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The document criticizes the influence of fossil fuel lobbyists and petrostates on the UN's Global Plastics Treaty negotiations, specifically at INC-5. It highlights how oil-producing nations have blocked agreements to curtail plastic production as the industry seeks new markets for petroleum products. The text details the environmental and health impacts of plastic, including greenhouse gas emissions, flooding in Mumbai and Indonesia, and toxic pollution in Alberta, Canada. It calls for the 2025 INC-5.2 session to establish specific global reduction targets and ensure the inclusion of Indigenous and civil society voices.

Global Witness characterizes COP27 as a failure, primarily because world leaders did not agree to phase out fossil fuels despite the presence of 636 fossil fuel lobbyists. While the organization acknowledges the historic adoption of a loss and damage fund and the inclusion of the right to a healthy environment in the cover decision, it criticizes the lack of tangible progress on deforestation and the failure to specifically acknowledge the contributions of land and environmental defenders.

Global Witness asserts that tensions between NATO allies in the eastern Mediterranean over fossil gas are futile, as the EU's projected 90 percent reduction in gas demand by 2050 renders these reserves unnecessary. The report highlights that extracting discovered gas in disputed waters would produce carbon emissions comparable to the annual output of France and Spain combined. It specifically calls for the cancellation of the €6 billion EastMed pipeline, which is currently a "Project of Common Interest," arguing that its operation would cause immense environmental damage and further escalate regional conflict.

Derek Cabe describes the devastating impact of super-typhoons in the Philippines and advocates for legal accountability for major fossil fuel corporations. He highlights the findings of the Philippines’ Commission on Human Rights, which linked carbon pollution to human rights violations, and calls for the protection of land and environmental defenders who face violence and 'red-tagging' while opposing coal-fired power plants.

Global Witness calls for the UK, US, EU, and China to end the 'money pipeline' driving deforestation by replacing voluntary initiatives with binding national laws. The organization warns that the Amazon is approaching a tipping point and criticizes the failure of previous pledges, such as the 2014 New York Declaration on Forests. It specifically urges the UK to implement its Environment Act, the EU to finalize laws stopping bank funding for deforestation, the US to include financiers in due diligence regimes, and China to prohibit illegal timber imports and regulate commercial banking risks.

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.

The report alleges that ADNOC, led by COP28 President Sultan Al-Jaber, pursued nearly $100 billion in fossil fuel deals during the UAE's year as host, contradicting public claims that the summit was not used for commercial gain. It details specific targets in countries like Brazil, Azerbaijan, and China, and argues that the COP28 final text's ambiguous language on 'transitioning away' from fossil fuels allows ADNOC to expand production while appearing compliant with climate goals.

The Climate Finance Accelerator (CFA) is a UK-funded global programme, led in South Africa by NBI and GreenCape, that provides technical, financial, and social inclusion support to low-carbon projects to improve their bankability. The programme does not provide direct funding but facilitates connections between project developers and commercial or concessional investors. Eligible projects must be at least at the pre-feasibility stage, have a financing need between USD $5m and $150m, and demonstrate measurable greenhouse gas emission reductions.

The report assesses the current state of electricity generation, transmission, and consumption across Africa, highlighting a 'double burden' of climate and transition risk. It finds that while renewable energy potential is high, investment is heavily skewed toward generation and concentrated in a few countries, with significant data gaps hindering effective policy. The analysis of Global Production Networks (GPNs) reveals a heavy dependence on imported technology, particularly from China, and identifies specific challenges and opportunities for localising solar and wind value chains. Employment data is noted as inconsistent, though solar PV dominates the current renewable energy job landscape.

The report finds that gas projects in low- and middle-income countries receive four times more international public finance than wind or solar, despite renewable alternatives being cheaper or expected to be soon. It argues that gas expansion is inconsistent with IPCC 1.5°C scenarios, which project a 55% decline in global gas consumption by 2050. Through case studies of Argentina, Egypt, and India, the report highlights risks such as asset stranding and debt, recommending that international public finance cease supporting fossil fuels and instead focus on enabling renewable energy systems.

The briefing examines the tensions between WTO members over agricultural subsidies, public stocks, and export restrictions. It argues that for MC13 to be successful, the WTO must move beyond non-binding declarations toward binding commitments, specifically proposing an export restriction exemption for Least Developed Countries (LDCs) to ensure food availability during crises.

The paper contends that traditional industrial policy is outdated because it focuses almost exclusively on manufacturing, despite services accounting for approximately two-thirds of global GDP. It proposes a 'service-led' industrial policy based on five pillars: infrastructure, investment/FDI, human capital, regulatory quality, and connectivity. The author highlights that services offer developing economies a more inclusive and sustainable path to growth due to lower capital intensity and smaller minimum scales for global competitiveness. Furthermore, the document notes that the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) provides governments with more policy space for experimentation compared to the stricter rules governing goods.

The author argues that traditional industrial policy is overly focused on manufacturing and must be redesigned for a services-led economy. Services now represent two-thirds of global GDP and act as critical inputs for all sectors. The paper proposes five pillars for a services-oriented policy: infrastructure, foreign direct investment, human capital, regulatory quality, and digital/physical connectivity. It highlights that developing economies can leverage services due to lower capital intensity, smaller scale requirements, and lower carbon footprints. Furthermore, the author notes that the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) provides governments with more policy space for experimentation than the rules governing goods.

The author examines how the African clothing sector can transition from a linear to a circular model to align with Sustainable Development Goals 9 and 12. It identifies three primary opportunities: promoting sustainable inputs like regenerative cotton and plant-based alternatives, greening the manufacturing process to gain a competitive advantage, and transforming the influx of second-hand clothing into a value-added recycling industry. The text emphasizes that without a proactive policy roadmap, African nations risk missing economic upgrades and failing to meet upcoming EU ecodesign regulations.

The document outlines the impact of fossil fuel subsidy reform (FFSR) across 32 countries, projecting a potential reduction of 5.46 billion tonnes of CO2 emissions and government savings of nearly USD 3 trillion by 2030. It highlights that the seven countries with the highest potential for absolute reductions could each cut close to or more than 400 million tonnes of GHG emissions. The analysis suggests that combining FFSR with a 10% fossil energy tax and investing the resulting revenues into energy efficiency and renewable energy could reduce global CO2e emissions by 10.42 billion tonnes by 2030.

The paper examines four regime options for a post-2012 climate framework: maintaining targets with flexibility mechanisms (broadening the CDM scope), differentiating developing country eligibility, implementing an expanded CDM (sectoral/NAMA approaches), and establishing a fund-based mechanism. It analyzes how these options affect the 'development dividend' across three dimensions: quality (sustainable development benefits), quantity (volume of Certified Emission Reductions), and regional distribution (investment in least developed countries). The authors conclude that while a fund-based mechanism best addresses quality and equity, it may struggle to match the investment volumes of private-sector market mechanisms. Conversely, expanding the CDM scope could flood the market with cheap credits, potentially crashing prices unless accompanied by ambitious emission reduction targets in developed nations.

The document provides a geographic overview of the top 15 banana-producing countries as of 2016, categorizing production by harvest area and the level of VSS compliance, ranging from conventional production to VSS compliant.

The paper examines the transition of Africa's clothing and textile industry from a linear to a circular model. It identifies three primary opportunities: promoting sustainable inputs (such as regenerative cotton and alternative fibers), 'greening' the garment manufacturing process to gain a competitive advantage, and transforming the influx of second-hand clothing into a value-added recycling and upcycling industry. The author emphasizes that without a proactive policy approach and investment in technology and infrastructure, African nations risk missing economic opportunities and failing to comply with upcoming EU eco-design regulations.

The report identifies a resurgence of outright climate denial and the rise of 'culture war' narratives used to delay climate action. It highlights systemic greenwashing by fossil fuel entities on Meta and the algorithmic amplification of the #ClimateScam hashtag on Twitter. The analysis reveals that climate misinformation is increasingly integrated into broader 'anti-woke' and conspiratorial communities, with a small number of high-influence actors driving a significant portion of the engagement.

A briefing by the Institute for Security Studies analyzing the political and economic dynamics of Egypt's first free presidential election following the ousting of Hosni Mubarak, focusing on the candidates, the role of the military, and the absence of a constitution.