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The 2025 IPIE Expert Survey reveals increasing pessimism about the global information environment, with 72% of experts expecting further degradation. While social media is seen to both increase political participation and exacerbate polarization, there is a strong expert consensus on the need for AI-generated content labeling and algorithmic auditing. Additionally, the report highlights significant systemic pressures on researchers, including harassment and self-censorship, particularly in developing economies.

The 2025 IPIE Expert Survey reveals increasing pessimism regarding the global information environment, with 72% of experts expecting it to worsen. While social media is seen as a driver of both political polarization and participation, researchers face significant barriers, including harassment and self-censorship. Experts advocate for specific AI safeguards, such as mandatory labeling of synthetic content and periodic algorithmic audits, to protect the reliability of information supply chains.

The 2025 Expert Survey on the Global Information Environment reveals growing pessimism, with 72% of experts expecting the information environment to worsen. The report highlights a complex relationship with social media, where platforms are seen to increase polarization while promoting political participation. It also documents significant 'chilling effects' on researchers, with 73% reporting harassment, self-censorship, or funding fears. To safeguard epistemic security in the AI era, experts recommend clear labeling of AI-generated content and regular algorithmic audits.

The 2025 IPIE expert survey reveals a growing pessimism regarding the global information environment, with 72% of experts believing it is deteriorating. The document highlights the dual nature of social media—increasing both political polarization and engagement—and reports significant pressures on researchers, including self-censorship and harassment. It advocates for 'epistemic security' through measures such as clear labeling of AI-generated content and regular algorithmic audits.

The document examines the transition of South Africa to a coalition-based national government following the May 2024 elections, where the ANC lost its majority. It argues that for the GNU to be effective, partners must prioritize accountability and service delivery over the retention of power. By analyzing the instability of local coalitions in South Africa and comparing them with experiences in Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, and Western Europe, the brief advocates for the adoption of formal, written coalition agreements to manage ideological tensions and improve governmental stability.

The document examines the transition of South Africa to a national coalition government following the May 2024 elections, where the ANC lost its majority. It contrasts the 2024 GNU—born of political necessity—with the 1994 GNU, which was mandatory for reconciliation. The authors analyze the instability of local-level coalitions in South Africa and review coalition models in Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, and Western Europe. The brief concludes that South Africa should adopt formal, written coalition agreements to prioritize governmental accountability and service delivery over the retention of political power.

The study finds that the average WACC for African countries (15.6%) is significantly higher than the 10% uniform value often used in planning, with Eastern Africa facing the highest costs. This high cost of capital, driven by low economic development and high risk premiums, disproportionately affects capital-intensive clean energy projects. The authors argue that relying on uniform WACC values misguides policy and recommend localized data and risk-mitigation instruments to attract private investment.

Global climate finance more than doubled between 2018 and 2022, reaching USD 1.46 trillion in 2022, yet remains far below the USD 7.4 trillion annual average needed by 2030 for a 1.5°C scenario. Mitigation finance dominates the landscape, driven by renewable energy and electric vehicles in advanced economies and China, while adaptation finance, though growing, remains severely underfunded, particularly for Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and Small Island Developing States (SIDS). The report highlights a critical imbalance, noting that fossil fuel subsidies reached USD 1.4 trillion in 2022, nearly equaling total climate finance. It recommends reforming the global financial architecture through increased concessional finance, risk mitigation, and the redirection of fossil fuel expenditures to close the investment gap.

In 2023, IDFC members committed $199 billion in green finance, a 31% decrease from 2022, largely due to currency depreciation in East Asia and the Pacific and the adoption of more conservative tracking methodologies. Climate finance dominated at 98% of total green finance, with mitigation accounting for 89% of that amount. Adaptation finance fell significantly to $10.5 billion, while biodiversity finance reached its lowest level since 2020 at $8.2 billion. The report emphasizes the role of public development banks (PDBs) in providing transformative finance and calls for the New Collective Quantified Goal on Climate Finance (NCQG) to integrate 'transformational criteria' to better catalyze private investment.

The report finds that international concessional climate finance grew by 50% from 2019 to reach USD 81 billion in 2022, though it remains small compared to fossil fuel subsidies. Sub-Saharan Africa is the primary recipient of these flows. The analysis highlights a gap in adaptation finance and a lack of standardized impact metrics. Domestic concessional finance is heavily concentrated in high-income economies, particularly Western Europe, and focuses primarily on mitigation. The report recommends redirecting fossil fuel subsidies, targeting fragile and conflict-affected states, and streamlining project approval processes to enhance efficiency.

The 2024 State of Cities Climate Finance report (SCCFR) reveals a significant gap between current urban climate finance flows and the trillions of dollars required for mitigation and adaptation. While 69% of urban climate finance is sourced domestically, international flows from developed to developing economies remain low at USD 12 billion. Mitigation needs are dominated by transport, energy, and buildings, with East Asia and the Pacific having the highest annual requirements. The report advocates for the '4C Urban Climate Finance Agenda'—Commitment, Collaboration, Capacity, and Capital Mobilization—to scale finance and improve data tracking.

Tracked urban climate finance reached USD 831 billion in 2021/2022, more than doubling since 2017/2018. However, this remains severely insufficient compared to estimated annual mitigation needs of USD 4.3 trillion by 2030. Finance is heavily concentrated in developed economies and China, with critical gaps in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. While mitigation flows are dominated by transport and buildings, adaptation finance is significantly lower at USD 10 billion, primarily focused on water and wastewater. The report advocates for a '4C Urban Climate Finance Agenda'—Commitment, Collaboration, Capacity, and Capital Mobilization—to bridge the investment gap.

The report finds that while urban climate finance more than doubled to USD 831 billion in 2021/2022, it must increase more than fivefold to align with a 1.5°C pathway. Mitigation needs are dominated by transport, energy, and buildings, with a significant financing gap particularly in emerging markets and developing economies (EMDEs). The document identifies systemic challenges including weak enabling environments and city-level capacity gaps, and proposes the '4C Urban Climate Finance Agenda' (Commitment, Collaboration, Capacity, and Capital Mobilization) to scale investment.

Global Witness criticises the UK's crackdown on climate activists, citing the four-year prison sentence of Daniel Shaw and the use of the Public Order Act 2023 and the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill 2022. The organisation highlights that over 7,000 climate protesters have been arrested since 2019 and argues that the fossil fuel industry has influenced the legislation used to muzzle defenders. It calls on the new Labour government to protect the right to peaceful protest.

The 2024 IPIE expert survey of 412 researchers across 66 countries reveals a growing pessimism about the global information environment, with 63% expecting it to deteriorate. Experts identify the availability of accurate information and diversity of opinion as the most critical features of a healthy information environment. Social media platform owners and governments are viewed as the most severe threats. While generative AI is seen as a tool for both hope and concern, 63% of experts fear its potential to amplify disinformation and harassment. The report advocates for supporting free and independent media and improving data access for researchers to build resilience.

The Kuali Fund-GCF Gender Assessment analyzes gender disparities in the financial and agricultural sectors across Brazil, Colombia, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, and Panama. It identifies systemic barriers—including limited access to credit, land ownership gaps, and the burden of unpaid care work—that hinder women-led micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and female smallholder farmers. The report argues that women are more vulnerable to climate change and face a significant financing gap, which the fund aims to address through a Gender Action Plan (GAP) involving technical assistance, gender-responsive financial products, and capacity building for financial service providers (FSPs).

The 2024 IPIE expert survey of 412 researchers across 66 countries identifies the availability of accurate information and diversity of voices as the primary features of a healthy information environment. Social media platform owners, governments, and politicians are cited as the most significant threats. While generative AI is viewed as a tool that could potentially improve content detection and journalism, 63% of experts express significant concern regarding its potential to amplify misinformation, harassment, and bias. Experts in developing countries report higher levels of concern regarding AI and platform-based threats but show greater optimism toward interventions like fact-checking and media literacy.

The 2024 IPIE expert survey of 412 researchers across 66 countries identifies the availability of accurate information and diversity of voices as essential for a healthy information environment. Social media platform owners and politicians are viewed as the primary threats. While generative AI is seen as a risk—particularly regarding AI-generated videos—there is moderate hope for its use in content detection and journalistic support. Experts generally predict the information environment will worsen in 2025, emphasizing the need for more research outside the USA and Western democracies.

The 2024 IPIE expert survey reveals a growing pessimism about the global information environment, with 63% of experts expecting it to deteriorate. The availability of accurate information and diversity of voices are identified as the most critical characteristics of a healthy information environment. Social media platform owners, governments, and politicians are cited as the primary threats. While generative AI is viewed as a tool that could improve content detection and journalism, experts are more concerned about its potential to amplify disinformation, harassment, and bias.

The 2024 IPIE expert survey reveals a growing pessimism about the global information environment, with 63% of experts expecting it to worsen. The availability of accurate information and diversity of voices are identified as the most critical characteristics of a healthy environment. Social media platform owners, governments, and politicians are cited as the primary threats. While generative AI is viewed as a tool that could improve content detection and journalism, experts are predominantly concerned that it will amplify disinformation, harassment, and bias. Experts advocate for supporting free and independent media and digital media literacy to build resilience.