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The paper examines the rising trend of tax-related ISDS cases and their threat to fiscal sovereignty, proposing that the UN Convention on Tax implement carve-out clauses and coordinated treaty reforms to ensure tax disputes are handled by tax specialists and state-to-state mechanisms rather than private investment tribunals.

The statement urges WTO ministers at MC14 in Yaoundé, Cameroon, to prioritize sustainable development within the WTO reform agenda and consolidate momentum on environmental initiatives. It highlights the need for a course-correction in WTO reform to address climate change, nature loss, and pollution, while calling for the full implementation of the Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies and the advancement of dialogues on sustainable agriculture and plastic pollution.

A coalition of business, civil society, and research stakeholders calls on WTO ministers at MC14 to ensure that multilateral trade reform prioritizes sustainable development, the climate crisis, and the needs of developing countries, particularly least developed countries (LDCs).

The text asserts that the United States has pioneered modern climate science and cornerstone innovations in renewable energy and battery storage, which provide economic and security benefits. It warns that shifting federal priorities are creating challenges for funding and institutional support, urging a reinforcement of these resources to ensure future American progress and global leadership.

Between December 2025 and February 2026, human-caused climate change significantly influenced global temperatures, with more than one in six people daily experiencing temperatures at least twice as likely due to climate change. In the United States, a sharp divide occurred: western states saw record-breaking warmth, with nine states experiencing their warmest December-February on record and Casper, Wyoming, recording the highest temperature anomaly globally among 960 analyzed cities. Conversely, the eastern U.S. faced below-average temperatures and cold snaps that the Climate Shift Index (CSI) indicates were made less likely by climate change. The record warmth in the west has led to low snowpack in Oregon, Colorado, and Utah, threatening water supplies and increasing wildfire risks.

Between December 2025 and February 2026, climate change significantly boosted global temperatures, with over one in six people experiencing strong climate influence daily. Nearly 228 million people faced 30 or more risky heat days added by climate change, with 81% of these individuals residing in Africa. The analysis highlights that in 45 countries, all risky heat days during this period were driven by climate change, and 124 countries saw the average person experience at least 30 days of strong climate influence (CSI level 2 or higher).

The report highlights the systemic risks of fossil fuel dependency, noting that three-quarters of the global population live in importing countries that spent $1.7 trillion on imports in 2024. It argues that the current crisis in the Middle East, particularly the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, serves as a catalyst for Asia to transition to electric technologies. The document asserts that scaling EVs, solar, wind, and heat pumps could reduce fossil fuel import bills by approximately 70%, with EVs already displacing 1.7 million barrels of oil per day in 2025.

The ICJ Advisory Opinion establishes that states must implement multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs) in a coherent, integrated manner, meaning that climate-related duties must inform the implementation of treaties like the Convention on Biological Diversity and the UN Convention to Combat Desertification. Consequently, evidence of systemic and mutually reinforcing actions across different MEAs will now be used to assess a state's due diligence and compliance with international law, increasing the legal and reputational risks of poorly coordinated policy implementation.

The document argues that the International Court of Justice (ICJ) has transformed the phase-out of fossil fuel subsidies from a political commitment into a mandatory legal obligation. It recommends that states inventory harmful financial supports, phase them out gradually to minimize socio-economic disruption, and redirect funds toward green solutions and population support. While the ICJ explicitly mentioned fossil fuel subsidies, the briefing suggests this reasoning extends to other harmful supports, such as agricultural subsidies.

The ICJ has established that climate action is a binding legal obligation, meaning investment protections cannot override a state's climate duties. This ruling challenges the basis of investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) claims against climate measures and suggests that investment treaties must be interpreted in light of these obligations. The document recommends that states implement climate change carveouts from ISDS, restrict forward-looking damages, and terminate outdated investment treaties to prevent the locking in of fossil fuel activities.

The document argues that the ICJ Advisory Opinion transforms the removal of fossil fuel and other climate-harmful subsidies from a political commitment into a legal imperative. It recommends that states track financial support, phase out subsidies gradually, reallocate funds to green solutions, and coordinate internationally to reduce legal and political risks.

The document argues that climate adaptation is a binding legal obligation under international law and treaties, rather than a discretionary domestic policy choice. It outlines how states must demonstrate due diligence by using the best available scientific data, prioritizing vulnerable populations, and implementing national adaptation plans by 2030. Additionally, it recommends that developed nations provide financing, technology transfers, and capacity building to developing countries to meet these obligations.

The document argues that states must update their laws and regulations to ensure that environmental impact assessments (EIAs) include downstream and Scope 3 emissions from fossil fuel projects. It provides specific recommendations to prevent industry loopholes, such as presuming all produced fuels will be burned and ignoring arguments that production would simply shift to other projects. This guidance follows an International Court of Justice (ICJ) advisory opinion and aligns with rulings from the UK Supreme Court and the EFTA Court.

The ICJ has ruled that end-use emissions from burning extracted fossil fuels must be factored into environmental impact assessments (EIAs). To mitigate legal risks, states are advised to update regulations to account for all downstream and Scope 3 emissions, regardless of whether production would have occurred elsewhere. The brief recommends that these emissions be assessed cumulatively and in alignment with global climate objectives.

The document argues that the International Court of Justice (ICJ) has established climate action as a binding legal obligation, meaning investment protections cannot override a state's climate duties. It suggests that this ruling challenges the legal basis of Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) claims against climate regulations, such as coal phase-outs or drilling bans. The brief recommends that states implement specific climate exclusion clauses in treaties, restrict prospective damages based on speculative future revenues, terminate obsolete investment treaties, and pursue a fundamental reform of the international investment regime.

The document highlights a significant shortfall in agricultural methane mitigation, noting that while the Global Methane Pledge aims for a 30% reduction by 2030, current NDCs and national plans may only achieve an 8% reduction. It argues that dietary shifts and sustainable farming are essential to avoid a 2°C warming impact driven by food consumption patterns.

The author contends that while national emission targets under the Paris Agreement are useful for policy, they are not tangible or easily understood by the general public. To make climate progress more visible and accountable, the Canadian Climate Institute will begin tracking specific technology adoption metrics, such as electric vehicle and heat pump sales, which provide a more concrete measure of the energy transition than megatonnes of carbon.

The research develops a new metric to quantify how climate extremes in exporting countries increase the vulnerability of importing nations, finding that for 10% of countries, exposure to foreign 'hot events' via staple crop imports could nearly triple between 2041 and 2060.

The briefing argues that the meat and dairy industry exploits narratives of efficiency and food security to obstruct transformative changes to food systems and the adoption of sustainable diets. It notes that despite scientific consensus, only 4% of nationally determined contributions (NDCs) include quantified, time-bound agricultural methane reduction targets. The document specifically analyzes industry messaging from the World Meat Congress and COP30 to illustrate how these actors hinder the inclusion of food systems in official climate conference texts.

The IEJ argues that the Just Transition Mechanism must be equity-oriented, grant-based, and non-prescriptive to support developing countries' national priorities. It emphasizes the need for technical assistance that covers labour markets and social protection, and calls for governance that ensures the participation of affected stakeholders and avoids exacerbating debt burdens.