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The document details the global nickel market, highlighting Indonesia's dominance in production and the shifting demand from stainless steel toward electric vehicle batteries. It outlines the technical processing pathways for Class I and Class II nickel, the geopolitical impact of export bans, and the environmental footprints associated with different mining and refining methods.

The document outlines Australia's position as a major global mining hub, specifically highlighting its dominance in iron ore and its growing role in critical minerals like lithium. It details the sector's significant contribution to national GDP and government revenue, while noting the industry's heavy reliance on fossil fuels for energy. The report also examines the social dimensions of the workforce, including gender disparities, and the regulatory environment, particularly in Western Australia.

In 2025, global coal capacity grew by 3.5% while generation fell by 0.6%, a divergence driven primarily by China and India. While new commissioning reached near-record levels of 97.4 GW, coal is increasingly used as 'system insurance' rather than a primary energy source. The global pipeline is narrowing geographically, with only 32 countries proposing or building new plants in 2025, and 95% of all construction concentrated in China and India. Meanwhile, the U.S. and EU saw significant delays in planned retirements, though for different reasons: federal emergency orders in the U.S. and energy security concerns in the EU. Latin America reached 'No New Coal' status in 2025, while South Korea committed to a phaseout by 2040.

The Living Planet Report 2026 highlights a 73% average decline in monitored vertebrate populations between 1970 and 2022, while emphasizing that targeted conservation has successfully recovered species like tigers and green sea turtles. It identifies the energy, food, and financial systems as the primary drivers of nature loss and argues that while the energy transition has reached an 'accelerating' phase, the food and finance systems remain in an 'enabling' phase. The report calls for a whole-of-society approach, including the recognition of Indigenous Peoples' rights and the redirection of trillions in harmful subsidies, to trigger positive tipping points by 2030.

The document details WWF and Delterra's pilot projects in Jayapura and Merauke, Papua, which established that households are the primary source of food waste and that significant portions of discarded food remain edible. It identifies a 'missing middle' financing gap for infrastructure investments (typically $1–3 million) and proposes a three-phased approach—starting with prevention, moving to community-scale recovery, and ending with centralized facilities—to align with the waste hierarchy and reduce methane emissions.

The report provides a comparative analysis of how 16 countries and territories are operationalising OECMs through five primary legal and policy pathways: ministerial instruments, national guidelines, administrative procedures, sector-based recognition, and mechanisms for areas beyond national jurisdiction. It finds a high degree of global convergence and alignment with the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) Decision 14/8 criteria, while noting that countries adapt these standards to fit their specific governance and legal contexts. The document highlights the rapid growth in OECM reporting between 2021 and 2025 and provides recommendations for scaling these frameworks globally.

The report analyzes how 16 reporting jurisdictions and several others in development operationalize OECMs through five primary pathways: ministerial instruments, national guidelines, administrative procedures, sector-based recognition, and mechanisms for areas beyond national jurisdiction. It finds a strong global convergence toward the terminology and criteria of CBD Decision 14/8, while noting that most countries prefer non-legislative policy tools over new laws to achieve conservation outcomes.

The document examines food waste in Jayapura and Merauke, Indonesia, finding that households are the primary waste generators and that significant portions of discarded food remain edible. It highlights a 'missing middle' financing gap for infrastructure investments (USD 1-3 million) and proposes a three-phase roadmap: starting with prevention and reduction, moving to community-scale recycling (composting and Black Soldier Fly larvae), and finally investing in centralized waste management facilities.

The document outlines the drivers and challenges of traceability in global commodity supply chains, advocating for 'material-forward tracking' over 'product-backward tracing'. It details the technical elements of effective traceability, including event-based tracking, data standards (such as GS1 EPCIS), and the distinction between serialized and lot-based methods. The guide also evaluates supporting tools like geospatial analysis, certification systems, and scientific testing to combat fraud. Finally, it provides a 12-step implementation road map for downstream companies to build traceability capabilities, from securing leadership support to fostering industry-wide collaboration.

The document outlines a structured approach to move from human-tiger conflict to coexistence, utilizing the C2C (Conflict to Coexistence) methodology. It defines conflict and coexistence as dynamic spectrums influenced by risk, tolerance, and management effectiveness. The report details four key outcomes for monitoring—People, Livelihoods & Assets, Wildlife, and Habitat—and proposes a collaborative decision-making process using the nominal group technique to prioritize interventions. It summarizes 29 interventions, ranging from preventative measures like livestock enclosures and predator alert systems to response strategies like cognitive behavioral therapy, and evaluates their effectiveness based on robust evidence. Additionally, it presents nine monitoring tools and a theoretical framework for policy advocacy to support long-term sustainable management of tiger landscapes.

Konde.co, Marjin Kiri, and Trend Asia issued a statement condemning police intimidation during a book discussion in Yogyakarta on December 22, 2025. Police officers visited the site twice, questioning the lack of a 'crowd permit' and monitoring the event until its conclusion. The organizers argue that public discussions are constitutional rights protected by the 1945 Constitution and Law No. 39/1999, and that the event did not meet the criteria for police notification under Law No. 9/1998 or Police Regulation No. 7/2023. The statement links this surveillance to a broader pattern of silencing critical knowledge, specifically regarding the book's focus on women affected by the New Capital City (IKN), National Strategic Projects (PSN), the climate crisis, and corporate extractive expansion.

The report analyzes the application of JETP Standard 9 in Maluku, Indonesia, using case studies from Air Buaya and Pasir Putih to propose place-based strategies for workforce transition and infrastructure development during the shift from diesel to renewable energy.

The report identifies induction stoves as the most practical alternative to LPG in Indonesia, noting that they are cheaper than unsubsidized LPG for both households and the government. It highlights that current universal LPG subsidies are the primary barrier to adoption and proposes a reform where subsidies for well-off households are replaced by induction subsidies, potentially saving the government IDR 7–12 trillion annually. Recommendations include lowering voltage upgrade costs, implementing one-off connection subsidies for stoves and cookware, and targeting LPG subsidies specifically to low-income households.

The RV industry is identified as the largest consumer of tropical wood in the US, utilizing meranti or lauan plywood sourced from Borneo, Indonesia, which has contributed to a 50% decline in Bornean orangutan populations over 60 years. The text highlights that major manufacturers such as Winnebago, Thor, and Forest River, along with supplier Patrick Industries, lack the wildlife and forest protection standards common in other industries. It advocates for a transition to composite materials or Forest Stewardship Council certified wood to protect rainforests and Indigenous community rights.

The report argues that maintaining secure maritime food trade is a US national security imperative, as disruptions to key chokepoints—specifically the Suez Canal, Panama Canal, and Strait of Malacca—can trigger cascading global risks. Using a strategic foresight approach, the authors analyze four scenarios based on the uncertainty of international cooperation and port infrastructure resilience. They find that climate stressors, such as a projected global warming increase of over 2°C by 2040, threaten agricultural productivity and port operability. These vulnerabilities can be exploited by hostile actors, such as Al-Shabaab in Somalia, to weaponize food and destabilize regions. The report recommends that the US incorporate maritime food trade resilience into its National Security Strategy, invest in climate-resilient infrastructure, and revitalize flexible development assistance to prevent the erosion of soft power and protect military supply chains.

In 2025, electric vehicles (EVs) accounted for over a quarter of global new car sales, driven by a significant shift in emerging markets. While legacy auto markets in the US and Canada have seen a rollback of incentives, countries in Southeast Asia and Latin America are 'leapfrogging' advanced economies. Viet Nam and Singapore have reached EV sales shares exceeding 40%, surpassing the UK and EU. China continues to dominate as the largest market, with its exports increasingly targeting non-OECD markets such as Brazil, Mexico, the UAE, and Indonesia. The report highlights that EVs significantly reduce fossil fuel demand, with battery electric vehicles in Brazil delivering an estimated 90% reduction compared to internal combustion engine vehicles.

The document analyzes the strategic role of BRICS+ countries in the global critical minerals market, focusing on the potential for African members to move up the value chain and the complex dynamics of their cooperation with the European Union.

Civil society organizations have issued a legal notice (somasi) to President Prabowo, urging the immediate declaration of a national disaster status following devastating floods and landslides in Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra. As of December 8, 2025, the BNPB reported 974 deaths and 298 missing persons, with tens of thousands displaced. The coalition argues that the disasters were driven by excessive and illegal private sector exploitation, categorizing these actions as 'Ecocide Crimes'. They demand central government intervention for reconstruction and a comprehensive investigation into the structural causes and corporate beneficiaries behind the environmental destruction.

A World Weather Attribution study examines the role of climate change and natural variability in the devastating floods of November 2025 across Sri Lanka and the Malacca Strait. While observational data indicate a significant increase in the intensity of extreme 5-day rainfall events—up to 160% in Sri Lanka and 50% in the Malacca Strait due to a 1.3°C rise in global temperatures—climate models failed to consistently capture these trends, preventing a definitive quantitative attribution. The study also notes that La Niña and a negative Indian Ocean Dipole contributed between 5% and 13% to the rainfall in the Malacca Strait, while rapid urbanization and infrastructure failures exacerbated the humanitarian impact.

The document examines the rapid growth of Indonesia's nickel sector driven by global demand for clean energy technologies, noting that this expansion has caused high carbon emissions, workplace accidents, and social conflicts. It identifies gaps in Indonesia's regulatory framework regarding biodiversity, human rights, and sustainability reporting when compared to international standards. To address these, the brief recommends mandating ecosystem assessments, human rights due diligence, decarbonization plans, and improved benefit-sharing mechanisms for local communities.