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The CESCR referenced climate change in 81% of its state reporting outputs in 2020 and 2021, focusing on mitigation policies, extractive activities, climate finance, and adaptation measures. The Committee specifically urged developed states to increase the ambition of their emissions targets and questioned the compatibility of continued fossil fuel use with human rights obligations. Additionally, the CESCR addressed the 'right to science' in General Comment No. 25 and developed a draft General Comment on Land, emphasizing the nexus between land rights and the climate emergency.

The report analyzes the 2020-2021 outputs of seven UN Human Rights Treaty Bodies (HRTBs), noting a significant increase in climate-related references despite COVID-19 disruptions. It highlights a shift toward questioning developed nations on mitigation and fossil fuel extraction, alongside a consistent focus on adaptation and the participation of vulnerable groups. The document also examines key individual communications, such as Teitiota v. New Zealand and Sacchi et al. v. Argentina et al., which establish precedents for climate-induced human rights violations and extraterritorial jurisdiction.

The report compares the Green Development Guidance (GDG) and the Green Investment Principles (GIP), finding them highly compatible and complementary tools for reducing environmental risks and accelerating green finance in the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). While the GIP is an industry-led voluntary initiative focusing on corporate governance and high-level principles for financial institutions, the GDG provides detailed project-level evaluation criteria, including a 'green light system' for project classification. The document recommends deeper information sharing, joint development of risk assessment tools, and enhanced communication between regulators and financial institutions to further align these frameworks.

The document outlines a comprehensive approach for Chinese financial institutions to manage environmental and social (E&S) risks in BRI projects. It emphasizes that proactive stakeholder engagement—comprising environmental information disclosure, public consultation, and the establishment of grievance mechanisms—reduces the likelihood of project delays and cancellations. The guide details the responsibilities of both financial institutions and their clients across the project lifecycle, from initiation and evaluation to construction and decommissioning. It aligns these practices with international standards such as the Equator Principles and IFC Performance Standards, while also mapping relevant Chinese regulatory requirements from bodies like the PBOC and CBIRC. A significant portion of the text is dedicated to the operationalization of an Environmental and Social Management System (ESMS) and provides case studies on tailoring engagement to local contexts in the DRC, Russia, and the Philippines.

The report finds that while global climate finance almost doubled between 2011 and 2020 to a cumulative USD 4.8 trillion, current growth rates are insufficient to meet climate goals. Renewable energy dominates mitigation finance, while adaptation and sectors like agriculture and industry remain severely underfunded. A significant barrier is the continued high level of fossil fuel subsidies, which exceeded total climate finance during the decade. The report emphasizes the need for a 20% annual increase in finance by 2030, reaching USD 4.3 trillion annually, and calls for holistic sectoral strategies and a shift in the financial paradigm to mobilize private capital.

The document argues that carbon offsetting is often used to justify continued emissions and delay the necessary phase-out of fossil fuels. It distinguishes between 'avoidance offsets', which are deemed incompatible with net zero goals, and 'removal offsets', which face significant challenges regarding permanence, additionality, and scale. The authors contend that the current carbon market reproduces global inequalities and risks negative social outcomes, particularly in land-based projects. They recommend that governments and businesses eliminate avoidance offsets, prioritize direct emission reductions, and fund necessary carbon removals through non-market mechanisms such as public financing or mandates.

The report examines the systemic risks posed by the 'new planetary reality' of the Anthropocene, where climate instability and biosphere depletion create non-linear financial risks. It argues that current ESG metrics and macroeconomic indicators (like GDP) are insufficient because they fail to account for planetary boundaries and natural capital. The authors highlight the disproportionate responsibility of high-income countries for ecological breakdown and the role of 'keystone actors'—including transnational corporations and 'Big Three' asset managers (BlackRock, Vanguard, State Street)—in driving or mitigating these risks. The document proposes a shift toward a precautionary approach to financial regulation, the adoption of impact accounting, and the use of social norm shifts to accelerate a just transition.

The report examines South Africa's transition from an internal combustion engine (ICE) automotive hub to an electric mobility market. It identifies key investment opportunities in public transport electrification, lithium-ion battery (LIB) production, passenger vehicle manufacturing, and industrial EV use in mining and construction. While South Africa has a strong existing automotive manufacturing base and significant mineral reserves for batteries, the EV market is hindered by high import duties, a lack of targeted subsidies, and a skills gap. The report emphasizes the risk of losing export markets as the UK and EU phase out ICE vehicles, while highlighting the Western Cape as an emerging greentech hub.

The document explains the fundamentals of battery cells, focusing on the critical role of lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries in electric vehicles (EVs) and renewable energy storage. It details the mineral requirements for cathodes and anodes, highlighting the high geographic concentration of production for graphite, cobalt, and lithium. The guide also analyzes the battery value chain, noting China's dominance in midstream processing and cell manufacturing, and discusses future technologies like sodium-ion and solid-state batteries.

The document defines 'critical minerals' as raw materials essential for renewable energy and clean technology, noting that criticality is context-specific and varies by country. It identifies two primary perspectives on criticality: security and control of supply (emphasized by the US, EU, and Japan) and value capture (emphasized by China, Australia, and Canada). The guide highlights the role of rare earth elements (REEs) in permanent magnets and lists key demand drivers such as e-mobility and decarbonization. It also discusses supply sources, including the significant role of artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) for cobalt and tantalum, and emerging sources like deep-seabed mining. Finally, it outlines the macroeconomic and geopolitical risks associated with mineral dependency, such as 'Dutch disease' and supply chain concentration.

The document provides a comprehensive overview of critical minerals, which are essential for renewable energy and low-carbon technologies. It distinguishes between two primary perspectives on criticality: supply security (emphasized by the US, EU, and Japan) and value capture (emphasized by China, Australia, and Canada). The text details the importance of rare earth elements, the drivers of demand—such as electric mobility and decarbonization—and the role of artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM). It also highlights the significant increase in mineral requirements for electric vehicles and the global demand projections for 2050, while warning governments about supply risks, macroeconomic volatility, and the 'Dutch disease'.

The document provides a comprehensive overview of critical minerals, which are essential for clean energy technologies and a low-carbon future. It explains that 'criticality' is context-dependent, defined either by supply security (import dependence) or strategic valuation (leveraging abundance). The text highlights the specific role of rare earth elements (REEs), the massive increase in mineral demand for electric vehicles and decarbonization, and the growing importance of artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) alongside emerging sources like deep-sea mining and phytomining. It concludes by weighing the economic opportunities of value chain development against risks such as production concentration, price volatility, and the 'Dutch disease'.

The report finds that while the French information ecosystem showed relative resilience during the 2022 elections, there was a significant rise in domestic anti-system narratives and far-right mobilisation. The limited impact of destabilisation efforts is attributed to the war in Ukraine diverting Russian resources, institutional pressure from the French government and EU (specifically the Digital Services Act), the regulated nature of the French electoral system, and the continued influence of traditional media. However, the authors warn of a growing trend of distrust in democratic institutions and the normalisation of polarising rhetoric by far-right actors using coordinated inauthentic behaviour and astroturfing.

The report examines how AI, as a dual-use technology, is being integrated into military capabilities and regulated through export controls in China, the US, and the EU. It highlights China's 'military-civil fusion' strategy and the US's efforts to maintain technological leadership, while the EU focuses on ethical standards and 'trustworthy AI'. The authors argue that the intangibility of software makes trade controls difficult and that the competition for AI dominance creates a 'dual-use security dilemma' that could destabilize strategic relations and nuclear deterrence.

The study examines the relationship between political institutions, support coalition identity, and deforestation. Using satellite data and expert-coded regime data, the author finds that while democratization is generally associated with forest loss, this effect is moderated by the support base: democracies with rural supporters are associated with reforestation. Conversely, regimes relying on urban supporters are linked to higher-than-average forest loss globally and in the tropics, potentially reflecting the consumption demands of urbanizing populations.

This report chapter analyzes the growth of the lower-middle-income population in high-impact countries in 2022, highlighting the risks associated with their potential purchase of inefficient cooling devices and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on income levels.

This report section analyzes the increasing vulnerability of the urban poor to extreme heat across 54 high-impact countries in 2022, highlighting a rise in the population at high risk due to lack of access to cooling.

The report evaluates sustainable cooling policy progress in the 'Critical 9' countries, finding that while energy efficiency policies exist, they are inconsistently implemented and often fail to cover off-grid devices or reflect best-in-class technology. It highlights a significant gap in integrating cooling demand into national electrification planning and financial incentives, while noting varying levels of adoption of National Cooling Action Plans (NCAPs) and the Kigali Amendment.

The document describes the evolving landscape of the sustainable cooling community of practice, highlighting the growth of initiatives since the 2016 Kigali Amendment and the roles of various philanthropic, multilateral, and international organizations in coordinating advocacy, finance, and technical support.

This report section analyzes the middle-income population at risk due to a lack of access to sustainable cooling in 2022, focusing on high-impact countries. It details a global decline in this demographic, driven largely by the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, and provides regional and country-specific breakdowns of population shifts.