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The Institute for Economic Justice (IEJ) asserts that while South Africa saw modest GDP growth of 1.2% in 2025 and improvements in energy and logistics, these gains have not reduced high unemployment, poverty, or food insecurity. The IEJ calls for a shift from market-centric policies to a developmental macroeconomic framework that prioritizes industrial policy, progressive taxation, and expanded social security to achieve inclusive growth.

RMI's analysis of more than 200 utility PIMs reveals a strong preference for 'upside-only' reward structures over penalties, with Return on Equity (ROE) and shared savings being the most common and highest-paying designs. While utilities consistently achieve targets for percentage adder-based and equity-focused PIMs, the report suggests that targets may be set too low. Most PIMs are short-term experiments lasting two to three years, except for fuel cost-sharing and distributed energy resource mechanisms, which often lack end dates to provide regulatory certainty.

The report highlights a conflict between the strategic autonomy of the European Union and the financing activities of major European banks, which continue to support US LNG export terminals. It notes that the EU imported 57% of its LNG from the US in 2025, a figure that could rise to 80% by 2030. The document identifies specific banks—including ING, Crédit Agricole, Santander, BPCE (via Natixis), and Société Générale—as key financiers of US developers like Venture Global and Freeport LNG. It warns that this dependence, compounded by a July 2025 trade agreement requiring the EU to purchase US$750 billion of US energy by 2028, exposes Europe to price volatility, geopolitical leverage by the US administration, and the risk of stranded assets.

The report claims that the EU's shift from Russian gas to US LNG has created a new strategic dependency, exacerbated by financing from major European banks like ING and Crédit Agricole. It highlights a July 2025 trade agreement requiring the EU to purchase $750 billion in US energy by 2028 as evidence of US geopolitical leverage. The author warns that this dependency leads to price volatility, risks stranded assets due to LNG overcapacity, and threatens EU climate targets.

This report describes the role of Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage (CCUS) as one of three primary technological categories for reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the industrial sector, specifically within the United States.

Clare Melford of the Global Disinformation Index (GDI) defends the organization's practice of tracking risky online content and foreign propaganda to inform advertisers. She argues that providing this data enables a free market where advertisers can choose which content to subsidize, countering U.S. government claims that such work constitutes coercion and censorship. Melford also asserts that independent content quality assessments will be critical for the sustainable development of generative artificial intelligence. The document includes statements of support for GDI from European leaders and institutions condemning the U.S. visa bans.

The document evaluates the feasibility of fuel cell electric trucks (FCETs) and hydrogen internal combustion engine (ICE) trucks in India. It finds that while FCETs could be more cost-competitive than diesel trucks in long-haul, heavy-duty applications by 2040, they currently struggle to reach cost parity with battery electric trucks (BETs) due to high hydrogen fuel costs. These costs are driven by production, refueling infrastructure, and an 18% GST. The brief argues that hydrogen trucks are a critical complement to BETs for use cases requiring high payload and minimal downtime. It recommends a coordinated pathway involving capital subsidies, tax rationalization (reducing GST to 5%), and the development of public hydrogen refueling stations (HRS) to unlock the market.

The briefing proposes Bring-Your-Own (BYO) tariffs to allow large energy users, such as data centers, to fund their own power resources to speed up grid connection and reduce financial risks for other ratepayers. It distinguishes these from 'baseline' tariffs and highlights specific examples of BYO and Clean Transition programs in the US, including initiatives by PJM, NV Energy, and Georgia Power.

The 'Big Five' agricultural traders—ADM, Bunge, Cargill, COFCO, and LDC (collectively ABCCD)—dominate the global trade of staples like grains, corn, soy, and sugar, controlling 70% to 90% of the commercial grain trade. During the 2021-2022 food price surge, these companies saw net profits increase by 200% to 300% compared to the 2016-2020 average. The author contends that this was achieved through strategic market consolidation, vertical integration, and inter-company cooperation, often facilitated by the EU's restrictive competition policy, which focuses primarily on immediate consumer prices rather than cumulative social harm. The document highlights the recent approval of the $34 billion Bunge-Viterra merger as evidence of regulatory failure and advocates for a transition toward an economy based on degrowth and decarbonization to dismantle the incentives for market concentration.

The document details how climate change disrupts U.S. transportation systems through acute events like hurricanes and chronic stressors like sea level rise. It highlights significant projected costs for asphalt maintenance and railroad delays, the vulnerability of coastal highways and bridges, and the necessity of proactive adaptation, such as using heat-resistant materials and nature-based solutions, to mitigate economic losses.

The report highlights that 'next generation geothermal' technologies, such as Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS), have expanded the geographic viability of geothermal power beyond volcanic regions. In the EU, approximately 43 GW of capacity could be developed at costs below 100 €/MWh, potentially generating 301 TWh of electricity annually. While Europe has a strong historical foundation in geothermal energy, the report warns that the EU risks losing its leadership to the US and Canada due to slow permitting and a lack of coordinated policy frameworks. It also notes geothermal's potential to meet the rising energy demands of AI data centres and its ability to provide firm, low-carbon power and mineral recovery, such as lithium.

The IAI Executive Director (a.i.) issued a notification on February 4, 2026, transmitting a statement from the SAC, SPAC, and IPAC Advisory Committees. This statement confirms their support for the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) in response to a January 8, 2026, notification regarding the United States' intention to withdraw from the institute.

The document advocates for the introduction of wealth taxes in South Africa to combat inequality and fund socioeconomic rights. It challenges the notion that wealth taxes harm growth, arguing instead that redirecting wealth toward public spending can stimulate demand and investment. The brief recommends a combination of Financial Transaction Taxes (FTTs), increased dividend taxes, and a progressive net wealth tax, citing successful international examples from countries like France, Argentina, and Colombia.

In January 2026, the United States experienced an average temperature anomaly of -1.2°F, with 133 cities recording cooler-than-average conditions. Despite this national trend, the western U.S., particularly the Northern Rockies & Plains, saw significant warming, with Helena, Montana, recording the highest anomaly at 9.1°F. Long-term data indicates that 191 of the 194 analyzed cities have experienced warming trends since 1970, with Great Falls, Montana, showing the largest increase of 9.6°F. Climate attribution analysis using the Climate Shift Index (CSI) highlighted that San Juan, Puerto Rico, had 24 days where temperatures were at least five times more likely due to climate change.

The report critiques proposed rollbacks of US vehicle fuel economy and emissions standards by the DOT and EPA. It argues that the agencies incorrectly assume fuel efficiency improvements necessarily sacrifice vehicle performance, leading to an overestimation of costs to consumers. The author contends that many compliance pathways, such as turbocharging and electrification, can improve both efficiency and performance, and that reducing horsepower can provide public benefits by decreasing accident rates and infrastructure wear.

The report argues that South Korea's heavy reliance on fossil fuel imports—approximately 84% of its total energy supply—creates significant national security vulnerabilities due to geopolitical tensions and climate risks. It posits that transitioning to renewable energy would reduce exposure to fragile maritime chokepoints, lower fiscal strain, and improve military readiness. While acknowledging challenges such as China's dominance in critical mineral supply chains and cybersecurity risks from digitization, the report concludes these are manageable compared to the structural risks of fossil fuel dependence. It recommends integrating renewable energy targets into national security planning and leveraging the newly created Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment to coordinate a whole-of-government approach to energy resilience.

The Institute for Strategic Dialogue (ISD) found that hundreds of English-language websites, including major news outlets and academic institutions, link to the pro-Russia Pravda network. Over 80% of reviewed citations treat the network as a credible source, often failing to contextualize it as a Russia-aligned information operation. This pattern of linking increases the network's perceived legitimacy and its likelihood of appearing in search engine results. To combat this, ISD developed a browser extension for Chrome and Edge that alerts users when they visit Pravda network sites.

The report documents a surge in anti-LGBTQ+ hate crimes, book bans, and restrictive legislation in Western countries, noting a convergence of extremist ideologies. It highlights how tech platforms exacerbate these harms through the rollback of protections, the overmoderation of LGBTQ+ content via AI and safety legislation, and the rise of coordinated harassment campaigns like 'transvestigation'.

The report argues that the AI industry uses a 'bait-and-switch' greenwashing tactic, where the proven climate benefits of 'traditional' AI (such as predictive models) are used to justify the massive energy and water consumption of 'consumer generative AI' (such as ChatGPT). An analysis of 154 climate benefit claims found that 97% related to traditional AI, while only 3% related to consumer generative AI, with no evidence found that the latter leads to substantial emissions reductions. Furthermore, the report finds that evidence for these benefits is generally weak, with 36% of claims citing no evidence and only 26% citing published academic research. This narrative masks the immediate climate impacts of data centre expansion, which the report states is boosting demand for fossil fuels and risking the ability of regions like Ireland and Australia to meet carbon targets.

The report examines various formulas for calculating methane intensity, evaluating trade-offs between simplicity, accuracy, and applicability. It specifically addresses the needs of the EU Methane Regulation, which requires a methodology for producer-level intensity by August 2027 to set maximum intensity thresholds for oil and gas placed on the Union market by 2030. The analysis covers key decisions such as using single versus separate formulas for oil and gas, the choice between produced and marketed product denominators, and the appropriate level of granularity for reporting.