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The European Union has legally bound itself to a 90 per cent emissions reduction by 2040, allowing a 5 per cent flexibility through international carbon credits starting in 2031. The author argues that Canada should follow this lead by operationalizing its use of Article 6 of the Paris Agreement and internationally transferred mitigation outcomes (ITMOs). By adopting a model similar to Japan's Joint Crediting Mechanism, Canada could combine climate finance with the export of domestic clean technologies to generate verified credits and open new trade channels. The document suggests shifting Canada's international climate finance from a model based on dollars disbursed to one based on measurable outcomes and technology deployment, citing methane reduction efforts in Chile as a positive early example.

The Canadian Climate Institute urges Canada to move beyond conceptual leadership and operationalize its use of international carbon markets under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement. It highlights the European Union's decision to allow international carbon credits for up to 5% of its 2040 emissions reduction target and Japan's Joint Crediting Mechanism as successful frameworks. The author suggests Canada shift its international climate finance from a spending-based model to a results-based model that generates Internationally Transferred Mitigation Outcomes (ITMOs), thereby attracting private capital and creating new export markets for Canadian clean energy technologies.

The report asserts that metallurgical coal demand is plateauing as the steel industry shifts toward low-carbon technologies like electric arc furnaces (EAFs) and green hydrogen-based direct reduced iron (DRI). While some governments and financial institutions remain bullish on long-term growth, particularly in Asia, the document predicts a 4.8% drop in met coal consumption between 2025 and 2030. It highlights the risk of stranded assets, noting that 145 companies are planning expansions that could increase global capacity by 580 million tonnes per year. The report recommends scrapping subsidies for traditional steel, lowering industrial electricity prices, and using public procurement to prioritise green steel to accelerate the transition.

The document argues that climate change increases violence by exacerbating risk factors such as extreme heat, resource scarcity, and material insecurity. It highlights specific links between rising temperatures and intimate partner violence, gun violence, and group-level conflict, while advising reporters to use granular data and center marginalized voices to illustrate these social climate impacts.

The document explores the link between education and economic prosperity, noting that each additional year of schooling is associated with a nearly 0.6% increase in long-term GDP growth. It highlights the varying trajectories of development in Europe, the US, and Asia, citing South Korea as an example of rapid educational advancement. For Africa, the text identifies significant hurdles, including the 'brain drain' of skilled professionals to higher-income countries and systemic issues such as overcrowding and poor student retention.

The report outlines a strategic framework for transforming African education, emphasizing a shift from rote learning to a system that integrates digital skills, vocational training, and foundational literacy. It argues that while education is strongly linked to income, growth requires the ability to apply knowledge through 'learning by doing'. The authors recommend a systematic approach to the 'education funnel', starting with early childhood development and progressing through tertiary education, supported by innovative financing and public-private partnerships to reduce the cost of digital connectivity.

The document describes El Niño as a natural climate phenomenon characterized by warmer-than-average sea surface temperatures in the equatorial Pacific. It argues that climate change is increasing the frequency and severity of extreme El Niño events, particularly Central-Pacific (CP) events, and complicating their prediction. For 2026, there is a 61% chance of an El Niño emerging between May and July, with some models suggesting it could be the strongest in 140 years. The briefing details global teleconnections, noting that El Niño typically causes droughts in southern Africa, Australia, and India, while increasing flood risks in East Africa and the Americas. These shifts significantly impact global agriculture, reducing yields for maize, rice, and wheat while often increasing soybean yields. Regional analysis highlights specific risks, such as increased cholera in East Africa, hydropower reductions at Kariba Dam in Zambia and Zimbabwe, and the Amazon becoming a net carbon source during Eastern-Pacific (EP) events.

The document highlights that waste sector methane emissions are rising rapidly and will outpace fossil fuel and agriculture sector increases by 2050. It argues that national governments must move beyond treating waste as a local sanitation issue to establish national standards and financing. Finally, it asserts that regulatory frameworks must be complemented by public education and incentives to ensure compliance and reduce organic waste at the source.

A coalition of environmental organizations demands that the South Korean government stop the expansion of LNG power generation in the upcoming 12th Basic Plan for Electricity Supply and Demand, citing price volatility, carbon lock-in risks, and the economic viability of renewable energy alternatives.

The Gulf Coast is a primary hub for U.S. hydrogen due to its concentration of petroleum refining and chemical production. With Texas and Louisiana leading in refining and ammonia capacities, the region is well-positioned to transition to clean hydrogen to meet domestic needs and international demand from markets like Japan, South Korea, and the European Union.

After a record year in 2024, the U.S. EV market experienced a 4% sales decline in 2025, driven by the expiration of federal tax credits and a volatile regulatory environment. While charging infrastructure continues to grow through private investment, nearly $20 billion in manufacturing projects have been canceled, particularly in the Midwest and South. Major automakers are shifting strategies toward hybrids and affordable models to mitigate losses, while workers face increased layoffs and production pauses. Despite these setbacks, long-term forecasts from BloombergNEF and the IEA suggest continued, albeit slower, EV adoption through 2030.

A statement by Plan 1.5 calling on the South Korean National Assembly to establish a more ambitious long-term greenhouse gas reduction path, specifically starting from a 61% reduction target by 2035, following a public deliberation process where a majority of citizen representatives supported early and higher-than-average emissions cuts.

Nigeria is positioning itself as an African EV hub by leveraging high vehicle demand and private sector innovation in battery swapping and asset financing. The proposed Electric Vehicle Transition and Green Mobility Bill seeks to drive this shift by mandating 30% local content for EVs by 2030 and providing tax incentives for manufacturers and users. While companies like Spiro and MAX are scaling infrastructure and fleets, the report suggests Nigeria could adopt a more gradual transition from imports to local manufacturing, similar to Rwanda and Ethiopia, to avoid stalling adoption.

The document details Indonesia's strategic position in the global minerals market, particularly nickel, driven by aggressive downstream processing policies and export bans. It highlights the economic significance of mining (11% of GDP) and the associated environmental costs, including rising energy-sector emissions and deforestation. Socially, it notes significant gender disparities in the mining workforce and the prevalence of artisanal mining risks.

Between 2021 and 2024, 24 major European banks provided US$41.9 billion to companies developing new gas plants, with 63% of this funding coming from seven banks in France and the UK. The report contends that gas power is not a 'transition fuel' but a source of severe air pollution, price volatility, and long-term greenhouse gas emissions lock-in. It highlights that 78% of this financing is directed toward OECD and European countries, where power sectors are expected to be carbon neutral by 2035. The document concludes that banks must immediately end financial services to gas power expansion to align with a 1.5°C warming limit.

The document outlines the challenges and opportunities facing Africa's development, emphasizing the need to balance energy access with a low-carbon transition and the potential of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). It presents the 'Combined scenario' as a pathway to achieve the African Union's Agenda 2063 goals by 2043 through strategic investment and policy coherence.

The report analyzes Africa's high level of commodity dependence, noting that commodity exports constituted 90% by value of all merchandise exports in 2021. It argues that this dependence often leads to the 'resource curse,' characterized by poor governance, political corruption, and slow economic growth. While some countries like Botswana have attempted to manage resources through sovereign wealth funds, many others face volatility and 'Dutch disease.' The text also highlights how the global energy transition is shifting demand toward minerals like cobalt and lithium, and how climate change is exacerbating vulnerability by reducing agricultural yields in regions such as the Sahel.

The document reports that carbon pricing now covers over 23% of global greenhouse gas emissions through 43 carbon taxes and 38 emissions trading systems. It highlights the vulnerability of specific industrial sectors in Southeast Asia to the EU's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), which entered its definitive phase in January 2026, noting that over 20% of Viet Nam’s iron and steel exports and nearly 20% of Indonesia’s aluminum exports are destined for the EU. The briefing also details the expansion of Article 6.2 bilateral agreements, with over 100 announced or formalized, led by purchasing countries such as Japan and Singapore. Regionally, Indonesia is identified as the only Southeast Asian nation with an operational ETS, having aligned its framework with Article 6 via Regulation 110/2025, although its carbon tax under Law 7/2021 remains postponed. Other updates include the Philippines moving toward formal carbon pricing legislation and Viet Nam postponing carbon market trading until the end of 2026.

The document examines how reliance on imported oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) exposes Asian economies to price shocks and supply disruptions, particularly those stemming from conflicts in the Middle East. It analyzes the economic impacts on countries like Singapore, Thailand, and Japan, highlighting how fuel price volatility drives inflation and weakens currencies. The report argues that returning to coal as a short-term fallback is economically and environmentally risky compared to renewables. It recommends investing in regional connected grids and clean technology supply chains to build long-term resilience and energy security.

The report highlights the systemic risks of fossil fuel dependency, noting that three-quarters of the global population live in importing countries that spent $1.7 trillion on imports in 2024. It argues that the current crisis in the Middle East, particularly the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, serves as a catalyst for Asia to transition to electric technologies. The document asserts that scaling EVs, solar, wind, and heat pumps could reduce fossil fuel import bills by approximately 70%, with EVs already displacing 1.7 million barrels of oil per day in 2025.