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The National Chairman of the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA) assesses the impact of the 2009 global financial crisis on the Western liberal order and the African continent. The statement advocates for Africa to avoid protectionism and instead develop a 'global stimulus plan' focused on infrastructure and clean energy. It calls for a new South African white paper on post-transformation foreign policy that aligns national interests with domestic socio-economic needs. Finally, it identifies climate change as a critical threat to 'global public goods' that requires active African participation in finding sustainable development paths.

The report analyzes the impact of investment incentives on economic growth, employment, and technology transfer in Southeast Asia. It finds that while incentives helped attract FDI in countries like Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand, they are not sufficient on their own, as factors like political stability and infrastructure are equally critical. The document notes that technology spillovers vary by national capacity and that the 'China effect' on FDI diversion is often overestimated. It concludes that region-wide regulations and transparency are needed to prevent costly bidding wars and ensure sustainable development.

The plantation industry in Laos has grown rapidly through overseas investment, but a 2007 national land management meeting found that numerous concessions have caused deforestation, biodiversity loss, and negative impacts on local livelihoods. The Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI), while the lead agency for investment decisions, currently lacks the capacity, coordination, and monitoring systems to ensure environmental and social outcomes. The paper recommends that the MPI establish an inter-agency environmental working group, create a centralized environmental information and data center, and implement a monitoring and evaluation system to penalize regulatory violations and reward sustainable practices.

The report analyzes 10 ILM projects across North America and Europe, identifying a general framework consisting of baseline assessment, future scenario envisioning, collaborative planning, and monitoring. Key findings highlight the difficulty of integrating socio-economic and biophysical data, the challenge of translating scientific models into usable policy tools, and the necessity of early stakeholder engagement to ensure local relevance and ownership of project outcomes.

The report examines the role of social networking sites (SNSs) in advancing sustainable development, categorizing them into mainstream, niche, and professional platforms. It argues that while mainstream sites often 'dumb down' sustainability to low-cost virtual actions, niche and professional networks can foster deeper expertise and collaboration. The author contrasts two governance perspectives: rational democratic governance, which views SNSs with caution due to their lack of structure, and adaptive governance, which sees them as essential tools for social learning and breaking institutional silos. The document concludes that for SNSs to improve governance, there must be a shift toward open data, diverse platforms, and a move beyond simple fundraising applications.

The document introduces the Global Markets Project, a collaboration between the International Institute for Sustainable Development and the Chinese Ministry of Commerce. It aims to transition Chinese supply chains in forestry, cotton, and electronics from a "business as usual" model to a "sustainable business" paradigm to support China's goal of a "harmonious society" (HeXieSheHui).

The report analyzes entrepreneurship in Northern Canada, noting that while small and medium-sized enterprises (SMMEs) dominate the business landscape in the Yukon, Northwest Territories, and Nunavut, they face distinct obstacles compared to southern businesses. It highlights the intersection of northern entrepreneurship with social and environmental goals and explores 'indigenous economics,' which emphasizes community values and holistic wealth over simple profit. The document argues that fostering a 'creative class' and improving local capacity and infrastructure are essential for sustainable economic development in the region.

The report examines the emerging bio-economy, focusing on the use of agricultural biomass for industrial biotechnology and renewable energy to support sustainable development and economic competitiveness in developing nations.

The commentary discusses the impact of fraud allegations against India-based Satyam Computer Services Ltd., framing it as a 'wake-up call' for better capital-raising mechanisms and corporate governance. While acknowledging the potential for the ITES sector to be 'cut down to size' due to such scandals and market upheaval, the author asserts that the sector's contributions to e-connectivity, skill-building, and the diversification of lower-income economies make it indispensable. The text highlights the role of ITES in supporting resource-efficient and globally coordinated value chains across various industries, including low-carbon logistics and energy, and notes an upcoming report by IISD and AccountAbility on responsible competitiveness in the sector.

The document explores how critical uncertainties in Internet governance, infrastructure, and security intersect with four global scenarios developed by the Global Scenario Group (GSG). It argues that the evolution of the Internet is not neutral but can either hinder or advance global sustainability. Through a series of workshops, the authors developed four 'storylines'—Policy Reform, Unregulated Market, VIPnet, and Internet Commons—to illustrate how different trajectories of Internet development align with different global futures. The report emphasizes the need for a multistakeholder governance model to ensure the Internet serves as a global commons that supports environmental repair and social equity.

The Global Subsidies Initiative (GSI) presents a methodology for measuring irrigation subsidies by calculating the difference between the cost of making irrigation water available and the revenue received from beneficiaries. The framework focuses on 'full supply cost,' incorporating annual capital costs (interest and depreciation) and operation and maintenance (O&M) costs, while excluding complex elements like opportunity costs and full social costs due to data constraints. It provides detailed guidance on allocating joint capital costs in multi-purpose projects using the Alternative Justifiable Expenditures (AJE) and Separate Costs, Remaining Benefits (SCRB) methods. The methodology also addresses specific subsidies such as discounted electricity for groundwater pumping and identifiable government expenditures on environmental externalities. Revenue components include water sales, hydropower, fishing rights, and pollution taxes.

The report details the development of survey instruments to measure sustainable development (SD) literacy among Manitoban adults and students. Findings indicate that while general knowledge and positive attitudes toward SD are high, they do not strongly translate into sustainable behaviours. For adults, favourable attitudes and general education levels were the strongest predictors of sustainable behaviour, whereas for students, gender and attitudes were more influential. The authors conclude that current survey items lack sufficient discriminating power to serve as definitive standardized tests, but provide a baseline for future monitoring of the UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (DESD).

The document examines the bilateral relationship between China and Mozambique, highlighting how Mozambique's reliance on traditional Western donors and the influence of the FRELIMO party have constrained China's influence compared to other African nations. It details Chinese investments in infrastructure, such as the Mpanda Nkua dam, and identifies significant controversies surrounding illegal logging and poaching in the fisheries sector. The report also explores future cooperation in agriculture, biofuels, and the establishment of special economic zones, while noting Mozambique's strategic value as a maritime gateway for landlocked SADC countries.

The guide outlines a multi-level analysis framework to evaluate investment incentives, focusing on value for money, job quality, environmental protection, and policy transparency. It emphasizes the need for ex post assessments and the preservation of policy space for host governments to impose performance requirements on investors.

The report examines how Southeast Asian countries use investment incentives to attract FDI and the resulting impacts on sustainable development. While incentives have contributed to economic growth and job creation in some nations, the report finds significant evidence of redundancy, where investments would have occurred regardless of incentives. It highlights the importance of a supportive overall investment environment over isolated incentives and notes that environmental impacts remain under-researched. The document also discusses regional investment competition, the 'China effect', and the role of bilateral and regional treaties in shaping investment regimes.

The report identifies a systemic conflict in Ecuador between export-led economic growth and environmental preservation. While the country possesses immense biodiversity, its economic model relies heavily on the intensive extraction of natural resources, often leading to severe ecosystem degradation. The analysis of five key sectors reveals that while trade liberalization and preferential access to markets (such as the US and EU) drive growth, they frequently exacerbate pollution and habitat loss. The document argues for a transition toward 'green markets' and the internalisation of environmental costs to ensure long-term sustainability.

The report examines how Vietnam's investment incentives, particularly tax breaks, influence foreign direct investment (FDI) and sustainable development in the mining and quarrying sector. It finds that while FIEs outperform domestic firms economically, incentives are not the primary driver for investment decisions nor for sustainable behavior. Social and environmental commitments are often passive, driven by parent company policies or basic legal compliance rather than government incentives.

The report finds that while Indonesia offers various investment incentives, such as tax facilities and import duty exemptions, these are not the primary drivers for FDI in the chemical sector; instead, the large domestic market and international interest rates are more significant. While FDI has fostered economic growth and provided employment in Banten province, the industry remains heavily dependent on imported inputs and has caused significant air pollution, although foreign-invested firms generally show higher environmental compliance than domestic ones.

The report analyzes the rapid growth of the plantation sector in Lao PDR and the institutional gaps in the investment approval process. It argues that while the Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI) is the final decision-maker for large projects, it lacks the internal capacity and coordination mechanisms to effectively integrate environmental and social considerations into its decisions, relying instead on other agencies with their own resource constraints.

The executive summary evaluates the impact of the Circumpolar Young Leaders (CYL) program and other youth initiatives in the Arctic, highlighting the need for a coordinated regional leadership strategy to overcome systemic barriers such as biased education and a lack of local role models.