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The briefing advocates for a Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty to address the climate crisis by targeting the supply side of fossil fuels. It argues that existing frameworks like the Paris Agreement are insufficient because they focus on emissions rather than production. The proposed treaty would focus on three pillars: non-proliferation of new fuels, an equitable phase-out of existing production, and a global just transition. The document outlines necessary international cooperation, including new coalitions like the Beyond Oil and Gas Alliance (BOGA) and tools like the Global Fossil Fuel Register, while drawing parallels to successful treaties on nuclear weapons and landmines.

The report examines 93 unique plastic pollution reduction measures notified by nearly 70 WTO members. It finds that prohibitions on single-use plastics and import restrictions on plastic waste are the most common tools. The analysis highlights a lack of product diversity in current bans and suggests that WTO members could benefit from enhanced transparency, geographic expansion of successful measures, and the exploration of new thematic areas beyond common single-use items.

The document outlines a methodology to make water governance more inclusive by addressing power imbalances and recognizing diverse forms of knowledge. It introduces a 'PAR-Pathways' approach that allows stakeholders to identify their starting points, desired end-goals, and the specific activities needed to achieve equitable influence in water planning. Through four global case studies, the guide demonstrates how different pathways—including legal challenges, boycotts, and the granting of legal personhood to rivers—can lead to more just water management outcomes.

The document outlines an eight-step process for finance leaders to align GHG emissions reporting with financial accounting. It emphasizes the need for cross-functional collaboration between finance and sustainability teams, the application of risk and materiality assessments, and the extension of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems and internal controls to ensure GHG data is reliable, verifiable, and decision-useful for capital markets.

The document outlines the application of the GHG Protocol's three scopes of emissions—direct (Scope 1), indirect energy (Scope 2), and value chain (Scope 3)—within a corporate accounting context. It emphasizes using financial reporting boundaries and existing ERP systems to automate data collection from invoices, thereby improving data quality and auditability. The guide details three methods for Scope 3 upstream emissions: spend-based, activity-based, and supplier-specific, while noting the challenges of downstream calculations. It also introduces the International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB) standards IFRS S1 and S2, which require climate-related disclosures and GHG emissions reporting to be aligned with financial statements.

In 2022, solar and wind power continued their rapid growth, with solar being the fastest-growing source and wind recording the largest absolute increase. Conversely, nuclear power saw a significant decline, primarily driven by outages in France and Germany. Coal generation reached an all-time record high of 10,186 TWh, although its overall share of the global electricity mix slightly decreased. Hydro power rebounded after a poor 2021 but remains below 2020 levels due to droughts in Europe. Fossil gas generation remained relatively stable despite supply chain disruptions. To align with the IEA Net Zero Emissions scenario by 2030, the report argues that solar and wind must sustain high annual growth rates, coal and unabated gas must be phased out, and nuclear power must grow more rapidly than its recent historical average.

The global GSS+ debt market reached a cumulative volume of USD3.7tn by the end of 2022, though new issuance fell 24% year-on-year to USD858.5bn due to rising interest rates and macroeconomic instability. Green bonds remained the dominant theme, accounting for 58% of 2022 volumes at USD487.1bn, while social bonds saw the steepest decline (41%) as COVID-19 recovery funding tapered. Transition bonds were the only segment to grow, increasing 5% to USD3.5bn, driven by policy support in China and Japan. The report also highlights the emergence of sovereign sustainability-linked bonds (SLBs) in Chile and Uruguay and the need for a dedicated Climate Resilience Taxonomy to scale adaptation and resilience (A&R) financing.

The document explains that many metals critical for the energy transition and digital transformation are not extracted exclusively but as co-products or by-products of 'host' metals. This complementarity creates inelastic supply chains, high price volatility, and risks of material loss in tailings. It suggests that understanding these associations can help governments and companies identify new sources of minerals, such as reprocessing tailings, and improve national industrial strategies.

The UN 2023 Water Conference, held in New York, focused on accelerating progress toward Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG 6) through the Water Action Agenda. The event resulted in approximately 700 voluntary commitments totaling USD 300 billion and the announcement of a UN Special Envoy for Water. Discussions emphasized the water-food-energy nexus, the human right to water and sanitation, and the need for innovative finance and improved global water data. While the conference generated significant political momentum and new partnerships, analysis suggests that many pledges lack quantifiable targets and that the international community must quadruple its efforts to meet 2030 goals.

The document analyzes how the conflict in Ukraine has accelerated Europe's shift toward renewable energy while simultaneously causing severe ecological damage within Ukraine and destabilizing global food security. It highlights the systemic interplay between war, climate change, and environmental degradation, noting that the resulting ecological losses and food system disruptions may have long-term, irreversible effects.

The brief examines the WTO JSI on e-commerce, noting a shift toward a less ambitious agreement focusing on 'lower-hanging fruit' like e-commerce facilitation. It highlights the rise of Digital Economy Agreements (DEAs) and increased national regulatory activity, while noting that the JSI's December 2022 consolidated text reflects a dilution of policy coverage and the removal of a dedicated market access section.

The report provides a comprehensive stocktake of the WTO Joint Statement Initiative (JSI) on E-commerce as of December 2022. It highlights a shift toward a less ambitious agreement for the 13th Ministerial Conference (MC13), focusing on resolved trade facilitation issues while deferring controversial market access topics. The document analyzes the impact of increasing national digital regulation, the rise of flexible Digital Economy Agreements (DEAs), and the revitalized WTO Work Programme's focus on the digital divide. It details the structural changes in the December 2022 consolidated text (INF/ECOM/62/Rev.3), including the removal of the 'Market Access' section and the creation of an 'Annex' for low-support proposals. While 10 articles have reached 'clean' or 'convergent' status, significant gaps remain regarding cross-border data flows and source code. The report concludes that 2023 will be a critical year for finalizing a simplified agreement.

The report provides a comprehensive stocktake of the WTO's Joint Statement Initiative (JSI) on e-commerce at the end of 2022. It highlights a shift toward a less ambitious 'light' agreement focusing on minor facilitation points, while more contentious issues like market access and data flows remain unresolved. The document notes the rise of flexible Digital Economy Agreements (DEAs) and an increased focus on the digital divide within the broader WTO work programme. By December 2022, 87 WTO members participated in the JSI, though participation from African countries and Least Developed Countries remains marginal. The report details the progress of various technical small groups, noting that 10 articles have reached a 'cleaned' or 'convergent' state, while others, such as source code and cryptography, face persistent divergences.

The document argues that the Open Government Partnership (OGP) is an underutilized platform for conservationists to drive transparency, participation, and accountability in natural resource governance. It provides three specific templates for creating OGP commitments: beneficial ownership transparency to combat deforestation, openness and integrity in wildlife law enforcement, and participatory governance for Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). The guide emphasizes that these reforms help prevent 'open washing' by using multi-stakeholder forums and independent reporting to track government progress.

The policy brief argues that Canada requires a legal framework to ensure an orderly and equitable transition to a low-carbon economy. It recommends that federal legislation be based on International Labour Organization principles, guided by an independent advisory body, and supported by a network of just transition agencies in every province and territory, coordinated by a federal minister and institution.

The NZ–EU FTA represents a significant shift in trade policy by integrating enforceable sustainability and climate goals into a legally binding framework. Most notably, it is the first agreement for both parties to allow trade sanctions for breaches of commitments to the Paris Agreement. The agreement also includes the EU's first FTA articles on fossil fuel subsidy reform and harmful fisheries subsidies, as well as enforceable gender commitments. Additionally, it establishes a cooperation chapter on sustainable food systems covering organic farming and biodiversity. The author argues that this integration of trade and climate policy signals a future where trade negotiators must be proficient in sustainability to maintain a social licence to operate.

The 2022 activities of the Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC) show a sustained focus on climate change, with references appearing in 25 out of 33 State review processes. The Committee emphasized adaptation, mitigation, and the empowerment of children in policymaking, while specifically calling out the need for more ambitious emission reductions in developed nations like Germany. A significant portion of the CRC's work focused on the accountability of private actors in fossil fuel production and the extraterritorial obligations of States to protect children's rights abroad. Furthermore, the CRC developed a draft General Comment No. 26, which links a safe climate to the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment and advocates for the phasing out of fossil fuels.

The Healthy NDC Scorecard 2023 analyzes 58 NDCs to evaluate the integration of health into national climate policies. While 90% of analyzed NDCs mention health and climate linkages, the report finds a significant mismatch between health recognition and actual climate ambition, particularly in G20 nations. Low- and middle-income countries generally achieved the highest health scores, while several high-income nations scored zero. The report recommends enhanced intersectoral collaboration, the quantification of health co-benefits to secure financing, and the exclusion of the fossil fuel industry from climate policymaking.

The report finds that low-cost, repeated behaviors like reducing food waste are significantly more common than high-cost, one-time installations like heat pumps or solar panels. While many who adopted these behaviors faced minimal difficulty, non-adopters cited lack of awareness and lack of interest for low-cost actions, and high cost and home ownership issues for high-cost technologies.

The report argues that nature-based solutions (NbS) and carbon offsetting schemes often serve as a facade for corporate polluters to continue emitting while facilitating land grabbing and violating human rights. It provides numerous case studies across Africa, Asia-Pacific, Europe, and the Americas, highlighting systemic issues such as inflated carbon baselines, lack of free, prior, and informed consent (FPIC), and the failure of projects to deliver promised climate or social benefits. The document specifically critiques REDD+ projects, industrial tree plantations, and soil carbon programs for their lack of 'additionality' and their role in undermining food sovereignty and indigenous land rights.