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The document examines the environmental and human rights impacts of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, highlighting their contribution to global greenhouse gas emissions and biodiversity loss. It details the structural links between the fossil fuel and agrochemical industries, specifically the promotion of 'blue' ammonia and hydrogen using CCS as a means to secure long-term demand for natural gas. The text warns that this industrial model undermines food sovereignty and planetary boundaries, advocating for a transition to regenerative agricultural models.

The document argues that carbon offsets are scientifically flawed and act as a barrier to necessary emissions reductions, exposing companies to significant legal risks including consumer protection lawsuits, regulatory enforcement, and shareholder actions.

The report examines the global coffee market, highlighting the vulnerability of smallholder farmers to climate change and price volatility. It analyzes the impact of voluntary sustainability standards (VSSs), noting that while VSS-compliant production grew significantly between 2008 and 2019, it has recently faced a decline due to oversupply and a shift toward corporate sustainability programs. The document argues that sustaining the sector requires internalizing environmental costs, increasing demand for sustainable coffee in producing countries, and implementing living income reference prices to ensure fair compensation for farmers.

The document analyzes the role of major US banks in financing the global coal industry, highlighting a gap between their public climate pledges and their actual financial activities. It argues that weak corporate financing policies allow funds to continue flowing to coal developers despite net-zero commitments.

The three largest Japanese banks—Mizuho, MUFG, and SMBC—are criticized for slow progress toward net-zero goals, specifically for continuing to finance companies expanding coal, oil, and gas capacities despite their membership in the Net-Zero Banking Alliance.

The report by Reclaim Finance criticizes Mizuho, MUFG, and SMBC for their continued role as major financiers of the coal industry. While the banks have introduced restrictions on project financing for new coal, the document asserts these are insufficient because the vast majority of financing occurs through corporate loans and underwritings. Between January 2019 and November 2021, these banks provided billions of dollars to coal developers, including entities like China Huaneng Group and Adani Group. The author concludes that the banks are lagging behind international peers and must adopt stricter corporate-level exclusion criteria to align with the Net-Zero Banking Alliance and IEA pathways.

The author argues that Africa-EU relations are characterized by a historical imbalance and a lack of mutual respect, which is exacerbated by the EU's shift toward a 'geopolitical commission' and the diversion of security resources to Ukraine. The document highlights how the replacement of the African Peace Facility (APF) with the European Peace Facility (EPF) allows the EU to bypass the African Union (AU) in security decisions, prompting African states to seek transactional 'Plan B' partnerships with other global powers like China and Russia. The author contends that African positions on the war in Ukraine are driven by pragmatism rather than Russian influence, and warns that failing to acknowledge this nuance risks further deteriorating the partnership.

In H1 2022, cumulative GSS+ labelled debt reached USD 417.8 billion, a 27% year-on-year decrease attributed to inflation and market volatility following the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Green bonds remained the dominant theme, accounting for 52% of H1 volumes, while transition-themed Use of Proceeds (UoP) bonds saw a 2.5-fold increase from Q1 to Q2. The report highlights the expansion of sovereign GSS+ issuance, the introduction of the EU's Complementary Delegated Act including nuclear and gas, and the proliferation of national sustainable finance taxonomies in jurisdictions such as Colombia and South Africa.

Comparing 2021 and 2015 projections, G20 absolute emissions for 2030 are now expected to be 15% lower, with average annual growth rates slowing from 1.2% to 0.3%. Despite these improvements, collective emissions are still projected to increase until 2030, leaving the G20 off track to meet the 1.5 °C warming limit of the Paris Agreement.

Heat pumps are all-electric appliances that move heat rather than generating it, allowing them to provide both heating and cooling with high efficiency. They are available as air-source or ground-source systems and can be ducted or ductless. While upfront costs can be a barrier, they offer long-term savings over gas or electric resistance furnaces and eliminate indoor fossil fuel combustion risks. Recent technological advances have made them viable in cold climates, and they are increasingly integrated into climate action plans to improve energy security and public health.

The document serves as a handbook for Canadian municipalities to implement the 'localization' of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through Voluntary Local Reviews (VLRs). It outlines a 'basic recipe' for successful VLRs, including the establishment of local priorities, partnerships, inclusive participation, and data collection. A central theme is the necessity of integrating Indigenous knowledge and leadership to ensure the process supports transformative reconciliation. The guide synthesizes global and regional resources and provides case studies from cities such as Kelowna, Winnipeg, Espoo, and Malmö to illustrate best practices in data visualization, community storytelling, and the 'Leave No One Behind' (LNOB) principle.

The document examines how the Russia-Ukraine war has destabilized energy markets, undermining Russia's role as an 'energy superpower' and creating significant economic pressure on the Global South. It presents three scenarios: 'Stable high' prices, 'Persistent volatility', and 'Business as usual', analyzing how each affects national budgets, regional stability in the Middle East and Africa, and the global transition to renewable energy. The authors argue that while the crisis may incentivize some decarbonization, it also risks locking in fossil fuel production in the Global South and prioritizing immediate energy security over Paris Agreement goals.

The Union of Concerned Scientists finds that electric vehicles (EVs) in the United States produce significantly lower lifetime global warming emissions than gasoline vehicles, with the average EV reducing total lifetime emissions by 52% for sedans and 57% for pickup trucks. While EV manufacturing is more carbon-intensive due to battery production, the operational savings quickly offset this 'debt,' with breakeven points occurring between 17,500 and 21,300 miles. The report emphasizes that the emissions benefit of EVs increases as the electricity grid decarbonizes and recommends policies to accelerate renewable energy deployment, improve battery circularity, and increase vehicle efficiency.

Japan utilizes the 2018 Climate Change Adaptation Act and a revised 2021 plan to coordinate adaptation across ministries using 66 Key Performance Indicators. Domestically, the country employs local adaptation centers in 38 of 47 prefectures and the A-PLAT information platform to support municipal planning. Internationally, Japan provides technical expertise in disaster risk reduction, manages the Asia-Pacific Climate Change Adaptation Information Platform (AP-PLAT), and has committed to doubling adaptation finance to approximately $14.8 billion between 2021 and 2025.

The document argues that SMBC's reported role in the EACOP project exposes the group to reputational, financial, and legal liabilities, while contradicting its own environmental and human rights commitments.

Mighty Earth reports that the Japanese government has ended its overseas coal finance, leading to the cancellation of the Matarbari 2 coal power plant in Bangladesh. The organization attributes the project's failure to the withdrawal of Sumitomo Corporation as lead contractor on February 28, 2022, following a global campaign launched in December 2019. Roger Smith of Mighty Earth argues that Japan must now accelerate the retirement of existing coal plants without using 'duplicitous technologies' such as biomass, hydrogen, and ammonia.

The report argues that G7 economies face significant economic risks due to the interconnectedness of global supply chains, where climate-driven disruptions in production hubs—particularly in Africa, Asia, and Latin America—transmit shocks to industrialised nations. It cites examples such as the 2011 Thailand floods and recent flooding in Durban, South Africa, to illustrate how extreme weather causes global price spikes and production delays. Specific analyses for the US, Germany, UK, and Japan reveal vulnerabilities in sectors ranging from ICT and automotive manufacturing to food security. The document concludes that because labour cost differentials continue to drive the offshoring of production, G7 nations must cooperate globally and fulfill adaptation funding commitments to secure their own supply chains.

The Net Zero Stocktake 2022 finds that while net zero target setting has expanded significantly—particularly among national governments and large companies—there is an 'alarming lack of credibility' across the landscape. Fewer than one-fifth of national and sub-national targets meet minimum procedural robustness standards, and 65% of corporate targets similarly fail these standards. The report highlights a widespread lack of transparency regarding the use of external offset credits and a deficiency in covering Scope 3 emissions among companies.

The Net Zero Stocktake 2022 finds that while net zero target setting is becoming nearly universal at the national level and increasing among corporations and cities, a significant lack of credibility and robustness persists. Fewer than one-fifth of national and sub-national targets meet minimum procedural standards, and 65% of corporate targets fail these same standards. The report highlights a widespread lack of transparency regarding the use of external offset credits and a deficiency in Scope 3 emissions coverage among companies.

The document examines the progress of WTO negotiations on fisheries subsidies, detailing the three main pillars of the draft agreement: prohibitions on subsidies for illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing; subsidies for overfished stocks; and subsidies contributing to overcapacity and overfishing. It highlights the tension between imposing meaningful disciplines on the largest fishing nations and providing 'appropriate and effective special and differential treatment' for developing countries. The analysis also covers transparency requirements, notification obligations, and the potential inclusion of forced labour and non-specific fuel subsidies in the final deal.