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In 2021, wind and solar power reached a record 10.3% of global electricity generation, but this growth was insufficient to offset a historic surge in electricity demand. Consequently, global coal generation and power sector CO2 emissions both hit all-time highs, with coal meeting 59% of new demand. While 50 countries now derive over 10% of their power from wind and solar, the report warns that the global energy transition is significantly off track from the IEA's net-zero pathway, which requires wind and solar to grow by 20% annually through 2030.

In 2021, global electricity demand grew by 5.4%, the fastest rate since 2010. While solar and wind generation continued to rise, coal generation reached an all-time high, leading to a 7% increase in power sector CO2 emissions. This resulted in the first increase in global electricity carbon intensity since 2011, moving the sector further away from the IEA's 1.5 degree pathway.

The report finds that the world's 60 largest banks provided USD $4.6 trillion in fossil fuel financing from 2016 to 2021, with $742 billion in 2021 alone. It highlights a significant gap between banks' net-zero commitments and their actual lending and underwriting practices, particularly regarding companies expanding oil, gas, and coal production. The analysis identifies JPMorgan Chase as the world's worst banker of fossil fuels over this period. The report also details financing in high-impact subsectors, such as tar sands, Arctic oil and gas, and coal power, while emphasizing the human rights impacts on Indigenous and frontline communities.

The document outlines the business case and technical process for seafood companies to adopt Science-Based Targets (SBTs) to mitigate climate change. It highlights that while seafood generally has a lower carbon footprint than land-based proteins, the industry faces significant risks from ocean warming and acidification. The guide details a process of data collection, GHG accounting using Life Cycle Assessments (LCA), and target setting through the Science-Based Targets initiative (SBTi). Key reduction strategies include the electrification of fishing vessels, the development of low-carbon aquaculture feed, and the reduction of air freight. It emphasizes that Scope 3 emissions—particularly from feed and transport—represent the largest challenge and require pre-competitive collaboration across the value chain.

The policy brief advocates for a synergistic approach to the climate and biodiversity crises within the post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF). It argues that Africa must take a leadership role to ensure that climate finance and implementation are 'nature-positive' and based on Nature-based Solutions (NbS) to prevent maladaptations, such as monoculture afforestation. The document emphasises that successful outcomes require the participatory inclusion of local and rural communities and the integration of urban ecological infrastructures.

The authors argue that the seizure of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant and threats to the Chernobyl site demonstrate the extreme dangers of nuclear facilities in conflict zones. They suggest the United States must develop a strategy to provide alternatives to Russian nuclear exports, monitor how these events affect global public perception of nuclear energy's role in climate mitigation, and adopt a more holistic approach to risk assessment that incorporates extreme climate projections and converging security threats.

The author argues that for the WTO's efforts on trade and gender to be effective, members must adopt a comprehensive 'gender lens' that distinguishes between economic empowerment and broader gender equality. The proposed framework includes identifying women's multiple economic roles, analyzing the bidirectional relationship between trade and gender, recognizing domains of inequality (capabilities, resources, and security), and applying this analysis across all stages of trade policy from negotiation to implementation.

The document examines how the Ukraine crisis intersects with climate security, emphasizing the need to accelerate the clean energy transition to neutralize Russia's fossil fuel leverage. It details the ecological degradation in Ukraine, including risks to nuclear sites and ecosystems, and warns of global food insecurity due to disruptions in wheat, maize, and sunflower oil exports. Finally, it assesses Russia's own vulnerabilities to permafrost melt and Arctic ice loss, noting that the conflict hinders necessary international climate cooperation.

The document examines the COVID-19 macroeconomic responses of South Africa, Nigeria, Senegal, Benin, Tanzania, and Uganda. It finds that wealthier, more open economies like South Africa and Senegal were more vulnerable to trade shocks but had greater capacity for fiscal and financial stimulus. In contrast, Tanzania and Benin experienced marginal growth deceleration due to minimal government reactions. The report highlights a looming 'debt repayment wall' peaking in 2024 and argues for a transition toward green energy, diversified revenue bases, and the redirection of Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) from high-income nations to support African development and climate adaptation.

The document examines the rising debt accumulation in Africa since 2010, noting a shift from traditional creditors to emerging economies like China and private bondholders. It analyzes how the 2008 financial crisis and COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated vulnerabilities, and argues that existing relief initiatives like the DSSI and Common Framework are insufficient because they often exclude private creditors and lack binding legal frameworks. The authors advocate for a statutory Sovereign Debt Restructuring mechanism and the adoption of UN-led principles to ensure transparency and fairness.

The ENVI rapporteur's draft report proposes a more ambitious and accelerated implementation of the CBAM compared to the European Commission's plan. Key points of divergence include a shorter transition period, expanded product coverage to include plastics and hydrogen, the inclusion of indirect emissions, and a commitment to provide development assistance to least-developed countries equal to the revenues raised by the CBAM.

The report investigates ten prominent textile certification and voluntary schemes, concluding that most are unambitious, opaque, and lack independence. It argues that these initiatives provide a 'licence to greenwash' for fashion brands, allowing them to project a sustainable image while continuing to rely on fossil-fuel-derived synthetic fibres and overproduction. The analysis highlights specific failures in the Higg Index, Cradle to Cradle, and the Microfibre Consortium, while noting that only a few schemes, like OEKO-TEX®, deliver on their narrow promises of chemical management. The document concludes that voluntary self-regulation has failed and calls for mandatory government legislation to ensure true sustainability and accountability in the fashion sector.

The document argues that reducing methane emissions by at least 45% by 2030 is essential to meet the 1.5°C target. It details sector-specific interventions: transitioning to agroecology and plant-based diets in agriculture, eliminating fossil fuels and fixing leaks in the energy sector, and implementing a waste hierarchy focused on organic waste prevention and composting in the waste sector. It further proposes a global governance framework based on monitoring, reporting, and verification (MRV), national action plans, and financial assistance for developing countries.

The report argues that while the Global Methane Pledge aims for a 30% reduction by 2030, a 40–45% reduction is necessary to meet the 1.5°C target. It details sector-specific interventions: shifting to plant-rich diets and improving livestock management in agriculture; phasing out fossil fuels and implementing leak detection in energy; and prioritizing organic waste prevention and composting in the waste sector. It further advocates for a global governance framework based on monitoring, reporting, and verification (MRV), national action plans, and financial assistance for developing countries.

The report evaluates the Biden Administration's efforts to prioritize climate security across four pillars: leadership, risk assessment, international partnerships, and resilience/prevention. While it notes significant progress in high-level leadership and the publication of risk analyses, it argues that the U.S. must move from planning to execution, specifically by increasing funding for resilient infrastructure, improving climate forecasting, and mainstreaming climate security within the State Department and military engagements.

The report examines how the decline of pollination and seed dispersal services threatens global food security, economic stability, and political order. It highlights that while global production tonnage may only drop by 5-8%, the impact is acute for pollinator-dependent nations and critical for nutritional health. The document also warns that seed dispersal failure undermines forest integrity and carbon sinks, potentially destabilizing fragile states where populations are highly dependent on forest resources.

The report argues that increasing fossil fuel production is an ineffective short-term solution for energy security due to the global nature of oil and gas markets. Instead, it uses the U.S. Energy Policy Simulator (EPS) to demonstrate that clean energy incentives—such as EV tax credits and building electrification—would significantly reduce U.S. fossil fuel demand. In a 'Moderate Scenario', these policies would reduce annual oil consumption by over 180 million barrels by 2030, more than offsetting 2021 Russian oil imports, and reduce natural gas consumption by 4.7 trillion cubic feet, roughly 85% of the EU's 2021 Russian gas imports. The report also estimates GHG emission reductions of 740 to 1,230 million metric tonnes by 2030.

Global Energy Monitor (GEM) finds that operating coal mines emit 52.3 million tonnes of methane per year, exceeding IEA estimates for oil and gas. The analysis identifies China, specifically Shanxi province, as the primary source of these emissions. GEM warns that proposed mine projects could add another 11.3 million tonnes annually, effectively locking in emissions equivalent to the coal-based CO2 emissions of the United States. To meet Net Zero 2030 targets, the report argues for a faster coal phase-out and the cancellation of new projects, as current mitigation measures are often insufficient or circumvented.

The report finds that global gas-fired power capacity in development (615 GW) now exceeds that of coal (457 GW), representing an estimated US$509 billion in capital expenditure. This expansion is described as ubiquitous across all continents, directly conflicting with the IEA's 1.5°C net-zero pathway. The authors argue that these investments face significant stranded asset risks as clean energy portfolios (CEPs) increasingly outcompete gas on cost, particularly in the US and Australia.

The South African Renewable Energy Masterplan (SAREM) outlines a framework to localise the wind, solar PV, and battery energy storage value chains. It argues that localising 70% of components and 90% of Balance of Plant (BoP) and Operations and Maintenance (O&M) could create 36,500 direct jobs and contribute R420 billion to GDP by 2030. The plan emphasizes the need for market certainty through consistent public procurement and the transition to a points-based local content scoring system to incentivize high-value manufacturing over simple CAPEX spend. It specifically targets 'Just Transition hotspots' like Mpumalanga to pivot coal-sector workers into the green economy.