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This briefing note by the Forum on Trade, Environment, & the SDGs (TESS) examines the intersection of international trade and the sustainable bioeconomy. It provides a typology of trade-related policy instruments—including price-based measures, economic incentives, and regulatory requirements—that governments can use to promote nature-positive economic growth. The document emphasizes the need for international cooperation, particularly through the G20, to align these policies, avoid trade frictions, and support low- and middle-income countries in their transition to a sustainable bioeconomy.

This report by RMI outlines strategies to bridge the gap between India's green hydrogen production targets and actual adoption, proposing five demand-side interventions to unlock between 2.1 and 5 million metric tons (MMT) of demand by 2030.

This research paper examines Turkey's strategic efforts to secure critical raw materials (CRMs) in Africa to support its domestic industrial goals in defence, electric vehicles, and renewables. It analyzes Turkey's diverse engagement modalities—ranging from direct extraction to integrated industrial hubs and security-linked partnerships—and proposes a trilateral cooperation framework involving the European Union (EU) and African nations to align standards and enhance supply chain resilience.

This report by the NewClimate Institute, published under the CASE project, analyzes monitoring frameworks for climate and energy targets in six developed economies to provide guidance for Southeast Asian countries pursuing carbon neutrality and net-zero emissions by 2050.

The Hong Kong Sustainable Debt Market Briefing 2024, published by the Climate Bonds Initiative, provides a comprehensive analysis of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) green, social, sustainability, and sustainability-linked bond (GSS+) market as of the end of 2024. While overall aligned GSS+ debt volume declined by 41% year-on-year to USD 10.8bn, the report highlights growth in social and sustainability bonds and the HKSAR Government's continued leadership in the Asia-Pacific region through its Sustainable Bond Programme and the introduction of the Hong Kong Taxonomy for Sustainable Finance.

This guide by the Climate Bonds Initiative provides a framework for investors to evaluate and engage with sovereign transition plans. It outlines key elements of credible planning, including science-based targets, detailed investment and policy roadmaps, and robust governance and transparency measures, aiming to help investors assess the long-term sustainability of sovereign asset exposures.

This policy brief argues that South Africa should leverage international interest in green hydrogen to catalyze local socio-economic development and regional integration. It recommends prioritizing trade-focused investments in physical, institutional, and social enablers—specifically port infrastructure, domestic manufacturing of electrolysers, and community-centric social strategies—to ensure the sector benefits the domestic population rather than serving only as an export mechanism.

The Lobito Corridor is a strategic transport route designed to move critical raw materials (CRMs) from the Copperbelt of the DRC and Zambia to the Atlantic coast of Angola for export to the US and EU. While it promises economic transformation and local industrialization, the project faces significant geopolitical competition from China, sustainability risks related to human rights and artisanal mining, and financial uncertainty stemming from the US political landscape under the Trump presidency.

This report by RMI evaluates the potential for carbon dioxide removal (CDR) and storage by integrating biomass residue building products into the construction industry. It estimates that using these materials could remove 3.6 Gt CO2 by 2050 and avert an additional 16.5 Gt CO2 in emissions. The document also discusses the role of mass timber and active forest management in stabilizing forest carbon, while outlining the policy and technical barriers to scaling these solutions.

This informal input paper, prepared for the G20 Working Group on Trade and Investment by the African Future Policies Hub, Lead-IT, and the World Resources Institute, advocates for a shift from nationalistic green industrial policies toward "cooperative green competitiveness." The report outlines strategies for inclusive green industrialisation, emphasizing the role of industrial clusters, regional cooperation, and reformed climate finance to ensure developing countries are integrated into global green value chains without repeating past patterns of resource exploitation.

This policy brief by the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) argues that the plastics and petrochemical industries are attempting to weaken the Global Plastics Treaty by utilizing lobbying tactics similar to those of the fossil fuel and tobacco industries. The document calls for the integration of robust conflict of interest safeguards directly into the treaty text to prevent industry influence from undermining public health and environmental goals.

This policy brief by the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) warns that the plastics and petrochemical industries are using lobbying and misinformation to weaken the Global Plastics Treaty. It highlights that industry lobbyists outnumbered many national delegations at the INC-5 session and urges the inclusion of explicit conflict-of-interest safeguards in the treaty text to protect public health and environmental goals.

This briefing note by the Forum on Trade, Environment, & the SDGs (TESS) examines the role of agricultural subsidies in driving greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. It analyzes the sources of emissions within the agricultural sector, the regional variations in emission intensities, and provides policy recommendations for reforming subsidies to align with climate goals while balancing food security and livelihoods.

This report by the Forum on Trade, Environment, & the SDGs (TESS) examines the environmental impacts of agricultural subsidies and proposes frameworks for identifying and reforming those that are environmentally harmful. It emphasizes the need for international cooperation to avoid market leakage and competitiveness losses while aligning agricultural support with global biodiversity and climate goals.

This report by RMI argues that heavy industries are uniquely positioned to scale carbon dioxide removal (CDR) by leveraging their existing infrastructure, material flows, and expertise. It outlines a business case for industrial integration of CDR to create new revenue streams, manage regulatory risks, and meet net-zero targets, while emphasizing that CDR must complement, not replace, aggressive decarbonization.

The report analyzes three mega-trends shaping the global electricity transition: the exponential growth of solar power and battery storage, structurally higher electricity demand driven by electrification and data centers, and the decoupling of electricity demand from fossil fuel growth in China and India.

In 2024, clean power generation reached a milestone of 40.9% of global electricity, driven by record growth in renewables, particularly solar. However, extreme heatwaves increased global electricity demand to over 30,000 TWh, leading to a small increase in fossil fuel generation and a record high of 14.6 billion tonnes of CO2 emissions from the power sector.

This workbook provides a systematic analysis of 12 mandatory public policy measures regarding due diligence in the agri-food and mining sectors, mapping their provisions against common themes to promote interoperability and support compliance for businesses and policy-makers.

This guide by the Climate Bonds Initiative provides a strategic framework for corporates, investors, and policymakers in Vietnam to implement transition finance in hard-to-abate sectors, specifically steel, cement, and basic chemicals. It outlines a methodology for developing science-based transition plans aligned with the Paris Agreement, featuring a 'Five Hallmarks' approach to ensure targets are credible, actionable, and transparent. The document also provides sector-specific decarbonisation levers, emissions intensity thresholds, and a five-tier maturity scale for financial institutions to assess corporate transition progress.

The "Sổ tay hướng dẫn tài chính chuyển đổi cho các lĩnh vực khó giảm phát thải khí nhà kính tại Việt Nam" is a strategic guide published by the Climate Bonds Initiative (CBI) in April 2025. It provides a comprehensive framework for businesses, investors, and policymakers in Vietnam to implement credible, science-based transition plans for high-emission sectors, specifically steel, cement, and basic chemicals. The guide details a five-step 'hallmark' process for transition planning, establishes sector-specific decarbonization criteria aligned with the Paris Agreement, and offers a classification system for financial institutions to assess the maturity and ambition of corporate transition efforts.