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The 2024 Global Steel Plant Tracker and Global Blast Furnace Tracker data show a growing momentum toward electric arc furnace (EAF) steelmaking, with 49% of capacity under development using this route. However, significant carbon lock-in risks persist as 308 mtpa of new coal-based blast furnace capacity is under development, primarily in Asia. India has surpassed China as the top overall steel developer, though China remains the largest operator of emissions-intensive capacity. While direct reduced iron (DRI) capacity is increasing, its climate impact depends on the transition to green hydrogen reducing agents, as much current capacity relies on methane or coal.

The report analyzes the economic exposure of Brazil to the EU's CBAM, noting that while current impacts are limited to specific sectors like iron and steel, the diffusion of BCAs to other major markets like the US and Japan poses a significant risk. It details the responses of the Brazilian government and the National Confederation of Industry (CNI), highlighting concerns over non-discrimination, administrative burdens, and the need for developed countries to finance technological adaptation in developing nations. The document also notes a general lack of broad public and financial sector engagement with the BCA debate in Brazil.

The report analyzes how border carbon adjustments (BCAs), such as the EU's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), affect Trinidad and Tobago's hydrocarbon-dependent economy. It identifies significant risks to the competitiveness of key exports like ammonia and fertilizers, while highlighting opportunities for the country to accelerate its transition to a green hydrogen economy and implement domestic carbon pricing.

The United Kingdom plans to introduce a Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) in 2027 to prevent carbon leakage as free allowances under its Emissions Trading System (ETS) are phased out. While similar to the EU CBAM, the UK version will cover ceramics and glass but exclude electricity, and it will lack a transition period. The report highlights risks including potential trade diversion, administrative burdens for exporters, and diplomatic tensions with developing nations who view such measures as 'environmental colonialism'. It suggests that the UK would benefit from mirroring the EU's reporting systems and exploring the linkage of their respective ETSs to reduce bureaucratic friction and economic risk.

The Maputo Floating Thermoelectric Power Plant Project, a partnership between Karpower and Electricidade de Moçambique (EDM), proposes a 415MW natural gas-powered floating station in the Espírito Santo Estuary. The project includes a 4km transmission line and a 3km gas pipeline. Potential risks include the degradation of mangrove ecosystems, loss of livelihoods for artisanal fishers in Matola, Katembe, and Maputo city, and increased respiratory diseases due to reduced air quality. The document highlights the risk of 'locking-in' to costly fossil fuel agreements that could crowd out renewable energy alternatives. It also notes Karpower's controversial track record in South Africa, Guinea-Bissau, and Brazil, including allegations of environmental racism and human rights violations.

The document analyzes the challenges facing humanitarian disarmament in a contemporary environment characterized by rising global antagonism, a redistribution of power toward the Global South, and the decline of democratic space for civil society. It argues that the success of past treaties, such as the Mine Ban Convention, is threatened by competing global priorities like climate change and the erosion of trust between major powers. The authors highlight the difficulty of building cross-regional coalitions and the risks faced by civil society organizations (CSOs) due to government restrictions and stigmatization. To remain effective, the brief suggests that disarmament efforts must become more inclusive, diversify funding sources, and shift communication strategies toward the self-interest of states rather than relying solely on moral arguments.

The report argues that battery minerals are not like oil because their demand can be managed through six key solutions: changing chemistries, increasing energy density, recycling, extending battery lifetimes, improving vehicle efficiency, and enhancing mobility efficiency. Under a 'continued trend' scenario, virgin demand for lithium, nickel, and cobalt is projected to peak in the mid-2030s. Under an 'accelerated trend' scenario, net-zero mineral demand is achievable by 2050, turning mining into a one-off effort. The report highlights China's leadership in recycling and suggests that the Global South can leverage used vehicle imports to build its own recycling industries. Ultimately, the transition to a circular battery loop offers a path from oil dependence to circular energy independence.

China has positioned itself as a leader in green technology innovation, utilizing aid, trade, and investment to support the energy transition in the Global South. Through mechanisms like the Belt and Road Initiative and the South–South Climate Cooperation Fund, China has deployed renewable energy, electric vehicles, and sustainable agricultural technologies across Africa, Southeast Asia, and Latin America. However, the effectiveness of these partnerships is hindered by gaps between environmental commitments and actual impacts, limited local operational capacity, geopolitical tensions with Western nations, and difficulties in meeting global ESG standards.

The report analyzes seven categories of enclosure-based and open measurement methods for greenhouse gas emissions in sanitation systems. It finds that while enclosure-based methods like flux chambers are widely used, they are limited by scale. Emerging optical and remote sensing methods offer broader coverage but are constrained by high costs. The document highlights a critical lack of empirical data for non-sewered sanitation in low- and middle-income countries and advocates for standardized, affordable methodologies and increased collaboration to improve national greenhouse gas inventories.

Between June 16 and 24, 2024, approximately 4.97 billion people—over 60% of the global population—were exposed to extreme heat that was at least three times more likely to occur due to climate change. The analysis, using the Climate Shift Index (CSI), highlights severe impacts across India, China, Indonesia, Nigeria, Brazil, and the United States, as well as lethal heat waves in Saudi Arabia, Mexico, and Egypt.

The research establishes a method to quantify the impact of tropical deforestation on hydropower capacity. Using the Teles Pires plant in Brazil as a case study, the author analyzes the value of restoring deforested Amazon regions and the potential costs associated with deforesting Indigenous Territories, demonstrating the critical link between forest preservation and energy sector stability.

The independent evaluation finds that while the GCF Investment Framework effectively translates strategic goals into portfolio targets and project criteria, it suffers from operational complexities and a lack of alignment with results and risk management frameworks. Key issues include the high resource burden on Direct Access Entities (DAEs) compared to International Accredited Entities (IAEs), subjective interpretations of investment criteria like 'country ownership', and a disconnect between ex-ante investment decisions and ex-post results monitoring. The report recommends simplifying the Investment Criteria Scorecard (ICS), improving the predictability of funding for recipient countries, and explicitly integrating risk-reward assessments into the framework.

Reclaim Finance, BankTrack, SteelWatch, and the Fair Steel Coalition have sent a letter to 21 banks that finance ArcelorMittal, the world's second-largest steel company. The coalition alerts these financiers to risks and adverse impacts documented in two reports: 'The Real Co$t of Steel', which details violence against environmental defenders and neglect of worker health in South Africa, Liberia, Mexico, and Brazil, and the 'ArcelorMittal Corporate Climate Assessment 2024', which finds the company is not aligned with a 1.5C scenario and is investing in coal-based steel production. The letter demands that banks require ArcelorMittal to publish concrete action plans, adopt a 1.5-aligned Climate Action Plan, and perform enhanced due diligence. Additionally, the coalition calls on banks to adopt sectoral policies to restrict financing for coal-based steelmaking, specifically ending services for new blast furnaces and the relining of existing ones.

Climate change is increasing the frequency of nighttime temperatures exceeding 18°C, 20°C, and 25°C, which impairs human sleep and increases health risks. Between 2018 and 2023, the average person globally experienced 4.8 additional days per year above 20°C and 11.5 additional days above 25°C due to climate change. The report highlights severe impacts in specific regions, such as California in the U.S. and West Bengal and Assam in India, where the number of added hot nights is highest.

The report confirms that the E-Motion: E-Mobility and Low Carbon Transportation programme, managed by the Agence Française pour le Développement (AFD), is classified as Environmental and Social Safeguards (ESS) Category B. It details the disclosure of the Environmental and Social Management Framework (ESMF), which incorporates the Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) and the Environmental and Social Management Plan (ESMP). Additionally, the ESMF includes outlines for a Stakeholder Engagement Plan, a Grievance Mechanism, and an Indigenous Peoples Planning Framework (IPPF) to guide the development of Sociocultural Analysis and Indigenous Peoples Plans.

The report finds that many of the world's largest fossil fuel producers fail to address the transition of the fossil fuel sector in their climate plans. It argues that third-generation NDCs must include specific targets, pathways, and policies to wind down production in alignment with the COP 28 agreement to ensure a just and orderly transition.

The briefing argues that current oil and gas production trajectories are incompatible with the Paris Agreement, with projected production by 2050 potentially exceeding 1.5°C-aligned needs by 260% for oil and 210% for gas. It advocates for a coordinated global phase-out led by the G7 and G20, emphasizing that new extraction projects must cease immediately. The author highlights the necessity of climate finance, noting a gap between current annual climate finance (USD 1.3 trillion) and the required green transition investment for emerging and developing economies (USD 2.4 trillion). To ensure equity, the document suggests assessing transition capacity based on GDP per capita, government revenue shares from fossil fuels, and workforce employment in the sector, while calling for the phase-out of fossil fuel subsidies and the implementation of innovative funding, such as taxes on fossil fuel company revenues.

Between March and May 2024, global temperature records were broken for three consecutive months. Using the Climate Shift Index (CSI), the analysis found that approximately one in four people worldwide experienced temperatures at least three times more likely due to climate change (CSI level 3+) daily. Exposure peaked on April 6, 2024, with 2.7 billion people affected. The most severe impacts were concentrated in Africa, Southeast Asia, Central America, and South America, with 44% of Africa's population experiencing the most extreme attributable heat (CSI level 5 for 60+ days). The report also highlights a strong regional contrast in the U.S., where coastal areas and islands showed higher CSI signals despite lower temperature anomalies compared to the Upper Midwest.

The policy brief outlines recommendations for the 2024-2025 Plano Safra, focusing on restricting credit for properties linked to deforestation, creating incentives for sustainable practices aligned with the Brazilian Sustainable Taxonomy, and improving credit access for small-scale farmers via Pronaf. It also suggests harmonizing social and environmental restrictions across rural insurance programs like PSR and Proagro to mitigate climate risks and promote low-carbon agriculture.

The statement emphasizes the necessity of accurate environmental reporting to address the 'triple planetary crisis' of pollution, climate, and biodiversity loss. It notes that environmental journalism is among the most dangerous beats, second only to war reporting, particularly for citizen journalists from Indigenous communities.