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The document examines Long-Term Strategies (LTSs) as economy-wide planning instruments mandated by the Paris Agreement to guide countries toward net-zero emissions by mid-century. It highlights that while LTSs provide a vital link between short-term Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and long-term goals, global adoption is currently insufficient to limit warming to 1.5°C. For African nations, the author argues that LTSs must balance mitigation with adaptation and socio-economic development. The briefing outlines best practices for LTS development, including policy coherence, stakeholder engagement, high-level political leadership, and the use of strategic foresight tools, while citing specific examples from countries like South Africa, Nigeria, and Ethiopia.

The IAI and the Degrees Initiative have entered into a cooperation agreement effective until December 31, 2025, focusing on solar radiation modification (SRM). The partnership aims to enhance institutional capacities in the Americas through joint scientific programs, information dissemination, and the empowerment of Global South scientists to evaluate SRM. The agreement outlines mechanisms for bilateral meetings, fundraising, and intellectual property management, while specifying that any specific projects involving fund transfers will require separate legal instruments.

The Midway Christian Church in Kentucky implemented a series of energy efficiency measures and solar installations between 2004 and 2018. These efforts included replacing an old HVAC system with heat pumps, installing LED lighting, and adding a 4.5-kW rooftop solar system. The church's journey was supported by the Green Chalice Program and Interfaith Power and Light, leading to its certification as a Green Chalice Congregation in 2014 and a commitment to reach carbon neutrality by 2030.

The author asserts that every job is a climate job and that private sector actors must use existing business practices to scale solutions to match the scope of the climate crisis. The text highlights the need for deep systems change in energy, food, financial, and transportation systems, and introduces the Drawdown Roadmap and Drawdown Labs' frameworks as tools to orient action and raise standards for corporate climate leadership.

The executive summary argues that Canada's first National Adaptation Strategy requires a revitalized cross-departmental governance structure to ensure effective implementation. It identifies the need for clarified institutional roles, formalized accountability mechanisms, and coordination structures that account for departmental differences in mandates and financing. The report suggests that success depends on senior-level leadership, increased awareness of adaptation's unique characteristics compared to mitigation, and sufficient funding for adaptation units and secretariats.

Bill S-5 introduces the first federal recognition of the right to a healthy environment in Canada and strengthens the framework for managing toxic substances by prioritizing CMRs and PBiT substances. It introduces accountability mechanisms for substance assessments, such as a 'watch list' and mandatory publication of reasons for delays. However, the document argues that further updates are needed regarding citizen lawsuits, national air quality standards, consumer product labelling, genetically modified animals, ocean dumping, First Nations reserve land protections, and plastic waste exports.

The project aims to reduce GHG emissions by 4.5 million tCO2eq over five years and 18.2 million tCO2eq over 20 years while benefiting 157,000 vulnerable people. It addresses barriers including poverty-induced dependence on natural resources, financial constraints, and weak institutional capacity in dryland areas. The initiative focuses on three components: forest protection and restoration, development of forest-based value chains (such as bamboo, honey, and resins), and capacity building for local government and community organizations.

The report details a regional assessment conducted by the IAI to map national and international global change policies and decision-making landscapes. Using surveys, listening sessions, and policy document analysis, the assessment identifies 'Climate Action' as the top current policy priority for member parties, followed by 'Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services'. It also highlights emerging priorities related to social consequences, such as human health and poverty, and identifies intersectoral collaboration gaps as a primary barrier to integrating scientific information into policy decisions.

The report details two Steering Committee meetings held in Uruguay and the United States to define the vision, mission, and goals of the IAI Center for Science Diplomacy (SDC). Key recommendations include strengthening the science-policy interface in Latin America and the Caribbean, focusing on climate action priorities such as food security and ocean management, and developing a knowledge center for science diplomacy. The SDC aims to leverage the IAI's existing STeP fellowship program and collaborate with the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) for fundraising and capacity building.

The study analyzed bilateral climate finance from 2016 to 2020 for ten countries with low governance scores, finding a total disbursement of US$1.3 billion. The funding was heavily skewed toward mitigation (92%) and dominated by Japan, which provided US$1 billion specifically for natural gas-fired power plants in Uzbekistan.

The report analyzes how UN Human Rights Treaty Bodies (HRTBs) are increasingly integrating climate change into their oversight of State obligations. In 2022, HRTBs made 95 references to climate change in their pronouncements, reflecting a trend toward treating the climate crisis as an urgent human rights issue. Key focus areas include the obligation of developed states to mitigate emissions, the need to phase out fossil fuels, and the protection of vulnerable groups such as children, women, persons with disabilities, and Indigenous Peoples. A landmark decision by the Human Rights Committee in Billy et al. v. Australia established a State's duty to protect individuals under its jurisdiction from climate impacts and provide effective remedies. The report emphasizes the growing role of HRTBs in defining extraterritorial obligations and the duty to regulate private corporate actors contributing to environmental degradation.

The report analyzes the increasing engagement of UN human rights treaty bodies (HRTBs) with climate change, noting that in 2022, 52 percent of outputs to States included climate-related recommendations. It highlights a shift toward more specific demands regarding mitigation, the phasing out of fossil fuels, and the protection of vulnerable groups, including children, women, and Indigenous Peoples. A landmark decision by the Human Rights Committee in Billy et al. v. Australia established a State's duty to protect individuals from climate impacts and provide effective remedy. The document argues for further HRTB guidance on extraterritorial obligations and the regulation of private business actors to prevent climate-induced human rights violations.

The document outlines the severe health threats posed by climate change, including increased mortality from heatwaves, air pollution, and infectious diseases, while highlighting the 'triple win' of improving public health, creating a sustainable economy, and protecting the environment through aggressive mitigation and adaptation.

The report identifies barriers to private urban climate investment across macro, city, and project levels, and provides recommendations for city governments, public sector partners, and private/third sector entities to improve enabling conditions. It analyzes five case studies from Chile, Ecuador, India, South Africa, and Turkiye to highlight success factors such as bulk procurement, green bonds, and strategic partnerships.

The document argues that current climate finance flows are insufficient to meet Paris Agreement goals, with a significant gap in EMDEs and LDCs due to high capital costs and strained public finances. It proposes that G7 countries accelerate finance through blended finance, debt-for-climate swaps, and MDB reforms. Specific recommendations include establishing a global risk mitigation facility, coordinating green industrial policies to avoid protectionism, and implementing universal disaster index insurance to reduce vulnerability in emerging economies.

The document compares 63 first and updated NDC submissions to assess their alignment with the 2030 Agenda. While updated NDCs are longer and contain more activities, the authors find that the share of quantified targets remains low for most SDGs. There is a notable increase in activities addressing social dimensions—specifically gender equality, reduced inequalities, and inclusive participation—but a concerning decrease in activities linking climate change to food security, water, and land use. Economic activities have generally increased in number, though energy access and affordability have seen a decline in priority.

The report outlines the progress of the LACI initiative, which aims to strengthen climate risk assessments to support local and regional decision-making. Following a scoping phase involving 14 countries to identify priorities and map capacities, the initiative has entered a pilot co-design phase with four specific projects focusing on El Salvador, regional data interoperability, Amazonia, and Jamaica.

The document argues that climate coverage must expand beyond problem-focused reporting to include solutions to empower audiences and policymakers. It defines solutions journalism as rigorous, evidence-based reporting that investigates the effectiveness and limitations of responses to the climate crisis. The guide emphasizes equity and justice, noting that marginalized communities—including indigenous peoples, who manage lands containing "approximately the 80% of the biodiversity that remains in the world"—are often the most impacted yet least responsible for the crisis. It categorizes potential story leads into five areas: policy and government (e.g., carbon pricing and subsidies), economy and business (e.g., scrutinizing "greenwash" and "net zero" claims), technologies and practices (distinguishing between mitigation and adaptation), civil society (evaluating the "theory of change" behind activism), and culture (the role of arts and celebrities). The guide concludes that while not all reporting should be solutions-oriented, integrating this mindset is essential to providing a complete picture of the climate emergency.

On April 18, 2023, the IAI Conference of the Parties held an extraordinary meeting via videoconference to elect a new executive director. Following a selection process managed by a 10-member committee, Dr. Anna Stewart-Ibarra was recommended and subsequently elected to the position for a three-year term. The selection committee emphasized the need for leadership capable of bridging the gap between science and policy to address global environmental change in the Americas.

The authors advocate for the use of systems thinking to identify which Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) act as accelerators for others, rather than focusing on 'easy fixes' or short-term interests. Using the 'SDG Synergies' tool in Sweden as an example, the text demonstrates how certain goals, such as SDG 11, can positively impact the entire system while others may face trade-offs. The document recommends that countries report their priority-setting strategies in Voluntary National Reviews (VNRs) to foster global peer-learning.