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The document examines Russia's transition toward a green economy, noting that while the concept is integrated into official policy, practical implementation lags. It highlights Russia's vast natural capital but criticises its inefficient resource use and extreme reliance on hydrocarbon exports. The author argues that Russia must prioritise energy efficiency and economic diversification to maintain competitiveness and ensure long-term sustainability.

The text asserts that the transition to a sustainable society faces strong resistance from fossil fuel producers, agribusiness, and neoliberal interests. It argues that the European Union must remain unified and integrate social redistribution to effectively combat climate change and biodiversity loss, as nationalistic trends only benefit conservative forces. The author emphasizes that global climate leadership requires a determined EU that can first establish internal solidarity and social justice.

The Western Province of Sri Lanka is utilizing urban and peri-urban agriculture and forestry to enhance climate resilience, specifically through the rehabilitation of abandoned paddy lands and the intensification of home gardening. Pilot projects in Kesbewa demonstrate that these interventions can reduce flood risks by improving storm water infiltration and lower greenhouse gas emissions by reducing food transport needs. The document argues for a 'green mosaic' urban design and the alignment of local, provincial, and national policies—including the revision of the Paddy Act—to scale these low-cost adaptation strategies.

The report introduces 'governAbilities' as the nexus of sustainability, accountability, and adaptability, arguing that these three operational areas are essential for governments to maintain a 'social licence to operate' in a complex, uncertain century. It identifies four common principles—outcome-based, multistakeholder, forward-looking, and multi-dimensional—that link these abilities. To operationalize these, the authors propose a toolkit including Budgeting for Outcomes, Indicator Information Systems, Multistakeholder Councils, Scenario Planning, and Integrated Strategies. The report provides global case studies, such as Germany's sustainability reporting and Washington State's budgeting process, to demonstrate how these tools can be implemented to improve public management and policy resilience.

The policy brief examines the emerging architecture of extractive governance in Africa, focusing on the Africa Mining Vision (AMV) and its implementing agency, the African Minerals Development Centre (AMDC). It highlights a critical gap between the economic contributions of the mining and oil sectors and the local socio-economic realities. The author argues that for these home-grown initiatives to succeed, they must leverage research from institutions like SAIIA's Governance of Africa's Resources Programme (GARP), coordinate better to avoid duplication with other bodies like the AfDB's African Natural Resources Centre, and form strategic partnerships with established global mechanisms such as the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) and the Kimberley Process (KP).

The document examines the role of artisanal gold mining in Zimbabwe as a tool for poverty alleviation and economic growth, while highlighting severe governance failures. It argues that the current state-led approach of criminalisation has failed to address environmental degradation, smuggling, and conflict between artisanal and commercial miners. The authors recommend formalising the sector through clearer land rights, competitive gold pricing to discourage smuggling, and partnerships between small-scale and large-scale operators to improve productivity and environmental compliance.

The statement argues that the CDM currently functions as a zero-sum offsetting mechanism that may increase global emissions due to non-additional credits. It recommends a shift toward achieving 'net atmospheric benefits' and proposes rigorous reforms to additionality assessments, the exclusion of high-emission technologies like coal, and the establishment of formal grievance mechanisms and enhanced civil society participation. The author also calls for greater transparency from Designated National Authorities (DNAs) and a restructured CDM Executive Board to prevent conflicts of interest.

The document examines the role of guidance tools in bridging the gap between climate adaptation, mitigation, and development. It argues that tools should be viewed as mechanisms for defining goals rather than just implementation aids, and emphasizes that tools must be complemented by analysis of actors and outcomes because they cannot solve complex problems in isolation.

The document identifies significant barriers to integrating climate science into African policy-making, including systematic biases in climate models, a decline in observational data networks, and a lack of technical capacity to interpret data. It emphasizes that current climate information is often too coarse in resolution for local decision-making and is poorly communicated to policy-makers. To address these gaps, the authors recommend promoting African-led science, improving the translation of research into non-technical formats, and engaging influential finance and development ministries rather than relying solely on environment ministries.

The report argues that there is no single blueprint for a green economy, but rather multiple pathways driven by local communities. It critiques 'green growth' for focusing on GDP and resource efficiency while often ignoring social justice, structural power asymmetries, and the needs of the poor. The document emphasizes the need to connect international financial and policy mechanisms with ground-level realities, suggesting that developing countries can 'leapfrog' industrialised pathways by investing in low-carbon infrastructure. Key recommendations include 'greening' existing financial flows like Official Development Assistance (ODA), integrating social justice goals from the outset of policy design, and diversifying political narratives to include indigenous and non-Western knowledge.

The review analyzed over 1,500 courses from 24 international organizations between 2013 and 2014. It found a significant gap in training that directly addresses sustainable development policy and planning, with less than 4% of reviewed courses focusing on this area. While many courses integrate sustainable development into specific themes like the green economy or climate change, there is a lack of training that combines broad strategic frameworks with specific planning and management tools. The report recommends designing targeted courses for policymakers and mainstreaming sustainable development into existing sectoral training to support the implementation of the Post-2015 Development Agenda and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The document analyzes National Councils for Sustainable Development (NCSDs) as mechanisms for stakeholder engagement in national sustainable development strategies (NSDSs). It categorizes NCSDs by membership—government-only, mixed, or non-governmental—and evaluates the strengths and challenges of each. The briefing identifies key success factors, such as the appointment of independent chairs and the maintenance of a 'critical friend' relationship with government, while detailing the core functions of NCSDs in strategy creation, policy implementation, monitoring, and international outreach.

The research paper examines the establishment of the BRICS New Development Bank (NDB), arguing that a democratic governance model with equal contributions of USD$ 10 billion per member is preferable to a weighted system. It suggests the bank should focus on infrastructure and sustainable development, potentially extending investments beyond the BRICS nations to less developed states in Africa, Latin America, and East Asia. The author advises against the premature adoption of a BRICS-specific currency, recommending the use of recognized global standards for transactions.

The statement supports the Independent Expert's mapping report on human rights obligations regarding environmental protection and advocates for the formal recognition of a freestanding right to a healthy environment to improve accountability and ecosystem preservation. It emphasizes the importance of extraterritorial obligations (ETOs) and the protection of environmental rights defenders.

The document argues that climate change and development are inextricably linked, as climate impacts threaten to undermine poverty eradication and sustainable development goals. It suggests that the post-2015 framework should be 'climate-smart,' incorporating targets that simultaneously address poverty, low-carbon development, and resilience. The briefing explores two primary integration options: mainstreaming climate-related targets across various goal areas or establishing a stand-alone climate change goal. It highlights that people living in poverty are disproportionately affected by climate change, particularly through impacts on agriculture, water security, health, and infrastructure. The document concludes that the success of the post-2015 agenda depends on its ability to foster policy coherence and encourage private sector and sub-national engagement.

The IISD provides a series of technical recommendations to strengthen the Land Policy Initiative's guiding principles for large-scale land-based investments in Africa. Key suggestions include requiring independent third-party verification of financial feasibility studies, integrating social and environmental impact assessments into risk management plans, and prioritizing domestic courts over international arbitration for dispute resolution. The IISD also emphasizes the need for comprehensive legislation covering water management, labor laws, and tax incentives, alongside clearer definitions of the rights and obligations of states, investors, and local communities.

The document is a formal request to World Bank President Jim Yong Kim to reinstate B-SPAN, a webcasting system launched in 2000 that streamed unedited policy dialogues to the public. The authors argue that B-SPAN is essential for knowledge sharing and transparency, countering Bank officials' claims that there is low interest in lengthy policy discussions. They propose starting with the webcasting of civil society sessions at Bank-IMF meetings to help achieve the goal of ending extreme poverty by 2030.

The document details the human rights violations resulting from the Barro Blanco hydroelectric dam project in Panama, specifically the forced eviction of indigenous Ngöbe communities. It argues that the State of Panama, as well as Germany, the Netherlands, and member states of the Central American Bank for Economic Integration (CABEI), have failed in their obligations to protect the Ngöbe's rights to housing, food, water, culture, and education. The appeal highlights a lack of free, prior, and informed consent and calls for an immediate halt to evictions and project funding.

Based on an analysis of 15 other climate and development funds, the World Resources Institute suggests that the Green Climate Fund (GCF) should prioritize ground-up investment possibilities, focus on long-term 'paradigm shift' activities over quick fixes, balance impact-driven allocations with fairness adjustments for low-capacity countries, and maintain a flexible yet predictable funding system.

The briefing argues that while the Green Climate Fund's initial readiness program may be narrowly focused on facilitating access to the Fund, it must eventually address broader enabling conditions—such as policy development and capacity building—to achieve transformational climate-resilient development. It further suggests that the GCF should remain flexible regarding the institutions used to channel readiness funds before the formal accreditation process is complete.