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The policy brief explores how truth commissions, traditionally used for political reconciliation, could provide a pragmatic middle path between ignoring historical climate harms and pursuing legal liability. It evaluates three structural options: internal UNFCCC processes, external but linked mechanisms, and entirely external processes such as the International Court of Justice. The author concludes that a high-profile, neutral commission created by NGOs or a coalition of Parties is the most politically feasible approach for trust-building and documenting lived harms, though it must be accompanied by concrete action to avoid alienating supporters.

One year after the Paris Agreement's adoption, the Climate Action Tracker (CAT) finds that national climate policies have made little progress. If NDCs are fully implemented, global warming by 2100 is estimated at 2.8°C, while current policies would lead to 3.6°C. A significant emissions gap remains for 2025 and 2030. The report highlights specific national trajectories, noting that most assessed NDCs are inadequate or medium in ambition, with particular concerns regarding the US, Russia, and Saudi Arabia, while noting positive renewable energy growth in India.

The report evaluates the early stages of SDG implementation in the Baltic Sea Region (BSR), analyzing 11 countries: Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Poland, Russia, and Sweden. It finds that while the region performs well in areas like poverty reduction, renewable energy share, and corruption, it struggles significantly with domestic material consumption and energy intensity. Implementation is currently fragmented, with varying institutional responsibilities and a general reliance on existing administrative structures. The report emphasizes a critical need for improved monitoring systems and stronger political leadership at the parliamentary level to ensure the 2030 Agenda is integrated across all government sectors.

A Swiss popular initiative for a 'Green Economy' was rejected by voters by a margin of nearly 2:1, with only the canton of Geneva voting in favor. The proposal sought a constitutional mandate for sustainable natural resource use by 2050 via a circular economy strategy, including product regulations and a new resource tax policy. The Swiss Government opposed the measure, arguing the 2050 goals were unrealistic and preferring voluntary provisions over coercive measures. The document identifies key lessons from the defeat, noting a lack of trust in left-of-center groups to manage economic reform, divided business support, and insufficient youth voter turnout.

The research focuses on commercial tax evasion within IFFs, clarifying the distinctions between abusive transfer pricing, trade mispricing, and TBML. Using the IMF DOTS methodology and a developed TBML model, the authors estimate flows for Nigeria, South Africa, Morocco, Egypt, and Zambia. The findings indicate that while some countries show declining trade mispricing, the TBML model suggests increasing financial outflows for all five. The paper highlights significant data anomalies in UNCOMTRADE and IMF datasets, particularly regarding South Africa's extractive exports, and advocates for the implementation of the Unique Consignment Reference (UCR) and improved inter-agency cooperation to curb these flows and support socio-economic development.

The Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) developed a scoring system to evaluate 13 large companies across the retail, fast food, and manufacturing sectors that source beef from South America. The methodology uses a 100-point scale across five categories: ambition of deforestation-free commitment, time-bound implementation plans, compliance, transparency, and traceability, monitoring, and verification. Scoring is based on official company sources and Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) reports, with a specific emphasis on whether commitments cover all cattle products and are global in scope.

The research paper examines the tension between President Magufuli's internal focus on austerity, poverty reduction, and industrialization and the potential diplomatic costs of his absence from major international summits. While the administration maintains representation through the vice president and foreign minister, critics argue that the president's personal absence from forums like the African Union Summit may hinder Tanzania's ability to leverage regional integration and common markets for domestic job creation.

The author contends that the current political crisis in Europe, often labeled as the rise of 'illiberal democracy,' is more accurately described as the rise of 'authoritarian capitalism.' This shift is driven by the incompatibility of global economic integration, national states, and democracy, which has left marginalized groups—described as 'vagabonds'—vulnerable to right-wing exploitation. The text argues that left-wing parties have failed by adopting economic liberalism and neglecting the working class, and suggests that only a return to egalitarian principles and a confrontation with the capitalist system can restore democratic legitimacy in Europe.

The document addresses four perceived barriers to the clean energy transition: the 'duck curve' ramping problem, the necessity of curtailing excess generation, the high cost of renewables, and the role of natural gas in emissions reductions. It argues that demand response and battery storage can manage variability, regional electricity trading can prevent waste, and energy efficiency combined with falling technology costs keeps customer bills low. Finally, it asserts that renewable energy and energy efficiency have contributed more to U.S. carbon emission declines since 2007 than the shift to natural gas.

The GCF Board's twelfth meeting resulted in the endorsement of the initial Strategic Plan (2015-2018) and the accreditation of 13 entities, including HSBC and the African Development Bank. Key operational milestones included the adoption of a Comprehensive Information Disclosure Policy, the establishment of a Budget Committee, and the approval of a risk register. The Board also addressed resource mobilization, noting a USD 3 billion contribution arrangement from the United States and approving a budget increase for Secretariat staffing to approximately 100 members by the end of 2016. Additionally, the Board initiated the process for appointing a new Executive Director and approved a USD 1.5 million grant for project preparation in Rwanda.

The Green Climate Fund (GCF) Secretariat reports progress in its public and private sector pipelines, the simplification of funding proposal templates, and the expansion of readiness support to 45 countries. Key achievements include the signing of contribution agreements with five additional countries and the launch of a new website to enhance stakeholder engagement. The Secretariat also operationalized its accreditation framework, moving 11 applicants to stage II, and provided substantive support for the development of the GCF Strategic Plan.

Between 1919 and 1920, a civil society-led humanitarian effort rescued approximately 200,000 malnourished children from Central Europe, particularly Vienna, by hosting them in various European countries. Italian cities like Milan, Bologna, and Reggio Emilia played a significant role through 'trains of brotherhood,' providing relief and temporary shelter to children from a former enemy state. This initiative facilitated diplomatic reconciliation between Italy and Austria, though it faced opposition from fascist groups and was closed by the Italian government in June 1920. The author draws a parallel between this historical event and contemporary Italian civil society efforts to establish humanitarian corridors for refugees from Syria and East/Sub-Saharan Africa.

The document discusses the conclusion of negotiations to link the EU ETS and the Swiss ETS, warning that the lack of transparency regarding the agreement's terms makes it unclear if the EU's 2030 domestic emission reduction targets will be undermined. It argues that linking could allow foreign allowances to enter the EU market, potentially contradicting the goal of achieving a 40% reduction through domestic means. The author outlines several conditions the agreement should meet to be acceptable, including the exclusion of international offsets from 2021 and the application of the Market Stability Reserve to the Swiss scheme.

The European power sector saw a record increase in renewables generation in 2015, yet CO2 emissions fell by only an estimated 0.5% due to offsetting increases in coal generation in several countries and a rebound in electricity demand. While the UK experienced a collapse in coal generation, this was countered by growth in the Netherlands, Spain, and Poland. The report forecasts a further 21% drop in EU ETS emissions from 2014 to 2020, suggesting the EU is on track to surpass its 20% economy-wide CO2 cut target.

The document is a declaration calling for the end of fossil fuel exploration and extraction to address the climate crisis and mass extinction. It demands a just transition to a democratized, 100% renewable energy system, the removal of fossil fuel industry influence from policymaking, and the recognition of the rights of Indigenous and frontline communities.

The document outlines critical areas for climate finance at COP 21, emphasizing the need for developed countries to meet the $100 billion annual goal by 2020, increasing funding for adaptation, and improving transparency in reporting finance flows. It highlights recent pledges from various nations and argues for a shift in trillions of dollars from high-emissions to low-emissions activities.

The briefing argues that carbon markets have historically failed to increase climate commitments and have often undermined emissions reductions through 'hot air' loopholes. It recommends that the Paris agreement prevent double counting, ensure that international trading is supplementary to ambitious domestic action, and restrict market mechanisms to countries with adequate carbon budgets. The text notes a shift from a single global UN-led market toward a fragmented landscape of national and regional initiatives, while advocating for a transition from carbon offsets toward direct financial support for climate actions in developing countries.

The report evaluates a wide array of in-lake remediation techniques to combat eutrophication, emphasizing that these methods are generally only effective if external nutrient loads are simultaneously reduced. It categorizes treatments into biological engineering (e.g., biomanipulation, floating wetlands), physical engineering (e.g., hypolimnetic withdrawal, dredging, artificial circulation), and chemical applications (e.g., alum, Phoslock, algicides). The document provides detailed case studies from North America and Europe, analyzing the effectiveness, longevity, and costs of each method, while highlighting the critical role of internal phosphorus loading in delaying lake recovery.

Carbon Market Watch argues that while few countries explicitly include international trading in their Intended Nationally Determined Contributions, carbon pricing is already used by jurisdictions representing 40% of the global economy. The organization warns that a lack of clear international rules could lead to non-harmonized standards and double counting. It recommends strict principles for carbon markets, including the avoidance of 'hot air' credits, the requirement for net atmospheric benefits, and the exclusion of REDD-plus from carbon markets.

A coalition of 98 global entities argues that the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) fails to comply with international human rights obligations, specifically those recognized in the 2010 Cancun Agreements. The letter calls for the establishment of an independent accountability mechanism, the adoption of international sustainable development safeguards, and the implementation of improved stakeholder consultation processes to prevent environmental and social harms.