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The document analyzes the gap between current and ideal governance practices for sustainable development in Asia-Pacific, focusing on multistakeholder processes, vertical and horizontal integration, and monitoring and evaluation. It identifies a prevalence of 'silo' approaches where sustainable development is managed primarily by environment ministries and recommends a comprehensive capacity-building agenda to improve long-term strategic planning, data quality, and subnational implementation.

The review analyzed over 1,500 courses from 24 international organizations between 2013 and 2014. It found a significant gap in training that directly addresses sustainable development policy and planning, with less than 4% of reviewed courses focusing on this area. While many courses integrate sustainable development into specific themes like the green economy or climate change, there is a lack of training that combines broad strategic frameworks with specific planning and management tools. The report recommends designing targeted courses for policymakers and mainstreaming sustainable development into existing sectoral training to support the implementation of the Post-2015 Development Agenda and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The document analyzes National Councils for Sustainable Development (NCSDs) as mechanisms for stakeholder engagement in national sustainable development strategies (NSDSs). It categorizes NCSDs by membership—government-only, mixed, or non-governmental—and evaluates the strengths and challenges of each. The briefing identifies key success factors, such as the appointment of independent chairs and the maintenance of a 'critical friend' relationship with government, while detailing the core functions of NCSDs in strategy creation, policy implementation, monitoring, and international outreach.

The document discusses the transition from Millennium Development Goals to Sustainable Development Goals, highlighting the need for new metrics and capacity to cover social, environmental, and economic dimensions. It identifies a gap between the production of indicators and their actual use in decision-making, suggesting that monitoring should be integrated into all stages of the policy cycle. The author outlines various international initiatives—including work by the UN Statistical Commission and the Open Working Group—aimed at strengthening the evidence base for SDGs. Finally, it provides guidance for governments to align national and subnational monitoring systems with global goals to improve governance and accountability.

The document examines how National Sustainable Development Councils (NCSDs) can support the transition from Millennium Development Goals to Sustainable Development Goals. Based on survey data from 12 countries, it identifies that while most nations have national sustainable development strategies, they face significant financial and structural barriers, including institutional resistance and poor data quality. The briefing highlights the advisory role of NCSDs and recommends a participatory approach, vertical alignment between government levels, and the strengthening of existing institutional frameworks to achieve national SDG targets.

The paper argues that fossil-fuel subsidies in Emerging and Developing Asia, totaling US$104 billion in 2011, represent a significant opportunity to finance the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It contends that these subsidies are regressive, primarily benefiting wealthier populations while undermining investments in renewable energy and public health. Using case studies from the Philippines and Indonesia, the document demonstrates how transitioning from universal subsidies to targeted social welfare programs and fuel taxation can improve fiscal health and social equity. The author recommends that the SDGs explicitly include a goal to phase out inefficient fossil-fuel subsidies by 2030 to encourage national reforms.

The document argues that shifting to sustainable consumption and production (SCP) is essential for global sustainable development and proposes a comprehensive set of science-based targets and indicators. It examines the role of SCP as either a stand-alone goal or a cross-cutting issue, emphasizing the need to decouple economic growth from resource use and environmental degradation. The paper provides specific quantitative targets across various sectors, including agriculture, water, energy, and urban construction, while highlighting the differentiated responsibilities of developed and developing nations.

The 2014 SAIIA Young Leaders Declaration outlines youth-led recommendations for the Sustainable Development Goals, focusing on economic inclusivity, environmental protection, and social equity in South Africa and globally.

The document proposes a 'nexus approach' to move away from sectoral 'silos' in the development of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). By focusing on the interdependencies between water, energy, and food, the authors suggest that a bottom-up process starting with concrete targets—rather than overarching goals—can better identify trade-offs and synergies. The brief illustrates this through three analytical approaches: screening for interactions, exploring the nature of those interactions (interdependencies, constraints, and reinforcements), and mapping 'nexus targets' that serve multiple sectors. Case studies from Ethiopia, China (Ningxia), and the United States (California) demonstrate how these cross-sectoral tensions manifest in real-world resource management.

The document outlines SEI's interdisciplinary approach to the water-energy-food nexus, emphasizing the need to integrate cross-sectoral interactions, ecosystem services, and multi-scale governance. It highlights the use of analytical tools like WEAP and LEAP to identify synergies and trade-offs in resource management. SEI advocates for participatory processes and the identification of policy 'entry points' to ensure scientific research translates into practical, sustainable solutions for resource scarcity.

The Green Economy Coalition outlines a vision for a global economic transition that prioritizes ecological limits and social equity over traditional GDP growth. It emphasizes that economics is the 'language of power' and must be used to influence treasuries and boardrooms. The briefing identifies five critical action areas—natural systems, people, economic sectors, financial flows, and governance/measurement—and discusses the role of Rio+20 as a stepping stone toward this transition. It also addresses the tension between the need for economic growth in developing nations and the imperative for resource contraction in developed nations, proposing concepts like the circular economy and 'beyond GDP' metrics to resolve the impasse.

The document outlines the necessity of establishing a robust system of indicators (SDGIs) to measure progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) mandated by the Rio+20 conference. It proposes that the development of these indicators should be grounded in a principles-based approach, specifically citing the BellagioSTAMP principles, and should be conducted via an 'arms-length' technical process to ensure scientific objectivity and avoid data-driven goal setting. The paper highlights challenges including the universal application of SDGs to both developed and developing nations, the need for a systemic socio-ecological framework, and the integration of Earth Observation data alongside traditional statistics.

The IAI science-policy liaison office's 2013-2015 workplan focuses on establishing a baseline of current policy standing, strengthening relationships with member countries and the Conference of the Parties (CoP), and positioning IAI research within international conventions and organizations. The strategy emphasizes a three-pronged approach: institutionalizing brokerage mechanisms, positioning global change as a relevant policy issue, and spurring collective action through use-oriented research.

The document advocates for a multi-scale analysis of the Water-Energy-Food (WEF) nexus to improve cooperative governance and resource management. It presents a continuum of assessment tools, ranging from qualitative index building and opportunity analysis to quantitative hydro-economic and integrated modelling (such as WEAP and LEAP). These tools are designed to identify trade-offs, mitigate supply bottlenecks, and support sustainable infrastructure planning in transboundary macro-regions and at the local level.

The interview explores the need to integrate economic models with social and environmental outcomes, the role of ICTs in facilitating global sustainability through information access and stakeholder communication, and the specific vulnerabilities of small island states in the Caribbean. Angela Cropper critiques the failure of global leadership since the 1992 Rio Earth Summit and argues for a shift from intergovernmental commitments toward broader societal transformation.

The briefing argues that the G20 and Rio+20 summits lack concrete deliverables and proposes a 'green growth guarantee' to provide developing countries with indicators, planning support, financial engagement, and peer review. The author highlights the growth of catalyst funds leveraging private investment and the need for a unified approach to sustainable development planning to avoid duplicating efforts across different international frameworks.

The document argues that providing basic energy access is insufficient; instead, global energy systems must be transformed to support long-term economic development while limiting global temperature increase to below 2°C. Using three scenarios—Baseline, Basic Energy Access (BEA), and Shared Development Agenda (SDA)—the authors demonstrate that reaching a per capita income of USD 10,000 by 2050 requires a massive scale-up of renewables, nuclear power, and energy efficiency, alongside the virtual phase-out of fossil fuels. The brief concludes that market-based instruments alone are inadequate, necessitating a more active state role in investment and innovation, as well as a structural transformation of international governance through the UN and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The report analyzes three global energy scenarios—Baseline, Basic Energy Access (BEA), and Shared Development Agenda (SDA)—to determine the pathways required to provide sustainable energy for all while limiting global warming to 2°C. It argues that achieving these goals requires a massive socio-technical transformation, including the virtual phase-out of conventional fossil fuels for electricity by 2050 and a significant increase in renewable energy and energy efficiency. Through 20 case studies, the document identifies barriers such as vested interests, high entry costs for the poor, and institutional inertia, while proposing a multi-level governance framework to coordinate innovation, mobilize finance, and align national policies with global sustainable development goals.

The report assesses three global energy scenarios—Baseline, Basic Energy Access, and Shared Development Agenda—to determine how to provide energy for development while limiting global warming to 2°C. It argues that achieving these goals requires a massive socio-technical transformation of energy supply and demand, moving beyond incremental changes to a system dominated by renewables and high energy efficiency. The authors emphasize that this transition requires multi-level governance, including stronger public RD&D, the removal of fossil fuel subsidies, and a shared global development agenda that prioritizes equitable income growth and energy access for the world's poorest regions.

The Civil Society FfD Mechanism argues that the EU is negotiating in bad faith by attempting to undermine a February 2024 agreement on a UN Framework Convention on International Tax Cooperation (Para 27). The group also calls for the retention of Para 66 and Para 73, asserting that unilateral trade measures justified as climate actions create unbalanced barriers for Global South exports and hinder the transition to greener pathways. Finally, the statement demands full transparency for the FfD4 preparatory process, including live streaming and simultaneous sharing of texts with civil society, criticizing co-facilitators Spain and South Africa for failing to uphold these modalities.