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The ASSEGAIA Alliance launched the Declaration for the Protection of Sacred Natural Sites in January 2020, calling for the regeneration of the Earth to be central to decisions regarding these sites. The Declaration proposes a conservation model featuring a central 'no-go' zone and a buffer zone for ecologically sensitive activities, managed by Spiritual Guardians. The Alliance seeks to identify and protect such sites globally using international rights of Nature.

A coalition of national environmental organizations is calling on the Governor of New York to sign Senate bill S5343, which would phase in a ban on the pesticide chlorpyrifos over two years. The organizations cite evidence that the chemical harms children's brain development and jeopardizes 1,200 endangered species, noting that the Trump administration blocked a federal ban despite EPA findings that children are exposed to the chemical on food at levels 140 times higher than safe limits.

The Environmental and Energy Study Institute criticizes the U.S. decision to exit the Paris Agreement, noting that the formal exit date is set for November 4, 2020. Despite this federal withdrawal, the document highlights a surge in subnational commitments to 100 percent clean energy, with one in four Americans now living in such areas. It specifically identifies the 'We Are Still In' coalition and the U.S. Climate Alliance as key drivers of this momentum, alongside corporate commitments through the RE100 program.

The report argues that a negative feedback loop exists in the United States where restrictive voting laws and partisan gerrymandering insulate legislators from accountability, leading to the adoption of policies that exacerbate public health disparities. Using data from America's Health Rankings and the Cost of Voting Index, the author finds that states with greater partisan bias and higher barriers to voting are associated with lower life expectancy and more severe health declines between 2010 and 2017. Specifically, the report links extreme gerrymandering to higher increases in opioid deaths among African Americans in high-poverty states and higher infant mortality for non-Hispanic black communities. To break this cycle, the document recommends reforms to reduce the costs of eligibility (such as automatic voter registration), reduce the costs of casting a vote (such as early in-person voting), and protect the equal value of votes through independent redistricting commissions and public campaign financing.

Following 2019 legislation to decarbonize Colorado's electricity sector, the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) must investigate whether transitioning to performance-based regulation (PBR) is 'net beneficial'. The briefing suggests that the PUC should utilize scenario analysis and collaborative stakeholder processes, drawing on examples from Hawaii, Minnesota, and Oregon to align utility incentives with goals such as emissions reductions and cost-efficiency.

A coalition of organizations urges the Governor of New York to sign Senate bill S5343, which would ban the neurotoxic pesticide chlorpyrifos. The document argues that the chemical poses severe risks to pregnant women and children, including cognitive development issues and reduced IQ, and notes that the federal EPA has failed to enact a ban despite its own scientific findings. It highlights that other states like Hawaii and California have taken action and that safer alternatives for crops are available.

The document argues for a total ban on chlorpyrifos in Canada, asserting that the PMRA's proposed re-evaluation decision does not go far enough. The authors claim that risks to pollinators, birds, mammals, and aquatic life are unacceptable and that current risk assessments underestimate exposure due to a lack of surface water monitoring data. They specifically challenge the safety of continued use in mosquito control and greenhouses, citing evidence of biodiversity in temporary pools and the inefficiency of label restrictions to prevent runoff.

The paper argues that current wholesale electricity markets, designed for large fuel-burning plants with high production costs, are ill-equipped for a future dominated by wind, solar, and storage, which have near-zero production costs and different operational characteristics. It identifies a disconnect between federal wholesale rates and state retail rates as a barrier to demand-side flexibility. The authors propose ten principles for modern markets—including technology neutrality, grid reliability, and long-run efficiency—and outline two emerging pathways for reform: a "Robust Spot Market" approach focusing on decentralized bilateral contracting, and a "Long-Term Plus Short-Term Markets" approach utilizing a centralized forward market.

The document details a transition in U.S. energy policy from renewable portfolio standards to Clean Electricity Standards (CES), which allow for a diverse range of zero-carbon technologies, including nuclear and carbon capture. It provides a comprehensive list of states and utility companies that have enacted or pledged 80-100% carbon-free electricity targets, noting that these commitments collectively cover approximately 38% of U.S. electricity sales and 31% of national utility CO2 emissions.

The briefing outlines the transformational shifts in the US energy landscape as of 2018, highlighting the move toward 100 percent clean energy goals by states and utilities. It identifies six critical areas requiring urgent attention: the revision of grid and resource planning to accommodate new technologies, the reform of utility business models, the integration of beneficial electrification for heating and cooling, the proper valuation of distributed energy resources (DERs), the assurance of equity for low- and moderate-income customers, and the financial management of uneconomic fossil fuel assets, particularly coal.

The report argues that traditional quasi-judicial regulatory processes are inadequate for the scale of current electricity system transformations and proposes a four-stage framework—initiation, vision communication, conduction, and delivery of outcomes—to achieve more successful reforms.

The report finds that while global warming is generally ranked lower than immediate issues like terrorism and healthcare, its importance as a voting priority varies significantly by political affiliation and geography. Liberal Democrats rank it as the fourth most important issue, whereas conservative Republicans rank it as the least important of 28 issues. Regional differences are evident, with high priority in states like New York and Hawaii, and lower priority in states like Alabama and West Virginia. However, the broader issue of environmental protection is a higher priority for about half of registered voters.

The Centre for Environmental Rights (CER) argues that the draft IRP 2018 is unlawful and irrational because it includes 6,732MW of new coal capacity despite its own findings that a least-cost plan would exclude coal. The CER highlights severe failures in the draft, including inflated electricity demand forecasts, outdated and high cost assumptions for renewables and battery storage, and a total lack of consideration for water and climate change externalities. The document specifically objects to the Thabametsi and Khanyisa coal projects, citing their high emissions and risks to water resources in the Waterberg and Highveld regions. Furthermore, the CER criticizes the Department of Energy for failing to conduct meaningful public consultations with impacted communities and for withholding the Plexos modelling data necessary for transparent stakeholder review.

Synapse Energy Economics identifies several critical flaws in South Africa's draft 2018 IRP, arguing that it relies on an unreasonably high load forecast, overstates the costs of renewable energy and battery storage, and ignores the economic optimality of retiring aging coal plants. The report highlights a significant disconnect between the IRP's optimized modeling—which suggests no new coal in the 2020s—and the proposed resource plan, which calls for over 6,500 MW of new coal capacity. Additionally, the authors criticize the plan for inadequate carbon budgeting, failure to account for water scarcity, and a lack of transparency in providing modeling data to stakeholders.

The document outlines five specific actions for achieving carbon-free electricity: implementing Renewable Portfolio Standards, phasing out coal plants, modernizing rate designs, integrating distributed energy resources into grid planning, and expanding community solar access.

Climate Central analyzed temperature data from 244 U.S. cities to determine the increase in days falling within the 61-93°F range suitable for disease transmission by Aedes and Culex mosquitoes. The analysis found that 94% of these cities are experiencing an increase in these 'disease danger days' since 1970, with significant increases noted in California, the Southwest, and some northern cities. While most areas face higher risks, some locations like Phoenix may become too hot for mosquito survival. The report also highlights that warmer temperatures shorten the Extrinsic Incubation Period (EIP) of viruses, potentially increasing the number of infectious mosquitoes and expanding the range of species like Aedes albopictus.

The document details the rising trends of heat waves and heat stress in the US, attributing recent increases to human-caused climate change and projecting more severe events by 2100 unless emissions are stabilized.

The report presents a series of expert testimonies and external research findings regarding the economic vulnerability of U.S. coastal properties to sea level rise. Experts from insurance, credit rating, and real estate sectors highlight a disconnect between long-term climate risks and short-term investment horizons. Key concerns include the potential for a collapse in property values, the failure of the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) to provide accurate risk signals due to subsidies, and the likelihood of credit downgrades for coastal municipalities. The document identifies critical tipping points, such as the loss of 30-year mortgages and the transition to risk-based insurance pricing, which could trigger a disorderly retreat from vulnerable areas.

The document details various green asset-backed securities (ABS) and aggregation mechanisms used to fund low-carbon transitions. It highlights specific instruments such as synthetic ABS, PACE ABS, solar ABS, and green covered bonds, providing examples of issuers and the types of underlying assets—ranging from energy-efficient mortgages to electric vehicle leases—that enable institutional investors to finance smaller-scale green assets.

The document analyzes the different approaches the U.S. and China take to overcome barriers to electric vehicle (EV) adoption, such as high upfront costs and limited charging infrastructure. While the U.S. relies on a mix of federal tax credits and varied state-level incentives, China has implemented more aggressive central government subsidies, a 'dual-credit policy' for manufacturers, and significant government fleet mandates. China's approach has led to faster growth in EV registrations and a larger network of charging outlets compared to the U.S.