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The report analyzes COP26 outcomes, noting that while some progress was made in referencing human rights within Article 6 rules and the CTCN Advisory Board, overall results were marred by exclusionary participation modalities and a failure to effectively confront the fossil fuel industry. It highlights significant gaps in loss and damage finance, the removal of human rights language from the Action for Climate Empowerment (ACE) work program, and superficial progress on gender-responsive climate action. The document concludes by outlining critical 2022 milestones, including the first Global Stocktake and the revision of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), as key opportunities to embed human rights and climate justice.

The report examines the rise of green taxonomies as classification systems to identify sustainable economic activities and reduce greenwashing. It identifies three primary development approaches: whitelist-based, technical screening criteria (TSC) based, and principle-based. A central focus is the alignment between the EU and China taxonomies via the International Platform on Sustainable Finance (IPSF) and the Common Ground Taxonomy (CGT), which aims to facilitate cross-border green capital flows. The document details how these taxonomies are implemented by regulators for mandatory disclosure and by financial intermediaries for product development and risk management.

The document provides a detailed guide on the rights of individuals and NGOs to participate in environmental decision-making in the UK, primarily through the framework of the Aarhus Convention. It outlines the specific requirements for three types of decisions: specific activities (Article 6), plans and policies (Article 7), and legislation (Article 8). The guide also discusses domestic UK consultation standards, such as the Sedley/Gunning principles and Cabinet Office Consultation principles, and provides advice on challenging deficient consultations through judicial review or the Aarhus Convention Compliance Committee.

The document outlines the requirements for public participation in environmental matters in the UK, focusing on the three pillars of the Aarhus Convention: access to information, public participation in decision-making, and access to justice. It details the specific obligations for public authorities regarding activities, plans, and legislation that significantly affect the environment. Additionally, it explains domestic standards for fair consultation, including the Sedley/Gunning principles and Cabinet Office Consultation principles, and provides guidance on challenging deficient consultations through judicial review or the Aarhus Convention Compliance Committee.

The Corporate Climate Responsibility Monitor 2022 assesses 25 multinational companies, finding that most 'net zero' pledges are ambiguous and lack deep emission reduction commitments. The report highlights a systemic reliance on low-quality carbon offsets and renewable energy certificates (RECs) that often fail to provide additional climate benefits. While a few companies demonstrate leadership in renewable energy procurement and value chain engagement, the overall integrity of corporate climate strategies remains low, with many targets falling short of the 1.5C Paris Agreement goal.

The EU ETS is a 'cap and trade' system covering power, industry, and aviation across the EU and several other European nations. While it has successfully reduced emissions in the power sector, the document argues that free allocation of permits has led to stagnant industrial emissions and significant windfall profits for companies. The guide details the role of the Market Stability Reserve in managing oversupply and discusses the proposed Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism as a potential replacement for carbon leakage protections.

The document reports that while commodity-driven deforestation rates have declined since 2016, the original 2020 target for ending agriculture-driven deforestation was not met. It highlights significant gaps in corporate commitments, particularly in Latin America's beef and soy sectors, and a lack of comprehensive policies among major financial institutions. While technological tools and jurisdictional approaches are gaining traction, the brief calls for stronger government due diligence policies and increased private sector transparency to drive transformational change.

Three lawsuits were filed in Argentina against the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development to stop offshore seismic testing by Equinor. The cases raised concerns regarding the protection of the Southern Right Whale, climate impacts, Argentina's Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) under the Paris Agreement, and procedural rights under the Escazú Agreement. On 11 February 2022, the Federal Court of Mar del Plata ordered a halt to exploration based on the precautionary principle and violations of the rights to information and public participation, though it did not cite climate concerns. However, on 18 February 2022, a different court allowed activities to continue pending an appeal.

Liberia's first Adaptation Communication (ADCOM) to the UNFCCC aims to strengthen adaptation action and visibility while balancing it with mitigation. The document summarizes Liberia's national climate circumstances, future projections, and vulnerabilities, while outlining priorities and goals for key sectors including agriculture, coastal zones, health, forestry, and fisheries. The ADCOM was developed with assistance from the NAP Global Network and funding from the United Kingdom's Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO).

The policy brief examines the role of science-policy interfaces (SPIs) in identifying environmental risks and informing global policy since the 1972 Stockholm Conference. It analyzes successful models like the IPCC and IPBES, while evaluating current proposals for new SPIs focused on chemicals and waste and food systems. The author highlights the challenges of power imbalances and the need for credibility, inclusivity, and transparency in SPI design.

Turkey's coal generation declined for the third consecutive year in 2021 due to high import costs, but overall carbon intensity of power has not significantly improved in 30 years. While non-hydro renewables doubled since 2017 and wind and solar reached a record 13.6% share of generation in 2021, a drought-induced decline in hydropower was largely offset by an increase in gas generation, which rose from 23% to 33% year-over-year.

In 2021, Turkey's non-hydro renewable generation overtook hydropower for the first time, with wind and solar reaching a record 44.6 TWh. While coal generation declined for three consecutive years between 2018 and 2021 due to high import costs, gas generation increased to compensate for drought-induced hydropower losses, pushing the fossil fuel share to 65% in 2021. Despite the growth in renewables, the increase in production (+58 TWh since 2011) failed to keep pace with the surge in power demand (+95 TWh), resulting in a carbon intensity of power that has not significantly improved in at least 30 years.

The authors propose a two-pronged approach to reach net-zero electricity in Canada by 2035: removing the output-based pricing system (OBPS) for electricity to increase emission incentives while rebating revenues to consumers, and implementing a performance-standard regulation to limit emission intensity of new and existing facilities.

The Canadian Climate Institute proposes a two-pronged strategy to reach carbon neutrality in the electricity sector by 2035. First, it recommends enhancing carbon pricing by eliminating the Output-Based Pricing System (OBPS) for electricity and using financial instruments like the Canada Infrastructure Bank to reduce investment uncertainty. Second, it suggests a clean electricity standard that sets emission intensity ceilings for new plants and mandates full carbon neutrality for all plants by 2035, allowing for flexibility through carbon offsets to ensure grid reliability.

ClientEarth warns Greater Manchester authorities that delaying or diluting the Clean Air Zone (CAZ) risks legal challenge and exacerbates public health crises. The region continues to report illegal nitrogen dioxide levels, contributing to an estimated 1,200 premature deaths annually. ClientEarth argues that the CAZ is the most effective tool for compliance and that economic or political concerns do not justify delaying health protections, particularly for low-income and minority communities who are disproportionately affected.

The briefing outlines five trends for climate-aligned finance in 2022: the substantiation of net-zero commitments through interim targets, the publication and assessment of credible transition plans, a shift toward real-economy impact over paper alignment, the adoption of forward-looking data and metrics, and the expansion of sectoral alignment agreements for high-emitting industries.

The document catalogues endorsements of the term 'climate emergency' across different sectors. It notes that nearly 14,000 scientists from 156 countries have signed a warning stating 'planet Earth is facing a climate emergency'. In the media, The Guardian updated its style guide to recommend terms like 'climate emergency, crisis or breakdown', and Noticias Telemundo adopted 'climate emergency' over 'climate change' in 2019. Politically, 23 national governments, including Japan, South Korea, New Zealand, and the European Union, have declared a climate emergency, alongside 2,060 towns, cities, and counties globally. Additionally, the UN Secretary General and Pope Francis have called for emergency declarations, and a 2021 poll indicated that two-thirds of the global population views climate change as a 'global emergency'.

ClientEarth argues that the European Commission's proposed amendments to the Solvency II Directive are insufficient to manage climate-related risks. The organization recommends requiring insurers to model extreme warming (3°C+) and disorderly transition scenarios over a minimum 30-year period. It further advocates for 'double materiality' in risk management to account for the environmental impact of underwriting and calls for fast-tracking EIOPA's analysis of capital requirements for fossil fuels to mitigate systemic financial risks.

ClientEarth supports the FCA's proposed SDR and labelling framework in principle but warns that without strict criteria and enforcement, the regime could formalise greenwashing. The organization advocates for the adoption of 'double materiality' in disclosures, the removal of the 'Responsible' label, and the refinement of the 'Sustainable-Transition' label to avoid confusion with climate-specific terminology. It further calls for mandatory sustainability impact metrics and a clear enforcement roadmap to ensure accountability for fund managers.

The report defines 'climate-washing' as a subset of greenwashing specifically targeting climate change claims and examines the rising trend of litigation used to hold state and non-state actors accountable. It categorizes misleading communications into three areas: corporate/governmental commitments (such as net-zero pledges), product attributes (such as labeling natural gas as 'clean'), and the disclosure of financial risks and investments. The authors highlight a gap between public climate pledges and actual emission reductions, noting that many companies continue to invest in fossil fuels while advertising clean energy. The document provides recommendations for companies, policymakers, NGOs, and lawyers to combat disinformation and increase transparency.