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The document provides a comprehensive overview of global conflict trends from 1989 to 2019, noting a record high of 54 state-based conflicts in 2019. It highlights the significant role of the Islamic State (IS) in driving recent conflict increases and the prevalence of internationalized civil conflicts. While battle-related deaths have generally decreased over the last 20 years, specific hotspots in the Middle East, Africa, and Asia remain deadly. The paper also analyzes the decline in peace agreements since 2015 and the persistence of non-state conflicts, particularly violent drug cartel activity in Latin America and communal violence in Africa.

The document analyzes conflict dynamics in Asia from 1989 to 2019 using UCDP data. It finds that while state-based conflicts are generally declining and often low-intensity, Afghanistan remains a critical exception and the most violent setting in the region and the world. Asia recorded the highest absolute number of ceasefires globally between 1989 and 2018, but peace agreements have declined since 2006. Non-state conflicts in Asia are declining, contrary to global trends, while one-sided violence is generally decreasing but saw a recent increase in 2019 driven by Afghanistan.

The document argues that the India-Pakistan conflict is the core security dynamic of the South Asia Regional Security Complex (RSC), with Afghanistan serving as an 'insulator' or buffer zone. While India possesses greater aggregate power, the rivalry remains durable due to 'truncated power asymmetry'—where local parity in nuclear capabilities and territorial disputes in Kashmir offsets India's global superiority. The author contends that both nations project their internal insecurities and mutual mistrust onto Afghanistan, using it as a zone for proxy competition rather than a core security priority. Pakistan's engagement is driven by a need for 'strategic depth' and fears of Pashtun nationalism, while India uses economic aid to project regional leadership and counter Pakistani influence. The paper concludes that stabilization in Afghanistan is unlikely as long as the core insecurities within the South Asia RSC remain unresolved.

The document analyzes the UK's engagement in Afghanistan, arguing that an ideological commitment to liberal internationalism led to an over-ambitious 'comprehensive approach' that struggled against local realities. It details the transition from soft stabilization in the north to intense combat in Helmand, where strategic errors—such as the 'platoon house strategy' and the removal of a powerful local governor—intensified the insurgency. The paper concludes that the UK responded to these failures through 'mission creep,' escalating troop levels and expanding objectives without achieving decisive results.

The research examines the Central Asia Regional Security Complex (CA RSC), comprising Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. It argues that while these states share concerns regarding trans-border terrorism, extremism, and narcotics trafficking from Afghanistan, their primary security drivers are internal rivalries and the strategic balancing of global powers—specifically Russia, China, and the USA. The author contends that the 'Heart of Asia' concept fails because it underestimates inter-state non-cooperation and ignores the distinct security dynamics of sub-regions. Central Asian states employ a 'multi-vector' foreign policy to maximize benefits from competing external interests while guarding their sovereignty. Consequently, their engagement with Afghanistan is fragmented and unilateral, focused on extracting economic rent or preventing security 'bleed-out' rather than a unified regional strategy.

The 2008 Mumbai attacks were not only physical acts of violence but a 'staged' spectacle designed for maximum media visibility. The author argues that the 'truth' of the attacks was creatively reconstructed through media scripting, political opportunism by parties like the BJP, and the subsequent creation of new security agencies. The paper highlights a trend where counter-terrorism tools, such as the National Investigation Agency (NIA), are repurposed for counter-insurgency in India's frontier regions, potentially extending a 'state of exception' into domestic spaces.

The research examines whether armed conflict contributes to excess female mortality by affecting reproductive health and maternal mortality. The study finds that while conflict is associated with moderately higher maternal mortality rates, its effect on overall fertility is only significant in low-income countries, where it may act as a deterrent to the demographic transition. Unexpectedly, the study identifies that conflicts in neighboring countries are associated with lower maternal mortality, potentially due to the effectiveness of international health interventions for refugee populations.

The report asserts that existing production and export capacities are sufficient to meet global fossil gas demand, which is expected to peak before 2030. It highlights that demand declines in developed economies, such as the EU, Japan, and South Korea, will offset potential increases in emerging economies. The document concludes by calling for financial institutions to halt all support for fossil gas expansion, including new gas fields and LNG export terminals.

The world faces a 'triple crisis' of cost of living, energy security, and food security, which disproportionately affects developing countries and is exacerbated by rising energy prices. While the energy transition offers a path to address these issues, renewable energy deployment in emerging markets and developing economies (EMDEs) is lagging behind the Global North and China/India. This disparity is driven by a lack of access to capital and prohibitively high interest rates, which increase the cost of technology. For example, the cost of solar PV in Pakistan is 57% higher than in the United States due to capital costs. To unlock renewables, the document proposes systemic financial solutions focused on identifying investment pipelines, developing innovative financing mechanisms to crowd in private capital, and improving climate risk pricing and local currency investing.

The report evaluates the extent to which gender considerations are embedded in national energy policies and the corporate practices of energy companies. It utilizes a scoring system to analyze female participation, economic empowerment, education, and labor rights across different income levels and energy sectors, including renewable energy, energy efficiency, and electrification.

The report identifies a significant global cooling access gap affecting approximately 3.4 billion people, categorized into the rural poor, slum dwellers, carbon captives, and middle-income groups. It highlights the critical role of cooling in achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly regarding heat-related mortality, vaccine preservation, and agricultural food loss. The document emphasizes the intersection of the SDGs, the Paris Agreement, and the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol, warning that unmanaged demand for inefficient air conditioning could lead to a massive increase in energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. It proposes a holistic 'thinking thermally' approach, combining passive cooling, district cooling, and efficient technology with innovative financing models like PAYGO to provide sustainable cooling for all.

The policy brief highlights a critical window in the 2020s for emerging economies to leapfrog to green steel production, as these regions are expected to see the largest increases in steel capacity by 2030. It proposes five ways IFIs can intervene: acting as knowledge partners for policy frameworks, supporting green hydrogen roadmaps, de-risking investments for first movers and SMEs, utilizing green procurement in their own operations, and scaling up scrap-based secondary steel production and circular business models.

Pakistan's NDC 3.0 sets a voluntary target to reduce projected 2035 greenhouse gas emissions by 50%, with 17% achieved unconditionally and 33% conditional on receiving USD 565.7 billion in international climate finance. The plan integrates mitigation across energy, transport, and agriculture with a comprehensive adaptation strategy based on the 2023 National Adaptation Plan. Key priorities include transitioning to a renewable-dominant power mix, expanding electric vehicle adoption, and implementing large-scale nature-based solutions like the Recharge Pakistan programme. The document emphasizes a 'just transition' for the workforce and the integration of gender, disability, and social inclusion (GEDSI) into climate action.

The document introduces the FIRE framework, which consists of six dimensions—fundamental rights and equality, non-discrimination, participation and access to information, governance systems and structures, agency and empowerment, and social norms and context—designed to guide decision-makers in integrating human rights and gender equality into disaster risk reduction (DRR) and climate resilience (CR). It argues that social inequality is a key driver of vulnerability and that standard data collection, such as sex-, age- and disability-disaggregated (SADD) data, is insufficient on its own to understand the root causes of risk. The brief provides specific guidance on applying these principles to risk assessments, risk-informed development and land-use planning, and emergency preparedness and response, including early warning, evacuation, and camp management.

The report evaluates how SEI and ten peer organizations engage the public on climate change, combining an internal staff survey, a peer desk study, and case studies. It finds that while SEI uses a wide range of methods—from information extraction to participatory action research—there is a need for better internal knowledge sharing and more systematic impact measurement. Peer analysis highlights the value of targeted audience segmentation, the integration of web-based tools with face-to-face relationship building, and the use of diverse media to influence policy processes.

The SEI strategy 2025–29 focuses on three impact areas: climate transitions, nature and resources, and health and wellbeing. It introduces 'accelerating implementation' as a new strategic outcome to move faster on global goals. The institute aims to pursue innovative research on emerging topics such as critical raw materials, the sustainability of AI, and the intersection of climate transitions and international security, while strengthening its global integration as 'One SEI'.

The report argues that transitioning from national energy self-sufficiency to an integrated regional power system in Central Asia would enhance energy security, lower electricity production costs, and accelerate decarbonization. Modelling indicates that 'Unlimited transmission' could reduce electricity production emissions intensity by approximately 3% and save 1.4 billion USD in annual costs by 2050 compared to self-sufficiency. The document highlights the potential for Kazakhstan to become a hydrogen hub (primarily via 'blue' hydrogen) and for Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan to provide baseload hydropower. To achieve this, the report proposes a roadmap integrating technical, political, financial, and organizational considerations.

The report critiques the Indonesian government's strategy of using natural gas as a 'bridge' fuel, specifically focusing on planned gas infrastructure in Bali, including a Floating Storage Regasification Unit (FSRU) and several gas power plants (PLTG). It argues that gas is not a clean energy source due to methane leaks and carbon emissions, which contribute to the extreme weather and water crises already affecting Bali. The document highlights social and environmental damages from existing gas projects, such as the PLTGU Pemaron, and argues that Bali's significant renewable energy potential—estimated up to 26 GW—should be prioritized over fossil fuels to achieve true energy independence and climate resilience.

The report argues that MDBs fail to deliver genuine climate finance due to flawed accounting methodologies that allow fossil fuel-related projects, such as liquefied natural gas (LNG) and waste-to-energy incineration, to be counted as climate action. It highlights a systemic bias toward mitigation over adaptation and a preference for loans over grants, which exacerbates debt in the Global South. Specific analysis of the AIIB and ADB reveals transparency gaps, the inclusion of high-emitting projects in climate portfolios, and a failure to integrate gender equality and human rights into climate finance principles.

The document is a formal statement signed by a broad coalition of individuals, businesses, and civil society organizations calling for urgent government action to limit global warming to 1.5°C. It emphasizes that 1.5°C is a critical limit rather than a target and argues that current national pledges are insufficient to meet this goal. The signatories commit to a just transition and call for global emissions to be halved by 2030, highlighting the immediate impacts of climate change already visible in regions such as Pakistan, California, Europe, and Somalia.