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The 2025 IPIE expert survey reveals growing pessimism about the global information environment, with 72% of respondents expecting it to worsen. The report highlights a 'chilling effect' on researchers, the complex dual role of social media in promoting political participation while increasing polarization, and a strong expert consensus on the need for clear labeling of AI-generated content and regular algorithmic audits to safeguard cognitive security.

The 2025 IPIE Expert Survey reveals increasing pessimism regarding the global information environment, with 72% of experts expecting it to worsen. While social media is seen as a driver of both political polarization and participation, researchers face significant barriers, including harassment and self-censorship. Experts advocate for specific AI safeguards, such as mandatory labeling of synthetic content and periodic algorithmic audits, to protect the reliability of information supply chains.

The document reports that human-induced warming of 1.3°C contributed to record-breaking temperatures, floods, and droughts in 2024, resulting in thousands of deaths and millions of displacements. It highlights that climate change added an average of 41 dangerous heat days globally and often overrode natural phenomena like El Niño. The report calls for a rapid transition from fossil fuels, improved early warning systems, real-time heat death reporting, and increased finance for developing countries to support adaptation.

The document analyzes a draft WTO text (TN/RL/W/278) aimed at preventing fisheries subsidies from contributing to overfishing. It argues that while the proposed rules are a compromise between divergent national interests—balancing the needs of small-scale fisheries and developing nations against long-term sustainability—they represent a significant step forward by requiring that most large-scale subsidies be paired with credible fisheries management. The author suggests that these rules would establish a binding multilateral framework aligning fisheries subsidies with sustainable development goals for the first time.

The 2024 IPIE expert survey of 412 researchers across 66 countries reveals a growing pessimism about the global information environment, with 63% expecting it to deteriorate. Experts identify the availability of accurate information and diversity of opinion as the most critical features of a healthy information environment. Social media platform owners and governments are viewed as the most severe threats. While generative AI is seen as a tool for both hope and concern, 63% of experts fear its potential to amplify disinformation and harassment. The report advocates for supporting free and independent media and improving data access for researchers to build resilience.

This executive summary outlines the 'Accelerating Private Sector Investments in Green Mini-Grids' report, which examines the Distributed Renewable Energy (DRE) mini-grids sector in Africa and the collaborative efforts required to overcome barriers to deployment.

This executive summary argues that the current international investment treaty regime is often ineffective and suggests a fundamental rethink of its purpose. The authors propose that treaties should shift from focusing on investor protection to supporting sustainable investment, ensuring positive social and environmental impacts, and solving collective action problems in global governance. Key recommendations include prioritizing national laws for regulation, limiting treaty protections to sustainable investments, and using international frameworks to tackle high capital costs in developing countries and the phase-out of fossil fuel investments.

The 2024 IPIE expert survey reveals a growing pessimism about the global information environment, with 63% of experts expecting it to worsen. Key threats are identified as social media platform owners and government actors. While generative AI is seen as a tool for improving content detection and reporting, experts primarily fear its role in amplifying misinformation, harassment, and bias. The consensus emphasizes that accessibility to accurate information and diversity of speech are fundamental to a healthy information environment.

The 2024 IPIE expert survey of 412 researchers across 66 countries indicates a growing pessimism about the global information environment, with 63% expecting it to worsen. Experts identify social media platform owners and governments as the primary threats. While generative AI is viewed as a tool for improving journalism and content detection, there is significant concern regarding its role in amplifying harassment, bias, and misinformation. The report emphasizes the necessity of supporting independent media and improving data access for interdisciplinary research.

The 2024 IPIE expert consultation reveals a growing pessimism about the global information environment, with 63% of researchers expecting it to worsen. Experts identify the availability of accurate information and diversity of voices as the most critical characteristics of a healthy information environment. The owners of social media platforms, governments, and politicians are cited as the most significant threats. Generative AI is viewed with mixed sentiment: while 63% of experts fear it will amplify disinformation, harassment, and bias, 67% hope it will improve content detection and journalism. Experts advocate for free and independent media, digital literacy, and improved data access for multi-disciplinary research.

The 2023 Forest Declaration Assessment reports that global deforestation remains significantly above the trajectory required to meet 2030 targets, with 6.6 million hectares of gross deforestation in 2022. While some countries like Indonesia and Malaysia have reduced deforestation, overall progress is undermined by insufficient public funding—only $2.2 billion annually—and a lack of corporate and financial accountability. The report emphasizes that private financial institutions provided $6.1 trillion in 2022 to companies likely to drive tropical deforestation. It calls for a radical shift in development models, increased transparency, and the direct funding of Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities to protect high-integrity forests.

The 2023 Forest Declaration Assessment reports that the world is off track to meet 2030 forest goals, with 2022 global gross deforestation reaching 6.6 million hectares. While over 50 countries are on track to eliminate deforestation, including progress in Indonesia and Malaysia, these successes are offset by massive losses in other regions. The report emphasizes a critical funding gap, noting that only US$ 2.2 billion in annual public funds are directed toward forests, and criticizes the lack of transparency and failure to protect the rights of Indigenous Peoples and local communities.

The 2023 assessment of the Forest Declaration reveals that the world is failing to meet 2030 targets to stop deforestation, with 2022 gross deforestation reaching 6.6 million hectares. While some regions like tropical Asia show progress, massive losses continue in Latin America, Africa, and boreal/temperate forests. The report emphasizes a critical funding gap, noting that only $2.2 billion in annual public funds are directed toward forests, and highlights that private financial institutions provided $6.1 trillion in 2022 to companies risking tropical deforestation. It calls for a radical transformation of development paths and the prioritization of indigenous peoples and local communities as effective forest managers.

The 2023 Forest Declaration Assessment reports that the world is off track to eliminate deforestation by 2030, with global gross deforestation in 2022 reaching 6.6 million hectares. While some countries and regions, such as Indonesia and Malaysia, show progress, these are outweighed by massive losses in Latin America, Africa, North America, and Europe. The report highlights a critical funding gap, noting that only USD 2.2 billion in annual public funds are channeled to forests, while private financial institutions provided USD 6.1 trillion in 2022 to companies at risk of driving tropical deforestation. It calls for a radical transformation of development pathways, increased transparency, and direct investment in Indigenous Peoples and local communities to secure forest ecosystems.

The IAI Executive Directorate reported progress in its strategic plan during 2020-2021 despite COVID-19 challenges. Key achievements include the launch of the Science, Technology, and Policy (STeP) fellowship program, the development of a revised scientific agenda incorporating feedback from Canada, Argentina, and Colombia, and the execution of transdisciplinary projects on climate-driven vector-borne diseases in Jamaica and Saint Lucia. The IAI also expanded its partnerships with the Belmont Forum, Wellcome Trust, and Mitacs Canada, while contributing to the IPCC's chapter on Central and South America.

The document examines how forest fires, driven by both intentional land clearing and climate change, create severe air pollution that impacts human health globally. It highlights specific crises in the Amazon, Australia, and Canada, noting increased respiratory and cardiovascular emergencies, adverse pregnancy outcomes, and significant disruptions to healthcare infrastructure. The authors call for forest protection, improved community adaptation, long-term health research, and global climate action aligned with the Paris Agreement.

The COP26 Resilience Hub served as a convening platform for the UNFCCC’s Race to Resilience, bringing together state and non-state actors to prioritise adaptation and resilience. The report identifies five core messages: the necessity of scaling Locally Led Adaptation (LLA), the urgent need for increased and diversified adaptation finance (preferring grants over loans), the requirement to bridge knowledge and implementation gaps, the role of Nature-based Solutions (NbS) across urban, coastal, and rural contexts, and the essential inclusion of marginalised groups—including women, youth, and Indigenous peoples—in decision-making. It also highlights the emergence of 'Loss and Damage' as a critical focus and notes a significant gap between current adaptation finance flows and actual needs.

The report finds that improvements in forest governance are too slow to quantifiably reduce deforestation, with significant gaps remaining in the legal recognition of indigenous land rights and the enforcement of laws against illegal logging. While some progress has been made in transparency and demand-side regulations in emerging Asian economies, corruption and violence against land defenders continue to undermine forest conservation efforts.

The report exposes the destructive nature of irresponsible rayon production, detailing water and air pollution, worker fatalities, and severe health issues in Asia. It identifies a direct link between these polluting factories—operated by conglomerates like Aditya Birla and Lenzing—and major global brands such as H&M, Zara, and ASOS. The document argues that while rayon is often marketed as a 'green' alternative, its current chemical-intensive production is unsustainable, and calls for brands to use their purchasing power to force a transition to closed-loop, non-toxic manufacturing systems.

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