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Reclaim Finance criticizes the involvement of over 20 financial institutions, including BNP Paribas, HSBC, and UBS, in a June 2024 secondary share offering (SSO) of 1.55 billion Saudi Aramco shares. While noting that an SSO does not provide new capital to the company for fossil fuel expansion, the author argues that such transactions reinforce the attractiveness of fossil fuel stocks. The document calls for a total ban on financial services—including coordination, bookrunning, and advisory—for any energy company continuing fossil fuel expansion, specifically targeting primary share offerings (PSOs) as a critical funding mechanism that must be prohibited to align with the IEA's Net Zero Emissions scenario.

From June 11-13, 2024, over 290 million people in Northern Africa, the Mediterranean, and the Middle East are forecast to experience extreme heat made at least five times more likely due to human-caused climate change. Maximum temperatures of 40°C or higher are expected in several countries, including Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Syria, and Egypt. The document highlights risks including wildfires in Greece, damage to Bulgaria's rose oil production, and increased vulnerability for refugees in Libya, Tunisia, and Algeria.

The petrochemical industry is a growing driver of global oil demand and greenhouse gas emissions, with nitrogen fertilisers and plastics as primary contributors. Rapid capacity expansion, particularly in China, is projected to increase emissions beyond 1.5°C warming limits. While technical solutions and recycling are proposed, the low cost of virgin plastics and the limitations of 'downcycling' hinder progress, suggesting that policy should prioritise reuse and the reduction of single-use materials over simple substitution or recycling.

The report argues that the UK is currently off track to meet its 2030 NDC and sixth carbon budget, necessitating a shift toward 'accountability and implementation'. It advocates for a systems-based approach that complements electrification with carbon capture and storage (CCS), low-carbon hydrogen, nuclear energy, and aggressive methane mitigation. Key recommendations include establishing a Methane Action Plan, creating a 'producer responsibility' policy for CO2 storage, and prioritising low-carbon hydrogen for 'no-regrets' industrial sectors like refining and ammonia production. The document also emphasises the need for international collaboration, particularly with the EU and emerging economies, to scale these technologies and maintain the UK's global climate leadership.

The workshop highlighted that Japan's continued reliance on fossil fuel imports creates acute security vulnerabilities and trade-offs, particularly when intersecting with climate hazards and geopolitical tensions. Participants identified that public opinion can be a driver for the renewable energy transition if technology is perceived as viable, and suggested that Japan should pursue an energy resilience alliance with like-minded countries such as South Korea and Taiwan. The report emphasizes the need for deeper inter-governmental dialogue across Japanese ministries to integrate climate security into national defense planning and to mitigate supply chain risks associated with renewable technology, specifically reliance on China.

The document examines the intersection of food insecurity, climate change, and conflict, noting that while food security is beginning to be mainstreamed into multilateral processes, there is a critical lack of climate finance for green transitions in food systems. It highlights how food insecurity can increase security risks and be exploited by terrorist organizations for recruitment, urging a shift away from donor-driven approaches and policy silos to treat food security as a predictive tool for stability.

The document outlines strategic priorities to combat youth unemployment in Uganda, emphasizing the need for anti-corruption measures, investment in agribusiness infrastructure, and the alignment of education curricula with 21st-century labour market demands.

The document analyzes global conflict trends using Uppsala Conflict Data Program (UCDP) data. It finds that while battle-related deaths from state-based conflicts decreased in 2023 compared to 2022, 2023 remains the third most violent year since 1989, driven largely by wars in Ukraine and Gaza. The report notes a record high of 59 state-based conflicts in 2023, suggesting a more complex conflict landscape where fewer countries experience a higher number of simultaneous conflicts. Non-state conflicts have stabilized at a higher level than a decade ago, with the Americas now the most affected region due to cartel violence in Mexico and Brazil. One-sided violence continues to be driven primarily by non-state actors, though thirteen governments were still responsible for such violence in 2023.

The document advocates for a guaranteed universal basic income (UBIG) in South Africa, defining it as a regular state cash transfer provided as a right to all adults. It argues that UBIG addresses structural gender inequalities by providing women with financial independence, recognizing unpaid care work, and reducing intimate partner violence. Additionally, it asserts that UBIG enhances social cohesion by reducing crime and increasing civic participation, provided the system is universal and unconditional to avoid social stigma.

The Middle East experienced an 11.2% increase in renewable energy capacity in 2022, driven primarily by solar PV. The UAE and Saudi Arabia have some of the world's lowest installation costs, while Gulf sovereign wealth funds are increasingly financing global and regional projects. Oman is leading in projected capacity additions, and Jordan is among the top eight countries globally for the growth rate of renewables in its energy mix.

Half of the world's economies are at least five years past a peak in fossil power generation, with 107 economies representing 38% of global electricity demand having seen emissions fall by nearly 20% over the last decade. While the EU, Oceania, and North America are in a period of decline, Asia and the Middle East are the only regions yet to reach a peak, though individual countries like Viet Nam and Japan show progress. The report emphasizes that the expansion of wind and solar is the primary driver of fossil fuel displacement, noting that without these technologies, power sector emissions would be 20% higher.

The author contends that the EU's response to the Israel-Palestine crisis and other regional issues is hampered by internal divisions and the lack of a comprehensive Middle East strategy. The text highlights how the unanimity rule allows single member states to block collective action, such as ceasefire calls or opposition to US-led peace plans. It suggests that as US influence in the region wanes, the EU has an opportunity to establish an independent role, potentially through 'green diplomacy', provided it can overcome its internal fragmentation and move toward qualified majority voting.

Friends of the Earth International condemns the killing of innocents and hostage-taking in the conflict between Israel and Gaza, describing the current military response in Gaza as a "crime de guerre". The organization advocates for the self-determination of the Palestinian people, the end of the military occupation of territories seized in 1967, and the implementation of a two-state solution based on pre-1967 borders. It specifically highlights the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where populations are cut off from electricity, water, and fuel, and calls for the international community to pressure Israel to comply with UN Security Council resolutions.

The report identifies clinker production as the primary source of emissions in the cement sector, accounting for 88% of total emissions. It evaluates three main decarbonization levers: substituting clinker with materials like fly ash and calcined clay, replacing coal and gas with biomass, waste, or green hydrogen, and deploying CCUS. While some progress is noted in developed markets, the report warns that absolute emissions will rise as production grows in emerging markets like India and Africa unless green processes are scaled. Key barriers include supply constraints for substitutes, high upfront costs for CCUS, and a lack of carbon transport infrastructure in high-growth regions.

China's solar panel exports grew by 34% in the first half of 2023, reaching 114 GW. While manufacturing capacity is sufficient to meet 1.5C pathway goals, bottlenecks in installation and grid integration are leading to increased stockpiles, particularly in Europe.

The document outlines the technical framework for calculating the Net Zero financing gap, detailing the criteria for climate finance data collection, the sources used for needs assessments, and the regional breakdowns for investment analysis.

The document argues that while clean energy transitions can drive development and gender equality, they risk reinforcing existing inequalities without intentional policy design. It identifies significant financing gaps, particularly for adaptation in low-income regions, and implementation barriers such as high connection fees for rural households. The authors recommend that the G20 facilitate lesson-sharing on policy innovations, promote gender-responsive programs that empower women as producers rather than just consumers, and establish a permanent platform for evidence generation on inclusive green transitions.

The report finds that despite having anti-money laundering and anti-smuggling laws, Senegal and Sierra Leone struggle to investigate the financial trails of migrant smugglers. This is due to a reliance on cash and informal payment systems like hawala, under-resourced financial intelligence units, and corruption within law enforcement. Smugglers often integrate their profits into the formal economy through real estate, travel agencies, and the hospitality sector.

The report finds that despite robust anti-money laundering policies, there are few criminal investigations into the financial proceeds of migrant smuggling in Senegal and Sierra Leone. Smugglers rely heavily on cash and informal transfer systems like hawala to move funds, which are then laundered through real estate, used car imports, and hospitality businesses. Financial Intelligence Units (FIUs) in both countries are underfunded and lack the specialized capacity to 'follow the money,' while corruption and a lack of witness cooperation further hinder prosecutions.

The document defines water weaponization as the exploitation of the human need for water by deliberately rendering it scarce or insecure. It applies a six-category matrix—Strategic, Tactical, Coercive, Unintentional, Psychological Terror, and Extortion/Incentivization—to the Russia-Ukraine war. Key findings include Russia's draining of the Kakhovka Reservoir, which threatens the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power station, and the use of water denial in cities like Mariupol and Mykolaiv. Ukraine is also noted for strategic water denial in Crimea (2014) and tactical flooding in the Demydiv region. The authors argue for the expansion of U.S. climate finance for water adaptation, the use of the International Court of Justice to prosecute water infrastructure destruction as war crimes, and the integration of water management into the Global Fragility Act.