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The report argues that AI-enhanced ISR creates "precarious transparency," where sensing advances are unevenly distributed across different tasks and scenarios. While these tools improve the detection of static objects and peacetime verification, they remain fragile when applied to tracking mobile missiles or operating under wartime countermeasures. The authors conclude that these capabilities asymmetrically favor the United States, which may provoke China to expand its nuclear forces or employ counterspace capabilities more aggressively, thereby increasing the risk of instability.

The European summer of 2026 has been marked by exceptional heat and widespread dryness, leading to severe agricultural and hydrological impacts. Analysis shows that while precipitation trends vary by region, human-induced climate change has significantly increased the likelihood and intensity of drought by driving higher potential evapotranspiration (PET). In the western region, soil drought is estimated to be 5 times more likely than in a climate 1.4°C cooler, while in the eastern region, it is about 11 times more probable. The study highlights a compound crisis where rainfall deficits that previously would not have caused drought now do so because of shifted thresholds driven by warming.

This fact sheet from the Environmental and Energy Study Institute describes the role of cobalt as a critical mineral for the clean energy transition, detailing its applications in lithium-ion batteries, global distribution of reserves and production, and the significant human rights and environmental impacts associated with its extraction, particularly in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

The report examines the legal and administrative challenges of removing obsolete river barriers in Poland, Finland, and France. It finds that while France employs a systemic approach with prioritised lists and dedicated funding, Poland lacks a comprehensive registry and effective enforcement of removal obligations. Finland relies heavily on voluntary cooperation and funding through the NOUSU program but struggles with the permanence of water permits. The document recommends that Member States adopt systemic policies, maintain field-verified barrier registries, establish clear prioritisation criteria for 'obsolete barriers', and create inclusive funding schemes to meet EU nature restoration targets.

The report finds that while the Chilean light-duty vehicle fleet achieved a record-high average fuel economy of 16.9 km/lge in 2025, only 45% of importers complied with the required standard. Compliance was largely driven by a threefold multiplier for plug-in vehicles, as actual sales-weighted fuel economy without the incentive was lower than the 18.8 km/lge target. Despite a 200% increase in available battery electric vehicle (BEV) models and a 26% price drop for top-selling BEVs, the BEV market share remained stagnant at 2.2% between 2024 and 2025. The report notes a 3% reduction in CO2 emissions from vehicles sold since 2023 and an estimated saving of 9.1 million litres of gasoline.

The report finds that while the average fuel efficiency of light vehicles sold in Chile reached a historic high of 16.9 km/lge in 2025, only 45% of importers complied with the legal standard. This compliance was largely achieved through 'multipliers' for plug-in vehicles rather than actual efficiency gains across the fleet. Despite a 200% increase in available battery electric vehicle (BEV) models and a 26% drop in the average price of the top 10 BEVs, their market share remained stagnant at 2.2% between 2024 and 2025.

The report finds that while the 2022 consultation law has enabled some marginal influence, it often fails to provide meaningful impact on central issues. Major deficiencies include late involvement of Sámi representatives, inadequate timeframes, and a tendency for authorities to delegate responsibility to third-party applicants. The study highlights a significant 'educational burden' placed on Sámi parties to explain the law to officials and notes that many critical land-use matters remain exempt from the law's scope.

The document details the global cobalt market, highlighting the extreme concentration of mine production in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and refining in China. It examines the shift toward battery-enabled end-uses, the role of Chinese investment in global supply, and the social risks associated with artisanal mining in the DRC.

The document outlines the Responsible Policy Engagement (RPE) Framework to help EU businesses align their direct and indirect advocacy with climate goals. It warns that legacy fossil fuel interests often dominate trade associations, creating a false impression of business consensus against climate policy. The guide provides a five-step process for companies—commit, engage, align trade orgs, allocate spending, and disclose—and offers specific recommendations for trade associations to be more representative and for EU policymakers to close transparency gaps, particularly within the European Council.

The briefing identifies household energy consumption as a source of nearly 20% of Canada's greenhouse gas emissions and proposes a transition from fossil fuels to electricity via electric vehicles (EVs), heat pumps, and efficient appliances. Modeling suggests that by 2050, electricity should cover 73% to 91% of residential heating needs and over 96% of passenger vehicle kilometers. While electrification is generally cost-effective, regional differences exist; for example, natural gas remains cheaper than electric heating in the Prairies under current policies. The document emphasizes that energy efficiency—such as better building insulation—will reduce overall household energy consumption by 26% by 2050 despite population growth. To accelerate this, the author recommends government policies to lower initial costs for low-income households, mandate EV-readiness in multi-unit buildings, and double or triple clean electricity production to meet rising demand.

The report finds that by 2025, fossil fuel power generation fell below its peak in all 38 OECD member countries, driven by the rapid scaling of solar and wind energy. This trend is extending to emerging markets, with 2025 marking the first year this century (excluding 2020) that non-OECD fossil generation fell, specifically in China and India. The transition is increasingly driven by economic imperatives, as the levelized cost of solar and onshore wind is now 60% lower than combined cycle gas turbines.

The report argues that electrifying household energy use—specifically through electric vehicles (EVs), heat pumps, and electric appliances—is the most cost-effective path for Canada to reach net zero emissions. While electricity prices have remained more stable than volatile fossil fuel prices, the transition requires government intervention to overcome upfront costs and infrastructure gaps. Modelling suggests that by 2050, electricity could meet 73% to 91% of residential heating loads and over 96% of total vehicle kilometers travelled. To support this, the report recommends policies to increase consumer uptake and a massive build-out of clean electricity generation, which may need to double or triple by 2050.

In 2025, global electricity generation saw a significant shift toward low-carbon sources, with solar and wind reaching a combined 17.3% share of total generation. Solar was the fastest-growing source, adding 636 TWh and meeting 75% of global demand growth. Conversely, coal's share of global electricity fell below one-third for the first time on record to 33.0%, and renewable generation exceeded coal generation for the first time. Low-carbon sources (including nuclear) reached 42.6% of total generation, while the emissions intensity of electricity dropped by 2.7% in 2025, the largest annual decline in two decades.

The report provides a detailed analysis of the power sectors of seven major countries and regions in 2025, which collectively represent 72% of global electricity demand. Key trends include China's unprecedented solar growth and first absolute decline in power sector emissions since 2015, the US seeing wind and solar overtake nuclear power for the first time, and the EU's wind and solar generation exceeding fossil generation. India saw renewable growth double its demand increase, while Brazil maintained one of the cleanest systems globally with 87% renewable generation. Conversely, Russia and Japan continue to rely heavily on fossil fuels, with Russia's wind and solar remaining marginal at less than 1% of its mix.

The report describes a 'narrowing funnel' in sub-Saharan African education, where high initial primary enrolment is offset by significant 'leaks' at each subsequent level, leading to very low tertiary graduation rates. It contrasts these outcomes with North Africa and global benchmarks, noting that sub-Saharan Africa is forecast to miss several 2030 Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) targets. The analysis highlights a growing intergenerational education gap and predicts that the attainment gap between sub-Saharan Africa and other developing regions will widen by 2030.

Ember's analysis reveals a significant gap between planned renewable energy expansion and available grid capacity in Europe, with at least 120 GW of projects at risk. While some distribution grids can support household electrification, transmission bottlenecks threaten large-scale wind and solar projects, particularly in countries like Austria, Bulgaria, and Poland. The report advocates for 'non-wire solutions' and administrative reforms to unlock capacity and ensure energy security.

Finland relies on Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Storage (BECCS), biochar, and land sinks to reach its 2035 carbon neutrality target, but faces significant delivery risks. The government has disregarded scientific advice from the Finnish Climate Change Panel to moderate logging levels to restore the declining land sink, which currently shows rising net emissions. While the government is pursuing BECCS, it lacks domestic geological storage and must rely on international transport and storage, which are constrained by limited capacity in Northern Europe. Furthermore, current financial allocations for BECCS are significantly lower than the estimated needs to achieve projected removal volumes.

The report finds that European governments are increasingly integrating carbon dioxide removals (CDR) into their climate strategies, often as a substitute for deep emission reductions. Analysis of the European Commission and six countries reveals a pattern of 'overreliance,' characterized by fragmented planning, a lack of feasibility assessments for engineered removals, and land-sink projections that ignore climate risks or contradict existing forestry policies. The report warns that betting on uncertain future technologies and unstable land sinks risks delaying essential decarbonization and undermining climate targets.

The EU significantly expanded its renewable energy capacity between 2022 and 2025, with solar PV reaching 406 GW and wind reaching 246 GW. This transition reduced the bloc's reliance on imported fossil fuels, saving an estimated EUR 58 billion in coal and gas import costs. While countries like Spain have successfully delinked electricity prices from gas costs, others like Italy remain highly vulnerable due to continued dependence on imported fossil fuels, particularly during the 2026 Strait of Hormuz blockade.

The report argues that European security of supply planning and clean procurement policies have been uncoordinated, often resulting in capacity mechanisms that favor fossil fuels and contracts that distort short-term market signals. It proposes a shift toward 'market-aligned' contracting—such as index REC structures—and co-optimized multi-product markets that separately value energy, capacity, and clean attributes to attract clean investment without sacrificing operational efficiency.