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The document argues that in interconnected societies, security is no longer a state of protection but an emergent process of activity. It posits that resilience has become a way of governing where insecurity is accepted as unavoidable, shifting the focus from predicting risk to developing a 'know-how-to-respond'. The author highlights the role of digital technologies in creating 'interconnection ecosystems' and facilitating self-organization through the 'crowd', while distinguishing between resilience as a general principle and resilience as a prescriptive program of control.

The report examines how the global financial crisis impacted European societal security through three dimensions: material financial security, the perceived social value of the financial sector, and broader societal resilience. It finds that while some countries recovered, peripheral euro area nations experienced depression-level unemployment, severe material deprivation, and significant political polarization. The document also explores the rise of alternative finance and cryptocurrencies as responses to a crisis of legitimacy in traditional banking, while noting that austerity measures may have undermined social cohesion and increased domestic violence and suicide rates in severely affected regions.

The document defines GHG emissions neutrality as achieving net zero anthropogenic GHG emissions from all sectors, primarily through reductions and balancing remaining emissions with removals or negative emissions. It distinguishes this from carbon neutrality, which only addresses carbon dioxide. To limit warming to below 2 degrees C, CO2 emissions must reach net zero between 2060 and 2075, and total GHG emissions between 2080 and 2090. For a 1.5 degrees C limit, CO2 must reach net zero between 2045 and 2050, and total GHGs between 2060 and 2080. Achieving this requires a zero-carbon transformation, including increasing the low-carbon energy share in the electricity sector to over 80 percent by 2050 and phasing out unabated fossil-fuel use this century.

The document defines key climate terminology used in COP21 negotiations, such as decarbonization, carbon neutrality, and carbon budgets, while explaining how these terms influence the global emissions trajectory. It argues that for long-term goals to be effective, they must be consistent with climate science, limit both long-term and cumulative emissions, and provide clear dates and plausible reduction pathways.

The document defines results-based financing (RBF) and argues for the integration of carbon market and non-market climate finance. It suggests that moving away from the parallel existence of these two modalities can yield synergies that enhance the effectiveness of climate mitigation efforts.

The report examines the intersection of financial systems and societal security, arguing that both fields have historically relied on probabilistic risk models but are shifting toward managing 'radical uncertainty'. It details various financial risk models—such as Modern Portfolio Theory, CAPM, and Value at Risk (VaR)—and contrasts them with security methodologies like scenario planning and pre-emption. The author concludes that the 'financialisation of security' and 'securitisation of finance' reflect a broader liberal security problematic of securing circulation in a complex, interdependent world, where societal security is increasingly defined by qualitative resilience and preparedness rather than quantified prediction.

The document argues that the Earth has a finite capacity for chemical pollution and that current control measures are insufficient as evidence suggests the safe operating space is being transgressed. While the PBCP is a useful conceptual tool for addressing global pollution throughout a chemical's life cycle, it is currently difficult to operationalize due to the vast number of chemicals and the complexity of their environmental effects. The authors recommend developing specific indicators, preventative technologies, and coordinated implementation efforts involving diverse stakeholders to mitigate global chemical pollution.

The document analyzes the 'accountability chains' of various private financial instruments to determine if they share the climate-related goals necessary to be counted as climate finance. It contrasts public finance, which has a continuous accountability chain focused on public goods, with private instruments like commercial debt, where investors prioritize financial returns over climate outcomes. While green bonds and philanthropy show aligned goals, equity and remittances present complexities regarding transparency, reversibility, and the nature of the benefits delivered.

The document argues that traditional 'wait and see and respond' approaches to climate disasters are insufficient, particularly for vulnerable populations in developing countries. It proposes the use of participatory games and simulations as innovative tools to help humanitarian organizations evolve into knowledge-based entities capable of acting on scientific climate information. These tools are designed to approximate real-life complexity and elicit insights from professionals to improve forecast-based humanitarian decisions and climate risk management.

The report examines the intersections of climate change, agriculture, and development, focusing on how conceptual frameworks inform interventions in the agriculture sector. It highlights the tension between the need for increased agricultural productivity and the preservation of ecosystem services, which are defined as "the benefits people obtain from ecosystems". The work is part of a broader project investigating the application of climate compatible development (CCD) principles within agricultural research and advisory services in Africa.

The document explores the 'humanitarian drone' as a 'war dividend' from military spending, arguing that the transfer of UAV hardware—including surveillance, cargo, and weaponized drones—also transfers military rationales such as 'surgical precision' and 'targeting logic' into the humanitarian sector. The authors warn that the push for humanitarian drones is driven by a commercial logic to gain legitimacy for the UAV industry and may lead to the dehumanization of suffering or a lowered threshold for the use of force through 'humanitarian combat drones.' While drones offer potential for improved aid delivery and crisis mapping, the paper emphasizes that technology is not neutral and cannot replace the empathy and ethical judgment essential to humanitarian work.

The document introduces the concept of indirect climate change impacts—risks observed in one location but caused by climate events elsewhere—and argues that national adaptation planning must account for global interdependence. It highlights that wealthier nations may be particularly exposed to these indirect risks despite low direct vulnerability. The brief references a text analysis of 25 countries' National Communications to the UNFCCC and a case study of the UK to examine how these impacts are addressed.

The document examines the conceptual challenges of 'accountability' within global governance, arguing that the term is often conflated with legitimacy, transparency, and democratic accountability. It critiques the 'standard approach'—which focuses on vertical power lines and punitive sanctions—and proposes a shift toward 'accountability to mandate' and 'promise-keeping.' The author emphasizes that accountability should be analyzed through both substantive (meeting objectives) and procedural (how the organization works) lenses. The paper also explores the 'polycentric' nature of global governance, where overlapping accountability regimes can lead to 'multiple accountabilities disorder' (MAD) and a 'regulatory trilemma' between efficacy, responsiveness, and coherency.

The document defines Measurement, Reporting and Verification (MRV) as processes to provide and assess factual information to ensure parties meet their obligations. It notes that while the Bali Action Plan initiated MRV requirements, there is currently no clear, agreed-upon global framework, leading to fragmented reporting and a lack of trust between developed and developing nations. The text highlights a central tension: developed countries generally seek uniform standards for all, while developing countries advocate for differentiated standards and increased financial and technical support to build reporting capacity. The author argues that a standardized, transparent MRV system is essential for accountability, building trust, and tracking progress toward the UNFCCC's goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

The paper examines how human rights standards and mechanisms can address climate change and how climate policies impact human rights under international law. It argues that a human rights-based approach facilitates the integration of these standards into climate policy and development cooperation. The author concludes that human rights training and education are essential for building the capacities of rights-holders and duty-bearers and ensuring human rights law is integrated into climate change policy.

The document is a learning kit designed to promote ethical journalism by integrating a gender perspective into news content. It argues that media often reinforce sexist stereotypes and marginalize women, as evidenced by the Global Media Monitoring Project (GMMP), which found that women constituted only 24% of people seen, heard, or spoken about in the news in 2010. The guide proposes the adoption of comprehensive gender codes and practical guidelines to ensure a more equitable representation of all genders. It includes case studies from Canada, Tanzania, and the Inter Press Service (IPS) to demonstrate how institutional policies and targeted reporting projects can increase the visibility and voice of women, particularly in high-priority news areas like politics and economics.

The document details a workshop held at the Stockholm Resilience Centre involving approximately 35 participants. It examines social learning across four primary domains: natural resource management, climate change adaptation, social learning platforms, and the intersection of education and society. The proceedings highlight the definitional complexity of 'social learning', the influence of power dynamics, and the challenges of measuring learning outcomes in time-bound participatory projects. Key discussions emphasize the need for multi-level learning to build adaptive capacity in social-ecological systems and the role of 'shadow spaces' in facilitating international governance.

The document examines the difficulties in defining and measuring 'vulnerability' to climate change, specifically regarding the UNFCCC's commitment to assist 'particularly vulnerable' developing countries. It asserts that because vulnerability is a multi-dimensional concept requiring normative judgments, any index used to prioritize resource allocation will be inherently political and contested. The author highlights the lack of consensus among UNFCCC Parties and the Adaptation Fund Board, and uses the GEF's Resource Allocation Framework as a cautionary example of the political friction caused by using indices for funding. The paper concludes that while experts can provide data, the final determination of vulnerability must be a negotiated political compromise.

The document examines the concept of 'national ownership' within the context of the 1997 Mine Ban Treaty, arguing that while the treaty mandates state responsibility, the reality is often dominated by international organizations. It proposes a model where national ownership is viewed as a relational process involving the relative strengths of state institutions and civil society, the actual scope of the mine problem, and the strategies of international donors. The author suggests that sustainable ownership is more likely to be achieved by engaging local civil society and indigenous capacities early in the process rather than relying solely on Western-style state-building.

The paper examines the South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) as a model for transitional justice and peace building. It argues that while the TRC succeeded in creating a public space for debate and uncovering hidden atrocities, it struggled with conceptual ambiguities regarding 'truth', 'justice', and 'reconciliation'. The author contends that the TRC's focus on individual perpetrators and restorative justice often overlooked the structural inequalities of the apartheid system. Ultimately, the document suggests that truth commissions are insufficient on their own for sustainable peace and must be complemented by long-term societal transformation and economic reconstruction.