Environmental Crime & Justice: Armenia’s deputy foreign minister used a Hamburg sustainability forum to push stronger links between biodiversity goals and criminal justice, ahead of COP17. Climate Resilience Planning: Sri Lanka’s opposition leader Sajith Premadasa urged a whole-of-government, science-based climate strategy, warning the 2026-27 El Niño could bring drought then severe flooding. Local Water Governance: New Zealand approved water services plans under “Local Water Done Well,” consolidating mainland councils into regional water entities to improve reliability and affordability. EU Climate Rules: The European Commission is drafting amendments to the EU taxonomy’s climate screening criteria to cut complexity and reduce reporting burdens starting in 2027. Climate Finance Pressure: The World Bank dropped a climate-spending target after US pressure, while keeping a broader climate plan—raising new questions for global adaptation funding. Biodiversity at Risk: A US petition seeks Endangered Species Act protections for Alaska’s gray-headed chickadee after declines and stalled federal action. Waste & Hazardous Disposal: Georgia and World Bank reps inspected sites for the country’s first hazardous waste landfill, aiming to close a major infrastructure gap. Policy & Accountability: New Zealand’s chief ombudsman ruled the PM’s office breached the Official Information Act in a climate-law document dispute, warning about records slipping into personal email.