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The IAI Directorate implemented several initiatives between 2018 and 2019 to strengthen science-policy interfaces and regional cooperation. Key activities included signing a Memorandum of Understanding with IPBES, co-hosting a South-South Cooperation workshop on climate and sustainable development in Uruguay, and joining the Belmont Forum Steering Committee. The Directorate also explored becoming a Readiness Delivery Partner for the Green Climate Fund in Latin America and engaged with the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research on a new climate change initiative. Efforts to improve science communication included a social media campaign and discussions with the American Chemical Society and the Earth Journalism Network.

The IAI Executive Directorate reports on its 2018-2019 efforts to strengthen science-policy interfaces and international partnerships. Key activities include signing a Memorandum of Understanding with IPBES, collaborating with UNOSSC on South-South cooperation for urban climate resilience in South American megacities, and pursuing an Associate status with the Green Climate Fund. The IAI also joined the Belmont Forum Steering Committee and explored a cooperative research action on food security and climate change with France's National Research Agency, attracting interest from Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, Guatemala, and Honduras. Additionally, the report details engagements with the IPCC, the European Commission, and the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research to foster intercontinental cooperation on climate risks.

The document explains the greenhouse effect and the role of human activities in increasing radiative forcing, noting that global warming has reached approximately 1°C since pre-industrial times. It details the global emissions profile by sector and the projected risks associated with 1.5°C versus 2°C warming, emphasizing that the latter significantly increases risks to human health, food security, and biodiversity. The text outlines the evolution of international climate governance from the UNFCCC and Kyoto Protocol to the Paris Agreement and its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). To limit warming to 1.5°C, the document argues for a transformative shift in the energy mix by 2050, including a drastic reduction in fossil fuel consumption and a move toward renewable energy and carbon dioxide removal technologies.

The Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) is developing the 'Clean and Green' framework to address gaps in rural sanitation, specifically for smallholder communities. The framework combines a 'Clean' track for risk management (eliminating open defecation and managing waste) and a 'Green' track for resource recovery (recycling nutrients and water for agriculture). It utilizes a stepwise certification system to motivate households and villages, aiming to synergistically meet multiple Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by linking sanitation to agricultural productivity and ecosystem health.

The report highlights the critical need for sustainable cooling to address health, food security, and economic risks affecting billions of people. It identifies a cooling gap impacting approximately 1.1 billion people in extreme heat, while noting that 2.3 billion low-to-middle-income individuals risk driving climate disasters by adopting low-efficiency cooling products. The document advocates for a coordinated approach integrating the Sustainable Development Goals, the Paris Agreement, and the Kigali Amendment to promote high-efficiency technologies, passive cooling, and innovative business models.

The fact sheet highlights how recycling cobalt and lithium from end-of-life products, particularly electric vehicle batteries, can mitigate supply shortages, reduce environmental degradation, and support Sustainable Development Goals by decoupling economic growth from finite resource consumption.

Carbon Trust Assurance Limited verified that Nedbank Limited's framework for its first green bond conforms to the Climate Bonds Standard V2.1. The bond intends to finance a portfolio of wind and solar energy projects in South Africa awarded preferred bidder status through the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (REIPPP). The verifier found that Nedbank has established appropriate internal processes for project selection, tracking of proceeds, and management of unallocated funds, with a commitment to annual reporting and post-issuance verification.

The African Peer Review Mechanism, established in 2003 to improve governance through voluntary peer review, experienced a period of decline between 2008 and 2016 marked by leadership vacancies and financial mismanagement. While recent reforms under the 'Three Rs Strategy' and the 2018 incorporation into the African Union as a specialised agency have revitalized the process and expanded its mandate to track Agenda 2063 and the UN Sustainable Development Goals, significant hurdles remain. These include the failure to release country reports on time, a lack of political will to 'name and shame' poor performers, and dwindling attendance of heads of state at forums.

The paper examines bioenergy trade flows and the necessity of developing sustainable supply chains and governance to meet 2050 global energy and climate scenarios. It emphasizes the need for innovative, integrated value chains and flexible biogenic carbon supply networks to reduce stakeholder risk and ensure economic and environmental benefits.

The Corporate Reporting Dialogue participants aim to harmonize financial and non-financial reporting to improve transparency and accountability, specifically seeking to better illustrate the connection between corporate value creation and the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.

The document describes a meeting intended to update OAS Member States on progress in integrated water resources management (IWRM) and address emerging challenges in the Americas, such as rapid urbanization, climate change, and transboundary water conflicts. It emphasizes the role of science in reducing environmental uncertainties and proposes a cooperation-based approach to manage shared water basins, which account for approximately 60% of freshwater resources in the Americas. The session aims to identify new strategic alliances, strengthen public policies through knowledge transfer, and promote a rights-based approach to water and sanitation.

The report examines local content policies (LCPs) in the mining sector, specifically focusing on local procurement. It details how 'local' is defined through geography, value addition, and ownership, and outlines various demand-side and supply-side policy options. The document emphasizes that for these policies to succeed, they must be supported by pre-conditions such as capacity analysis, a conducive business climate, and strong monitoring and enforcement mechanisms.

The report argues that while cobalt and lithium are critical for the low-carbon transition, their current recycling rates are low—specifically less than 5% for lithium-ion batteries. It identifies barriers across the primary supply chain (such as conflict and child labour in the DRC), the recycling chain (inefficient collection and technical challenges), and regulatory environments (inapt definitions and ambiguous liability). The authors recommend enhancing eco-design, raising consumer awareness to reduce 'hibernation' of electronics, and updating regulatory frameworks to include clear definitions and meaningful recycling targets to support the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the circular economy.

The document examines the intersection of voluntary sustainability standards (VSSs), the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and gender equality in agriculture. It analyzes five major standards—Fairtrade International, IFOAM Organic, Rainforest Alliance, UTZ Certified, and the 4Cs—across six thematic areas: household food security, rights to productive resources, education, unpaid domestic labour, decision-making/empowerment, and decent work. The guide finds that while VSSs can improve wages and working conditions, they risk exacerbating inequalities if they prioritize cash crops over women's subsistence farming or increase women's unpaid labour burdens without providing childcare or gender-transformative training.

The document analyzes the intersection of voluntary sustainability standards (VSS), the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and gender equality in agriculture. It evaluates five major standards—Fairtrade International, IFOAM (Organic), Rainforest Alliance, UTZ Certified, and 4Cs—across six key themes: household food security, access to productive resources, education, unpaid domestic work, decision-making/empowerment, and decent work. The guide finds that while VSS can indirectly improve women's status through increased income and sustainable practices, they can also inadvertently exacerbate inequalities if local gender dynamics are ignored, such as by prioritizing commercial crops over women's subsistence farming or increasing women's unpaid labor to meet certification quality requirements. It provides specific recommendations for development organizations to implement 'gender-transformative' approaches, including providing childcare during training and supporting women's land rights.

The document outlines how countries can coordinate policy processes across different global agendas to improve coherence and efficiency in climate-resilient development. It identifies the National Adaptation Plan (NAP) process as a key connecting point and details the enabling factors, objective-setting steps, and practical entry points necessary for successful alignment.

The document outlines a framework for aligning national policies to achieve climate-resilient development, emphasizing the role of National Adaptation Plans (NAPs) as a connecting mechanism. It identifies key enabling factors—institutional arrangements, information exchange, and capacity development—and provides a four-step process for defining alignment objectives. The briefing also offers a set of diagnostic questions to help countries identify viable entry points for policy integration, such as aligning NAPs with Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) or disaster risk reduction strategies.

The document provides practical guidance for countries to align their national policy processes to achieve climate-resilient development. It emphasizes the role of National Adaptation Plans (NAPs) as a key link between international commitments and operational implementation. The briefing outlines the relationships between global programs and national policies, identifies enabling factors such as institutional arrangements and capacity building, and proposes a four-step approach to defining alignment goals. It also provides a framework of key questions to help countries identify entry points for alignment across synergies, process mapping, and financing.

The document examines why the WTO has seen few legal proceedings against fossil fuel subsidies despite their distorting impact on trade and investment. It specifically analyses the compatibility of four fossil fuel support measures in G20 countries with the 1994 Agreement on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures, concluding that litigating consumption subsidies is particularly difficult.

The document evaluates the 2018 Voluntary National Reviews (VNRs) submitted to the UN's High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development. It finds that while countries are better adhering to reporting guidelines and focusing more on the principle of 'leaving no one behind,' they still largely ignore other transformative principles of the 2030 Agenda. Additionally, the report notes a concerning lack of transparency regarding the closing of civic space and attacks on human rights and environmental defenders despite some increased engagement with civil society.