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The STeP Fellowship Program, managed by the IAI, focuses on bridging the gap between science and policy in Latin America and the Caribbean. Between July 2020 and June 2021, the program conducted 20 virtual training sessions and established a joint inter-American group of 20 fellows with Mitacs Canada and AAAS. Current cohorts focus on sustainable agriculture in Argentina and sustainable cities in Mexico, with plans to expand into biodiversity and disaster risk mitigation. The program also seeks strategic partnerships, including negotiations with Chile's National Congress and the US Embassy in Peru.

The document details a participatory process to define a subnational bioeconomy for Valle del Cauca, Colombia, focusing on the agricultural, agro-industrial, and nature tourism sectors. It proposes a transition toward 'bioresource' and 'bioecology' visions that balance economic growth with environmental sustainability and social inclusion. The resulting roadmap emphasizes the need for a multi-actor governance scheme, targeted financial incentives for circularity, and critical infrastructure improvements in rural transport and basic services to enable the processing of biological resources.

The document outlines the creation of a suite of indicators to track the global environmental risks associated with UK commodity consumption, focusing initially on agricultural products.

The author contends that the UK government is utilizing a 'Trump-style core vote strategy' to distract from pandemic failures and sustain the Leave coalition. This approach involves criminalizing protest, targeting minority groups such as Gypsy and Traveller communities, and undermining the rule of law and media independence. The text describes a breakdown of the 'good chap' model of governance, replaced by high-level cronyism and neoliberal failure. The author advocates for a positive alternative vision based on a just transition to a carbon-neutral society, proportional representation, and a move away from centralism.

A statement by Natural Justice and the National Association of APACs (ANAPAC) advocating for the legal recognition of community-governed territories in Senegal, highlighting the Kawawana project as a successful model of local biodiversity management.

The authors apply a collective action theory framework to Amazon conservation, identifying six variables—information, accountability, harmony of interests, horizontal trust, knowledge about consequences, and sense of responsibility—that act as either stressors or facilitators. Their analysis indicates that while increased transparency has improved information availability, the effort to halt deforestation is hindered by a lack of accountability, distrust among actors, and a low sense of responsibility.

The document challenges the European Commission's claim that 99% of fish bought by consumers come from sustainable sources, arguing this figure focuses on landing volumes rather than the number of stocks. It cites STECF data showing that 43% of North East Atlantic and 83% of Mediterranean stocks are overfished, and notes that the number of stocks outside safe biological limits in 2019 (17) is the same as in 2013.

The IAI Directorate reported progress in aligning its Scientific Agenda with its Strategic Plan, incorporating revisions from Canada, Argentina, and Colombia. Key scientific initiatives included transdisciplinary projects on vector-borne diseases in Jamaica and St. Lucia, and the development of a COVID-19 working group. The Directorate launched the Science, Technology and Policy (STeP) fellowship program, implemented in two countries, and established partnerships with Mitacs in Canada and the PAGES program. Efforts to bridge science and policy included a virtual workshop on drought policies for Southern South America and the creation of a fire monitoring platform for the triborder Amazon region (Brazil, Bolivia, Peru). The IAI also collaborated with the Belmont Forum on several Collaborative Research Actions (CRA) and published a special issue in the Journal Environmental Development on CRN3 results.

The document outlines the evolution of modern biotechnology and the subsequent development of the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety to protect human health and biodiversity from the adverse effects of living modified organisms (LMOs). It details the Protocol's operationalization of the precautionary approach, its mechanisms for transboundary movement—such as the advance informed agreement (AIA) procedure—and its relationship with trade agreements like the WTO SPS Agreement. The brief also discusses the 2010 Nagoya-Kuala Lumpur Supplementary Protocol on Liability and Redress and highlights the ongoing challenges posed by emerging technologies like synthetic biology and gene drives.

The report argues that the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated debt vulnerabilities in low- and medium-income countries, potentially hindering climate action. It advocates for Debt for Climate (DFC) swaps, where external debt payments are redirected toward domestic climate projects in local currency, to reduce indebtedness and stimulate green investment.

The IAI Directorate reports that while COVID-19 delayed some actions requiring international travel, activities remain aligned with the Strategic Plan. The document introduces a comprehensive framework of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and leading/lagging metrics to measure organizational performance across themes such as fundraising, open data, capacity building, and science priorities. It also recommends delaying the triennial revision of the Strategic Plan to the 2023-2024 intersessional period to coincide with the term of a new Executive Director.

The document identifies six peculiarities of rural credit in the Amazon, noting that credit is heavily skewed toward cattle production, which is closely linked to illegal deforestation. It highlights that producers in the Amazon have less access to credit than those in other Brazilian regions, face low competition due to the dominance of public banks (Banco do Brasil and Banco da Amazônia), and operate with a less business-oriented approach. The brief argues that aligning credit access with Forest Code compliance and utilizing initiatives like the Green Credit Bureau (Bureau Verde) are essential to reducing deforestation and increasing agricultural productivity.

The GCF and GEF have established a Long-Term Vision (LTV) to move beyond their Pilot Coordinated Engagement (launched in 2018) toward a structured partnership. The LTV focuses on three pillars: collaborative programming for major initiatives (such as the Great Green Wall and Amazon initiatives), sharing knowledge and methodologies to maximize climate impact, and improving joint communication. The funds aim to leverage their unique strengths—GEF's focus on upstream enabling environments and multi-convention synergies, and GCF's ability to mobilize large-scale blended finance for climate-specific benefits—to reduce duplication and streamline support for developing countries.

The document analyzes the 'exceptionality' of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) compared to other EU laws, arguing that its governance, legislative processes, and funding mechanisms are designed to protect agricultural sectoral interests. It contends that the CAP fails to meaningfully incorporate environmental stakeholders, operates through non-standard legislative channels like the Special Committee on Agriculture, and lacks the strict environmental safeguards found in other EU funds, such as the Common Provision Regulation. The report specifically criticizes the 'greenwashing' of the COVID-19 recovery budget and the lack of legally binding links between the CAP and the European Green Deal.

The report identifies a rural credit market in the Amazon characterized by low competition, limited access for producers, and a heavy concentration on livestock, which is strongly linked to illegal deforestation. It highlights that agricultural activity in the region is less entrepreneurial than in the rest of Brazil, with a predominance of public banks and a historical reliance on the Fundo Constitucional do Norte (FNO), though private resources like Letras de Crédito Agrícola (LCA) are increasing. The authors argue that aligning credit access with compliance with the Forest Code and utilizing tools like the Central Bank's Bureau Verde are essential to incentivize sustainable land use.

The document argues that Middle Income Countries (MICs) face a critical gap in debt relief mechanisms following the COVID-19 pandemic, as they are ineligible for the Debt Suspension Servicing Initiative (DSSI) despite high debt burdens that crowd out climate spending. It proposes Debt for Climate (DFC) swaps, where creditor nations forgive a portion of external debt in exchange for the debtor nation making local currency payments toward climate projects. The report outlines eligibility criteria for debtor nations—including a requirement of no imminent liquidity crisis and high bilateral external debt—and suggests three specific use cases: an Accelerated Coal Power Retirement Mechanism (ACPRM), an Accelerated Energy Efficiency Adoption Mechanism (AEEAM), and Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) for adaptation. It identifies specific priority countries for these mechanisms, such as Vietnam and the Philippines for coal retirement, and South Africa and Uzbekistan for energy efficiency, based on energy intensity and carbon dependency data.

The Framework for Sustainable Finance Integrity provides a structured approach to evaluate and drive the sustainability commitments of financial actors. It establishes 'Minimum Benchmarks' that all institutions should adopt—such as aligning portfolios with the Paris Agreement and eliminating new coal finance—and 'Leadership Benchmarks' for those seeking to drive transformative change, including science-based five-year emissions targets and comprehensive TCFD alignment. The report emphasizes the need for a 'whole-of-government' approach, the integration of biodiversity and just transition into financial mandates, and the necessity of cross-sector collaboration to avoid siloed efforts that fail to meet global climate goals.

The briefing advocates for the EU to include specific, mandatory environmental protection requirements in its sustainable corporate governance directive. It argues that human rights frameworks alone are insufficient because environmental damage can occur without direct human harm. The authors propose that due diligence should cover the entire value chain, align with international agreements like the Paris Agreement, and include a non-exhaustive list of impacts such as biodiversity loss and greenhouse gas emissions. To ensure effectiveness, the document calls for a combination of administrative, criminal, and civil liability, including access to EU courts for victims of harms occurring outside the EU.

The guidance focuses on four critical areas of environmental governance in mining: water management, biodiversity protection, mine waste stability, and emergency preparedness. It advocates for a risk-based approach and the use of environmental and social impact assessments (ESIAs) to minimize negative impacts. The document also outlines a five-step gap analysis process—review, assess, prioritize, implement, and monitor—to help governments align their national frameworks with international best practices and the IGF Mining Policy Framework.

The document provides a framework for governments to manage four critical environmental areas in the mining sector: water, biodiversity, waste, and emergency response. It emphasizes the use of legislative, regulatory, and policy tools—specifically Environmental and Social Impact Assessments (ESIAs) and Environmental and Social Management Plans (ESMPs)—to minimize negative impacts and protect ecosystems and communities. The guide outlines a five-step gap analysis process (review, assess, prioritize, implement, and monitor) to help governments align their national legal frameworks with international best practices and the UN Sustainable Development Goals.