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The transition to low-carbon technologies is highly mineral-intensive, requiring an estimated 3 billion tons of minerals and metals to achieve a below 2°C future. This demand increases the risk of deforestation and fragmentation of intact forest landscapes (IFLs), particularly in the Amazon and Congo Basin. In the Amazon, mining contributes up to 9% of IFL area loss, while in the Congo Basin, the demand for cobalt for batteries drives exploration in high-forest-cover areas. Analysis shows a gap in corporate and government governance, with only a minority of assessed companies adopting specific forest-related commitments and 78% of state and regional governments lacking forest management plans that directly address mining-related deforestation.

The report identifies a $1 trillion stranded asset risk associated with 212,000 km of planned oil and gas pipeline expansions. It highlights that gas dominates new developments, with 82.7% of pipelines in development carrying gas. The U.S. and China are leading in capacity and length growth, respectively. The document argues that this expansion is incompatible with net-zero commitments and will lock in significant CO2 emissions, while noting a trend of increasing social and legal opposition to such projects.

The report finds that while health is a priority in National Adaptation Plans (NAPs), SRHR is largely overlooked in overarching documents, creating a gap between sector-specific health planning and national climate strategy. It argues that realizing SRHR is a foundation for climate resilience and recommends integrating SRHR into vulnerability assessments, gender analyses, and monitoring systems.

The report analyzes 19 general NAP documents, five health-sector NAPs, and five Green Climate Fund proposals to assess the integration of sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) in climate adaptation planning. It finds that while health is universally prioritized, specific SRHR issues are rarely addressed in general NAPs and often disconnected from sector-specific health plans. The document argues that SRHR is a fundamental basis for climate resilience, as its denial limits women's agency and participation in climate action. It provides eight recommendations to better integrate SRHR through gender-responsive vulnerability assessments, inter-agency collaboration, and systemic health sector adaptation.

The report analyzes 19 National Adaptation Plan (NAP) documents, sectoral health plans, and Green Climate Fund proposals to assess the integration of sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR). It finds that while health is universally prioritized as a sector for adaptation, specific SRHR issues are rarely addressed. The document argues that climate change negatively impacts SRHR and that the denial of these rights increases climate vulnerability. It recommends using existing gender and health guidelines, incorporating SRHR into vulnerability assessments, and fostering collaboration between government bodies responsible for climate, gender, and health to ensure inclusive and rights-based adaptation strategies.

The document examines the role of nature-based solutions (NBS) in corporate net-zero strategies, emphasizing that while NBS can provide critical finance for conservation and significant co-benefits for biodiversity, they must not substitute for direct fossil fuel abatement. It details 'demand-side' risks, such as the potential for offsets to dilute corporate ambition, and 'supply-side' risks, including leakage, permanence, and additionality. The authors advocate for a 'both/and' approach combining aggressive internal decarbonization with high-quality NBS credits, preferably shifting from project-based to jurisdictional-scale crediting to improve integrity.

The document examines the role of whistleblowers in combating natural resource corruption, identifying retaliation as a primary barrier to reporting. It outlines the three essential components of effective protection regimes—confidentiality, financial rewards, and independent reporting channels—and analyzes the failures of laws in the UK and Ghana. The briefing highlights how specific U.S. laws, such as the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and the Lacey Act, can be utilized globally to target environmental crimes, and provides recommendations for conservation practitioners to support whistleblower protections.

The document traces the transition from the 2000 Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) to the 2015 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), highlighting the shift toward a more universal, integrated, and human-rights-based approach. While the MDGs successfully increased official development assistance and reduced extreme poverty, they were criticized for ignoring the multidimensional causes of poverty and environmental factors. The SDGs expanded this scope to 17 goals and 169 targets, integrating climate action via the Paris Agreement and financing through the Addis Ababa Action Agenda. The brief concludes that although COVID-19 has reversed progress on poverty and education, the SDGs offer the best roadmap for a resilient recovery, provided that governments utilize timely, disaggregated data to target the most vulnerable populations.

The document defines confidence-building measures (CBMs) as actions intended to increase trust and transparency between conflict parties. It categorizes CBMs into five types—political, economic, environmental, societal, and cultural—and outlines ten characteristics of successful measures, emphasizing the need for gendered conflict resolution analysis. The briefing highlights specific cases where women's engagement influenced peace processes in Yemen, Kenya, Senegal, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Colombia, Northern Ireland, and the former Yugoslavia, concluding with recommendations for gender-inclusive, multi-track approaches to peace.

The document argues for a broad interpretation of 'legitimate interest' in environmental litigation, asserting that any person with a link to a vulnerable ecosystem service—even if indirect or remote—should have legal standing. It specifically applies this to the expansion of the Port of Veracruz, detailing how the project threatens the Veracruz Reef System (SAV) through sedimentation, destruction of coastal dunes, water pollution, and air degradation, thereby violating the human right to a healthy environment.

The document traces the history of UN development goals from the 1972 Stockholm Conference to the 2030 Agenda. It contrasts the MDGs, which focused on specific time-bound targets for poverty and health but lacked a multidimensional approach, with the SDGs, which are universal and integrated across social, economic, and environmental pillars. The briefing highlights the role of the Addis Ababa Action Agenda and the Paris Agreement in supporting the SDGs and argues that the 2030 Agenda provides a critical roadmap for recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic through inclusive and resilient growth.

The 'Agua Sin Límites' initiative seeks to evolve water management beyond traditional Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM), which the authors argue has failed to produce sustainable results. The initiative focuses on three pillars: analyzing water connections beyond the immediate basin, implementing multi-scale participatory approaches to address inequalities (including gender and poverty), and integrating ecosystem needs early in the planning process. These frameworks are being tested through pilot studies in the Mekong and Magdalena river basins, as well as reflecting on work in California.

The document analyzes the labor market crisis in Latin America exacerbated by COVID-19, highlighting the vulnerability of women, youth, and informal workers. It argues that the region's dependence on primary exports and low economic complexity increase its vulnerability to external shocks. To address this, the brief recommends transitioning toward 'green jobs' and a more complex productive matrix. Key proposals include investing in energy-efficient housing, nature-based solutions, female labor inclusion, digitalization to reduce informality, and aligning education with the requirements of a carbon-neutral economy.

The report documents community-led responses to the Covid-19 pandemic and climate risks across the Global South, highlighting the role of social capital, women's leadership, and local innovation in maintaining development progress. It identifies specific grassroots solutions—such as community grain banks, urban kitchen gardens, and village savings groups—and argues for a shift in external support toward flexible, locally-led financing and partnerships that recognise the expertise of community-based organisations.

Colombia has committed to reducing GHG emissions by 51% by 2030 and reaching carbon neutrality by 2050. While the government has developed a robust legal framework for climate mitigation and adaptation, the report finds a critical gap in Just Transition planning. Massive layoffs are already occurring in the thermal coal sector due to falling international prices and the shift toward renewables, yet the government has not implemented specific policy responses to support affected workers. Similarly, conservation efforts in the AFOLU sector, particularly the expansion of protected areas and páramo ecosystems, threaten the livelihoods of informal rural workers and ethnic communities. The report concludes that Colombia's Monitoring, Reporting, and Verification (MRV) system lacks the capacity to track social welfare and employment impacts, and recommends urgent, regionally differentiated strategies for economic diversification and worker retraining.

The report examines how developing nations can adapt the 'just transition' framework—traditionally focused on developed economies—to their unique socio-economic contexts, particularly regarding high levels of informal employment. Through case studies in Indonesia, Ghana, and Colombia, it finds that awareness of just transition is low among government officials and that Covid-19 responses have generally not been linked to climate mitigation or adaptation strategies. The document argues for a multidimensional approach that places workers and marginalized communities at the center of decision-making and provides guidelines for national governments to build institutional foundations and participatory processes for a fair low-carbon transition.

The report examines the challenges and opportunities of implementing just transition (JT) frameworks in developing nations, highlighting the critical role of the informal economy and the need for context-specific definitions. Through case studies in Colombia, Ghana, and Indonesia, it finds that while some governments are beginning to incorporate JT into climate plans—most notably Colombia in its revised NDCs—awareness remains low and inter-ministerial coordination is often lacking. The document emphasizes that COVID-19 recovery packages have generally not been linked to climate mitigation or adaptation strategies. It provides guidelines for national governments to foster inclusive decision-making, build institutional capacity, and engage marginalized groups, including informal workers and traditional leaders.

The report examines the application of just transition principles in developing countries, highlighting the need for context-specific definitions and the inclusion of the informal economy. Through case studies in Indonesia, Ghana, and Colombia, it finds that while awareness of just transition varies—with Colombia being the only one to explicitly include it in its revised NDC—there is a general lack of practical application and cross-ministerial coordination. The document emphasizes that Covid-19 responses have not yet been linked to climate strategies and recommends a participatory, co-produced approach to policy development to ensure marginalized groups are not left behind.

The annex evaluates the gap between the economic mitigation potential of forests and the quantitative targets set in NDCs for 32 high-potential countries. It identifies a global annual finance need for forest protection and restoration ranging from USD 45 billion to USD 460 billion, while noting that current 'green finance' flows are significantly lower than 'grey finance' flows directed toward sectors like agriculture.

The COP26 Resilience Hub served as a convening platform for the UNFCCC’s Race to Resilience, bringing together state and non-state actors to prioritise adaptation and resilience. The report identifies five core messages: the necessity of scaling Locally Led Adaptation (LLA), the urgent need for increased and diversified adaptation finance (preferring grants over loans), the requirement to bridge knowledge and implementation gaps, the role of Nature-based Solutions (NbS) across urban, coastal, and rural contexts, and the essential inclusion of marginalised groups—including women, youth, and Indigenous peoples—in decision-making. It also highlights the emergence of 'Loss and Damage' as a critical focus and notes a significant gap between current adaptation finance flows and actual needs.