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The briefing by Friends of the Earth International critiques carbon trading and offsetting, specifically the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), as mechanisms that lock in fossil fuel dependency and facilitate human rights abuses. It warns that proposed expansions at COP 17—including sectoral crediting, soil carbon markets, and the inclusion of carbon capture and storage (CCS)—will further undermine global climate goals. The author advocates for a systemic transition to renewable energy and the provision of public, additional climate finance instead of market-based mechanisms.

The document highlights a critical gap between the SADC's strategic visions and the actual state of its infrastructure. While some corridors like the Trans-Kalahari show success, most regional transport networks suffer from severe degradation, inefficiency at borders, and a lack of financial commitment from member states. The report emphasizes the dominant role of South Africa in regional investment and the potential of privatization and concessions, as seen in Zambia's railways and Maputo's port, to improve efficiency. It also addresses the impact of political crises in Zimbabwe on regional logistics, the strategic importance of transboundary water management, and the growth of wireless communications over fixed lines.

The document examines the historical tendency of extractive companies in Africa to build exclusive 'island mode' infrastructure, which limits integration with host economies and reinforces the 'resource curse'. It advocates for a transition toward shared-use infrastructure—such as power, rail, and ports—to convert natural resource depletion into broader societal assets. The author suggests that while 70% of resource infrastructure investment could be shared among operators and another 30% with the public, achieving this requires stronger local governance, new internal corporate competencies in socio-economic development, and government incentives like tax offsets to compensate companies for the costs of open access.

The report finds that approximately 7% of energy transition mineral mines overlap with Key Biodiversity Areas, affecting an area roughly twice the size of Belgium. While this impact is smaller than that of fossil fuel extraction, the report warns of significant risks to biodiversity and Indigenous rights, advocating for nature-positive spatial planning, circular economy practices, and responsible mining standards to mitigate these harms.

The 2021 report by the Cities Climate Finance Leadership Alliance (CCFLA) finds that annual urban climate finance averaged US$ 384 billion in 2017/2018, which is significantly lower than the estimated requirement of US$ 4.5 to 5.4 trillion. Investment is heavily concentrated in OECD countries and China, with severe underfunding in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. Mitigation efforts, particularly in sustainable transport and buildings, dominate the funding landscape, while adaptation and resilience receive less than 10% of project-level finance. The report emphasizes that cities act as both providers of infrastructure and administrators of regulations, and recommends strengthening municipal financial capacities, aligning local and national climate policies, and utilizing blended finance to bridge the investment gap.

The document argues that National Treasury's 'hyper-austerity' and unilateral budget cuts undermine constitutional rights and the effectiveness of social programmes. It highlights the decline in funding for the Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant and the failure of child support grants to keep pace with food inflation. The authors call for a shift toward a developmental agenda that includes a basic income grant by 2025, wealth taxes to fund social services, and public investment in infrastructure and the energy transition.

The document argues that African nations should leverage the post-COVID-19 recovery to 'build back better' by adopting green finance mechanisms. It identifies green bonds as a primary tool for raising large-scale capital and emphasizes the need for targeted public finance to de-risk investments and attract private capital. The briefing details several pathways for a green transition, including the establishment of environmental funds, the deployment of renewable energy as an economic stimulus, and the implementation of green fiscal reforms such as carbon taxes. It also highlights the critical role of central banks in 'greening' the financial sector through macroprudential regulation and the development of green taxonomies to reduce information asymmetries.

The document explains that many metals critical for the energy transition and digital transformation are not extracted exclusively but as co-products or by-products of 'host' metals. This complementarity creates inelastic supply chains, high price volatility, and risks of material loss in tailings. It suggests that understanding these associations can help governments and companies identify new sources of minerals, such as reprocessing tailings, and improve national industrial strategies.

The Production Gap Report 2025 finds that governments are planning more fossil fuel production than in 2023, with projected 2030 levels exceeding 1.5°C-consistent pathways by over 120%. While some countries are advancing clean energy transitions, 17 of 20 profiled major producers still plan to increase the production of at least one fossil fuel by 2030, undermining global climate commitments.

The briefing argues that while climate change is unlikely to be the primary ideological driver for terrorist groups, it acts as a risk multiplier. It identifies three channels of impact: the creation of recruitment opportunities due to food and livelihood insecurity; the erosion of state legitimacy when governments fail to respond effectively to climate-induced disasters; and the security instabilities caused by the global energy transition, which may strand assets in hydrocarbon-exporting states and increase the value of critical minerals in fragile regions.

The report argues that current global development trends are environmentally and socially unsustainable, risking ecological collapse and persistent poverty. It proposes a 'Policy Reform' pathway that maintains the framework of economic globalization but introduces aggressive policy interventions to meet sustainability goals. These goals include halving hunger, unsafe water, and illiteracy by 2025 and again by 2050, while stabilizing atmospheric CO2 concentrations at less than 450 ppmv by 2100. The analysis demonstrates that such a transition is technically feasible through massive improvements in energy and water efficiency, a shift toward renewable energy, and the adoption of sustainable agricultural practices, provided there is sufficient political will to implement these reforms.

The document examines the concept of 'just resilience,' which seeks to ensure that climate adaptation does not create new winners and losers or reinforce existing marginalisation. It identifies three core dimensions of justice—distributive, procedural, and recognition—and argues that adaptation must address structural drivers of vulnerability such as wealth, gender, and ethnicity. The paper highlights maladaptation risks, where technical solutions can inadvertently increase long-term risks or displace vulnerable groups. It reviews policy examples from Australia, South Africa, the EU, and Canada, and discusses emerging trends like the rights of nature and locally led adaptation. Finally, it addresses barriers to implementation, including resource constraints and the need for equitable international climate finance mechanisms.

The 12th Meeting of the San Giorgio Group (SGG12) focused on moving climate finance from ideas to large-scale delivery, emphasizing system coherence and country-level impact. The group highlighted that annual climate finance now exceeds USD 2 trillion, driven by renewable energy and transport electrification. Key priorities include reforming Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs), scaling guarantees and catalytic equity, and addressing the high cost of capital in developing countries. The agenda also calls for 'radical localism' to center people in the climate narrative and suggests leveraging artificial intelligence and underutilized public financing institutions, such as export credit agencies, to accelerate the energy transition.

Natural Justice argues that the IRP2023 is a regression from previous plans and lacks a proper legal basis, as it functions as a policy instrument rather than an operational plan. The organization contends that the IRP2023 incorrectly prioritizes energy security over other national policy objectives like affordable access and environmental sustainability. It calls for the adoption of an Energy Justice Framework to address the rights of indigenous peoples and local communities, particularly regarding land, water, and gender equality, and recommends the development of a comprehensive Integrated Energy Plan (IEP) as mandated by the National Energy Act.

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 outlines the dangers of BECCS, highlighting its potential to cause massive deforestation, land grabbing, and food insecurity. It argues that the technology is inefficient, carries risks of CO2 leakage, and serves as a justification for continued fossil fuel use through carbon offsetting. The authors advocate for a systemic shift toward agroecology, community-managed ecosystems, and a just energy transition based on renewable sources like wind and solar.

The report argues that current multilateral governance frameworks—including WTO rules, Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) clauses, and biased financial risk models—systematically restrict the 'policy space' for developing countries to pursue sustainable industrialization. It highlights that while advanced economies historically used industrial policy to develop, current global norms 'kick away the ladder' for the Global South. The authors call for a 'transformational multilateralism' that reasserts the legitimacy of state-led industrial strategies, reforms restrictive trade and investment treaties, expands access to technology through a 'Global Technology Commons,' and addresses the 'penalisation of poverty' in global finance to enable a just and green transition.

The report argues that industrial aquaculture is unsustainable due to its heavy reliance on wild-caught fish for feed, which threatens marine ecosystems, undermines food security in the Global South, and creates a massive animal welfare crisis. It highlights that nearly 20% of wild fish catches are processed into FMFO, often targeting keystone forage species and juveniles. The document criticizes the lack of transparency among aquafeed companies and the inadequacy of current certification schemes like the MSC and IFFO. To address these issues, it recommends a transition toward herbivorous species, alternative proteins like insects and algae, and stricter governance to eliminate illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing.

The WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities employs an integrated approach combining data-driven research and long-term city partnerships to address urban challenges in land use, mobility, and energy efficiency. The organization focuses on the global south, implementing projects such as low-emission zones in Beijing, sustainable housing standards in Brazil, and last-mile mobility solutions in Bengaluru. Its strategy emphasizes scaling road-tested solutions through national policy guidance and global coalitions to help cities decarbonize and improve equitable access to core services.

The 2024 National Budget continues a decade-long trend of budget cuts to achieve a primary budget surplus and stabilise debt, despite high levels of poverty and unemployment in South Africa. The IEJ argues that the National Treasury's claim of insufficient funds is contradicted by the drawdown of R150 billion from the Gold and Foreign Exchange Contingency Reserve Account (GFECRA). The document highlights real-term declines in per capita non-interest expenditure, social grant values, and spending on healthcare and education. It proposes alternative revenue sources, such as wealth taxes and taxing financial transactions, to fund essential services and job creation. The IEJ criticises the reliance on Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) for infrastructure and electricity, warning of fiscal risks and potential tariff increases.