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The report advocates for a transition from conventional light-water reactors to advanced nuclear technologies to achieve a low-carbon energy future. It highlights that meeting climate targets may require up to 1,600 GWe of nuclear capacity by 2035–2050, necessitating a tenfold increase in current build rates. Advanced reactors offer potential improvements in safety through passive systems, reduced waste via fast neutron spectrums, and lower costs through modular factory manufacturing. The document identifies significant institutional obstacles in licensing and export controls and proposes internationally harmonized standards to accelerate global deployment.

The briefing advocates for shifting or supplementing production-based carbon pricing with consumption-based models to eliminate the need for free allowances and exemptions that mute price signals. It highlights that pricing at the point of final consumption can prevent carbon leakage in basic materials like steel and cement, incorporate emissions from imports, and provide sub-national governments with jurisdictional autonomy. The text proposes an evolutionary implementation path, starting with undifferentiated sector benchmarks and moving toward full life-cycle carbon accounting.

The document examines the global landscape of data flow restrictions, specifically comparing the regimes of BRICS nations. It argues that data localisation—requiring data to be stored or processed within a specific jurisdiction—imposes significant costs on productivity, innovation, and GDP. For South Africa, the author recommends maintaining its current conditional flow regime while pursuing further liberalisation at a regional level to become a data processing hub, rather than adopting the strict localisation policies seen in China and Russia.

The report finds that while Korea has a massive overall bond market and strong climate policies, its climate bond market remains small with only six bonds issued by four entities. It identifies a potential USD 18bn in unlabelled climate-aligned bonds and suggests that Korea could lead the Asian region by adopting national guidelines, sovereign issuance, and tax incentives, drawing on successful models from China, India, and other ASEAN nations.

The Uganda Green Economy Barometer 2018 argues that while Uganda has a conducive policy environment and significant natural capital, the transition to a green economy is hindered by poor policy implementation, high initial costs, and a financing gap. It highlights the potential for green growth to create 4 million jobs and boost GDP by 10%, provided there is political commitment, economic reform, and increased private sector investment in sectors like agriculture, renewable energy, and sustainable transport.

The policy brief examines the decline of human rights as a cornerstone of South African foreign policy, contrasting the country's strong domestic human rights framework with its controversial voting record at the UN Security Council and UN Human Rights Council. The author contends that this 'de-norming' undermines South Africa's role as a bridge-builder and normative leader in Africa and the Global South. To reverse this trend, the document recommends a three-point action plan: reconceptualising human rights diplomacy through a national 'indaba', strengthening bilateral ties with human rights-promoting nations, and increasing civil society pressure for government accountability.

CIEL and other civil society groups are calling on the Green Climate Fund (GCF) to immediately adopt the proposed Environmental and Social Policy (ESP), Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) Policy and Action Plan, and Indigenous Peoples Policy (IPP). The document argues that the GCF has already funded 54 projects without permanent safeguards to protect human rights and the environment, and that 23 additional projects awaiting approval at the B.19 meeting could negatively impact ecosystems and local communities. Furthermore, CIEL emphasizes the need for a funded work plan and budget for the Independent Redress Mechanism (IRM) to provide remedies for people harmed by GCF projects.

As of 31 January 2018, the Green Climate Fund (GCF) had accredited 59 entities, with a pipeline of 198 entities having created accounts on the Online Accreditation System. The report highlights a strategic shift toward prioritizing direct access entities, which now constitute a larger share of those completing the accreditation process. It also details the ongoing support provided to direct access entities through readiness programs and gap assessments, and tracks the progress of accredited entities in fulfilling specific fiduciary, environmental, social, and gender conditions. Additionally, the document notes a temporary lack of quorum in the Accreditation Panel (AP), which delayed new accreditation recommendations for the nineteenth Board meeting.

The review finds that while the GCF Readiness Programme addresses critical capacity-building needs for country-owned climate action, it suffers from a lack of a clear Theory of Change, inefficient application processes, and a heavy reliance on international consultants. Key recommendations include developing a formal Theory of Change, increasing Secretariat and regional advisor capacity, streamlining application timelines, and providing guidance in multiple languages to reduce barriers for non-Anglophone countries.

The GCF report evaluates its initial Strategic Plan's progress through 2017, noting that while it has successfully scaled up investments, it must now shift focus toward project quality, country-driven programming, and results management. By the end of 2017, the GCF had a portfolio of 53 projects committing USD 2.64 billion. Key challenges include a partial uptake of country programming and the need for better alignment between project ideas and accredited entity work programmes. The report recommends elevating the focus on impact and delivery, strengthening strategic partnerships, and refining investment policies to better address market gaps and ensure a balance between mitigation and adaptation.

The IEU review finds that while the GCF's Results Management Framework (RMF) helps stakeholders focus on adaptation and mitigation, it suffers from critical flaws in its logic models, a lack of measurement protocols for indicators, and insufficient integration with national monitoring systems. A portfolio analysis of 74 approved projects revealed that 39% are missing at least one impact indicator for their targeted result areas, and 50% have no plans for baseline data collection. The review recommends that the GCF Secretariat develop theories of change for key thematic areas, establish clear measurement protocols, and better define the role of National Designated Authorities (NDAs) throughout the project cycle.

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.

This executive summary from the 2018 'Brown to Green' report analyzes the progress of G20 countries toward a low-carbon economy. It highlights a significant gap between current Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and the goals of the Paris Agreement, noting that G20 energy-related CO2 emissions began increasing again in 2017 and that 82% of the G20 energy supply remains dependent on fossil fuels.

The global green bond market reached a cumulative issuance of USD 521bn by 2018, with USD 167.6bn issued in 2018 alone. The USA, China, and France emerged as the leading national markets. The report highlights a significant increase in issuance from financial institutions, particularly commercial banks, and a growing trend toward shorter-dated bonds. While Europe remains the largest overall market, the Asia-Pacific region saw the highest year-on-year growth at 35%. The market is also diversifying into other labelled instruments, including sustainability, social, and blue bonds, and expanding into emerging markets through the adoption of regional standards like the ASEAN Green Bond Standards.

The report evaluates global progress in forest governance and land rights, noting a record 182 killings of environmental defenders in 2016. While it highlights positive developments in illegal timber import controls in countries like South Korea, Malaysia, and the US, and the implementation of EU FLEGT agreements in Indonesia and Vietnam, it warns that climate finance for local communities remains insufficient, with only 10 percent reaching the local level in 2016. The document also emphasizes the lack of gender-sensitive provisions in community-based tenure regimes and the ongoing effort to track tenure security via SDG Indicator 1.4.2.

The document analyzes the rise and fall of Australia's domestic steel industry, which was initially built through protective tariffs, bounties, and an iron ore export ban from 1938 to 1960. While these measures successfully met domestic demand for over 80 years, the industry struggled with low productivity and failed to become globally competitive once protections were lifted. Later attempts by the Western Australian government in 1996 to mandate downstream beneficiation through legislative acts led to expensive projects by BHP and Rio Tinto that never reached economic viability and were eventually written off. The case study concludes that while government intervention can establish downstream industries, long-term success requires a sophisticated industrial policy based on comparative advantages and market capabilities rather than prescriptive requirements.

Singapore established itself as a regional petroleum trading hub by combining a strategic geographical location with a 'twin-track' industrial strategy of minimal regulation and strong institutional support. Starting with oil refining in the 1960s, the government transitioned toward the petrochemicals sector in the 1980s via the 'cluster approach' at the Jurong Island Export Processing Zone. While facing challenges from regional competition, land scarcity, and environmental concerns, Singapore has maintained its edge through massive infrastructure projects, such as underground rock caverns for storage, and proactive policy adaptation.

The document examines the tension between developed nations pushing for binding e-commerce rules and developing nations, particularly in Africa, who prioritize the Doha Development Agenda. It categorizes proposals into 'less controversial' facilitative measures and 'more controversial' rules regarding data localization and source code transfers. The author argues that while e-commerce offers significant opportunities for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) by reducing information costs, digital protectionist tools like data localization are often costly and ineffective. The paper recommends that African negotiators take a precautionary approach at MC11, potentially trading e-commerce concessions for gains in other development priorities, and suggests pursuing regional strategies for digital integration.

The report argues that Eskom is facing a liquidity and financial crisis driven by stagnant electricity demand and the high costs of its coal-fired power construction programme. Through system-level modelling and station-specific analysis, the study finds that the levelised costs of operating older coal stations (Arnot, Camden, Grootvlei, Hendrina, and Komati) exceed their system alternative value, meaning they can be replaced by cheaper alternatives without compromising security of supply. Specifically, decommissioning Grootvlei, Hendrina, and Komati early could save Eskom R12.5bn in present value terms. Additionally, the report finds that cancelling Kusile units 5 and 6 is economically viable if capital cost savings exceed a threshold of approximately R4.7bn. The authors conclude that South Africa no longer requires new nuclear, coal, or gas procurement, as solar PV and wind have become the most competitive new-build options.

The report finds that 16 of the 25 major emitting countries and regions analysed are not on track to meet their self-determined NDC targets. While some countries like Brazil, China, and India are likely to achieve their targets with current policies, others, including the US, EU, and Canada, require additional measures. Furthermore, current policies are projected to fail to prevent emissions from increasing up to 2030 relative to 2010 levels in both developing and OECD nations, with only Japan and the EU projected to see further decreases.