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The document analyzes the bidirectional relationship between 'Africa Plus One' summits (TICAD and FOCAC) and the G20, focusing on how Japan and China use these platforms to compete for influence in Africa while integrating African development priorities into global governance.

The report concludes that the US model of ABS securitisation for PACE loans is not directly applicable to Europe due to regulatory differences, a lack of historical performance data for 'Simple, Transparent and Standardised' (STS) treatment, and diverse national legal frameworks. Instead, it recommends localised solutions such as covered bonds, residential mortgage-backed securities (RMBS), and aggregation platforms. The document provides a global market analysis of green bonds for low-carbon buildings and outlines standardisation principles for energy efficiency loans to attract institutional capital.

The report finds that while renewable energy investment reached USD 322 billion in 2018, it must almost triple to USD 800 billion by 2050 to meet climate goals. Investment is heavily concentrated in China, the US, and Western Europe, with a dominance of solar PV and onshore wind. The private sector provides 86% of capital, primarily through project developers. Off-grid renewables, though growing, represent less than 1% of total energy access finance, with Sub-Saharan Africa as the primary destination.

The 2020 Drawdown Report argues that the world can reach the Drawdown point by the mid-2040s if existing climate solutions are deployed with high ambition. The analysis categorizes 76 solutions into three primary areas: reducing emissions sources (electricity, food/agriculture, industry, transport, and buildings), strengthening natural carbon sinks (terrestrial, coastal, and oceanic), and improving society through health and education. The report emphasizes that these solutions are interconnected and that the net operational savings significantly outweigh the implementation costs, with estimated savings of 95.1–145.5 trillion USD against implementation costs of 22.5–28.4 trillion USD.

The report identifies 76 climate solutions categorized into reducing emission sources, reinforcing carbon sinks, and improving social equity. It argues that the world can reach the Drawdown point by the mid-2040s if existing solutions are scaled rapidly, noting that the net operational savings of these solutions outweigh implementation costs by four to five times. Key high-impact solutions include reducing food waste, improving health and education, and transitioning to renewable energy like wind and solar. The document emphasizes that these solutions are interconnected and require 'accelerators' such as policy changes and capital shifts to achieve the necessary scale and speed.

The Drawdown Review 2020 argues that the world can reach Drawdown by the mid-2040s to mid-2060s by scaling existing technologies and practices. The framework categorizes solutions into reducing emission sources, supporting carbon sinks, and improving society. The report emphasizes that the financial benefits of these solutions, with operational savings exceeding implementation costs four to five times over, outweigh the costs of action.

The executive summary highlights that current WTO disciplines fail to significantly limit the agricultural subsidies of major providers like the US and EU, nor do they adequately address the growing support from emerging economies like China and India. It suggests that reforming these rules is essential for achieving Sustainable Development Goal 2 (Zero Hunger) and ensuring global food system stability, especially amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. The authors propose simplifying rules by introducing a minimum level of trade-distorting support based on a percentage of production value, implementing stricter transparency requirements, and establishing new, gradually decreasing global limits on internal support to correct international inequalities.

Japan is ranked second among G20 OECD member countries for its low level of support for fossil fuel use, yet it remains the second-highest supplier of public finance for fossil fuel projects. While overall support dropped by 48%, Japan increased public finance for coal production by 944% relative to the 2014–2016 average. The document highlights significant transparency gaps and the continued funding of coal and LNG projects in countries like Bangladesh, Vietnam, and Indonesia.

The document analyzes the scale and nature of food export restrictions during the COVID-19 crisis compared to the 2007/08 period. It finds that while 22 countries imposed restrictions in 2020, the overall impact on globally traded calories and monetary value is significantly lower than in 2008. The brief notes that current food availability challenges are driven more by logistical disruptions than the supply shortages and high energy prices that characterized the previous crisis.

The document highlights that current WTO disciplines fail to constrain high levels of trade-distorting support in major economies like the US, EU, China, and India, while hindering the ability of other members to invest in food security. It proposes simplifying rules through new overall limits tied to agricultural output, increased transparency, and special treatment for developing countries.

The G20 Scorecard evaluates OECD and non-OECD members across seven criteria related to fossil fuel funding, including transparency, pledges, and the scale of support for coal, oil, gas, and power generation. It ranks countries such as Germany, France, and Brazil at the top of their respective groups, while others like the United States and Saudi Arabia receive lower scores in multiple categories.

The report finds that QAnon activity on Facebook grew month-on-month from April to September 2020, with engagement nearly doubling between April and August. This growth was driven by 'superspreaders'—personal profiles that mass-proliferate disinformation—and the co-opting of mainstream movements like 'Save the Children' and COVID-19 concerns. The analysis reveals a heavy reliance on 'Red-rated' unreliable news sites, though mainstream sources are often distorted to fit the narrative. Despite Facebook's October 2020 ban on QAnon pages and groups, the report argues the action came too late and was insufficient because personal profiles continued to promote the conspiracy. The research also documents the internationalization of QAnon, with significant activity in Germany, France, Italy, and Brazil, often localized to target regional elites.

The report finds strong public support for closing illegal and unregulated wildlife markets in four of the five surveyed Asian markets to prevent future pandemics. While awareness of COVID-19 was nearly universal in March 2020, perceptions of the virus's origin and transmission varied by market. In Myanmar, the wildlife trade was identified as the most concerning global issue, whereas in Japan, climate change was the primary worry. The survey also highlights a trust gap between the perceived importance of national governments in combating the outbreak and the actual trust placed in them, with medical professionals being the most trusted actors overall.

The Climate Action Tracker reports that current pledges put the world on track for 2.8°C of warming by 2100, while real-world actions suggest 3°C. Despite a 75% shrinkage in the coal pipeline since 2015, coal capacity increased by 63 GW in that period, and natural gas demand continues to grow rapidly. Conversely, renewable capacity is projected to increase by 1,200 GW over the next five years, driven primarily by solar PV and onshore wind.

The We Mean Business coalition asserts that the Marrakech Partnership is a crucial platform for integrating business, city, and civil society innovation into the UNFCCC regime. As the partnership's mandate expires at the end of 2020, the coalition emphasizes that public-private collaboration is vital for countries to submit and implement revised nationally determined contributions (NDCs) aligned with the 1.5°C goal and a net-zero economy by 2050.

Mighty Earth calls on Sumitomo Corporation to stop financing coal power plants in Asia and importing biomass that contributes to deforestation.

The National Adaptation Plan (NAP) process is a strategic framework established in 2010 under the Cancun Adaptation Framework to help countries identify and address medium- and long-term climate adaptation priorities. Unlike the earlier National Adaptation Programmes of Action (NAPAs) which focused on immediate needs, the NAP process aims to embed adaptation into standard development planning, budgeting, and decision-making. The process consists of three broad phases: planning, implementation, and monitoring and evaluation (M&E). It is designed to be country-driven, gender-responsive, and multi-sectoral, ensuring that adaptation is not treated as a separate environmental issue but as an integral part of national development. The document highlights the NAP process's central role in meeting the goals of the Paris Agreement, specifically Article 7 paragraph 9, and its synergy with Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction.

The report analyzes the potential for Brazil, Canada, China, Germany, India, Japan, and the United States to strengthen their mitigation targets to align with the Paris Agreement's temperature goals. It evaluates these potentials by examining socioeconomic data, historical emissions, current policy projections, global least-cost pathways using marginal abatement cost curves, and 'fair share' equity principles. The analysis also considers the political feasibility of deploying available low-carbon technologies and phasing out fossil fuel subsidies.

The document outlines two methodologies—fairness-based and cost-effectiveness-based—for determining national GHG emission reductions required to meet the Paris Agreement's goals of limiting warming to well below 2°C and ideally 1.5°C. It notes that current commitments, including those of Germany and the EU, are insufficient. The analysis focuses on major emitters including Brazil, Canada, China, the EU, India, Japan, the USA, and specifically Germany, to identify gaps between current Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and the levels of ambition suggested by mitigation potentials or fair shares.

The Climate Bonds Standard Version 3.0 provides a science-based framework for certifying green debt instruments. It mandates pre- and post-issuance requirements, including the use of a Green Bond Framework, independent verification by Approved Verifiers, and annual reporting on allocation and eligibility. The standard is designed to be compatible with the proposed EU Green Bond Standard and uses a specific Taxonomy and Sector Eligibility Criteria to prevent 'greenwash' and facilitate large-scale climate-aligned investment.