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The report provides a comprehensive overview of energy transition progress in Brazil, Germany, Indonesia, Japan, Mexico, Pakistan, Philippines, Poland, South Africa, South Korea, Turkey, and Vietnam. It highlights the role of independent think tanks in driving policy breakthroughs, such as coal phase-outs and renewable energy targets, while identifying systemic barriers including political resistance, grid limitations, and financing gaps. The document argues that while technology strategies (renewables and electrification) are converging, national implementation is shaped by distinct local political and social factors.

The report presents findings from 80 semi-structured interviews with Polish and Romanian migrants in Barcelona and Oslo. It explores how these individuals perceive democracy, corruption, and social rights in their host and origin countries, and analyzes the motivations and barriers associated with voting from abroad. Key findings indicate that while migration can broaden perspectives, it rarely fundamentally shifts core political alignments. Voting behaviour is influenced by a mix of national identity, tactical goals, and practical accessibility, with mobilisation occurring primarily through personal networks rather than state-led campaigns.

The ENHANCE project (2017-2020) focused on integrating the EU Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS) into regional policies to drive the transition to a circular economy. By collaborating across six European regions, the project identified 24 good practices and implemented 31 actions, primarily focusing on regulatory reliefs and promotional incentives. Key achievements include the reduction of financial guarantees for waste companies in Estonia, tax reductions for EMAS organizations in Catalonia, and the integration of EMAS as an award criterion in Austrian green public procurement. The project engaged 375 stakeholders and concluded that stakeholder involvement and clear financial incentives are critical for the successful implementation of environmental policy instruments.

The report highlights 10 specific rivers globally that are threatened by hydropower development, arguing that such projects are based on outdated 20th-century thinking. It asserts that the 'renewable revolution'—specifically the falling costs of solar and wind power—allows the world to meet climate and energy goals without damming remaining free-flowing rivers. The document advocates for a 'LowCx3' (low-cost, low-carbon, low-conflict) approach to energy grids and calls for the protection and restoration of river systems to maintain biodiversity and climate resilience.

The Climate Change Performance Index 2021 finds that no country is currently on a path compliant with the Paris Agreement goals. While the EU improved its ranking to 16th place and countries like Sweden, the UK, and Denmark lead, major G20 emitters including the USA, Saudi Arabia, and Russia are rated 'very low'. The report highlights a divide between high-performing smaller nations and developing countries like Morocco, Chile, and India, and the lowest-performing fossil fuel producing nations.

The document examines the COVID-19 pandemic as a systemic crisis that exposed deep inequalities and the fragility of market-based systems. It argues that the health crisis is inextricably linked to environmental collapse, specifically biodiversity loss and zoonotic risks. The text advocates for the revival of the social state, the implementation of a 'foundational economy' that prioritizes basic human needs over profit, and the adoption of 'technological humanism' to bridge the digital divide. It also analyzes the political responses of Green parties in Europe and the rise of authoritarianism and right-wing populism during the crisis, while highlighting grassroots solidarity networks and the disproportionate impact of the pandemic on marginalized groups, including migrants and the elderly.

The report finds that the financial sector is the largest block opposing an EU taxonomy for polluting activities, with 74 institutions representing 45% of opponents. It highlights a contradiction where many financial players oppose the taxonomy while adhering to international climate initiatives. The document argues that professional federations are often used by influential members to push anti-climate agendas, and that opponents use misleading arguments to protect high-emission activities, particularly in the energy and steel sectors.

The document outlines eight categories of barriers to climate change adaptation—ranging from conflicting timelines and lack of resources to institutional constraints and climate skepticism—and provides a self-assessment questionnaire and a directory of resources to help local authorities implement adaptation measures.

The document identifies eight categories of barriers to climate adaptation: conflicting timescales/interests, leadership, resources, science, governance/institutional constraints, lack of awareness/communication, attitudes/values/motivations, and the adaptation process itself. It provides a self-evaluation survey for local authorities to identify their specific challenges and offers a curated list of resources and critical discussion questions to facilitate stakeholder engagement and problem-solving. Findings from CASCADE workshops indicate that spatial planners in the Baltic Sea Region perceive financial resource shortages as a primary barrier, while emergency management practitioners highlight climate skepticism as a significant challenge.

The report details the results of the BONUS RETURN project, which identified and evaluated ecotechnologies for recovering nitrogen, phosphorus, and carbon from wastewater and agriculture in the Baltic Sea Region. While agricultural waste recovery often showed positive net present value, wastewater technologies typically required expensive infrastructure, leading to negative net present values. The project emphasizes that transitioning to a circular nutrient economy requires shifting away from linear 'silo' thinking, harmonizing EU regulations for phosphorus, and adjusting fertilizer pricing to account for environmental externalities.

A group of NGOs is calling for the European Parliament, the European Commission, and the Council to make the CAP trilogue process transparent by publishing meeting calendars, agendas, minutes, and '4-column' documents, arguing that the CAP's 387 billion € budget and its role in the European Green Deal make it a matter of significant public interest.

The author argues that the Law and Justice (PiS) party used social policies as a 'smokescreen' to establish an authoritarian system in Poland. During the pandemic, the government introduced 'shield' legislation that attempted to exclude trade unions from layoff negotiations and grant the prime minister power to dismiss members of the Social Dialogue Council. These actions, combined with a Constitutional Tribunal ruling that significantly restricted abortion rights and the creation of 'LGBT-free zones', have alienated the working class and weakened the party's populist claim to represent the people. While the opposition has yet to fully capture the resulting undecided voters, the author suggests that defending social and reproductive rights is the primary path to challenging right-wing populism in Poland.

In October 2020, zero-carbon electricity sources in Europe, particularly wind and nuclear, outperformed fossil fuels, leading to a reduction in fossil fuel generation despite recovering electricity demand.

The report finds that while renewable electricity generation in the EU is projected to nearly double by 2030, the current National Energy and Climate Plans (NECPs) are insufficient to meet the EU Commission's recommended 55% emissions reduction target. Seven countries—Belgium, Bulgaria, Czechia, Germany, Italy, Poland, and Romania—are identified as the primary barriers, collectively projected to be responsible for 80% of the EU's power sector emissions by 2030 due to continued reliance on coal and fossil gas.

The Net-Zero Asset Owner Alliance (NZAOA) is criticized for a loophole in its thermal coal position paper that permits the completion of plants under active construction, potentially enabling 189.8 GW of new capacity. This contradicts the alliance's goal of net-zero emissions by 2050 and the IPCC's warnings regarding the 1.5°C warming limit. The document highlights the Turow lignite expansion in Poland as an example of a problematic project under construction and warns of significant stranded asset risks, noting that up to 72% of global thermal coal capacity could be loss-making by 2040.

ClientEarth identifies key legal and policy goals for 2017, including ending fossil fuel subsidies in the EU, implementing a new Clean Air Act in the UK, and pricing climate risk into financial markets.

ClientEarth argues that EU competition policy must be reshaped to internalise environmental externalities and support the Green Deal. The organization calls for an end to state aid for fossil fuels, a more holistic 'consumer welfare' test in antitrust and merger assessments that includes future generations, and increased transparency in state aid decision-making. It specifically recommends prohibiting aid to forestry biomass and fossil-based hydrogen, while introducing a 'green bonus' to incentivize truly sustainable innovation.

The report details five case studies on environmental litigation in Germany, Poland, the Netherlands, Austria, and Ireland. It examines the role of the Aarhus Convention and human rights in granting standing to NGOs and individuals, the impact of EU law on national forestry and air quality policies, and the obstacles facing environmental associations in accessing justice.

The report finds that Poland was responsible for 70% of methane leaks from Europe's operational coal mines in 2018. These emissions, totaling 659 kilotonnes, have a 20-year climate impact equivalent to 56.7 million tonnes of CO2, which exceeds the 2018 CO2 emissions of the Belchatów power plant. The analysis identifies two companies, JSW and PGG, as responsible for 90% of leaks from operational hard coal mines, with the Budryk deep mine identified as the largest emitter in Europe. The report recommends accelerating methane reduction plans, prioritizing the closure of methane-intensive mines, banning the release of captured methane, and integrating coal mine methane into the EU Emissions Trading Scheme by 2030.

The report highlights that Poland accounted for 70% of methane leaks from active coal mines in Europe in 2018. It argues that these emissions have a greater climate impact than the CO2 emissions from the Bełchatów Power Plant when using a 20-year warming horizon. The analysis identifies JSW and PGG as the dominant emitters, with the Budryk mine being the largest single source in Europe. The document recommends accelerating emission reduction plans, closing high-emitting mines, banning the release of captured methane, and integrating methane into the EU ETS by 2030.