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The report examines the EU ETS, concluding that emissions trading is effective and has modest macroeconomic impacts, though it can create windfall profits and price volatility. It argues that international competitiveness risks are limited to a few carbon-intensive sectors and recommends maximizing auctioning over free allocation to maintain economic efficiency and innovation incentives. The authors caution against unilateral border adjustments, suggesting multilateral arrangements instead to prevent trade disputes and carbon leakage.

The report examines how Southeast Asian countries use investment incentives to attract FDI and the resulting impacts on sustainable development. While incentives have contributed to economic growth and job creation in some nations, the report finds significant evidence of redundancy, where investments would have occurred regardless of incentives. It highlights the importance of a supportive overall investment environment over isolated incentives and notes that environmental impacts remain under-researched. The document also discusses regional investment competition, the 'China effect', and the role of bilateral and regional treaties in shaping investment regimes.

The report analyzes Chile's transition from a protectionist to a liberal trade regime, highlighting the country's active inclusion of environmental and labor commitments in 12 of its 19 trade agreements. While Chile has aligned its foreign policy with multilateral environmental agreements and the ILO, the author notes a significant gap in the regulation of foreign direct investment (FDI), which largely ignores sustainability. The document identifies critical weaknesses, including the lack of a comprehensive strategic vision for sustainable development, the nascent state of climate change integration in trade (specifically regarding carbon footprints), and persistent labor challenges such as high informality. It concludes by proposing a research agenda to shift FDI toward knowledge-intensive sectors and to improve the enforcement of environmental and labor clauses through better data and cooperation.

The report analyzes the evolution of Peru's trade policy from the 1990s liberalization to the implementation of the US-Peru FTA. It argues that sustainable development standards were primarily adopted as a 'cost' to maintain open markets rather than from internal priority. The text details the creation of the Ministry of Environment, the impact of Andean Community regulations, and the tensions between agricultural productivity (including GMOs) and biodiversity conservation. It also examines the potential of biocommerce and the transition toward a renewable energy matrix involving biofuels.

The document examines how Mozambique's reliance on food imports and historical underinvestment in agriculture have made it vulnerable to global price spikes, particularly for rice and wheat. It details the transition from state-supported agriculture to neoliberal structural adjustment programmes in the 1990s, which led to a decline in the use of fertilizers and pesticides. To counter current food insecurity, the government has introduced the 'Green Revolution' strategy and the 2008–11 Food Production Action Plan (FPAP), increasing the agricultural budget to 10% of the state budget and reducing import tariffs on staples from 25% to 2.5%. The author argues that long-term success depends on improving infrastructure, resolving land tenure conflicts, and attracting private sector investment.

The document examines the intersection of global trade policy and food security in Southern Africa, arguing that reducing dependence on First World agricultural subsidies and improving domestic production capabilities are critical for long-term stability. It analyzes the potential impacts of the WTO Doha Round, specifically regarding preference erosion for African exports and the disciplining of export restrictions. The author highlights the risks posed by biofuel production and the limitations of current trade models in predicting gains for Africa, suggesting that a 'no deal' outcome at the WTO may not be entirely disadvantageous.

The paper argues that ASEAN's pursuit of sustainable development remains largely rhetorical, as its economic integration initiatives—such as AFTA and the AEC—often prioritize neoliberal open regionalism over the needs of marginalized groups. While the region has seen growth, significant disparities persist, with 21% of the population living in absolute poverty. The author suggests that ASEAN can become a development-oriented organization by reforming its policy of non-interference, empowering semi-skilled migrant workers and small-scale farmers, and increasing transparency in policymaking.

The research examines how sustainable development themes enter Argentina's trade and investment policy. It finds that environmental and food safety standards are heavily influenced by external factors and multilateral agreements, whereas labor standards are primarily driven by domestic actors. The paper also analyzes the impact of 'agriculturization' (specifically soy expansion), large-scale mining, deforestation, overfishing, and the transition toward biofuels within the Argentine economy.

The briefing addresses the intersection of the 2008 financial crisis and global climate response. It challenges the pessimistic view that economic instability will diminish political will for climate policy, arguing instead that the crisis demonstrates the danger of relying on unregulated markets. The authors assert that the transition to a sustainable economy requires massive global financing, international cooperation, and technology transfer, and that delaying action will lead to irreversible climate consequences far more severe than the current financial turmoil.

The document presents a collection of data points from multiple research organizations arguing that renewable energy (RE) and energy efficiency (EE) sectors generate more employment per unit of energy or investment than fossil fuels. It highlights national and state-level projections in the US, such as the potential for 4.2 million new green jobs by 2038, and international examples from Germany, Spain, Brazil, and India. Specific technology sectors—including wind, solar, biofuels, and geothermal—are detailed alongside the impact of policy mechanisms like Renewable Portfolio Standards (RPS) and investment tax credits.

The document examines the economic rationale for auctioning emissions allowances in the EU ETS, arguing that free allocation distorts carbon price signals and creates windfall profits. It suggests that auctioning provides a more transparent framework for low-carbon investment and generates public revenue to support poor households and innovation. While acknowledging carbon leakage as a concern, the report asserts it affects only a narrow range of sectors and can be addressed through targeted State Aid or border adjustments rather than broad free allocation. For the power sector, the report finds no serious leakage concerns and recommends full auctioning. It proposes a simple auction design using single-round, sealed-bid auctions with a uniform market-clearing price.

The report examines the Southern African Customs Union (SACU)—comprising South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Lesotho, and Swaziland—and its various trade agreements. It finds that most agreements focus almost exclusively on market access and economic growth, largely ignoring social and environmental pillars of sustainable development. The study highlights the critical role of the SACU Revenue Sharing Formula in supporting smaller member states and warns that rapid trade liberalization, particularly with the EU, US, and China, may lead to significant tariff revenue losses and job cuts in sensitive sectors like textiles. It recommends that SACU integrate sustainable development guidelines into negotiations, conduct impact assessments, and increase transparency and parliamentary oversight of trade deals.

The authors argue that the Stern Review's estimates of climate damages in 2100—0.4% of GDP for the US and 2.2% for the world—were too conservative. By removing assumptions of nearly costless adaptation, lowering the temperature threshold for catastrophes, and increasing the damage function exponent, the authors' revised PAGE2002 model suggests damages could reach 2.6% of GDP for the US and 10.8% for the world by 2100 (at the 83rd percentile). They further note that sector-specific calculations for the US suggest even higher economic losses than the aggregate PAGE2002 model provides.

The report finds that Malaysia's ambitions to become a global biodiesel producer have been undermined by volatile feedstock prices and the high cost of production relative to petroleum diesel. While the government provided limited support through soft loans and tax incentives, a proposed B5 blending mandate would likely increase the national subsidy burden. The industry's profitability is precarious, relying heavily on exports to the EU and US, where it may benefit from subsidy loopholes. Environmentally, the report argues that the presumed carbon benefits of biodiesel are offset by greenhouse gas emissions from deforestation and peatland conversion, while socially, global biofuel demand has contributed to rising food prices.

The document examines the high social, economic, and environmental costs of confined animal feeding operations (CAFOs) in the U.S., contrasting them with 'smart pasture operations' (SPOs) and other mid-size alternatives. It highlights how federal subsidies for grain and waste management have artificially supported CAFOs while externalizing costs such as water pollution, antibiotic resistance, and diminished rural property values. The Union of Concerned Scientists advocates for policy shifts, including the elimination of CAFO waste subsidies and stricter enforcement of the Clean Water Act and antitrust laws, to promote a more sustainable food system.

The document examines border carbon adjustments (BCAs) as a tool to level the playing field between domestic producers facing climate costs and foreign producers who do not. It identifies key vulnerable sectors—steel, aluminum, paper, chemicals, and cement—and analyzes the significant legal hurdles under WTO rules, specifically the national treatment and most-favoured nation principles. The author argues that for a BCA to be WTO-legal, it would require complex firm-by-firm carbon accounting and a prior good-faith effort toward multilateral agreements. Furthermore, the paper warns that BCAs could be perceived as 'eco-imperialism' and might undermine international climate negotiations, particularly with developing countries like China.

The document argues that corruption in public procurement is a systemic issue in Africa, costing the continent approximately $148 billion annually and serving as a primary driver of poverty. It identifies a cycle where 'grand corruption' by elites leads to poverty, which in turn fuels 'petty corruption' among underpaid public servants. The author advocates for a comprehensive approach combining political will, robust legal frameworks, transparency, and the involvement of non-state actors to reduce corruption to marginal levels.

The document argues that corruption in public procurement is a primary driver of poverty in Africa, potentially costing the continent $148 billion annually. It identifies a cycle where 'grande corruption' (large-scale corruption) by elites leads to national poverty, which in turn fuels 'petite corruption' (small-scale corruption) among underpaid officials. The author advocates for a comprehensive approach combining strong anti-corruption legislation, political will from top leadership, transparency in bidding processes, and the involvement of non-governmental actors to reduce corruption to marginal levels.

The document advocates for a national Renewable Electricity Standard (RES) in the United States, describing it as a market-based mechanism that requires utilities to increase the share of electricity produced from renewable sources. It highlights economic benefits, such as saving consumers money and creating rural jobs, and environmental benefits, including the reduction of carbon dioxide and other harmful pollutants.

Biopower generates electricity by burning carbohydrates in biomass that captured solar energy via photosynthesis. While some studies suggest limited economic potential for biopower in the U.S. due to high costs, others indicate that advanced technologies using low-carbon feedstocks could contribute up to 15 percent of U.S. electricity generation by mid-century. However, the technology carries risks including unsustainable harvesting, ecosystem damage, air pollution, and potential net global warming emissions, necessitating a lifecycle carbon emissions analysis for proper assessment.