Search Climate Insights Directory

This briefing outlines the preliminary considerations and framework developed by the Strategic Planning committee in May 2008 to guide the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) over the next 5-10 years.

The IAI Executive Council Bureau report details the resignations of the EC Chair and 1st Vice Chair, the activities of the 2nd Vice Chair in attending various committees and workshops, and the status of the Director's contract renewal. It also notes staffing concerns involving INPE and outlines the work of the Financial and Administrative, Strategic Planning, and Rules committees.

This research paper analyzes the intellectual property (IP) provisions of the US-Peru Trade Promotion Agreement, examining the tension between Peru's desire for permanent preferential market access to the United States and concerns from civil society regarding public health and education.

This briefing by Friends of the Earth International argues against the World Bank's Climate Investment Funds (CIF), claiming the institution is unfit to manage climate finance due to its continued support for fossil fuels and the undemocratic nature of the funds' design.

This report by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) analyzes the sustainability of electronics and electrical equipment (EEE) supply chains in China. It examines the environmental and social impacts of the sector, from manufacturing and use to end-of-life disposal, and provides a comprehensive set of policy recommendations to transition China toward a 'green' e-product economy through regulatory reinforcement and international cooperation.

This 2008 report by the International Institute for Sustainable Development analyzes the sustainability of the electronics supply chain in China. It examines the environmental and social impacts of production, use, and end-of-life management, highlighting China's role as a global manufacturing hub and a primary destination for electronic waste. The document proposes three strategic pillars for the Chinese government: a national sustainable electronics strategy, a national e-waste strategy, and an international action plan for e-waste management.

This 2008 report by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) analyzes global forest product commodity chains with China as the central manufacturing hub. It examines how China imports primary raw materials from developing nations—specifically focusing on case studies in Mozambique and Russia—and exports finished wood products to developed Western markets. The report identifies a systemic failure in sustainability where capital from timber sales often fails to return to forest regeneration, leading to asset-stripping and illegal logging, exacerbated by poor governance in supplier countries and irresponsible corporate behavior. It provides a series of policy recommendations for the Chinese government to transition toward sustainable procurement, capacity-building in supplier nations, and international leadership in carbon accounting and legality verification.

The Handbook for African Civil Society is a guide designed to help civil society organizations (CSOs) actively participate in the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM). It outlines the APRM's five stages of review, its continental and national institutional structures, and the four thematic areas of governance it assesses. The manual provides strategic advice for CSOs to move from passive participants to leaders in the process, highlighting potential obstacles such as government fear and resource scarcity, while offering methods to influence power levels within the mechanism to promote good governance and socio-economic development in Africa.

This research paper by Juliet Nakato Odoi examines the challenges and strategies for civil society participation in Uganda's African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) process. It highlights the limitations of relying on umbrella organisations, the lack of transparency regarding draft documents, and the efforts of Minority Rights Group International (MRG) and Care International in Uganda to ensure the needs of ethnic minorities were represented in the Country Self-Assessment Report and the subsequent Programme of Action.

This research paper details the efforts of the Open Democracy Advice Centre (ODAC) to ensure that access to information and whistleblower protection were included in South Africa's African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) process. It highlights systemic obstacles, including the government's control over the National Governing Council (NGC) and the exclusion of specialist NGOs. Despite these challenges and the removal of key recommendations from the Country Self-Assessment Report (CSAR), ODAC's persistence led to the inclusion of a 'Know Your Rights' campaign and a commitment to review the Protected Disclosures Act in the final, binding Programme of Action (POA).

This research paper by the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA) details the efforts of the Open Democracy Advice Centre (ODAC) to influence South Africa's self-assessment under the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM). The document describes the challenges ODAC faced due to government control over the process, the strategic use of parliamentary committees and technical agencies to ensure their concerns regarding access to information and whistleblower protection were heard, and the eventual inclusion of these issues in the final Plan of Action.

This practical handbook, published by the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA), provides guidance for Technical Research Institutes (TRIs) tasked with conducting research for the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM). It outlines the chronological process of creating Country Self-Assessment Reports (CSARs), offering strategies to manage the technical, managerial, and political challenges inherent in evaluating national governance.

This guide, published by the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA) in June 2008, provides practical instructions for Technical Research Institutions (TRIs) conducting research for the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM). It details the planning, methodology, and political navigation required to produce National Self-Assessment Reports (NSARs) and Action Plans (APs), drawing on experiences from pioneer countries such as Ghana, Kenya, Rwanda, and South Africa.

This research paper by Faten Aggad of the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA) evaluates the Programmes of Action (PoAs) of the first six countries to undergo the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) process. The author argues that PoAs often fail to address the recommendations of the Panel of Eminent Persons, confuse high-level objectives with concrete action items, and lack transparent costing and integration with existing national development plans.

This research paper by Faten Aggad, published by the South African Institute of International Affairs in June 2008, analyzes the Action Plans (PA) of the first six countries to undergo the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) process. The author argues that there is a significant gap between the recommendations issued by the Panel of Eminent Persons and the actual commitments adopted by governments in their Action Plans, often due to a lack of clear guidelines, a confusion between goals and specific actions, and the prioritization of national sovereignty over peer recommendations.

This report, commissioned by the European Parliament, evaluates sustainability criteria for the proposed EU Directive on renewable energy, specifically focusing on liquid biofuels. It analyzes the potential for biofuel production globally and within Europe, the impacts of land-use change on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and the feasibility of using degraded lands for energy crops. The document provides technical critiques of GHG accounting methodologies and suggests harmonizing EU standards with international frameworks like the IPCC and UNFCCC to ensure environmental integrity and global equity.

This report by the World Resources Institute (WRI) develops and pilots a replicable economic valuation methodology for coral reef ecosystem services in the Caribbean, specifically focusing on Tobago and St. Lucia. The study evaluates three primary services: reef-associated tourism and recreation, fisheries, and shoreline protection, providing lower-bound estimates of their contribution to local GDPs to inform sustainable coastal management and policy decisions.

This report, authored by Louis B. Brown, President of the Standing Committee on Rules and Procedures, provides recommendations to amend the Rules of Procedure for the Conference of the Parties (CoP) of the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI). The primary focus is resolving quorum issues to ensure the CoP can function effectively, alongside proposals to streamline delegation credentials, extend invitation timelines, and increase participation from smaller member countries with limited resources.

The Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) proposes an interdisciplinary and intersectoral capacity building program designed to bridge the gap between scientists and government departments to improve environmental decision-making and adaptation to global change.

The Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) proposes an interdisciplinary and intersectoral capacity-building program to improve environmental decision-making regarding global change. The initiative aims to bridge the gap between natural and social sciences, as well as between fragmented government departments, to ensure that scientific knowledge is integrated into policy and that science is developed with clear 'clients' in the political sector.