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The We Mean Business Coalition (WMBC) advocates for a coordinated EU framework to overcome barriers to electrification, such as high upfront costs and grid constraints. The coalition proposes a 50% electrification target by 2040 and suggests realigning financial incentives, modernising electricity grids, and mobilising public finance to de-risk private investment in clean energy technologies.

The report finds that by mid-century, between USD 300 million and almost USD 1 billion in annual soy trade bound for Europe could be exposed to disruption due to critically low river levels at the ports of Manaus and Santarém. This risk is driven by a combination of climate change and Amazon deforestation, which reduces rainfall and moisture cycling. The analysis highlights that major commodity traders like Cargill, Amaggi, and Bunge face significant financial exposure, and that EU importers are particularly vulnerable given their reliance on Brazilian soy for livestock feed. The document argues that protecting the Amazon forest is essential for maintaining the physical river infrastructure that compliant, deforestation-free supply chains depend on.

The report examines Europe's transition from fossil fuel dependency to clean technology, highlighting that domestic manufacturing can already meet the demand for wind turbines, electric vehicles (EVs), and heat pumps. It contrasts the volatility of fossil fuel imports with the stability of clean tech infrastructure, which provides long-term energy generation from a single import. While Europe remains reliant on certain raw materials and sub-components, the report suggests that electrification reduces overall trade disruption risks and offers significant job growth potential by 2030.

Europe is facing a significant demographic shift characterized by declining working-age populations and increasing old-age dependency, which is expected to create tighter labour markets and labour shortages by 2050. While this trend may stunt GDP growth and complicate investment, it provides an opportunity for trade unions to increase worker bargaining power and revitalize their membership, particularly by organizing the expanding care sector.

The report proposes a tripartite contracting model for Europe, where a state-backed intermediary connects clean energy suppliers and industrial consumers. This mechanism aims to solve structural barriers in bilateral Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs), such as creditworthiness requirements for SMEs and the mismatch between variable renewable generation and industrial baseload demand. By pooling diverse technologies—including renewables, storage, and clean firm capacity—the intermediary can offer 24/7 clean power products and absorb counterparty risk. The document outlines an implementation roadmap involving the European Commission and Member States, emphasizing the need for harmonized Guarantees of Origin, improved two-sided Contracts for Difference (CfDs) design, and integrated grid planning.

The share of gas in the global power mix fell for the fifth consecutive year in 2025, dropping from 23.9% in 2020 to 21.8%. While absolute global gas generation has not yet peaked, its growth rate slowed from 2.9% (2016-2020) to 1.6% (2021-2025) as solar and wind met approximately 68% of global electricity demand growth over the last five years. By 2025, 61 out of 124 gas-generating economies had passed their historical gas generation peaks. In the G7, renewable power (2,544 TWh) nearly equaled gas power (2,577 TWh) in 2025. Conversely, gas remains central to the power sectors of the US and Canada, and continues to support demand in parts of North and West Africa.

The document asserts that climate disinformation in Europe is an industrialised threat that distorts public debate, delays clean energy investment, and weakens crisis response. It highlights a failure in regulatory enforcement across the EU and UK, noting that while instruments like the Digital Services Act exist, they are unevenly applied. The authors advocate for limiting algorithmic amplification of misleading content and increasing media scrutiny to protect the conditions necessary for collective climate action.

The document responds to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero's proposal for the Seventh Carbon Budget, which aims for an 87% emissions reduction by 2038. While acknowledging the growth of the clean energy economy and public support for climate action, it warns that trust in politics is low and that the transition of sectors like transport and housing must not punish ordinary people. It advocates for linking the clean energy transition to everyday concerns such as bills and housing to maintain public backing.

The report provides a detailed breakdown of aligned GSS+ debt volumes, issuer types, and geographic trends for Q1 2026, highlighting the continued dominance of green bonds and the European market.

June 2026 was the second-warmest June on record globally, with the Arctic experiencing its warmest June ever. In the U.S., 66% of the contiguous region faced abnormally dry or drought conditions by July 7, 2026, and the West and Southwest regions saw their warmest January-June period on record. A very strong El Niño is forecast to develop between October and December 2026, with an 81% probability, likely pushing global temperatures to or above 1.5C by October. Climate Central's analysis indicates human-caused climate change is a key driver of summertime warming in 91% of analyzed U.S. cities.

The report warns that climate change is increasing the probability of simultaneous crop failures in major global breadbaskets, which could trigger food price spikes, social unrest, and geopolitical instability. Using France, Germany, and India as examples, it projects significant increases in crop failure risks by 2040 and highlights how extreme heat undermines both agricultural yields and the labor and infrastructure necessary for food security. For Europe, these failures could be exploited by Russia through hybrid warfare and disinformation, while destabilizing import-dependent NATO and EU partners. The authors recommend that NATO and the EU integrate food security into resilience frameworks, protect agricultural aid, coordinate trade responses to avoid export bans, and increase investment in climate-smart agricultural R&D.

The report highlights a growing 'e-mobility divide' where the Global North adopts high-value lithium-ion systems while the Global South relies on affordable but toxic lead-acid batteries. It identifies critical failures in traceability and international governance, specifically within the Basel Convention, which allow for 'waste colonialism' and hazardous informal recycling. The authors argue for mandatory extended producer responsibility, the creation of regional recycling hubs, and the integration of informal workers into formal systems to ensure a just energy transition.

The report examines how wastewater treatment plants can be transformed into carbon removal hubs by managing alkalinity and repurposing biosolids. It identifies two primary intervention categories: alkalinity management (including Wastewater Alkalinity Enhancement and Ocean Alkalinity Enhancement) and biosolids management (including biomass burial, biochar, supercritical water oxidation, and incineration with CCS). The document highlights synergies such as the safe destruction of PFAS and the use of existing pumping infrastructure to reduce capital and energy costs. Globally, the biogenic carbon in municipal wastewater represents a theoretical removal potential of 120–460 MtCO2 per year, though current treatment rates limit this to 70–260 MtCO2. Key barriers to scale include feedstock supply chain development, quantification challenges for carbon credits, and ecological risks.

Africa's population is projected to grow from 1.552 billion in 2025 to 3.850 billion by 2100, representing 39% of the global population. This growth is driven by high total fertility rates and population momentum, which could position Africa as the world's largest potential labour force by 2040 if supported by education and health investments. Significant disparities persist in life expectancy and fertility rates across the continent, with some nations already below replacement levels while others remain very high.

The document analyzes the relationship between Africa's rapid population growth and its economic development, noting that while the continent's overall economy is projected to grow faster than the global average, high population growth limits gains in GDP per capita. It emphasizes the need for sub-Saharan Africa to achieve a demographic dividend and improve productivity through education and manufacturing to narrow the gap with the global average.

The document argues that TotalEnergies SE has misled investors by claiming alignment with the Paris Agreement while continuing to increase fossil fuel production. It highlights the systemic financial risk climate change poses to global portfolios and asserts that TotalEnergies' disclosures—including claims about the role of natural gas as a transition fuel and the 'substitution' argument for continued extraction—are inaccurate. The authors call for an AMF investigation into potential breaches of the AMF General Regulations, the European Market Abuse Regulation (MAR), and the French Monetary and Financial Code.

As of 2022, 41.5% of Africa's population lacked electricity, with sub-Saharan Africa lagging significantly at 51.5% access. The document argues that traditional grid expansion is too slow and expensive for rural areas, proposing a 'leapfrog' strategy centered on solar-based off-grid and mini-grid solutions. World Bank estimates suggest that providing electricity to 380 million people by 2030 would require over 160,000 mini-grids costing approximately US$ 91 billion. Despite possessing 60% of the world's best solar resources, Africa faces severe financing shortfalls, with clean energy finance growing by only 2.5% in sub-Saharan Africa between 2021 and 2022, compared to over 100% in Latin America. Barriers to deployment include high public debt, regulatory bottlenecks, and shifting geopolitical priorities, such as the end of the US Power Africa initiative.

ClientEarth warns FMCG companies that relying on recycling is insufficient to mitigate legal risks and urges a shift toward upstream plastic reduction. The document details risks from mandatory due diligence laws, product liability for health harms, and anti-greenwashing enforcement, specifically targeting misleading 'recyclable' claims. It also highlights the impact of the EU's Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) on plastic-related disclosures.

Eleven civil society organizations, including Reclaim Finance, have called on Agirc-Arrco, ERAFP, and the Fonds de réserve pour les retraites to cease supporting fossil fuel expansion. The signatories argue that continued investments, particularly through bonds and external managers like BlackRock, exacerbate climate change and expose portfolios to financial risks. They specifically highlight TotalEnergies' recent climate setbacks, including the abandonment of its 2050 carbon neutrality goal in March 2026, as evidence that shareholder dialogue is insufficient. The letter demands an immediate end to new investments in oil and gas projects, systematic voting against directors of expanding fossil fuel companies, and the implementation of science-based climate criteria for selecting external asset managers.

The US-Israel invasion of Iran in February 2026 has accelerated the global transition to clean energy as 23 countries announced new measures to reduce fossil fuel vulnerability. Clean energy ETFs have outperformed oil and gas ETFs in early May 2026, with renewable energy funds attracting over USD 3 billion in April 2026. Investor sentiment is shifting, with a rise in those ranking renewables top for one-year returns (14% vs 9% in 2025) and a decline in the perceived necessity of natural gas for the transition, particularly in Asia. While the cost of capital remains significantly higher in emerging markets (12.95%) compared to Europe (5.02%), geopolitical instability is prompting a reassessment of risk premiums in favor of domestic renewables.