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This policy brief by the Stockholm Environment Institute argues for the integration of circular bioeconomy principles and behavioral insights to minimize food loss and waste, particularly within urban food systems, to enhance food security and support Sustainable Development Goals 11 and 12.

This guide by RMI examines the voluntary carbon market, detailing the six-stage lifecycle of a carbon credit and proposing three 'unlocks'—reducing development costs, differentiating supply, and increasing transparency—to address scarcity and widespread mistrust in the market.

This report provides an overview of the global sustainable bond market for the first half of 2022, focusing on Green, Social, Sustainability, Sustainability-Linked, and Transition (GSS+) bonds. It details issuance volumes, regional trends, the emergence of new sovereign issuers, and the evolving policy landscape regarding sustainable finance taxonomies.

This policy brief discusses the barriers cities face in accessing climate finance and proposes financial aggregation as a strategy to scale up investment for urban climate mitigation and adaptation.

The report 'Chilling Prospects 2022' examines the rising global demand for cooling services driven by temperature increases and economic growth, highlighting the environmental risks and the potential for climate-friendly cooling to reduce global emissions.

This briefing by the Stockholm Environment Institute, produced as part of the Stockholm+50 meeting, synthesizes reports from GlobalABC, IEA, IRP, and UNEP to analyze the construction sector's environmental impact. It advocates for a value-chain approach to address the sector's high material intensity and proposes five interconnected policy intervention areas to facilitate a sustainable transition.

The Forum on Trade, Environment & the SDGs (TESS) highlights that international trade in plastics exceeds USD 1 trillion, with significant 'hidden' trade flows (est. 70 million MT/year) omitted from statistics. While over 140 WTO-notified measures have been used to tackle pollution, TESS argues these are uncoordinated. They call for a global treaty to end trade in hazardous plastic waste, promote sustainable substitutes, and synchronize efforts across the WTO, OECD, and the Basel Convention.

A June 2022 briefing by the Climate Action Tracker reporting that progress on updating 2030 climate targets has stalled following the Glasgow Climate Pact. The document warns that current targets and policies are insufficient to limit warming to 1.5°C, projecting end-of-century warming of 2.4°C based on 2030 targets and 2.7°C under current policies.

This research paper by Nazareth and Ghosh examines the intersection of structural inequality and climate change, arguing that current economic systems based on extractive resource use reinforce power imbalances and hinder climate action. The authors advocate for a restructuring of global environmental governance to be more inclusive and highlight the disproportionate impact of the wealthiest individuals on the global carbon budget.

This executive summary, published by the Stockholm Environment Institute in May 2022, evaluates the progress made 50 years after the 1972 UN Conference on the Human Environment. It argues that while knowledge and goals have increased, an 'action gap' persists, with only about one-tenth of global environmental targets achieved. The document proposes three systemic shifts—redefining the human-nature relationship, ensuring lasting prosperity for all, and investing in a sustainable future—alongside improvements in global governance to unlock transformative change.

This policy brief examines the role of the World Customs Organization's (WCO) Harmonized System (HS) in tracking international trade across the life cycle of plastics. It argues that current HS classifications lack the granularity needed for evidence-based policymaking to tackle plastic pollution and proposes specific amendments for the 2022–2027 cycle to improve transparency in trade flows of feedstocks, primary plastics, manufactured products, and waste.

This executive summary of a report by the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (CAPE) details the adverse health impacts of transportation-related air pollution (TRAP), highlighting the vulnerability of specific populations and recommending policy and individual-level interventions to reduce exposure and improve health outcomes.

This report by Ember analyzes global electricity trends in 2021, tracking progress against the IEA's Net Zero by 2050 pathway. While wind and solar reached a historic milestone of over 10% of global electricity, an unprecedented surge in electricity demand led to record-breaking coal generation and the largest absolute rise in power sector CO2 emissions ever recorded.

The Ember 2022 Global Electricity Review analyzes global power trends for 2021, highlighting a record-breaking year where wind and solar power reached a historic share of global electricity, yet were offset by record-high coal generation and carbon emissions driven by a surge in global electricity demand.

A statement by the Climate Policy Initiative on International Women's Day highlighting the intersection of gender inequality and the climate crisis, emphasizing that women are both disproportionately affected by climate change and essential leaders for sustainable solutions.

This report by Global Energy Monitor (GEM) provides a mine-level assessment of global coal mine methane emissions, finding that operating mines emit 52.3 million tonnes of methane per year. This volume rivals emissions from the oil and gas sectors and is significantly higher than many national inventories report. The analysis identifies China, specifically Shanxi province, as the primary source of these emissions and warns that proposed new mine projects could add another 11.3 million tonnes annually, potentially locking in emissions equivalent to the coal-based CO2 emissions of the United States.

This briefing provides financial institutions with an overview of the International Energy Agency’s (IEA) Net Zero Emissions by 2050 (NZE) scenario, specifically regarding the implications for oil and gas capital allocation. It explains why limiting global warming to 1.5°C precludes the development of new oil and gas fields and discusses the role of the finance sector in aligning investments with Paris goals.

The Corporate Climate Responsibility Monitor 2022, published by the NewClimate Institute and Carbon Market Watch, evaluates the climate strategies of 25 major global companies. The report finds that most corporate net-zero pledges lack integrity, with aggregate emissions reductions often limited to 40% rather than 100%, and a heavy reliance on contentious offsetting practices and low-quality renewable energy certificates.

This briefing by the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) explains the Global Stocktake (GST) process mandated by the Paris Agreement and advocates for the integration of human rights and social principles into this assessment to ensure effective climate action.

This submission by the Global Climate and Health Alliance (GCHA) and the Health and Climate Network (HCN) to the UNFCCC Global Stocktake first technical call argues that health is a prerequisite for the successful implementation of the Paris Agreement. The document advocates for the integration of health metrics and outcomes across mitigation, adaptation, finance, and loss and damage frameworks to maximize co-benefits and protect vulnerable populations.