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The document provides a multi-expert critique of COP26, noting that while the summit completed the Paris Agreement rule book and secured net zero commitments for 90% of the world, it failed to secure a 'grand bargain' for coal with India or a loss and damage fund. It highlights the $8.5 billion just transition deal for South Africa as a potential model but warns that developed nations have failed to meet the $100 billion annual finance goal. Experts argue that the summit ignored the critical role of oceans in carbon absorption and failed to address the resource-intensive economic systems driving global warming.

India's buildings sector is a major source of CO2 emissions, with indirect 'embodied carbon' (EC) from material procurement and construction nearly tripling between 2000 and 2017. With India's total building space projected to more than double and its urbanization rate expected to reach 40% by 2030–31, the demand for energy-intensive materials like steel, cement, and bricks is set to rise sharply. The document highlights that while operational emissions are being addressed, EC emissions risk locking in high energy use for decades. It advocates for a whole-building life-cycle assessment approach and a national roadmap to transition toward low-carbon materials, suggesting that India could lead other developing economies in compatible economic expansion and emissions reduction.

The Beehive is a modular, electricity-free cooling façade developed by Ant Studio in Delhi, India. It utilizes a terracotta beehive structure and recycled water to achieve evaporative cooling and natural ventilation. In a test at the Deki Electronics factory, the system reduced indoor temperatures from 42°C to 36°C and lowered airflow from 10 m/s to 4 m/s, offering a cost-effective and energy-efficient alternative to traditional air conditioning.

The author highlights the shared history of underestimating the effects of both climate change and nuclear weapons. The text details how nuclear detonations cause immediate blast damage and long-term atmospheric disruptions, such as 'nuclear winter', which mirror the systemic risks of the climate crisis. It warns that current geopolitical instability, exacerbated by climate-driven resource scarcity, increases the risk of nuclear conflict, particularly in South Asia. The author calls for a revival of public discourse on nuclear risks to match the current momentum for climate action.

This report examines the landscape of urban green finance in Hyderabad and Kolkata, India, mapping the flow of public and private funds toward climate change mitigation and adaptation across six key sectors, including clean energy, sustainable transportation, and waste and water management.

The Climate Action Tracker identifies a 'credibility gap' where current policies lead to 2.7°C of warming, while even the fulfillment of all 2030 targets would result in 2.4°C. Despite 90% of global emissions being covered by net zero targets, only 6% are rated as 'acceptable', and no analyzed country has sufficient short-term policies to reach its net zero goal. The report highlights the continued expansion of coal and natural gas as primary drivers of this failure.

The Hindu Kush Himalayas, known as the 'Third Pole', are experiencing rapid glacier retreat due to climate change, leading to an increase in the number and volume of glacial lakes. This has heightened the risk of glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs), which often present transboundary threats, as seen in the 2016 Bhote Koshi River flood where a lake breach in Tibet caused $70 million in damages in Nepal. Despite the high risk, early-warning systems are inadequate and cross-border cooperation remains limited, although initiatives like the Hindu Kush Himalaya Glaciers and Mountain Economy Network and the Koshi Basin Initiative aim to improve regional resilience.

The briefing highlights the role of non-state actors in driving climate action despite insufficient national pledges. It identifies four mechanisms—certification schemes, demand aggregation, climate-aligned finance, and national alliances—that create 'ambition loops' to scale low-carbon solutions. Examples include India's Shoonya initiative for electric delivery, the US-based Renewable Energy Buyers Alliance, the Poseidon Principles for shipping finance, and the America Is All In coalition.

The document traces the path from the 1972 Stockholm Conference to the 2017 entry into force of the Minamata Convention on Mercury. It highlights the role of activism and scientific evidence in driving global action and details the treaty's mechanisms for phasing out mercury-added products and regulating artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM). The brief also explains that the discrete nature of mercury's industrial sources and a stronger scientific consensus on its global threat allowed it to move toward a binding treaty, whereas lead and cadmium remain managed through voluntary partnerships and regional agreements.

The document outlines a framework for integrating gender equality into climate finance projects, emphasizing the need for local expertise, robust baseline data, and continuity between project design and implementation. It provides specific recommendations for project teams and climate funds, supported by case studies from various sectors and regions.

The report evaluates 33 major European retailers on their aquaculture procurement practices. It finds a systemic failure to address ecological and social challenges, with 76% of retailers falling into a 'red zone' of insufficient action. Key failures include a lack of targets to eliminate wild-catch fishmeal and fish oil (FMFO) from feed, inadequate fish welfare monitoring, and poor transparency regarding the origin of products. While some UK and French retailers show slight progress, retailers in Spain, Austria, and Switzerland performed particularly poorly.

The report finds that European retailers are failing to perform adequate due diligence on their farmed fish supply chains, with 76% landing in a 'red zone' of poor performance. No surveyed retailer has a clear target to eliminate wild-caught fish in feed, and none have policies to blacklist farms with high mortality rates. While some UK retailers show progress in transparency through the Ocean Disclosure Project, overall industry standards for fish welfare and labelling remain inadequate, often relying on insufficient third-party certifications.

The report analyzes urban green finance in Hyderabad and Kolkata, finding that both cities are heavily dependent on state and central government funding. While Hyderabad has made significant progress in renewable energy and electric mobility, and Kolkata has excelled in e-bus adoption and wetland conservation, both face governance challenges due to overlapping mandates and limited financial autonomy. The study recommends harmonized climate budgeting, increased devolution of funds to urban local bodies, and the exploration of innovative financing mechanisms like green bonds and resilience bonds to bridge investment gaps.

The report by Friends of the Earth International contends that the current energy system is built on systemic oppression, including patriarchy and neocolonialism, which disproportionately affects women, indigenous peoples, and the Global South. It warns against 'false solutions' such as greenwashing and 'purplewashing' (superficial feminism), where corporations use renewable energy or gender equality rhetoric to mask continued exploitation. The authors advocate for a feminist energy transition centered on the 'sustainability of life,' public ownership, degrowth, and the recognition of care work, rather than market-led technical fixes.

The document critiques the current global energy system as a product of patriarchal extractivism and capitalism that disproportionately harms women, particularly in the Global South. It warns against 'greenwashing' (maquillaje verde) and 'purplewashing' (maquillaje violeta), where corporations use environmental and gender-equality narratives to mask continued exploitation. The authors advocate for a 'just and feminist energy transition' centered on the sustainability of life, public ownership, and the recognition of care work, rather than market-driven technological fixes.

China's commitment to cease overseas coal financing could remove two-thirds of the pre-construction coal pipeline in Asia, reducing it from over 65 GW to 22 GW. This shift, aligned with similar pledges from Japan, South Korea, and G20 nations, makes the remaining projects unlikely to be completed due to a lack of available capital. The report argues that cancelling these remaining projects would save US$27 billion in capital costs and avoid 103 million tons of annual CO2 emissions.

The briefing finds that sectoral pledges on methane, coal, transport, and deforestation could close the 2030 emissions gap by approximately 9% (2.2 GtCO2e), though global emissions would still remain nearly twice as high as necessary for a 1.5°C pathway. The Global Methane Pledge and the Glasgow Leaders’ Declaration on Forests and Land Use offer the highest likely impacts, while the coal and electric vehicle initiatives provide minimal additional reductions due to limited signatory participation or delayed phase-out timelines.

The document examines the failure of grant-based 'design, procure, install' models for electrifying public institutions, which often lead to premature system failure due to neglected operation and maintenance (O&M). It proposes a service-based model where private providers install and maintain systems over 10-15 years, with governments paying for performance verified by third parties. The brief identifies key barriers—including public sector affordability, private sector capital risks, and grid arrival—and presents case studies from Benin, Kenya, Niger, and Nigeria to demonstrate the model's potential.

The report outlines systemic barriers to gridless services, emphasizing that failures often stem from a lack of understanding of user needs, regulatory gaps, and financial instability rather than technical performance.

The report finds that while Swedish development practitioners value research, they struggle to find and implement it due to time constraints and a communication mismatch with researchers. It recommends bridging this gap through co-creation, better communication formats, and institutionalized networks.