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The document examines the complexities of planning and financing regional infrastructure in Southern Africa, focusing on the SADC Regional Infrastructure Development Master Plan (RIDMP). It identifies a significant funding gap and analyzes the roles of five primary stakeholders: recipient governments, continental and regional development finance institutions (DFIs), donors, multilateral institutions, and private sector investors. While noting improvements in regional coordination, the text highlights the risks of public-private partnerships (PPPs) and the necessity of long-term policy frameworks that transcend political cycles. The Lesotho Highlands Water Project is presented as a bi-national example of the trade-offs and benefits inherent in transboundary infrastructure.

The analysis finds that sustainable development benefits vary significantly across bioenergy project types, with those utilizing agricultural farm residues claiming the most benefits and those using industrial forest residues claiming the fewest.

The author, Mayor of Sevran, critiques the French 'assimilationist' model of integration, arguing that it is disconnected from the reality of a multicultural society. He advocates for a federal Europe with common rights for all EU citizens to counter nationalism. Furthermore, he asserts that Europe must accept responsibility for environmental migration caused by global warming and transition toward a model where migrants are integrated as 'eco-citizens of the world' who contribute to local autonomy and sustainability.

The report identifies seven primary and secondary barriers to institutional impact investing, including a shortage of attractive deals, lack of track records, and limited exit options. It suggests that governments can mitigate these by strengthening the investment pipeline through technical assistance and seed funding, and by promoting blended capital arrangements. The authors propose the National Impact Investment Readiness Assessment (NIIRA) tool to help investors and policy-makers evaluate the quality and scalability of a country's impact investment pipeline. A case study of India illustrates the role of pioneering firms like Aavishkaar and IntelleGrow in building a supportive entrepreneurial ecosystem.

The author contends that individual European nation-states are powerless against globalized finance and climate degradation, citing the devastating impact of austerity in Greece as a primary example. The text calls for a shift away from neoliberalism and national interests toward a shared European project focused on energy transition, ecological transformation, and the reclamation of democratic space to ensure the survival of European values and social justice.

A coalition of environmental and human rights organizations requests that the UN Independent Expert on Human Rights and the Environment examine the Barro Blanco dam project in Panama. The authors argue that the project, registered under the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), has proceeded without adequate consultation with the indigenous Ngäbe people, leading to threats to their land, culture, and physical security, including state-sponsored violence against environmental defenders.

A coalition of NGOs requests that UN Special Rapporteur James Anaya intervene in the Barro Blanco hydroelectric project in Panama to protect the Ngäbe people from imminent threats to their territories and physical security. The document argues that the project, expected to be completed by May 2014, will flood indigenous lands and cultural sites, and was approved despite failures in environmental impact assessments and stakeholder consultation. It further highlights reports of police violence against protestors and the Panamanian government's failure to fulfill a March 2012 agreement regarding an expert assessment of the project's controversies.

A group of international and local NGOs is urging the UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples to intervene in the Barro Blanco hydroelectric project in Panama. They claim the project threatens the Ngäbe people's territories, culture, and physical security, citing failures in environmental impact assessments and a lack of free, prior and informed consent. The coalition highlights state-sponsored violence against protestors and the Panamanian government's failure to implement a promised expert assessment of the project's impacts.

The author contends that austerity policies in Portugal have led to a 'social emergency,' characterized by rising poverty, historic unemployment, and an exodus of young people. The text claims these measures increased public debt to over 126% of GDP while causing a recession and the 'uncontrolled exploitation of the natural resources.' It advocates for a debt renegotiation led by the Portuguese State, citing the 1953 London Agreement as a precedent, to prioritize citizens over financial markets.

The Green Economy Coalition (GEC) supports the UN High Level Panel's proposal for a single, unified global development agenda based on sustainable development principles. While praising the focus on transformative change and the inclusion of diverse perspectives, the GEC argues for more rigorous targets regarding global inequality, fossil fuel subsidy reform, and the regeneration of the natural resource base. The GEC specifically advocates for a shift away from 'growth as usual' and the adoption of alternative GDP metrics and integrated corporate reporting to better track progress toward global goals.

Carbon Market Watch argues that existing carbon markets have collapsed due to oversupply and poor quality, specifically citing the CDM and JI. The briefing recommends strengthening additionality criteria, shortening crediting periods, and establishing mandatory human rights and sustainability safeguards. For new mechanisms like the FVA and NMM, it advocates for a binding international governance structure and a common transaction tracking mechanism to prevent double counting of emission reductions.

The article examines the persistence of the 'women-environment' linkage in global policy, noting that women are frequently framed as both primary victims of climate change and essential agents of change. It argues that this discourse persists because it provides a strategic entry point for feminist advocacy, relies on fixed projections of women's identities to gain political access, and is reinforced by the inertia of previous environmental project frameworks.

The document examines the evolution of international investment treaties since 1959, arguing that the original rationales for these treaties no longer justify a regime that poses risks to sustainable development through vague standards and opaque processes. The author contends that a paradigm shift is necessary to align foreign direct investment with sustainable development, particularly for developing countries, as a prerequisite for effective reform.

The policy briefing addresses the declining momentum of the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) and its National Programmes of Action (NPOA). It identifies causes for this decline, such as lack of interest from heads of state and insufficient financial support, and proposes reviving the process by integrating NPOA into National Developmental Plans (NDPs) and collaborating with African Union organs and regional economic communities.

The document outlines a 2013 workshop focused on reforming international investment law. Participants argued that China, as both a home and host state, is well-positioned to lead a shift toward a 'balanced approach' that integrates sustainable development. Key recommendations include refining the 'Fair and Equitable Treatment' (FET) standard to be more specific, revising compensation for indirect expropriation, and addressing the 'three-hat problem' where individuals act as arbitrator, counsel, and witness in the same proceedings. The workshop concluded that the current investor-state dispute settlement system incorrectly applies commercial dispute mechanisms to issues of public interest.

The IAI Science Advisory Committee (SAC) has alerted the Executive Council and Conference of the Parties (CoP) to a critical membership shortage. With six vacancies opening in June 2013 and three more in 2014, the SAC faces a near-complete turnover of membership. The committee is seeking highly qualified scientists with expertise in natural sciences, social sciences, and public health to provide credibility and guidance for the Collaborative Research Network (CRN) programs over the next five years.

The document is a letter to World Bank President Jim Yong Kim arguing that the Bank's continued support for fossil fuels contradicts its climate and poverty reduction priorities. The authors claim that fossil fuel investments fail to provide energy access to the poor and instead fuel overconsumption in wealthy nations. They advocate for a shift toward off-grid renewable energy and demand that the Bank stop financing fossil fuel projects unless they can be proven to be the best alternative for delivering energy services to the poor after a full cost-benefit analysis.

The document outlines a ten-step framework for negotiating agricultural investment contracts to ensure sustainable development, emphasizing the need for independent feasibility studies, environmental and social impact assessments, and the protection of local land and water tenure rights. It warns against broad stabilization provisions and advocates for legally binding development obligations and community development agreements to prevent the negative impacts often associated with large-scale foreign land acquisitions.

The document outlines ten essential steps for negotiating sustainable agricultural investment contracts, emphasizing the need for thorough preparation, independent feasibility and impact studies, and the protection of local land and water rights. It warns against 'land grabbing' and the use of broad stabilization clauses, while advocating for Community Development Agreements and clear investor obligations regarding local employment and technology transfer.

The G-20 is not fully satisfying any of the five parts of the test, and therefore fails to reach its full potential as a global economic governance actor.