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The document provides a comprehensive overview of critical minerals, which are essential for renewable energy and low-carbon technologies. It distinguishes between two primary perspectives on criticality: supply security (emphasized by the US, EU, and Japan) and value capture (emphasized by China, Australia, and Canada). The text details the importance of rare earth elements, the drivers of demand—such as electric mobility and decarbonization—and the role of artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM). It also highlights the significant increase in mineral requirements for electric vehicles and the global demand projections for 2050, while warning governments about supply risks, macroeconomic volatility, and the 'Dutch disease'.

The paper reviews the evolution of disaster risk science, shifting from an emergency management focus to a proactive disaster risk reduction (DRR) approach. It analyzes the interplay between hazards, exposure, and vulnerability, while highlighting the emergence of systemic and Anthropocene risks. The authors identify significant geographical imbalances in research production, with a heavy reliance on Western scholarship and a lack of data from Africa and low-to-middle income countries. It calls for greater integration of DRR with climate change adaptation (CCA) and a stronger focus on disaster justice and indigenous knowledge.

The document introduces three dimensions of justice—distributional, procedural, and recognitional—and argues that current climate justice debates suffer from three 'blind spots': a focus on effects over root causes, the false assumption that all climate action is just, and a lack of developed pathways to achieve climate justice.

The paper explores the concept of Buen Vivir, rooted in indigenous Latin American paradigms, and its potential as an alternative to the anthropocentric and growth-based models of development prevalent in Europe. It highlights the tension between Buen Vivir and the 'Green Economy' or 'European Green Deal', arguing that while the latter seeks to 'decouple' growth from resource use, Buen Vivir rejects the logic of infinite economic growth entirely. The authors note that while official EU-Latin American diplomatic recognition of Buen Vivir has been limited and largely stagnant since a 2015 resolution, local-level initiatives in European cities—such as Amsterdam—and countries like Spain and Greece are increasingly adopting practices aligned with Buen Vivir, including agroecology, local currencies, and the promotion of the 'commons'.

The paper explores 'Buen Vivir', an indigenous-rooted concept from Latin America that challenges anthropocentrism and infinite economic growth. It examines the concept's formal introduction into EU-Latin American relations via a 2015 EuroLat resolution and contrasts it with the 'Green Economy' and 'European Green Deal', which the authors argue maintain a growth-centric logic. While governmental adoption in Europe remains limited, the text identifies local 'post-developmentalist' practices in countries like Spain, Greece, and the Netherlands—such as agroecology and the recognition of nature's rights—as aligned with Buen Vivir principles.

The paper explores 'buen vivir' (living well), a biocentric paradigm from Latin America that challenges the modern focus on infinite economic growth. While formal EU-Latin America diplomatic efforts, such as the 2015 EuroLat resolution, have acknowledged the concept, it remains overshadowed by the 'green economy' and 'European Green Deal' frameworks that maintain a focus on productivity. However, the authors identify a rise in local European initiatives—such as granting legal rights to nature in Spain and the Netherlands and the growth of agroecology and commons-based projects—that align with the logic of buen vivir by seeking a harmonious relationship between humans and nature.

The report by Friends of the Earth International critiques 'false solutions' to biodiversity loss and climate change, which it defines as market-based mechanisms that commodify nature. It argues that these solutions—such as carbon credits and biodiversity offsets—allow corporations to continue polluting through 'compensation' while stripping local and indigenous communities of their land rights. The document details a four-phase process of commodification where nature is redefined as 'natural capital' and 'ecosystem services.' It concludes that true solutions must address the root causes of ecological destruction by challenging capitalist accumulation and prioritizing social, gender, and environmental justice.

The report argues that 'false solutions' to environmental crises are characterized by the financialisation of nature, where ecosystems are treated as 'natural capital' and traded as commodities. These mechanisms, such as carbon credits and biodiversity offsets, allow corporations to continue polluting by paying for compensation elsewhere, often leading to the violation of Indigenous and local community rights. The document contrasts these with 'real solutions' based on grassroots power, social and gender justice, and the dismantling of capitalist accumulation.

The document traces the development of the bioeconomy concept from its roots in biotechnology and life sciences to a broader policy framework aimed at sustainability and climate goals. It highlights the EU's leadership in establishing bioeconomy strategies, which have influenced national policies globally. The text distinguishes between biotechnology-centered and transformation-centered approaches, while emphasizing that bio-based products are not inherently sustainable. It also discusses the rise of regional bioeconomy clusters and the need for participatory governance and life-cycle assessments to ensure genuine ecological benefits.

The document examines how 'migration' and 'development' are defined and measured in quantitative research, highlighting a gap in evidence regarding migration aspirations, failed attempts, and involuntary immobility. It discusses the challenges of establishing causal links due to endogeneity—specifically reverse causality, self-selection, and omitted variables—and evaluates experimental and non-experimental methods to address these biases. The paper advocates for a holistic, multi-dimensional approach to development that moves beyond economic metrics to include social, institutional, and environmental outcomes.

The document emphasizes the need to distinguish between South-South Cooperation, as a broad concept encompassing various exchanges like trade and investment, and development cooperation, which is a specific subset of those exchanges. It warns that the interchangeable use of these terms undermines their utility for policy-making and scientific study, particularly as the geopolitical landscape shifts and Southern powers assume more leadership roles.

This research paper explores the intersection of equality and sustainability, arguing that while policies for economic growth or clean energy can inadvertently exacerbate inequality, it is possible to implement integrated policies that deliver both social and environmental benefits.

The report argues that tokenization—the digitalization of assets into cryptographic tokens on a blockchain—can make sustainable infrastructure more bankable by lowering transaction costs and increasing liquidity. It highlights that sustainable projects often face higher upfront capital expenditures and perceived technological risks, necessitating innovative financing. The document also references specific sustainable asset valuation assessments in Mongolia and Colombia.

The authors analyze the 'nexus' concept regarding natural resource demand and the UN Sustainable Development Goals, proposing a five-nodes definition to better align climate policy with the interests of supply-chain managers and resource-rich developing nations through improved modelling of bio-physical and human dimensions.

The report promotes agroecology as a holistic science, practice, and social movement that offers a sustainable alternative to industrial agriculture. It argues that agroecological systems provide stable yields, enhance biodiversity, and increase resilience to climate change and disasters. The document contrasts this with 'false solutions' like Climate-Smart Agriculture and sustainable intensification, which it claims maintain corporate dependencies. It concludes with policy recommendations centered on food sovereignty, gender justice, and the protection of small-scale producers' rights to land and seeds.

The document advocates for agroecology—defined as a science, a set of practices, and a social movement—as the essential approach to eradicating hunger and combating climate change. It contrasts this holistic model with 'false solutions' promoted by agribusiness, such as Climate-Smart Agriculture and sustainable intensification, which it claims maintain the industrial status quo. The report provides a comprehensive set of 13 criteria for evaluating sustainable innovations and offers policy recommendations centered on food sovereignty, gender justice, and the protection of small-scale producers' rights to land and seeds.

The document advocates for agroecology as a holistic science, practice, and social movement led by small-scale food producers. It contrasts this approach with industrial models like 'climate-smart agriculture' and 'sustainable intensification,' which it labels as false solutions. The report provides a framework for evaluating agricultural innovations and offers policy recommendations to support food sovereignty, gender justice, and the rights of small-scale producers.

The report proposes a definition of sustainable migration as movement that ensures a well-balanced distribution of costs and benefits for individuals, societies, and states, both now and in the future. It argues that migration is an integral part of social change and that its sustainability is inherently political, requiring a balance of empirical data and normative values. Through literature reviews and case studies of Somalia, Pakistan, Tunisia, and Norway, the authors examine how migration impacts development, social cohesion, and welfare state legitimacy, while cautioning that the term 'sustainable' can be co-opted for restrictionist political agendas.

The document examines how decentralisation can enhance citizen engagement in governance, specifically at the regional level. Using South Africa as a primary case study, it argues that while basic participation methods are consistent across government levels, regional effectiveness is often hindered by unclear institutional design, a lack of authority to address demands, and the dominance of party-based political structures. The author evaluates various strategies—such as public hearings, petitions, and participatory budgeting—and concludes that robust participation requires a combination of clear division of responsibilities, adequate resourcing, responsive representation, and the strategic use of technology.

The SEI Initiative on Sustainable Sanitation (SISS) promotes a 'whole-system perspective' to sanitation, moving beyond waste disposal toward resource recovery. The initiative focuses on low- and middle-income countries, integrating sanitation with broader Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to improve health, food security, and energy production. Key tools developed include REVAMP for urban resource mapping and the 'Clean and Green' model for rural communities. SISS emphasizes that sustainability depends on the synergy between technical hardware and enabling institutional, financial, and social factors.