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The International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) calls for broad stakeholder engagement in the public consultation of the draft UNIDROIT–ICC Instrument on International Investment Contracts, running from June 24 to September 15, 2026. IISD argues that the final instrument must prioritize sustainable development over traditional investor protections, transforming aspirational sustainability commitments into binding obligations and avoiding open-ended protection standards typical of old-generation investment treaties.

The 2026 Energy Progress Report reveals that the world is off track for all SDG7 targets by 2030. While Asia has made significant strides in electricity and clean cooking access, Africa's progress is stagnating or regressing due to a 'population trap' where demographic growth outpaces new connections. Renewable energy and energy efficiency improvements are slowing, with global progress heavily dependent on a small number of high-consuming economies. The report calls for a massive scale-up in finance and targeted infrastructure investments to prevent millions from remaining without basic energy services.

The report finds that while progress continues, momentum is fading across all SDG7 indicators. Electricity and clean cooking deficits are increasingly concentrated in Africa, where population growth often offsets gains in access. Renewable energy and energy efficiency improvements are too slow to meet 2030 targets, with global progress heavily dependent on a small number of high-consuming economies and significant investment gaps in developing nations.

The report finds that military climate strategies across 26 nations are largely unambitious, with most emissions uncovered by targets and progress relying on civilian grid decarbonisation or reduced activity rather than military technological innovation. While some success was seen in stationary base emissions in neutral countries like Ireland and Switzerland, core mobile emissions and supply-chain emissions remain largely unaddressed and are likely to rise due to increased global military spending.

The document highlights the disproportionate risk extreme heat poses to the global workforce, noting that over 70% of workers are at risk and 19,000 die annually. In the US, outdoor workers—primarily Black and Latino—face a death rate 35 times higher than the general population, yet 43 states lack comprehensive heat standards and federal rules have stalled. The guide suggests investigating local heat action plans and interviewing affected workers, while referencing specific risks like chronic kidney disease in India and the use of wet bulb temperature for monitoring.

A coalition of organizations warns that the EU's upcoming Livestock Strategy may fail to address the scale of animal farming's contribution to global warming. The letter argues that methane from agriculture is a critical driver of near-term warming and calls for the EU to set Paris Agreement-aligned targets, support herd size rebalancing through an Agri-food Just Transition Fund, and avoid treating biogenic methane differently from fossil methane.

The paper examines the use of publicly accessible data and computer vision to address the challenge of incomplete building information for energy retrofits in the UK. The authors find that combining data from sources like Google Street View and Energy Performance Certificates with machine learning models can effectively categorize wall construction and architectural styles, providing a viable evidence-gathering resource for early-stage planning. However, a workshop with industry and government stakeholders revealed that inconsistent data formats and limited sharing continue to hinder systematic planning, suggesting that practical application requires better standardization and human oversight.

The document provides a practical resource for businesses to measure and report air pollutant emissions, arguing that emissions inventories allow companies to identify reduction opportunities and integrate air pollution data into ESG and strategic decision-making processes to mitigate health, regulatory, and financial risks.

Netflix is implementing a three-step 'optimize, electrify and decarbonize' strategy to reduce the environmental impact of its productions, which account for over half of its Scope 1 and 2 emissions. The company is upgrading facilities like Longcross Studios in the U.K. with energy-efficient insulation, LED lighting, and renewable electricity, while replacing diesel generators on location with grid tie-ins, batteries, and hydrogen power units. These efforts, combined with the use of solar-powered trailers and electric vehicles, have led to significant fuel reductions in specific productions, such as The Witcher and The Boroughs, and serve as pilots for wider industry adoption of clean mobile power.

The document argues that relying solely on landfill gas capture and flaring is insufficient for methane mitigation. It highlights that gas capture systems often have a default recovery rate of about 50% and can fail due to poor design or maintenance, with some sites with capture systems exhibiting higher average emission rates than those without. The brief promotes organic waste diversion as the primary strategy to prevent methane generation at the source and suggests complementary solutions such as microbial methane oxidation systems (biocovers, biofilters, and biowindows) and improved operational practices like minimizing active working faces and enhancing cover systems. It further notes that while enclosed flares can exceed 98% destruction efficiency, open flares are more variable, and neither can eliminate methane that bypasses the collection system.

Since the 1970s, the global average number of dangerous humid heat days—defined as those with a maximum wet-bulb temperature of 25°C or higher—has more than doubled, rising from 10 to 23 days per year. Climate Central's analysis indicates that human-caused climate change is now the primary driver of this trend, accounting for 64% of all such days since 1970 and 83% of the 23 dangerous days recorded in 2025. The most significant increases are observed in tropical humid regions, including Southeast Asia, coastal West Africa, and tropical South America, though increases are also noted in drier areas like the Arabian Peninsula and the southwestern United States.

The document examines the evolving role of the insurance sector from merely absorbing financial losses to actively supporting the adoption of resilience solutions. It contends that there is a gap between public expectations and the operational constraints of insurance markets, suggesting that a recalibration of these roles is necessary to achieve practical resilience outcomes.

An analysis of 14 major economies outside the traditional UNFCCC contributors reveals that they provided approximately $102 billion in voluntary climate finance from 2013 to 2023. The study highlights a shift toward a multipolar finance reality, where emerging markets and developing economies (EMDEs) are increasingly active, though their contributions remain fragmented in official reporting. The report emphasizes the need for inclusive reporting frameworks and the scaling of triangular partnerships and de-risking mechanisms to mobilize further private capital to meet global climate goals.

The GCF Secretariat provides a detailed response to an independent evaluation of its gender approach, agreeing with several recommendations to shift from a compliance-driven model to one focused on meaningful implementation and results. While the Secretariat accepts the need for stronger institutional coherence, improved budget tracking, and enhanced capacity building, it disputes certain factual assumptions in the evaluation—specifically the reference to a non-existent 2018 GESI Policy—and rejects the introduction of mandatory mid-term Gender Action Plan updates due to the burden they would place on Accredited Entities.

The GCF Board approved 18 funding proposals totaling USD 960.3 million and accredited 10 new entities. A major outcome was the selection of host cities for regional presence: Panama City (Latin America and Caribbean), Amman (Eastern Europe, Central Asia and Middle East), Nairobi and Abidjan (Africa), and Suva (Pacific). The Board also restructured its committees, approved a training programme, and established a roadmap for the 2028–2031 Strategic Plan.

Over 100 companies, representing more than $1.5 trillion USD in annual revenue, call for governments to accelerate the transition to clean electrification. They argue that reliance on volatile fuel markets undermines competitiveness and that electrifying transport, buildings, and industry is a cost-effective way to strengthen energy security. The statement urges international cooperation through bodies like the G7 and G20, and national policies focused on affordability, electricity market design, grid modernization, and clear electrification timelines.

The document details how climate change intensifies droughts through higher temperatures and altered precipitation, leading to severe economic losses in agriculture and hydropower, increased wildfire risks, and public health threats in Canada.

Climate change is increasing the risk and severity of droughts globally and across Canada, leading to significant economic losses in agriculture and hydroelectricity, increased wildfire risk, and public health threats. In Canada, the southern Prairies and interior British Columbia are particularly vulnerable, with 2025 seeing 85% of the country abnormally dry. The document advocates for proactive drought response plans, water conservation, and strengthened agricultural resilience to mitigate these impacts.

The paper argues that fragmentation of trade-related climate measures (TrCMs) creates significant regulatory burdens, particularly for small and medium-sized enterprises in smaller economies. It distinguishes 'interoperability'—the ability to pass useful information between systems—from 'harmonization,' suggesting that focusing on the former allows governments to reduce trade barriers while preserving policy space. The author proposes several strategies to achieve this, including alignment with international standards like ISO 14067 and IPCC guidelines, adopting flexible information systems, focusing on high-impact sectoral products (e.g., steel, aluminium, and concrete), and utilizing a structured 'top-down' approach to collaboration based on a hierarchy of regulatory objectives and principles.

A statement from the We Mean Business Coalition urging governments to establish electrification as a central economic strategy to mitigate the risks of volatile fuel markets and strengthen energy security.