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ClientEarth argues that the SEAC draft opinion on Cr(VI) restriction is based on systemic information gaps and biased evidence, failing to prove that a restriction would better promote substitution or reduce risks than the current authorisation process. The organization urges SEAC to stay its opinion until a robust dossier is provided, suggesting that a ban with transition periods would be a more proportionate and effective risk management measure.

The document analyzes the rising trend of greenwashing litigation and regulatory enforcement against companies using carbon credits to claim carbon neutrality. It highlights a divergence between the European Union, UK, and Australia—where courts and regulators are increasingly skeptical of offsetting—and the United States, where outdated guidelines and judicial reluctance have created a more fragmented enforcement landscape. The briefing concludes that companies face growing financial and reputational risks and should shift from compensation-based claims to genuine internal emissions reductions.

The policy brief by Carbon Market Watch criticises the EU's CRCF carbon farming methodologies for agriculture, agroforestry, afforestation, and peatland rewetting. It argues that the framework lacks clear use cases, potentially allowing for problematic offsetting, and suffers from flawed quantification, weak additionality tests, and insufficient sustainability safeguards. The report warns that these deficiencies could lead to the overestimation of carbon removals and undermine the EU's climate goals and international reputation.

The We Mean Business Coalition outlines ten policy principles to help governments accelerate clean electrification by providing clear strategic direction, financial incentives, infrastructure investment, and regulatory standards. The framework emphasizes that while pathways vary by national context, governments must address system-wide barriers—such as grid connection delays and fossil fuel subsidies—to unlock large-scale business investment and enhance energy security.

The Clean Air Task Force and the Fusion Industry Association urge the European Commission to transition from a research-focused approach to an industrial strategy for fusion energy. They recommend establishing a credible pathway for commercialisation in the 2030s, creating a fusion-specific regulatory framework distinct from nuclear fission, and implementing milestone-driven financing to attract private capital. The authors emphasize the need for harmonised codes and standards, a comprehensive workforce strategy, and strong coordination between EU and national initiatives to maintain competitiveness against the United States and China.

The report analyzes the recurrence of climate disinformation during extreme weather events in 2026, specifically focusing on wildfires in Canada, the US, and the UK, and heatwaves in the EU, Spain, and Portugal. It highlights the role of 'participatory disinformation' and the failure of social media platforms to act on advance warnings from organizations like CAAD and EDMO.

The author analyzes the shift from a period of 'climate cultural hegemony' following the 2015 Paris Agreement to a current phase of 'ecological backlash' driven by fossil capital and reactionary politics. To counter this, the text proposes a strategic shift where the energy transition is viewed not only as an ethical necessity but as a matter of national and continental sovereignty. Key recommendations include accelerating large-scale renewable projects, relocalizing the extraction of critical raw materials within Europe to reduce dependence on third countries like China, and diversifying strategic alliances through multilateralism.

Global Witness warns that the global push for electrification, highlighted by priorities for COP31 and plans in the EU and China, faces a critical bottleneck due to copper shortages. The organization identifies declining copper grades, supply chain disruptions of sulphuric acid (essential for processing), and export bans on concentrates in countries like the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Indonesia, and Tanzania as primary threats. To prevent high-income countries from monopolizing resources, Global Witness proposes a UN-led multi-decade plan to ensure equitable access to minerals and prioritize climate goals over military or data center applications.

The policy brief argues that the proposed €100 billion Industrial Decarbonisation Bank (IDB) must move beyond fragmented grants to a coordinated system of carbon contracts for difference (CCfDs), project development support, and shared infrastructure funding. It highlights a significant delivery gap in existing EU programs, noting that only 16 of 208 Innovation Fund grant agreements had entered operation by June 2025. To resolve this, the author recommends technology-neutral auctions with sector-specific caps, two-way CCfD settlements referenced to EU ETS prices, and the sequencing of infrastructure delivery to align with industrial final investment decisions (FID).

In June 2026, solar power provided 25% of the EU's electricity, generating a record 52 TWh and becoming the bloc's largest single power source for the third time ever. This follows a period of rapid growth where solar capacity increased by more than a fifth annually between 2021 and 2025, with 65.1 GW installed in 2025 alone. Individual member states also hit records, with Germany reaching a 36% solar share in June and Spain exceeding a third of its power from solar for the first time.

Over 30 environmental organizations have petitioned the U.S. Senate to oppose 'year-round E15' legislation, asserting that increasing the ethanol blend from 10 percent to 15 percent would raise food and fuel costs, increase greenhouse gas emissions through land-use changes, and cause environmental degradation.

The report examines the EU's 2040 climate target, which allows up to 5% of the 90% net reduction goal to be met via high-quality international credits under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement from 2036 to 2040. It advocates for centralised purchasing—via the European Commission or a dedicated body—over decentralised Member State procurement to leverage bargaining power, pool expertise, and link purchases to strategic partnerships. The authors warn of significant delivery risks due to strict Article 6 temporal rules, long project lead times, and the increasing tendency of partner countries to retain mitigation benefits for their own NDCs. Key recommendations include a structured procurement timeline starting with Member State notifications by 2030, a calibration report by 2034, and the use of strategic over-procurement to hedge against supply shortfalls. The report explicitly advises against allowing these credits for direct compliance under the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) to maintain the system's integrity.

QuotaClimat has issued 17 recommendations to the French government to ensure the upcoming national plan on environmental and climate information effectively tackles disinformation. These proposals focus on monitoring media coverage, protecting environmental spokespeople, funding research, and strengthening regulatory frameworks like the Digital Services Act and the roles of VIGINUM and Arcom. The initiative follows France's commitment to the Global Declaration for Climate Information Integrity at COP30 and recommendations from the High Council for the Climate 2025 report.

The Clean Air Task Force (CATF) recommends a cautious, safeguard-driven integration of permanent carbon removals (specifically DACCS and BioCCS) into the EU ETS to avoid deterring direct emissions reductions. The briefing argues for expanding the ETS scope to include extra-EEA flights, vessels above 400 gross tonnage, and municipal waste incineration and landfills. It specifically highlights the need to address non-CO2 aviation impacts, such as contrails, through financial incentives and robust monitoring. To support the transition, CATF suggests earmarking aviation ETS revenues for sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) and maintaining SAF allowances beyond 2030.

The European Climate Neutrality Observatory (ECNO) reports that while the EU's transition to climate neutrality is accelerating overall, none of its 13 key building blocks are progressing at the required pace. Positive trends are noted in zero-emission vehicle registrations, heat pump sales, and poverty reduction in vulnerable regions. However, the report highlights critical failures in cleantech investment, financial flows, and nature-based carbon removal, while noting that some key policies, such as the 2035 zero emissions target for new cars and vans, have been weakened.

The Climate Bonds Initiative has developed an Equivalence Methodology to reduce market fragmentation caused by the proliferation of over 65 national and regional sustainable finance taxonomies. The methodology provides a technical framework to determine if externally developed activity-level and measures-level criteria are 'equivalent' to Climate Bonds' science-based standards. Criteria deemed equivalent will be integrated into the Climate Bonds Taxonomy and its Standard & Certification Scheme, creating a single reference point for global capital flows. The process involves screening for alignment with temperature goals, scientific robustness, and governance transparency, with a specific distinction between criteria applicable globally versus those limited to a specific local jurisdiction.

The Clean Air Task Force (CATF) evaluates the Council's general approach to the European Commission's Grid Package, which includes revisions to the TEN-E Regulation and permitting procedures. While welcoming the move toward mandatory sensitivity analyses and the recognition of permitting bottlenecks, CATF warns that shifting the 'central scenario' for infrastructure planning to an implementing act could 're-nationalised key elements' and increase Member State control. The document emphasizes a critical lack of transparency in modelling and warns that making digital permitting portals and tacit approval mechanisms optional could create a 'patchwork of policies' that slows cross-border deployment. CATF advocates for open modelling, independent review of cross-sector assumptions, and a time-bound permitting framework to meet Europe's climate and energy security goals.

The executive summary highlights that cars, vans, and trucks account for approximately two-thirds of EU oil demand, leaving the region vulnerable to price shocks and geopolitical volatility. It proposes a five-pillar roadmap—Deploy, Build, Power, Flex, and Protect—to transition to electric vehicles, which would replace imported fuels with domestic renewable electricity. Achieving the EU's original 2030 goals could avoid approximately 190 million barrels of oil extra per year by 2030 at a cost of approximately €12 billion.

ClientEarth argues that CSDDD guidelines must explicitly include greenhouse gas emissions under 'harmful emissions' and adopt a risk-based approach to environmental due diligence. The submission recommends a strict hierarchy for remediation—prioritising prevention and restoration over offsetting—and suggests the creation of industry-funded remediation funds to address complex value chain harms.

The briefing reports that a majority of citizens in several EU member states support requiring heavy industry to pay for CO2 emissions and favor investing carbon revenues into industrial decarbonisation over the continuation of free allowances. It highlights a contrast between public opinion and lobbying efforts by industry giants and certain member states to weaken EU ETS rules.