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The document identifies critical gaps in the U.S. nuclear supply chain, particularly regarding HALEU fuel, nuclear-grade graphite, and ultra-large forgings, noting a heavy reliance on Russia and China for these essential materials and services.

In the first half of 2025, global solar and wind generation grew sufficiently to meet and exceed total electricity demand growth, leading to renewables overtaking coal in the global electricity mix for the first time. Solar generation saw record absolute growth, while total fossil fuel generation declined slightly. Consequently, global CO2 emissions from the power sector fell marginally by 0.2%, although results varied by region, with emissions decreasing in China and India but increasing in the US and EU.

In the first half of 2025, global solar and wind generation grew sufficiently to exceed total electricity demand growth, leading to renewables overtaking coal's share of the global electricity mix for the first time on record. While China and India saw declines in fossil fuel generation and emissions, the US and EU experienced increases due to demand growth outpacing clean energy in the US and unfavorable weather affecting wind and hydro in the EU.

Methane abatement is critical for near-term climate action, requiring a 45% reduction in global emissions by 2030. The report highlights that the energy sector has the highest technical abatement potential, while agriculture is dominated by behavioural change opportunities. It identifies five national sector archetypes—China's coal, India's smallholder agriculture, Brazil's livestock, Indonesia's waste, and O&G exporters—to provide scalable policy lessons. Significant financing gaps exist, with only USD 13.7bn tracked in 2021/22 against an estimated annual need of USD 48bn. The report advocates for methane-specific targets in NDCs, the use of satellite monitoring to close data gaps, and the implementation of import standards and carbon pricing to drive global supply chain reductions.

The document examines the current state of methane abatement financing and provides guidelines for structuring sustainable debt instruments. It analyzes the transition plans of 20 major companies in the oil and gas and agri-food sectors, highlighting a significant gap between the high potential for impact and the current marginal level of private investment. The report promotes the use of Use-of-Proceeds (UOP) and Sustainability-Linked Bonds (SLB) based on new sector-specific criteria from the Climate Bonds Initiative and the Methane Finance Working Group (MFWG) to avoid carbon lock-in and ensure credible decarbonization.

Friends of the Earth International argues that environmental rights are human rights and should form an autonomous basis for corporate liability in the UN Legally Binding Instrument. The document provides textual suggestions to ensure TNCs are obligated to prevent environmental harm, phase out emissions, and provide full ecological restoration, moving beyond voluntary due diligence and ESG frameworks.

The policy brief by Friends of the Earth International advocates for the integration of explicit environmental and climate obligations for transnational corporations (TNCs) into the UN's legally binding instrument. It argues that the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment is a recognized human right, as established by UN General Assembly Resolution A/RES/76/300 and various regional courts. The document provides specific text proposals to ensure TNCs are held legally accountable for environmental damage, biodiversity loss, and climate change, moving beyond procedural due diligence to substantive obligations of result, including the total elimination of climate emissions across value chains and full ecological restoration.

The paper analyzes the evolution of the UN Security Council's approach to conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV), arguing that while the 'weapon of war' frame successfully moved the issue onto the security agenda, it created significant gaps in protection and accountability. This framing prioritizes strategic, systematic violence over opportunistic abuse and often ignores non-traditional survivors, such as men, boys, and LGBTQ+ individuals. The author notes that geopolitical interests continue to dictate which atrocities are condemned and which are tolerated, leading to inconsistent implementation of the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda.

The report analyzes climate disinformation in French and Brazilian mainstream media, finding that in France, disinformation is systemic and often linked to political and economic interests, while in Brazil, it manifests as a strategic 'invisibilization' of environmental issues driven by the agribusiness sector. It recommends strengthening media regulation, improving journalist training, and integrating disinformation detection into emergency response systems for extreme weather events.

The document argues that Africa's critical raw materials (CRMs) have triggered a resurgence of transactional deals where external powers provide security or infrastructure in exchange for resource access. It contrasts Russia's use of private military companies, the US's transactional 'peace-brokering' model, and China's 'infrastructure-for-resources' strategy, noting that these arrangements often prioritize foreign strategic gains over African long-term stability and sovereignty.

Moldova faces a critical parliamentary election on 28 September, characterized by a struggle between the pro-European ruling party PAS and various Russian-allied or populist blocs. While PAS aims for EU integration by 2028, it faces challenges from slow judicial reform and extensive Russian hybrid warfare, including the use of troll farms and disinformation to influence undecided voters. The outcome will determine whether Moldova continues its path toward the EU or shifts back toward Russian influence.

The global economy consumes approximately 100 billion metric tons of resources annually, with 75% coming from non-renewable sources. While the European Union leads in circular economy policy, global resource productivity has stalled since 2000, and the world must reduce per capita material consumption from 12.6 metric tons in 2022 to below 5 metric tons by 2050 to ensure sustainability. Significant disparities exist in consumption, with the top 25% of the population using 52% of the world's resources. Despite some progress in municipal waste recycling—averaging 35% across OECD countries—and the regulation of single-use products in 75 countries, systemic changes in product design and corporate monitoring are required to decouple economic growth from resource extraction.

Central Europe's solar generation grew at twice the EU average rate between 2019 and 2024, with cumulative output increasing from 5 TWh to 29 TWh. While Hungary, Poland, and Czechia have seen significant surges—with Hungary reaching nearly 25% solar share in 2024—Slovakia has lagged due to policy hurdles. Despite this growth, the region's battery deployment remains low at 0.1 GW as of August 2025, though Poland has a substantial 7.3 GW project pipeline. The report argues that the region must improve grid flexibility and storage to sustain solar momentum and leverage its position as a global battery manufacturing hub.

The report argues that methane emissions from coking coal mining are a significant but under-accounted 'blind spot' in the steel industry's climate impact. It highlights that coking coal is more methane-intensive than thermal coal and that Australian mines, which supply over half of the global seaborne coking coal market, consistently underreport these emissions. Using IEA data and GWP20 metrics, the report estimates that mining emissions can add 10% to 17% to the emission intensity of blast furnace steel, with some 'gassiest' mines potentially doubling the climate footprint. It concludes that nearly half of these emissions could be abated using existing technologies at a cost lower than the market price of Australian Carbon Credit Units.

The document examines Nigeria's vulnerability to global energy transitions due to its heavy reliance on oil and gas exports, high production costs, and limited economic diversification. It highlights the risks of reduced government revenue and job losses while identifying opportunities in critical minerals, natural gas as a transition fuel, and non-oil sector growth.

The Production Gap Report 2025 finds that governments are collectively planning more fossil fuel production than in 2023, with 2030 projected levels exceeding 1.5°C-consistent pathways by over 120%. While some countries are developing net-zero aligned scenarios, most continue to expand production and provide substantial financial support for fossil fuels, undermining Paris Agreement commitments.

The document asserts that nearly 800 million people face chronic hunger due to a global food system that prioritises corporate profit over people, leading to artificially inflated prices and significant environmental damage.

The Clean Air Task Force urges the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to remove its funding ban on nuclear energy to help Asia-Pacific economies meet rising energy demands with clean, firm power. The document highlights that while countries like China and South Korea have successfully used nuclear energy for industrialization, other emerging economies in the region have failed to implement programs due to financing and expertise gaps. It specifically identifies the Ninh Thuận projects in Vietnam and the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant in the Philippines as immediate opportunities for ADB intervention. The author recommends that ADB lift its ban, build internal expertise, create dedicated funds for large and small modular reactors, and prioritize risk-sharing with private and government investors.

The report examines the intersection of Japan's energy policy and national security, arguing that a faster shift to renewables—potentially reaching 70% of electricity generation by 2035—would mitigate risks associated with fragile fossil fuel supply chains and geopolitical instability. While acknowledging challenges such as China's dominance in clean energy supply chains and cybersecurity risks, the authors contend these are manageable compared to the vulnerabilities of continued fossil fuel dependence. The document recommends greater inter-ministerial coordination between energy, defense, and diplomatic agencies to prioritize renewables as a national security imperative.

The briefing highlights that global plastic polymer production is highly concentrated, with seven countries producing 66% of the world's plastics and 18 companies responsible for over half of global production. It further notes that China, Saudi Arabia, and Germany provide 80% of the feedstock subsidies among the top 15 producers, while a small group of oil and gas-producing states opposes production caps in treaty negotiations.