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The report analyzes the issuance of sovereign GSS bonds based on a survey of 19 countries, finding that these instruments often attract a broader investor base and can price with a 'greenium' (lower yield) compared to vanilla bonds. It highlights that most issuers use GSS bonds to support national climate strategies and local market growth, typically managing the process through internal working groups and budget tagging of existing expenditures.

The document advocates for a specific amendment to the UK Environment Bill to ensure the country adopts the 2005 WHO air quality guidelines for PM2.5, which recommend an annual mean concentration of no more than 10 µg/m3. It argues that current UK legal limits, derived from EU Directives, are twice as high as WHO recommendations and are insufficient to protect public health. The briefing highlights that approximately 15 million people in the UK live in areas exceeding WHO guidelines, including 8,549 schools and colleges. It asserts that achieving these targets by 2030 is technically feasible, citing Defra and King's College London analysis, and argues that setting these parameters on the face of the Bill prevents delays in target-setting that would otherwise occur until October 2022.

In 2020, renewables became the EU's primary electricity source for the first time, generating 38% of electricity. While wind and solar growth remained robust despite the pandemic, the report argues that deployment must nearly triple to meet 2030 Green Deal targets. Coal generation fell by 20% in 2020, though this decline was partially offset by increased gas generation and a record 10% drop in nuclear output. Consequently, Europe's electricity carbon intensity fell to 226 grams of CO2 per kilowatt-hour in 2020, a 29% reduction since 2015.

The document traces the history of UN development goals from the 1972 Stockholm Conference to the 2030 Agenda. It contrasts the MDGs, which focused on specific time-bound targets for poverty and health but lacked a multidimensional approach, with the SDGs, which are universal and integrated across social, economic, and environmental pillars. The briefing highlights the role of the Addis Ababa Action Agenda and the Paris Agreement in supporting the SDGs and argues that the 2030 Agenda provides a critical roadmap for recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic through inclusive and resilient growth.

The report evaluates how the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) bridges science and policy to induce sustainable development. It defines policy engagement as interactions leading to changes in agendas, capacities, and decisions. Through 18 case studies, SEI identifies key pathways to impact—such as developing scientific evidence, using decision-support tools (e.g., LEAP and WEAP), and building networks with 'champions'. The analysis categorizes outcomes into changes in awareness/attitudes (Agendas), institutional strengthening (Capacities), and actual policy shifts (Decisions). It concludes that long-term relationships and a focus on solutions are more effective than short-term, output-driven engagement.

The document analyzes the legal mechanisms for accessing justice in environmental matters within the EU, focusing on the Aarhus Convention and EU directives. It details the rights to access environmental information, public participation in decision-making, and the ability to challenge acts or omissions that affect the environment. The guide examines standing requirements for individuals and NGOs, the scope and standard of judicial review, and the necessity of effective remedies, including injunctive relief. It also addresses the specific challenges of challenging decisions made by EU institutions.

The policy brief positions carbon dioxide removal (CDR) as a public good and service, similar to wastewater treatment, because most approaches do not generate independent revenues and are avoided by commercial finance. It recommends that governments implement specific absolute volume targets for CDR within Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), provide dedicated subsidies, and eliminate regulatory barriers such as underground storage permitting. To ensure long-term scalability, the brief advocates for a universal carbon price, the integration of CDR into Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, and the development of robust monitoring, reporting, and verification (MRV) methodologies to maintain environmental integrity.

The Climate Social Science Network (CSSN) identifies key risks associated with advancing solar geoengineering research in the U.S., focusing on the potential for 'mitigation deterrence' where such research might reduce the urgency of decarbonization. The document questions the lack of social justice considerations, the influence of fossil fuel interests, and the absence of international governance frameworks. It also highlights the risks of overreliance on climate models and the potential for the militarization of geoengineering technologies.

The report 'Together for Safety 21 Ways Forward' outlines strategies for urban leaders to combat extremism and polarisation, exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic. It identifies trends such as the 'gamification of extremism' and the use of conspiracy theories by right-wing and jihadist groups to target minorities and youth. The document provides 21 guiding principles across four themes: preventing extremism post-pandemic, countering online hate, securing public spaces, and empowering youth. Key recommendations include adopting evidence-based 'hot spot mapping', investing in youth-led organisations, and strengthening mental health initiatives to build community resilience.

The report analyzes the systemic failure of South Africa's public administration due to the unchecked power of political office-bearers over personnel decisions. It proposes a reform model that divides appointment and removal into four stages—process planning, process administration, short-listing, and appointment—to create a functional segregation of duties. For the public service, it suggests empowering the Public Service Commission (PSC) as an independent check. For municipalities, it proposes the creation of independent personnel committees involving professional associations. To overcome political resistance, the author advocates for a 'covering-in' statutory mechanism to implement these reforms incrementally across different organs of state.

The report argues that South Africa's state is in crisis due to systemic corruption and patronage, which are enabled by the unchecked power of politicians over public administrative appointments and procurement. It proposes a 'path to professionalisation' through the creation of independent checks and balances, specifically by dividing appointment processes into stages managed by independent bodies like the Public Service Commission. For criminal justice institutions (NPA, SAPS, DPCI, IPID), it advocates for transparent selection panels to insulate leadership from political interference. Regarding public procurement, the report identifies a crisis of non-compliance and capacity, proposing a single coherent statute, a unified regulatory authority, and the introduction of 'qui tam' mechanisms to incentivise private citizens to report and sue for procurement fraud.

The report analyzes Sweden's 2017–2018 term on the UN Security Council, examining how a small state can influence the body's outcomes regarding Women, Peace and Security (WPS). It details Sweden's strategic approach—rooted in its feminist foreign policy—to move WPS from a thematic 'add-on' to 'core Council business' by integrating actionable language into regular resolutions, particularly those concerning peacekeeping and political mission mandates. The authors provide a framework for assessing the impact of elected members (E10) through criteria of frequency, clarity, and priority of resolution language, while outlining the tactical maneuvering required to navigate P5 power dynamics and UNSC working methods.

The research develops a model to calculate the investment needs for nine Swedish cities to reach climate neutrality by 2030. Using five 'strategy mixes' and three emission forecasts, the study assesses the financial feasibility of these transitions. Preliminary results indicate that while targets are achievable and financially viable, they require significant shifts in food consumption and substantial investments from private citizens, governments, and industry. For example, in Malmö, total mitigation reductions could range from 17% to 51%, with annual per capita investments between 19,790 and 23,765 SEK.

The report advocates for a paradigm shift in sanitation and wastewater management, moving from a 'waste disposal' model to a 'resource recovery' model. It details how the safe recovery of water, nutrients, organic matter, and energy from human excreta and wastewater can improve public health, enhance agricultural productivity, and mitigate climate change. The text provides a comprehensive framework for sustainable systems, covering technical design, health risk management, environmental protection, institutional governance, and financial models. It emphasizes that sustainability depends on adapting technologies to local geographic, social, and economic contexts rather than applying universal solutions. The report includes diverse global case studies—ranging from potable water reuse in Namibia to biogas production in China and fuel briquettes in Kenya—to demonstrate the practical viability of these systems.

The paper explores 'buen vivir' (living well), a biocentric paradigm from Latin America that challenges the modern focus on infinite economic growth. While formal EU-Latin America diplomatic efforts, such as the 2015 EuroLat resolution, have acknowledged the concept, it remains overshadowed by the 'green economy' and 'European Green Deal' frameworks that maintain a focus on productivity. However, the authors identify a rise in local European initiatives—such as granting legal rights to nature in Spain and the Netherlands and the growth of agroecology and commons-based projects—that align with the logic of buen vivir by seeking a harmonious relationship between humans and nature.

The Climate Change Performance Index 2021 finds that no country is currently on a path compliant with the Paris Agreement goals. While the EU improved its ranking to 16th place and countries like Sweden, the UK, and Denmark lead, major G20 emitters including the USA, Saudi Arabia, and Russia are rated 'very low'. The report highlights a divide between high-performing smaller nations and developing countries like Morocco, Chile, and India, and the lowest-performing fossil fuel producing nations.

The report argues that while carbon markets were originally designed for zero-sum offsetting, they can be repurposed for results-based climate finance (RBCF) to quantify and verify mitigation impacts. It identifies a specific 'niche' for RBCF: supporting technologies that have passed the R&D stage but are not yet market-mature. The authors highlight several limitations, including a bias toward the cheapest mitigation options, high transaction costs for monitoring, reporting, and verification (MRV), and a lack of effectiveness in least developed countries (LDCs) where emissions are low. To maximize impact, the report suggests shifting from rewarding to enabling through host-country policy commitments, reducing MRV stringency when credits are not used for offsetting, and complementing RBCF with upfront grants or loans.

The document examines the COVID-19 pandemic as a systemic crisis that exposed deep inequalities and the fragility of market-based systems. It argues that the health crisis is inextricably linked to environmental collapse, specifically biodiversity loss and zoonotic risks. The text advocates for the revival of the social state, the implementation of a 'foundational economy' that prioritizes basic human needs over profit, and the adoption of 'technological humanism' to bridge the digital divide. It also analyzes the political responses of Green parties in Europe and the rise of authoritarianism and right-wing populism during the crisis, while highlighting grassroots solidarity networks and the disproportionate impact of the pandemic on marginalized groups, including migrants and the elderly.

The paper examines how the Eastern Cape and Western Cape Provincial Education Departments (PEDs) managed the closure and reopening of schools during the 2020 Covid-19 pandemic. It identifies institutional coordination, the development of new capacities, and the critical role of teachers as the three primary factors facilitating the return to schools. The study highlights a contrast between the 'pragmatic managerialism' of the Western Cape and the historical challenges of political factionalism in the Eastern Cape, while noting that both provinces struggled with the digital divide and systemic teacher shortages.

The document outlines eight categories of barriers to climate change adaptation—ranging from conflicting timelines and lack of resources to institutional constraints and climate skepticism—and provides a self-assessment questionnaire and a directory of resources to help local authorities implement adaptation measures.