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The paper examines the transition of Euro-African trade from the non-reciprocal preferences of the Lomé Convention to the Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) under the Cotonou Agreement. It argues that EPAs have been unrealistic for African least developed countries (LDCs) due to demands for 80% market opening, which threatens regional integration and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). While Europe remains Africa's lead trading partner (32% share in 2018), the author calls for a move away from paternalism and short-term free-trade expectations toward co-production and sustainable partnerships.

CATF Executive Director Armond Cohen outlines the organization's efforts at COP26 to prioritize methane emissions reductions and the deployment of next-generation carbon-free technologies. Key achievements include the launch of the Global Methane Pledge and the inclusion of methane and coal 'phase down' language in the final COP26 text. The document emphasizes that meeting net-zero targets requires an expanded suite of technologies beyond renewables, including carbon capture, hydrogen, and advanced nuclear energy.

Following a November 2021 phone call between President Joe Biden and President Xi Jinping, the Council on Strategic Risks (CSR) advocates for a shift in U.S. arms control policy toward a multilateral framework. The author suggests that progress with China can be achieved by focusing on 'strategic stability and risk reduction,' specifically proposing agreements to avoid arming cruise missiles with nuclear warheads, which would not require China to reduce its current arsenal.

The author highlights the shared history of underestimating the effects of both climate change and nuclear weapons. The text details how nuclear detonations cause immediate blast damage and long-term atmospheric disruptions, such as 'nuclear winter', which mirror the systemic risks of the climate crisis. It warns that current geopolitical instability, exacerbated by climate-driven resource scarcity, increases the risk of nuclear conflict, particularly in South Asia. The author calls for a revival of public discourse on nuclear risks to match the current momentum for climate action.

The Climate Action Tracker identifies a 'credibility gap' where current policies lead to 2.7°C of warming, while even the fulfillment of all 2030 targets would result in 2.4°C. Despite 90% of global emissions being covered by net zero targets, only 6% are rated as 'acceptable', and no analyzed country has sufficient short-term policies to reach its net zero goal. The report highlights the continued expansion of coal and natural gas as primary drivers of this failure.

The document argues that African countries cannot rely solely on the developed world's unmet USD 100 billion annual climate finance pledge and must instead leverage collective bargaining, critical mineral resources, and regional trade agreements to secure funding. It highlights a significant finance gap and a concerning shift toward loan-based support that increases debt burdens for vulnerable nations. The author suggests that African states should link access to rare earth minerals to investments in local green industrialization and use platforms like the WTO and AU-EU negotiations to protect economic interests during the energy transition.

The Hindu Kush Himalayas, known as the 'Third Pole', are experiencing rapid glacier retreat due to climate change, leading to an increase in the number and volume of glacial lakes. This has heightened the risk of glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs), which often present transboundary threats, as seen in the 2016 Bhote Koshi River flood where a lake breach in Tibet caused $70 million in damages in Nepal. Despite the high risk, early-warning systems are inadequate and cross-border cooperation remains limited, although initiatives like the Hindu Kush Himalaya Glaciers and Mountain Economy Network and the Koshi Basin Initiative aim to improve regional resilience.

The document examines how Sub-Saharan Africa can utilize the energy transition to foster industrialization. It proposes strategies including the creation of green industrial policies, the development of domestic manufacturing capabilities for clean technologies through research and skills transfer, and the strategic use of natural gas and critical minerals to bridge energy access gaps and move up the global value chain.

The report finds that new coal capacity in the IRP 2019 is unnecessary for energy security, more expensive than renewable alternatives, and incompatible with the Paris Agreement. Modelling shows that forcing 1.5 GW of new coal into the system increases total discounted power system costs by R23 billion in a reference scenario and up to R109 billion in a climate policy scenario. Furthermore, the study argues that a high-renewable pathway creates more jobs and supports higher GDP growth than a coal-dominated future.

The document traces the path from the 1972 Stockholm Conference to the 2017 entry into force of the Minamata Convention on Mercury. It highlights the role of activism and scientific evidence in driving global action and details the treaty's mechanisms for phasing out mercury-added products and regulating artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM). The brief also explains that the discrete nature of mercury's industrial sources and a stronger scientific consensus on its global threat allowed it to move toward a binding treaty, whereas lead and cadmium remain managed through voluntary partnerships and regional agreements.

The report finds that European retailers are failing to perform adequate due diligence on their farmed fish supply chains, with 76% landing in a 'red zone' of poor performance. No surveyed retailer has a clear target to eliminate wild-caught fish in feed, and none have policies to blacklist farms with high mortality rates. While some UK retailers show progress in transparency through the Ocean Disclosure Project, overall industry standards for fish welfare and labelling remain inadequate, often relying on insufficient third-party certifications.

The policy brief argues that the Build Back Better Act's EV incentives would accelerate market transformation, significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions and pollution-related deaths while boosting U.S. manufacturing. It details specific tax credits for passenger and heavy-duty vehicles, emphasizes the importance of income caps to reach moderate earners, and explains how BBB charging infrastructure complements the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act by focusing on community-level access.

China's commitment to cease overseas coal financing could remove two-thirds of the pre-construction coal pipeline in Asia, reducing it from over 65 GW to 22 GW. This shift, aligned with similar pledges from Japan, South Korea, and G20 nations, makes the remaining projects unlikely to be completed due to a lack of available capital. The report argues that cancelling these remaining projects would save US$27 billion in capital costs and avoid 103 million tons of annual CO2 emissions.

The briefing finds that sectoral pledges on methane, coal, transport, and deforestation could close the 2030 emissions gap by approximately 9% (2.2 GtCO2e), though global emissions would still remain nearly twice as high as necessary for a 1.5°C pathway. The Global Methane Pledge and the Glasgow Leaders’ Declaration on Forests and Land Use offer the highest likely impacts, while the coal and electric vehicle initiatives provide minimal additional reductions due to limited signatory participation or delayed phase-out timelines.

The document assesses Norway's cautious and ambiguous approach to regulating lethal autonomous weapon systems (LAWS) and military AI. It highlights the tension between Norway's NATO commitments and the need for arms control diplomacy in the face of technological advancements by Russia and China. The brief identifies significant legal and ethical challenges, such as the lack of accountability for AI-driven actions and the risks associated with dual-use technologies, while noting that definitional ambiguities and the consensus-based structure of the UN CCW have hindered international regulatory progress.

The document examines China's role as a primary funder and contractor of ICT networks in the Global South, specifically through the Digital Silk Road (DSR) initiative. It compares the implementation of a submarine fibre optic cable in Cambodia and the National ICT Broadband Backbone in Tanzania. The analysis finds that while these projects generally had limited environmental impacts and provided essential connectivity, they suffered from a lack of transparency and mixed results in socioeconomic mitigation, such as limited high-level technology transfer and underutilisation of infrastructure.

The report outlines systemic barriers to gridless services, emphasizing that failures often stem from a lack of understanding of user needs, regulatory gaps, and financial instability rather than technical performance.

The G20 countries account for 84% of global greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuels and 90% of global GDP, yet their climate commitments and financial contributions remain insufficient. While some G20 nations have submitted enhanced 2030 NDCs and net-zero targets, others, such as Brazil and Mexico, have reduced their ambitions. The document highlights a failure to meet the 2010 pledge of $100 billion annual climate finance for developing countries, noting that finance is often misdirected toward middle-income countries rather than the most vulnerable, and increasingly provided as loans rather than grants. Furthermore, G20 countries have provided more funding to fossil fuels (over $315 billion) than to clean energy (around $280 billion) since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The document details the status of five rhino species. The greater one-horned rhino and white rhino show recovery trends, while the Javan, Sumatran, and black rhinos remain critically threatened. Poaching is a universal threat across all species, with climate change and habitat loss specifically impacting the greater one-horned rhino.

The paper examines the potential of Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) technologies to transform South Africa's commercial landscape by reducing dependence on physical currency. It highlights the risks of cash-in-transit (CIT) heists and ATM attacks, noting that 243 CIT heists occurred in 2019. While acknowledging challenges such as the third-highest global rate of cybercrime and a large informal economy, the authors argue that digital payment systems—similar to those adopted in China, Kenya, and the UK—could improve security and economic inclusivity. The document identifies barriers to e-commerce growth in South Africa, including high banking charges, lack of funding for SMMEs, strict labour laws, and expensive internet data.