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The policy brief emphasizes that cutting methane emissions can slow the rate of warming within current lifetimes because methane has a shorter atmospheric lifespan than carbon dioxide. It highlights the use of optical gas imaging to identify invisible leaks and argues that the fossil fuel industry wastes 200 billion cubic meters of gas annually through leaks and flaring. The document advocates for the EU Methane Regulation's application to imports to potentially cut global oil and gas methane emissions by 30 per cent. Additionally, it promotes the Fossil Fuel Regulatory Programme (FFRP), which assists low- and middle-income countries in establishing emissions rules, with Egypt, Brazil, and Bosnia and Herzegovina recently joining the initiative.

Bosnia and Herzegovina faces a significant investment gap of 3.5 billion euros to meet EU Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive (UWWTD) requirements, with only 20 operational treatment plants currently in place. The report suggests that BiH can leverage Sweden's experience in sectoral knowledge sharing, inter-municipal cooperation, and the use of both centralized and decentralized systems to improve sustainability. Key recommendations include adopting the 2024 Master Plan for Agglomerations, developing entity-level sludge management plans, and bypassing traditional linear models in favor of circular resource recovery for water, nutrients, and energy.

Bosnia and Herzegovina faces a significant investment gap of EUR 3.5 billion to meet EU wastewater standards, with only 20 operating treatment plants. The report compares the fragmented institutional landscape of Bosnia and Herzegovina with Sweden's more integrated approach, highlighting the role of trade organizations like Svenskt Vatten and inter-municipal collaborations like NSVA. It suggests that Bosnia and Herzegovina can 'leapfrog' traditional centralized systems by adopting circular resource recovery principles for water, nutrients, and energy, and by tailoring solutions to the specific scale of urban and rural agglomerations.

The report finds that while 100% of reviewed NAP documents acknowledge the importance of MEL, significant gaps remain in institutional capacity and financial resources. Only 18% of countries have dedicated MEL units and 29% mention dedicated financing. While output-level indicators are common (55%), impact-level indicators are used by only 31% of countries. The report also highlights a lack of structured implementation, with only 39% of documents including a roadmap or timeline for MEL rollout. Integration of gender-responsive indicators is emerging (45%), but disaggregation by age, disability, and geography remains low.

The briefing reports that while new coal mine capacity additions declined by 46% in 2024, approximately 2,270 Mtpa of new capacity remains under development globally. This pipeline is heavily concentrated in China, India, Australia, and Russia, which together account for nearly 90% of proposed developments. The document highlights that if fully realized, these projects could emit 15.7 million tonnes of methane annually, significantly hindering the achievement of the Paris Agreement and IEA Net Zero scenarios. It emphasizes the prevalence of 'greenfield' projects and the high methane intensity of underground and metallurgical coal mines.

In 2024, global electricity generation reached new record highs for solar, wind, hydro, gas, and coal. Solar was the fastest-growing source, increasing by 474 TWh to reach a 6.9% share of the global mix, with China contributing 53% of this growth. Wind generation also hit a record of 2,494 TWh, though growth slowed due to weather conditions. Hydro rebounded to an all-time high of 4,416 TWh following 2023 droughts, largely driven by China. Nuclear generation grew by 2.5% to 2,768 TWh, but its global market share fell to a 45-year low of 9%. Gas and coal both reached record generation levels in 2024, though their shares of the global electricity mix declined to 22% and 34% respectively, as electricity demand grew faster than their production.

The Mediterranean region's renewable power capacity is projected to double from 315 GW in 2023 to 626 GW by 2030, primarily driven by solar and wind. However, this trajectory falls 374 GW short of the TeraMed Initiative's 1 TW goal. To bridge this gap, the region would need to install an additional 54 GW of wind and solar annually beyond current plans, totaling 98 GW per year, which significantly exceeds the historical maximum annual deployment of 45 GW.

The document analyzes the prevalence and composition of DDR provisions in 289 peace agreements between 1975 and 2021. It finds that while DDR components are increasingly common, they are rarely implemented as a complete package, with disarmament being the most frequent provision. The brief highlights the critical role of third-party actors, particularly the UN, in supporting comprehensive DDR efforts, and notes a severe lack of explicit provisions for women and child ex-combatants despite international norms.

The report examines the implementation of the EU and UK Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanisms (CBAMs) and the preliminary findings of Australia's Carbon Leakage Review. It highlights the shift from free allocation of emissions permits to border adjustments to prevent carbon leakage, where emissions reductions in one country are offset by increases elsewhere. The EU CBAM is set for full implementation by 2026, and the UK CBAM by 2027. Australia is considering a BCA as a 'robust underpinning' to its Safeguard Mechanism. The document also analyzes WTO discussions from 2020 to 2024, noting a transition from general concerns about protectionism and WTO compliance toward specific discussions on cooperation and interoperability.

The Western Balkans have over 23 GW of prospective utility-scale solar and wind projects, a 70% increase from the previous year. This capacity could render proposed gas-fired power plants obsolete, potentially averting 103 million tonnes of lifetime CO2 emissions and saving over €9 billion in energy costs and stranded assets. Currently, operating utility-scale solar and wind account for only 7% of the regional electricity mix (1.5 GW). Serbia leads the region in both operating (29%) and prospective (47%) capacity, though its construction rate is among the lowest. The report argues that the region should prioritize a just energy transition over gas-fired power, which is being promoted by EU, U.S., and Russian interests, to avoid carbon lock-in and import dependence.

The briefing argues that Ukraine's reconstruction presents a 'build back better' opportunity to create a climate-resilient and inclusive society. It specifically advocates for the pragmatic implementation of energy-efficiency measures in residential buildings, suggesting that Ukraine avoid the planning inefficiencies seen in Bosnia and the scaling failures experienced in Croatia's post-earthquake recovery.

The report evaluates the alignment of national laws in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia with EU environmental standards. While some progress in transposition is noted, the analysis identifies systemic failures in enforcement, inadequate institutional capacity, and significant gaps in the implementation of the Water Framework, Nature, and Environmental Liability Directives, which hinder the protection of rivers from hydropower development.

The report evaluates the alignment of national laws in six Western Balkan countries with EU environmental directives (EIA, SEA, ELD, WFD, Habitats, and Birds). While some progress in transposition is noted, systemic failures persist, including a lack of secondary legislation, inadequate institutional capacity, and poor data quality in environmental reports. Key issues include the exclusion of small hydropower plants from screening in some countries, restricted access to justice for strategic assessments, and the failure to designate Natura 2000 sites. Montenegro is the only country with functioning environmental liability regulations.

The document argues that Ukraine's reconstruction presents a 'watershed moment' to build a climate-resilient society, specifically through energy-efficient residential building. It warns against the 'international technocracy' and corruption seen in Bosnia and Herzegovina's recovery and the implementation delays and inefficient grant usage observed in Croatia's post-earthquake reconstruction under the NextGenerationEU program. The author analyzes the EUR 50 billion Ukraine Facility and the Ukraine Plan, suggesting a targeted funding strategy where grants are prioritized for cost-effective multi-family homes to reduce payback periods and attract investors, while low concessional loans are used for single-family homes.

The report argues that the effectiveness of National Adaptation Plan (NAP) processes depends on embedding deliberate learning—defined as the collective process of acquiring and applying knowledge to change attitudes and behaviors—rather than assuming learning happens automatically through monitoring and evaluation (M&E). It proposes a framework for fostering learning by integrating it across the planning, implementation, and MEL phases, strengthening enabling environments (such as leadership and institutional arrangements), and linking activities to concrete outcomes. A review of 45 NAP documents reveals that while 89% mention 'learning', most references are generic and high-level, with M&E being the primary identified source of learning. The report concludes with eight considerations for countries, emphasizing the need for clear learning directions, inclusion of marginalized groups, and dedicated resources from knowledge brokers.

The Stockholm Environment Institute's 2023 Annual Results Report details the organization's progress across three primary impact areas: reducing climate risk, sustainable resource use, and health and well-being. Key achievements include supporting Morocco's net-zero 2050 target, advancing the Production Gap Report to influence COP28, and deploying digital tools like the Consumption Compass in Sweden and WEAP globally. The report also highlights organizational growth, including a 40% increase in total income over four years and a 45% per capita reduction in air travel emissions compared to 2017 levels.

Saudi Arabia was the world's largest arms importer between 2015 and 2019, relying heavily on the US and European allies for major weapon systems. While the Kingdom has attempted to diversify ammunition sources and develop a domestic defence industry under Vision 2030, it remains constrained by the need for interoperability with NATO-standard systems and a lack of an indigenous industrial base. The brief concludes that achieving full self-reliance would take decades, leaving the Kingdom vulnerable to the policy shifts of its primary suppliers.

The GCF Board's 37th meeting in Tbilisi, Georgia, resulted in the approval of 15 funding proposals totaling USD 736.4 million and the adoption of the 2024 administrative budget of USD 112.4 million. Key strategic outcomes include the endorsement of the Readiness Strategy 2024–2027, which allocates USD 501.5 million to enhance country ownership and direct access, and the confirmation of USD 9.3 billion in pledges for the second formal replenishment (GCF-2). The Board also established an ad hoc Committee on Human Resources Matters to address systemic compensation and policy issues. Significant discussions occurred regarding the potential for a regional presence to reduce operational bottlenecks and the ongoing debate over the financing of results-based payments for REDD+, which was deferred to the next meeting.

The study identifies US$3.2 billion in energy development finance for five Western Balkan countries between 2008 and 2020, noting that approximately one-third of disbursed funds supported non-renewable energy sources. While disbursement ratios exceeded the global average, the total funding remained insufficient, ranging from 0.15% to 0.62% of the average GDP for the analyzed countries. The research found no established link between the 2016 Paris Agreement and an increase in finance flows for renewable energy projects.

The report analyzes the relationship between the diversion of firearms—the transfer of weapons from legal to illicit realms—and illicit trafficking. It details various diversion typologies, including 'leakage' from state stocks, straw purchases, and the misuse of export documentation. Through 12 case studies spanning Europe, Africa, the Americas, and Asia, the document demonstrates how the UN Firearms Protocol's requirements for marking, record-keeping, and international judicial cooperation are critical for dismantling trafficking networks. It emphasizes that while diversion can occur domestically, it often serves as a prerequisite for cross-border trafficking, which requires a coordinated international criminal justice response to be effectively countered.