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The briefing details the systemic failures in decommissioning offshore oil and gas sites, highlighting how abandoned wells leak methane and toxins, threaten marine biodiversity and coastal livelihoods, and how corporations use legal and financial loopholes to shift cleanup costs to the public.

The report argues that offshore oil and gas activities pose severe threats to the global commons, specifically the oceans and atmosphere. It details how seismic surveys harm marine life, production leads to catastrophic blowouts and underreported methane emissions, transportation increases the risk of spills and invasive species, and improper decommissioning leaves a legacy of leaking 'orphan' wells. The document emphasizes that these risks are magnified by climate change and that existing legal frameworks, including UNCLOS and the polluter pays principle, should be leveraged to phase out offshore fossil fuel extraction.

The document argues that offshore oil and gas production poses severe risks, including underreported greenhouse gas emissions from flaring and methane leaks, the high potential for devastating well blowouts—especially in deep waters—and chronic marine pollution from produced water. It highlights the failure of current cleanup technologies and the long-term socio-economic damage to coastal communities, concluding that halting offshore expansion is essential to meeting the 1.5°C global warming limit.

The report finds that human-induced climate change increased the intensity and likelihood of heavy rainfall associated with Hurricane Milton in central Florida. Using the IRIS model, the analysis indicates that climate change increased the frequency of storms with Milton's wind speeds by approximately 40%, meaning the storm would have likely made landfall as a Category 2 rather than a Category 3 hurricane without global warming. Additionally, sea surface temperatures along Milton's track were 1°C warmer than in a world without climate change, making such temperatures 400 to 800 times more likely. The report also assesses Florida's adaptation measures, noting that while building codes are among the toughest in the US, the state's planning remains largely reactive and fails to adequately address social vulnerabilities in low-income and minority communities.

The analysis finds that climate change made rainfall approximately 10% heavier in both the coastal and inland regions affected by Hurricane Helene and increased the likelihood of such rainfall totals by 40% and 70%, respectively. The study also indicates that climate change increased the number of storms with similar wind speeds by about 150% and made the record-hot sea surface temperatures over the storm's track 200-500 times more likely. While the storm was well-forecast, high death tolls occurred inland due to mountainous terrain, poor infrastructure, and a lack of experience with hurricanes.

The briefing highlights that ecosystem services are worth over USD 150 trillion annually, while biodiversity loss costs the global economy more than USD 5 trillion per year. It asserts that the economic costs of nature destruction often exceed the benefits of exploitation, citing examples like EU nitrogen pollution and the Gulf of Mexico's dead zone. The text emphasizes that nature-related risks are transboundary, where deforestation in the Amazon or Southeast Asia impacts regional rainfall and coral reefs. It concludes that investing in biodiversity is significantly more affordable than the energy transition to net-zero, though a funding gap of approximately USD 830 billion per year remains.

The document outlines how the Energy Infrastructure Reinvestment (EIR) program, part of the US Department of Energy's Title XVII authority, provides low-cost, long-tenor debt financing to help oil and gas companies repurpose ceased operations or reduce emissions from active infrastructure. It details specific transition opportunities across the upstream, midstream, and downstream value chains, such as lithium extraction from brine, enhanced geothermal systems, and the conversion of refineries to sustainable aviation fuel production. The brief emphasizes that the current high-interest rate environment makes this government financing particularly attractive, though the opportunity is time-constrained as loan authority currently expires in September 2026.

The document is an amicus curiae brief filed by environmental organizations to oppose legal challenges to a BOEM rule that requires offshore oil and gas lessees to provide more robust financial assurances for decommissioning. The brief argues that the existing regulatory framework has failed, leading to a massive backlog of overdue wells and platforms, significant environmental risks, and potential multi-billion dollar liabilities for taxpayers. It asserts that the new rule is in the public interest as it ensures funds are available for cleanup, reduces the risk of leaks and navigational hazards, and supports the growth of the decommissioning industry.

The report compares a pathway aligned with U.S. climate commitments against the energy and climate provisions of Project 2025. It finds that Continued Climate Leadership would lead to significant emissions reductions, job growth, and public health improvements, while Project 2025 would increase emissions, reduce GDP, and cause additional premature deaths.

The report argues that offshore carbon capture and storage (CCS) is an ineffective and risky strategy that prolongs fossil fuel dependence. It highlights that proposed 'hubs' in the Gulf of Mexico and North Sea face significant technical challenges, such as pressure management and leakage from legacy wells, while relying heavily on public subsidies. The document concludes that CCS often covers for expanded fossil fuel production and calls for a halt to these projects to protect marine ecosystems and accelerate a just energy transition.

The document details the characteristics and conservation statuses of seven sea turtle species, highlighting their role in marine ecosystems and the impact of climate change on hatchling sex ratios. It identifies major threats including plastic pollution, habitat loss, and illegal trade, while showcasing the El Nido Marine Turtle Conservation Network (ENMTCN) and the Wildlife Adaptation Innovation Fund (WAIF) project's use of climate-resilient hatcheries in the Philippines.

The document outlines how every phase of the offshore oil and gas lifecycle—exploration, production, transport, and decommissioning—adversely impacts small-scale fisheries. It highlights specific threats such as seismic noise reducing fish catches, well blowouts causing oil spills, and the creation of exclusion zones. Additionally, it links offshore fossil fuel activity to broader climate impacts like ocean acidification and sea level rise, which further jeopardize food production. The signatories urge the U.N. Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food to recommend that States conduct thorough impact assessments and suspend projects that deprive fisherfolk of their fundamental human rights.

Methane is a potent climate pollutant responsible for 30 percent of the earth's temperature rise since the Industrial era. In the oil and gas sector, methane leakage can make natural gas as damaging as coal in the near term, with some US Gulf of Mexico offshore platforms showing leakage rates up to 66 percent. Despite the fact that many leaks can be repaired cost-effectively, the document notes that companies are not moving quickly enough, particularly in the US Permian Basin. The author advocates for mandatory requirements and the expanded use of aerial and satellite detection to increase transparency and enforce standards.

The Environmental Commenters (EDF, CATF, NRDC, Sierra Club, and Earthworks) argue that current source-level reporting systematically underreports methane emissions. They recommend integrating top-down empirical data (satellite, aerial, and tower measurements) to validate bottom-up inventories. Key technical recommendations include establishing a 100 kg/hr threshold for 'large release events,' requiring continuous metering for a sample of pneumatic controllers to prevent data manipulation, and updating gathering pipeline emission factors using recent aerial studies rather than outdated distribution pipeline data. The group also emphasizes the need for rigorous reporting during ownership transfers to prevent 'transferred emissions' from escaping oversight and calls for extended reporting requirements for offshore facilities and plugged wells.

The report argues that the U.S. must implement ambitious long-term capacity targets, holistic transmission planning, and strategic infrastructure investments to achieve a net-zero future. It emphasizes the need for coordinated site identification, streamlined permitting, and the development of a domestic supply chain and workforce to support a potential build-out of 250 to 750 GW of offshore wind by 2050.

The document defines 'biotic eruptions' as population or biomass explosions of species driven by human alterations to the environment or the introduction/removal of species. These eruptions can lead to irreversible state shifts in ecosystems, such as harmful algal blooms (HABs) or Arctic greening, which disrupt food security and economic stability. The author argues that these ecological disruptions can cascade into social instability and conflict, particularly in regions with weak governance. Case studies on Lake Victoria and China illustrate how biodiversity loss and invasive species like the fall armyworm exacerbate vulnerabilities. The briefing recommends restoring keystone species, reducing nutrient pollution, and diversifying food systems to enhance security resilience.

The U.S. Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) has failed to meet Congressional goals for cellulosic biofuels, instead remaining dominated by land-intensive corn ethanol. The current structure lacks incentives for producers to reduce carbon intensity beyond fixed thresholds and fails to prioritize fuels for sectors like aviation that are difficult to electrify. The Clean Air Task Force recommends incorporating carbon intensity scores, limiting conventional biofuel volumes, and directing bioenergy toward hard-to-decarbonize sectors.

The 2022 Climate, Environmental, and Energy Congressional Hearings Tracker catalogs hearings held by various U.S. House and Senate committees. The tracker covers a wide array of topics including the Inflation Reduction Act, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, electric vehicle infrastructure, methane pollution, and agricultural resiliency. It details the specific dates and titles of hearings across committees such as the House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis and the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.

The document analyzes the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) of 2021 and the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) of 2022, detailing how they provide billions in funding and tax credits for carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS), direct air capture (DAC), and hydrogen production. It specifically highlights the 45Q tax credit increases and the Clean Hydrogen Tax Credit, while criticizing provisions that link renewable energy permitting on federal lands to continued oil and gas leasing.

Earthjustice views the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) as a transformative investment in clean energy but warns that it includes "poisonous handouts" to the fossil fuel industry. The organization commits to using legal action and advocacy to ensure the $60 billion allocated for frontline communities is equitably distributed, to oppose the expansion of oil and gas leasing in Alaska and the Gulf of Mexico, and to prevent the weakening of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). Earthjustice specifically criticizes the IRA's support for carbon capture and blue hydrogen, arguing these technologies prolong fossil fuel dependency rather than promoting true solutions like electrification and renewables.