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The report details a pattern of acquisitions by OpenGate Capital that resulted in the closure of at least five companies and the loss of over 1,300 U.S. jobs. It examines specific cases including HUFCOR, Golden Guernsey Dairy, Fusion Paperboard, Hamilton Scientific, PennySaver, and Pacific Crest Transformers, alleging that the firm extracted fees and dividends while eroding the value of these businesses. The document highlights legal disputes over unpaid wages, lack of worker notice, and allegations of 'cash stripping' and 'looting' by bankruptcy trustees.

The report argues that the NGFS's second set of 1.5°C scenarios are not aligned with the Paris Agreement and are unsustainable due to an over-reliance on fossil fuels, biomass, and carbon dioxide removal (CDR). It finds that these scenarios fail to account for the need to end fossil fuel expansion and rely on unproven technologies like Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) to justify slower phase-outs of oil, gas, and coal.

The report examines how the EU sustainable taxonomy, originally designed to be science-based, has been influenced by industry lobbying to potentially include fossil gas and nuclear energy. It argues that gas is not a sustainable transition fuel due to methane leaks and carbon lock-in, and that nuclear energy fails the 'do no significant harm' (DNSH) principle due to waste and safety risks. The document details the scale of lobbying efforts, identifying hundreds of meetings between EU officials and industry representatives, and criticizes the EU Commission for deferring decisions on these technologies to future legislation and relying on flawed technical reports.

The author uses the work of Marcel Boiteux and the 'three domains' framework to critique modern climate economics for neglecting the role of finance and the complexities of real-world implementation. By examining Boiteux's contributions to electricity pricing and the Ramsey-Boiteux rule, the text argues that economic analysis should serve as a 'negotiation language' to align technical efficiency with political goals and financial realities, particularly to bridge the gap between the 'North's' focus on carbon pricing and the 'South's' need for finance.

Reclaim Finance argues that Japan's three megabanks (Mizuho, MUFG, and SMBC) maintain policies that allow continued support for the coal industry. While the banks have updated policies to restrict direct project financing for new coal plants 'in principle', these policies contain exceptions and do not apply to general corporate financing. Between October 2018 and October 2020, these banks provided $39bn, $36bn, and $32bn respectively to companies on the Global Coal Exit List. The document contrasts this with European peers like Crédit Agricole and notes increasing shareholder and activist pressure on the Japanese institutions to align with the Paris Agreement.

The author argues that while polls suggest a second-round runoff between Emmanuel Macron and Marine Le Pen, a Green candidate could potentially disrupt this by securing at least 8 million first-round votes. This would require unifying fragmented left-wing and social-democratic electorates into a 'social-ecological' bloc. The strategy relies on shifting the political narrative from mere crisis management to a vision of a stable, different future rooted in ecological transition and social protection, leveraging the psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the global climate crisis.

The author argues that while a Green candidate alone cannot win the 2022 French presidential election, they could reach the run-off by uniting Greens and social democrats into a single bloc. By targeting a potential constituency of 10 million left-leaning voters and framing the ecological transition as part of a progressive tradition of protection and solidarity, a Green-led coalition could potentially secure the 8 million votes necessary to challenge the dominant candidates, Emmanuel Macron and Marine Le Pen.

The analysis finds that while human-caused climate change made the absolute temperatures of the April 2021 frost event less cold, it simultaneously triggered an earlier start to the growing season. This shift exposed young leaves to winter-like conditions, making the 2021 event 20% to 120% more likely. The study notes that in a 2°C warming scenario, such frost events are projected to intensify further by 0.2°C to 0.5°C.

Reclaim Finance defends its report 'Actifs fossiles : les nouveaux subprimes?', arguing that French banks hold over 530 billion euros in fossil fuel assets, representing 95% of their equity. The author rejects the FBF's claims that the data is incorrect, asserting that the figures are based on banks' own annual reports and that the financial risk of 'stranded assets' is significant, contrary to the more optimistic 'pilot exercise' conducted by the ACPR and AMF.

A coalition of environmental NGOs is calling on the German government to grant NGOs equal access to fisheries quota negotiations and the Special Committee on Fisheries. The letter argues that current transparency is insufficient, as industry members have more access than environmental groups, and proposes the establishment of a formal observer status and proactive documentation publication to align with the Aarhus Convention.

The guide argues that public understanding of net-zero is currently limited and that governments must adopt evidence-based, tangible, and inclusive communication strategies to mobilize society. It recommends avoiding technical jargon, using positive imagery, and focusing on local realities and immediate actions to build public confidence and support for climate targets.

Between January 2020 and March 3, 2021, G7 nations invested more in fossil fuels (US$189 billion) than in clean energy (US$147 billion), despite pledges to achieve net-zero emissions by mid-century. The report finds that over 80% of fossil fuel funding lacked 'green strings' or climate targets, while only 10% of COVID-19 response funds supported the cleanest energy measures. To align with the Paris Climate Agreement, the report recommends that the G7 end support for fossil fuel production, increase green recovery spending to at least 40% of total COVID-19 recovery funds, and double climate finance pledges to assist low- and middle-income countries.

The document highlights that coral reefs are critically threatened by climate change and local stressors, noting that a 2C increase in global temperatures could lead to the disappearance of all coral reefs. While over 230 international agreements contain coral reef provisions, a UNEP analysis suggests that implementation is lacking due to a lack of incentives and financial mechanisms, with half of the 600 identified commitments being nonbinding. The brief emphasizes the socioeconomic importance of reefs, which provide over USD 20 billion in annual benefits, and advocates for a combination of meeting Paris Agreement targets, reducing local stressors, and leveraging new funding initiatives like the Global Fund for Coral Reefs.

The report examines how the fishmeal and fish oil industry in West Africa, particularly in Mauritania, Senegal, and The Gambia, diverts critical protein sources from local human consumption to feed aquaculture and livestock in Europe and Asia. It highlights the ecological collapse of sardinelle and bonga stocks, the socio-economic marginalization of local fish processors (primarily women), and the role of European feed giants and retailers in driving this demand.

The document outlines a comprehensive set of recommendations to transform the EU textile sector from a linear to a circular and resource-sufficient model. It advocates for mandatory ecodesign requirements to ensure durability and non-toxicity, a ban on the destruction of unsold goods, and the implementation of a digital product passport for transparency. The authors call for the phase-out of fossil-fuel derived synthetic fibres, the introduction of taxes on virgin resources, and the establishment of an EU-wide Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) scheme. Furthermore, it emphasizes the need for binding due diligence legislation to address human rights and environmental abuses in global supply chains and suggests stricter regulations on the export of textile waste to non-EU countries.

The North American GSS debt market reached USD 311bn by Q1 2021, dominated by the US and primarily driven by green-labelled instruments. While the US is the largest single-country source of GSS debt, the market is heavily concentrated in agency mortgage-backed securities (MBS) and municipal bonds, with limited participation from the real economy's heavy-emitting sectors. Canada's market is smaller but characterized by larger average deal sizes and a strong focus on hydropower. Both nations are seeing a shift toward more ambitious climate targets and enhanced disclosure requirements, though the US lags in post-issuance reporting quality compared to Canada.

The briefing argues that the EU-Mercosur trade deal was concluded without a complete sustainability impact assessment (SIA), which the European Ombudsman identified as maladministration. It highlights concerns that the agreement could increase deforestation in Mercosur countries, particularly Brazil, and criticizes the European Commission's attempt to seek pre-ratification commitments rather than renegotiating the text. Furthermore, the document opposes any effort by the Commission to 'split' the trade and political components of the agreement to bypass the requirement for unanimity in the Council and ratification by the 27 EU Member State parliaments, asserting that such a move would violate the original 1999 mandate and principles of sincere cooperation.

The report finds a significant lack of a level playing field in the EU, with 13 Member States still relying on entirely paper-based processes for verifying catch certificates (CCs). While some states have developed national IT tools, these cannot detect the 'overuse' of CCs across different EU entry points. The European Commission's CATCH system is designed to provide a centralised EU-wide database to prevent fraud and harmonise risk analysis, but as of June 2021, no Member State was actively operating the first version due to a lack of legal requirements and data input from third countries. The report recommends that the Commission make CATCH mandatory, improve its interoperability with national systems, and develop tools to monitor trade flow variations to identify potential IUU fishing loopholes.

The report argues that while not explicitly stated, the Ambient Air Quality Directive (AAQD) grants EU citizens a right to air quality within legal limit values. It identifies significant barriers to justice in several Member States and advocates for the use of the Francovich doctrine to allow individuals to seek compensation for health damages. ClientEarth recommends that the European Commission explicitly codify this individual right in the revised AAQD, introduce coercive remedies for non-compliance, and alleviate the burden of proof for claimants seeking damages.

The document analyzes how free emission allowances under the EU ETS led to up to 50 billion euros in windfall profits for energy-intensive industries between 2008 and 2019. It challenges the 'carbon leakage' justification for these allowances, noting a lack of evidence for industrial relocation. The author recommends transitioning to full auctioning of permits and utilizing the resulting revenues for climate innovation and a just transition.