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ClientEarth's review of 250 large UK-listed companies reveals a systemic failure to provide material climate-related financial information, with only 4% including such factors in financial accounts and 4% of auditors explicitly addressing them. While narrative risk disclosures are improving, they are often boilerplate. The report recommends mandatory TCFD-aligned reporting, stronger regulatory enforcement to prevent 'greenwash', and increased investor stewardship.

The analysis finds that most COVID-19 stimulus packages in the five studied Asian countries lack sufficient climate considerations, with 'dirty' stimulus often outweighing green measures. South Korea is the best performer due to its Green New Deal, while the Philippines and Singapore showed no quantified commitment to green outcomes. The report recommends increasing the size of green stimulus, implementing green conditionalities for bailouts, and expanding support for green R&D and tax reductions.

The report proposes a comprehensive policy pathway for the United States to reach net-zero emissions by 2050, aligning with IPCC 1.5 C targets. Central to this strategy is a Clean Electricity Standard (CES) requiring 100% clean electricity by 2035 and the total elimination of coal power by 2030. The pathway includes transitioning to 100% zero-emission vehicle sales for light-duty vehicles by 2035 and all-electric building equipment by 2030. The analysis indicates that this transition would increase U.S. GDP by $997 billion per year by 2050, create 5.5 million new job-years, and avoid over 65,000 premature deaths by 2050.

The document analyzes Canada's 2020 COVID-19 recovery spending, noting a higher commitment to clean energy (CAD 14.7 billion) than fossil energy (CAD 3.6 billion) according to Energy Policy Tracker data. However, it highlights significant transparency gaps regarding credit support from public finance institutions like EDC and BDC. Compared to France, Germany, and the UK, Canada's per capita investment in electric vehicles is lower, while its investment in building retrofits is relatively high. The brief warns that Canada's hydrogen strategy leans toward 'blue hydrogen' (fossil-based) while European peers prioritize 'green hydrogen'. It recommends applying strict 'green strings' to stimulus, phasing out fossil fuel subsidies, and aligning ambition with international standards.

The document argues that Export Development Canada (EDC) provides disproportionately high levels of support for oil and gas compared to clean technology, often lacking transparency in its transactions. It highlights that EDC's domestic mandate expansion, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic, has facilitated continued fossil fuel financing. The brief recommends that EDC phase out public finance for fossil fuels, set clear climate action targets, and implement 'green strings' (climate-related conditionalities) to ensure economic recovery is aligned with the Paris Agreement and Canada's 2050 net-zero goal.

The document argues that the 'Fourth Industrial Revolution'—characterized by AI, cloud computing, and IoT—is providing the tools necessary to overcome legacy modeling and accelerate decarbonization. It identifies data and transparency as one of six key market catalysts and provides examples of how corporations (Tesla), cities (Shenzhen), and financial instruments (Sustainability Linked Loans) are leveraging data to reduce emissions and capture economic value. The brief concludes with recommendations for policymakers, corporations, and financial institutions to integrate climate-relevant data into their strategic decision-making to mitigate risk and seize a projected $26 trillion economic opportunity by 2030.

The document provides an update on The Geological Society's financial ties to fossil fuel and arms corporations. While it acknowledges a new responsible investment policy from September 2020 that excludes certain arms and high-emissions fossil fuels, it highlights a significant decrease in investment transparency between 2015 and 2019. The report details extensive corporate sponsorship from oil and gas companies and argues that these ties, along with investments in companies like Shell and Total, are incompatible with the Paris Agreement's temperature goals.

The document examines the role of whistleblowers in combating natural resource corruption, identifying retaliation as a primary barrier to reporting. It outlines the three essential components of effective protection regimes—confidentiality, financial rewards, and independent reporting channels—and analyzes the failures of laws in the UK and Ghana. The briefing highlights how specific U.S. laws, such as the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and the Lacey Act, can be utilized globally to target environmental crimes, and provides recommendations for conservation practitioners to support whistleblower protections.

The document is a joint letter from a coalition of NGOs calling for greater transparency and accountability in the negotiations between the EU, the UK, and Norway regarding fishing opportunities and catch limits for 2021. The authors argue that while the UK has granted NGOs equal access to its delegation, the EU continues to exclude civil society while allowing the fishing industry inside negotiations. They urge the EU to align its processes with the Aarhus Convention and the European Green Deal to prevent overfishing in the Northeast Atlantic.

In 2020, renewables generated 38% of the EU's electricity, surpassing fossil-fired generation (37%) for the first time. This shift was driven primarily by wind and solar, while coal generation fell by 20% to 13% of the total mix. However, the report notes that the transition remains too slow to meet 2030 and 2050 climate targets, as gas generation remains high and nuclear output saw a record 10% decline.

Ember challenges the assumption that biomass is carbon neutral, noting that current practices may actually contribute to climate change. The organization argues that the scale of land required for energy crops to support BECCS would cause significant environmental and food security issues. Furthermore, Ember highlights the high public cost of subsidizing bioenergy, suggesting that funds would be more effectively spent on wind, solar, or forest restoration.

The January 6 Capitol attacks damaged the United States' reputation as a democratic leader, prompting various nations to reconsider their reliance on U.S. leadership. While the UK sees an opportunity for a values-based partnership under Joe Biden, Brazil's President Bolsonaro has aligned himself with Trumpism, potentially hindering cooperation on climate change. South Africa views the events as a cautionary tale regarding democratic fragility and a reinforcement of U.S. racial inequality. Turkey expects a return to predictable diplomacy but notes the need for humility in U.S. human rights advocacy. India and other Quad members may pursue more autonomous regional initiatives to counter authoritarianism, specifically from China, due to perceived U.S. domestic dysfunction.

The document discusses the United States' re-entry into the Paris Agreement under President Biden and emphasizes the need for ambitious 2030 climate targets and increased climate finance to restore credibility and drive a green recovery.

The author argues that Donald Trump pursued a 'herd immunity' approach to Covid-19 not for epidemiological reasons, but to frame public health measures as Democratic-led attacks on the working class and small business owners. By dismissing scientific expertise and associating mask-wearing with weakness, Trump leveraged the pandemic as a campaign tool to solidify support among his base, particularly the less-educated petite bourgeoisie, by presenting a choice between public health and employment.

ClientEarth argues that EU State aid rules must be transformed into sustainability instruments that prohibit support for fossil fuels and harmful biomass, while prioritizing energy efficiency and renewable energy. The document calls for the strict application of the 'Energy Efficiency First' principle, the exclusion of low-carbon (fossil gas-based) hydrogen from subsidies, and the removal of aid for high-efficiency combined heat and power (CHP) plants. It further recommends increasing support for energy communities, zero-emission vehicles, and energy efficiency in buildings, while introducing a 'greenwashing test' to ensure the environmental integrity of aid beneficiaries.

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 examines South Africa's strategy to mobilize R1 trillion in private investment through an Infrastructure Fund to address a widening infrastructure deficit. It analyzes three primary de-risking instruments: blended finance, the conversion of infrastructure into tradeable asset classes, and public-private partnerships (PPPs). The author argues that these mechanisms often shift excessive risk to the state through contingent liabilities and high transaction costs, while prioritizing 'bankable' economic projects over essential social infrastructure in poor and rural areas. The paper concludes that the current focus on private capital overplays benefits and underplays the risks of public-private arrangements, recommending a governance framework that prioritizes human rights and sustainable development over profit maximization.

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 QGasSP project seeks to create a standardised, modular, and open-source tool to help national, regional, and local planning authorities quantify how spatial planning decisions affect greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The methodology focuses on three primary sectors: building energy use, transportation and infrastructure, and land use change and forestry (LULUCF). To ensure pan-European applicability, the tool will employ a hierarchical data structure, allowing users to start with European averages and refine results with national or local data. The project integrates this quantification process into the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) framework to support evidence-based climate mitigation. The tool's effectiveness will be tested through four pilot case studies in Ireland (County Meath), Northern Ireland (Rathlin Island), Finland (Kymenlaakso region), and Scotland (Edinburgh).