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The report identifies 'coronavirus profiteers' across the meat, auto, airline, logging, and fossil fuel industries who lobbied for deregulation and subsidies during the pandemic. It contrasts these with 'climate heroes'—including certain European automakers, EU leadership, and specific palm oil companies—who continued to pursue emissions reductions and forest protection. The text emphasizes that weakening environmental protections, such as allowing deforestation and air pollution, increases public health vulnerability to respiratory diseases and future pandemics.

The report details how the cashew boom in Côte d'Ivoire has transformed diverse savannas into 'green deserts,' leading to significant primary forest loss and threatening endangered species like the Western chimpanzee. It highlights a dangerous trade-off where increased cash income from cashews has replaced traditional food crops, leaving rural households vulnerable to market crashes and food insecurity. Additionally, it documents health risks for factory workers, primarily women, who suffer caustic burns from cashew nut shell oil. The authors call for full supply chain traceability and stricter regulations in consuming markets like the US and EU to prevent deforestation-linked imports.

The submission argues that indigenous peoples and local communities (IPLCs) are the most effective guardians of biodiversity, yet they face systemic threats including non-recognition of land rights, 'fortress conservation' models, and violence against land defenders. It provides global case studies of successful community-led conservation and calls for a shift toward rights-based conservation, secure tenure, and the protection of environmental defenders.

The document provides an educational overview of REDD+, explaining its goal of providing financial incentives to developing countries to reduce carbon emissions by protecting forests. It details the debate over reference levels and funding mechanisms—specifically carbon markets versus a dedicated REDD+ fund—while highlighting significant risks to Indigenous peoples, such as forced evictions and the devaluation of non-monetary forest values. The guide compares the safeguards of UN-REDD and the World Bank, noting that UN-REDD's standards are generally stronger, though implementation remains a concern.

The research demonstrates that states experiencing civil wars are significantly more likely to be involved in militarized interstate disputes (MIDs). Using data from 1946 to 2001, the authors find that this 'civil peace' effect is comparable in magnitude to the 'democratic peace' effect. Analysis of over 400 MIDs reveals that the increased risk is driven by states attempting to influence the outcome of civil wars through direct intervention, externalization (such as cross-border counter-insurgency), and unintended spillovers, rather than by opportunistic attacks on weakened states or diversionary wars to consolidate domestic power.

The document analyzes the 'East Asian Peace', a significant reduction in battle deaths in East Asia between 1980 and 2005 compared to the 1946–1979 period. The author argues that this peace was not the result of a single event but a series of staggered political transitions across the region. Key drivers identified include a shift in leadership priorities toward export-driven economic growth and a strategic alignment with the United States. The paper contrasts this with the 'European Peace', noting that the East Asian case does not fit the liberal peace model due to a lack of widespread democratization and political integration.

The document details the methodology for operationalizing religious variables in the study of internal conflicts. It justifies the use of an identity-based definition of religious cleavages over an issue-based one, citing higher reliability and lower data collection costs. The author describes the use of the Religion and State (RAS) dataset to measure religious discrimination and demography (fractionalization and polarization), and the use of official state religion as a proxy for religious legitimacy. The methodology also includes the treatment of non-religious groups, specifically coding Communist regimes and rebels as non-religious, and the application of control variables such as regime type based on the Polity IV project.

The report finds a significant imbalance in energy financing among the 65 largest global banks, with a ratio of 0.42:1 in favor of fossil fuels over sustainable power supply between 2021 and 2024. This is far below the 6:1 ratio by 2030 recommended by the IEA's Net Zero Emissions scenario. While European banks show slightly better ratios, financing for sustainable power remains heavily concentrated in OECD countries and China, leaving emerging markets underfunded. The report also criticizes banks for using 'blurry' targets and problematic technologies like CCUS and bioenergy to inflate their green credentials.

Two years after the Paris financial center committed to coal exit strategies, Reclaim Finance finds a mixed record. While 24 of 54 analyzed actors have robust policies, others lack them entirely or have significant gaps, such as failing to exclude coal developers or lacking clear exit dates. Major banks like BNP Paribas, Société Générale, Crédit Agricole, and Natixis remain under scrutiny for continuing to support coal companies without credible transition plans.

The fact sheet contends that the traditional reliance on natural gas and LNG as a bridge to decarbonization in the Global South is outdated. It asserts that modern renewables and storage can meet reliability, speed, and cost requirements more effectively than gas. Citing IEA data, the document warns that gas-heavy strategies expose developing economies to higher consumer prices, price volatility, and technology lock-in, whereas a net-zero aligned approach could meet over 60% of their electricity needs via local renewables by 2050.

The proposal outlines a strategy to provide electricity to millions in sub-Saharan Africa and India using a modular 'solar energy ladder' that progresses from lanterns to microgrids. It aims to prevent carbon emissions and coal plant expansion while stimulating economic growth through standardized design, large-scale procurement, and innovative financing.

This policy brief examines the impact of Chinese investments in Tanzania's plastic recycling industry and the subsequent effects of China's 2018 import ban on waste materials. It highlights how Chinese firms have facilitated technology transfer and local business growth, while also noting significant environmental and health risks and a potential decline in local waste sourcing due to the import of cleaner waste from Europe and the US.

The paper examines the role of ivory speculators in China, distinguishing between large criminal syndicates (Type I) and private retail investors (Type II). It argues that an indefinite ban, implemented swiftly and combined with demand-reduction campaigns, is the most effective way to trigger a 'fire sale' of stockpiles, thereby crashing prices and reducing the incentive for poaching. Conversely, a finite ban could incentivize 'banking on extinction,' where speculators drive species scarcity to maximize future monopoly rents. The authors recommend that China destroy its official stockpiles and regulate the mammoth ivory trade to prevent it from being used as a cover for laundering illegal elephant ivory.

The document analyzes Malaysia's transition from a commodity-reliant economy to a manufacturing and services hub through four phases of industrial policy: import substitution, export-oriented industrialization, heavy industry substitution, and high-technology export orientation. It argues that trade reforms were deeply entwined with the New Economic Policy (NEP) aimed at poverty eradication and restructuring society to benefit the Bumiputera community. While the reforms led to significant GDP growth and poverty reduction, the authors note that the state maintained control over strategic sectors through Government-Linked Companies (GLCs) and that growth has recently trended downward.

The report investigates the captive predator breeding industry in South Africa, specifically focusing on lions. It challenges industry claims of economic significance and conservation value, arguing that the industry relies on deceptive marketing to attract volunteer tourists and supplies the 'canned hunting' and lion bone trades. The author contends that the industry lacks scientific grounding, suffers from genetic inbreeding, and may facilitate organised crime through the legal export of lion skeletons to Asia. The paper suggests that the opportunity costs—including damage to South Africa's tourism brand and the loss of potential jobs from ethical ecotourism—outweigh the industry's private returns, recommending a move toward a zero export quota for lion derivatives.

The document analyzes the macroeconomic resilience of Uganda and Rwanda between 2000 and 2020, identifying five shared crisis periods triggered by exogenous shocks such as the global financial crisis, climate events, and the COVID-19 pandemic. It examines how these shocks transmitted through the economies—affecting export growth, inflation, and capital formation—and highlights the specific vulnerabilities of both nations, including reliance on foreign aid and agricultural productivity. The authors recommend increasing capital inflows, improving domestic revenue mobilization, enhancing agricultural productivity, and operationalizing climate change adaptation strategies to build future resilience.

The document highlights Southeast Asia as the only region with a growing share of coal-fired power, with 49GW of new coal plants in the pipeline. It argues that transitioning to renewable energy is a 'smart investment' that can reduce annual fossil fuel import bills from 300 to 100 million USD by 2040 and create over 2.2 million jobs. The text outlines five steps for a competitive zero carbon economy: committing to carbon neutrality, prioritizing energy efficiency, redirecting capital flows, providing exit strategies for high-carbon assets, and building new constituencies for the clean economy.

The fashion industry is a major contributor to global carbon emissions and water pollution, with a supply chain heavily reliant on fossil fuels and concentrated in low- and middle-income countries. Women comprise over 60% of the global garment workforce but face systemic barriers, including limited access to sustainable energy and underrepresentation in leadership. The report advocates for the adoption of renewable energy, circular fashion models, and gender-responsive policies to drive a sustainable transition. Key recommendations include scaling financial support for women-led SMEs, investing in green skills training, and implementing mandatory supply chain transparency to address environmental and social inequities.

SUMERNET PLUS is a transboundary programme running from July 2025 to December 2029, funded by 54 million SEK from the Swedish Government. It aims to link evidence-based research with policymakers and marginalized groups to improve climate resilience in the Mekong Region. The programme focuses on three key themes: nexus interactions and trade-offs among sectors like water and energy, building socio-ecological resilience, and supporting just sustainable transitions. To achieve these goals, it will provide 34 grants ranging from SEK 150,000 to 2,000,000, conduct capacity building for various stakeholders, and facilitate policy dialogues at regional forums such as the Mekong River Commission and ASEAN.

The report outlines a pathway for Lao PDR to reach net zero emissions by 2050, utilizing LEAP and NEMO modelling to compare a Baseline Scenario with a transformative Net Zero Scenario. Key findings highlight the necessity of diversifying the energy mix beyond hydropower, electrifying transport and cooking, and implementing carbon removal technologies. The analysis emphasizes that while hydropower remains dominant, the country must scale up solar, wind, and biomass to ensure resilience against climate-induced droughts. Achieving the target requires significant infrastructure upgrades, including grid modernization and the deployment of direct air capture (DAC) to offset residual industrial and agricultural emissions. The report also addresses critical economic challenges, such as high public debt and currency depreciation, and recommends strengthening regional cooperation through the ASEAN Power Grid and the APAEC framework.