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The report examines the role of voluntary sustainability standards (VSSs) in the South Asian cotton sector, specifically in Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. It identifies three primary sustainability challenges: excessive synthetic pesticide use, severe water depletion, and volatile farmer incomes. The analysis finds that VSSs like Better Cotton, Organic, Fairtrade, and the REEL Cotton Code have significant market potential, particularly those allowing genetically modified (GM) cotton, which dominates the region. Spatial analysis indicates that VSSs are largely implemented in high-need areas, though gaps remain in regions like Andhra Pradesh and Haryana. The report concludes that while VSSs provide a framework for sustainable production, there is a lack of integrated regional policy or trade agreement provisions to scale these benefits, recommending stronger alignment between government policies and VSS requirements.

The report finds that five major Swiss financial institutions—UBS, Credit Suisse, Swiss Life AM, Zurich, and Pictet—continue to provide billions in financing and investments to companies expanding coal, oil, and gas production. Despite public net-zero pledges, the authors argue these institutions maintain weak policies with significant loopholes, engage in 'net-zero greenwashing,' and send mixed signals through inconsistent voting practices at shareholder meetings.

The Strategic Plan for Advancing Energy Efficiency Across Demand Sectors by 2030 outlines a framework for G20 countries to double the global annual rate of energy intensity improvement. It focuses on five pillars: buildings, industry, transport, financing, and behavioral change. The plan argues that energy efficiency is the 'first fuel' for the energy transition and proposes specific high-impact opportunities, such as rethinking building codes (RENEW), scaling motor efficiency for SMEs (SME²), and aggregating energy services (FAST). It emphasizes the need to triple annual energy efficiency investments to approximately USD 840 billion by 2030 and highlights the potential of the Indian 'Lifestyle for Environment' (LiFE) initiative to reduce global CO2 emissions by 2 billion tonnes by 2030.

The guide outlines the essential components of a legislative leave-behind, emphasizing the need for a one-page document written in simple language that includes a clear recommendation, a description of the problem, supporting analysis, and a trackable 'ask'. It includes a practical example focused on urging the US Congress to meet international climate finance commitments, specifically referencing President Biden's pledge of $11.4 billion annually by 2024 and the loss and damage fund established at COP27.

The document is a collection of research papers and reports focusing on the intersection of media literacy, audience engagement, and media accountability. It examines how these elements can counter political polarisation and fake news in India, prevent extremist violence in the United States, and support peace-building in Colombia. It also analyzes structural challenges to media accountability in Africa and Latin America, specifically highlighting gender inequalities in Argentine media and the role of audience ombudspersons in Mexico. Additionally, it discusses the digital divide and the need to decolonize digitality in Asia.

This executive summary describes the States’ Electricity Transition (SET) Scoring system developed by Ember to evaluate the electricity transition across 16 Indian states, which represent 90% of India's annual power requirement. The analysis focuses on four dimensions: decarbonisation, power system performance, power ecosystem readiness, and policies and political commitments. While some states like Karnataka show strong performance across all metrics, others, particularly Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal, require significant improvements in decarbonisation and system performance to meet national targets.

The document calls on financial institutions to address the steel industry's reliance on metallurgical coal, which accounts for 70% of global steel production and contributes 11% of global CO2 emissions. It argues that because steel plants have long lifetimes, investment decisions made in the 2020s are critical for achieving carbon neutrality by 2050. The author urges financial institutions to stop funding new metallurgical coal mines and coal-based steel projects, while pushing companies to avoid 'two-speed decarbonization' strategies where green projects are developed in Europe and Canada while coal-based facilities continue in India.

The steel industry is a major emitter of greenhouse gases due to its reliance on metallurgical coal, which accounts for 70% of global steel production. While many financial institutions have policies against thermal coal, they often exclude metallurgical coal. The document asserts that the 2020s are a critical decade for investment decisions, as existing plants reach the end of their lives and new capacity is needed. Transitioning the global industry to carbon-neutral technologies would require an additional annual investment of US$8 to US$11 billion, totaling US$235 to US$335 billion by 2050. The author urges financial institutions to stop funding new metallurgical coal mines and coal-based steel infrastructure, and to discourage the use of carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS), which is viewed as a limited solution that perpetuates fossil fuel dependence. Furthermore, the document warns against 'two-speed' decarbonization strategies, citing ArcelorMittal's development of green hydrogen projects in Europe and Canada while continuing coal-based installations in India.

One year after the invasion of Ukraine, the EU has substituted nearly 75% of Russian gas imports and seen wind and solar generate a record 22% of its electricity in 2022. Globally, gas demand is forecast to peak by the end of the decade, with 88% of electricity demand growth to 2025 expected to be met by renewables. While renewable energy saved billions in fossil fuel costs, high gas and coal prices drove 90% of the global increase in electricity costs in 2022. Russia faces significant financial losses from sanctions, including a USD 25 billion public deficit in January 2023, while EU industrial production grew by over 2% on average despite a 15% drop in industrial gas demand.

The report examines the transition to a Market-Based Economic Dispatch (MBED) mechanism in India to address financial distress in the distribution sector and support the target of 50 percent non-fossil fuel power generation capacity by 2030.

The report analyzes the voluntary carbon market (VCM), focusing on the opaque role of intermediaries and the lifecycle of carbon credits from creation to retirement. It identifies a lack of transparency in transaction data and pricing, noting that while project creation and end-user claims are somewhat documented, the movements of credits between issuance and retirement remain largely hidden. The analysis details the costs associated with different project types—renewable energy, household devices, and forestry—and the various fees charged by registries and intermediaries. It concludes with recommendations for registries and corporations to increase disclosure of account holders and retirement details to improve market trust.

The report argues that the rapid deployment of renewable energy in the Global South often mirrors the destructive patterns of the fossil fuel era, leading to 'green grabbing' and 'energy colonialism'. Through case studies, it demonstrates how mega-solar projects in India and lithium mining in Argentina displace communities and deplete water resources, while political obstacles and outdated grids hinder decentralized energy access in Bangladesh and Palestine. The document advocates for a feminist energy transition centered on energy sovereignty, small-scale decentralized technology, and the protection of land and water rights.

The report argues that the rapid deployment of renewable energy in the Global South often mirrors the harms of the fossil fuel era, leading to 'green grabbing' and 'green energy colonialism'. Through case studies, it documents the displacement of rural and pastoral communities in India, the impact of Israeli occupation on energy sovereignty in Palestine, political apathy toward decentralized solar in Bangladesh, and the ecological threats posed by lithium extraction in Argentina. It emphasizes that without community control, gender equality, and rigorous environmental oversight, the energy transition risks sacrificing the rights of marginalized peoples for a perceived global collective interest.

The report argues that the rapid scale-up of renewables in the Global South often replicates 'energy colonialism' and 'green grabbing,' where land and resources are appropriated for climate goals while host communities suffer from loss of livelihoods, water scarcity, and continued energy poverty. Through case studies in India, Palestine, Bangladesh, and Argentina, it highlights systemic barriers including patriarchal structures that exclude women from decision-making, outdated grid infrastructure, and a lack of effective environmental impact assessments. It recommends a shift toward small-scale, socially controlled, and decentralized renewable energy that prioritizes human rights and ecological conservation over corporate profit.

Project GAIA establishes a framework to integrate gender equality and social inclusion into its investment cycle, requiring all approved projects to develop specific GESI Action Plans. The plan focuses on five pillars: governance, leadership, employment, capacity building, and consumption (access to basic services). It sets platform-level targets, such as achieving 30% women in governance by year one, and project-level requirements, including mandatory gender assessments and the use of sex-disaggregated data in impact reporting. The framework also incorporates safeguarding measures against sexual exploitation, abuse, and harassment (SEAH) and gender-based violence (GBVH).

The Kappahl pilot project aimed to increase supply chain visibility for organic cotton baby apparel by mapping suppliers from farm to retail. Using the SupplyShift platform, the project successfully mapped three tiers down to spinners or ginners for four garment lines, enabling the collection of data on greenhouse gas emissions, water consumption, and wages. Key opportunities identified include the ability to identify climate-related supply risks and build trust with suppliers. However, the project faced challenges with data quality and low participation from middle-tier suppliers (Tiers 2 and 3) due to technical barriers and 'information request fatigue'. The study concludes that combining top-down and bottom-up mapping, leveraging Voluntary Sustainability Standards (VSSs), and using flexible technology are essential for achieving end-to-end transparency.

The document analyzes how host governments treat foreign rebel groups, finding a global trend toward increased suppression and decreased support since the mid-1990s. It identifies leadership transitions and US-led 'naming and shaming' after 9/11 as primary drivers of anti-rebel cooperation. The analysis concludes that joint counterinsurgency operations are more effective at destroying rebel bases than unilateral actions.

The document examines South Africa's position within BRICS ahead of its 2023 chairship, highlighting the tension between its democratic values and the geopolitics of larger members like Russia and China. It evaluates the success of 'multi-track diplomacy' through institutions like the New Development Bank and the BRICS Vaccine Research and Development Centre, while noting that domestic crises—including energy instability and economic recovery—hinder South Africa's ability to fully leverage the partnership for national growth.

The Union of Concerned Scientists argues that the United States must fulfill its international climate finance commitments to maintain global credibility and address its historical responsibility for emissions. The brief highlights a gap between President Biden's 2021 pledge of $11.4 billion annually by 2024 and the actual appropriations provided by Congress, including the December 2022 omnibus budget bill. It emphasizes the urgent need for funding to support clean energy transitions, climate resilience, and the operationalization of the loss and damage fund established at COP27 to assist vulnerable nations facing severe climate-driven disasters.

The community of Kamarkhali, located along the Someshwari River in Bangladesh, faced accelerating riverbank erosion that destroyed homes and culturally significant sites. After unsuccessful attempts to build their own bamboo and sandbag embankments, the community formed the Kamarkhali Someshwari Riverbank Erosion Resistance Committee and engaged in non-violent civil resistance, including human chains and social media campaigns. These efforts eventually pressured the Bangladesh Water Development Board to construct a sandbag embankment between February and April 2021. While this protected the village during record-breaking floods in June 2022, residents argue that only a concrete or stone embankment will provide long-term security and that government-scaled sand mining in the river continues to exacerbate erosion.