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The document is a call to action from a coalition of civil society, smallholders' and Indigenous Peoples' organisations directed at EU Ministers, Commissioners, and Members of the European Parliament. It advocates for a robust EU regulation on deforestation-free products to protect biodiversity, climate, and human rights, outlining ten specific requirements for the law to be considered effective.

The document opposes the push for new gas infrastructure in Africa, which it describes as a short-term solution for European energy security that risks irreversible climate disaster. It highlights the disproportionate impact of climate change on Africa, the environmental damage caused by gas extraction in Nigeria and Mozambique, and the inadequacy of 'net zero' pledges. The authors call for an immediate end to fossil fuel financing and the implementation of a 100% renewable energy goal for Africa by 2050, funded by climate debt repayments from the Global North.

The document opposes the promotion of natural gas as a 'transition fuel' in Africa, arguing that such projects primarily benefit European energy security and corporate profits while exacerbating climate vulnerability and poverty on the continent. It highlights the environmental damage in the Niger Delta and Cabo Delgado, criticizes 'Net Zero' as greenwashing, and proposes a 100% renewable energy target for Africa by 2050. The authors call for an end to fossil fuel financing and demand an annual climate debt payment of $2 trillion from industrialized nations to fund loss, damage, and a just transition.

The report analyzes the proposed modernization of the Energy Charter Treaty (ECT), concluding that the reforms are too modest to support the energy transition. Key criticisms include the continued protection of fossil fuel investments in most contracting parties, the retention of a 20-year survival clause, and the failure to reform the investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) mechanism. The authors argue that the 'flexibility mechanism' for fossil fuel carve-outs is limited in practice and that broad investment protection standards, such as Fair and Equitable Treatment (FET), remain out of step with modern treaty practice, potentially exposing states to significant financial liabilities for climate-related regulatory actions.

Algeria's trade is heavily dominated by hydrocarbons, which accounted for 94% of exports in 2017. The country faces significant obstacles to industrialisation and diversification due to the influence of politically connected importers and a lack of regional economic integration within the Maghreb. While the European Union remains its primary trading partner, substantial informal trade exists with Tunisia and Mali, driven by tax and subsidy differentials.

ClientEarth asserts that the Energy Charter Treaty (ECT) obstructs climate policy by allowing fossil fuel companies to sue governments for compensation over environmental regulations. The organization argues that recent 'modernisation' efforts are insufficient, as they maintain a 'flexibility mechanism' that would allow litigation until the late 2030s and include protections for biomass and carbon capture. The document calls for a coordinated withdrawal of the EU, its member states, and the UK to eliminate the 'chilling effect' of the treaty on the European Green Deal and other climate commitments.

The International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) asserts that the modernized Energy Charter Treaty (ECT) remains problematic due to persistent investor protections and unclear fossil fuel carve-outs. IISD notes that the ECT has been a primary vehicle for fossil fuel investors to challenge climate laws, with 17% of all such disputes brought under this treaty. The organization argues that retrofitting the ECT is insufficient and calls for a new investment treaty designed specifically to advance climate-friendly investments.

The report highlights the high energy and feedstock intensity of the EU's plastic production industry, noting its significant reliance on Russian fossil fuels. It argues that reducing plastic production, particularly packaging, is a critical but overlooked lever for enhancing EU energy security and meeting climate goals.

The document examines the rise of 'greenwashing' litigation related to plastics, where companies are challenged over misleading claims about recyclability, biodegradability, and corporate sustainability. It details a proliferation of class actions in the US and Canada, NGO-led challenges in the EU and US, and increasing enforcement by regulators like the FTC and CMA. The briefing also identifies an emerging 'second generation' of lawsuits brought by shareholders who allege financial losses resulting from deceptive environmental statements.

The document examines the increasing legal vulnerability of companies regarding plastic leakage into the environment. It highlights significant settlements for plastic pellet spills in the US and Europe, the potential for lawsuits against consumer brands and producers for macroplastic waste, and the role of economic losses—such as those in the fishing and tourism industries—in driving future strategic litigation.

The document outlines the legal risks associated with plastic waste management, specifically focusing on incineration, recycling claims, and the illegal trade of plastic waste. It highlights how companies are increasingly exposed to litigation due to the environmental and health impacts of incineration, the perceived failure of recycling to solve the plastics crisis, and breaches of international waste shipment treaties like the Basel Convention.

The report contends that Europe's rapid expansion of LNG import capacity in response to the Russian gas crisis is disproportionate and environmentally damaging. It argues that new terminals will not address short-term energy needs due to long construction timelines, will create carbon lock-in, and increase methane emissions, particularly from US shale gas. The author asserts that existing capacity is sufficient to meet demand under net-zero scenarios and that funds should instead be diverted to renewable energy and energy efficiency to avoid worsening energy poverty and impacting the Global South.

A survey of over 6,000 respondents in France, Germany, Italy, and Poland reveals strong public support (90% or higher) for regulating methane leaks and equipment standards in the oil and gas industry, including for EU suppliers. While 68% of respondents recognize that atmospheric methane concentrations are increasing and 62% view it as a major climate problem, there is significant confusion regarding the composition of natural gas, with only 42% knowing methane is its largest component. Word associations vary by country; for instance, in Italy, methane and natural gas are viewed as synonyms and are not strongly associated with greenhouse gases.

The document examines the feasibility of using Canadian LNG to replace Russian gas in the EU, concluding that the 3-to-5-year timeline for building new Canadian facilities is incompatible with the EU's immediate needs and its medium-term goal of phasing out gas by 2025-2027.

Canada committed in 2009 to phase out inefficient fossil fuel subsidies, a goal it recently accelerated to 2023. However, the lack of a clear, shared definition of 'inefficient' remains a barrier. The International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) argues that Canada should adopt the World Trade Organization's definition of subsidies and apply four specific criteria—alignment with climate commitments, support for the low carbon economy, just transition consistency, and the effectiveness of the policy goal—to identify which subsidies are inefficient. The brief highlights that federal subsidies totaled at least CAD 1.91 billion in 2020, with additional billions provided at the provincial level.

The EU is facing an implementation gap where high renewable energy targets are not translating into on-the-ground deployment. By 2026, combined annual wind and solar additions are forecast to be only 38 GW, half of the 76 GW required for 1.5C alignment. Only four EU countries—Finland, Croatia, Lithuania, and Sweden—are on track for required wind capacity. A primary barrier is the permitting process; onshore wind permitting times in 18 analysed countries all exceeded the EU's two-year limit, with some taking up to 120 months. The report argues for enforcing the Renewable Energy Directive's permitting limits and streamlining administrative processes to enhance energy security and meet climate goals.

IISD experts assert that the modernized Energy Charter Treaty (ECT) fails to align with climate ambitions, specifically noting that the European Union and United Kingdom have agreed to maintain investment protections for existing fossil fuel assets for at least 10 years after the treaty enters into force. This allows fossil fuel investors to continue filing investor–state dispute settlement (ISDS) claims, potentially hindering the phase-out of oil and gas required to limit warming to 1.5°C. Consequently, several EU member states have announced plans to withdraw from the treaty, leading the European Commission to propose a coordinated EU-wide exit to avoid fragmented unilateral withdrawals.

The Independent Integrity Unit (IIU) report for the period of 16 April to 17 June 2022 details the opening of eight new cases, including four project-related and three staff misconduct cases. The Unit is advancing its operational framework through the development of an Investigation Manual, an Integrity Risk Rating Tool, and a Good Practice Guide for climate-financed projects. Key policy work includes updating Fiduciary Standards and developing secondary documents for the Administrative Remedies and Exclusion (ARE) Policy. The IIU also expanded its cooperation with 32 Accredited Entities via Memoranda of Understanding and participated in international forums on corruption and money laundering.

The document details the transition of Natasha and Andrew Akiwenzie from operating a commercial fishery to establishing the Bagida’waad Alliance, a non-profit focused on climate awareness and Indigenous stewardship. It describes how increasing storm intensity, warming waters, and invasive species led to the decline of the lake cisco (corégone) and the eventual closure of their business in 2018. The Bagida’waad Alliance now engages youth through filmmaking, digital media, and land-based learning, while advocating for the integration of Indigenous knowledge into federal and provincial climate policies.

The report demonstrates that Europe can achieve a 94-96% clean power system by 2035 at no extra cost compared to stated policies, provided wind and solar deployment quadruples. This transition would enable wider electrification, potentially halving fossil fuel consumption by 2030 and saving between €530 billion and €1 trillion by 2035. Key requirements include expanding interconnection, deploying electrolysers for green hydrogen, and phasing out coal by 2030 and unabated baseload gas after 2025.