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This research paper by the Climate Policy Initiative (CPI/PUC-Rio) analyzes the 2021 New Bidding Law in Brazil, arguing that it provides a critical opportunity to improve the planning of infrastructure projects. The authors propose the introduction of a pre-feasibility analysis to better anticipate socio-environmental risks and prevent the implementation of low-quality or infeasible projects.

This policy brief, prepared by the Climate Bonds Initiative in partnership with the Inter-American Development Bank and commissioned by the Brazilian Ministry of Economy, explores how subnational consortia in Brazil can utilize innovative financial modeling to fund sustainable municipal infrastructure. It analyzes the legal barriers facing Brazilian municipalities, proposes the adoption of pooled financing mechanisms (MFGCs), and provides international case studies to support a green economic recovery.

This report by the Climate Policy Initiative (CPI) analyzes the public contracting processes for socio-environmental studies—specifically Technical, Economic, and Environmental Feasibility Studies (EVTEA) and Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA)—for federal land transportation projects in the Brazilian Amazon. The researchers identify significant gaps in transparency, budget allocation, and the timing of socio-environmental analyses within the project life cycle, providing recommendations to improve the robustness of infrastructure projects and their mitigation measures.

This report by FSD Africa examines the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Zimbabwean insurance sector as of October 2020. It details the operational disruptions caused by national lockdowns, the challenges of transitioning to remote work, and the resulting pressures on insurance revenues, liquidity, and the regulatory environment managed by the Insurance and Pensions Commission (IPEC).

This research paper by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) analyzes various proposed regulatory approaches to prohibit fisheries subsidies that contribute to overcapacity and overfishing within the World Trade Organization (WTO) negotiations. It specifically examines how to balance environmental sustainability with the development priorities of developing and least-developed countries, including food security and poverty reduction.

This technical note by the Climate Policy Initiative (CPI) and NAPC/PUC-Rio analyzes the changes introduced by Decree No. 9,760/2019 to the rules for converting environmental fines into environmental services in Brazil. The document details the evolution of federal legislation, the specific modifications to the conversion process, and the remaining regulatory gaps that hinder the full implementation of the conversion program.

This briefing discusses the mandate given to the Colorado Public Utilities Commission (PUC) to investigate the transition to a performance-based regulation (PBR) model to align utility operations with state clean energy and decarbonization goals.

This report by the Centre for Environmental Rights evaluates water use licence (WUL) compliance among eight large coal mining operations in South Africa's Mpumalanga province. It concludes that the regulatory system has effectively disintegrated, characterized by massive failures by the Department of Water & Sanitation (DWS), non-compliance by mining companies, and misleading reports from independent auditors.

This report by FSD Africa and Cenfri examines the remittance landscape in Nigeria, identifying it as the highest recipient of remittances in Africa. While formal flows are significant, the sector is characterized by high informality, regulatory volatility, and infrastructure gaps that hinder the reduction of transaction costs and the expansion of financial inclusion.

The report "Authorized to Steal" by the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) investigates how organized crime networks in Peru use official documentation to launder illegally harvested timber from the Amazon. Analyzing 1,024 Forest Transport Permits (GTFs) from 2017, the report details the collusion between forestry regents, public officials, and private businesspeople to bypass regulations, specifically in the Loreto and Ucayali regions.

This media backgrounder from the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (CAPE) examines the 'Monsanto Papers'—discovery documents from U.S. litigation—and their implications for Health Canada's 2017 re-evaluation of glyphosate. The document alleges that Monsanto engaged in ghostwriting scientific papers, manipulating public perception of the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), and collaborating with regulatory bodies to maintain the registration of glyphosate.

This case study by FSD Africa examines the remittance landscape in Uganda, identifying it as a net recipient of remittances with significant inflows from the UK, South Sudan, and Rwanda. While the market is advanced, it faces high costs, significant informality, and regulatory hurdles, particularly regarding mobile money and KYC requirements.

This policy brief by the Climate Policy Initiative (CPI) and the Núcleo de Avaliação de Políticas Climáticas da PUC-Rio (NAPC) analyzes the complexity and fragmentation of the Brazilian rural credit system. It argues that the current policy design, based on a structure from the 1960s, creates significant obstacles to credit access and financing conditions due to a multiplicity of rules tied to geographic location, property size, and agricultural revenue.

A June 2018 letter from four health and environmental non-profits to Canada's Chief Science Advisor, Dr. Mona Nemer, requesting an investigation into the scientific integrity and transparency of the Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA). The authors argue that the PMRA's regulatory processes for pesticides like neonicotinoids, glyphosate, and atrazine contravene government commitments to evidence-based decision-making by relying on non-public data and ignoring peer-reviewed science.

This policy brief examines the impact of seismic surveys used in oil and gas exploration on marine fauna, specifically within South Africa. It argues that current mitigation guidelines, which are often based on the UK's JNCC standards and developed by the companies conducting the surveys, are insufficient. The author recommends the establishment of an independent regulatory board to create country-specific, science-based legislative frameworks to protect biodiversity and maintain environmental integrity as South Africa expands its ocean economy through Operation Phakisa.

This report by BFA for FSD Africa assesses the demand for and business case for providing formal financial services to refugees in Rwanda. It concludes that refugees are a viable customer segment with income levels and profitability potential comparable to typical low-income Rwandan nationals, provided that financial service providers (FSPs) utilize cross-selling strategies and regulatory hurdles regarding identification are addressed.

This research paper examines the 'utility information problem'—the lack of data regarding the locational value of distributed energy resources (DERs)—which obscures the boundaries of the electric distribution utility's natural monopoly. The author proposes that integrated distribution planning (IDP) is necessary to reveal this information, enabling a transition toward a Distribution System Optimizer (DSO) role. The paper evaluates two pathways to this transition: an information-intensive approach compatible with cost-of-service regulation and an outcome-focused approach utilizing performance-based regulation (PBR).

This policy brief by the Climate Policy Initiative (CPI) and PUC-Rio analyzes the Environmental Reserve Quote (Cota de Reserva Ambiental - CRA) as a mechanism for compensating Legal Reserve deficits in rural properties under Brazil's Forest Code (Law 12.651/2012). The document evaluates the CRA against other compensation alternatives, identifies institutional and legal barriers to its implementation, and provides recommendations for federal regulation to ensure market security and lower transaction costs.

This report assesses Suriname's readiness to implement the Intergovernmental Forum on Mining, Minerals, Metals and Sustainable Development (IGF) Mining Policy Framework (MPF). Conducted between August and November 2016, the assessment identifies a legislative environment that is largely out of date, relying on a 1986 Mining Decree, and notes a critical lack of a national environmental authority. While the report highlights strengths in environmental assessment guidelines and the management of small-scale mining tensions, it emphasizes significant gaps in financial transparency, indigenous rights legislation, and mine closure requirements.

The Centre for Environmental Rights (CER) issued a questionnaire to the eMalahleni Local Municipality (ELM) on 15 June 2016 to conduct a "mini shadow review" of air quality improvements in the Highveld Priority Area (HPA) since 2007. The briefing seeks to determine if the municipality has the capacity, financial resources, and personnel to implement the HPA Air Quality Management Plan (AQMP) and to assess whether emissions and ambient air quality have actually improved in the Middelburg and eMalahleni areas.