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The authors identify a category of 'risks of response' where climate policies trigger security dynamics, exemplified by widespread farmer protests across Europe. These protests, driven by grievances over fuel subsidies and environmental regulations, have escalated into violence and provided opportunities for far-right parties to foment instability. The text warns that this 'green backlash' could slow the transition and increase global security risks if not managed with better risk assessments and ameliorating measures.

The Basque Centre for Climate Change (BC3) has developed a Further Improved Action Plan (FIAP1) for 2024-2027 to maintain its 'HR Excellence in Research' award. This plan follows a series of previous action plans (2015-2023) and is based on a 2023 internal GAP analysis. The FIAP1 focuses on four strategic objectives: ensuring a safe and vibrant workspace, developing a labour framework for excellence, improving internal structures for sustainability and fairness, and contributing to personal and professional development. Key initiatives include updating the Open, Transparent and Merit-based Recruitment (OTM-R) policy, developing a new Equality Action Plan for 2024-2027, and establishing a formal labour framework for rights and responsibilities.

The document argues that clean hydrogen should be treated as a 'precious molecule' and prioritised for 'no regrets' hard-to-abate industrial sectors rather than being deployed indiscriminately. It recommends that EU Member States move beyond a sole focus on renewable ('green') hydrogen to include other low-carbon pathways, such as nuclear ('pink') and natural gas with carbon capture ('blue'), to avoid resource constraints. The guide emphasises locating production close to end-users to minimise transport inefficiencies and suggests that hydrogen in transport be limited to heavy-duty trucking, aviation, and shipping, while light-duty vehicles should prioritise electrification. Finally, it advises leveraging EU and national support mechanisms to fund 'champion' projects across the entire value chain.

The document argues that superhot rock (SHR) energy—a subset of Engineered Geothermal Systems that accesses rock temperatures exceeding 400°C—could provide a zero-carbon, firm, and energy-dense power source available globally. It notes a significant gap in current EU planning, where only one country (Italy) mentions SHR in its draft NECP, despite 20 countries planning for geothermal energy. The guide recommends that Member States fund pilot demonstrations, map national SHR resources, contribute to a centralised EU geothermal data repository, develop national geothermal strategies, and create stakeholder collaboration platforms. It highlights that SHR systems can potentially produce up to ten times the energy of conventional geothermal wells and could support the production of clean hydrogen.

The Institute for Economic Justice argues that South Africa's National Treasury has unnecessarily cut social spending by failing to mobilize available resources. The brief identifies significant revenue potential through the removal of regressive tax breaks for high earners, the introduction of wealth and financial transaction taxes, and the utilization of the Gold and Foreign Exchange Contingency Reserve Account (GFECRA). It recommends restoring the Corporate Income Tax rate to 28% and implementing a progressive Social Security Tax to fund social protections.

Saudi Arabia was the world's largest arms importer between 2015 and 2019, relying heavily on the US and European allies for major weapon systems. While the Kingdom has attempted to diversify ammunition sources and develop a domestic defence industry under Vision 2030, it remains constrained by the need for interoperability with NATO-standard systems and a lack of an indigenous industrial base. The brief concludes that achieving full self-reliance would take decades, leaving the Kingdom vulnerable to the policy shifts of its primary suppliers.

The guide examines the legal frameworks for air quality in Turkey and the EU, analyzing the intersection of environmental law and human rights. It details the obligations of states to maintain air quality limit values, the requirements for air quality plans, and the regulation of industrial emissions. The document highlights the role of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) and the Turkish Constitutional Court in protecting the right to a healthy environment and discusses the process of aligning Turkish legislation with the EU Industrial Emissions Directive (IED).

The document is a financial record of funding for the Basque Centre for Climate Change in 2024, listing various grants and contracts from international, national, and regional bodies. Key funders include the European Commission, the Basque Government (Eusko Jaurlaritza), and the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (MICINN). The funding supports a wide array of projects focusing on climate science, biodiversity, agri-food systems, and urban transitions, with individual project grants ranging from small amounts to over 2 million euros.

The report finds that the implementation of ecological flows in Spain is largely a failure, with water administrations frequently prioritizing economic and agricultural demands over environmental objectives. While minimum flows have been extended to most water bodies in the third cycle, other critical components—such as maximum flows, flooding regimes, and change rates—remain poorly defined or unimplemented. The report highlights severe anomalies in the Tagus basin, where minimum flows are being implemented gradually until 2027 to protect water transfers to the Segura basin, and in the Ebro Delta, where a lack of sediment management and insufficient flows are leading to ecosystem regression. Across all basins, the report notes a lack of adaptive monitoring and a failure to integrate the specific water requirements of Natura 2000 protected areas into flow calculations.

The report argues that Spanish river basin planning continues to prioritise socioeconomic demands over environmental objectives, leading to the degradation of aquatic ecosystems. It identifies systemic failures in quantifying water resources under climate change, an over-reliance on ineffective irrigation modernisation, and the misuse of WFD exemptions to defer environmental recovery. Case studies of the Tagus, Ebro Delta, Doñana, and Mar Menor illustrate severe overexploitation and pollution, while the Alcolea dam project is cited as an example of flawed cost-recovery and strategic planning.

The report argues that Spanish hydrological planning consistently fails to prioritize environmental objectives over agricultural demands, leading to widespread failure in achieving 'good status' for water bodies. It highlights a systemic reliance on irrigation modernization as a flawed adaptation strategy, the misuse of WFD exemptions to delay environmental recovery, and the critical failure to implement adequate ecological flows, particularly in the Tajo and Ebro basins. Case studies on Doñana, Mar Menor, and the Alcolea dam further illustrate the gap between legal protections and actual water management practices.

The document analyzes the ascent of the far right, highlighting its use of 'metapolitics' to shift cultural norms and its ability to capitalize on economic and social insecurities. It examines specific national contexts, such as Italy's media capture under Giorgia Meloni and the rise of Vlaams Belang in Flanders, while warning against 'conservative socialism' where left-wing parties adopt far-right rhetoric. The report concludes that defeating the far right requires a positive, inclusive vision of the future rather than mere imitation or moral condemnation.

The Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) and the Organization of Ibero-American States for Education, Science and Culture (OEI) have signed a five-year framework agreement to collaborate on global change research and scientific diplomacy. The agreement focuses on activities at the interface of science and policy, including administrative support, technical assistance, and capacity building. Specific projects will be detailed in subsequent complementary acts, which will define budgets, human resources, and intellectual property rights. The agreement does not create immediate financial obligations for either party.

The report analyzes the fragmented ecosystem of AI audits, distinguishing between organizational conformity assessments and academic performance evaluations. It details the roles of internal, external, and community auditors, the methodologies used—such as input variation and benchmarking—and the current state of enforceable regulations in the US, Canada, EU, UK, and China. The document argues for a more diverse, trustworthy audit ecosystem with better data access and a focus on global impacts, including environmental and labor concerns, to move beyond 'null compliance'.

The report identifies four 'pillars' of protest—demands, strategy, composition, and organization—that influence the size of a movement and the likelihood of regime loyalty shifts. It argues that non-violent, broad-based campaigns demanding regime change are most likely to succeed and lead to democratic consolidation. However, it notes a recent decline in the success rate of such movements and a rise in anti-liberal protests. For international democracy promoters, the report recommends investing in civil society infrastructure during stable periods rather than attempting to instigate regime shifts.

Türkiye has a rooftop solar technical potential of at least 120 GW, which could meet 45% of the country's 2022 electricity consumption. Despite this potential, solar's share of generation lags behind northern European countries. The report highlights that expanding rooftop solar could reduce residential electricity subsidies, which totaled approximately $3.6 billion from September 2022 to August 2023, and help industries avoid EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) penalties. It recommends implementing installation obligations for new buildings and adopting virtual net metering for apartments, drawing on successful global examples from China, Poland, and the Netherlands.

The EU aims to import 10 million tons of renewable hydrogen by 2030 to decarbonize heavy industry and transport, as domestic production is expected to fall short of demand. The report identifies the US Gulf Coast, Australia, and other regions with low renewable energy costs as key potential suppliers. To activate this trade, the EU needs to invest in port infrastructure (ammonia terminals and crackers), clarify certification schemes, and provide €15 billion to €20 billion in public support to offset green premiums over blue hydrogen. While Northwest Europe will rely heavily on imports, Southern Europe (Spain and Portugal) is expected to become more self-sufficient by the mid-2030s.

The report examines the risks associated with LNG export projects in Mozambique, particularly those involving the European Union. It finds that these projects have caused social displacement, environmental damage, and increased sovereign debt without delivering promised economic development. The authors argue that the 'gas for development' narrative is unsupported by evidence, as Cabo Delgado's socio-economic conditions have worsened since gas discoveries. Financial risks include volatile global gas prices, declining long-term demand due to the energy transition, and contractual designs that delay government revenues until the 2030s. Furthermore, the report highlights an erosion of sovereignty through investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) mechanisms and the prioritization of infrastructure security over civilian protection. It recommends that Mozambique reassess operational projects, halt new LNG developments, and prioritize sustainable economic diversification.

The document examines the M4 framework for marine multi-use projects, identifying a global trend toward combining offshore wind with other technologies, most notably hydrogen production. A technoeconomic analysis of a potential floating wind farm off Scotland indicates that centralized offshore hydrogen production is the most cost-effective strategy. The report highlights that while technical barriers are low, commercialization is hindered by regulatory gaps and a lack of multi-use integration in Marine Spatial Plans.

The report finds a significant gap between net zero targets and actual fossil fuel phase-out commitments. While some progress is visible in corporate coal phase-outs and among European entities, the majority of analyzed countries and companies have not committed to ending fossil fuel activities on a timescale consistent with the Paris Agreement. National net zero targets cover 88% of global GHG emissions, but only 7% of those emissions are covered by at least one phase-out commitment.