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This briefing note from the Center for International Environmental Law outlines opportunities to enhance public participation and access to information within the UNFCCC process, specifically during the 48th Session of the Subsidiary Bodies. It argues that integrating procedural rights into the implementation guidelines of the Paris Agreement is essential for effective climate action and alignment with the Sustainable Development Goals.

This briefing describes the objectives and challenges associated with negotiating the implementation guidelines, often called the 'Paris rulebook', for the Paris Agreement during COP23. It outlines the core components of these guidelines, the primary technical and political sticking points, and the expected outcomes required to finalize the rules by 2018.

This research paper examines whether climate change adaptation efforts inadvertently shift risks and vulnerabilities between different people and places, concluding that such redistribution is largely ignored in practice and empirical research.

This guidebook provides a framework and practical options for countries to conduct self-reviews and peer reviews of fossil fuel subsidies (FFSs). It aims to increase transparency and accountability to support the phase-out of inefficient subsidies that encourage wasteful consumption, aligning with commitments made by the G7, G20, EU, and APEC.

This guide summarizes a comparative research project conducted by the Fundación Ambiente y Recursos Naturales (FARN) between 2013 and 2014. The study examines the political dynamics of climate-related decision-making in three Latin American mega-cities: Buenos Aires, São Paulo, and Mexico City, focusing on the gap between the adoption of climate policies and their actual implementation.

This research paper examines the role of non-state actors in the implementation of the Paris Agreement, specifically focusing on their ability to hold parties accountable for their obligations through review processes regarding implementation, compliance, and effectiveness.

This research paper provides early reflections on the legal architecture of the Paris Agreement, specifically examining how its 'bottom-up' approach and 'ratcheting mechanism' will function to achieve global temperature goals.

This reference manual, published by the Climate and Development Knowledge Network (CDKN) in 2016, provides a detailed framework for countries to plan the implementation of their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement. It is structured into five core modules: governance, mitigation, adaptation, finance, and measurement, reporting, and verification (MRV). The guide offers a step-by-step approach to identifying institutional gaps, designing policies, mobilizing funding, and establishing tracking systems, supplemented by international case studies to illustrate best practices in climate action planning.

This research paper reviews the current and planned climate change adaptation actions in Botswana. It identifies a significant gap between the country's high climate vulnerability—driven primarily by water scarcity—and the government's lack of priority, policy, and funding for adaptation. While Botswana possesses high adaptive capacity due to its economic development and governance, the report finds a dearth of national adaptation programs, with most activity occurring through regional initiatives.

This discussion brief examines the review processes of the Paris Agreement, describing it as a hybrid system that combines bottom-up nationally determined contributions (NDCs) with top-down mandatory reporting and review. The authors argue that because NDCs are not legally binding, effective review systems are the primary tools for ensuring countries meet their commitments and for increasing collective ambition to keep global warming well below 2°C.

This policy brief by the Stockholm Environment Institute explores how non-state actors—including cities, companies, and non-profits—can be integrated into the review processes of the Paris Agreement to enhance transparency, implementation, and ambition.

This book chapter, part of the Research Handbook on Climate Governance, examines the increasing institutional fragmentation of global climate governance and argues for the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) to transition from a high-regulatory role to one of a complexity 'manager' or 'orchestrator'.

The document proposes a comprehensive framework to coordinate sub- and nonstate climate actions, emphasizing the need for a structured approach to ensure that 'bottom-up' governance delivers meaningful results during the 2015 United Nations climate conference negotiations.

This perspective article analyzes the transition in climate governance from a top-down, UNFCCC-centered model to a diversified, polycentric, and multi-level approach, while questioning whether the effectiveness of these new forms is supported by evidence.

This briefing paper examines potential frameworks for the ex ante assessment of intended nationally determined contributions (INDCs) prior to the December 2015 Paris Climate Change Conference, focusing on the decisions required at COP 20 in Lima.

This policy brief argues that systematic reviews of national climate pledges based on diverse fairness perspectives can provide critical insights into whether countries are doing their 'fair share' to keep global warming below 2°C, contrasting the bottom-up nature of INDCs with top-down scientific requirements.

This policy brief by the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) discusses the challenges of providing sustainable energy access to the global poor while meeting climate goals. It presents three scenarios—Baseline, Basic Energy Access (BEA), and Shared Development Agenda (SDA)—to explore the energy systems required to enable long-term economic development. The document argues that market-based instruments alone are insufficient and calls for a transformative global governance framework, increased state-led investment in innovation, and the integration of energy targets into Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The Greenhouse Development Rights (GDR) framework is a proposed climate regime architecture designed to balance emission reductions with the development needs of developing countries by defining national obligations based on responsibility and capacity relative to a 'development threshold'.

This guide, published by the Center for International Environmental Law, provides civil society organizations with tools and advice to ensure that the 2025 Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) are ambitious and based on human rights.

This report by Friends of the Earth International analyzes the influence of major polluters on 'net zero' initiatives, arguing that these links create conflicts of interest that undermine the credibility and effectiveness of climate action goals.