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This policy brief examines the polluter-pays principle (PPP), which requires pollution producers to bear the costs of managing and preventing environmental and human health damage. While established in European Union and OECD frameworks, the PPP faces challenges in universal international application due to ambiguities in defining 'the polluter' and differing national legal systems. The document explores the PPP's intersection with international climate change law, the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities (CBDR), and efforts by global financial institutions to implement carbon pricing.

This briefing by the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) explains the Global Stocktake (GST) process mandated by the Paris Agreement and advocates for the integration of human rights and social principles into this assessment to ensure effective climate action.

This February 2022 report from the Institute for Security Studies analyzes the composition and challenges of the newly elected African Union Peace and Security Council (PSC), the outcomes of the February 2022 AU Summit regarding governance and conflict prevention, and the ongoing debate over equitable regional representation within the Council. It also examines the tensions between the African Union and the European Union regarding the green energy transition and critiques the application of the principle of subsidiarity in the relationship between the AU and Regional Economic Communities (RECs).

Natural Justice (NJ) submitted a formal objection on 31 January 2022 to proposed amendments to the s24H Registration Authority Regulations, 2016 under the National Environmental Management Act (NEMA). NJ argues that requiring a registered Environmental Assessment Practitioner (EAP) to handle appeals and certain submissions would create prohibitive financial barriers for communities, effectively barring them from the appeals process and subsequent judicial review.

This policy brief by RMI argues that current carbon accounting frameworks for corporate ESG reporting are inadequate for quantifying greenhouse gas emissions and demonstrating meaningful change, particularly regarding supply chain emissions and individual asset or product impacts.

This factsheet by Natural Justice examines the Forest Conservation and Management (Amendment) Bill, 2021, which proposes to repeal section 34(2A) of the Forest Conservation and Management Act 2016. The proposed change would remove the requirement for the Kenya Forest Service (KFS) to recommend petitions for the variation of public forest boundaries before they are forwarded to the National Assembly.

This research paper provides a baseline 'state of knowledge' on disaster risk science to support the development of a global research agenda for risk-informed development. It traces the evolution of disaster studies from emergency management to proactive disaster risk reduction (DRR) and outlines the interdisciplinary nature of disaster science.

This report by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) analyzes the necessity and design of federal just transition legislation in Canada. It evaluates international best practices from 12 jurisdictions to provide a framework for protecting workers and communities during the shift to a low-carbon economy, emphasizing social dialogue, Indigenous partnership, and corporate accountability.

This fact sheet by the Institute for Economic Justice (IEJ) provides an initial analysis of South Africa's Just Energy Transition Investment Plan (JET-IP), released on 4 November 2022. The IEJ argues that the plan relies too heavily on private finance and loans, which risks increasing national debt, exacerbating energy poverty through 'cost reflective' tariffs, and failing to provide adequate social security for workers in the coal sector.

The 'State of Global Environmental Governance 2022' report by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) reviews the progress of multilateral environmental negotiations in 2022. It highlights a significant rebound in face-to-face diplomacy following the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in landmark agreements on biodiversity and the establishment of a loss and damage fund for climate-vulnerable nations. The report also examines the integration of human rights into environmental policy and the impact of geopolitical conflicts, specifically the war in Ukraine, on global environmental governance.

This workshop report, produced by the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) on 9 March 2022, examines the policy gaps between maritime and gender frameworks in Africa. It highlights the need for intersectional approaches to gender equality and notes that many regional maritime strategies remain 'gender-blind', often failing to integrate gender considerations into security and governance frameworks.

This report by the Institute for Security Studies analyzes the challenges and opportunities for African nations in global climate change negotiations leading up to COP 27. It examines the structural weaknesses in African diplomacy, the complexities of balancing diverse national interests, and the influence of developed nations on climate policy and trade.

This policy brief by the Institute for Security Studies examines the intersection of climate change and human security in Africa. It argues that climate change acts as a 'threat multiplier' that interacts with existing socio-economic and political vulnerabilities to drive instability. The document advocates for a shift in climate governance from a focus on emissions and environmental risk to a development-led investment approach that builds economic resilience and social stability.

This chapter of the 'Chilling Prospects' report examines the enabling environment for sustainable cooling, specifically focusing on policy progress, financial flows, and the development of a community of practice.

This report examines the critical role of sustainable cooling and electricity in health services, focusing on vaccine cold chains, the management of temperature-sensitive medical products, and the need for temperature regulation in hospitals and clinics to improve patient care and resilience against heat stress.

This report by WWF South Africa presents the economic rationale for transitioning from a linear 'take-make-waste' plastic packaging model to a circular plastics economy by 2050 in Côte d’Ivoire, Kenya, and South Africa. Using computational general equilibrium (CGE) modelling, the study demonstrates that such a transition would lead to positive cumulative effects on GDP, employment, and consumer welfare across all three nations while significantly reducing the costs of environmental externalities.

This case study examines Spain's efforts to manage the decline of its coal industry through the 2019 Just Transition Strategy and the 2018 Plan Del Carbón. It details the shift from reactive social protections to a structured, participatory framework designed to diversify the economies of coal-dependent regions while meeting EU climate mandates.

This report by the International Institute for Sustainable Development argues that the Canadian federal government should adopt a whole-of-government approach to climate change to improve performance through cross-departmental collaboration and integrated policy-making.

This briefing by the Stockholm Environment Institute examines the necessity of a just transition for Latin American economies reliant on fossil fuel extraction. The authors argue that delaying the shift toward sustainable, low-carbon pathways increases economic vulnerability, while warning that the transition to renewable energy technologies creates new risks associated with the increased extraction of critical minerals.

This research paper by the Green Economy Coalition examines the gap between planned green recovery goals and actual financial implementation in Uganda following the COVID-19 pandemic. It argues that while national budgets initially prioritized natural capital, actual financial releases have been sidelined in favor of short-term economic multipliers, necessitating fiscal reforms and better valuation of ecological services to ensure a sustainable recovery.