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The report details how plastic production and incineration contribute significantly to global greenhouse gas emissions across four life cycle stages: extraction and transport, refining and manufacturing, waste management, and environmental degradation. It projects that by 2050, cumulative emissions could reach over 56 gigatonnes of CO2e, consuming 10% to 13% of the remaining carbon budget. The document concludes that reducing plastic production and use is the only effective way to mitigate these climate impacts.

The document highlights that global plastics trade, valued at $1.2 trillion in 2020, accelerates the plastic crisis by acting as a "conveyor belt" for pollution and increasing waste burdens on importing countries. It suggests that a plastics treaty should incorporate trade restrictions, permit requirements, and mandatory reporting to ensure efficacy and prevent "leakage" to non-signatory states. The brief references the Basel, CITES, and Montreal conventions as successful examples of using trade measures to achieve environmental goals.

The document outlines how chemical manufacturers exploit regulatory gaps and use disinformation to maintain the sale of harmful products, providing case studies on PFAS, BPA, benzene, and pesticides to illustrate these tactics.

The document outlines how plastic causes human health crises through exposure to polymers and toxic additives at every stage of its life cycle, from feedstock extraction to waste management. It emphasizes that marginalized communities are disproportionately affected and calls for systemic solutions focused on comprehensive plastic reduction and manufacturer accountability rather than individual consumer behavior.

The document asserts that climate change violates fundamental human rights, disproportionately affecting marginalized groups, and argues that international law mandates effective remedies, including reparations. It criticizes the UNFCCC's voluntary funding approach and the explicit exclusion of compensation in the Paris Agreement and the Loss and Damage Fund. The authors propose a human rights-based approach to loss and damage that includes restitution, compensation, rehabilitation, and satisfaction, funded by the 'polluter pays' principle through mechanisms like windfall taxes on fossil fuel companies. It also emphasizes the need for universal social protection, debt cancellation for the Global South, and protections for climate-induced displaced persons.

The document examines the rapid scaling of offshore carbon capture and storage (CCS), highlighting that at least 38 new proposals worldwide aim to store over 165 million tonnes of CO2 annually by 2030. It argues that the technology is unproven, citing issues with Norway's flagship projects, and warns of severe risks including groundwater contamination, induced earthquakes, and CO2 leaks. A primary concern is the use of legacy oil and gas wellbores in areas like the U.S. Gulf of Mexico and the North Sea, which provide pathways for leakage. The brief further contends that offshore CCS relies on leak-prone infrastructure, creates monitoring challenges for regulators, and threatens marine ecosystems through acidification. Economically, it asserts that these projects depend on public subsidies, diverting funds from renewable energy. Finally, it claims CCS fails to deliver promised emissions reductions and often facilitates enhanced oil recovery (EOR), thereby prolonging fossil fuel reliance.

The briefing examines how CETA's requirements for licensing procedures—that they be clear, objective, established in advance, and as simple as possible—provide Canadian companies with legal avenues to challenge environmental and social regulations in EU Member States. It argues these disciplines are incompatible with a precautionary approach to environmental protection and allow international arbitration panels, often lacking technical expertise, to supersede the judgment of local regulators.

The briefing argues that CETA's 'domestic regulatory disciplines' limit the discretion of regulators in EU Member States, specifically using Greece as a case study. It highlights that Greek mining laws—which rely on expert judgment, public input, and evolving scientific data—may be vulnerable to legal challenges under CETA's requirements that licensing processes be 'objective' and 'established in advance'.

The report contends that CETA threatens the regulatory sovereignty of EU Member States regarding pesticides by promoting regulatory harmonization, requiring 'sufficient scientific evidence' over the precautionary principle, and introducing procedural burdens and financial risks through dispute resolution mechanisms.

The report examines how CETA's domestic regulatory disciplines may conflict with the EU's Industrial Emissions Directive (IED). It highlights that CETA's requirements for licensing processes to be 'objective' and 'established in advance' could be used by Canadian investors to challenge the discretionary judgment of regulators, the use of Best Available Techniques (BAT), and the inclusion of public participation in environmental permitting.

The document outlines four key legal disputes from the ICJ climate justice hearings: the scope of governing law beyond the Paris Agreement, the applicability of human rights law to climate mitigation, the duty to prevent transboundary environmental harm, and the legal basis for climate reparations.

The document examines demand-side timber legality laws across five major importing markets, comparing their scope, actor obligations, and enforcement mechanisms to identify effective legislative options for reducing illegal logging.

A letter from the CITES Secretary General to Greenpeace International clarifying the status of the Review of Significant Trade in Afrormosia (Pericopsis elata) from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

Civil society organizations argue that the IDB must move beyond 'half-measures' to ensure the MICI is an effective accountability mechanism. Key demands include repealing the requirement for complainants to first engage with Bank Management, removing the 'legal exclusion' that prevents MICI from reviewing cases with ongoing national court proceedings, and granting MICI the authority to launch investigations without Board approval. The authors highlight a systemic failure to provide remedy for harmed communities, citing a case in Colombia where noise pollution from El Dorado International Airport caused health issues despite MICI findings of noncompliance. They further urge the Bank to replace MICI's reliance on short-term consultants with permanent staff to preserve institutional memory and reduce case processing delays.

The report uses a case study of Costa Rica's JI pilot projects to identify challenges in quantifying and verifying carbon sequestration, such as baselines and leakage. It argues that the CDM must integrate strong environmental and social safeguards, including public participation and benefit-sharing with local communities, to ensure sustainable development. The author proposes a phased evolution for the CDM, moving from project-specific credits to national baselines, and suggests limiting the use of Certified Emission Reductions (CERs) to 1% of Annex I Parties' assigned amounts initially to prioritize domestic reductions.

The document advocates for a systemic shift in global energy policy, calling for OECD countries to double ODA budgets for sustainable energy and for international financial institutions to target 20% of energy financing toward renewables and efficiency. It proposes increasing the global share of renewable energy to 10% by 2010 and improving annual energy efficiency by 2%. Additionally, it urges the elimination of fossil fuel subsidies in industrialized nations and the support of local manufacturing and capacity building for clean energy technologies in developing countries to ensure sustainable development.

The document outlines contrasting legal positions between major polluting States and a majority of other participants concerning the ICJ's Advisory Opinion on climate change. It focuses on whether the UN climate regime is the exclusive source of law, the binding nature of mitigation and adaptation obligations, the applicability of the transboundary harm principle, the role of human rights law, the rights of future generations, and the legal necessity of phasing out fossil fuels. It further examines the issues of State knowledge of climate risks since the 1960s, the possibility of attributing harm to specific States, and the resulting legal consequences, including reparations and cessation of harmful conduct.

The policy brief warns that if the Codex Committee on Food Labeling adopts "substantial equivalence" as an international standard for GMOs, the WTO may use it as a benchmark to challenge national labeling laws. The authors argue that substantial equivalence is scientifically flawed and ignores non-safety factors such as ethical, religious, and dietary concerns, potentially limiting the ability of WTO Member States to implement more stringent labeling requirements based on consumer demand.

The document argues that the World Bank Inspection Panel lags behind other independent accountability mechanisms (IAMs) and proposes seven specific reforms to enhance its authority, transparency, and effectiveness in remedying harm to project-affected communities.

The document tracks the structural evolution of the future plastics treaty, noting that V.3 introduces 'Articles' for the first time and reintroduces specific provisions on product design and health. It highlights that several key elements, such as extended producer responsibility and technology transfer, are not included as stand-alone provisions in V.3, and that national plans are initially listed as voluntary in this version.