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The analysis asserts that the current environmental acquis of the Energy Community Treaty is inadequate to prevent biodiversity loss and water deterioration caused by energy projects. It recommends the adoption of selected articles from the EU Birds, Habitats, and Water Framework Directives, arguing that such measures would not impose significant additional burdens since many Contracting Parties already have existing obligations under the Bern Convention or EU accession processes. The document details the specific risks posed by various energy sources—including coal, nuclear, wind, and hydropower—and provides a tailored legal framework for implementation within the Energy Community.

The document examines the COVID-19 pandemic as a systemic crisis that exposed deep inequalities and the fragility of market-based systems. It argues that the health crisis is inextricably linked to environmental collapse, specifically biodiversity loss and zoonotic risks. The text advocates for the revival of the social state, the implementation of a 'foundational economy' that prioritizes basic human needs over profit, and the adoption of 'technological humanism' to bridge the digital divide. It also analyzes the political responses of Green parties in Europe and the rise of authoritarianism and right-wing populism during the crisis, while highlighting grassroots solidarity networks and the disproportionate impact of the pandemic on marginalized groups, including migrants and the elderly.

The Croatian parliamentary election of 5 July 2020 saw the conservative Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) maintain dominance, securing 66 seats. Despite a tight race predicted by polls, the HDZ benefited from a low voter turnout of 49.6% and the leadership of Andrej Plenković. The centre-left Restart coalition, led by the SDP, underperformed with 41 seats due to ageing policies and leadership issues. The far-right Homeland Movement gained 16 seats but failed to become a kingmaker. A significant outcome was the success of the green-left coalition Možemo, which won 7 mandates, marking the first sizeable green force in the Croatian parliament. Možemo's success is rooted in grassroots activism for environmental sustainability, social equality, and anti-corruption, serving as a potential model for similar movements in Montenegro and Serbia.

The document identifies the Technical Assistance (TA) Facility for the Global Subnational Climate Fund as a Category I-2 environmental and social safeguards project. It lists target countries across Africa, Asia-Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean, and the Mediterranean, and confirms that an Environmental and Social Management System (ESMS) has been disclosed in multiple languages to comply with requirements.

A joint letter from various environmental and climate organizations calling on global insurance associations to ensure COVID-19 stimulus packages support a low-carbon transition rather than fossil fuel industries, while urging the insurance sector to end coverage for coal and oil and gas expansion.

The report finds that the EU ETS region is increasingly importing electricity from non-EU neighbors with high carbon intensities, effectively importing emissions and creating 'offshore carbon havens'. In 2019, the EU ETS region imported 26 million tonnes of CO2, with a net import of 20 million tonnes. The authors argue that the disparity in carbon pricing gives a competitive advantage to high-carbon generators in countries like Turkey, Ukraine, and the Western Balkans. To combat this, the report recommends a border carbon adjustment (BCA) on gross electricity imports to protect the integrity of EU climate policy and incentivize decarbonization in neighboring states. It also warns that planned increases in interconnection capacity (31% by 2030) and new coal power projects (up to 57GW) in connected non-EU countries will exacerbate the problem.

The project aims to shift Montenegro's transport paradigm toward low-carbon mobility through two main outputs: the design of an integrated, high-quality public transport system and the increased deployment of electric cars. It targets the reduction of 77,000 tCO2e in direct emissions over 10 years and 468,000 tCO2e in indirect emissions over 20 years. The strategy involves regulatory reforms, such as a carbon-based vehicle circulation tax, and financial incentives provided by the Green Climate Fund and the national Eco-Fund to make electric vehicles and buses financially attractive. Key targets include the procurement of 70 electric or hybrid buses and 1,300 electric cars for individuals, corporations, and public administration.

The author argues that EU enlargement in the Western Balkans has stalled due to a 'dull reality' where local leaders benefit from the status quo and the EU lacks the political will or understanding to enforce genuine rule of law. The Berlin Process is critiqued as a 'plan B' that prioritised technical compliance over substantive reform. The document highlights specific failures in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Serbia, North Macedonia, Kosovo, and Albania, while warning that an economic and strategic vacuum is being filled by China, Russia, Turkey, and the USA. It further expresses concern over Croatia's 2020 EU presidency given its nationalist tendencies and strained relations with neighbours.

The document advises Energy Community Contracting Parties on integrating various climate and energy planning efforts, such as National Energy and Climate Plans (NECPs), NDCs, and sectoral strategies, to reduce resource burdens and ensure policy alignment.

The document outlines the legal pathways for citizens and NGOs in Spain to access justice regarding environmental information, public participation, and the enforcement of environmental laws. It details the application of the Aarhus Convention and EU Directives within the Spanish legal system, highlighting the role of the 'acción popular' for non-profit organizations. A significant portion of the text focuses on the right to free legal aid (AJG) for environmental NGOs, noting a recent Spanish Supreme Court ruling that removes the requirement to prove financial insufficiency. It also describes international recourse options via the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU), the Aarhus Convention Compliance Committee, and the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR).

ClientEarth and the European Environmental Bureau are calling on EU Environment Ministers to push the Commission to revise the Aarhus Regulation. This follows a 2017 finding by the Aarhus Convention's Compliance Committee that the EU is in non-compliance because environmental NGOs have virtually no access to the Court of Justice of the EU to challenge EU institutional acts and omissions, except in cases involving access to documents.

The OSCE has struggled to implement its 2004 Gender Action Plan due to increased political polarisation, a consensus-based decision-making rule that grants all 57 participating States veto power, and budget constraints. While conservative states and the Holy See have resisted the 'gender' agenda, the document argues that the OSCE's field missions provide a critical opportunity to implement gender-oriented policies on the ground, provided their autonomy is protected from political turmoil.

As of 31 January 2018, the Green Climate Fund (GCF) had accredited 59 entities, with a pipeline of 198 entities having created accounts on the Online Accreditation System. The report highlights a strategic shift toward prioritizing direct access entities, which now constitute a larger share of those completing the accreditation process. It also details the ongoing support provided to direct access entities through readiness programs and gap assessments, and tracks the progress of accredited entities in fulfilling specific fiduciary, environmental, social, and gender conditions. Additionally, the document notes a temporary lack of quorum in the Accreditation Panel (AP), which delayed new accreditation recommendations for the nineteenth Board meeting.

The document highlights the critical state of environmental democracy, urging the 47 state parties of the Aarhus Convention to uphold the authority of its compliance committee, prioritize public welfare over corporate profit, and promote environmental rights globally.

The report evaluates the early stages of SDG implementation in the Baltic Sea Region (BSR), analyzing 11 countries: Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, Russia, and Sweden. It finds that while the region performs well in areas like poverty reduction, renewable energy share, and corruption, it struggles significantly with domestic material consumption and energy intensity. Implementation is currently fragmented, with varying institutional responsibilities and a general reliance on existing administrative structures. The report emphasizes a critical need for improved monitoring systems and stronger political leadership at the parliamentary level to ensure the 2030 Agenda is integrated across all government sectors.

The GCF-EBRD SEFF co-financing Programme aims to mobilize private sector climate finance by providing credit lines and technical support to local partner financial institutions (PFIs). The programme targets 13 countries, with an initial focus on Egypt, Georgia, Morocco, Tajikistan, and Tunisia, to finance over 20,000 projects in renewable energy, energy efficiency, and climate resilience. With a total budget of USD 1,538.5 million, the initiative seeks to reduce carbon emissions by approximately 29 million tonnes over its lifetime and create around 11,500 green jobs.

A coalition of networks and organizations calls for an ambitious revision of the EU ETS to stop the use of Article 10c and the Modernisation Fund for fossil fuel capacity, particularly in Central and Eastern Europe. They advocate for a higher carbon price to disincentivize coal and the redirection of funds toward energy efficiency and renewable energy.

The Green Climate Fund (GCF) reports progress on its Readiness and Preparatory Support Programme, which aims to assist developing countries in accessing Fund resources. Between 28 April and 18 June 2015, the total number of nominated national designated authorities (NDAs) or focal points rose to 127, and the total number of readiness requests reached 74. The Secretariat finalized grant agreements totaling US$ 1.9 million for seven countries: Comoros, Dominican Republic, Ethiopia, Federated States of Micronesia, Rwanda, Thailand, and Togo. The programme operates across five activity areas, including NDA strengthening, strategic framework development, accreditation support, project pipeline creation, and information sharing. Capacity-building efforts include regional workshops in El Salvador and South Korea, with future events planned for Fiji and Egypt, as well as headquarters visits for delegations from Mongolia and Fiji. The GCF is also coordinating with partners such as UNDP, UNEP, and the African Development Bank to ensure complementarity in readiness support.

The Prosol program (2005-2010) successfully scaled the deployment of solar water heaters in Tunisia by combining capital subsidies, concessional credit, and a unique risk-mitigation framework. By leveraging the state utility STEG as a debt collector and guarantor, the program reduced credit risk for commercial banks, leading to a 1:5 public-to-private investment ratio. The initiative not only increased installed capacity fivefold but also generated significant fiscal returns for the Tunisian government by reducing expenditures on liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) subsidies.

The document examines the humanitarian and economic dangers of poorly managed military weapons stockpiles in Africa, noting at least 27 known explosions between 1998 and 2011. It analyzes international and regional agreements—such as the UN Programme of Action and the SADC Firearms Protocol—and argues that a lack of transparency, inadequate physical security, and insufficient technical capacity lead to preventable disasters. Case studies of Mozambique and Tanzania illustrate the devastating impact of these explosions on civilian populations and the challenges of implementing national inventories and secure storage standards.