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This policy brief provides a stocktaking of the World Trade Organization (WTO) Joint Statement Initiative (JSI) negotiations on e-commerce as of February 2021. It examines how the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated digital adoption while widening the digital divide, and analyzes the current state of play in the JSI negotiations, including areas of convergence and persistent divergence among the 86 participating members.

The 'Agua Sin Límites' (Water Without Limits) initiative by the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) proposes a new agenda for sustainable water management. It aims to address the limitations of Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) by focusing on tele-connections beyond the basin, multi-scale participatory approaches to address social inequalities, and the early integration of ecosystem needs into planning.

The COP26 Resilience Hub Synthesis Report outlines key messages and future directions for climate adaptation and resilience, emphasizing the need for locally led action, diversified finance, and the integration of nature-based solutions. It synthesizes findings from the Resilience Hub's activities at COP26, focusing on three pillars (urban, coastal, and rural) and ten thematic areas to guide action toward COP27.

The NAP Global Network 2020–2021 Progress Report details the activities of a network dedicated to supporting developing countries in formulating and implementing National Adaptation Plans (NAPs). During the reporting period (December 2020 to November 2021), the Network shifted toward providing rapid, short-term technical assistance via its Country Support Hub and focused on integrating gender, health, and finance into adaptation planning to accelerate climate-resilient recovery.

This policy brief examines the restart of agriculture negotiations at the World Trade Organization (WTO) in September 2020 under Chair Gloria Abraham Peralta. It analyzes the challenges of achieving Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 2 amid the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change, and shifting global trade dynamics, while outlining seven key negotiating areas and potential pathways for progress.

This report by Ember evaluates the availability, quality, and transparency of timely electricity data across various countries in Asia and Oceania. It establishes a scoring framework based on eight criteria—including time granularity, fuel breakdown, and ease of access—to rank national data sources and identify gaps that hinder the tracking of the energy transition.

The 2020 assessment of NYDF Goal 5 finds that the target of restoring 150 million hectares of forest by 2020 is not on track, with only 18% of the goal met since 2000. While some Central American countries like El Salvador and Costa Rica show net tree cover gains, others like Nicaragua and Honduras show net losses. The report highlights significant challenges in monitoring restoration due to satellite data limitations and emphasizes the need for better financial transparency and planning to scale forest landscape restoration (FLR).

This policy brief examines the scale and structure of the illegal wildlife trade, the historical evolution of international regulatory frameworks—specifically CITES—and the emerging debate over whether a new, legally binding international instrument is needed to address wildlife crime and zoonotic disease risks in a post-COVID-19 world.

This briefing by the International Institute for Sustainable Development examines the evolution of international efforts to combat the illegal wildlife trade, focusing on the role and limitations of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

This briefing by the Climate Bonds Initiative examines the role of green bonds and labelled loans in financing waste management and the circular economy. It highlights a significant investment gap, particularly in plastic waste management in Southeast Asia, and analyzes the market activity of corporate and municipal issuers globally, with a detailed focus on Japan's leadership in resource efficiency.

The 2020 Global Electricity Review by Ember analyzes global electricity generation changes in 2019, highlighting a record 3% fall in global coal-fired generation and a corresponding 2% drop in power sector CO2 emissions. While the EU and US saw significant coal collapses, China's coal generation rose, making it responsible for over half of global coal generation for the first time. Wind and solar generation grew by 15%, though the report notes that this growth rate is slowing and may be insufficient to meet Paris Agreement goals without concerted global effort.

This March 2020 report by Global Energy Monitor and partners tracks the global development of coal-fired power plants in 2019. It highlights a general global decline in new coal plant starts and pre-construction activity, contrasted with a net increase in global capacity driven primarily by China. The report details the shift in financing away from Western commercial banks toward public finance, particularly from Japan and China, and notes a record low in global coal plant utilization.

Boom & Bust 2020 is a report by Global Energy Monitor and partners analyzing global coal-fired power plant development in 2019. It details a general decline in the pipeline for new coal capacity, driven by financial restrictions and climate commitments, though this trend is countered by significant new capacity coming online in China.

The 'Boom and Bust 2020' report by Global Energy Monitor and partners analyzes global coal power plant trends in 2019. It highlights a general decline in new coal project proposals and construction, though China remains a significant outlier with continued capacity increases. The report emphasizes the growing gap between current trends and the IPCC's requirement to reduce coal power by 80% by 2030 to limit global warming to 1.5°C.

This report by Global Energy Monitor and partners analyzes global coal-fired power plant trends in 2019, noting a general decline in new project planning and construction, contrasted by a net increase in global capacity driven primarily by China.

The 2019 Global Coal Plant Tracker report reveals a contradictory trend: while the global pipeline for new coal plants has shrunk by two-thirds since 2015 and generation fell by 3% in 2019, net global capacity actually increased by 34.1 GW due to a surge of new plants in China. Western commercial banks have largely ceased direct financing for coal, but Chinese state banks and Indian state-owned finance corporations continue to provide significant funding. The report emphasizes that current trends are insufficient to meet the IPCC's goal of an 80% reduction in coal use by 2030 to limit global warming to 1.5°C.

This fact sheet by the International Institute for Sustainable Development evaluates Japan's funding of fossil fuels relative to other G20 OECD member countries, highlighting its role as a major public financier of overseas coal and liquefied natural gas projects despite some reductions in overall support.

A briefing by the Climate Action Tracker (CAT) providing a global temperature update as of December 2019, highlighting a significant gap between current government pledges and the Paris Agreement goals, while detailing trends in coal, natural gas, and renewable energy.

This document summarizes a practitioners' workshop held on December 6, 2019, in Madrid during COP25. The event, organized by the EU REDD Facility, Climate Policy Initiative (CPI), and UNDP, focused on the tools, methodologies, and challenges associated with mapping and tracking domestic climate finance to support national climate strategies and Paris Agreement objectives.

This briefing by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) examines the status of Article 6 of the Paris Agreement and the role of Internationally Transferred Mitigation Outcomes (ITMOs). It details the two primary cooperation avenues (Article 6.2 and 6.4), the challenges of establishing a rulebook—including debates over additionality and double counting—and provides examples of pilot projects and national strategies, particularly focusing on Canada's preparations.