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The author contends that the Biden administration should implement strong methane standards in its new NDC, noting that the U.S. could reduce oil and gas sector methane emissions by up to 65 percent using existing technology. Such a move would provide immediate climate benefits, improve health for millions living near facilities, and encourage similar actions from major emitters like China, India, and Russia.

Mexico has rapidly increased its solar and wind capacity to meet climate goals, but this expansion has faced significant social conflict. While the 2013-2014 Energy Reform introduced compulsory social impact assessments and consultation requirements to protect Indigenous rights, implementation gaps persist. Many communities report inadequate consultations and a lack of local benefit, leading to project delays and legal challenges, such as the 2020 Supreme Court ruling voiding permits for the Yucatán Solar Park.

In 2020, a significant increase in coal plant development in China offset a global retreat from coal, leading to the first increase in global coal capacity since 2015. While China commissioned 38.4 GW of new capacity, the rest of the world saw a decline of 17.2 GW, driven by record retirements in the U.S. and EU27. South and Southeast Asian nations, including Indonesia, Bangladesh, the Philippines, and Vietnam, announced plans to cut up to 62 GW of planned coal power due to falling renewable costs and financing difficulties. Despite these regional shifts, the report finds that global coal capacity remains far above the levels required to meet the IPCC 1.5 degree pathway, with an estimated 1,350 GW needing to be cancelled or retired.

In 2020, global coal-fired power capacity increased by 12.5 GW, driven primarily by China, which operated 38.4 GW of new capacity. This offset record closures in the US (11.3 GW) and EU27 (10.1 GW). While China's development grew as an economic stimulus during the pandemic, other Asian nations like Indonesia, Vietnam, Bangladesh, and the Philippines announced plans to cancel up to 62 GW of planned projects due to falling renewable costs and financing difficulties. The report concludes that current global trajectories remain far from the 1.5°C warming limit, with approximately 1,350 GW of capacity needing to be cancelled or closed to meet IPCC targets.

The report highlights a global divergence in coal power: while most of the world saw record closures and project cancellations, China experienced a significant boom in new capacity, offsetting global declines. In 2020, China's new coal capacity reached 38.4 GW, accounting for 76% of the global total. Conversely, the US and EU27 led in closures, with 11.3 GW and 10.1 GW retired respectively. In South and Southeast Asia, countries like Vietnam, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Bangladesh announced plans to cut up to 62 GW of planned coal capacity due to funding difficulties and the falling cost of renewables. The report also notes that global coal capacity is far exceeding the levels required to meet the IPCC's 1.5°C warming limit, with a projected 2,400 GW by 2030 compared to the required 1,100 GW.

The report analyzes how regional trade agreements (RTAs) can be used to scale the circular economy (CE) by integrating specific provisions into trade policy. It suggests that while the European Union is leading in including CE in its agreements, most RTAs remain embryonic in this regard. The authors propose a comprehensive framework for CE integration, including the front-loading of tariff elimination for circular goods, the liberalization of supportive services, the harmonization of technical standards to remove barriers to trade, and the reform of subsidies to discourage non-circular production. The report emphasizes that the legal effectiveness of these provisions depends on their drafting rather than their location within an agreement, though a dedicated CE chapter would signal strong political commitment.

The briefing details the work of the WTO's Informal Working Group (IWG) on MSMEs, specifically the adoption of a six-part package of recommendations in December 2020 to address barriers like access to finance, information, and trade facilitation. It also analyzes the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on MSMEs, particularly women-led businesses, and outlines national and international policy responses. Future plans include the development of the 'Trade4MSMEs' web platform and further exploration of digitalization and e-commerce customs duties.

The document details the progress of the WTO's Informal Working Group (IWG) on MSMEs, highlighting a set of six recommendations adopted in December 2020 to improve transparency, trade facilitation, and access to finance. It extensively analyzes the disproportionate negative impact of COVID-19 on MSMEs, particularly those led by women, and outlines national and international policy responses. Future goals include the launch of the 'Trade4MSMEs' platform and further exploration of digitalization and cybersecurity.

The briefing argues that the Powering Past Coal Alliance (PPCA) has failed to trigger a meaningful global coal exit due to significant loopholes in its declaration and a lack of monitoring. It highlights that many financial institution members continue to invest in coal, and co-chairs Canada and the UK are not leading by example, with Canada developing new coal mines. The document calls for a reform of the PPCA to align with climate science, requiring an immediate stop to new coal projects and a full sector exit by 2030 in OECD/European countries and 2040 globally.

The 2021 Endangered Seafood Guide by WWF International advises companies to avoid sourcing seafood species listed as Endangered or Critically Endangered by the IUCN Red List, as well as those in CITES Appendix I and II. The document emphasizes the necessity of robust traceability to prevent seafood fraud and the accidental sourcing of at-risk species. It specifically warns against 'ranched' aquaculture, where wild endangered fish are removed to be raised in controlled settings, as this increases pressure on wild populations. For sustainable alternatives, WWF recommends the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) for wild-caught seafood and the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) for farmed seafood, suggesting 'closed-cycle' (hatchery-reared) aquaculture as a minimum requirement when ASC certification is unavailable. The guide provides detailed fact sheets on high-risk groups including bluefin tuna, freshwater eels, sharks, and sturgeon, noting that some species, such as the totoaba, are subject to illegal poaching for high-value organs like swim bladders.

The report finds that the 60 largest global banks provided $3.8 trillion in fossil fuel financing from 2016 to 2020. Despite a 9% drop in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, financing levels remained higher than in 2016. JPMorgan Chase is identified as the world's worst fossil fuel banker, with $317 billion provided over the five-year period. The analysis highlights a significant gap between banks' 'net zero by 2050' pledges and their continued funding of fossil fuel expansion, particularly in sectors like LNG, offshore oil and gas, and coal. The report also details the human rights and environmental impacts of specific projects, such as the East African Crude Oil Pipeline and the Line 3 pipeline, and argues that current bank policies are insufficient to align with the 1.5C goal of the Paris Agreement.

The report positions urban centers as critical drivers for climate leadership and economic recovery, specifically examining Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, Mexico, and South Africa to propose pathways for inclusive and climate-resilient futures.

ClientEarth argues that the EU is overinvesting in methane gas infrastructure and urges the Commission to implement a methane product standard by 2025 to integrate climate costs into gas prices. The document recommends that public financial support for methane gas or gas-derived hydrogen be precluded or strictly conditioned on carbon capture and storage (CCS) and lifecycle emission caps. It further calls for institutional reform to ensure independent energy system planning, the prioritisation of energy efficiency over new infrastructure, and the cessation of the term 'natural gas' to avoid greenwashing.

This policy brief examines the supply and demand barriers preventing National Development Banks (NDBs) from financing green urban infrastructure. It introduces a 12-dimension 'maturity model' across strategic, financial, business, and operational parameters to help NDBs optimize their capacity. The brief argues that while NDBs are ideally positioned as intermediaries, few have the specific mandates or capitalization required to support local governments, necessitating coordinated action from national governments and development finance institutions.

The policy brief examines the critical link between environmental degradation and human health, framing the COVID-19 pandemic as a consequence of neglecting these interconnections. It argues that a 'green recovery' requires breaking down policy silos between health and environment ministries and integrating health co-benefits into climate and biodiversity finance. The document highlights the high economic and human costs of pollution, zoonotic diseases, and inefficient food systems, proposing a transdisciplinary 'planetary health' framework to guide sustainable development and safeguard against future global health crises.

The Green Central Banking Scorecard evaluates G20 monetary and prudential authorities across four categories: Research and Advocacy, Monetary Policy, Financial Policy, and Leading by Example. The findings reveal a significant gap between rhetoric and action, with most institutions scoring high in research but failing to implement high-impact policies that restrict financial flows to fossil fuels. China, Brazil, and France are the top-ranked countries, though no G20 institution has implemented a 'high impact' policy as defined by the report's criteria.

The document analyzes the evolution of the public sphere from physical spaces to digital networks, arguing that while technology offers potential for inclusion, it has also enabled state and corporate control, misinformation, and the marginalization of vulnerable groups. It highlights the importance of 'public interest media' and 'communicative action' to foster democratic accountability. Through case studies in India, Latin America, Palestine, and Ecuador, the text illustrates how marginalized communities use alternative media—such as feminist journalism in India (Khabar Lahariya) and community radio in Ecuador (CORAPE)—to resist hegemony and reclaim their right to communicate. It concludes by advocating for regulatory frameworks that prioritize human rights and digital justice over market logic.

The report presents a comprehensive inventory of 212 surveys and 276 core questions focused on migration aspirations, defined as the mental constructs including desires, intentions, plans, and expectations for migration. It analyzes these instruments through a framework that distinguishes between the nature and timeframe of the mindset and the action. The findings reveal a geographic concentration of research in Europe and Central Asia, a high prevalence of surveys targeting students and health workers, and a general lack of data availability, with only 25% of datasets reported as available. The authors conclude with 21 recommendations to improve the quality, translatability, and reporting of migration aspiration surveys.

The document examines how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected energy demand, security, and utility finances in emerging economies, arguing that the recovery phase presents an opportunity for a 'green recovery'. Using case studies from Indonesia, Kenya, Thailand, Mexico, and South Africa, it identifies common challenges such as household energy insecurity and financial stress for state-owned utilities. The authors urge governments to integrate green recovery into their NDC planning, commit to accelerated decarbonisation, and address systemic vulnerabilities to prevent social injustices during the energy transition.

The report highlights the critical link between the fast-fashion business model and the extraction of fossil fuels, noting that polyester is found in over half of all textiles. It warns that synthetic fibre production is projected to grow to 73% of total global fibre production by 2030, significantly increasing greenhouse gas emissions. The document dismisses current recycling efforts as a 'red herring' because less than 1% of clothes are recycled into new clothes, and most recycled polyester comes from plastic bottles rather than garments. It concludes that voluntary industry commitments are insufficient and calls for urgent legislative action, such as the EU strategy for textiles, to decouple fashion from fossil fuels and mandate producer responsibility.