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The Allianz Climate & Energy Monitor Deep Dive analyzes the investment requirements for China, India, and the US to align with Paris Agreement goals, noting that while China and India are rapidly expanding renewables and exiting coal, US federal policy ambition is declining despite strong state-level support.

This policy brief explores the application of the Planetary Boundaries framework to EU policy-making, proposing an equal-per-capita allocation method to translate global limits into EU-scale benchmarks. It finds that the EU exceeds its fair share of the global safe operating space in several key areas and suggests that while EU policy instruments offer entry points for mainstreaming these boundaries, they currently fail to address process interactions or the EU's international environmental footprint.

A statement by the World Resources Institute arguing that the United States should remain in the Paris Agreement to protect its economic, security, and diplomatic interests, noting strong public and business support for the accord.

This policy paper argues that green securitisation is a critical tool for financing fragmented, small-scale low-carbon assets in Europe. It identifies that while institutional demand for green investments is high, supply is hindered by a lack of standardised contracts, insufficient asset volumes per lender, and low credit ratings for new technologies. The authors propose a public sector agenda including the creation of green asset definitions, the establishment of financial warehouses (potentially via the EIB), the provision of credit enhancements, and the use of cornerstone investments by development banks and the ECB to scale the market.

This research paper by the NewClimate Institute and PBL Netherlands Environmental Assessment proposes a comprehensive framework for assessing the ambition of post-2020 greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction proposals, specifically Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), to support the Paris Agreement's requirement for regular reviews and global stocktakes.

In a speech delivered at the PAGE Ministerial Conference in Berlin on March 27, 2017, IISD President and CEO Scott Vaughan critiques current trade and investment models, specifically focusing on the EU-Canada Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) and the role of the World Trade Organization (WTO) in sustainable development.

The International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) provides a response to the European Commission's December 2016 public consultation on reforming investment dispute resolution, specifically rejecting proposals for an Investment Court System (ICS) and a Multilateral Investment Court (MIC).

The Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) opposes the European Commission's proposal to establish a Multilateral Investment Court (MIC), arguing that the plan focuses narrowly on institutional adjustments while failing to address the substantive imbalances of the investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) system. CIEL contends that the MIC would entrench a regime that prioritizes corporate rights over the sovereign right of states to regulate for the public interest, human rights, and the environment.

This report by Energy Innovation provides a quantitative analysis of the linked California-Quebec cap-and-trade program, identifying a systemic oversupply of carbon allowances. The author argues that emissions have fallen faster than regulators expected due to successful climate policies, technological innovation, and economic trends. While the program's price floor and holding limits act as stabilizers, the report suggests that the current oversupply has led to undersubscribed auctions. The author proposes four policy reforms—lowering caps, switching to annual compliance, increasing the price floor, and reducing free allowances—to drive more significant emission reductions and provide stable revenue for the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund.

In a 2017 address, SAIIA National Chairman Fred T Phaswana discusses the erosion of international cooperation and multilateralism due to rising populism, protectionism, and political instability in Western societies and South Africa.

This fact sheet by the Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) provides a comprehensive overview of employment in the renewable energy and energy efficiency sectors globally and within the United States as of 2016 and 2017. It utilizes data from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) to compare clean energy jobs against fossil fuel employment and detail specific subsector growth.

This report by the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) and ClientEarth criticizes the European Commission's 2016 proposal for scientific criteria to identify endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs). The authors argue that the Commission adopted a 'sector-specific' approach limited to pesticides and biocides, rather than the 'horizontal' criteria required by the EU's 7th Environmental Action Programme (7th EAP). The report contends that this narrow approach creates legal uncertainty, risks inconsistent identification of EDCs across different regulatory frameworks, and may lower the level of protection for human health and the environment in consumer products such as cosmetics and medical devices.

This briefing by the Climate Bonds Initiative explains the structure and potential of Green Covered Bonds, highlighting their ability to provide low-cost, long-term financing for climate-friendly infrastructure and buildings through a 'Dual Recourse' mechanism.

This briefing by the Climate Bonds Initiative outlines the progress of public policy regarding green bonds in 2016 and projections for 2017. It highlights the emergence of sovereign green bonds, the role of green bonds in financing Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), and various innovative financial tools used by governments to attract private capital for climate infrastructure.

This fact sheet by the Climate Bonds Initiative outlines public sector activities and policy developments in the green bond market during 2016, emphasizing the role of governments in leveraging private capital to meet climate-aligned infrastructure needs.

This briefing paper by the Climate Bonds Initiative explains the structure of covered bonds and argues for their application to low-carbon finance. It highlights how the dual recourse structure of covered bonds—providing claims over both a dedicated asset pool and the issuer—can lower funding costs for banks and increase institutional investment in green infrastructure and energy-efficient buildings.

This fact sheet by the Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) provides a comprehensive overview of employment trends in the renewable energy and energy efficiency sectors within the United States and globally, primarily using data from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) as of 2016 and 2017.

This guide by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) analyzes the Most-Favoured-Nation (MFN) clause in international investment treaties. It examines how arbitral tribunals have interpreted MFN to allow investors to import more favorable substantive and procedural rules from third-party treaties, a practice that has led to legal uncertainty and 'treaty-shopping.' The document provides a typology of MFN clauses, discusses the distinction between pre- and post-establishment phases, and offers recommendations for states to limit the scope of MFN in future treaties to protect national sovereignty and policy space.

This policy brief by the Stockholm Environment Institute analyzes the transition of Sweden's heating energy system toward low-carbon sources. While highlighting the success of district heating and heat pumps in reducing fossil fuel reliance, the document warns of systemic 'lock-ins' and a lack of focus on reducing energy demand, which may hinder future climate and efficiency goals.

This policy brief explores how the Planetary Boundaries framework can be used to define the 'global level of ambition' for the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. It argues that by downscaling global environmental limits to national or regional levels and combining them with consumption-based accounting, countries can better implement Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 12 on Sustainable Consumption and Production.