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The document explains how green securitisation transforms pools of illiquid low-carbon assets into tradable securities, improving access to and lowering the cost of capital for small-scale projects. It notes that green Asset-Backed Securities (ABS) grew to USD 5bn in 2016 and could reach USD 280-380bn annually by 2035. The author recommends public sector interventions, such as providing guarantees for junior tranches and supporting the standardisation of green loan contracts, to mitigate risks and drive market growth.

The author examines the conflict between 'inclusivist' and 'residualist' definitions of migrants. While the inclusivist view sees all people changing their country of residence as migrants, the residualist view—promoted by the UNHCR—treats migrants as a residual category of people who are not refugees. The author argues that the residualist approach creates a false dichotomy of 'two kinds of people' and may inadvertently harm those seeking protection by suggesting that only 'refugees' are worthy of compassion.

The WRI Sustainable Catering & Events Policy mandates that food ordered with WRI funds for U.S. office events be vegetarian and vegan. It provides a framework for selecting vendors based on sustainability, outlines strict rules against high-impact meats like beef, lamb, and goat, and sets protocols for reducing food and material waste. The policy is grounded in WRI research indicating that shifting away from animal-based proteins is essential for limiting global warming to below 2 degrees Celsius and reducing agricultural land-use change.

In 2016, the European power sector saw a significant shift from coal to gas generation, which drove a 4.5% decrease in CO2 emissions. While renewable energy's share of the electricity mix rose slightly to 29.6%, growth was below previous trends due to poor weather conditions, although record-low auction prices for wind and solar suggest future potential. Electricity consumption remained largely stagnant, barely offsetting economic growth. The EU Emissions Trading System (EU-ETS) continued to suffer from a structural oversupply, with the surplus exceeding 3 billion tonnes of CO2 for the first time.

The report investigates the 51°C record temperature in Phalodi, Rajasthan, on 19 May 2016. While annual mean temperatures in India are increasing, the analysis found that human-induced climate change did not play a statistically significant role in this specific event or a similar 2015 event in Andhra Pradesh. The authors suggest that the warming effect of greenhouse gases may be masked by the cooling effects of aerosols and increased irrigation. However, the report warns that as energy policies shift away from fossil fuels, the diminishing cooling effect of aerosols could increase the intensity of future heat waves.

The document lists various entities awarded for pioneering green bond activities in 2016. Key achievements include the first green sovereign bond from Poland, the largest overall issuer (Shanghai Pudong Development Bank), and the first green bonds from several countries including Colombia, Costa Rica, Morocco, and the Philippines. It also recognizes the People's Bank of China for regulation and CICERO for its 'Shades of green' assessment model.

The document examines the complexities of groundwater governance, distinguishing it from surface water management due to the resource's invisibility and dispersed private exploitation. It highlights the critical interdependence between governance and technical monitoring, using the Netherlands as a model for integrated data collection. A global diagnostic reveals significant gaps in actor participation, legal harmonization, and policy scope across different stages of management development. The paper also addresses the scarcity of dedicated international treaties for the 592 identified transboundary aquifers and concludes with a strategic roadmap for 2030 to prevent irreversible degradation of aquifer systems.

The document analyzes Boko Haram's shift toward 'soft targets,' specifically displaced populations in Nigeria, Cameroon, Niger, and Chad. It details the rise in attacks on IDP and refugee camps, the use of female and child suicide bombers, and the infiltration of refugee flows by militants. The author argues that these tactics may serve strategic purposes, such as 'capacity swamping' to coerce governments, turning host communities against refugees, and increasing the group's international visibility.

The document outlines the thematic orientations and findings of PRIO's migration research team since 2007, emphasizing a holistic approach that covers the entire migration chain. Key insights challenge the forced-voluntary migration dichotomy, highlight the role of corruption in migration processes, and argue that transnational ties do not hinder integration. The report also examines the political nature of diaspora engagement and the importance of religious networks for migrants.

The 2017 Global Tracking Framework reports that the world is not on track to meet its 2030 sustainable energy goals. While energy efficiency is closest to the required pace, electrification and clean cooking access are lagging, particularly in Africa. Renewable energy shares are increasing but remain far below the 36% target. The report emphasizes that current policy commitments and technology trends are insufficient, calling for a significant increase in global investment across all three pillars.

The document examines the transition of sustainable investing from a fringe approach to the mainstream among US institutional investors. It identifies key drivers such as the financial materiality of ESG factors, supportive policy frameworks like the Paris Agreement, and a desire for mission alignment. The paper categorizes sustainable investing into five main strategies: negative screens, positive screens, ESG integration, impact investing, and shareholder engagement. Despite growth, the authors identify significant systemic barriers, including short-term performance biases, inadequate ESG data and disclosure standards, and a lack of institutional-quality sustainable investment products. The paper concludes with recommendations for asset owners to build internal capacity and for market actors to provide more actionable frameworks and improved data.

The report argues that the EU ETS's 'carbon leakage' rules have allowed heavy industry to generate over €25 billion in windfall profits from 2008 to 2015. It claims that free allocation of pollution permits has cost governments at least €143 billion in lost auctioning revenues, reduced incentives for efficiency, and lacks empirical evidence of actual carbon leakage. The document calls for phasing out free allocations and establishing a Just Transition Fund to support impacted communities.

ClientEarth argues that the Commission on Human Rights of the Philippines has the jurisdiction to investigate the Carbon Majors because climate change threatens fundamental civil and political rights. The brief asserts that there is a linear causal relationship between greenhouse gas emissions and global warming, and that the Carbon Majors' emissions have contributed significantly to this process. It recommends that the Philippine government ratify the Paris Agreement and that the Carbon Majors publish business plans aligned with a warming limit of well below 2 degrees Celsius, in accordance with the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.

A coalition of 31 environmental organisations calls for a meaningful carbon price and reformed funding mechanisms within the EU ETS revision to phase out fossil fuels and support a just transition in Europe.

The document reports on a seminar titled 'Artificial Police Agents: Looking Awry', featuring Prof. Dr. Mireille Hildebrandt. The discussion focuses on the risks of 'predictive forensics' and machine learning in law enforcement, specifically how the choice of training sets and the inherent bias of algorithms can lead to fragile predictions and the erosion of the presumption of innocence. Hildebrandt argues for 'legal protection by design', where fundamental rights are integrated into the technical architecture of surveillance tools, and proposes the establishment of a watchdog to verify the design and operation of such systems.

The document argues that the Energy Market Design Initiative is essential for the success of the Energy Union and the implementation of the Paris Agreement. It outlines how market design can reduce energy poverty, boost security, and avoid fossil fuel lock-in by facilitating clean technology deployment. The authors call for specific actions, including the phase-out of coal by 2030, the promotion of energy efficiency and demand response, and the regulation of distribution system operators to support a decentralised energy system.

Friends of the Earth Latin America and the Caribbean (ATALC) condemns a report by the FMO regarding the Agua Zarca project in Honduras, stating it seeks to discredit community resistance and legitimize the imposition of hydroelectric megaprojects. The statement links the violence against indigenous leaders, including Berta Cáceres, and peasant organizations to unequal trade treaties with Europe and the US, and calls on the Netherlands, Finland, and Spain to cease financing projects that violate human rights in Latin America.

The author contends that the EU's approach to Turkey is overly focused on refugees and civil liberties, ignoring critical security dynamics in Syria. The text details Turkey's shifting relationship with the Assad regime, its conflict with the PKK, and the role of the Turkish 'deep state' in collaborating with various militants. It highlights the strategic importance of 'Operation Euphrates Shield' in closing IS communication lines and urges the EU to collaborate with Turkey on the liberation of Raqqa and the peace process with Kurdish separatists.

The author argues that the European radical right is moving toward becoming a dominant political force by utilizing a 'common political playbook' of delegitimizing institutions and reforming state architecture to maintain power. This movement is characterized by opposition to minorities, migration, European integration, and 'gender ideology', with Russia and Turkey serving as strategic reference points. To counter this, the author proposes a three-part Green strategy: exposing the hypocrisy and foreign ties of nationalist movements, 'Europeanising' the Green movement to coordinate support across borders, and addressing the root causes of radical right popularity by championing progressive cultural identities and combating neoliberal economic precarity.

The report examines the relationship between policy design and investor behavior in the European renewable energy sector. It argues that a diverse range of investors—from small households to large utilities—can lower the overall cost of capital, but that policy choices (such as the shift from feed-in tariffs to auctions) can either encourage or exclude specific investor groups. The document provides comparative analysis of the UK, Germany, Iberia, and the Nordic region, highlighting how different regulatory environments have led to varying levels of deployment and cost-effectiveness across solar PV, onshore wind, and offshore wind technologies.