Search Climate Insights Directory
643 results
anglo – american plc: financing the summit, plundering the earth
This briefing by Friends of the Earth International (FoEI) criticizes Anglo-American Plc for its poor social and environmental record in South Africa, Zambia, and Peru, while highlighting the company's role as a funder of the Johannesburg Earth Summit and its presence in the official UK delegation.
AI-generated
This summary is written by a language model reading the source document. It is not the publisher's words and is not a substitute for the original.
Document type: Briefing
Services Assessment and the Market Access Phase of the WTO Services Negotiations
A June 2002 joint statement by the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) and WWF International urging the WTO Council for Trade in Services (CTS) to integrate comprehensive sustainability assessments into the market access phase of services negotiations to protect the interests of developing countries.
AI-generated
This summary is written by a language model reading the source document. It is not the publisher's words and is not a substitute for the original.
Document type: Statement
NAFTA’s Chapter 11 and the Environment
This briefing paper, written by Aaron Cosbey of the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) for the Commission for Environmental Cooperation's (CEC) Joint Public Advisory Committee (JPAC), analyzes the environmental implications of NAFTA's Chapter 11. The author argues that the investor-state dispute settlement mechanism, originally designed for commercial protection, has become a tool for challenging non-commercial public interest regulations, creating risks for national environmental management.
AI-generated
This summary is written by a language model reading the source document. It is not the publisher's words and is not a substitute for the original.
Document type: Briefing
Mining, Minerals and Sustainable Development North America Towards Change
This fact sheet describes the work and results of the Mining, Minerals and Sustainable Development (MMSD) North America project, culminating in the June 2002 final report 'Towards Change'. The project aimed to identify how the North American mining and minerals industry could move toward sustainable development through collaborative research, scenario planning, and a sustainability assessment framework.
AI-generated
This summary is written by a language model reading the source document. It is not the publisher's words and is not a substitute for the original.
Document type: Fact sheet
Taking the Doha Language Seriously: The WTO as if Sustainable Development Really Mattered
This research paper, prepared for a Royal Institute of International Affairs conference, examines the implications of the Doha Ministerial Declaration's commitment to sustainable development. The author argues that achieving this objective requires a fundamental shift in the World Trade Organization's (WTO) institutional structure, moving beyond narrow commercial goals toward integrated impact assessments and increased transparency.
AI-generated
This summary is written by a language model reading the source document. It is not the publisher's words and is not a substitute for the original.
Document type: Research paper
Preliminary Comments on the Chairman’s Paper entitled Institutional Framework for Sustainable Development dated 8 May 2002
The Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) provides preliminary comments on the 8 May 2002 draft text regarding the Institutional Framework for Sustainable Development for the Fourth Session of the Preparatory Committee for the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD). CIEL suggests strengthening the framework by integrating human rights, improving coherence between economic and environmental governance, and enhancing the status of UN environmental bodies.
AI-generated
This summary is written by a language model reading the source document. It is not the publisher's words and is not a substitute for the original.
Document type: Briefing
Preliminary Comments on the Chairman’s Paper dated 9 May 2002 Fourth Session of the Preparatory Committee for the World Summit on Sustainable Development
This briefing from the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) provides preliminary comments and proposed textual amendments to the Chairman's Paper dated 9 May 2002 for the Fourth Session of the Preparatory Committee for the World Summit on Sustainable Development. CIEL argues that while the draft has improved, it still lacks critical protections for human rights, community-based property rights, and rigorous regulation of biotechnology, and it fails to sufficiently address the risks associated with intellectual property rights and the liberalization of trade in services.
AI-generated
This summary is written by a language model reading the source document. It is not the publisher's words and is not a substitute for the original.
Document type: Briefing
Suggested Amendments to the Chairman’s Paper dated 12 February 2002 Second Session of the Preparatory Committee for the World Summit on Sustainable Development A/Conf.199/PC/L.11
The Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) provides a series of suggested amendments to the Chairman's Paper for the Second Session of the Preparatory Committee for the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD). CIEL argues that the original paper overemphasizes economic growth and national governance while neglecting environmental protection, human rights, and the necessity of multilateral cooperation.
AI-generated
This summary is written by a language model reading the source document. It is not the publisher's words and is not a substitute for the original.
Document type: Report
The Johannesburg Summit 2002: A Call for Action
A February 2002 statement by the Center for International Environmental Law and other organizations calling on U.S. President George W. Bush to attend the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg, South Africa, and to commit to specific environmental actions.
AI-generated
This summary is written by a language model reading the source document. It is not the publisher's words and is not a substitute for the original.
Document type: Statement
La diversidad local frente a la globalización
This research paper by Fernando Melo Farrera, presented at a World Resources Institute conference in 2002, examines the tension between globalization and local diversity in Mexico. It argues that for municipalities to move beyond being mere operators of federal policy and become promoters of sustainable local development, Mexico must transition from a history of presidential centralism toward genuine decentralization and federalism that respects local autonomy and indigenous governance systems.
AI-generated
This summary is written by a language model reading the source document. It is not the publisher's words and is not a substitute for the original.
Document type: Research paper
Virtual Exhibition E-Discussions: Working Together for Sustainable Development
This report summarizes an electronic consultation facilitated by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) from May 6 to June 11, 2002, on behalf of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Business Action for Sustainable Development (BASD). The consultation, involving over 475 participants, explored the nature, planning, communication, evaluation, and long-term support of partnerships for sustainable development as a contribution to the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD).
AI-generated
This summary is written by a language model reading the source document. It is not the publisher's words and is not a substitute for the original.
Document type: Report
The General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) and future GATS-Negotiations – Implications for Environmental Policy Makers
This report analyzes the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) and its implications for environmental policy makers. It argues that the GATS, which functions as both a trade and investment agreement, may constrain the ability of national and sub-national governments to implement environmental regulations. The authors highlight risks associated with market access obligations, national treatment standards, and proposed disciplines on domestic regulation, while recommending the use of Sustainability Impact Assessments and the introduction of a broader environmental exception clause in the GATS text.
AI-generated
This summary is written by a language model reading the source document. It is not the publisher's words and is not a substitute for the original.
Document type: Report
TREATMENT OF BIODIVERSITY RELATED ISSUES IN THE WTO
This briefing by the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) provides preliminary comments on the second drafts of the Ministerial Declaration and Implementation Decision for the Doha Ministerial Conference. The authors argue that these documents fail to adequately integrate the principles and objectives of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) into the WTO framework, particularly within the TRIPS Agreement, and do not sufficiently address the concerns of developing countries regarding sustainable development and genetic resources.
AI-generated
This summary is written by a language model reading the source document. It is not the publisher's words and is not a substitute for the original.
Document type: Briefing
Understanding Fast Track: Key Environmental Problems with the Thomas Bill
The Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) and partner organizations critique HR 3005, the Thomas fast track bill, arguing it fails to protect environmental laws and lacks mandatory objectives to ensure sustainable trade and investment.
AI-generated
This summary is written by a language model reading the source document. It is not the publisher's words and is not a substitute for the original.
Document type: Statement
The Measure of Progress
The 'Dashboard of Sustainability' is a visually-engaging online tool developed by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) to measure sustainable development performance across economic, environmental, social, and institutional dimensions.
AI-generated
This summary is written by a language model reading the source document. It is not the publisher's words and is not a substitute for the original.
Document type: Fact sheet
Form follows Function: Management and governance of a formal knowledge network
This guide by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) provides a framework for establishing and managing formal knowledge networks. It outlines a four-stage process—forming, organizing, formalizing, and institutionalizing relationships—to move beyond simple information exchange toward collaborative "working networks" that create joint value and influence policy processes.
AI-generated
This summary is written by a language model reading the source document. It is not the publisher's words and is not a substitute for the original.
Document type: Guide
On Clustering International Environmental Agreements
This research paper by Konrad von Moltke explores the concept of "clustering" as a method to reform international environmental management. Rather than pursuing the daunting task of merging existing international environmental agreements (MEAs), the author proposes grouping related regimes to increase efficiency and effectiveness through shared tools, coordinated governance, and joint institutional frameworks.
AI-generated
This summary is written by a language model reading the source document. It is not the publisher's words and is not a substitute for the original.
Document type: Research paper
Grappling with Growth: Building a Strong Economy and Great Place to Live
This research paper by Michael Kinsley addresses communities conflicted over local growth and development, proposing a distinction between 'development' (improvements) and 'expansion' (size increase) to better inform community planning.
AI-generated
This summary is written by a language model reading the source document. It is not the publisher's words and is not a substitute for the original.
Document type: Research paper
1 Regional Workshop on Sustainability Science: Science and Technology for Sustainable Development
A pre-proposal for a Regional Workshop on Sustainability Science, intended to explore the priorities and needs for a new scientific and technological field of inquiry to address sustainable development from a regional perspective.
AI-generated
This summary is written by a language model reading the source document. It is not the publisher's words and is not a substitute for the original.
Document type: Briefing
tripsmay01-5f3ca590e96831bd.pdf
This joint discussion paper by the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) and WWF International examines the tensions between the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and the WTO Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS). It analyzes how intellectual property rights (IPRs) can hinder the CBD's goals regarding benefit sharing, traditional knowledge, and technology transfer, and provides a set of international and national recommendations to harmonize these legal frameworks.
AI-generated
This summary is written by a language model reading the source document. It is not the publisher's words and is not a substitute for the original.
Document type: Report