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The EU is establishing Strategic Partnerships with 14 countries to secure critical minerals for its 2050 climate neutrality goal. Global Witness argues that these deals prioritize resource access over social and environmental governance, citing specific risks in Serbia, Rwanda, Australia, Argentina, Uzbekistan, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. The author calls for the EU to implement stringent safeguards and transparent 'Roadmaps' to ensure the energy transition does not perpetuate human rights abuses or environmental destruction.

Between 2021 and 2023, mining for copper, cobalt, lithium, and nickel was linked to 334 incidents of violence or protest across 19 top-producing countries, averaging 111 per year. Nearly 90% of these events occurred in emerging and developing economies, while the majority of production is controlled by companies from advanced economies and major consumer countries, primarily China. The report warns that social unrest is likely to increase as production is forecast to spike by 2028 to meet climate goals, potentially destabilizing supply chains and increasing costs for renewable technologies.

Global Witness calls for the Colombian government to ratify the Escazú Agreement, noting that 322 land and environmental defenders were killed in Colombia over the last 10 years. The statement highlights the Agreement's role in requiring governments to prevent and investigate attacks on defenders and notes that while Colombia signed the treaty in December 2019, ratification remains pending. It identifies the government of Gustavo Petro and the work of civil society organisations like Somos Defensores as key drivers for potential progress in protecting human rights defenders.

Global Witness calls for the acceleration of the Escazú Agreement's implementation to combat the high rate of killings of environmental and land defenders in Latin America. The region accounts for two-thirds of global murders of such defenders. The document highlights specific failures and progress in countries like Colombia, Mexico, and Brazil, urging governments to ensure justice and companies to perform due diligence in extractive projects to prevent further violence.

Global Witness argues that UNEA-6 missed a critical opportunity to regulate the mining industry for the energy transition. While a digital knowledge hub for environmental protection was established, the final resolution removed mandates for assessing regulations, tackling human rights violations, and addressing colonial extraction patterns due to resistance from several Member States. The document also highlights a lack of action on resource overconsumption by wealthy nations and calls for the UN and upcoming COP meetings in Azerbaijan and Brazil to prioritize a just energy transition and Indigenous rights.

Global Witness reports that the 'rush for lithium' in Africa is failing to deliver a just energy transition, instead risking the entrenchment of corruption and ESG failures. In Zimbabwe, the Sandawana mine is linked to sanctioned elites and ZANU-PF allies, with reports of child labour and the illegal export of unprocessed ore. In Namibia, Xinfeng Investments is accused of using bribery to acquire licenses and operating an industrial-scale mine under small-scale permits to avoid environmental assessments. In the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Manono project has been stalled by ownership disputes and allegations that shell companies linked to former President Joseph Kabila's associates profited by millions while the state treasury received negligible funds.

The document highlights that 322 land and environmental defenders have been killed in Colombia over the last ten years, alongside numerous non-lethal attacks such as threats and criminalization. It argues that the ratification of the Escazú Agreement—the first regional treaty for Latin America and the Caribbean on human rights and the environment—is essential to mandate the prevention and investigation of attacks against defenders. While noting that countries like Mexico, Bolivia, Ecuador, Chile, and Argentina have already ratified the agreement, it points to the government of Gustavo Petro and initiatives like the 'Somos Defensores' program and its emergency plan as reasons for optimism in establishing a safe environment for environmental participation.

Global Witness reports that Cargill has purchased soy from farms in Bolivia where over 20,000 hectares of forest have been cleared since 2017. The investigation finds that Cargill fails to collect necessary origin data for its soy, undermining its public commitments to deforestation-free supply chains. Furthermore, a leaked map suggests Cargill may be targeting an additional 3 million hectares of standing forest for future soy sourcing. The report also highlights that global banks, including Barclays, BNP Paribas, HSBC, and Santander, continue to provide billions in financing to Cargill despite their own pledges to reduce deforestation in their portfolios.

COP30 resulted in the Mutirão Decision, which Global Witness criticises for omitting any mention of "fossil fuels" and failing to establish a transition roadmap despite initial ambitions from the Brazilian Presidency. The summit saw significant human rights progress, including the recognition of Indigenous land rights and the launch of the Leaders Action Network for Environmental Activists and Defenders (LEAD). Financial outcomes included an agreement to mobilise $1.3 trillion annually for climate action by 2035 and the tripling of adaptation finance, though the Tropical Forests Forever Facility (TFFF) received only $6.6 billion of a desired $125 billion. The document highlights a contradiction between official negotiations and the influence of approximately 1,600 fossil fuel lobbyists, while noting the launch of the Declaration on Information Integrity on Climate Change to combat disinformation.

The report details a showcase event hosted by GreenCape to connect South African brand owners and retailers with packaging manufacturers offering recyclable alternatives to problematic flexible plastics, specifically targeting polypropylene (PP) and multilayer multi-polymer packaging. While mono-material polyethylene alternatives are identified as viable, the report highlights significant barriers to adoption, including a lack of local demand to justify dedicated production lines, high costs of upgrading filling lines, and a need for operator training. These challenges hinder the progress toward the South African Plastics Pact's 2025 targets, including the goal for 100% of plastic packaging to be reusable, recyclable, or compostable.

The IAI will support the Belmont Forum's Pathways to Sustainability CRA through network building, capacity building in transdisciplinary approaches, and coordination of in-kind resources from its 19 member Parties in the Americas, despite providing no direct funding for this phase.

The document highlights the intersection of climate change, urban heat islands, and public health in Chile, specifically within the municipality of Quilpué. It argues that while energy efficiency regulations have progressed since 2006, there is a critical need to incorporate health-focused criteria into building codes and housing policies to address energy poverty and the health impacts of extreme temperatures.

The document highlights the need to align building regulations, energy efficiency, and health responses to mitigate urban heat risks in Chile, specifically in Quilpué. It identifies a correlation between high temperatures and increased hospital admissions, noting that energy poverty exacerbates climate vulnerability. The brief advocates for a transdisciplinary approach combining green infrastructure, rigorous thermal standards, and early warning systems to protect public health.

The document outlines a project in Chile's Maipo and Mapocho river basins that integrates satellite imagery, climate data, and water samples from 2019 to 2023 to identify high-risk areas for Salmonella. It highlights that while spectral indices from satellite data can identify risk areas during high water variability, prolonged droughts and a lack of microbiological data hinder the creation of operational models. The brief emphasizes that inter-institutional coordination gaps prevent scientific findings from translating into public policy.

The document outlines a project to integrate satellite imagery, climate data, and water sampling to improve the surveillance of waterborne diseases in Chile. Focusing on the Maipo and Mapocho river basins, the research evaluates how climate variability and water quality influence the presence of Salmonella. While spectral indices from satellites show potential for identifying high-risk zones, the brief notes that prolonged droughts and a lack of microbiological data hinder the immediate creation of operational models. It emphasizes that inter-institutional coordination is necessary to translate scientific evidence into public health policies and climate adaptation strategies.

The Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI), the Alliance for Just Deliberation on Solar Geoengineering (DSG), and the Degrees Initiative are organizing a three-part workshop series for policymakers in the Americas. The program focuses on solar radiation modification (SRM), specifically stratospheric aerosol injection (SAI) and marine cloud brightening (MCB), to address the knowledge gap between the Global North and South. The series includes two virtual workshops and one in-person simulation to help participants develop national and regional positions for international forums like UNEA and the UNFCCC.

The IAI Directorate Report covers the period from July 2016 to May 2017, focusing on the implementation of transdisciplinary research and capacity building across the Americas. Key activities include the management of the Third Collaborative Research Network (CRN3), the development of Professional Development Seminars (PDS), and the establishment of a Science-Policy Liaison Directorate (SPLD) to bridge the gap between scientific findings and governmental decision-making. The report also highlights IAI's engagement with international conventions such as the UNFCCC and CBD, and the launch of a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) on climate change impacts in Latin America.

The IAI report covers its progress in transdisciplinary research, the implementation of the Third Cooperative Research Networks (CRN3) program, and the development of professional seminars to bridge the gap between science and policy in the Americas. Key achievements include the launch of a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) on climate change impacts in Latin America and the establishment of a science-policy liaison office in Buenos Aires to systematize the impact of IAI research on regional governance.

This research paper describes the BEST-P initiative, a project supported by the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) that examines the relationship between territorial arrangement plans and ecosystem services in three South American ecosystems. The project, involving 23 researchers from nine institutions across five countries, aims to integrate the concept of ecosystem services into land use planning to balance conservation with agricultural productivity.

The project 'Towards usable climate science' established an interdisciplinary network to provide climate services for sectors sensitive to climate, such as energy, water, agriculture, and health. It developed a consolidated database of meteorological records from 329 weather stations across southern South America, covering the period from 1961 to the present. Key outputs include a regional drought monitoring system with a focus on soil moisture and yield prediction software for soybean, maize, and wheat. In the Argentine Pampas region, the project achieved accurate yield predictions for 14 localities by linking the database with simulation models, providing data useful for estimating insurance indices.