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The paper examines 168 NDCs to determine if their methane-focused mitigation actions are sufficient to meet the Global Methane Pledge's goal of a 30% reduction in global anthropogenic methane emissions by 2030 compared to 2020 levels. While current implementation targets and timelines are insufficient, the authors find that if 476 identified mitigation actions are implemented to their maximum technical potential, global emissions could be reduced by approximately 31%.

The AfCFTA aims to boost intra-African trade by eliminating 97% of tariff lines, but commercially significant trade is delayed primarily by ongoing negotiations on Rules of Origin (RoO). To maintain momentum, the Guided Trade Initiative (GTI) was launched in October 2022 as a pilot involving eight countries: Cameroon, Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, Mauritius, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Tunisia. While political will is high and many countries have developed national implementation strategies, challenges remain, including clashes between national interests and pan-African goals, dependence on external donor funding for expertise, and concerns over productive capacity disparities. The document highlights that 'smaller' countries fear domination by 'bigger' economies like South Africa, Egypt, and Nigeria, while some, such as Kenya, anticipate significant tariff revenue losses. Recommendations include seeking political solutions to stalled technical negotiations, institutionalising support through African multilaterals like the AfDB and Afreximbank, and coordinating industrial policies to build complementary production structures across the continent.

In 2022, Türkiye's coal generation returned to its previous peak of 113.6 TWh, driven largely by imported coal, with Russia becoming the primary supplier and the import bill reaching a record $5.3 billion. While wind and solar combined for a 15.5% share of generation, solar deployment lags behind its potential and faces grid capacity barriers. Hydropower proved critical for energy security during a ten-day gas supply disruption from Iran in January 2022, demonstrating its flexibility as a complement to variable renewables.

Natural gas is the fastest growing source of CO2 emissions from fossil fuels, with methane leakage potentially making its climate impact equivalent to coal. To align with the 1.5°C goal, global gas production and consumption must decrease by 30% by 2030 and 65% by 2050, with developed countries phasing out gas power by 2035. The document rejects the use of gas as a bridge fuel or a solution to the 2022 energy crisis, noting that expanding infrastructure creates stranded asset risks, particularly for non-OECD countries. It further argues that converting gas infrastructure to hydrogen is technically unproven and economically inefficient, and highlights severe public health risks associated with gas extraction, flaring, and domestic use.

The briefing examines the phenomenon of 'weaponized migration,' where states use vulnerable migrants as political pawns, as seen in Belarus's actions toward the EU. It argues that as climate change increases human displacement, this tactic is likely to become more common, necessitating a US policy shift that recognizes climate change as a driver of migration.

The document examines the 'weaponization' of migration, where states like Belarus use vulnerable people as political pawns, and warns that intensifying climate change will increase this risk. It highlights how misinformation and the lack of international legal protections for 'climate refugees' make displaced populations susceptible to manipulation. The author argues that the U.S. is vulnerable to similar tactics due to its 'broken immigration system' and the confusion surrounding programs like Temporary Protected Status (TPS). To mitigate these risks, the briefing recommends that the U.S. reexamine the definition of a refugee to include climate-displaced persons, implement regional free-movement agreements, and utilize humanitarian parole for climate-vulnerable populations.

The Clean Air Task Force (CATF) issued a statement denying reports that it drafted official compromise amendments for the EU Methane Regulation. CATF explains that a staff member of MEP Jutta Paulus used a CATF recommendations document as a formatting template, which left CATF metadata in the final document despite the organization having no role in its content. CATF asserts that its technical recommendations for the oil and gas sector are part of the public record and condemns attempts to use this clerical error to delay climate policy progress.

The Industrial Emissions Directive (IED) regulates approximately 50,000 large industrial installations in Europe, which account for 736 million tonnes of CO2 or about 40% of the EU's total carbon footprint. However, the IED currently does not address greenhouse gas emissions, as these are managed by the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS). The author contends that the EU ETS has failed to significantly reduce industrial emissions due to exemptions and free pollution subsidies. The European Commission's April 2022 proposal for reforming the IED failed to include GHG emission limits, with the Commission suggesting a delay until 2028 to avoid negatively impacting the EU ETS's efficiency. The document argues that this delay is unacceptable given the urgency of the climate crisis and that the EU ETS already possesses mechanisms, such as the Market Stability Reserve, to handle any oversupply of permits resulting from IED-mandated limits. The author urges the European Parliament and Council of the European Union to amend the proposal to regulate carbon emissions, particularly from the most polluting plants, noting that due to the IED's lengthy permit update processes, a delay until 2028 would mean no stringent GHG regulations would be in place until 2038 or later.

The report identifies two primary loopholes in the EU methane regulation: the weakening of venting thresholds for thermal coal and the delayed regulation of coking coal. These gaps are projected to result in an additional 2.2 million tonnes of methane emissions by 2050, failing the EU's 58% reduction goal. The analysis highlights that Poland is the primary source of EU coal mine methane (CMM), with seven high-methane thermal coal mines accounting for all of Poland's reported thermal hard coal emissions. Ember recommends tightening venting thresholds to 1 tonne methane/kilotonne of coal by 2030, prioritizing the retirement of high-methane mines, and implementing a 5 tonne threshold for coking coal to avoid 3 million tonnes of methane by 2050. Additionally, the report notes that Romania's abandoned mines represent a significant opportunity for methane capture, potentially generating 0.5 TWh of electricity.

ClientEarth and other NGOs argue that the draft Temporary Crisis and Transition Framework (TCTF) risks undermining the EU's climate goals due to a lack of mandatory green conditionalities, inconsistencies with the Guidelines on State aid for climate, environmental protection and energy (CEEAG), and a lack of transparency and public consultation.

The document advocates for reforming the Competition Act to address greenwashing, which it describes as a market distortion that prevents consumers from making informed choices and hinders firms investing in environmental quality. The authors propose several amendments, including updating the Act's purpose clause to include environmental and climate considerations, establishing clear substantiation standards for environmental claims, and requiring public disclosure of the data used to support such claims. They also suggest introducing enhanced penalties for environmental harm, expanding private rights of action for consumers, and allocating penalties to the Environmental Damages Fund. The statement highlights that while other jurisdictions like the EU, France, and California have implemented mandatory disclosures or bans on generic claims, Canada lacks dedicated statutes for regulating environmental claims to the general public.

The analysis concludes that for long-haul heavy-duty trucking, hydrogen fuel cell vehicles (FCEVs) outperform battery electric vehicles (BEVs) in terms of refueling stops, total dwell time, and cargo capacity. While BEVs offer higher energy efficiency, their heavy batteries significantly reduce payload and require a more extensive and larger infrastructure buildout. Infrastructure modeling indicates that a full transition to BEVs would require stations approximately 10 times the size of current diesel stations, whereas FCEV stations, while still larger than diesel, are more comparable, especially if updated safety regulations are adopted. The report suggests that while BEVs will be important for the broader transition, FCEVs are the most efficient strategy for the specific challenges of long-haul heavy-duty transport.

The report finds that greenwashing is rampant in the food sector, particularly among high-emission meat and dairy companies. It highlights the use of vague or misleading terms like 'carbon neutral' and 'climate positive' to influence consumer behavior, noting that a significant portion of consumers in the UK and Germany are more likely to purchase products with such labels.

The report identifies widespread greenwashing in the food industry, particularly among high-emission meat and dairy producers. It combines a market study of corporate claims with a YouGov survey showing that a significant portion of consumers in Germany and the UK are influenced by 'climate-neutral' labels, despite low overall trust in sustainability claims for animal products.

The report identifies widespread greenwashing in the food sector, particularly among major meat and dairy producers. It highlights the use of misleading labels like 'carbon neutral' and 'net zero', the reliance on carbon offsetting over absolute emissions reductions, and the use of idyllic imagery to mask intensive farming practices. Polling in the UK and Germany shows that while consumers are concerned about greenwashing, they are still influenced by these claims in their purchasing decisions. The document calls for stricter government regulation of green claims and a systemic transformation of the food system to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The document examines the ubiquity of airborne micro- and nanoplastics, detailing how they originate from diverse sources, travel long distances via the atmosphere, and enter the human body through inhalation and ingestion. It highlights the 'Trojan Horse' effect, where these particles carry toxic chemicals and pathogens into internal organs, potentially causing respiratory diseases, endocrine disruption, and developmental issues. The briefing concludes that current voluntary measures are insufficient and calls for legally binding global regulations to reduce plastic production and phase out hazardous chemicals.

The document outlines a comprehensive framework of 101 sustainable finance policies categorized by three primary ambitions: speed, steer, and simplify. It provides specific recommendations across various government departments—including fiscal, trade, energy, and industrial policy—as well as for central banks and financial regulators. The guide emphasizes the need for science-based targets, the removal of fossil fuel subsidies, the use of green taxonomies, and the implementation of derisking mechanisms like blended finance to mobilize private capital for the 1.5°C transition.

The report evaluates corporate climate alignment using the CCIF, finding that while mitigation efforts (such as GHG reporting and renewable energy procurement) are common, there is a critical lack of detailed climate adaptation planning. Analysis of 483 debt issuers reveals that no company performed well across all three CCIF objectives, and only 14% have an adaptation and resilience plan. Sector-level data shows utilities as the highest performers in reporting and transition, while healthcare and automotive sectors suffer from significant data gaps. Case studies of companies in China, India, South Korea, and Singapore highlight the use of internal carbon pricing and science-based targets, but emphasize the need for better Scope 3 emissions tracking and quantitative physical risk assessments.

The cement sector is a major industrial emitter, accounting for approximately 7% of global CO2 emissions and 4% of EU emissions. The report argues that the current decade is critical because 30% of EU cement kilns will reach the end of their life by 2030, presenting a window to avoid stranded assets by investing in low-carbon technologies. Key technical levers include reducing the clinker-to-cement ratio, implementing carbon capture and storage (CCS), and substituting fossil fuels with biomass and waste. To support this, the report recommends a comprehensive policy suite: upstream (accelerating renewable energy and CO2 infrastructure), midstream (implementing Carbon Contracts for Difference and phasing out ETS free allowances), and downstream (mandating green public procurement and scaling off-take agreements). It also highlights the role of sustainable finance, noting that while sustainability-linked bonds (SLBs) have been issued, their potential in the cement sector remains under-exploited due to a lack of sector-specific standards.

The report finds that green bonds in EUR and USD generally outperformed vanilla equivalents in H2 2022, exhibiting higher book cover and greater spread compression. While the incidence of an outright 'greenium' (pricing inside the yield curve) decreased due to macroeconomic volatility, green bonds still achieved relatively tighter pricing than matched vanilla pairs. Approximately 67% of these bonds were allocated to green or responsible investors. The report also notes a trend of auto manufacturers increasing their use of green labels and a net growth of 11.2% in green bond ETF assets.