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The transportation sector accounts for 36% of greenhouse gas emissions in large cities. To address this, the handbook outlines several strategic actions: electrifying municipal fleets, reducing internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles through bans or restrictions, managing urban freight emissions, expanding EV charging infrastructure, creating car-free downtown zones, and enhancing public transit and mobility alternatives like bikeshare and pedestrian-friendly streets.

The document outlines five strategic actions for cities to address the built environment, which accounts for nearly 50 percent of GHG emissions in large cities. These actions include performing deep energy retrofits on city-owned buildings, implementing net-zero and progressive building codes, supporting citywide LED lighting upgrades, and requiring energy benchmarking and public transparency for building energy use.

The document details the implementation of South Asia's first Heat Action Plan in Ahmedabad, which has since influenced 17 cities and 11 Indian states. It outlines the multifaceted threats of heat waves—including health risks, economic productivity loss, and infrastructure damage—and provides a framework for preparedness through early warning systems, public awareness, medical capacity building, and long-term urban adaptation like 'cool roofs'. The guide emphasizes the roles of political will, inter-agency partnerships, and scientific evidence in successfully scaling these interventions.

The Carbon-Free City Handbook outlines a strategic framework for cities to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through immediate, economically viable actions. It categorizes recommendations into buildings, transportation and mobility, electricity, industry, and biological resources, emphasizing the importance of setting bold 100% targets to drive transformational change rather than incremental progress.

This guide explains the role of electric utilities and Public Utilities Commissions in US energy policy, while detailing specific mechanisms like distributed generation, community solar, net metering, and decoupling that facilitate the transition to renewable energy.

The document explains the requirements of California's Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA), detailing the components of Groundwater Sustainability Plans (GSPs) and the role of Groundwater Sustainability Agencies (GSAs). It identifies six 'undesirable results' that plans must avoid, such as land subsidence and seawater intrusion, and explains the technical tools used to manage these, including water budgets and hydrologic models. The guide emphasizes the subjective nature of 'sustainability' and provides a framework for stakeholders to engage in the planning process, set minimum thresholds, and collaborate with technical experts to ensure plans reflect community values.

The document outlines five key strategies for governments to foster private investment in energy-efficient buildings: ensuring policy stability, aggregating projects to achieve scale, adopting standardized certifications and data, tailoring approaches to different market segments, and implementing sequenced policy packages. It highlights that while investors see opportunities in energy infrastructure, they require predictable outcomes and reduced transaction costs to commit capital.

The document argues that promoting active travel—defined as walking, cycling, and public transit—creates a 'quadruple win' by reducing chronic disease, improving air quality, slowing climate change, and increasing health equity. It provides a framework for health professionals to encourage patients to integrate physical activity into their daily routines and to advocate for urban planning policies, such as the '5 Ds' of community design (density, land use diversity, design, destination accessibility, and distance to transit). A significant portion of the guide focuses on the Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe in Ontario, explaining how intensification and complete community planning can facilitate a shift away from automobile dependence.

The document examines the controversial role of Most-Favoured-Nation (MFN) clauses in bilateral investment treaties (BITs), specifically the trend of investors importing more favourable provisions from third-party treaties. It details the divergence in tribunal rulings regarding the import of procedural rules—such as circumventing domestic court requirements—and the import of substantive protections. The guide highlights the risks of 'treaty-shopping' and the creation of 'super-treaties' that undermine state sovereignty. It concludes with strategies for states to mitigate these risks, including the use of 'like circumstances' criteria, explicit exclusions of dispute settlement mechanisms, and the adoption of positive lists for pre-establishment liberalization.

The document examines the Most-Favoured-Nation (MFN) clause in investment treaties, focusing on the legal uncertainty created by divergent interpretations from arbitral tribunals. It specifically analyzes the controversy surrounding the 'importation' of substantive and procedural rules from third-party treaties, the distinction between pre- and post-establishment treatment, and the risk of 'treaty shopping.' The guide concludes with strategic recommendations for states to protect their sovereignty and regulatory space by refining the drafting of MFN clauses or omitting them entirely in future treaties.

The document outlines a comprehensive framework for governments to manage artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM). It is structured into three phases: preparation (establishing working groups and analyzing context), strategy development (creating a vision and categorizing mining types), and implementation (executing plans and monitoring outcomes). The guide emphasizes integrating informal mining into legal and economic systems while reducing social and environmental harms, such as child labor and mercury use.

The document outlines a three-phase framework for governments to manage artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM). Phase 1 focuses on preparation, including forming a working group, establishing stakeholder consultation forums, and conducting context analysis. Phase 2 details the creation of a national ASM vision and the development of tailored management strategies based on the type of mining operation, utilizing both economic and impact-based approaches. Phase 3 covers the practical implementation, including legislative updates, the establishment of ASM zones, and the creation of monitoring and evaluation systems. The guide emphasizes the integration of informal ASM into legal and economic systems while reducing social and environmental harms.

The guide outlines a three-phase approach to managing artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM). Phase 1 focuses on preparation through the creation of a government task force, stakeholder consultation forums, and comprehensive context analysis. Phase 2 details the development of a national ASM vision and tailored management strategies that balance economic potential with the mitigation of social and environmental impacts. Phase 3 provides a framework for implementation, including legislative changes, the establishment of ASM zones, and the use of monitoring and evaluation (M&E) systems to ensure long-term success.

The document analyzes the 'exhaustion of local remedies' (ELR) rule, which requires foreign investors to seek redress in a host state's domestic courts before initiating international arbitration. It notes that while ELR is a cornerstone of customary international law and human rights law, it has been largely bypassed in international investment law, where silence in treaties is often interpreted as a waiver. The guide details various treaty practices—including explicit requirements, time-limited exercises of remedies, and express waivers—and reviews jurisprudence on whether ELR is a jurisdictional or procedural requirement. It concludes by providing policy recommendations for states wishing to reintroduce ELR to protect national sovereignty and strengthen domestic legal systems.

The document outlines a multi-level governance approach to urban climate action, emphasizing that while cities are primary sites of emissions and vulnerability, they require supportive national policy frameworks and international financing to achieve transformative change. It details local jurisdictional powers, national enabling environments, and specific access modalities for the Green Climate Fund.

The document argues that transitioning from fossil fuel-based electric power to clean renewable energy is a public health imperative. It details how climate change exacerbates respiratory, cardiovascular, and mental health issues, and how the Clean Power Plan's goal to reduce carbon pollution by 32% below 2005 levels by 2030 will prevent thousands of premature deaths and asthma attacks. The toolkit provides clinicians with messaging and model letters to influence state policymakers, while explicitly arguing against nuclear power due to radiation risks and waste management failures.

The guide outlines a framework for negotiating farmland and water investment contracts, emphasizing the primacy of domestic law over contracts and international treaties. It provides a comprehensive preparation checklist and a model contract containing clauses on land rights, environmental and social impact assessments, financial obligations, and community development agreements. The document warns against 'stabilization clauses' and advocates for transparency and rigorous investor screening to mitigate the high failure rate of large-scale agricultural projects.

The document explains the mechanisms of Brazil's 2012 Forest Code, specifically the Rural Environmental Registry (CAR) and the Environmental Compliance Program (PRA). It argues that while the law provides tools for monitoring and restoration, effective implementation requires the active engagement of the private sector, financial institutions, and government agencies to move beyond mere legality toward zero net deforestation and degradation.

The 'Green and Smart Town Development Guidelines' by China Development Bank Capital outlines 12 measurable green guidelines across urban form, transport, and energy/resources, alongside six smart city strategies. The guide aims to reduce urbanization costs from 8.6% to 6.8% of GDP by implementing compact development, transit-oriented design, and resource efficiency. It provides specific benchmarks, such as limiting block sizes to 2 hectares and requiring 70% of buildings to meet MOHURD one-star green standards, supported by international case studies from Portland, Stockholm, and Copenhagen.

The document examines how extraterritorial obligations (ETOs), as clarified by the Maastricht Principles, are essential for holding states accountable for environmental destruction and climate change that impact human rights beyond their own borders. It highlights gaps in protection caused by globalization, specifically regarding transnational corporations and intergovernmental organizations. Using examples like tropical deforestation and shipbreaking in South Asia, the guide illustrates how state omissions and the failure to regulate non-state actors lead to severe human rights impairments. It concludes that a human rights-based approach to climate change is necessary to ensure equitable mitigation and protection for the world's most vulnerable populations.