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The report examines the challenges and opportunities for researchers accessing social media data, focusing on the tension between data privacy and the public interest. It analyzes current tools like APIs and transparency reports, evaluates the impact of the EU's Digital Services Act (DSA), and proposes the creation of an independent intermediary body to manage researcher accreditation and data access across liberal-democratic states.

The document identifies technological, ethical, legal, and fragmentation barriers that inhibit public interest research on smaller and medium-sized platforms. It argues that current regulatory frameworks, such as the EU's Digital Services Act, primarily target very large platforms, leaving a gap in oversight for smaller platforms that may still pose significant risks. The author provides recommendations for platforms to standardize data access, for policy-makers to introduce legal 'safe harbours' for researchers, and for the research community to collaborate on tools and ethical frameworks.

The report identifies significant obstacles to conducting public interest research on platforms like Telegram, Discord, and Odysee, noting that technological choices, unclear Terms of Service (TOS), and the designation of large groups as 'private' inhibit the systematic monitoring of extremist activity. Through case studies, the authors found that German-language far-right groups on Telegram, English-language religious extremists on Discord, and French-language neo-fascists on Odysee use these platforms to spread hate speech, anti-democratic ideologies, and calls for violence. The report argues that current regulatory frameworks, such as the EU's Digital Services Act, often rely on user-base thresholds that exclude these medium- and small-sized platforms, leaving a gap in oversight and research access.

The report examines the use of PeerTube, a decentralized video platform, by far-right and conspiracy movements in Germany. It finds that while these actors occupy a small fraction of the Fediverse, they exploit its decentralized structure to avoid the moderation and legal requirements of centralized platforms. Through network analysis and case studies, the report demonstrates that PeerTube often serves as a back-up for 'deplatforming' and that success on the platform is heavily dependent on pre-existing audience popularity. The authors argue that state regulation is limited by the software's nature and suggest community-led moderation and isolation of extremist instances as more effective responses.

The report identifies a global convergence of far-right groups, conspiracy theorists, and 'parents' rights' movements targeting drag events to denigrate the LGBTQ+ community. While the US is the primary driver of narratives and the only country in the set to pass anti-drag legislation, similar tactics like doxxing and harassment are appearing globally. The report highlights the use of 'save the children' and 'groomer' narratives to justify extremism and warns that these fringe tropes are becoming mainstreamed in political discourse.

The document analyzes the Mediterranean's electricity grid infrastructure, identifying four main interconnection zones and various proposed projects like the EuroAsia and EuroAfrica Interconnectors. It highlights how geopolitical tensions, particularly in the Eastern Mediterranean, hinder integration while suggesting that the energy transition and EU demand for renewables could drive cooperation. The author proposes guidelines for enhancing interconnectivity, emphasizing the need for political alignment and regulatory cooperation.

The document argues that the 2023 pension reform in France increases uncertainty regarding public pensions, thereby incentivising citizens to use private capitalised savings products. Reclaim Finance warns that the primary beneficiaries of this shift—major asset managers and insurers—lack robust commitments to end the expansion of oil and gas and are slow to exit coal, contradicting the 1.5°C warming limit. The briefing also highlights the risk of increased market share for US-based firms like Blackrock, which it describes as less virtuous regarding climate regulations.

The document examines the interplay between regulatory requirements and voluntary sustainability standards in the agricultural sector. It highlights how these instruments can drive sustainable production but may also create trade barriers for smallholder farmers and MSMEs in developing countries. The brief advocates for a 'smart mix' of mandatory and voluntary approaches, supported by technological advances in traceability and the potential development of a global 'Codex Planetarius' for minimum environmental standards.

The report analyzes the 2022 reporting practices of 100 large EU companies, finding that while adoption is high, significant issues exist regarding the precision of legislation, the complexity of reporting forms, and the relevance of defined activities for many sectors. It highlights a discrepancy between the eligibility reported by financial and non-financial companies and recommends simplifying reporting requirements and clarifying key legal terms.

The WRI Europe Strategy (2023-2027) positions the Europe office as a strategic hub to accelerate the global energy and nature transition. It focuses on three primary roles: driving positive change through leadership in sectors like food and energy efficiency, reducing Europe's own ecological footprint as a consumer, and acting as a partner for funding and knowledge. Key priorities include implementing the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), reducing the carbon footprint of meals via the Coolfood initiative, and developing a Distributional Impact Assessment Tool to ensure equitable transitions. The strategy also emphasizes leveraging Europe's circular economy leadership to improve mineral recycling for the clean energy transition and supporting sustainable ocean management through the Ocean Panel.

The document explains attribution studies—which use climate models to determine if and how much human-induced climate change affected a specific event—and provides guidance on reporting various extreme phenomena. It details how global warming increases the probability and intensity of heatwaves and heavy precipitation globally, while the effects on droughts, wildfires, and tropical cyclones vary by region or specific metric. It emphasizes that while climate change influences the risk and intensity of these events, human factors like land use and water management also contribute to whether an event becomes a disaster.

The author contends that inflation in the Eurozone is caused by vulnerability to global shocks—such as the energy crisis and supply chain disruptions—rather than a 'wage-price spiral'. The text criticizes the use of restrictive monetary policies (raising interest rates) as harmful and suggests that companies are maintaining or increasing margins by passing costs to consumers. To counter the decline in the wage share of GDP, the document proposes indexing wages to inflation, taxing superprofits, and investing in domestic transport, housing insulation, and agriculture to reduce reliance on imported inputs.

The signatories argue that the Council's draft of the Methane Regulation introduces loopholes and exceptions that would significantly reduce its mitigation potential, specifically regarding leak detection frequencies, venting and flaring rules, and coal sector thresholds.

The report finds that most EU Member States cannot reach climate neutrality through natural sinks alone, with only Spain, Finland, and Sweden projected to have sinks of the necessary magnitude by 2050. While forestry is the primary focus of natural removals, there is a significant lack of attention to sink stability and other land-use categories. Technological solutions are discussed, with a clear preference for Carbon Capture and Storage/Utilization (CCS/CCU) over Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Storage (BECCS) and Direct Air Capture (DAC), though distinctions between these technologies are often blurred in national strategies.

The document examines the critical safety risks at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) in Ukraine, highlighting the dangers of power failures, cooling system instability, and military attacks. It details how the loss of electricity could lead to core meltdowns similar to Fukushima and Chernobyl, and analyzes the catastrophic potential of a nuclear weapon strike on the site. The paper also notes the continued reliance of the US and France on Russian nuclear fuel despite the conflict.

The document is a formal letter to the CEO of Lactalis Group calling for urgent action to reduce methane emissions. It cites research showing that 15 major meat and dairy companies emit roughly 12.8 million tonnes of methane, representing over 80% of the European Union's methane footprint. The authors highlight that Lactalis' methane emissions are estimated at 0.5 million tonnes and criticize the company for not reporting methane emissions separately. The letter recommends that the company set absolute emissions reduction targets aligned with a 1.5°C limit, disclose Scope 3 emissions, reduce animal numbers in supply chains, and align lobbying efforts with global climate goals.

The NewClimate Institute asserts that Germany's planned LNG terminals are not necessary to meet gas demand following the loss of Russian imports and would likely become stranded assets. The report suggests that current demand could be met through continued imports from neighboring countries and increased energy efficiency, warning that full implementation of the 11 planned terminals would jeopardize the 2045 climate neutrality goal and violate the Paris Agreement.

The briefing argues that adopting a 45% renewable energy target by 2030 would halve EU fossil gas imports compared to the 40% target in the Fit for 55 plan, resulting in €43 billion in additional savings in 2030 and an estimated €200 billion between 2025 and 2030. It warns that relying on LNG diversification creates new dependencies and exposes the EU to global price shocks and high methane emissions, particularly from the US. The analysis highlights that countries like Italy, France, and Poland would see significant cost reductions, while warning that Poland's current plans for increased gas power generation could lead to power shortages and reduced competitiveness.

Reclaim Finance argues that the current recommendations for the French ISR label are insufficient because they lack precise definitions and fail to address the expansion of fossil fuels. The organization proposes strict exclusion criteria for companies developing new oil, gas, and coal projects, as well as a requirement for all funded companies to adopt detailed transition plans by 2024 featuring absolute emission reduction targets and alignment with a 1.5°C scenario.

Reclaim Finance criticizes the proposed evolution of France's Socially Responsible Investment (ISR) label, noting that while the need for stronger criteria is recognized, the lack of public membership in working groups and the postponement of precise definitions risk diluting responsibilities and ignoring scientific evidence.