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A coalition of environmental organizations urges the U.S. Congress to oppose CAFTA, asserting that its investor rules allow foreign companies to challenge environmental laws in international tribunals and that its environmental safeguards are insufficient to support sustainable development in Central America.

The report examines the expansion of South African business into the rest of Africa, highlighting a shift from traditional construction and mining into sectors like banking, telecommunications, and retail. While South African firms possess competitive advantages in capital and technology, they face significant structural hurdles, including political risk, corruption, poor infrastructure, and currency volatility. The document provides detailed case studies on sectors (Banking, Telecommunications, Retail, Mining) and countries (Uganda, Morocco, Mozambique, Ghana), concluding that sustainable growth requires improved governance, the rule of law, and stronger regional integration through initiatives like Nepad.

The report examines the business relationship between South Africa and Nigeria, highlighting the opportunities presented by Nigeria's large market and the significant hurdles faced by investors. Key challenges include systemic corruption, poor infrastructure—particularly in the power sector—and a lack of policy predictability. While the report notes that the return to democracy in 1999 and the introduction of the National Economic Empowerment and Development Strategy (NEEDS) have improved the investment climate, it emphasizes that Nigeria remains a high-risk environment. The document also details the specific impact of South African firms like MTN and the broader economic landscape, including the dominance of the oil and gas sector and the emerging 'new economy' driven by the Nigerian diaspora.

The report examines the business environment in Nigeria from the perspective of South African investors, highlighting the tension between the country's massive market potential and its systemic structural failures. While the return to democracy in 1999 and the introduction of the National Economic Empowerment and Development Strategy (NEEDS) have improved foreign direct investment (FDI) and political stability, South African firms continue to face high costs due to poor infrastructure, rampant corruption, and unpredictable policy-making. The document details the success of companies like MTN and the failures of others like Vodacom, while providing specific policy recommendations for both the Nigerian and South African governments to foster a more stable and transparent bilateral economic relationship.

The document examines the role of International Financial Institutions (IFIs), including multilateral development banks and export credit agencies, in financing large-scale extractive projects. It argues that these investments frequently lead to environmental disasters, human rights abuses, and the marginalization of indigenous peoples while failing to alleviate poverty. Through case studies in Peru, Colombia, the Philippines, Laos, Romania, Chad, Cameroon, Papua New Guinea, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Turkey, and Lithuania, the report illustrates the 'resource curse' and the failure of the export-led development model. It concludes by recommending a gradual phase-out of IFI lending for extractive industries and a shift toward renewable energy and community-led sustainable initiatives.

The report by Friends of the Earth International contends that IFIs, including multilateral development banks and export credit agencies, facilitate a destructive export-led development model. Through various case studies in countries like Peru, Colombia, and the Philippines, the document illustrates how these investments lead to environmental catastrophes, human rights violations, and the marginalization of indigenous peoples and women. It specifically highlights the contradiction between IFI funding of fossil fuels and global climate goals, ultimately recommending a phased withdrawal from extractive sectors in favor of decentralized renewable energy initiatives.

Botswana has achieved remarkable GDP growth and high credit ratings due to diamond exploitation and sound macroeconomic policies. However, this growth has not translated into broad-based development, as evidenced by a declining Human Development Index (HDI) and high income inequality. The country faces severe challenges from the HIV/AIDS pandemic, which threatens to undermine decades of development, and a lack of economic diversification beyond the mining sector.

The document defines 'ecological debt' as the cumulative responsibility of industrialised countries for environmental destruction caused by their production and consumption patterns. It argues that the Global North has exceeded its 'environmental space' through looting, damaging natural environments, overusing greenhouse gas sinks, dumping toxic waste, and biopiracy. To address this, the text advocates for a 'popular education' approach—rooted in the work of Paulo Freire—to build solidarity between Scottish communities facing environmental injustice and those in the Global South. The handbook includes local Scottish examples of debt repayment (such as the Jubilee Scotland and Slow Food movements) and international case studies illustrating ecological debt in banana production, hydroelectric projects in Uganda, industrial agriculture in India, mining in Canada, and oil extraction in Ecuador. It concludes with a toolbox of interactive games designed to facilitate workshops on resource consumption and global inequality.

The report by Friends of the Earth International details 22 campaigns against multinational corporations across various sectors—including mining, oil, logging, and biotechnology—that are accused of destroying biodiversity and harming local communities. It highlights the failure of corporate self-regulation and 'greenwashing' strategies, specifically criticizing the outcomes of the 1992 Rio Earth Summit and the approach of the 2002 Johannesburg World Summit. The document calls for the recognition of 'ecological debt' owed by Northern industrial nations to the Global South and demands a binding legal framework to ensure corporate accountability, including the right of communities to be consulted and to receive compensation for damages.

The MMSD North America project, facilitated by the International Institute for Sustainable Development and the University of Nevada, Reno, produced a final report titled 'Towards Change' which proposes ten recommendations to shift the North American mining industry toward sustainable development. These recommendations focus on addressing legacy issues, improving operational practices through a 'Seven Questions to sustainability' framework, enhancing capacity for research and equity, and adjusting economic models to include social and environmental considerations.

Following the death of Jonas Savimbi in February 2002, the Angolan government and UNITA signed a cease-fire agreement on April 4, 2002. While the document notes a 'window of opportunity' for peace and economic growth, it highlights severe structural challenges, including a collapsed health and education system, destroyed infrastructure, and a dysfunctional formal economy. Despite these hurdles, the report identifies significant investment potential in oil, natural gas, road and rail reconstruction, and agriculture.

CIEL argues that the draft Chairman's paper lacks essential references to human rights and community-based property rights, and fails to adequately regulate biotechnology and intellectual property. The organization proposes specific targets for renewable energy portfolios for export credit agencies and multilateral development banks, and calls for binding international guidelines to mitigate the social and environmental impacts of infrastructure projects funded by export credit agencies.

The report analyzes the historical and legal mechanisms used by the Indonesian state to usurp natural resources from local communities, from Dutch colonial 'Domain Declarations' to the New Order's centralized forestry laws. It argues that the state's narrow definition of 'national interest' as commercial extraction has led to widespread deforestation, human rights abuses, and poverty. The authors propose a shift toward recognizing private community-based property rights (CBPRs) and a reinterpretation of the Indonesian Constitution (Articles 18 and 33) to prioritize local welfare and sustainable management over state-led commercial exploitation. It highlights local initiatives, such as community mapping and co-management agreements in West Papua and Kalimantan, as precedents for substantive reform.

The document calls for a five-year phase-out of all IFI funding for mining and fossil fuel projects, including a prompt moratorium on new projects in ecologically sensitive areas, indigenous territories, and conflict zones. It argues that such investments exacerbate poverty, human rights abuses, and climate change while failing to provide guaranteed economic growth. The author proposes shifting IFI portfolios toward decentralized renewable energy and energy efficiency to support poor communities and mitigate global warming.

The report describes a Zimbabwean economy in crisis, driven by the breakdown of the rule of law and a chaotic land resettlement program that undermined the agricultural sector. It details severe macroeconomic instability, including hyperinflation, currency collapse, and a reliance on parallel markets. The document argues that recovery is impossible without fundamental political change, the restoration of property rights, and a return to democratic governance.

A coalition of environmental NGOs urges the U.S. and Chile to ensure their Free Trade Agreement does not weaken environmental laws or stimulate damage in sensitive sectors like forestry and mining. They propose incorporating the Precautionary Principle, rejecting investor-state dispute settlement mechanisms similar to NAFTA, and establishing mandatory reporting for pollutant emissions by foreign investors.

The International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) is a non-profit organization headquartered in Winnipeg, Manitoba, that provides research, reporting services, and policy advocacy to support sustainable development globally. Its strategic priorities include developing sustainability indicators, supporting climate change negotiations, promoting sustainable economic and trade policies, and improving natural resource management through community-based approaches.

A group of faith leaders from various denominations and traditions argues that protecting roadless areas in US national forests is a 'holy obligation' based on scriptural mandates to care for creation. They advocate for the full protection of roadless areas of 1000 acres or more to preserve endangered species habitats, water supplies, and the spiritual value of untouched forests.

The document examines the case of Commissioner for Inland Revenue v Manganese Metal Company (Pty) Ltd, focusing on whether the cost of constructing a dam wall for toxic waste disposal was a capital or revenue expenditure. The court ruled the expenditure was of a capital nature because it constituted a permanent improvement to a fixed asset, meaning it could not be deducted as revenue income. However, the court found the expenditure was deductible under section 11(g) of the Income Tax Act, 1962, as the company had an obligation to meet Department of Water Affairs standards for safe waste disposal.

Zambia's national debt reached $25.5 billion by the end of 2023, creating a crisis that crowds out essential social spending and hinders economic development. The report identifies key drivers including excessive borrowing for unproductive infrastructure, high reliance on volatile copper exports, and significant revenue losses from tax evasion and illicit financial flows. While Zambia has sought relief through the G20 Common Framework and IMF facilities, the report argues that the current restructuring process is inefficient and that long-term stability requires domestic resource mobilisation, strengthened parliamentary oversight, and a transition toward sustainable borrowing practices.