Search Climate Insights Directory

The report examines the early experiences of five African nations implementing the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM). It highlights a tension between government-led processes and the need for independent civil society oversight to ensure candid self-assessments. While Ghana is praised for its independent governing council and robust research, Kenya's experience warns of civil society fragmentation and personal gain. Rwanda's process is noted for being heavily government-driven in a restrictive political climate, and Mauritius is presented as a case of failure due to a lack of political will and institutional capacity. South Africa's process is critiqued for unrealistic timelines and government attempts to sanitize findings, though it is noted for its extensive use of the internet and indigenous languages for outreach.

The document explains the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) as a voluntary process for African governments and citizens to assess governance and implement reforms. It outlines a five-step methodology for civil society organisations (CSOs) to create effective written submissions: identifying a focused issue, gathering evidence from diverse sources, developing persuasive arguments, building consensus through circulation, and submitting to the correct official bodies. The guide emphasises that evidence-backed submissions are more impactful than oral presentations and provides examples of successful advocacy by groups in Uganda and South Africa.

The policy brief by the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) and the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) proposes specific amendments to the UNCITRAL Arbitration Rules to distinguish 'State arbitrations' from private commercial ones. The authors argue that because State arbitrations often involve public funds, governmental misconduct, and critical public policy issues—such as drinking water systems or hazardous waste bans—they require higher standards of transparency. The brief proposes revisions to four articles to ensure public notice of proceedings, open hearings, public access to awards and documents, and the explicit ability for tribunals to accept amicus curiae briefs.

The document establishes a conceptual framework for knowledge management within the context of sustainable development, distinguishing between data, information, and knowledge. It categorizes knowledge into explicit, tacit, and implicit types and provides a detailed typology of collaborative relationships, ranging from internal management networks to global action networks. Additionally, it inventories communication approaches—categorized as 'many to many', 'one to many', and 'one to one'—and discusses the role of 'Open Content' in democratizing knowledge sharing.

The author argues that Nepad has largely failed to deliver on its promises due to an over-reliance on donor persuasion and a lack of operational capacity to change national policies. While sectoral strategies and infrastructure projects are criticized as too general or unbankable, the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) is identified as the most innovative and potentially effective tool for driving reform. The paper recommends that the Nepad Secretariat transform from a conference convenor into a high-powered research organization to support the APRM.

The provided text is a list of publications from the Stockholm Environment Institute. It includes a 2002 technical report titled 'A Material Flow Analysis and Ecological Footprint of York' and summaries of more recent works concerning UK supply chain impacts on deforestation and water stress, the necessity of combining territorial and supply chain metrics for deforestation monitoring, and the communication of ecological citizenship.

Between 2004 and 2012, the annual deforestation rate in the Brazilian Amazon fell from 27,000 km² to 4,500 km², but the composition of this deforestation shifted. While large-scale clearing decreased due to public policies, deforestation in small clearings (under 25 hectares) grew from representing one-quarter of the total in 2004 to more than half by 2012. The document highlights that current satellite monitoring systems cannot detect clearings smaller than 25 hectares, allowing many actors—particularly small landowners in Pará and medium-to-large landowners in Mato Grosso—to evade detection. The authors recommend tailoring policies to regional differences and improving remote sensing technology to detect small-scale deforestation.

The document describes vehicle labeling as a public policy designed to provide consumers with information on energy and fuel consumption to encourage the purchase of more efficient vehicles. It lists the implementation years for this policy in the United States (1978), Canada (1999), Brazil (2008), Argentina (2019), Chile and Uruguay (2013), and Ecuador (2020). The policy aims to create a better-informed market, incentivize manufacturers to produce less polluting cars, and systematize energy consumption evaluations in the transport sector.

The course aims to strengthen public sector capacity to adapt to environmental determinants of health in the Americas. It focuses on transdisciplinary (TD) research, which involves collaborative co-development between researchers, policymakers, and affected communities to create effective public policies. The curriculum consists of five modules covering TD research definitions, knowledge co-production, project design, team management, and grant writing, supplemented by five scientific communication sessions. Participants are expected to dedicate approximately 40 hours to the material and must pass a final assessment with a score of 70% or higher to receive a certificate.

The Science, Technology, Policy (STeP) Fellowship Program is an initiative by the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) to bridge the gap between science and policy in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). The program places early to mid-career scientists, particularly postdoctoral candidates, within government agencies and private sector host organizations to provide expert advice on global change challenges. The program is structured in five phases, moving from design and host organization selection to fellow placement, activity implementation, and long-term evaluation. Key goals include building institutional capacity for science-informed decision-making, promoting transdisciplinary problem-solving, and addressing the 'scientific diaspora' by creating opportunities for national scientists living abroad to return to their home countries.

The first amendment to the cooperation agreement between the São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP) and the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) extends the partnership for ten years until January 7, 2035. It introduces new collaborative focus areas, including equity and diversity in science, the role of indigenous and local communities in biodiversity conservation and climate adaptation, scientific diplomacy via the IAI Regional Center for Scientific Diplomacy, open data and open science, and transdisciplinary science for public policy development.

The IAI's STeP Pilot Fellowship program aims to equip scientists and policymakers in Latin America and the Caribbean with skills in science diplomacy, communication, and leadership. The program focuses on creating a common language between scientific and policy communities through a two-year professional development curriculum and the establishment of an Inter-American network for knowledge exchange and multinational collaboration.

The document outlines the formation of the Indigenous Peoples Advisory Committee (IPAC) to integrate Indigenous knowledge and science into the IAI's scientific agenda on Global Environmental Change (GEC). It specifies that the committee will consist of five members from IAI member countries, emphasizing equitable representation of women and youth. The IPAC is designed to provide recommendations on the IAI's Strategic Plan and scientific agenda, working alongside the Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC) and Science-Policy Advisory Committee (SPAC). The text also details the candidate requirements, nomination process, and the IAI's broader Gender, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) policy.

The Investment Policy Forum Panama Tool Kit offers a structured three-step approach to enhancing institutional coherence in investment governance. It identifies common policy concerns—such as poor coordination, communication gaps, and capacity constraints—and maps them to specific tools like interinstitutional committees, digitalization platforms, and capacity-building workshops. The guide emphasizes that because causes of incoherence vary by country, policy-makers must evaluate tools based on timeliness, cost, and political feasibility.

The toolkit outlines a three-step process for enhancing institutional coherence in investment governance: identifying specific policy problems, selecting appropriate tools based on their advantages and disadvantages, and determining the most suitable options for a specific national context. It categorizes common institutional failures—such as poor coordination, communication gaps, and capacity limitations—and maps them to a variety of regulatory and administrative tools, ranging from inter-institutional committees and digital single-window platforms to capacity-building workshops and formal statutes.

The document outlines a three-step process for improving institutional coherence in investment governance: identifying specific policy concerns, selecting appropriate tools based on their advantages and disadvantages, and assessing the suitability of those tools within a specific national context.

The document outlines a multisectoral approach to preventing and countering violent extremism (P/CVE) at the sub-national level. It details a five-step process for creating Local Action Plans (LAPs): securing political buy-in, conducting risk assessments, developing a Theory of Change, establishing coordination structures like Local Prevention Networks (LPNs), and legislating the plan. The guide emphasizes a 'whole-of-city' approach, drawing heavily on the Kenyan County Action Plan (CAP) model, and provides frameworks for monitoring and evaluation (M&E) to ensure sustainability beyond donor funding.

The analysis uses the International Futures (IFs) model and 2011 National Census data to simulate three population scenarios for South Africa by 2030 based on varying levels of in-migration: 64.4 million (rapidly declining), 66.4 million (stable), and 68.8 million (rapidly increasing). These projections are higher and exhibit greater variance than those in the National Development Plan (NDP) 2030. Extended analysis to 2050 indicates further increasing uncertainty for national planners. Provincial forecasts using the IFs Base Case also exceed NDP figures, particularly in the Eastern Cape, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, and the Western Cape, with implications for public policy in healthcare, education, employment, and service delivery.

The document outlines three future scenarios for South Africa by 2030: 'Bafana Bafana' (perennial underachievement), 'A Nation Divided' (populist policies and factional politics), and 'Mandela Magic' (a clear economic and developmental vision). It highlights that the 'Mandela Magic' pathway could result in an economy 23 per cent larger than the current 'Bafana Bafana' path and proposes seven strategic interventions to achieve this outcome.

The Violence Prevention Forum (VPF), convened by the Institute for Security Studies (ISS), serves as a multisectoral platform to bridge gaps between researchers, government, and NGOs to implement evidence-informed violence prevention in South Africa. An evaluation of the forum from 2015 to 2020 found that its non-membership, fluid structure and value-driven facilitation created a safe space for dialogue, leading to increased inter-sectoral trust and specific policy influences. Key achievements include informing the National Strategic Plan for Gender-Based Violence and Femicide and contributing to a 2018 budget increase for the Department of Social Development. Despite these successes, the forum faces challenges regarding uneven provincial representation and the need for stronger formal links to government decision-making structures.