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The document argues that increasing transparency in agricultural supply chains is a critical pre-condition for improving governance and reducing deforestation in Amazonia. It introduces a 'middle-ground' modelling approach that links specific production jurisdictions (municipalities or departments) to downstream actors, allowing for the identification of risk exposure and the formation of public-private coalitions to manage production landscapes sustainably.

The document argues that cities are becoming primary actors in achieving climate mitigation and adaptation goals. It emphasizes that science provides essential support to local policymakers through first-hand information and the application of ad hoc methodologies. Case studies presented in the work demonstrate diverse opportunities for collaboration between scientific research and municipal-level policy, suggesting that the urban scale is an effective level for establishing multi-level links between these fields.

The briefing advocates for redefining thermal comfort in buildings by moving away from monolithic central heating and cooling systems toward a model based on six variables: air temperature, air velocity, activity level, clothing level, surface temperature, and humidity. Using the ASHRAE 55 standard and the CBE Thermal Comfort Tool, designers can use the Predictive Mean Vote (PMV) metric to create more energy-efficient, occupant-centric environments. The author details the application of this approach at RMI's Innovation Center in Basalt, Colorado, highlighting the necessity of Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) to manage the risks associated with passive design and the complexity of integrating multiple targeted systems. The document emphasizes that achieving such efficiency requires a paradigm shift in risk allocation, long-term system tuning, and active occupant engagement.

The briefing highlights research indicating that global sea levels could rise by several meters within 50 to 150 years if emissions grow, potentially submerging major global cities and displacing 20% of the world's population. It emphasizes that these impacts could occur even if the 2 degree C target is met. For Canada, the document details 2010 emission sources and advocates for a societal transformation, specifically noting that closing coal-fired power plants in Ontario and Alberta provides a rapid pathway for emission reductions and health benefits.

The document identifies and assesses behaviour change techniques (BCTs) for improved cookstove (ICS) adoption, noting a shift from financial incentives toward 'shaping knowledge' and 'social support'. It highlights the importance of tailoring messages to gender and local contexts and proposes a modified framework that integrates individual, social, structural, and locational determinants of behaviour.

The document examines the psychological and social drivers of climate action, arguing that values, social norms, and trust are more influential than scientific knowledge alone. It provides strategic principles for communicators, emphasizing the need to avoid alarmism, tailor messages to specific audiences, and leverage trusted messengers to overcome political polarization and the 'information deficit' myth.

The document examines the tension between treating fossil fuel suppliers as polluters and recognizing extraction as a sovereign right for development. It argues that meeting Paris Agreement targets requires leaving a majority of proven reserves in the ground, which would disproportionately impact lower-income regions through the loss of significant resource rents.

This briefing outlines the Climate Policy Initiative's (CPI) framework for evaluating the efficiency of public financial interventions, such as green banks, in supporting the transition to a low-carbon economy. It focuses on identifying financial barriers and determining the most effective risk-bearing mechanisms and implementing institutions to address them.

The document outlines critical areas for climate finance at COP 21, emphasizing the need for developed countries to meet the $100 billion annual goal by 2020, increasing funding for adaptation, and improving transparency in reporting finance flows. It highlights recent pledges from various nations and argues for a shift in trillions of dollars from high-emissions to low-emissions activities.

The briefing challenges the notion that variable renewables will limit their own growth by depressing wholesale electricity prices. It contends that these concerns rely on static models of the grid and ignore the synergistic effects of complementary supply resources, flexible demand-side responses, and the decreasing cost of storage. By shifting from incremental to whole-system thinking and updating 20th-century market designs, the author asserts that wind and solar can continue to expand without facing practical economic limits.

The document outlines the risk-based due diligence framework required by the EU Timber Regulation (EUTR). It details a three-step process—information gathering, risk assessment, and risk mitigation—while emphasizing that the specific measures taken must be proportionate to the identified risks and situational context.

The document advocates for community forest management (CFM) as a superior alternative to industrial logging and strict protection regimes. It asserts that CFM effectively reduces deforestation, protects biodiversity, and supports climate mitigation and adaptation by empowering indigenous peoples and local communities. The text identifies key success factors such as land tenure security and warns against 'false solutions' like REDD+ and the financialization of nature, which it claims risk land grabbing and the erosion of community control.

The document advocates for Community Forest Management (CFM) as a critical tool for biodiversity conservation and climate mitigation. It presents evidence that CFM often outperforms strict protection regimes in reducing deforestation, particularly when supported by secure land tenure and local autonomy. The briefing highlights the role of CFM in carbon sequestration and climate adaptation, while warning against 'false solutions' like REDD+ and the financialisation of nature, which it claims threaten community rights and traditional governance.

The briefing advocates for Community Forest Management (CFM) as a superior model for forest conservation and climate action compared to industrial logging and state-led protected areas. It highlights CFM's role in carbon storage and biodiversity protection, while warning against market-based mechanisms like REDD+ that may lead to land grabbing. The document recommends that governments recognize communal land tenure and prioritize CFM to meet international biodiversity targets.

The document outlines the goals of COP 21, specifically the adoption of a new international climate agreement to limit global temperature increases to 2°C. It describes the role of Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs) in setting greenhouse gas targets and identifies critical negotiation areas including adaptation, loss and damage, climate finance, technology transfer, and capacity building in developing countries.

The document examines the ACIRC, a proposed rapid deployment instrument for the African Union (AU) initiated by South Africa to address capability gaps in crisis response. It highlights operational hurdles, including political opposition from key member states, funding shortages, and a lack of strategic airlift capacity. The briefing argues that the ACIRC must be integrated into the African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA) and coordinated with the UN to avoid becoming a reactive, short-term tool, while recommending a shift in deployment authority to the AU Peace and Security Council to ensure speed.

The briefing identifies three critical action areas for negotiators in Bonn: establishing predictable 'cycles of action' for climate plans, defining long-term mitigation and adaptation goals, and planning for post-2020 climate finance. It argues that negotiators must now prioritize core issues and remove redundancies from the negotiating text to remain on track for an ambitious outcome at COP 21 in December.

The briefing examines the correlation between climate and political violence, noting that while conflicts cluster in dry and tropical zones, there is little evidence that climatic variability directly causes state-based violent conflict. Instead, the authors argue that climate change may increase conflict risk indirectly through three primary causal mechanisms: forced migration, food insecurity, and economic shocks. These effects are not universal but depend on 'scope conditions' such as poverty, poor governance, and political instability. The document concludes that the security challenges posed by climate change are essentially development challenges, and that investing in adaptation and good governance is critical to preventing a growing gap between stable, wealthy societies and those caught in a poverty and instability trap.

The briefing explains that under the EU Timber Regulation (EUTR), operators must exercise due diligence to minimize the risk of illegally harvested timber entering the EU market. While official documentation—such as permits issued by public authorities or government-accredited schemes like Indonesia's SVLK—is a common tool, the document asserts that it is not sufficient on its own for compliance. It highlights several risks that undermine the reliability of official papers, including forgery, corruption in permit allocation, the use of outdated permits, and a lack of enforcement or monitoring on the ground. To mitigate these risks, the briefing recommends that operators and Competent Authorities supplement official documents with data from NGOs, research institutes, public bodies, and satellite imagery, while maintaining detailed records of their risk assessment procedures.

The document outlines the strategic priorities of the Pan-African Parliament (PAP) for the 2015 Paris climate agreement, emphasizing the need for equity, adaptation, and financial support. It details the role of Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs) and the challenges of closing the 'ambition gap' to limit global warming to 2°C. The briefing highlights the importance of the Common But Differentiated Responsibilities (CBDR) principle and the necessity of developed countries fulfilling their 100 billion USD annual climate finance pledge by 2020.