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The document identifies the IAI Directorate and members of its Science-Policy and Scientific Advisory Committees attending UNFCCC COP28. The delegation includes experts in climate and health, science diplomacy, adaptation for rural and indigenous communities, carbon emissions, and marine governance.

The briefing argues that as countries increase climate ambition and carbon pricing, carbon border adjustments (BCA) are becoming inevitable to prevent carbon leakage. To ensure these mechanisms remain environmental rather than protectionist, the author proposes specific principles—such as prioritizing leakage prevention over competitiveness and providing credits for equivalent foreign carbon pricing—and best practices regarding coverage, data standards, and appeal mechanisms. The author suggests the World Trade Organization (WTO) as the ideal multilateral forum for discussing these guidelines, specifically highlighting the 2021 Ministerial Conference (MC12) as a critical starting point.

The briefing outlines key environmental priorities for the WTO's MC12, focusing on fisheries subsidies, climate policy alignment with the Paris Agreement, and several member-led initiatives. It highlights the 'Structured Discussions on Trade and Environmental Sustainability' (TESSD), a ministerial declaration on plastic pollution, and a proposal for fossil fuel subsidy reform. The author emphasizes that success depends on integrating the needs of developing countries through enhanced 'Aid for Trade' and inclusive dialogue to avoid a two-speed global green economy.

The briefing examines the Green Climate Fund's (GCF) potential to address the lack of gender-responsiveness and the bias toward large-scale mitigation in international climate finance. It highlights the specific vulnerabilities of poor rural women in Sub-Saharan Africa and calls for the GCF to implement operational modalities that ensure equitable access to funding and gender-disaggregated data for policy making.

The briefing examines the Military Veterans Act of 2011 in South Africa, noting that while it aims to provide comprehensive socio-economic support and dignity to veterans, the Department of Military Veterans faces significant hurdles in funding, staffing, and implementation.

This document contains the Terms of Reference (TOR) for an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) study for the construction of salt works by Al-Sherman Limited in Kilifi County, Kenya. The proposed facility will use solar technology to produce salt from seawater and will occupy approximately 753.8 hectares of land.

The document warns that post-pandemic recovery efforts risk entrenching carbon-intensive pathways through technological, political, and societal lock-in if governments prioritize a return to the pre-pandemic status quo. It identifies a narrow window of opportunity in 2020 to align economic stimulus with the Paris Agreement and Sustainable Development Goals. To achieve a sustainable transition, the authors propose five policy levers: conditional bailouts, environmental tax reform, green public procurement and finance, expanded social welfare, and just transition measures to support workers. The briefing highlights that while some regions like South Korea and the EU are pursuing green recovery plans, others, such as the US and China, are implementing measures that may reinforce fossil fuel dependency.

The document outlines a framework for operationalizing human health protection in a future global plastics treaty. It proposes four complementary sets of provisions: addressing health impacts across the plastic life cycle, improving information availability, supporting effective implementation, and enabling progressive treaty development based on evolving science. It specifically advocates for a dedicated article on human health to foster international cooperation and protect vulnerable populations, such as informal waste workers and fence-line communities, from the neurotoxic, carcinogenic, and endocrine-disrupting effects of plastic chemicals and pollution.

The document outlines the role of southern U.S. forests in carbon sequestration and the function of forest carbon offsets as a cost-control mechanism for emitters. It identifies four project types—reforestation, afforestation, forest conservation/avoided conversion, and improved forest management—and emphasizes quality criteria such as additionality and permanence. While carbon offset income may not outcompete real estate development, it can help cover incremental costs like property taxes.

The document argues that climate change disproportionately affects the world's poorest populations, particularly regarding food security and economic growth. It asserts that to limit warming to 2°C, a significant majority of known fossil fuel reserves must remain unused. Furthermore, it highlights that transitioning to renewable energy and energy efficiency can drive job creation and economic growth, citing examples from China and Germany's policy frameworks.

The Paris Rulebook is designed to transform the Paris Agreement into a functioning system by establishing tools and processes for national climate action. It focuses on creating a cycle of planning, implementing, and reviewing progress through Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). Key areas of negotiation include common timeframes for NDCs, transparency in reporting emissions and financial support, and the mechanisms for the global stocktake to assess collective progress toward temperature and resilience goals.

The document outlines how the Paris Rulebook transforms the Paris Agreement into an operational system by defining rules for Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), transparency reporting, and progress reviews. It details the 'ambition mechanism'—a five-year cycle of planning, implementation, and review—and highlights key negotiation points for COP24, including common timeframes for NDCs, accounting for mitigation measures, and the operationalization of flexibility for developing countries in reporting.

The document describes the Paris Rulebook as the essential set of tools and processes required to transform the Paris Agreement into a functional system for global climate action. It details the cycle of planning, implementation, and review, focusing on Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), transparency frameworks, and the global stocktake. The briefing outlines specific areas of negotiation for COP24, including common timeframes for NDCs, accounting for mitigation measures, and the provision of predictable financial information from developed countries to support developing nations.

The briefing outlines potential U.S.-China collaborations to mitigate methane emissions, highlighting research and development in enteric fermentation and rice cultivation, knowledge sharing on biodigesters and remote sensing, and the application of economic and regulatory incentives. It emphasizes the role of subnational engagement, particularly through California, while noting that trade tensions and intellectual property concerns may impede progress.

The document examines the relationship between the Paris Agreement and aviation emissions, asserting that the ICAO's goal of stabilizing net emissions at 2020 levels is inconsistent with the Paris Agreement's objective to limit global temperature increases to 1.5°C or well below 2°C. It notes that while the Paris Agreement covers all anthropogenic emissions, it does not specify how to address international transport, leaving a gap that the ICAO's GMBM must fill. The briefing emphasizes that domestic aviation emissions fall under nationally determined contributions (NDCs), which account for one third of total aviation emissions. It further highlights that Article 6 of the Paris Agreement provides essential frameworks for the environmental integrity of carbon markets, which are critical since the GMBM relies heavily on offsets. The document concludes that ICAO member states, all of whom are parties to the Paris Agreement, must ensure the GMBM reflects the Agreement's spirit of increasing ambition over time.