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The 2021 state of global environmental governance was characterized by a shift toward voluntary pledges and a struggle to maintain multilateral progress during the COVID-19 pandemic. While some major meetings, such as the Glasgow COP, returned to in-person formats, many other processes remained in a 'maintenance mode' with only procedural outcomes. The report highlights a growing gap between environmental promises and action, exacerbated by systemic inequalities and vaccine disparity, which hinder the collective ability of states to address climate, nature, and pollution crises.

The report identifies a network of nearly 5,000 social media accounts producing over 280,000 messages in 2020 to spread anti-refugee disinformation. It highlights how key events, such as the Evros border crisis and the Moria camp fires, served as flashpoints for transnational mobilisation. The research demonstrates a significant overlap between mainstream political parties—such as the AfD in Germany and New Democracy in Greece—and far-right extremist ecosystems. Common narratives include the 'Great Replacement' conspiracy, the depiction of refugees as 'invaders' or 'soldiers', and the targeting of NGOs with claims of criminal complicity in human smuggling. The report concludes that anti-migrant discourse is increasingly transnational and integrated into broader geopolitical tensions, such as Greek-Turkish relations.

The document assesses Turkmenistan's institutional capacity for climate adaptation, highlighting the vulnerability of its water and agricultural sectors. It recommends the development of a National Adaptation Plan (NAP) and the use of the Inter-Sectoral Commission on Environmental Protection to coordinate cross-sectoral integration. The report also identifies key drivers for success, including high-level political support and the need for a National Clean Climate Fund, while drawing lessons from adaptation processes in Turkey, Poland, and the Czech Republic.

The report provides a comprehensive overview of energy transition progress in Brazil, Germany, Indonesia, Japan, Mexico, Pakistan, Philippines, Poland, South Africa, South Korea, Turkey, and Vietnam. It highlights the role of independent think tanks in driving policy breakthroughs, such as coal phase-outs and renewable energy targets, while identifying systemic barriers including political resistance, grid limitations, and financing gaps. The document argues that while technology strategies (renewables and electrification) are converging, national implementation is shaped by distinct local political and social factors.

The document analyzes the deadlock in Syria's reconstruction, focusing on the impact of the Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act and the competing motivations of the US, Russia, and Iran. While the Assad regime has largely won the military conflict, it faces economic collapse and immense reconstruction costs. The US uses sanctions and a limited military presence in eastern Syria as leverage to force a UN-led political solution, while Russia and Iran seek to secure their strategic footprints in the Middle East. The authors suggest that US sanctions may act as a deterrent to reconstruction, potentially making the US a 'spoiler' in the process, while China's growing influence in the region may further dilute the efficacy of unilateral US pressure.

The document analyzes the economic dependence of Colombia and its producing regions on coal, highlighting the vulnerability of public finances to declining international demand and the COVID-19 pandemic. It examines the General Royalty System (SGR) and projects that despite recent legal reforms to increase direct allocations to producing regions, the downward trend in coal production will lead to significant losses in royalty revenues for departments like Cesar and La Guajira by 2030.

Colombia is the world's sixth-largest coal exporter, with the sector contributing approximately 1.1% of the national GDP and providing significant royalties. However, the global market is contracting as major importers in the Atlantic and Americas markets set phase-out dates for coal-fired power. While some industry associations suggest expanding into Pacific markets like China and India, high freight costs and those countries' own goals for carbon neutrality make this difficult. The Colombian government has historically supported the sector through various tax exemptions and incentives, such as the Plan Vallejo and Tax Refund Certificates. The report argues that Colombia must urgently diversify its economy and implement a just transition to mitigate the socio-economic risks of a structural decline in coal demand.

The report examines the evolution of the digital divide from basic infrastructure access to access to knowledge and data. It evaluates the JSI on E-Commerce, arguing that current negotiations often presume a level of digital readiness that developing countries and LDCs lack. The document details 'enabling issues' necessary for digital inclusion, analyzes the regulatory landscape of cross-border data flows and localization, and discusses the implications of restricting government access to computer source code.

The report assesses South Africa's capacity for renewable energy industrialisation, specifically in wind and solar PV. It identifies a shift from import-substitution to vertically specialised industrialisation as a key strategy and highlights the role of local content requirements (LCRs) and market stability. Comparative analysis of countries like Brazil, China, and Turkey suggests that long-term market visibility and strategic procurement are essential for sustainable manufacturing. The document also explores how renewable energy can support a Just Transition in coal-dependent regions through economic diversification and job creation.

The Council on Strategic Risks (CSR) examines how climate change and nuclear trends—including the expansion of civil nuclear energy and the modernization of nuclear arsenals—interact to reshape the international order. The briefing highlights specific regional vulnerabilities, such as water stress in South Asia and sea-level rise affecting nuclear sites in Egypt and Nigeria. It concludes with a set of policy recommendations for the U.S. government, including the creation of a National Security Council director for the climate-nuclear-security nexus and the elimination of low-yield nuclear weapons to restore international trust.

The Global Innovation Lab for Climate Finance (the Lab) has supported 49 instruments that mobilized over USD 2.3 billion. This document identifies four critical success factors for scaling these innovations: establishing a track record, building economies of scale, assembling a robust team and governance structure, and securing strategic long-term partnerships. Through case studies of Climate Investor One, Energy Savings Insurance, and Long-Term Foreign Exchange Risk Management, the brief demonstrates how these factors enable instruments to move beyond initial implementation to broader geographic or sectoral replication.

G20 governments provided an annual average of $584 billion in support for fossil fuels from 2017 to 2019, with oil and gas production receiving the largest share. While overall support dropped by 9% compared to 2014–2016, this decline was inconsistent across countries and partly driven by lower oil prices. The report finds that state-owned enterprise (SOE) investment is the only support mechanism that increased overall, and that COVID-19 recovery packages have introduced at least $170 billion in new commitments to fossil fuel-intensive sectors, threatening to undo previous progress.

The document argues that while a 'grand theory' of migration does not exist, researchers can use 'theoretical triangulation' to formulate testable propositions. It presents ten such propositions covering the roles of pre-existing connections, social networks, involuntary immobility, resource constraints, environmental stress, violent conflict, economic development, development aid, and the effectiveness and unintended consequences of migration policies.

The report identifies over 60 mitigation policies adopted between July 2019 and August 2020, noting the highest activity in the energy and transport sectors. It highlights a lack of explicitly 'green' COVID-19 recovery measures in most assessed countries, except for the EU and Republic of Korea. Additionally, it tracks the progress of NDCs and LTS, noting that only Vietnam has officially revised its NDC target among the group, while the EU and Japan have submitted net-zero long-term strategies.

The report examines the IFC's Green Equity Approach (GEA), which aims to phase out coal investments in financial institutions by 2030. While analysis of 81 high and medium-risk investments between July 2019 and June 2020 shows that 83% explicitly exclude coal, the report identifies significant loopholes. Specifically, it notes that the GEA excludes captive coal plants for industrial use and that debt ring-fencing may be ineffective. A case study of PT Bank KEB Hana Indonesia, the first GEA pilot client, reveals that despite the framework, the bank provided project finance for the Java 9 and 10 coal plants in Indonesia in July 2020.

A coalition of international church-based organisations urges the European Commission to reform its migration and asylum policies, arguing that the current system is 'fundamentally broken'. The statement highlights the failure of the 'hotspot' approach and the 2016 EU-Turkey deal, calling for a shift from 'crisis mode' to a system based on solidarity, human dignity, and the equitable sharing of responsibility among all EU member states. It specifically advocates for safe passage channels and the rejection of policies that externalise border controls.

The report details Ghana's response to COVID-19 up to June 23, 2020, highlighting the tension between public health restrictions and economic survival. It describes the strain on health infrastructure, the government's financial interventions, and the socio-economic hardships faced by vulnerable groups and the informal sector. The text also notes the shift in national spending priorities, the local production of medical supplies, and the challenges of maintaining electoral processes during the pandemic.

The report analyzes Brazil's agricultural risk management landscape, highlighting a significant gap in insurance coverage compared to global peers like the US and China. It examines key programs such as the PSR, Proagro, Garantia-Safra, and PGPM, noting high market concentration and a heavy reliance on credit over insurance. The authors argue that inadequate risk management leads to underinvestment and inefficient land use, recommending a shift in public funding from rural credit to insurance subsidies and the expansion of the Agricultural Climate Risk Zoning (ZARC) system.

The report examines Brazil's agricultural risk management landscape, focusing on public policies like PSR, PROAGRO, Garantia-Safra, and PGPM. It highlights a market characterized by high concentration, limited geographic reach, and a heavy reliance on soy insurance. The authors argue that inadequate risk management leads to underinvestment and inefficient land use, suggesting a shift in public funding from rural credit toward insurance and the expansion of market-based price risk instruments.

The report examines the nascent gender bond market, which as of March 2020 consisted of 13 issued bonds. It identifies a lack of universal standards, with most issuers relying on the Social Bond Principles or UN Sustainable Development Goals. The analysis categorises gender bonds into 'corporate behaviour' and 'financial inclusion' types, noting a significant gap in bonds funding products and services that directly benefit women. In sub-Saharan Africa, the report finds that while there is interest in gender lens investing, no gender bonds have been issued. South Africa is identified as the most viable market for commercial issuance due to a receptive investor base, while Kenya and Nigeria face challenges related to conservative institutional investors and debt capital market instability.