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Friends of the Earth International denounces the use of the "Protocolo Antiprotestas" by the Argentine government to repress manifestations on June 12, resulting in over 600 injuries and 35 arbitrary detentions. The statement links this violence to a broader pattern of regressive laws, increased poverty, and the criminalization of protest under the administration of Javier Milei.

Following the 2024 elections, the African National Congress (ANC) lost its majority, leading to the formation of a 'government of national unity' (GNU) comprising 10 parties, including the Democratic Alliance (DA). While the ANC retains key portfolios like the presidency and foreign affairs, the coalition faces significant internal ideological tensions regarding economic policy and international relations, particularly concerning BRICS, Russia, and Israel. The document highlights a critical disconnect between South Africa's economic reliance on the EU and its political leanings toward the West's adversaries, suggesting that foreign policy will be the primary test of the coalition's stability.

The World Association for Christian Communication (WACC) praises players of the French men's national football team, including Kylian Mbappé and Jules Koundé, for speaking out against the Rassemblement National during the July 2024 elections. The statement argues that such actions are essential for protecting democracy and advancing social and climate justice, contrasting this activism with the efforts of governing bodies like FIFA, UEFA, and CONMEBOL to 'depoliticize' the sport.

The report argues that while military R&D alone cannot solve the climate challenge due to long equipment lifecycles, a comprehensive approach combining innovation, policy changes, and procurement can significantly reduce emissions. It highlights the transition to low-carbon technologies in operations (such as sustainable aviation fuels and hybrid vehicles), the decarbonization of fixed infrastructure through microgrids and small modular reactors, and the need to address Scope 3 emissions within the defense industrial supply chain. The authors emphasize that procurement is the most powerful tool for militaries to catalyze clean energy markets and steer the defense industry toward net-zero goals.

The document is a formal statement by a coalition of NGOs and academics criticizing the FAO's 'Pathways towards Lower Emissions' report for underestimating the climate mitigation potential of dietary shifts. The authors argue that the report contains systemic biases and methodological failures, such as double-counting emissions and using obsolete dietary guidelines. They call for a retraction of the report, a delay of the upcoming 2050 Roadmap report until these issues are addressed, and greater transparency regarding the GLEAM livestock emissions methodology.

The Western Balkans have over 23 GW of prospective utility-scale solar and wind projects, a 70% increase from the previous year. This capacity could render proposed gas-fired power plants obsolete, potentially averting 103 million tonnes of lifetime CO2 emissions and saving over €9 billion in energy costs and stranded assets. Currently, operating utility-scale solar and wind account for only 7% of the regional electricity mix (1.5 GW). Serbia leads the region in both operating (29%) and prospective (47%) capacity, though its construction rate is among the lowest. The report argues that the region should prioritize a just energy transition over gas-fired power, which is being promoted by EU, U.S., and Russian interests, to avoid carbon lock-in and import dependence.

The 2024 Global Steel Plant Tracker and Global Blast Furnace Tracker data show a growing momentum toward electric arc furnace (EAF) steelmaking, with 49% of capacity under development using this route. However, significant carbon lock-in risks persist as 308 mtpa of new coal-based blast furnace capacity is under development, primarily in Asia. India has surpassed China as the top overall steel developer, though China remains the largest operator of emissions-intensive capacity. While direct reduced iron (DRI) capacity is increasing, its climate impact depends on the transition to green hydrogen reducing agents, as much current capacity relies on methane or coal.

The document examines the synergy between the Kenya Flower Council's (KFC) voluntary Flower and Ornamental Sustainability Standard (FOSS) and the government's mandatory Kenya Standard 1758 (KS 1758). It highlights how this public-private collaboration reduces compliance costs for producers, improves market access to the EU and other global markets, and enhances worker welfare and environmental management. The authors argue that this model of benchmarking standards can be replicated in other Kenyan agricultural value chains, such as grains, to address safety and quality issues.

Africa possesses vast untapped renewable energy resources and critical minerals but faces significant barriers in financing, technology ownership, and value chain integration. While some progress has been made in solar, wind, and hydropower, the continent remains heavily reliant on imports for technology and patents. The document argues for strengthened partnerships, increased climate finance from the Global North, and the development of local manufacturing to ensure a just energy transition.

The EU is attempting to increase domestic production of net-zero technologies through the Net-Zero Industry Act (NZIA) and other strategies to reduce dependencies on China and the US. However, the author contends that the EU lacks the necessary funding to meet its 2030 targets, such as producing 40 per cent of its installation needs domestically. The document highlights a conflict between 'frugal' member states and those seeking a European Sovereignty Fund, leading to a reliance on the Temporary Crisis and Transition Framework (TCTF). This framework allows national 'matching aid', which the author argues creates unfair competition between wealthy nations like Germany and France and smaller states like Belgium. The text further critiques the use of non-price criteria in procurement and trade defense instruments, such as the Foreign Subsidies Regulation (FSR), noting they can increase costs for taxpayers and slow decarbonization. The author concludes that targeted, conditional European-level subsidies are the only viable way to ensure a just and cohesive green transition.

The 2024 update study by Perspectives Climate Group finds that while CAR, Verra, and ACR have improved their grievance processes since 2023, significant shortcomings persist across all analysed VCM programmes. Key issues include limited accessibility, lack of independent review guardrails, and a general absence of detailed potential remedies. The report specifically highlights the case of the Amerindian Peoples’ Association (APA) in Guyana under the ART mechanism, which was dismissed on formal grounds, illustrating the risks of ad hoc procedural changes and biased reviewer appointments. The study concludes that most VCM mechanisms remain insufficient in providing a fair, predictable, and independent path to redress for affected stakeholders.

The Canadian Sustainable Jobs Act (Bill C-50) establishes a governance framework, including a Partnership Council and Action Plans, to ensure a people-centred transition to a low-carbon economy. The legislation emphasizes social dialogue and decent work, aiming to align sustainable employment with the Net-zero Emissions Accountability Act.

The document analyzes the 'Room for the River' project in the Noordwaard region of the Netherlands, where agricultural land was converted into a floodplain to reduce flood risk for over 60,000 people. It evaluates the project through the lenses of distributive, procedural, and ecological justice, noting that while biodiversity improved and flood risk decreased, the relocation process relied heavily on market-value financial compensation and lacked psychological support for displaced residents. The author argues that planned relocation, or 'managed retreat', is a necessary adaptation to sea-level rise and climate change, but requires a justice-oriented approach to avoid exacerbating social inequalities, particularly for tenants and vulnerable populations in the Global South.

The report finds that many of the world's largest fossil fuel producers fail to address the transition of the fossil fuel sector in their climate plans. It argues that third-generation NDCs must include specific targets, pathways, and policies to wind down production in alignment with the COP 28 agreement to ensure a just and orderly transition.

The study examines the drivers and barriers to the adoption of climate-smart agriculture (CSA) across five European production systems, incorporating perspectives from a wide range of stakeholders beyond just farmers. The primary drivers for adoption are economic, institutional/policy, and personal/psychological factors, while the main barriers are economic, technology-related, and institutional/policy factors. Stakeholders suggest that overcoming these hurdles requires financial support, policy reform, capacity-building, and improved coordination and communication strategies to make CSA practices more attractive to farmers.

The briefing outlines how the EU can sustain its climate leadership following the June 2024 elections by linking emissions reductions to energy security, consumer cost savings, and industrial competitiveness. It highlights the success of the RePowerEU Plan in reducing Russian gas imports and notes that wind and solar power saved EU consumers approximately EUR 100 billion between 2021 and 2023. The document emphasizes that investing in green technology and implementing social safety nets, such as retraining programmes, will ensure the transition is competitive and inclusive.

The report details a record-breaking Q1 2024 for aligned GSS+ debt, with USD 272.7bn added. Green bonds dominated the market, while Europe remained the primary regional source. The report also highlights the growth of sovereign GSS+ issuance, the emergence of nuclear energy in green bond frameworks in North America, and the evolving alignment of sustainability-linked bonds (SLBs) with Climate Bonds' methodology.

The report contends that PVC poses unmanaged risks to human health and the environment throughout its life cycle, from toxic manufacturing emissions and accident risks to the release of microplastics and hazardous additives. It argues that the ECHA's 2023 investigation provides a sufficient technical basis for a broad ban, as alternatives are available for all assessed uses. The authors criticize the ECHA report for having a narrow scope—analyzing only 13% of PVC additives—and for underestimating the true costs of PVC by ignoring end-of-life disposal and health remediation expenses. It concludes that targeting only a few additives would lead to 'regrettable substitution' and that a full material restriction is the only effective way to prevent the steady increase of PVC and its toxins in the environment.

The report argues that achieving cost-optimal carbon neutrality in Canada's building sector requires a massive shift toward electrification, primarily through heat pumps, and a significant reduction in gas network reliance. It warns that current regulatory inertia and the continued expansion of gas infrastructure create risks of 'stranded assets' and higher costs for taxpayers. The authors recommend that provincial governments provide clear long-term strategic guidance, mandate net-zero targets, and empower regulators to prioritize electrification over gas expansion to protect long-term affordability and reliability.

The report finds that a cost-optimal path to net zero in Canada requires a massive shift toward electrification of building heat, with electricity powering 78% to 91% of annual space heating demand by 2050. It argues that continued expansion of gas networks is inconsistent with these goals and risks creating stranded assets. The analysis highlights a critical gap in provincial policy leadership, noting that current utility regulation—which incentivizes infrastructure growth—is ill-suited for the energy transition. To mitigate risks, the report recommends that provincial governments legislate net zero targets, mandate electrification for new buildings, and equip regulators to manage the gradual contraction of gas networks while investing in electricity capacity and peak demand management.