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The report argues that legal gold garimpo in the Amazon has evolved from an artisanal practice into an industrial-scale business, yet it remains subject to anachronistic regulations that lack necessary socio-environmental safeguards. Analysis of National Mining Agency (ANM) data shows a significant increase in authorized areas between 2016 and 2023, with cooperatives dominating the landscape. The authors highlight critical gaps, such as the lack of a 'prior discovery' requirement for garimpo and the undue simplification of environmental licensing in Pará, which delegates authority to municipalities despite the high-impact nature of the activity. The document recommends extending industrial mining requirements to cooperatives, shelving lenient legislative bills in Congress, and implementing a rigorous three-stage licensing process with mandatory Environmental Impact Studies (EIA/RIMA) in Pará.

The document describes how a global automaker used Climate TRACE and TASA Analytics data to move beyond coarse 'spend-based' emissions factors to granular, facility-level intelligence for steel and aluminium. By integrating Scope 1 and 2 emissions factors with rapid IO-LCA (rLCA) models, the project revealed significant emissions intensity variations across production methods and countries. Key findings highlight the potential for emissions reductions through increased scrap use in both steel and aluminium production and the inaccuracy of standard EEIO data in certain regions.

The briefing analyzes Resolution CMN No. 5,193/2024, noting progress in banning credit for projects involving native vegetation suppression and illegal deforestation. However, it highlights significant risks, including the expansion of credit access for irregular occupations in public forests and a lack of robust monitoring and sanctions to ensure environmental compliance.

The Climate Policy Initiative (CPI/PUC-Rio) proposes 13 measures to align the 2025/2026 Plano Safra with Brazil's climate goals. Key recommendations include restricting rural credit for properties with any deforestation (legal or illegal), aligning sustainable practice criteria with the upcoming Brazilian Sustainable Taxonomy, and improving the monitoring of pasture recovery projects. The brief also advocates for prioritizing vulnerable smallholders in the Pronaf program and harmonizing the socio-environmental restrictions of the Rural Insurance Premium Subsidy Program (PSR) with those of rural credit.

The CEO of Mighty Earth discusses the risks associated with JBS's listing on the New York Stock Exchange, citing a history of bribery, fraudulent climate claims, and pollution. While noting progress such as the suspension of 1,000 suppliers linked to deforestation by JBS and other Brazilian meatpackers, the author highlights ongoing failures in South American cattle companies to prohibit deforestation in the Cerrado, Pantanal, and Chiquitania ecosystems, as well as a general lack of methane pollution disclosure.

The document argues that African countries face a precarious development finance landscape due to declining official development assistance (ODA) and a market bias known as the 'Africa premium'. It proposes that South Africa use its G20 presidency to advocate for a technical committee on financing barriers, host a Global Sovereign Debt Roundtable meeting on restructuring, facilitate dialogue with the Alliance of African Multilateral Financial Institutions, and coordinate with international conferences to promote a more equitable financial system.

The report examines how 10 countries are integrating their climate and biodiversity commitments to maximize co-benefits and bridge the implementation of the Paris Agreement and the Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.

The report argues that Brazil's plan to increase oil and gas production by 20% by 2030, largely driven by Petrobras, carries significant economic and climate risks. It finds that a majority of Petrobras' new projects would be economically unviable in a 1.5°C warming scenario and recommends that the government curb expansion, redefine Petrobras' mandate toward a transition plan, and redirect investment to avoid potential stranded asset losses of USD 13 to 36 billion.

The briefing outlines five critical focus areas for the Bonn Climate Conference: establishing indicators for the Global Goal on Adaptation, defining holistic food and agriculture systems, developing a new gender action plan, resolving impasses on the 'just transition' work stream, and mobilizing climate finance for low- and middle-income countries.

The briefing argues that the global financial architecture requires far-reaching reform to make financial flows consistent with climate-resilient development, as current international institutions are failing to effectively redirect finance away from harmful activities.

South Africa faces significant trade risks as its carbon-intensive export model clashes with global net zero targets and Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanisms (CBAMs). Approximately 78% of its exports are sold to countries with net zero targets, and hundreds of thousands of jobs are exposed to CBAMs in the EU and UK. High embodied CO2 emissions in the basic metals and automotive sectors, combined with a carbon-intensive electricity grid, threaten competitiveness. However, the document notes South Africa's potential to pivot using its critical minerals and renewable energy resources, provided that international financial commitments like the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP) are fulfilled.

The report finds that decentralized waste management models, such as community groups in Indonesia and waste picker cooperatives in Brazil, often exhibit greater cost efficiency and lower levelized costs of waste management (LCOW) than private or government operators. Despite this, public funding remains low and concentrated in large-scale projects, with organic waste management receiving only 1% (USD 20 million) of methane abatement finance in 2021/22. The analysis highlights that while these decentralized models provide significant co-benefits like job creation and emissions reduction, they face financial strain due to high labor dependency and a reliance on operational revenues for funding. The document recommends creating legal certainty for informal stakeholders and adopting holistic, multi-sectoral approaches to waste management to improve access to financing.

Brazil is positioned to lead in green iron production due to its abundant renewable energy resources, which can make H2-DRI production up to 65% cheaper than in other steelmaking countries. The document argues that a green iron export agenda would drive domestic economic growth and jobs while reducing global steel emissions.

The briefing outlines key objectives for the third UN Ocean Conference (UNOC) in Nice, France, emphasizing the need to scale up funding for SDG 14, integrate ocean-based solutions into national climate plans (NDCs), accelerate the ratification of the High Seas Treaty, and implement 100% sustainable ocean management through Sustainable Ocean Plans.

The briefing note critiques the OECD's two-pillar solution for its lack of transparency and failure to recover the $400 billion lost annually to tax abuse, noting that high-income countries benefit most. It advocates for the UN Framework Convention on International Tax Cooperation as a democratic alternative for all 193 UN member states. The document urges South Africa, during its 2025 G20 presidency, to champion global minimum standards for taxing the super-rich and build consensus for the UN Convention to support sustainable development and the SDGs.

The report outlines key elements of credible sovereign transition plans, focusing on science-based targets, investment and policy action plans, and governance and transparency measures. It emphasizes the role of green budgeting, the mobilization of private capital, and the importance of internationally interoperable taxonomies in reducing climate-related risks for sovereign bondholders.

ClientEarth advocates for a shift from 'paper commitments' to legal action to address the ocean crisis. The briefing prioritises the enforcement of existing frameworks, such as the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF), to protect marine biodiversity and combat climate change. It specifically calls for the elimination of harmful fisheries subsidies, the banning of bottom trawling in marine protected areas (MPAs), and the ratification of the BBNJ Agreement to protect the high seas. The document also highlights the need for a 'Protection Principle' that makes ocean conservation the default norm and outlines specific legal priorities for the EU, Mediterranean, China, and the UK.

The report analyzes organic waste management models in Indonesia and Brazil, finding that decentralized, community-based, and household-level systems often offer greater cost-efficiency (lower Levelized Cost of Waste Management) than large-scale centralized projects. While private operators achieve economies of scale, community groups face severe financial pressure due to low operational margins and reliance on short-lived assets. The study recommends holistic policy approaches, legal recognition for informal workers, and the integration of co-benefits like job creation and methane reduction to attract more diverse funding, such as green bonds and carbon credits.

The document addresses the significant underfunding of climate-smart agrifood systems, which contribute approximately 30% of global greenhouse gas emissions. It argues that while public and private capital have roles, concessional capital is essential for the 'missing middle'—investments with high social and environmental impact but sub-commercial returns. The playbook proposes five 'investment plays': deploying system-level approaches, supporting natural capital restoration, strengthening shared infrastructure, expanding technical assistance for innovation, and scaling local financial intermediaries. It includes a four-step framework for investor action: diagnosing the landscape, identifying financing gaps, designing instruments, and integrating partnerships.

The report analyzes organic waste management models in Indonesia and Brazil, finding that decentralized, community-based, and informal models often exhibit greater cost efficiency and lower levelized costs of waste management (LCOW) compared to large-scale industrial projects. While labor remains the primary operational expense across all models, decentralized systems face significant financial strain due to low operating margins and reliance on short-lived assets. The study recommends a holistic approach that integrates waste management with health and climate goals, provides legal certainty for informal workers, and implements transparent monitoring systems to unlock diverse financing sources.