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The report assesses the circular economy (CE) strategies of Bogotá and Buenos Aires, identifying a common over-reliance on waste management and a lack of holistic, long-term visions. It emphasizes the critical role of the informal waste sector, which supports millions of livelihoods in the region, and advocates for their formal integration into urban governance. Key recommendations include adopting the 10-R framework to move beyond recycling toward refusing and rethinking consumption, improving waste infrastructure, and implementing extended producer responsibility (EPR) schemes.

The document highlights a critical gap between the estimated loss and damage (L&D) finance needs of developing countries (USD 400 billion to 1.6 trillion per year by 2030) and current pledges to the Fund for responding to Loss and Damage (USD 745 million as of December 2024). It proposes a variety of innovative instruments to generate revenue, categorized by their funding potential and alignment with the 'polluters pay' and historical responsibility principles. High-potential instruments include wealth taxes (up to USD 2 trillion per year) and windfall taxes (up to USD 1 trillion per year). The brief recommends that high-income countries implement these instruments nationally or advocate for global frameworks through forums like the G20, IMF, and the UN Framework Convention on International Tax Cooperation to ensure equitable climate finance.

The EU Green Policy Tracker prototype assesses the implementation of four specific European Green Deal (EGD) policies in Sweden and Estonia. Using a combination of desk research and semi-structured interviews with 12 government officials, the methodology employs a standardized taxonomy to identify facilitating and hindering factors. Implementation progress is categorized into initial (red), intermediate (amber), and advanced (green) stages based on the percentage of expected actions completed, which are then aggregated into an overall implementation score for each country.

The authors welcome the Church of Sweden's forest inquiry for its ambition to integrate ecological, social, and spiritual considerations and its potential adoption of Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) for forestry affecting reindeer husbandry. However, they argue that the Church, as Sweden's fifth largest forest manager, must do more to align its land management in Sápmi with international indigenous rights frameworks to avoid sacrificing indigenous rights for short-term economic gain.

The research argues that climate adaptation should be viewed as a continuum rather than a dichotomy between planned and autonomous responses. By analyzing a global database of 1,682 peer-reviewed articles, the study introduces "mixed adaptation" as a category for responses exhibiting characteristics of both types. The analysis found that over one-third of the studied adaptation responses fall into this mixed category, leading to the development of a qualitative typology featuring nine interaction patterns between autonomous and planned adaptation.

A case study in Bharatpur, Nepal, identifies dengue fever and skin infections as prevalent infectious diseases, linked to poor waste management and inadequate sanitation. While nature-based solutions like green streets and rainwater harvesting can mitigate hazards by filtering water and reducing temperatures, the study concludes that NBS cannot replace essential urban infrastructure and services to improve public health outcomes.

The report assesses the AU-EU climate partnership, noting it is under strain due to unmet commitments and limited finance. It calls for the EU to double adaptation finance by COP30, contribute its 'fair share' to the New Quantified Collective Goal, and establish a new adaptation finance target to replace the COP26 pledge.

The document outlines an evaluation of 18 Nordic Development Fund (NDF) projects to assess their contribution to climate mitigation and transformative change. Using the Climate Investment Fund’s (CIF) Principles for Transformational Climate Finance, the study examines whether Swedish development finance achieves the scale and speed of emission reductions necessary to meet the Paris Agreement's 1.5 C temperature goal. The evaluation focuses on speed, scale, systemic change, relevance, additionality, co-benefits, and transparency, emphasizing that transformative potential requires analysis of wider structural change beyond simple quantitative greenhouse gas measurements.

The research examines how green industrial policies and subsidies affect the cost of low-carbon steel production in the US and EU, concluding that subsidies have a more significant impact on cost reduction than renewable energy costs, which creates a tension between maintaining a level playing field and accelerating climate action.

The report provides evidence that adopting Sustainable Land Management (SLM) practices, such as Conservation Agriculture (CA) and Integrated Soil Fertility Management (ISFM), benefits smallholder farming systems in Western Kenya by addressing soil fertility loss and enhancing carbon sequestration potential.

The study examines the impact of electrification, digitalization, and automation on Swedish truck and taxi drivers across six dimensions of working life: skill requirements, work organization, job security, identity, safety, and health. While drivers recognize potential improvements in safety and performance, they perceive challenges regarding identity and skill requirements. The authors argue that the negative impacts are driven by institutional arrangements and societal shifts rather than the technologies themselves, suggesting that incorporating driver insights into decision-making is essential for a just transition and the preservation of worker dignity.

Bangkok faces extreme light pollution, with inner areas reaching level 9 on the Bortle Scale, which disrupts human circadian rhythms and nocturnal wildlife behaviors. Despite the Thailand Enhancement and Conservation of National Environmental Quality Act (1992) recognizing light as a pollutant, there are no specific provisions to regulate excessive artificial lighting. The author advocates for smart lighting solutions, public awareness, and the adoption of light curfews similar to those in Paris and Hong Kong to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and protect public health.

The research evaluates Mongolia's greenhouse gas emission trajectories up to 2050, comparing a baseline scenario with one incorporating 49 mitigation measures. While emissions could rise significantly without intervention, the proposed measures could reduce 2050 emissions by 40% relative to the baseline, though the authors note that technical feasibility and full decarbonization remain distant goals due to implementation barriers.

This report presents a holistic framework and evidence-based recommendations commissioned by the Scottish Government to drive the societal and economic transformations necessary to achieve a "net-zero, nature-positive society". Integrating research from SEI, the New Economics Foundation, and the Global Footprint Network, the framework identifies policy gaps and proposes indicators to track progress toward addressing climate and nature emergencies.

The paper examines the challenges of achieving sustainable and inclusive disaster risk reduction (DRR) practices for SOGIESC populations. Based on two consultative projects in the Asia-Pacific region (2018 and 2021), it finds that while such forums generate hope and recommendations, they are insufficient on their own to produce meaningful change. The author argues that incremental progress requires these forums to be complemented by wider advocacy and solidarity with other activities to achieve a transformative agenda.

The document identifies significant obstacles to Colombia's thermal coal transition, including high fiscal dependence on coal exports, limited subnational institutional capacity, and insufficient environmental regulations for mine closures. It highlights the vulnerability of the Cesar and La Guajira regions, where coal represents a major share of departmental income and employment. The brief argues that a just transition requires strengthening local governance, establishing a permanent transition fund, and ensuring inclusive planning that protects marginalized groups and the civic space.

The document examines the 'catnip project', which successfully developed an environmentally friendly mosquito repellent using local bioresources in eastern Africa. While the project demonstrated strong entrepreneurial activity and legitimacy through community involvement, it faced significant barriers in financial mobilization, policy guidance, and market creation. The analysis highlights the critical role of bio-innovation platforms like BioInnovate Africa in linking research to market, while noting that short funding cycles from aid agencies often conflict with the longer timelines required for successful innovation and commercialization.

The document analyzes how Colombia and Nigeria use narratives of development, energy security, and energy transition to maintain dependence on fossil fuels. It argues that these narratives are often inaccurate or outdated, contributing to 'carbon lock-in'. The briefing suggests that civil society and researchers can counter these claims by demanding transparency, highlighting the benefits of renewables, and promoting science-based alternatives for a just transition.

A case study in Bharatpur, Nepal, reveals that dengue and skin infections are significantly associated with proximity to garbage disposal sites, with skin infections further linked to reliance on surface water. While nature-based solutions (NBS) like green streets and rainwater harvesting show potential for reducing hazards by managing stormwater and improving hygiene, the report concludes that NBS cannot substitute for essential urban infrastructure such as piped water and municipal solid waste management.

The document analyzes the economic, political, and governance challenges of phasing out coal in Indonesia, emphasizing the need for multi-level coordination, economic diversification for affected workers, and the removal of coal subsidies to enable a just energy transition.