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The report argues that the production of fishmeal and fish oil (FMFO) for aquaculture is precipitating the collapse of fish stocks and compromising food security in the Global South. Investigations in India, Vietnam, and The Gambia reveal rampant illegal, unregulated, and unreported (IUU) fishing, including the capture of juvenile fish and the use of illegal nets. The report establishes links between these unsustainable practices and major European aquafeed companies and retailers. It further critiques the Marine Ingredients Organisation (IFFO) certification as a 'sustainability smokescreen' and warns that the industry's reliance on finite wild-fish resources poses a systemic risk to the aquaculture sector's long-term viability.

The report analyzes 61 green bonds (USD 56.6bn) from H1 2019, finding that EUR green bonds generally outperformed vanilla equivalents in oversubscription and spread compression. While 53% of allocations went to self-declared green investors, two-thirds of the sample priced without a new issue premium, and 61% showed tighter spreads than comparable bonds 28 days after pricing. A sector spotlight reveals that half of EUR Utility bonds issued in Q2 2019 were green, significantly exceeding the global average for the sector.

The analysis argues that large compensation payments to German lignite operators are unlikely to be legally justified because the sector is currently loss-making and most plants have already amortised their investments. Under the German Constitution, compensation is only required in cases of 'exceptional hardship', which is unlikely given the plants' low profitability. Furthermore, such payments would likely be classified as EU State aid, requiring European Commission approval. The document suggests the Commission would struggle to find such aid proportionate or necessary, as market forces and high carbon prices are already driving closures, and other countries like the UK have phased out coal without compensation.

The report argues that current carbon pricing and innovation funds are insufficient to transform the basic materials sector. It proposes a five-part policy package: a Climate Contribution to ensure full carbon cost internalisation, project-based Carbon Contracts for Difference (CCfDs) to hedge investment risks, Contracts for Difference (CfDs) for renewables to lower electricity costs, Green Public Procurement (GPP) to create lead markets, and long-term Product Carbon Requirements to phase out carbon-intensive materials.

The World Resources Institute (WRI) reported total assets of $169,995,735 and total net assets of $148,109,469 as of September 30, 2019. The organization's operating revenues for the 2019 fiscal year totaled $164,614,772, with the majority coming from grants, contributions, and contracts. While the auditors issued an unmodified opinion on the financial statements and compliance for major federal programs, they identified a significant deficiency regarding the timing of recognition for one conditional contribution of $5 million. WRI's programmatic work is organized around seven critical issues, including climate, energy, and forests, and is supported by subsidiaries in India, China, and Europe.

Unilever is implementing the Unilever Sustainable Living Plan (USLP) to reduce its environmental footprint, with goals to be carbon positive by 2030 and achieve 100% renewable electricity by 2030. While direct and indirect emissions declined 8% between 2017 and 2018, total emissions including the value chain rose by 3%. The company reports that consumer use of its products accounts for over 60% of its total greenhouse gas footprint. Unilever has achieved 100% renewable electricity across five continents and is trialling alternative fuels for transport, including HVO100 in Sweden and CNG in the US, India, and Turkey.

The document analyzes the vulnerability of global economic infrastructure to climate hazards such as flooding, extreme temperatures, and permafrost melt. It argues for a comprehensive approach to adaptation that integrates climate risk analysis 'upstream' into the planning, design, and financing stages of the infrastructure lifecycle. Key findings highlight significant risks to road networks, thermoelectric and hydropower plants, and water supplies, while proposing solutions ranging from nature-based 'Sponge Cities' to performance-based engineering standards and programmatic financing.

The Climate Bonds Initiative (CBI) has introduced the Climate Resilience Principles to integrate climate adaptation and resilience into the Climate Bonds Standard. The framework distinguishes between asset-focused investments (ensuring an asset's performance over its lifespan) and system-focused investments (delivering broader systemic benefits). It requires issuers to conduct physical climate risk assessments—covering hazards, exposure, and vulnerability—and demonstrate that investments are 'fit-for-purpose' and do not cause maladaptation. The Principles also address the potential for 'mitigation trade-offs,' where emissions requirements might be relaxed for projects providing exceptional resilience benefits. These Principles will be used by Technical Working Groups to create sector-specific certification criteria.

The author argues that the European media business model is broken due to falling advertising revenues, the rise of algorithmic polarisation, and opaque ownership structures. This has led to a decline in rigorous investigative journalism and the rise of 'fake news' and state-sponsored disinformation. The text suggests that current technical and legal fixes are insufficient and that governments must provide financial support, such as grants and subsidies, to ethical, fact-based journalism to protect democratic norms.

The analysis finds that the July 2019 heat wave in Western Europe was made significantly more likely and more intense by human-induced climate change. In France and the Netherlands, the event would have been extremely unlikely without human influence, with return periods increasing by at least 10 times (and up to a hundred times). In the U.K. and Germany, the likelihood of such an event is estimated to be about 10 times higher (at least 3 times) due to climate change. Across all studied locations, temperatures would have been 1.5 to 3 ºC cooler in an unchanged climate.

The paper argues that while youth are disproportionately vulnerable to climate change, they possess significant potential to drive adaptation efforts if shifted from a narrative of passive victimhood to one of active empowerment. It identifies institutional barriers such as tokenism and lack of platforms, as well as capacity challenges including limited funding and gaps in technical knowledge. The authors advocate for institutionalizing meaningful youth engagement, integrating climate education into national curricula, and creating dedicated financial mechanisms for youth-led adaptation projects.

The text analyzes how contemporary European political discourse uses the opposition to Islam to mask a contradiction between 1960s liberal values and traditional Christian identity. It argues that populist movements use Christianity as a mere identity marker rather than a spiritual guide, which paradoxically accelerates the secularization of Europe. The author contends that both pro-European and leftist parties fail to adequately address the role of religion, leaving the definition of European identity to be dominated by populist rhetoric.

The analysis concludes that human-induced climate change has made the June 2019 heatwave in France more likely and more intense. Observational data suggests that a heatwave of this intensity is occurring at least 10 times more frequently today than a century ago, with temperatures approximately 4C higher. While climate models qualitatively agree on the strong human influence, they show smaller trends and fewer severe heatwaves than observations, simulating a probability increase of between a factor of 2 and 20. The study emphasizes that early-season heatwaves in June have more severe health and organizational impacts than mid-summer events.

The report finds that German lignite plants became significantly unprofitable in the first half of 2019, with the entire fleet losing €664 million. Old units (pre-1990) were hardest hit, with gross profits falling 62% to €188 million. The analysis suggests that 24/7 baseload operation is no longer economic and predicts a €1.8 billion loss for old units between 2020 and 2022. Consequently, the author recommends that the German government push for faster closures, reject excessive compensation claims, and implement a minimum carbon price to prevent future profitability.

In the first half of 2019, EU coal generation fell by 19%, driven by the growth of wind and solar power, a shift toward fossil gas due to rising carbon prices, and specific plant closures. Germany experienced the largest absolute decline, while eastern European countries saw smaller reductions due to slower renewable energy deployment. The report argues that while carbon pricing has made coal less profitable, further declines require accelerated plant closures and increased investment in clean energy and grid infrastructure to ensure a full transition.

The authors contend that the EU is paralyzed by institutional inertia, the dominance of the Council, and the influence of vested interests. They critique Emmanuel Macron's reliance on a Franco-German bilateral engine, arguing that it ignores the reality of transnational politics and the effectiveness of coalitions like the Visegrád Group. The text suggests that breaking the deadlock requires leveraging the European Parliament, forming offensive and defensive coalitions, and using strategic unilateral action or the blocking of trade deals to force systemic change.

The case study explores how stakeholders in Dordrecht, a vulnerable Dutch city, imagine various climate futures to foster participatory climate resilience. Through narrative interviews, four scenarios emerged: a 'doomsday' future involving total dyke failure and depopulation; a 'disruptive' future marked by frequent pluvial flooding and heat stress; a 'challenged but bearable' future where adaptation measures like 'sponge' neighborhoods and increased water room mitigate impacts; and a 'climate resilient safe future' characterized by global carbon neutrality and systemic zero-carbon urban development. The research emphasizes that historical memories of floods, such as the 1421 St. Elisabeth flood, strongly influence current perceptions of risk and the desire for collaborative climate action.

This written submission by Friends of the Earth International (FoEI) analyzes the 'Zero Draft' of a proposed UN legally binding instrument to regulate transnational corporations (TNCs) and other business enterprises in regarding human rights. FoEI argues that the Zero Draft is too weak, lacks direct obligations for corporations, and fails to provide effective mechanisms to end corporate impunity, calling for a revised version that prioritizes human rights over commercial interests.

This research paper assesses the impact of removing consumer fossil fuel subsidies by 2025 across 26 countries, finding a simple average GHG emission reduction of 6% by 2030 compared to business as usual. The study argues that while FFSR alone is insufficient to meet Paris Agreement goals, combining it with a 10% energy tax and reallocating 30% of savings into renewable energy and energy efficiency could increase average reductions to 13.2% by 2030. It highlights that FFSR is a cost-effective tool, saving governments an average of USD 93 per tonne of CO2e removed. The paper also reviews the regressive nature of fuel subsidies and advocates for 'subsidy swaps' toward sustainable energy and social safety nets, noting that only 8% of current NDCs explicitly include FFSR.

The document argues that voluntary industry commitments have failed to stop deforestation and child labour in the cocoa sector, calling for the EU to regulate agricultural commodity imports.