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Deep-sea mining targets critical minerals like cobalt and nickel from polymetallic nodules, sulfides, and crusts, primarily in international waters such as the Clarion-Clipperton Zone. While proponents argue it can meet surging demand for the energy transition and avoid some terrestrial mining harms, the practice faces significant opposition due to risks of species extinction, disruption of the ocean's carbon sink, and threats to food security in small island states. Commercial exploitation remains stalled as the International Seabed Authority (ISA) has failed to reach a consensus on regulations as of July 2025, though some companies may attempt to bypass this via U.S. domestic law. Alternatives such as scaling up recycling and shifting to LFP or sodium-ion batteries could reduce the necessity of seabed extraction.

The document highlights the critical nature of the INC-5.2 negotiations in Geneva, emphasizing the need for a treaty that includes plastic production caps, addresses toxic chemicals, and establishes robust financial mechanisms. It warns against the influence of fossil fuel lobbyists, the risks of consensus-based decision-making that could lead to gridlock, and the danger of postponing key decisions to future Conferences of the Parties (COPs).

The authors contend that the ICJ has a legal and moral imperative to name fossil fuels as the root cause of climate change and mandate their phase-out. They argue that international law, including the transboundary harm and precautionary principles, requires States to constrain fossil fuel production and hold corporate polluters accountable. The text highlights recent advisory opinions from the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACtHR) and the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) as precedents for a heightened due diligence standard regarding climate emissions. The authors criticize the political reluctance within the UNFCCC and the UN Human Rights Council to explicitly mention fossil fuels, asserting that legal clarity from the ICJ is necessary to overcome political paralysis and protect human rights, particularly for climate-vulnerable Pacific Island States.

The paper examines how trade policy can accelerate the clean energy transition by expanding access to renewable technologies. It highlights the role of the APEC List of Environmental Goods and the need to address non-tariff measures and global value chain complexities. The author advocates for a comprehensive approach that includes preferential treatment for components and services to reduce the cost and increase the efficiency of renewable energy deployment.

The guide outlines five ways employees can drive climate action at work: reducing office food waste to mitigate methane emissions, engaging clients and customers in sustainability discussions, vetting service providers to avoid supporting high-emitting industries, advocating for fossil-fuel-free retirement plans, and developing internal department-specific climate action guides.

Global Witness reports that 92% of surveyed environmental defenders have suffered online abuse, with Meta-owned platforms (Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram) being the most frequent sites of harassment. The report highlights a direct link between digital attacks and offline violence, noting that 75% of those harmed offline believe online abuse contributed to it. It criticizes social media algorithms for promoting polarization and argues that inadequate moderation resources, particularly in Africa and Asia, leave defenders vulnerable to doxxing, cyberattacks, and criminalization. The document concludes that these digital threats create a chilling effect on the climate movement, leading to productivity loss and, in some cases, the cessation of activism.

The research paper outlines the challenges facing African development finance, including a significant annual financing gap and the 'African premium' on international capital markets. It argues that the G20 common framework for sovereign debt restructuring has failed African countries and proposes that South Africa's G20 presidency prioritise the creation of a Borrowers' Forum, the improvement of sovereign debt architecture via the Global Sovereign Debt Roundtable, and the appointment of a G20 panel of technical experts to address barriers to affordable finance.

The Carbon Crediting Data Framework (CCDF) is a four-part toolkit (executive report, implementation spreadsheet, technical documentation, and JSON schema) created by RMI's Carbon Markets Initiative to address data fragmentation in the voluntary carbon market (VCM). The framework synthesizes requirements from over 160 sources to provide a common language for 570 individual data fields across 22 categories and 48 sub-categories. It organizes data into four tiers based on the project lifecycle: Pre-Registration (Tier 0), Validation (Tier 1), Verification (Tier 2), and Innovation & Ambition (Tier 3). The CCDF specifically integrates socio-environmental (SE) data as core benefits rather than optional add-ons, drawing on standards from international finance institutions and the UN. Early implementation by Centigrade demonstrates that the framework can reduce due diligence time and transaction costs, which can otherwise exceed $100,000 per project. RMI is also using the CCDF to support the Carbon Data Open Protocol (CDOP) in developing a unified VCM data schema.

The World Association for Christian Communication (WACC) highlights a critical financing gap in achieving global digital justice and inclusion. Following the WSIS+20 High Level Event, the document notes that rising debt in developing countries and cuts in international development finance hinder sustainable digital development. WACC proposes four strategies to address this: taxing digital corporations, linking digital governance with development finance frameworks, increasing national public investment, and mobilizing diverse funding sources from philanthropic and private sectors.

The briefing highlights that while food systems contribute over 30% of global greenhouse gas emissions, there is no cohesive global pathway with clear targets and timelines to reach net zero. Current efforts, such as the FAO roadmap, are deemed insufficient because they omit the need to reduce animal-sourced product consumption and lack key biodiversity targets. The author notes that while over 55 relevant targets exist across frameworks like the Paris Agreement and SDGs, they are disconnected, often non-binding, and lack financial targets. The document calls for a coordinated framework similar to the IEA's energy roadmap to integrate climate, health, and nature goals and minimize trade-offs.

The document details the significant health and economic burdens of meat consumption and livestock production, linking red and processed meats to millions of deaths from non-communicable diseases and highlighting the risks of zoonotic diseases and antimicrobial resistance. It quantifies global healthcare costs and suggests that shifting toward plant-based diets could save trillions of dollars and millions of lives.

The document argues that traditional consumer protection frameworks must be updated to address e-commerce challenges such as data privacy and cross-border enforcement. It notes that while the global B2C e-commerce market was valued at USD 5.47 trillion in 2023 and is growing, many developing countries lack the modern laws necessary to build consumer trust and manage technology-driven business models.

The 2025 Corporate Climate Responsibility Monitor finds that most major global companies fail to align their business models with the Paris Agreement's 1.5°C goal. While some companies like Apple, H&M Group, and Stellantis show 'moderate' integrity, none of the 20 companies in the sector deep dives achieved 'reasonable' or 'high' integrity ratings. The report argues that GHG emission reduction targets alone are insufficient and must be complemented by transition-specific alignment targets to ensure credible decarbonisation.

The analysis of Ford, General Motors, Stellantis, Toyota, and Volkswagen reveals a general failure to set credible decarbonisation targets or address key transitions. Most companies lack ambition in emission reductions, and current battery electric vehicle sales trajectories are insufficient for 1.5°C alignment. While some progress exists in near-zero steel and aluminium procurement by Ford and General Motors, other critical areas like battery production emissions remain neglected.

The document describes a methodology for bridging the gap between high-level global water risk assessments and local ground truths. Using Unilever as a case study, it illustrates how global tools like Aqueduct provide a necessary starting point for screening hundreds of sites, but require validation through facility manager feedback and expert consultants to correct for limitations in global modeling, such as the inability to account for human-made water transfers or local water quality issues.

The Corporate Climate Responsibility Monitor 2025 calls for an end to 'creative accounting' and the reliance on voluntary frameworks in corporate climate action. It emphasizes that government regulation must become the 'backbone of climate action' to ensure that big tech, fast fashion, automotive, and agrifood companies implement substantiated emission reductions rather than relying on misleading carbon neutrality claims based on carbon credits.

Anti-migrant mobilisation in Ireland has shifted from localised protests to a structured, cross-border movement. This evolution is marked by tactical collaboration between Republic-based nationalist activists and Northern Irish Loyalist networks, overriding historical sectarian divisions. The movement is further amplified by British far-right groups, North American influencers, and Russian-aligned propaganda outlets, which integrate local incidents into global 'Great Replacement' narratives and transnational far-right discourse.

The document outlines how climate change acts as a 'threat multiplier' for water scarcity, noting that nearly two-thirds of the global population faces severe water shortages at least one month per year. It highlights that freshwater demand is projected to exceed supply by 40% by 2030, exacerbated by agricultural use and outdated infrastructure. The guide suggests reporting on solutions such as wastewater reuse, sustainable agriculture, and transboundary cooperation, while providing specific examples of water crises in the United States, Mexico, and South Africa.

The document outlines how climate change and mismanagement are exacerbating global water scarcity, noting that freshwater demand is projected to exceed supply by 40% by 2030. It highlights the role of water scarcity as a 'threat multiplier' for conflict and suggests that journalists explore solutions such as infrastructure updates, sustainable agriculture, and international cooperation.

The June roundup highlights a decline in oil production investment and a surge in clean energy spending, with solar investment nearly equaling oil production spending. It analyzes the resilience of oil markets despite conflict in the Middle East, the acceleration of peak oil demand due to electric vehicle adoption in China, and various national policy shifts in the UK, Canada, and the US. Additionally, it reports on 'world first' projects in hydrogen blending and carbon capture and storage (CCS) in the US and Norway.