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The paper examines the use of high-end climate change (HECC) scenarios in adaptation planning across the EU, Hungary, Portugal, and Scotland, finding that decision-makers generally view these scenarios as low-probability and do not routinely integrate them into current actions, often prioritizing non-climate drivers over climate change.

The document argues that Guinea-Bissau requires comprehensive institutional reforms to prevent political blockages and ensure stability. Key recommendations include revising the Constitution to clarify the powers of the President and Prime Minister, strengthening the National Electoral Commission, updating the 1991 Framework Law on Political Parties to increase transparency and gender representation, restarting the Justice Reform Programme (2015–2019), and relaunching dialogue on defence and security sector reform (DSSR).

The European automotive industry faces a 'perfect storm' of disruption driven by climate change, autonomous driving, and shared mobility. While Europe was the cradle of the car, it is now lagging behind competitors like Tesla and Chinese manufacturers in electric vehicle (EV) production and battery technology. The author criticizes EU policymakers for being too lax and suggests that the Greens are well-positioned to help steer the industry toward a sustainable and competitive future through pragmatic dialogue and ambitious regulation.

In 2017, renewables generated 30% of Europe's electricity for the first time, with wind, solar, and biomass overtaking coal generation. However, overall EU greenhouse gas emissions rose by approximately 1% due to increasing electricity consumption and a significant drop in hydro generation, which was the lowest this century. While Western European nations like the Netherlands, Italy, and Portugal announced coal phase-outs, Eastern European countries continued to rely on coal. The report also highlights the impact of the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS) reforms and the ongoing negotiations of the Clean Energy for All Europeans package.

The brief finds that while 66% of EU cities have climate plans, there is significant disparity based on city size and national legislation. National mandates in countries like Denmark and the UK significantly increase the likelihood of cities having plans, while many cities in Spain and Italy rely on international networks like the Covenant of Mayors due to a lack of national guidance.

Global Witness reveals that Norsudtimber, the DRC's largest logging company, is operating illegally on 90% of its sites, breaching the DRC Forest Code through a lack of management plans and logging outside authorized perimeters. The report highlights how the DRC government is complicit in this illegality, while international donors from France, Germany, and Norway continue to support industrial logging under the flawed theory of 'sustainable forest management' (SFM). Norsudtimber uses a complex web of shell companies in Liechtenstein, Hong Kong, and Dubai to obscure its beneficial owners and trade timber to markets in China, Vietnam, and Europe. The investigation finds that SFM is scientifically unsound for the Congo Basin, as tree species take 100-230 years to mature, far exceeding the 25-year rotation cycle. Furthermore, the report documents negligible development benefits for local communities and significant carbon emissions resulting from forest degradation.

The 2018 Sustainable Energy for All Forum highlighted that while progress is being made on most SDG7 objectives, the world is not on track to achieve universal energy access by 2030. Key discussions centered on the critical need to reform infrastructure finance, the emerging importance of sustainable cooling for survival and health, and the stagnation of clean cooking access, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa. The Forum advocated for a shift toward viewing energy as a set of services rather than just electrons, emphasizing the need for integrated planning and gender-inclusive investing to reach the most vulnerable populations.

Between 2010 and 2015, US$ 978 million in climate finance was committed to seven Indian Ocean and African SIDS, with 83% of these funds concentrated in Cape Verde and Mauritius. The financing was dominated by bilateral ODA loans (74%) and primarily targeted mitigation (56%) over adaptation (42%). Sectoral focus was narrow, concentrating on water and sanitation, energy, and general environmental protection, while critical resilience sectors like health, education, and agriculture were largely ignored. Disbursement rates were notably low, with only 39% of committed funds actually spent across the region, a rate significantly lower than for non-climate ODA.

The document examines the historical transition of AU–EU relations from the 1963 Yaoundé Convention through the Lomé Convention and Cotonou Agreement to the current Joint Africa–EU Strategy (JAES). It argues that despite institutional efforts to create an equal partnership, the EU continues to set the agenda and financial scope, maintaining a dependency model. The brief highlights key priorities for the November 2017 Abidjan Summit, including youth employment, migration, and energy grid investment, while recommending that the AU take a more proactive role in agenda-setting and pursue self-financing mechanisms to reduce donor reliance.

The summer of 2017 saw extreme heat across Southern Europe, including the 'Lucifer' heat wave in early August. World Weather Attribution analysis indicates that human-induced climate change significantly increased the likelihood of these events. A summer as hot as 2017 is now estimated to have a 1 in 10 annual chance in the Euro-Mediterranean region and is projected to become normal weather by the middle of the century under continued greenhouse gas emissions.

EDP has committed to science-based targets to reduce scope 1 and 2 emissions from electricity production by 55% per TWh and scope 3 emissions by 25% by 2030, relative to 2015 levels. To achieve these, the company is expanding its renewable energy portfolio by at least 700 MW annually until 2020 and investing in energy efficiency, including the deployment of smart meters in Iberia and Portugal. EDP reports a 57% reduction in CO2 intensity compared to 2005 and aims for 75% by 2030. The company identifies political and regulatory uncertainties as primary challenges and advocates for transparent carbon pricing to accelerate the energy transition.

The study concludes that anthropogenic climate change significantly increased the likelihood of the June 2017 heat event across Western Europe. Using observational data and multiple climate model ensembles, researchers found that such extreme heat is now more frequent, occurring every 10 to 30 years depending on the country. The risk ratio was highest in Portugal and Spain, where the probability of such heat increased by more than ten times due to global warming. The report also notes that under high-emission scenarios (RCP8.5), temperatures similar to June 2017 could become normal by the end of the century.

Angola is undergoing a critical presidential transition amid a severe financial crisis and rising social discontent. The report argues that the state's stability has relied on four unsustainable pillars: a centralized presidency, oil-funded patronage via Sonangol, instrumentalized foreign relations, and a securitized society. With plummeting oil prices and high debt—particularly to China—the ruling MPLA party faces internal factionalism and a strengthened opposition, primarily UNITA. The author contends that the incoming president, João Lourenço, must implement deep economic diversification and security sector reforms to avoid mass unrest or further authoritarianism.

Amory B. Lovins of RMI argues that subsidies for distressed nuclear plants are unjustified because closing high-cost nuclear units and reinvesting their operating expenses into energy efficiency can reduce more carbon than maintaining the plants. He contends that 'baseload' power is not a grid requirement and that variable renewables are more resilient and cost-effective than central thermal plants.

The document evaluates EU countries' positions on the Effort Sharing Regulation (ESR), which covers 60% of EU greenhouse gas emissions. Using a scoring system across five categories—starting point, land use loopholes, ETS surplus loopholes, governance, and ambition levels—it ranks Sweden as the leader and Poland as the lowest performer. The brief argues that most EU countries are pushing for loopholes that undermine the Paris Agreement, with the European Commission's own proposal scoring only 20 out of 100 points.

The EU Climate Leader Board ranks EU member states on their support for the Effort Sharing Regulation across five categories: starting point, ETS surplus loophole, land use loophole, governance, and ambition level. Sweden ranks highest with a score of 67, while Malta ranks lowest with a score of 2. The analysis concludes that no EU country is currently doing enough to make the regulation compatible with the Paris Agreement.

The report argues that the European Commission and various Member States are undermining the 2013 bans on four bee-harming pesticides, including neonicotinoids and fipronil, by exploiting a legal loophole for 'emergency authorisations'. Analysis of 62 notifications reveals that these authorisations are frequently granted without evidence of a genuine emergency, without considering alternative pest control methods, and are often driven by the pesticide and seed industry. The document highlights Romania as a primary example of this abuse, noting it granted one-third of all EU derogations for neonicotinoids between 2014 and 2016 despite evidence of bee colony losses and a lack of research into sustainable alternatives. The authors call for the Commission to increase transparency, systematically scrutinise notifications, and reject industry-led requests.

In 2015, Côte d’Ivoire's financial flows for REDD+ were significantly lower than the investment needs required to reach its 2030 goal of 20% forest cover. While 16.8 billion FCFA was aligned with REDD+ objectives, a much larger sum of 84.2 billion FCFA was spent on 'grey' activities—primarily agricultural intensification—that could potentially drive further deforestation without stronger safeguards. The report highlights a critical funding gap, noting that the minimum annual cost for reforestation and agroforestry is estimated at 173 billion FCFA. It argues that the government and international partners have a major opportunity to 'green' existing agricultural investments and calls for the creation of a National REDD+ Fund and improved land-use planning to leverage finance more effectively.

In 2015, Côte d’Ivoire received FCFA 16.8 billion in REDD+ aligned finance, a small fraction of the estimated FCFA 173 billion needed annually to reach its 2030 forest cover target. The report highlights a significant gap between ambition and means, noting that 87% of relevant international finance (FCFA 80 billion) was 'grey'—meaning it lacked safeguards to prevent deforestation. Key institutional bottlenecks include SODEFOR's inability to execute its reforestation budget and a lack of mainstreaming of forest protection in national planning. The report argues that 'greening' existing agricultural finance could increase aligned funding five-fold. It recommends creating a National REDD+ Fund, improving land tenure security, and leveraging the success of the OIPR's debt-swap funding model.

The document outlines the intersection of climate change and public health in Canada, highlighting risks such as extreme heat, wildfires, and food insecurity, particularly in the Arctic and among Indigenous populations. It advocates for a rapid phase-out of coal-powered electricity by 2030, the implementation of a National Active Transport Strategy, and the integration of Health Impact Assessments into federal environmental processes to mitigate health risks and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.