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The authors identify a category of 'risks of response' where climate policies trigger security dynamics, exemplified by widespread farmer protests across Europe. These protests, driven by grievances over fuel subsidies and environmental regulations, have escalated into violence and provided opportunities for far-right parties to foment instability. The text warns that this 'green backlash' could slow the transition and increase global security risks if not managed with better risk assessments and ameliorating measures.

The briefing note calls for further reform of the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA) following Bill S-5, highlighting the need for enforceable national air quality standards, the removal of barriers to citizen lawsuits against polluters, improved labelling of hazardous substances in consumer products, and enhanced environmental protections on First Nations reserve lands to address systemic inequities and health risks.

ClientEarth submits evidence to the UK Work and Pensions Committee arguing that current fiduciary duty legislation is too narrow, leading trustees to prioritise short-term returns over systemic climate risk management. The organisation recommends statutory duties to manage risks to the portfolio as a whole and to assess the real-world impacts of investments on society and the environment, aligning UK practice with European standards and UN human rights principles.

The document compiles historical evidence from the plastics industry showing a disconnect between public claims about recycling and internal assessments. Industry documents from the 1970s through the 1990s reveal that the industry viewed material recycling as economically marginal or impractical, often preferring waste-to-energy incineration. Despite this, the industry funded public relations campaigns and supported coding systems (like the SPI resin identification codes) that suggested recyclability to consumers, even when the industry knew that markets for recycled plastics were unstable or non-existent for most resin types.

The document argues that traditional carbon offsetting and 'neutrality' claims are scientifically illogical and misleading. It proposes the BVCM model, where companies provide climate finance as a complement to—not a substitute for—internal decarbonisation. It outlines prerequisites for credible claims, including science-based targets, deforestation-free commitments, and Paris-aligned lobbying, while evaluating different internal carbon pricing methods and investment vehicles like impact funds and direct financing.

The International Panel on the Information Environment (IPIE) proposes a global AI auditing framework to address the lack of consistent standards and the tendency of current audits to overlook impacts on the global majority. The framework defines seven key functions: audit scope, auditor roles, stakeholder engagement, context-appropriate criteria, evidence requirements, methodology, and post-audit activities. It emphasizes the need for auditor independence, transparent results, and the inclusion of environmental and labor impacts to protect human rights and collective well-being.

The report identifies four global municipal solid waste (MSW) management archetypes—Build the Basics (BtB), Build the Basics Plus (BtB+), Move up the Hierarchy (MuH), and Close the Circle (CtC)—and proposes specific abatement strategies for each. It emphasizes that diverting organic waste from landfills and dumpsites is the most significant opportunity for methane reduction. The authors recommend a combination of source-separated organics (SSO) programs, improved landfill gas collection and control systems (GCCS), and enabling policy frameworks, such as landfill taxes and organic waste bans, to align waste management with the waste hierarchy and limit global warming.

The Biden administration has announced a shift in how it determines if gas export projects are in the public interest, effectively halting the Calcasieu Pass 2 (CP2) project and at least 13 other pending facilities. Earthjustice asserts that this move prevents the lock-in of decades of fossil fuel use and protects low-income communities of color from further pollution. The briefing highlights that CP2 alone would produce emissions equivalent to over 47 new coal-fired power plants and 20 times the annual carbon emissions of the Willow drilling project. Additionally, the document argues that increasing gas exports raises domestic energy and heating prices for U.S. households and contradicts Europe's transition to clean energy, as European gas storage is nearly full.

Reclaim Finance asserts that the top 60 banks provided $122.2 billion to major LNG firms between 2016 and 2022, with most lacking policies to prevent further support. The report highlights that current LNG terminal developments could lead to a 235% capacity increase and 1.9 GtCO₂ of overshoot relative to IEA net zero goals. It criticizes European banks for continuing to finance import terminals despite exceeding current demand, risking long-term gas lock-in.

Reclaim Finance asserts that EPH's commitment to exit coal by 2030 is a 'sleight of hand' because the company is transferring its coal assets to a new entity, EP Energy Transition, which is not bound by the phase-out date. The document further highlights EPH's role as the second-largest gas power developer in Europe, with over 4.7 GW in development, contradicting European decarbonization goals. It specifically urges Société Générale and its subsidiary Komercni Banka to cease financing EPH unless the company commits to a genuine coal exit by 2030 and halts new gas projects.

The Carlyle Group, a major private equity firm with US$382 billion in assets under management, is accused of maintaining a fossil fuel-heavy portfolio that contradicts its net-zero 2050 commitment. Research indicates Carlyle invests sixteen dollars in fossil fuels for every one dollar invested in renewable energy. A key example is Neptune Energy, a company co-founded by Carlyle that continues upstream oil and gas expansion, including in the Barents Sea. The document highlights that Carlyle's shareholders, including major asset managers like BlackRock and Amundi, overwhelmingly supported the re-election of board members at the most recent Annual General Meeting, thereby endorsing a strategy that lacks a public fossil fuel policy and fails to align with a 1.5°C pathway.

2023 was the hottest year on record, reaching 1.4°C above the 1881-1910 baseline. This warming is driven by unprecedented levels of carbon pollution from fossil fuels, leading to more frequent and intense extreme weather events globally.

The document advocates for the European Central Bank (ECB) to create a 'green' versus 'brown' interest rate differential to incentivize sustainable energy and building renovations. It argues that while national subsidies and capital requirements for banks are possible, a targeted ECB mechanism—similar to the TLTROs used during the Covid-19 crisis—would be more effective and consistent with the ECB's mandate to maintain price stability by reducing fossil fuel dependency.

The factsheet examines the potential and risks of hydropower, including reservoir-based, run-of-river, and pumped-storage hydropower (PSH). While acknowledging PSH's role in grid stability, it highlights that hydropower is becoming less competitive than wind and solar due to higher costs and long construction timelines. The document details severe negative impacts on biodiversity, human rights, and the climate, specifically noting methane emissions from reservoirs. It concludes that new hydropower projects should be strictly conditioned on robust standards, with a preference for upgrading existing infrastructure over building new dams, particularly in Europe.

The document analyzes the current state of electricity markets in India, noting that while power exchanges (PX) are growing, they only account for 7% of total demand. It identifies key barriers to market adoption, including the dominance of inflexible long-term power purchase agreements (PPAs), unpredictable market clearing prices, and inaccurate supply-demand forecasting. The paper highlights that states like Gujarat and Tamil Nadu could achieve significant fuel cost savings by shifting from PPAs to day-ahead markets (DAMs). It recommends redesigning PPA structures, introducing contracts for differences (CFDs), strengthening institutional market monitoring, and developing state-level resource adequacy frameworks to better integrate variable renewable energy.

The document argues that scaling reusable packaging is a critical strategy to reduce the global plastic pollution crisis, which is expected to see plastic production quadruple by 2050. WWF advocates for a circular economy where reuse systems outperform single-use alternatives in environmental, social, and economic metrics. Key recommendations include a target for fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) companies to deliver 30% of their portfolios through reuse by 2030 and the necessity of achieving a 'breakeven' point where the number of uses offsets the higher material intensity of durable packaging. The paper emphasizes the need for supportive policy frameworks to achieve cost parity between reuse and single-use options and highlights the role of cities as ideal scaling hubs. It also distinguishes between 'refill' and 'return' modalities, noting that both are necessary for a comprehensive transition.

The document explores the role of advanced bioenergy systems in decarbonizing agriculture, emphasizing a 'carbon-negative circular bioeconomy' that combines emissions reductions with permanent carbon dioxide removal (CDR). It identifies opportunities such as utilizing biogenic point sources, growing perennials on underutilized land, and replacing synthetic nitrogen fertilizers. However, it warns of risks including methane leakage from anaerobic digesters, detrimental land-use changes, and environmental justice concerns. The report argues for policy shifts that prioritize CDR over simple energy production and calls for increased research, development, and demonstration (RD&D) to scale cellulosic bioenergy technologies.

The Augures! project uses an integrated modelling framework—combining seasonal forecasts, crop models, and economic models—to help European farmers and policymakers manage climate risks. A 2024 stakeholder workshop in Athens highlighted the need for context-specific, transparent, and actionable climate data to address structural vulnerabilities in the EU agricultural sector, particularly for small-scale farmers. The project aims to expand its analysis of maize and wheat to Greece, France, Romania, and Hungary in 2025, while developing a 'project-to-product' roadmap to transform scientific outputs into a user-friendly decision-support service.

The document explores the potential of Black Soldier Fly (BSF) larvae as an alternative source of chitin and its derivatives (chitosan and glucosamine), reducing reliance on crustacean aquaculture. It highlights a significant opportunity in South Africa, where approximately 10.3 million tonnes of food waste could potentially yield between 4,258 and 9,036 tonnes of BSF chitin annually, with a theoretical optimistic value of up to $498 million. While the global market for chitin products is projected to grow to $24.9 billion by 2030, the document identifies barriers such as high production costs, lack of industrial-scale extraction expertise in South Africa, and onerous regulatory registration processes. It suggests focusing on niche, high-quality products for biomedical and pharmaceutical sectors and leveraging urban waste streams to strengthen the business case.

The document explores the role of Black Soldier Fly (BSF) larvae in transitioning South Africa from a linear to a circular economy by converting organic waste into high-value protein meal, oil, and frass. It identifies significant opportunities in waste management, livestock and pet food ingredients, and soil security, while highlighting regulatory barriers and the need for updated legislation to support the sector's growth.