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This analysis argues that the Cancun Agreements mark significant progress in integrating human rights protections into the international climate regime, driven by NGO pressure and certain State Parties. It emphasizes that this language should guide the implementation of REDD and finance safeguards and calls for a rights-based approach leading into COP 17 in Durban, South Africa.

This briefing synthesizes a project on electricity supply and trade in Southern Africa and South America, focusing on the role of anchor states (South Africa and Brazil) in balancing energy security with climate change mitigation. It identifies technological lock-in and outdated institutional frameworks as primary barriers to transitioning to cleaner energy sources.

This report by the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) critiques the World Bank's 3.75 billion dollar loan to Eskom Holding Limited for the Eskom Investment Support Project in South Africa. The authors argue that the Bank failed to comply with its own Operational Policy 10.04 (OP 10.04) by neglecting to fully quantify and incorporate environmental and social externalities—specifically regarding water scarcity, air quality, and transboundary impacts—into the project's Economic Evaluation, thereby overstating the project's net benefits.

A joint statement by approximately 60 civil society organizations criticizing the International Finance Corporation's (IFC) draft Sustainability Framework for failing to adequately address and protect human rights.

This report by Friends of the Earth International documents various community-led struggles and successes in maintaining biodiversity and food sovereignty across different global territories. It highlights the conflict between industrial agricultural models—characterized by monocultures, genetically modified organisms (GMOs), and land grabbing—and traditional, agroecological practices that respect natural cycles and ancestral knowledge.

This briefing summarizes the outcomes of a February 2011 workshop in Trinidad regarding the transition to a green and resilient economic pathway for the Caribbean. It outlines the region's current vulnerabilities, the systemic obstacles preventing a paradigm shift, and the necessary foundations and characteristics of a green economy designed to enhance resilience and social equity.

This March 2011 report by the Institute for Security Studies provides early warning analysis and country-specific assessments for the African Union (AU) Peace and Security Council (PSC). It focuses on the democratic transitions in Egypt and Niger, the persistent insecurity in the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and an analysis of the 16th AU Assembly summit.

This policy briefing examines how the governance of oil resources contributed to the secession of Southern Sudan. It argues that the failure of the National Congress Party (NCP) to ensure fair revenue sharing, transparency, and local community development convinced Southern Sudanese that they would benefit more from an independent state than from a united Sudan.

This research paper analyzes the FUND model of climate economics, finding that its low Social Cost of Carbon (SCC) estimate of $6 is largely driven by an overestimation of agricultural benefits from CO2 fertilization and temperature increases. The authors identify several technical flaws, including a potential division-by-zero error in the optimum temperature equation and the use of implausible temperature ranges in Monte Carlo simulations. They argue that FUND relies on outdated research from the 1990s and suggest that updating the model with recent empirical data on crop yields and CO2 fertilization would significantly increase the SCC estimate.

This research paper analyzes how the accounting of international greenhouse gas (GHG) offsets affects the integrity of global climate mitigation pledges. Using a spreadsheet model based on marginal abatement costs, the authors examine scenarios where offsets are either double-counted (credited to both the buyer and seller) or counted only for the buyer. The study finds that double-counting could significantly dilute the ambition of current pledges, potentially reducing global abatement by up to 1.6 billion tons of CO2e by 2020, thereby increasing the gap to meet 2°C warming targets.

This briefing analyzes the context of President Zuma's visit to Paris, focusing on the instability of French foreign policy toward Africa and the diplomatic tensions between France and South Africa regarding the political crisis in Côte d’Ivoire.

This policy briefing evaluates Uganda's preparedness for managing oil revenues following the discovery of approximately 2.5 billion barrels of oil. The author argues that while there are high expectations for economic prosperity, Uganda lacks the necessary legal, institutional, and transparency frameworks to avoid the 'resource curse'. The document highlights gaps in the Petroleum Bill of 2010, restrictions on access to information, and the failure to establish institutions mandated by the 2008 Oil and Gas Policy.

This policy briefing analyzes the economic impact of oil production in Angola, focusing on the risks of the 'resource curse' and the necessity of institutional reform to ensure sustainable growth and economic diversification before the projected peak of oil production.

The 2010 report by the Climate Policy Initiative reviews China's progress during its 11th Five-Year Plan (FYP), which aimed to reduce energy intensity by 20%. The study finds that China was on track to meet this target, with energy intensity decreasing by 15.6% by the end of 2009. While significant gains were made in the power and industrial sectors through plant closures and technology upgrades, the building and transport sectors saw energy use increase due to urbanization and economic growth. The report notes that many policies were top-down administrative measures that may not be cost-effective for future goals, as much of the 'low-hanging fruit' for efficiency gains has already been utilized.

This briefing by the Center for International Environmental Law argues that the Right to Development (RTD) is essential for guiding a non-carbon development path in a climate-constrained world. It posits that the RTD provides a moral and ethical framework to transform economic structures, promote technology transfer to developing nations, and ensure that climate mitigation and adaptation measures do not violate fundamental human rights.

The Lake Winnipeg Basin Summit (November 30 - December 1, 2010) convened 150 stakeholders to develop a vision for reducing nutrient loading in Lake Winnipeg while supporting Manitoba's economy. The summit emphasized a sustainable development strategy and suggested that Manitoba lead the effort as the downstream jurisdiction. The document also references a summary on large basin management and ecosystem services in the Nelson-Churchill River Basin.

This research paper analyzes the causes of popular uprisings in the Middle East and North Africa to draw parallels and warnings for the African National Congress (ANC) in South Africa, arguing that constitutional democracy alone is insufficient to prevent street protests if the government remains unresponsive to the needs of the citizenry.

This commentary evaluates the first year of the G-20's commitment to phase out inefficient fossil-fuel subsidies, noting the role of the G-20 and APEC in elevating the issue on international agendas and the establishment of the Friends of Fossil-Fuel Subsidy Reform group.

This research paper contrasts the official Mining Indaba conference in Cape Town with the concurrent Alternative Mining Indaba, highlighting the exclusion of civil society from the main event and the systemic grievances of African communities regarding mining investments.

This case study documents the lived experience of Claudine Campbell, who describes poverty as having no income. It details her history of childhood abuse and its impact on her education, her experience as a single mother on welfare, and her current struggle to secure housing due to a decade-old debt with Manitoba Housing.