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The document examines the shift in Mozambique's strategy from treating the Cabo Delgado insurgency as a criminal matter to accepting international military support. It details the failures of the Russian Wagner Group, the role of the Dyck Advisory Group, and the subsequent deployments of Rwandan forces and the SADC Military Mission (SAMIM). While foreign troops have achieved quick gains, such as recovering Mocímboa da Praia, the brief highlights a critical lack of transparency regarding bilateral agreements and warns that insurgents are now dispersing into smaller groups in southern districts.

The document analyzes the deadlock in Syria's reconstruction, focusing on the impact of the Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act and the competing motivations of the US, Russia, and Iran. While the Assad regime has largely won the military conflict, it faces economic collapse and immense reconstruction costs. The US uses sanctions and a limited military presence in eastern Syria as leverage to force a UN-led political solution, while Russia and Iran seek to secure their strategic footprints in the Middle East. The authors suggest that US sanctions may act as a deterrent to reconstruction, potentially making the US a 'spoiler' in the process, while China's growing influence in the region may further dilute the efficacy of unilateral US pressure.

In 2021, 1.09 billion people in 54 high-impact countries were at high risk due to a lack of access to cooling, an increase of 50 million compared to 2020. This growth is attributed to the combined effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, which pushed millions into extreme poverty, and increasing global temperatures. Additionally, 2.34 billion lower-middle income people are identified as a risk to energy systems and GHG emissions because they are likely to purchase inefficient cooling devices due to price sensitivity.

The document provides the technical appendices for the 2021 Production Gap report, outlining the data sources and calculations used to determine the discrepancy between planned fossil fuel production and climate-consistent levels. It describes the 'countries’ plans and projections' (CPP) pathway, which aggregates data from 15 major producer countries and scales it globally using IEA STEPS. It also details the selection of 1.5°C and 2°C consistent pathways from the IPCC SR1.5 database, applying specific constraints on carbon dioxide removal (CDR) technologies. Finally, it compares the 2021 findings with the 2019 assessment, noting that the overall production gap remains largely unchanged despite minor declines in coal and oil projections.

A review of snow leopard research from 1904 to 2020 reveals that while publications have increased exponentially since the 1970s, knowledge is concentrated in a few hotspots, covering less than 23% of the species' range. Research is heavily skewed toward ecological surveys of abundance and distribution, with significant gaps in social science, disease ecology, and empirical evidence regarding the effectiveness of conservation interventions.

The report provides the first comprehensive scientific assessment of snow leopards in Mongolia, estimating a national population of 953 adult individuals. Using a two-step process of occupancy surveys and spatial capture-recapture (SCR) via camera traps, the study mapped the species' distribution across 326,617 km, categorizing habitats into high, medium, and low-density strata. The findings establish a baseline for conservation management and highlight the importance of maintaining transboundary populations with Russia.

The Climate Ambition Summit resulted in 45 announcements of new or updated Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), including ambitious targets from the EU, UK, and Denmark. However, the analysis finds that these commitments often rely on existing policies, remain conditional on unmet financial promises to developing nations, and fall short of the urgent emission cuts required by science to limit warming to 1.5°C.

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 Climate Action Tracker reports that net zero pledges announced by November 2020 could limit global warming to 2.1°C by 2100, though current policies still track 0.8°C higher than this optimistic target. While the Paris Agreement has driven a 0.7°C decrease in real-world emissions projections since 2015, the report emphasizes that governments must strengthen 2030 nationally determined contributions (NDCs) and implementation plans to bridge the remaining gap to 1.5°C.

The report finds that global power sector investment in 2018 was significantly misaligned with Paris Agreement goals, with 29% of new investment (USD 129 billion) flowing into fossil fuels. No major country or region is decarbonizing its power sector at the required pace, and no major investor category is fully aligned with Paris-aligned emissions intensity targets. The authors highlight a critical data gap, noting that asset-level transaction data was available for only 23% of tracked high-emissions power finance due to corporate balance sheet borrowing. To achieve alignment, the report recommends halting new carbon-intensive investments, accelerating the retirement of fossil-fuel plants, and scaling up low-carbon investments through public-private collaboration and improved climate risk reporting.

The paper introduces a science-based approach to assess the Paris alignment of new investments by comparing the carbon intensity of new assets against thresholds required to meet specific temperature goals, accounting for locked-in emissions from existing assets. Unlike portfolio-based methods that focus on current ownership, this method attributes responsibility to the original finance providers at the time of asset creation. The authors detail the application of this methodology to the global power sector and the U.S. light road vehicle transport sector, utilizing data from the IEA and other technical sources to establish carbon intensity benchmarks and evaluate financial commitments.

The report finds that while renewable energy investment is growing, continued funding for fossil fuel power plants and the presence of 'locked-in' emissions from existing assets keep the global power sector on a temperature trajectory exceeding 3.2°C. It highlights a significant gap between actual 2018 investment carbon intensities and the negative thresholds required by 2030 to achieve Paris alignment. The analysis identifies specific misalignments among major economies like China, India, and Japan, and among financial actors such as commercial banks and export credit agencies. The document recommends halting new carbon-intensive investments, accelerating the retirement of existing fossil fuel plants, and harmonizing climate risk reporting.

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 document argues that compensation awards in investment treaty arbitrations have become excessively large, inconsistent, and disconnected from the actual investments made. It highlights the problematic use of the discounted cash flow (DCF) method to project future earnings and the failure of tribunals to consider public interest or state ability to pay. To address this, the authors suggest reforms such as capping compensation at the amount actually invested or requiring a balance between public and private interests.

The document argues that current investment treaty compensation practices lead to excessively high awards, often based on speculative future earnings rather than actual losses. It highlights the use of the discounted cash flow (DCF) method as a primary driver of these high costs and notes that tribunals often ignore contextual factors like public interest or state capacity to pay. To address this, the authors suggest reforms such as limiting compensation to actual investment amounts or aligning awards with the host state's domestic laws.

The document argues that current investment treaty arbitration leads to excessively high and inconsistent compensation awards, often based on speculative future earnings rather than actual losses. It highlights the risks of corruption and the financial burden on host states, particularly in regulatory disputes and cases involving planned investments that never materialized. The authors suggest that states reform their treaties to move away from the 'full reparation' principle toward more balanced or capped compensation models.

The Climate Action Tracker (CAT) reports that a wave of net zero pledges from 127 countries could reduce projected warming by 2100 to as low as 2.1°C. However, current policies still put the world on a trajectory of 2.9°C, and a significant emissions gap remains for 2030.

The report assesses South Africa's capacity for renewable energy industrialisation, specifically in wind and solar PV. It identifies a shift from import-substitution to vertically specialised industrialisation as a key strategy and highlights the role of local content requirements (LCRs) and market stability. Comparative analysis of countries like Brazil, China, and Turkey suggests that long-term market visibility and strategic procurement are essential for sustainable manufacturing. The document also explores how renewable energy can support a Just Transition in coal-dependent regions through economic diversification and job creation.

The Council on Strategic Risks (CSR) examines how climate change and nuclear trends—including the expansion of civil nuclear energy and the modernization of nuclear arsenals—interact to reshape the international order. The briefing highlights specific regional vulnerabilities, such as water stress in South Asia and sea-level rise affecting nuclear sites in Egypt and Nigeria. It concludes with a set of policy recommendations for the U.S. government, including the creation of a National Security Council director for the climate-nuclear-security nexus and the elimination of low-yield nuclear weapons to restore international trust.

ClientEarth urges EU decision-makers to prohibit the use of Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) funds for gas-reliant projects, asserting that such investments would breach the Paris Agreement and EU legal obligations. The document argues that gas is not a viable 'bridge fuel' due to methane leakages and that existing infrastructure overcapacity makes new investments a stranded asset risk.