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A commentary by members of the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) urging the Swedish government to use its presidency of the Council of the EU in 2023 to increase the European Union's sustainability ambitions and lead on the European Green Deal.

The Climate Change Performance Index 2023 executive summary evaluates the climate mitigation efforts of the 60 largest emitters. It highlights that no country is currently on a 1.5°C pathway, leaving the top three ranks unoccupied. While Denmark leads in most categories, major emitters like China and the US are ranked in the 'very low' category. The report notes a wide disparity in performance among EU member states and identifies Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Kazakhstan as the worst overall performers.

The NewClimate Institute reports that global expansion of liquefied natural gas (LNG) and fossil gas is undermining the Paris Agreement and the 1.5°C warming limit. Despite some policy progress in the US, China, and the EU, current 2030 targets put the world on a path toward 2.4°C of warming, while the pipeline of new LNG capacity threatens to significantly increase emissions by 2030.

This briefing by Zero Carbon Analytics evaluates the role of biogas and biomethane in the energy transition, arguing that their use should be limited to hard-to-abate sectors. The document highlights that biogas only addresses a minority of agricultural emissions, faces significant economic challenges requiring subsidies, and carries risks related to fugitive emissions and safety.

A statement by the Life After Coal (LAC) campaign—comprising the Centre for Environmental Rights, Earthlife Africa, and groundWork—urging the South African government to lead at COP27 by supporting climate-vulnerable nations and accelerating a domestic Just Transition away from fossil fuels.

H2 Energy Sdn Bhd installed a 2.88 kWp solar-powered hydrogen system at the Long Loyang Clinic in Sarawak, Malaysia, on 8 August 2022. The system provides 24/7 power for essential medical services, replacing an unreliable diesel supply, and is estimated to avoid 6 tonnes of CO2 annually. H2 Energy is now scaling this technology for other rural clinics and settlements in Malaysia, as well as projects in Australia and Cambodia.

This report by the World Resources Institute evaluates the progress made one year after the COP26 summit in Glasgow. It tracks commitments across national emissions targets, renewable energy, climate finance, net-zero goals, the financial sector, methane reduction, deforestation, urban emissions, and electric vehicles, noting that progress is mixed and often hindered by geopolitical tensions and economic crises.

The NewClimate Institute's 2022 update analyzes emissions projections for major economies, finding that current policies are insufficient to meet Paris Agreement goals and that per capita emissions trends vary significantly by country.

The 2022 Forest Declaration Assessment evaluates global progress toward the 2030 goals of halting deforestation and restoring 350 million hectares of degraded land. The report concludes that no global indicator is currently on track to meet these targets, noting that while some regional progress exists, radical transformations in finance, governance, and production are required to shift the global forest trajectory.

The 2022 Forest Declaration Assessment executive summary evaluates global progress toward the 2030 goals of ending deforestation and restoring 350 million hectares of degraded land. The report concludes that the world is not on track to meet these targets, noting that global deforestation rates decreased only modestly in 2021 and that financial investments for forest protection remain critically insufficient.

This executive summary from the 2022 Forest Declaration Assessment evaluates global progress toward the 2030 goals of ending deforestation and restoring 350 million hectares of degraded land. The report concludes that the world is not on track to meet these targets, noting that no single global indicator is currently aligned with the 2030 objectives. It analyzes four key themes: fundamental forest goals, sustainable production and development, forest finance, and forest governance.

The 2022 Forest Declaration Assessment executive summary evaluates global progress toward the 2030 goals of halting deforestation and restoring 350 million hectares of degraded land. It concludes that no single global indicator is currently on track to meet these targets, highlighting critical gaps in finance, corporate action, and governance.

The 2022 Forest Declaration Assessment Theme 4 report evaluates global forest governance systems and their capacity to halt and reverse forest loss and land degradation by 2030. It finds that while some countries have implemented effective legal tools like moratoria and inclusive policies, overall progress is insufficient, with persistent issues including widespread corruption, tenure insecurity for Indigenous Peoples and local communities, and the rollback of environmental protections in several major tropical forest nations.

This briefing by Zero Carbon Analytics examines the current state and prospects of carbon capture and storage (CCS), describing it as an "integrated infrastructure" rather than a single technology. While the history of CCS is marked by high failure rates and limited impact on global emissions, the document notes a recent surge in investment and project announcements, particularly in North America and Europe. The author argues that CCS is most critical for the cement industry, where few alternatives exist, but is largely uncompetitive in the power sector compared to renewables.

This research paper compares the Integrated MultisatellitE Retrievals for GPM (IMERG) and Climate Forecast and System Reanalysis (CFSR) precipitation products against in-situ data from NOAA surface stations between 2001 and 2020 to guide the selection of satellite rainfall products for hydro-climatic applications in data-limited regions.

This research paper by the NewClimate Institute compares 2021 greenhouse gas emission projections for G20 countries up to 2030 against projections made in 2015. While absolute projected emissions have decreased and growth rates have slowed, the G20 collectively remains off track to meet the Paris Agreement temperature goals, with emissions still expected to increase slightly by 2030.

This discussion paper by the Climate Bonds Initiative proposes the certification of short-term debt instruments—defined as those with a maturity at issuance of less than 365 days—to mobilize more capital for climate action. It argues that while green bond standards have historically focused on longer-term debt, the USD55tn short-term debt market represents a significant untapped source of green capital. The paper outlines how various instruments, including Commercial Paper and Green Repos, can be certified under the Climate Bonds Standard, primarily through the Use of Proceeds (UoP) principle, and recommends the development of a 'pure-play' entity definition to further scale the market.

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 briefing by RMI analyzes the tension between the steel industry's growth outlook and the demand reductions required to align with a 1.5°C climate outcome, highlighting the risks of delayed decarbonization and the opportunities for green hydrogen-based production.

This briefing, published by the Global Climate and Health Alliance in May 2022, summarises health and wellbeing findings from the IPCC's Sixth Assessment Report (AR6) on Mitigation of Climate Change. It highlights the synergies between climate mitigation and public health, arguing that immediate action in sectors like energy, transport, and agriculture can deliver significant health co-benefits, such as improved air quality and reduced non-communicable diseases, while addressing systemic inequalities.