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Xior Student Housing issued a EUR100m (USD109m) green bond on 13-04-2020 to finance green buildings, renewable energy, energy efficiency, waste management, clean transport, and water management projects across Belgium, the Netherlands, Spain, and Portugal. The issuer is the second Belgian financial corporate to issue a green bond and has committed to annual allocation and impact reporting.

An analysis of preliminary 2019 emissions data from the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS), highlighting a significant decline in power sector emissions driven by the collapse of coal power and the emergence of steel plants as primary emitters in several countries.

This fact sheet details a green bond issuance by Atlantica Yield (now Atlantica Sustainable Infrastructure), a UK-headquartered sustainable infrastructure company. The bond, issued on April 3, 2020, raised EUR 290 million (USD 320 million) via private placement to finance renewable energy projects and transmission lines.

This report analyzes the evolving jurisprudence of UN human rights treaty bodies (HRTBs) from 2008 to 2019, concluding that States have legal obligations under human rights treaties to implement ambitious climate mitigation (including phasing out fossil fuels), ensure inclusive adaptation, and provide international cooperation. Key developments include a 2019 joint statement by five HRTBs and the Human Rights Committee's recognition that climate change threatens the right to life, potentially triggering non-refoulment obligations in deportation cases.

The 2020 Global Electricity Review by Ember analyzes global electricity generation changes in 2019, highlighting a record 3% fall in global coal-fired generation and a corresponding 2% drop in power sector CO2 emissions. While the EU and US saw significant coal collapses, China's coal generation rose, making it responsible for over half of global coal generation for the first time. Wind and solar generation grew by 15%, though the report notes that this growth rate is slowing and may be insufficient to meet Paris Agreement goals without concerted global effort.

This fact sheet details a EUR 750 million green bond issued by Bankinter on February 6, 2020, with a maturity date of October 6, 2027. The bond is a senior non-preferred financial corporate bond intended to finance or refinance renewable energy and green building projects.

This report by Ember investigates the phenomenon of 'carbon leakage' where EU countries import electricity from non-EU countries that lack carbon pricing, effectively offshoring emissions to 'offshore carbon havens' like Turkey and Ukraine. The authors argue for the implementation of a Border Carbon Adjustment (BCA) on electricity imports to protect the integrity of EU climate policy and incentivize carbon pricing in neighboring states.

The ASSEGAIA Alliance launched the Declaration for the Protection of Sacred Natural Sites in January 2020, calling for the regeneration of the Earth to be central to decisions regarding these sites. The Declaration proposes a conservation model featuring a central 'no-go' zone and a buffer zone for ecologically sensitive activities, managed by Spiritual Guardians. The Alliance seeks to identify and protect such sites globally using international rights of Nature.

Red Eléctrica issued a EUR 700 million green bond on 24 January 2020 to fund renewable energy integration and clean transportation projects. The issuance supports Spain's target of 100% renewable electricity by 2050 and includes commitments to detailed annual reporting on asset distribution and CO2 emissions avoided.

This Green Bond Fact Sheet details a SEK 750 million (USD 80 million) green bond issued by Sagax AB on December 16, 2019, to finance low-carbon, energy-efficient buildings with at least LEED Gold certification.

This fact sheet details a EUR 200 million green bond issued by Alerion Clean Power Spa on December 19, 2019, to finance and refinance wind power projects in Europe and Italy.

This briefing note by the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) explains how civil society can use the UN Human Rights Treaty Bodies (HRTBs) reporting procedure to hold states accountable for climate change policies. It details the process of submitting parallel reports to secure country-specific recommendations, which can then be leveraged for national advocacy and litigation.

This guide by the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) explains how civil society can use the United Nations human rights treaty body (HRTB) reporting process to advocate for climate-related policy recommendations and hold states accountable for their human rights obligations in the context of climate change.

This report by Sandbag analyzes how the disparity in carbon pricing between the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS) and its non-EU neighbors leads to 'carbon leakage,' where high-carbon electricity, primarily from coal, is imported into the EU. The authors argue that this undermines EU climate goals and incentivizes the continued use of coal in neighboring states. To combat this, the report proposes the implementation of a border carbon adjustment (BCA) specifically for electricity imports.

This report by the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) and the Global Initiative for Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (GI-ESCR) synthesizes the work of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC) regarding climate change. It details the CRC's use of General Comments, the State reporting procedure, and the communications procedure to establish that States have legal obligations to protect children's rights—including the rights to life, health, and culture—against the impacts of global climate change.

This feasibility study evaluates the potential for implementing EuroPACE, an on-tax financing instrument for residential energy efficiency retrofits, across Belgium, the Netherlands, Portugal, and Spain. The report analyzes market barriers, existing national loan schemes, and case studies of successful programs in France (Oktave), Germany (KfW), and the Netherlands/UK (Energiesprong) to identify scalable models for deep retrofits.

This fact sheet details a EUR 335 million green loan issued by Endesa, S.A. on December 21, 2019, to finance wind and solar energy projects in Spain.

The Earth Negotiations Bulletin provides a comprehensive report on the 2019 Chile/Madrid Climate Change Conference (COP 25, CMP 15, CMA 2), which took place from 2 December to 15 December 2019. The conference was marked by significant delays, becoming the longest in UNFCCC history, and failed to reach consensus on several key issues, most notably the operationalization of Article 6 of the Paris Agreement. While some progress was made on loss and damage and gender, the overall outcome was viewed with disappointment by many delegates and civil society due to a perceived gap between scientific urgency and political delivery.

This document summarizes the outcomes of the Marrakech Partnership for Global Climate Action (MPGCA) Resilience Roundtable held on December 10, 2019, during UNFCCC COP 25 in Madrid. The roundtable focused on accelerating action to build a resilient 1.5-degree world, emphasizing the need to bring investment in adaptation and resilience on par with mitigation to protect the most vulnerable populations, particularly in least developed countries and small island developing states.

This commentary by the World Resources Institute argues that climate action is only politically viable if it is 'people-centered,' meaning it purposefully unlocks social and economic benefits, targets them to enhance equity, and ensures a just transition for workers and vulnerable communities. The document provides evidence that bold climate action can deliver significant global economic gains, job creation, and public health improvements while mitigating the disproportionate impacts of climate change on the poor.