate end to financial support for fossil fuel expansion to meet the 1.5°C climate goal. It criticizes financial institutions for insufficient exclusion policies and highlights the danger of non-conventional hydrocarbons and the continued expansion plans of oil and gas majors.

The report evaluates global security threats under two warming scenarios: a 'Near Term' scenario (1-2°C) and a 'Medium-Long Term' scenario (2-4+°C). It concludes that even low levels of warming present high to very high risks, while higher warming levels pose catastrophic and potentially irreversible threats to global stability. The analysis is structured around U.S. Geographic Combatant Command areas, detailing how climate-induced physical shocks and social tensions act as threat multipliers that can lead to state failure, resource conflict, and the breakdown of international alliances.

Friends of the Earth International assesses the draft post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework, acknowledging some progress in governance but condemning the lack of corporate accountability, the absence of indigenous rights, and the promotion of 'false solutions' like biodiversity offsetting. The organization calls for a systemic shift that addresses the root causes of biodiversity loss and ensures equity between the Global North and South.

The open letter calls on nine Multilateral Development Banks to accelerate their commitment to the Paris Agreement by ending all assistance for oil, gas, and coal projects after 2020. It demands a rapid scale-up of investments in renewables and energy efficiency, specifically targeting universal energy access by 2030 and allocating at least 50% of finance to climate by 2025. The letter emphasizes the need for transparent reporting on portfolio emissions and the development of just transition plans for workers and communities.

The document outlines the accelerating degradation of the Earth's cryosphere and oceans due to climate change. It details the rapid loss of ice sheets in Greenland and Antarctica, the thawing of permafrost, and the warming, acidification, and deoxygenation of the global oceans. These changes drive sea level rise, threaten biodiversity, and disrupt essential services like freshwater supply from mountain glaciers and food security from fisheries. The briefing emphasizes that while some damage is irreversible, cutting emissions can reduce risks and facilitate adaptation for vulnerable coastal and indigenous populations.

The briefing outlines three critical objectives for national leaders at the 2019 UN Climate Action Summit to align global efforts with the 1.5 degrees C warming limit. First, leaders are urged to pledge net-zero emissions by 2050, following examples like Suriname and Bhutan. Second, they must prepare to submit more ambitious nationally determined contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement in 2020. Third, the document calls for a shift from 'brown' to 'green' financing, specifically halting coal plant funding and increasing contributions to the Green Climate Fund to support developing nations. The text emphasizes that investing $1.8 trillion in climate resilience from 2020 to 2030 could yield $7.1 trillion in net benefits.

The report details a 90-minute tabletop exercise simulating a nuclear maritime accident in the Bering Strait in 2050. The exercise identified critical gaps in Arctic infrastructure, including the fact that only 6% of Arctic waters are charted to modern standards and a lack of predictive atmospheric and ocean circulation models for winter conditions. Key findings emphasize the need for integrated indigenous emergency response infrastructure, the establishment of 'Confidence Building Measures' (CBM) with Russia to manage high-level nuclear contingencies, and the necessity of a common, multi-agency observation network to track changing Arctic storm patterns. The document argues that proactive research into radionuclide transport and the creation of an Arctic operations center are essential to avoid catastrophic failures in situational awareness and operational response.

The report argues that climate change is a vital national security risk that requires a whole-of-government response. It proposes a 'Climate Security Plan for America' structured around four pillars: demonstrating leadership through a new White House Office on Climate Security, assessing risks via a Climate Security Crisis Watch Center, bolstering international resilience to compete with adversaries like China and Russia, and building domestic infrastructure resilience. The plan emphasizes the need for the U.S. to remain in the Paris Agreement and to integrate climate foresight into military doctrine and intelligence assessments.

The document examines the intersection of climate change, security, and adaptation, arguing that climate impacts act as 'threat multipliers' that can destabilize states and international relations. It highlights risks such as transboundary water conflicts, food insecurity, Arctic geopolitical shifts, and mass migration. The authors warn against 'maladaptation'—adaptation efforts that inadvertently increase inequality or tension—and advocate for a 'preventive' approach. Key recommendations include creating multidimensional early warning systems, implementing risk-tolerant and 'nexus' financing for insecure regions, and ensuring adaptation strategies are timely, strategically targeted, and informed by political economy analysis to avoid exacerbating existing social and political frictions.

In remarks delivered at the Covering Climate Now conference, Bill Moyers critiques the failure of major US news networks to adequately cover global warming and calls for a new era of courageous, connected reporting. He highlights a historical missed opportunity in 1965 when the US government first officially recognized the threat of CO2, and urges current journalists to act as a moral authority to shift public opinion and drive the 'acceptance of responsibility' needed to implement available climate solutions.

The 2019 Arctic Council Conservation Scorecard finds that Arctic states are generally failing in their roles as stewards of the region, particularly regarding the regulation of marine shipping and the recognition of Indigenous peoples as full partners. While states performed well in ecosystem-based management and environmental impact assessments, they showed slow progress in safeguarding biodiversity and protecting conservation areas against climate change risks. The report specifically highlights a lack of governance in shipping and warns that new oil and gas developments are inconsistent with the Paris Agreement's 1.5-degree warming target.

The report examines how a proposed copper mine in Laver would affect the Semisjaur Njarg Sami community, specifically regarding the loss of winter pastures and the threat to reindeer herding as a cultural practice. It argues that Boliden's proposed mitigation strategies, such as supplementary feeding and offering mining jobs to herders, are insufficient to compensate for the loss of traditional livelihoods. The document concludes that the mine would likely result in significant breaches of the community's property rights and individual rights to culture, necessitating a full human rights impact assessment.

The report details the first phase of an Arctic Council project led by the CAFF Working Group, focusing on the inventory and scientific review of Arctic wetlands. It emphasizes the role of these environments in biodiversity, hydrology, and carbon storage, while highlighting the necessity of integrating indigenous knowledge into wetland management to counter historical misconceptions of wetlands as wastelands.

The document outlines a protocol for a systematic review of the positive and negative impacts of mining activities—from prospecting to decommissioning—on social and environmental systems in Boreal and Arctic regions, following Collaboration for Environmental Evidence and ROSES standards.

The document describes Arctic wetlands as critical ecosystems that store vast amounts of carbon and support biodiversity and Indigenous livelihoods. It warns that climate-driven permafrost degradation and human activities like drainage turn these areas into a 'time bomb' by releasing greenhouse gases and toxic mercury. Conversely, it argues that restoration and conservation can serve as a 'saving grace' for climate mitigation and adaptation. The briefing highlights the need for better wetland inventories and comparative analysis of management strategies to improve governance across Arctic states.

The report serves as a reference tool listing over 60 UNFCCC decisions and reports that acknowledge the role of Indigenous Peoples and their traditional knowledge in climate mitigation and adaptation. It highlights the establishment of the Local Communities and Indigenous Peoples Platform and recalls the minimum standards for survival and dignity set by the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

The report reviews research needs for SDG 14, categorizing them into three themes: marine pollution, ocean and climate, and sustainable use of marine resources. It highlights critical knowledge gaps in the Arctic and Baltic Sea, the need for standardized global monitoring of microplastics and acidification, and the challenge of balancing short-term economic demands with long-term environmental protection. The document emphasizes that while science can characterize challenges and provide solutions, effective mitigation depends on political will and multi-disciplinary collaboration.