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This policy brief by the South African Institute of International Affairs examines the G20/OECD Inclusive Framework's 'Two-Pillar Solution' to address tax avoidance and the digitalisation of the economy. It argues that the current global taxation framework is fragmented, allowing multinational corporations to avoid taxes through profit shifting and the lack of physical presence. The document highlights that developing countries, particularly in Africa, suffer disproportionate revenue losses as a share of GDP and are underrepresented in the negotiations of the global tax deal. It calls for greater transparency, fairer thresholds for profit reallocation, and the potential move of negotiations to a neutral body like the United Nations to ensure equitable outcomes for poorer nations.

This briefing summarizes a panel discussion on the climate and environmental justice impacts of plastic production, highlighting the role of the petrochemical industry in greenhouse gas emissions and the necessity of policy shifts toward reuse and extended producer responsibility.

This policy brief reviews fifty years of international efforts to regulate ocean dumping, focusing on the evolution from the 1972 London Convention to the more restrictive 1996 London Protocol. It examines the challenges of managing radioactive waste, the regulation of climate mitigation technologies like carbon capture and storage (CCS), and the role of regional treaties in protecting marine ecosystems.

This statement from the Africa Policy Research Institute and other signatories condemns the travel restrictions imposed on Southern African countries following the detection of the Omicron variant. The authors argue that these bans are scientifically unjustified, racially biased, and economically damaging, while highlighting a systemic failure in global vaccine equity.

A statement by several African policy leaders criticizing the imposition of unilateral travel bans on Southern Africa following the detection of a COVID-19 variant, arguing that such measures are ineffective, economically damaging, and ignore the systemic inequities in global vaccine distribution.

This legal briefing examines the impact of the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) Komstroy decision on intra-EU investment disputes under the Energy Charter Treaty (ECT). It argues that the ruling, alongside the Achmea and PL Holdings decisions, effectively bars investor-State dispute settlement (ISDS) between EU investors and Member States, creating significant legal and financial obstacles to the enforcement of arbitration awards. The document specifically analyzes how these rulings and EU State aid laws could impede claims by energy companies RWE and Uniper against the Netherlands regarding its coal phase-out policy.

This briefing by the Climate Policy Initiative (CPI) proposes a methodology to track incremental energy efficiency investments in certified green buildings. Using a global database of over 16,000 certifications from 2019-2020, the report argues that current green certifications are often inconsistent indicators of actual energy performance and that energy efficiency investments represent only a small fraction of total building construction costs.

A case study on the legal challenge Neubauer et al. v. Germany, in which the Federal Constitutional Court of Germany ruled that parts of the Federal Climate Protection Act were incompatible with fundamental rights because they failed to specify sufficient emission cuts beyond 2030.

This policy briefing by the South African Institute of International Affairs examines the G20/OECD Inclusive Framework's 'Two-Pillar Solution' to address tax avoidance and the digitalisation of the economy. It argues that the current global taxation framework is fragmented, allowing multinational corporations to avoid taxes, and highlights how developing countries, particularly in Africa, suffer disproportionate revenue losses. The document criticizes the Inclusive Framework for the underrepresentation of African nations and the potential for the agreement to favor wealthy nations, recommending a shift toward more inclusive, transparent, and equitable negotiations, possibly under the UN.

This briefing from the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) argues that the European Union's upcoming methane regulation must encompass the petrochemical sector and the entire supply chain of fossil fuel imports. The document highlights a growing trade in natural gas liquids (NGLs), specifically ethane and propane, from the United States to Europe to fuel plastics production, which the author contends undermines EU climate goals and bypasses domestic fracking bans.

This policy brief by the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) argues that the increasing import of fracked natural gas liquids (NGLs)—specifically ethane and propane—from the United States to Europe is undermining the European Union's climate and plastics reduction goals. The document details the supply chain from US fracking basins to European petrochemical plants and contends that current EU regulations, such as the Emissions Trading System (ETS) and the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), contain loopholes that allow the plastics industry to offshore emissions and avoid carbon pricing.

This report by Ember analyzes the progress of European Union member states in phasing out coal-fired electricity generation by 2030. It highlights that while the EU is rapidly reducing coal use—driven significantly by Germany's commitment to exit coal by 2030—three countries (Poland, Czechia, and Bulgaria) remain heavily reliant on coal and are lagging behind the rest of the bloc.

Germany's commitment to exit coal by 2030 isolates Poland, the Czech Republic, and Bulgaria, who are projected to account for over 95% of the EU's coal electricity generation by 2030. While the rest of the EU-27 is on track to reduce coal generation by 99% by 2030, these three countries plan a reduction of only 42%.

This report by Ember analyzes the progress of European Union member states in phasing out coal power by 2030. It highlights that while the EU is rapidly reducing coal electricity generation—accelerated by Germany's aim to exit coal by 2030—a small group of countries, specifically Poland, Czechia, and Bulgaria, are transitioning much more slowly and will account for the vast majority of the EU's remaining coal power in 2030.

This report by Ember analyzes the progress of European Union member states in phasing out coal-fired power generation by 2030. It highlights a significant divergence between most EU countries, which are rapidly reducing coal use, and a small group of countries—specifically Poland, Czechia, and Bulgaria—that are projected to account for the vast majority of the EU's remaining coal power production by 2030.

This report by the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) identifies perceived knowledge gaps and barriers hindering the adoption of 'gridless' (decentralized) water, sanitation, and energy services. Based on workshops with 48 global stakeholders, the report argues that project failures often stem from socio-technical and systemic issues—such as regulatory mismatches, lack of user-centric design, and unsustainable business models—rather than technical performance.

This research paper argues that South Africa should adopt Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) technologies to transition toward a cashless economy, thereby reducing the risks associated with cash-in-transit (CIT) hijackings and enhancing its investment appeal despite high rates of cybercrime.

A letter from a coalition of climate, environmental, and health NGOs to the European Commission urging the alignment of the draft Climate, Energy and Environment State Aid Guidelines (CEEAG) with the European Green Deal and the Paris Agreement.

This October 2021 briefing from the Global Climate and Health Alliance argues that achieving the goals of the Paris Agreement is a critical priority for global health. It calls on governments to integrate health into climate policy through transitions in energy, transport, food systems, and healthcare infrastructure to mitigate rising health threats and inequalities.

The UN High-level Dialogue on Energy (HLDE), held on 24 September 2021, convened over 130 global leaders to accelerate the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG7) and the transition to net-zero emissions by 2050. The event resulted in the first-ever global roadmap for SDG7 and the announcement of over 160 Energy Compacts, which committed more than USD 400 billion in new finance and investment to combat energy poverty and decarbonize energy systems.