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The document provides a comprehensive overview of critical minerals, which are essential for clean energy technologies and a low-carbon future. It explains that 'criticality' is context-dependent, defined either by supply security (import dependence) or strategic valuation (leveraging abundance). The text highlights the specific role of rare earth elements (REEs), the massive increase in mineral demand for electric vehicles and decarbonization, and the growing importance of artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) alongside emerging sources like deep-sea mining and phytomining. It concludes by weighing the economic opportunities of value chain development against risks such as production concentration, price volatility, and the 'Dutch disease'.

The document outlines the 30-year history of Scientists for Global Responsibility (SGR), detailing its evolution from a merger of peace-oriented scientific groups in 1992 to its current role as an advocate for ethical science. Key activities include organizing the 'Climate Train to Kyoto' in 1997, publishing reports on the environmental impacts of the UK military and the risks of AI, and developing science education resources for schools. SGR has also contributed research to the campaign for the UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons and conducted critical assessments of the UK fracking industry.

The FIP Traceability Toolkit by WWF International provides a framework for implementing seafood traceability in the 'first mile'—the span from catch to first sale. It emphasizes the adoption of Global Dialogue on Seafood Traceability (GDST) standards to ensure interoperability across supply chains. The document outlines the importance of traceability for various stakeholders, evaluates monitoring tools such as e-logbooks and VMS, and provides a step-by-step toolkit consisting of a Traceability Gap Analysis and a Workplan Template. Case studies from the Philippines and Peru illustrate the application of electronic catch documentation and traceability (eCDT) systems in small-scale fisheries.

The Changing Markets Foundation and partner organisations inform Itoham Foods Inc. that it scored 1.6 out of 100 in a ranking of meat and dairy companies' climate policies, specifically noting a lack of methane-specific emissions reporting and targets. The letter demands disclosure of investments in methane abatement and alternative proteins and recommends the adoption of science-based targets aligned with a 1.5°C limit, including the reduction of absolute emissions and support for sustainable diets.

The Changing Markets Foundation and partner organisations inform NH Foods Ltd that it scored 7.2 out of 100 in a ranking of meat and dairy companies' climate policies, citing a lack of specific methane reduction targets or separate emissions reporting. The authors demand disclosure of investments in methane abatement and alternative proteins over the last five years and recommend that the company set absolute methane reduction targets aligned with a 1.5°C global heating limit.

The We Mean Business Coalition asserts that the global energy system is vulnerable due to fossil fuel subsidies and unpredictable weather, as evidenced by Storm Arwen and European supply issues. It advocates for the immediate end of public coal financing, the removal of fossil fuel subsidies by 2025, and increased public investment in green infrastructure. The text highlights the role of corporate initiatives like RE100 and the First Movers Coalition in driving demand for renewables, while noting that countries such as China, Japan, and South Korea remain difficult geographies for sourcing renewable energy.

The document compares the Rwanda-Peru (RP) and Japan (JP) draft resolutions for UNEA 5.2, highlighting that while both seek a global legally binding instrument and an intergovernmental negotiating committee (INC), they differ significantly in scope and mandate. The RP resolution adopts a broad 'plastic pollution' scope across all environments using a full lifecycle approach (upstream production to downstream waste), whereas the JP resolution focuses specifically on 'marine plastic pollution' with a stronger emphasis on downstream interventions and a goal to reduce additional marine plastic pollution to zero by 2050. Additionally, the RP resolution proposes an 'open mandate' for the INC and a stronger institutional framework, including a financial mechanism and a scientific and socio-economic body, which are absent or more limited in the JP draft.

The document clarifies the distinctions between Article 6.2 and 6.4 mechanisms, the role of 'corresponding adjustments' in preventing double counting, and the transition of the Kyoto Protocol's Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) into the new framework. It highlights risks such as the potential for 2.8 billion 'dud' credits from transitioning CDM projects and the lack of mandatory cancellation for ITMOs under Article 6.2.

The document reviews the history of ocean dumping regulations, focusing on the London Convention and Protocol, and examines the challenges of enforcing these rules against radioactive waste and emerging climate mitigation technologies.

The document condemns the travel bans imposed by the US, EU, and Canada on Southern African countries after the detection of the Omicron variant, describing them as 'unjustified and lacking scientific basis'. It argues that these measures penalize South Africa for its scientific transparency and ignore the 'vaccine apartheid' that left Africa as the most under-vaccinated continent, with only 6.66% of its population fully vaccinated. The authors state that these restrictions cripple struggling economies, specifically impacting tourism which accounts for 3% of South Africa's GDP, 11% for Namibia, and 13% for Botswana. Furthermore, the text highlights the role of 'vaccine nationalism' and the refusal of the EU, Switzerland, and Japan to waive intellectual property rights for vaccines as structural failures in the global pandemic response.

The statement criticizes the imposition of travel bans on Southern African countries, asserting that such measures are ineffective at stopping mutations and cause significant economic damage. It highlights the disparity in vaccination rates between Africa and advanced economies, calling for the decentralization of vaccine manufacturing, the implementation of a WTO intellectual property rights waiver, and a shift from unilateralism to collective global action to ensure equitable vaccine distribution.

ClientEarth argues that current Trade and Sustainable Development (TSD) chapters in EU FTAs are often insufficient and lack effective enforcement. The document proposes a 'blueprint' to integrate core environmental principles into the general chapters of agreements, make ratification conditional on multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs), and introduce a robust system of sanctions for non-compliance. It specifically advocates for the systematic inclusion of the precautionary principle and the creation of reciprocal complaint mechanisms for civil society. The briefing also details specific legal obligations the EU should seek regarding climate (1.5°C limit), biodiversity (30% protected areas), deforestation-free products, and the elimination of harmful fisheries subsidies.

The document argues that the lack of transparency regarding beneficial owners—the individuals exercising ultimate effective control over fishing vessels and facilities—is a primary enabler of corruption and IUU fishing. It details how 'flags of convenience' (FoCs), shell companies, and opaque joint ventures allow bad actors to evade sanctions, launder money, and engage in human rights abuses. The author highlights specific cases, such as the 'Fishrot' scandal in Namibia and the use of Chinese processing facilities to hide North Korean labor. To address these issues, the briefing recommends that governments implement public beneficial ownership registries, verify disclosed data, and that major market states like the US, EU, and Japan make beneficial ownership transparency a condition for seafood import access.

The author identifies several key environmental priorities for the WTO's MC12, including a deal on fishery subsidies and the launch of member-led initiatives like the Trade and Environmental Sustainability Structured Discussions (TESSD). The text emphasizes the need for inclusive cooperation that supports developing countries through financing and technical assistance to ensure a global green economy that does not leave the poorest behind.

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 document argues that African countries cannot rely solely on the developed world's unmet USD 100 billion annual climate finance pledge and must instead leverage collective bargaining, critical mineral resources, and regional trade agreements to secure funding. It highlights a significant finance gap and a concerning shift toward loan-based support that increases debt burdens for vulnerable nations. The author suggests that African states should link access to rare earth minerals to investments in local green industrialization and use platforms like the WTO and AU-EU negotiations to protect economic interests during the energy transition.

Friends of the Earth International views the COP26 pledge to end public financing for overseas fossil fuel projects by 2022 as a positive step but criticizes the exclusion of countries like Japan and South Korea, the continued domestic fossil fuel extraction in the UK and US, and the lack of climate finance for the Global South. The organization advocates for community-based renewable energy systems and denounces 'false solutions' such as net zero and carbon markets, while specifically calling for the UK to end financial support for gas exploitation in Mozambique.

Friends of the Earth International critiques the COP26 pledge by the UK, US, and 18 other nations to end public funding for overseas fossil fuel projects by late 2022. While welcoming the inclusion of oil and gas, the organization highlights the hypocrisy of countries like the UK and US continuing domestic extraction. It further demands a transition to community-owned renewable energy in the Global South, the cessation of 'net zero' loopholes and geoengineering, and specifically calls for the UK to stop financing gas extraction in Mozambique.

The analysis finds that emissions trends in 30 major economies are far from Paris Agreement goals, with group emissions projected to increase by approximately 0.4% per year between 2021 and 2030. While nearly two-thirds of the analyzed countries are expected to accelerate mitigation efforts in the 2020s, current policies remain insufficient, as global emissions would need to fall by 7.6% annually until 2030 to meet climate targets.

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.