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The report finds that the EU failed to meet its 2020 deadline to end overfishing, with over half of the assessed TACs for 2019 still exceeding scientific advice. It highlights a particular lack of consistency in following advice for data-limited stocks and identifies several Member States that actively pushed for unsustainable catch limits, while noting that all involved states benefited from TACs exceeding scientific recommendations.

Global Witness reports that 92% of surveyed land and environmental defenders have suffered online attacks, with Meta-owned platforms (Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram) being the most frequent sites of abuse. These digital attacks often precede or contribute to real-world violence, including physical assaults and criminalization. The report argues that profit-driven algorithms and inadequate moderation resources facilitate this harassment, particularly targeting women through sexualized threats and defenders in the Global South through political criminalization.

Global Witness conducted a global survey of 204 land and environmental defenders, finding that 92% have experienced online abuse or harassment. The report highlights a strong link between online attacks—such as doxxing and cyberattacks—and offline harms, including physical violence and criminalisation. Meta's platforms (Facebook, WhatsApp, and Instagram) are identified as the most common sites of abuse. The report argues that profit-driven business models, polarising algorithms, and inadequate content moderation resourcing exacerbate these threats, creating a chilling effect on climate activism.

The document highlights a critical gap between the estimated loss and damage (L&D) finance needs of developing countries (USD 400 billion to 1.6 trillion per year by 2030) and current pledges to the Fund for responding to Loss and Damage (USD 745 million as of December 2024). It proposes a variety of innovative instruments to generate revenue, categorized by their funding potential and alignment with the 'polluters pay' and historical responsibility principles. High-potential instruments include wealth taxes (up to USD 2 trillion per year) and windfall taxes (up to USD 1 trillion per year). The brief recommends that high-income countries implement these instruments nationally or advocate for global frameworks through forums like the G20, IMF, and the UN Framework Convention on International Tax Cooperation to ensure equitable climate finance.

The report identifies a wide array of solutions to reduce agricultural methane, which accounts for approximately half of global anthropogenic methane emissions. Key strategies include improving livestock feed efficiency, using methane inhibitors like 3-NOP and Asparagopsis seaweed, implementing advanced manure treatments such as acidification and solid-liquid separation, and adopting water-management practices in rice cultivation like alternate wetting and drying. The authors emphasize that while many technologies are market-ready, widespread adoption is hindered by financial and regulatory barriers, necessitating stronger government support and private sector engagement.

On 24 February 2025, the UN Security Council and General Assembly passed three resolutions on Ukraine, revealing significant fractures in Western unity and a strategic shift in the Global South's approach. While Europe continues to demand Russian accountability and territorial integrity, the Trump administration has pivoted toward de-escalation and negotiations, leading the US to abstain from or oppose resolutions with harsh condemnatory language. Concurrently, Global South nations, including South Africa, India, and Brazil, are increasingly adopting a pragmatic, non-aligned stance that prioritizes diplomatic mediation and national interests over binary confrontations.

The document examines the necessity of a Europe-wide CO2 transport network, estimating a need for 15,000 to 19,000 km of infrastructure by 2050 to move 250 million tonnes of CO2 annually. It highlights the risk of 'natural monopolies' in pipeline transport and advocates for a shift from negotiated third-party access to a regulated access regime to prevent excessive tariffs. The brief proposes inter-temporal cost allocation mechanisms, such as Germany's 'amortisation account', to solve the 'first mover disadvantage' where early users bear disproportionate costs for oversized infrastructure. It also addresses 'cross-chain' financial risks and the need for standardised CO2 purity specifications to ensure network interoperability and safety.

The report argues that the U.S. needs approximately 1 billion metric tons of permanent CDR annually by 2050 to reach net zero, but current policies are insufficient. It introduces an Innovation Technology Framework that categorizes technology development into R&D, Early Output, and Commercialization stages, each requiring different policy levers: lowering costs, improving access to finance, reducing project development time, and removing ecosystem barriers. The authors recommend tripling DOE CDR R&D funding, implementing a technology-neutral production tax credit for the Early Output phase, and transitioning toward long-term regulatory drivers like a carbon takeback obligation or removals trading system. Key ecosystem recommendations include establishing an interagency task force for monitoring, reporting, and verification (MRV) and streamlining EPA Class VI well permitting to 12 months.

The report examines Arla's climate strategies, finding that its net-zero commitments fail to meet most UN recommendations and that its focus on technological solutions like biogas does not address its primary methane emissions. It further alleges that Arla engages in lobbying to derail EU climate legislation and uses misleading marketing campaigns to present its products as carbon neutral.

The report outlines the necessity of a Europe-wide CO2 transport network, estimating a need for 15,000 to 19,000 km of infrastructure by 2050 to move 250 million tonnes of CO2 annually. It argues that because CO2 networks often function as 'natural monopolies', EU-level regulation is required to prevent monopoly pricing and ensure non-discriminatory third-party access. The document recommends inter-temporal cost allocation mechanisms—similar to those used for hydrogen—to avoid 'first mover disadvantage' where early users bear disproportionate costs for oversized infrastructure. It also addresses 'cross-chain' financial risks and the need for harmonised CO2 purity standards to ensure network interoperability and safety.

The report argues that Arla Foods employs 'smokescreens' to hide its significant methane footprint and derail climate legislation. It highlights a gap between Arla's net-zero pledges and its actual practices, noting that the company prioritizes intensity-based targets for Scope 3 emissions rather than absolute reductions. The document details Arla's reliance on biogas as a 'silver bullet' solution, which the authors claim incentivizes industrialization and larger herd sizes over sustainable grazing. Furthermore, it documents Arla's direct and indirect lobbying in the EU to exclude agriculture from the Methane Strategy and block plant-based alternatives in school programs. The report also examines legal challenges in Sweden, Denmark, and the Netherlands regarding Arla's 'carbon neutral' marketing claims, which courts found to be misleading.

ClientEarth urges the European Commission to use the European Oceans Pact to move beyond 'paper parks' and policy silos. The organization calls for a systemic approach to enforcement of the Common Fisheries Policy and Habitats Directive, the creation of an EU Ocean Fund to replace the EMFAF, and the phasing out of fossil fuel subsidies in the maritime sector. It advocates for legally binding targets to protect 30% of EU seas by 2030 and a ban on destructive activities like bottom trawling in all Marine Protected Areas.

The report examines the technical and institutional challenges of maintaining grid reliability in the United States as fossil fuel plants retire and demand grows from data centers and electrification. It argues that reliability does not require traditional baseload power but can be achieved through a combination of wind, solar, battery storage, and demand-side flexibility. The authors highlight that while 80-90% clean electricity is achievable with current technology, reaching 100% may require 'clean firm' resources like enhanced geothermal or advanced nuclear. Key recommendations include reforming interconnection queues, expanding interregional transmission, and implementing performance-based incentives for utilities to prioritize demand-side solutions.

The document argues that environmentally harmful subsidies (EHS) exceed USD 2 trillion annually, creating perverse incentives that drive biodiversity loss and climate change. It proposes a theory of change based on the 'Multiple Streams and Policy Windows Framework'—defining the problem, identifying solutions, and creating political support—to catalyze reform. The playbook outlines 25 specific opportunities for philanthropic engagement, ranging from independent national assessments and technical support for Global South governments to the creation of 'first-mover clubs' of governments. It emphasizes that transparency alone is insufficient and that durable reform requires the co-development of repurposing strategies to support vulnerable groups and businesses transitioning away from harmful subsidies.

The Block Island Wind Farm, the first operational offshore wind farm in the U.S., utilized a community benefits agreement (CBA) to secure local support by addressing the island's critical need for mainland electricity and internet connectivity. Key successes included the hiring of a local community liaison and funding for third-party technical consultants for the town. The project resulted in a 40% reduction in electricity rates, the elimination of diesel generators, and the installation of broadband fiber optic cables. While early engagement was perceived as limited, the project's alignment with the island's infrastructure needs and the state's Special Area Management Plan facilitated its approval.

A joint call from over 130 signatories requesting an EU Action Plan for Plant-Based Foods by 2026 to improve health, environmental resilience, and strategic autonomy in protein production.

Wind energy growth in Europe has been hindered by inflation, supply chain issues, and permitting delays, but is now showing signs of recovery through increased turbine orders and auction volumes. While onshore costs plateaued or rose slightly since 2021, offshore wind continues to see cost declines, and both remain cheaper than fossil gas generation. Despite this, a delivery gap remains between current forecasts and the 2030 EU targets, requiring further policy implementation and grid reforms.

The North Sea is the world's largest offshore wind basin, with 30 GW of capacity across 101 operational wind farms. While the region leads in deployment, the report highlights that supply chain challenges and fragmented regulatory frameworks hinder further progress. It advocates for the standardisation of component sizes and the deployment of hybrid offshore assets to create a more secure, meshed grid. Additionally, the report emphasizes that the North Sea's potential as a 'green power plant' for Europe depends on the electrification of non-power sectors, as half of Europe's industrial energy consumption is located in North Sea bordering countries. Finally, it notes that offshore wind is helping stabilise electricity prices through Contracts-for-Difference (CfD) mechanisms, with recent projects delivering competitive strike prices compared to average European day-ahead power prices.

The Clean Air Task Force (CATF) argues that the EU's Clean Industrial Deal must adopt a technology-neutral approach, integrating a diverse portfolio of low-carbon solutions including carbon capture, hydrogen, and small modular reactors. The brief emphasizes the need for coordinated cross-border infrastructure, particularly for CO2 transport and storage to avoid regional cost disparities, and calls for a robust funding strategy to bridge a projected €180 billion gap following the end of the Recovery and Resilience Facility in 2026. It further recommends targeted market measures, such as reforming public procurement and prioritizing clean hydrogen for hard-to-abate sectors like steel and shipping, while warning against the use of public funds for inefficient solutions like hydrogen blending.

The document argues that while green guarantees can mobilize up to five times more capital than loans, they are underutilized due to complexity, lack of technical assistance, high costs, and time horizon misalignments. It showcases case studies from the World Bank Group, Green Guarantee Company, TCX, GuarantCo, and a Sida-IFU partnership to demonstrate how streamlining processes, providing targeted technical support, subsidizing currency hedges, extending guarantee tenors to 20 years, and fostering bilateral cooperation can unlock private capital for the green transition in EMDEs.