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This technical explainer by RMI analyzes the voluntary carbon market (VCM) for ozone-depleting substances (ODS) recovery and destruction credits. It details how these projects provide high-additionality climate benefits by permanently destroying potent greenhouse gases like CFCs, while identifying significant logistical, legal, and technical barriers to scaling, particularly in developing nations.

The 33rd meeting of the Conference of the Parties (CoP-33) of the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) took place in Asunción, Paraguay, on May 29-30, 2025. The meeting focused on strengthening regional scientific collaboration, advancing science diplomacy, and enhancing climate resilience across the Americas. Key outcomes included the adoption of 18 decisions, the creation of an Indigenous Peoples Advisory Committee (IPAC), the approval of an updated Open Science and Open Data Policy, and the admission of three new Associate members: the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), the American Geophysical Union (AGU), and the Venezuelan Institute for Scientific Research (IVIC).

The report details the 59th meeting of the Executive Council of the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI), held on May 28, 2025, in Asunción, Paraguay. The meeting focused on approving the 2025–2026 operating budget, addressing funding deficits for regional research initiatives, and proposing a shift in how member states designate national representatives to ensure institutional continuity.

This research paper by Poppy S. Winanti analyzes the responses of ASEAN member states to unprecedented U.S. tariffs imposed starting in April 2025. The author details how countries like Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Thailand have prioritized pragmatic negotiation and market diversification over retaliation due to their heavy export reliance on the U.S. market, while Singapore has adopted a cautious wait-and-see approach.

This policy brief by the South African Institute of International Affairs argues for the 'ring-fencing' of development expenditures in Africa to protect long-term investments from short-term fiscal and political pressures. It identifies a 'perfect storm' of challenges—including trade fragmentation, the 'securitisation' of economic policy, high debt burdens, and technological disruption—that threaten development financing. The document proposes five specific policy mechanisms to institutionalise this protection and suggests that development finance should be framed as complementary to security priorities to leverage international funding.

This briefing by the Center for International Environmental Law analyzes a July 23, 2025, advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice (ICJ) regarding States' obligations to address climate change. The ruling, adopted unanimously by 15 judges, establishes that States have binding obligations under international law to protect the climate system, phase out fossil fuels, and provide reparations for climate damage.

This guide by the World Resources Institute explains the mechanisms, current regulatory status, potential benefits, and ecological risks of deep-sea mining. It highlights the tension between the demand for critical minerals for the energy transition and the significant knowledge gaps regarding the impact on deep-ocean ecosystems and global carbon cycles.

This research paper examines how the trade war between the US and China, alongside President Trump's critical mineral diplomacy, creates a strategic window for African nations to transition from raw material exporters to green technology manufacturing hubs. It argues that countries rich in minerals like cobalt and lithium can leverage geopolitical competition to secure technology transfer, domestic value addition, and diversified investment portfolios.

This fact sheet outlines the significant health and economic costs associated with livestock production and meat consumption. It links high red and processed meat intake to increased risks of heart disease, diabetes, and cancer, noting that such diets caused 0.9 million deaths globally in 2019. The document also highlights systemic risks from industrial farming, including zoonotic diseases, antimicrobial resistance, and air pollution. Economically, it estimates that red and processed meat consumption resulted in USD 285 billion in global healthcare costs in 2020. Conversely, it argues that transitioning to plant-based diets, such as the EAT-Lancet planetary health diet, could prevent millions of deaths annually and save trillions of dollars in health and ecosystem costs.

This research paper by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) argues that expanding liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports is a risky economic and environmental strategy for Canada. The authors contend that LNG fails to provide energy security for importers or economic resilience for exporters due to extreme price volatility, high infrastructure costs, and a global shift toward cheaper renewable energy. The document highlights that Canadian projects face significant competitiveness challenges against producers like the United States and Qatar, while importing regions in Europe and Asia are actively reducing their LNG demand.

A report by Ember detailing the increasing dominance of BRICS nations in global solar power generation, highlighting that these countries accounted for over half of the world's solar electricity in 2024, led primarily by China, India, and Brazil.

This report analyzes market trends for certified sustainable seafood in the United States and Europe to inform commercial fisheries in Manitoba, Manitoba, Canada, about the potential benefits of eco-certification.

A research paper by the South African Institute of International Affairs analyzing the 12-day conflict between Israel and Iran in June 2025 and the subsequent diplomatic response from BRICS members.

This document is a keynote address by Dr Basani Baloyi of the Institute for Economic Justice to the G20 Empowerment of Women Working Group. It argues that the care economy is the essential foundation of all economic activity and calls for G20 nations to transition from a model where care is invisible and undervalued to one where it is recognized as a public good and a driver of inclusive economic growth.

The Renewables Bulletin: BRICS Edition provides data on the energy transition across BRICS nations, highlighting the dominant role of China in renewable electricity generation and capacity, while noting varying levels of progress in solar and wind adoption across the bloc.

The 'Sustainable Debt Global State of the Market 2024' report by the Climate Bonds Initiative provides a detailed analysis of aligned green, social, sustainability, and sustainability-linked (GSS+) debt as of the end of Q1 2025. It tracks cumulative volumes, quarterly trends, and the performance of various issuer types and sovereign nations, highlighting a total cumulative aligned volume of USD 5.9 trillion.

This policy brief by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) argues that investment treaties should be reframed as public risk allocation tools rather than merely legal instruments. It contends that these treaties act as a form of 'unpriced public insurance' that transfers political and regulatory risks from private investors to host states, often without the safeguards or pricing mechanisms found in other de-risking tools.

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 research paper argues that South Africa and the European Union (EU) should deepen their strategic interdependence in critical minerals to navigate geopolitical uncertainties and avoid the 'blackmailing logic' of mineral-for-security deals. It highlights the complementary nature of their economies, the EU's financial commitments to South Africa's energy transition, and the need to reconcile the EU's desire for strategic autonomy with South Africa's goal of domestic value addition.

This research paper outlines the priorities of South Africa's 2025 G20 presidency, which focuses on the theme "Solidarity, Equality, Sustainability." The document details South Africa's efforts to center African developmental concerns within the G20, specifically targeting debt sustainability, climate adaptation finance, and the mitigation of illicit financial flows to ensure the grouping remains relevant amidst global fragmentation.