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The author reflects on the impact of Extinction Rebellion's April 2019 protests in London, noting that while they successfully brought climate change to the mainstream, the movement now faces the challenge of maintaining this momentum. The text advocates for the implementation of a Citizens' Assembly to facilitate public policy discussions, while warning that decarbonisation goals—such as reducing meat consumption and flying—may face public resistance. It further emphasizes the need to increase ethnic and socio-economic diversity within climate activism to move beyond 'middle-class white folks' and ensure a 'just transition' that is socially sustainable.

The document analyzes the scale of plastic pollution in China, noting that China's 2017 plastic production was approximately 75 million tons. It details the EU's comprehensive approach, including the Waste Framework Directive and the Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive, which utilize Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) to shift financial and operational burdens to producers. The paper highlights EU targets under 'Plastics 2030' to make all plastic packaging reusable or recyclable by 2030. It concludes by recommending that China upgrade its legal systems, adopt whole-process management from production to disposal, and cooperate with the EU on transboundary waste treatment and global governance.

The document reports on the growth of sovereign green bond issuance in 2018, noting that sovereign issuance reached 10.5% of the green bond market share. It details specific issuances from countries like France, Indonesia, and the Seychelles, and outlines the development of the Green Bond Market Development Toolkit for emerging markets. Additionally, it describes the EU's progress toward a sustainable finance taxonomy and the efforts of central banks, such as the Bank of England and De Nederlandsche Bank, to integrate climate risk into financial supervision and stress testing.

The document examines the global green bond market for low-carbon buildings, highlighting the role of securitisations, covered bonds, and public infrastructure financing. It identifies Japan as a key player with significant potential to leverage these instruments for energy efficiency and climate adaptation.

The document examines the role of green bonds in decarbonizing the building sector, which accounts for approximately 28% of global energy-related CO2 emissions. It details various financial instruments, including Asset-Backed Securities (ABS) and covered bonds, used to fund energy-efficient construction and renovations. The briefing highlights the growth of the market, noting that as of November 2018, $126 billion had been allocated to low-carbon building assets. It specifically analyzes the Japanese market, where the Development Bank of Japan is the largest issuer, and suggests that Japan can further leverage its technical expertise in energy efficiency to attract green investment.

Global green bond issuance grew by 3% in 2018 to USD 167.3bn, with the USA, China, and France remaining the top national markets. While growth slowed compared to 2017, the broader labelled bond market—including sustainability and social bonds—increased by 13% to USD 226.1bn. The Asia-Pacific region saw the highest growth rate at 35%, and financial corporates became a primary driver of issuance. The report also notes a trend toward larger, benchmark-sized bonds and the emergence of sovereign blue bonds.

The document argues that public participation is essential for achieving sustainable development goals, as it provides local knowledge and increases the legitimacy of decisions. It distinguishes between 'invited spaces' (formal state-led processes) and 'created spaces' (citizen-led mobilization), noting that these often interact to influence policy. However, the authors warn that without intentional design to address social injustice, participation can reinforce existing inequalities and be hindered by technocratic exclusion.

The report analyzes how the 'Great Replacement' theory, originating in France, has been internationalized and mainstreamed through social media, alt-tech platforms, and the rhetoric of far-right politicians in Europe and North America. It details the role of the Identitarian Movement and the use of 'crisis narratives'—such as existential threat and conspiracy—to inspire actions ranging from 'remigration' (forced deportation) to terrorism. Quantitative analysis shows a steady increase in online discussions of these theories leading up to the Christchurch attack, while qualitative research highlights the use of dehumanizing memes and the co-option of official statistics to provide a veneer of legitimacy to white nativist ideologies.

ClientEarth warns that the Governance Regulation (GR) may allow EU Member States to bypass meaningful public participation during the initial drafting of National Energy and Climate Plans (NECPs). The briefing argues that waiting until after the first draft is submitted to the European Commission risks ignoring the interests of citizens and renewable energy developers in favor of fossil fuel operators. It highlights potential legal breaches of the Aarhus Convention and the SEA Directive, noting that some countries, such as Romania, have provided insufficient consultation windows (seven days). ClientEarth calls for a minimum eight-week consultation period before the first draft submission to ensure all policy options remain open.

The Defenders in Development Campaign urges states and development finance institutions (DFIs) to integrate human rights protections into development projects, noting that defenders of land and environmental rights face extreme risks of violence and criminalization.

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.

In Q3 2018, China's green bond market saw $8.5 billion in issuances, with financial institutions accounting for 51% of the total. While total issuance for the first three quarters of 2018 ($21.5 billion) exceeded the same period in 2017, only 49% of Q3 issuances aligned with international green bond definitions. Renewable energy remained the largest investment area, while water-related projects saw an increase in funding share to 18%. The report also details updated Climate Bonds Initiative (CBI) classification criteria for underground utility tunnels and hydropower projects to better align with the People's Bank of China's guidelines.

The report analyzes China's green bond market in Q3 2018, noting a total issuance of USD 8.5bn. It highlights that while total issuance for the first three quarters of 2018 (USD 21.5bn) exceeded the same period in 2017, only 49% of Q3 volumes aligned with international definitions. Financial corporates dominated issuance, and renewable energy remained the largest sector for proceeds. The document also details new regulatory guidelines from the PBoC, SSE, and CSRC, and updates to the Climate Bonds Initiative (CBI) taxonomy regarding utility tunnels and hydropower.

The 2018 Climate Accountability Scorecard evaluates eight major oil, gas, and coal companies, finding that while some have made minor improvements due to shareholder and legal pressure, their overall actions remain insufficient to align with the Paris climate agreement. The report highlights continued reliance on trade associations that spread disinformation and a systemic failure to set company-wide net-zero emissions targets.

The report analyzes the proliferation of sustainability metrics in the infrastructure asset class, distinguishing between project screening tools and accounting tools. It identifies key challenges in standardization, such as the high degree of project idiosyncrasy (materiality), the trade-off between measuring management practices versus performance indicators, and the influence of varying regional regulatory regimes. The authors conclude that while there is a desire for a single industry standard, the complexity of infrastructure will likely lead to a continued diversification of tools, with pioneering investors often using multiple systems simultaneously to balance project-level relevance with portfolio-level aggregation.

The report analyzes twelve sustainability standards for infrastructure, categorizing them into project screening tools (e.g., SuRe, Envision, CEEQUAL, ISCA, IFC Performance Standards) and accounting tools (e.g., SASB, TCFD, GHG Protocol, UN PRI). It evaluates these tools based on comprehensiveness, objectivity, clarity, transaction costs, and traction. The study finds that the industry lacks a single global standard, with investors often using multiple tools depending on the project's local context and regulatory regime. It highlights a fundamental tension between 'preservationist' public sector assessments, which determine if a project should be built, and 'conservationist' investor metrics, which focus on implementing projects in the most sustainable way possible.

Friends of the Earth International calls for an immediate transition from a pollutant-heavy energy system to a decentralized, people-led model. The statement rejects 'false solutions' like carbon capture and argues that developed nations must take primary responsibility for emissions reductions and financial transfers to the Global South to ensure a just transition.

Friends of the Earth International calls for a transition from 'Dirty Energy'—including fossil fuels, nuclear power, and large-scale hydropower—to decentralized, people-centered community energy. The statement criticizes 'false solutions' like BECCS and carbon offsets, highlighting the disproportionate responsibility of the global North for emissions and the need for a just transition that includes significant financial flows to the global South.

SEI scientists Peter Erickson and Michael Lazarus argue that limiting fossil fuel supply, specifically high-cost and high-emissions oil in California, is essential for solving the climate crisis. They contend that reducing production helps avoid stranded assets and that California's projected decrease in oil demand by 2030 allows for a production phase-down without increasing oil imports.