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The Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) provides a set of recommendations to the World Bank regarding the Second Draft of its Environmental and Social Framework (ESF). CIEL expresses concern over a shift from compliance-based standards to 'adaptive risk management,' arguing that this reduces the Bank's accountability and may jeopardize the rights of project-affected communities. The document outlines specific improvements needed in areas such as human rights commitments, chemicals management, climate change quantification, and the effectiveness of grievance mechanisms.

This report by the NewClimate Institute synthesizes the challenges and lessons learned by UNFCCC Parties during the preparation of intended nationally determined contributions (INDCs) leading up to the Paris Agreement. It aims to inform the implementation and ambition of subsequent nationally determined contributions (NDCs), drawing on NewClimate Institute research, surveys with developing country representatives, and GIZ's experience working with over 30 partner countries.

This briefing paper by the NewClimate Institute analyzes the conditionality of the 156 Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs) submitted to the UNFCCC by the end of COP 21 in December 2015.

This briefing by the NewClimate Institute analyzes the implications of the Paris Agreement's long-term temperature goals for Germany's greenhouse gas emissions reductions, arguing that developed nations must reach zero CO2 emissions faster than the global average to avoid reliance on risky negative emission technologies.

In a 2016 address, SAIIA National Chairman Fred T Phaswana discusses the intersection of South Africa's domestic political and economic crises with global instability. He highlights the erosion of South Africa's international leadership due to internal corruption and poor growth, while contrasting these failures with the success of the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Programme (REI4P) and global multilateral agreements on climate and development.

Dr. Daniel A. Reifsnyder, former Co-Chair of the Ad Hoc Group on the Durban Platform (ADP), describes the negotiating process and key features of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change. He details the transition from the 2012 Durban decision to the final adoption of the agreement on December 12, 2015, emphasizing the importance of a "Party-driven" process and the role of the October 5 non-paper as a template for the final deal.

The World Resources Institute argues that the U.S. Supreme Court's temporary stay on the Clean Power Plan (CPP) should not deter climate action, asserting that the plan is legally sound and provides significant economic and public health benefits that outweigh its compliance costs.

A letter from a consortium of health groups to the Canadian Minister of Environment and Climate Change urging the federal government to phase out coal-fired power plants across Canada within ten years to improve public health and meet Paris Agreement commitments.

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 briefing by the Climate and Development Knowledge Network (CDKN) outlines the political and economic requirements for countries to implement their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris climate agreement. It emphasizes the need for 'climate compatible development' that balances emission reductions with poverty eradication and sustainable development, particularly in developing nations.

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 examines the environmental integrity of international market mechanisms under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement. It defines environmental integrity as ensuring that the transfer of emission units does not result in higher global emissions than if Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) were achieved through domestic action alone. Drawing on lessons from the Kyoto Protocol's mechanisms—the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), Joint Implementation (JI), and international emissions trading (IET)—the brief identifies critical factors for success: the ambition of NDCs, incentives for future mitigation, the integrity of units, and robust accounting to prevent double counting.

This policy brief from the Stockholm Environment Institute examines the risks of relying on land-based 'negative emissions' to meet the temperature goals of the Paris Agreement. It argues that many climate models overstate the feasibility of these measures, particularly Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Storage (BECCS), and warns that counting on future carbon removal may dangerously delay necessary near-term emission reductions.

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 policy brief by the Stockholm Environment Institute examines the 'enhanced transparency framework' established under Article 13 of the Paris Agreement. It identifies critical gaps in the framework's design, specifically regarding 'built-in flexibility' for developing countries, the tracking of climate finance, and the alignment of nationally determined contributions (NDCs) with reporting requirements. The document provides recommendations for the COP22 conference to establish a roadmap for a fully operational framework by 2018 to ensure data is available for the 2023 global stocktake.

An introductory statement by the first Executive Director of the Global Resilience Partnership, outlining the organization's goal to shift global development and humanitarian assistance toward a proactive resilience mindset to protect vulnerable communities from disasters and poverty.

Friends of the Earth International evaluates the Paris Agreement as a failure in achieving climate justice, arguing that it lacks binding targets, fails to hold wealthy nations accountable for emissions and financing, and leaves the door open for 'false solutions' like geoengineering.

Friends of the Earth International assesses the Paris Agreement as a failure in delivering climate justice, arguing that it lacks binding targets, sufficient financial commitments for developing nations, and protections for vulnerable communities. The organization concludes that the agreement fails the 'People’s Test on Climate' across all criteria, including emission reductions, support for transformation, justice for impacted people, and the focus on transformational action.

A statement by Thomas C. Heller, Executive Director of Climate Policy Initiative, arguing that the Paris Agreement's success is underpinned by a global shift in perception where climate action and economic growth are seen as mutually reinforcing rather than contradictory.

This document defines GHG emissions neutrality as net zero anthropogenic emissions across all sectors, distinguishing it from carbon neutrality by its inclusion of non-CO2 gases. It outlines specific timelines to reach net zero to limit warming to 1.5°C or 2°C, noting that unabated fossil-fuel use must cease this century and the electricity sector must significantly increase its low-carbon share by 2050.