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The Changing Markets Foundation warns that global plastic production is set to double by 2030 and could account for 15% of greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. The organization argues that industry lobbying is undermining the EU's Single-Use Plastic Directive through attempts to exempt bio-based plastics, viscose, and cellophane, and by jeopardizing deposit return systems. The letter calls for legislative measures to end overpackaging, prevent greenwashing, and reject 'false solutions' like chemical recycling and incineration in favor of reuse and mechanical recycling.

The Changing Markets Foundation warns that global plastic production is set to double by 2030 and could account for 15% of greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. The organization argues that industry lobbying is currently undermining the EU's Single-Use Plastic Directive through attempts to exempt bio-based plastics, viscose, and cellophane from the definition of single-use plastics. It further highlights efforts by brands and producer responsibility organisations to jeopardize deposit return systems (DRS), which the author claims are the only viable way to achieve 90%+ collection of beverage bottles. The letter calls for the EU to move beyond voluntary commitments and implement robust measures against overpackaging, greenwashing, and 'false solutions' like chemical recycling and incineration.

The Changing Markets Foundation warns that global plastic production is set to double by 2030 and could account for 15% of greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. The letter argues that industry lobbying is currently undermining the EU's Single-Use Plastic Directive by seeking exemptions for bio-based, biodegradable, viscose, and cellophane plastics, and by jeopardising the implementation of deposit return systems (DRS). The foundation calls for the EU to reject voluntary corporate commitments in favour of mandatory measures to end overpackaging, regulate green claims, and clarify that incineration and chemical recycling are not substantive contributions to a circular economy.

The report evaluates EU progress toward ending overfishing by 2020, finding that more than half of the assessed TACs for 2019 still exceeded scientific advice. It highlights inconsistent adherence to advice for data-limited stocks and identifies several Member States that pushed for unsustainable catch limits.

Mighty Earth claims that JBS is using 'PR spin' to mask a lack of progress in its deforestation commitments. The organization asserts that JBS only monitors a small portion of its supply chain in the Amazon, ignoring the Brazilian Cerrado and legal deforestation, while failing to enforce existing policies against non-compliant suppliers.

The report finds that the EU missed its 2020 deadline to end overfishing, with nearly half of the analyzed TACs for 2020 still exceeding scientific advice. It highlights a systemic failure to follow precautionary advice for data-limited stocks and a tendency to prioritize target stocks over bycatch stocks. The analysis identifies specific Member States—including France, Ireland, and Spain—as frequently pushing for unsustainable catch limits based on unsubstantiated socio-economic claims. The document also criticizes the lack of transparency in the TAC-setting process and the potential for misleading reporting by the European Commission.

The report highlights the risks posed by the digital transformation of the maritime sector in Africa, noting that while most incidents have occurred elsewhere, the continent's heavy reliance on seaborne trade makes it vulnerable. It identifies a significant gap in Africa-specific research and a slow rate of ratification for the AU Malabo Convention. The author recommends that African Union member states adopt national cyber laws and that the AU integrate cyber security into the African Peace and Security Architecture and the 2050 Africa’s Integrated Maritime Strategy.

A joint letter from civil society organisations advocating for the inclusion of the shipping sector in the EU Emissions Trading System and the implementation of a -40% GHG efficiency target by 2030 to address rising maritime emissions.

The document identifies critical gaps in the EU's approach to endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs), noting that current laws fail to account for non-monotonic dose responses and the irreversibility of EDC effects. It argues that the EU has a legal and moral obligation under the precautionary principle to prevent harm, particularly to vulnerable populations like children. To address these failures, the brief proposes three primary actions: launching a broad REACH restriction for already identified EDCs based on existing lists, updating chemical screening systems through implementing acts and guidance to eliminate 'blind spots', and adopting a new legislative act to create a coordinated, continuously updated EU list of EDCs that automatically triggers regulatory consequences across all sectors.

The CJEU clarified that project consents granted based on plans or programmes that bypassed the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) Directive must generally be annulled, regardless of whether construction has already started. The Court reaffirmed that exceptions to this rule—such as avoiding an environmental legal vacuum or ensuring the security of energy supply—must be interpreted narrowly and cannot be used to justify the continued operation of a limited number of wind turbines.

The authors contend that the EU suffers from diffuse accountability and a 'double deadlock' caused by a reliance on closed-door Franco-German agreements. They argue that Germany's role as a 'benevolent hegemon' is problematic because Berlin seeks to minimize costs and maximize control over debtor states while remaining reluctant to fully embrace its power. The text suggests that the only way to break this impasse is through 'transnational politics'—the creation of shifting alliances across national borders and the engagement of civil society—to replace the current 'constructive ambiguity' of European diplomacy.

The report examines the global banana market, noting that while bananas are the most valuable traded fruit, the sector faces significant challenges including climate change, the Tropical Race 4 fungal disease, and poor farmer livelihoods. It highlights the growth of voluntary sustainability standards (VSSs), which accounted for 7% of production in 2016, and identifies opportunities to expand these standards in countries like India, China, and specific LHDCs such as Tanzania and Rwanda to improve environmental and social outcomes.

The statement argues that the COVID-19 pandemic has created an urgent need for governments to focus all resources on public health, specifically the procurement of medical supplies, vaccines, and medicines. It calls for the immediate suspension of trade and investment negotiations at the WTO, bilateral, and regional levels, asserting that such activities divert critical resources and personnel. The authors highlight that intellectual property rules under the WTO's TRIPS agreement and free trade agreements may obstruct the affordability and accessibility of life-saving supplies. The document demands the removal of all trade barriers and unilateral sanctions that hinder medical procurement and urges a fundamental rethink of trade rules that encourage monopolies and limit healthcare access.

Friends of the Earth International and a broad coalition of global endorsers call for an immediate cessation of trade and investment treaty negotiations. They argue that governments, particularly in developing and least developed countries, lack the resources to engage in these negotiations while managing the COVID-19 health crisis. The statement demands that trade negotiators focus exclusively on removing obstacles, such as intellectual property rules and unilateral sanctions, that hinder access to affordable vaccines, medicines, and diagnostics.

The briefing warns that emergency government responses to the COVID-19 pandemic—such as lockdowns, medical supply requisitions, and export bans—create an unprecedented risk of investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) claims under over 3,000 investment treaties. It highlights the unpredictability of arbitration tribunals and the high cost of defense, citing historical examples from Argentina and Egypt where states faced multi-billion dollar awards. The authors call for a coordinated global response, potentially through the UN or WTO, to suspend ISDS for pandemic measures or issue joint interpretations of the 'state of necessity' defense. As an interim measure, it suggests states may withdraw their consent to arbitration.

The briefing warns that emergency COVID-19 measures—such as lockdowns, nationalization of health services, and export bans—risk triggering a wave of investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) claims under over 3,000 investment treaties. It highlights the unpredictability of arbitration tribunals and the high cost of defense, which can average 8 million USD per case. Using historical examples like Argentina's 2001 crisis, the document illustrates how such claims can result in billions of dollars in awards, potentially undermining national health budgets and IMF rescue packages. The authors call for a coordinated global response via the UN, UNCTAD, or UNCITRAL to suspend arbitration for COVID-19 measures or issue joint interpretations of the 'state of necessity' defense. As an interim measure, it suggests that states may unilaterally withdraw their consent to arbitration.

The analysis argues that the European Union has experienced a period of 'regulatory fatigue' and 'backsliding' in financial oversight since 2014. It highlights five specific failures: the abandonment of structural banking reforms to separate high-risk activities, the adoption of dysfunctional prudential rules (such as an inoperative 3% leverage ratio), the failure to effectively limit food speculation through high technical thresholds, the lack of supervision for the growing shadow banking system, and the 'resurrection' of risky securitisation practices. The author concludes that these failures, combined with the shift of risk to under-regulated entities and the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, leave the EU ill-equipped to handle a new financial crisis.

The author argues that the EU has experienced a 'regulatory retreat' in the financial sector, characterized by the abandonment of structural reforms, the implementation of dysfunctional prudential ratios, and the failure to regulate shadow banking. The text highlights how lobbying and the 'better regulation' agenda have weakened rules on food speculation and securitization, leaving the EU vulnerable to future financial crises, potentially triggered by the Covid-19 pandemic.

ClientEarth challenges the planned Belgian capacity mechanism (Planned CM), asserting that it lacks a complete design and fails to demonstrate a genuine resource adequacy concern. The organisation argues that the scheme would unfairly favour gas capacity, contradicting EU objectives to phase out environmentally harmful subsidies and hindering decarbonisation. It further contends that the Belgian electricity market's resilience and the availability of less distortive alternatives, such as strategic reserves and market reforms, render a market-wide capacity mechanism unnecessary. ClientEarth also warns that the Planned CM could strengthen the market dominance of existing oligopolistic players and lacks sufficient preference mechanisms for low-carbon resources.

The report analyzes 49 green bonds totaling USD36bn issued in H2 2019. It finds that green bonds generally outperformed vanilla equivalents in terms of book cover and spread compression. Approximately 50% of these bonds were allocated to investors identifying as green. The analysis also highlights a 'greenium' (pricing inside the yield curve) for several bonds and examines the growing market for sovereign green bonds, where 12 governments had issued such instruments by December 2019.