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The 'Integrating Climate and Development' project, running from March 2008 to December 2009, aims to fill the gap in concrete analysis regarding the integration of climate policies into development plans. Focusing on Thailand as part of a global initiative, the project employs national expert teams and multi-stakeholder steering committees to identify climate strategies consistent with sustainable development. The final output consists of national and regional synthesis studies detailing strategic options for the involved countries and regions.

The report details a colloquium exploring the theoretical and practical intersections of resilience and vulnerability research. It argues that while both fields are complementary—resilience offering strengths in ecological system dynamics and vulnerability in social and political-economic structures—they often operate in silos with different disciplinary roots. The document highlights the need for 'bifocal' research approaches that combine these perspectives to address complex environmental challenges, such as climate change and poverty. Key discussions focus on the challenges of translating academic concepts into operational policy tools, the importance of social learning, and the need for longitudinal, multi-scale case studies to understand social-ecological system transformations.

The report finds that Wales' 2003 ecological footprint was 5.16 global hectares (gha) per person, which is lower than Scotland, England, or any English region. However, the footprint grew by an average of 1.5% per year between 1990 and 2003, mirroring the growth in Gross Value Added (GVA). The analysis identifies housing, food, and personal travel as the three primary contributors, accounting for 63% of the total footprint. The report models scenarios to 2020, suggesting that while current policies may stabilise the footprint, a combined package of expanded retrofitting, food waste reduction, and sustainable travel initiatives could achieve a 6.6% overall reduction in the total footprint by 2020.

This research paper synthesizes 128 scientific articles to analyze the causes of social vulnerability to coastal hazards in South and Southeast Asia. It identifies a significant gap between theoretical conceptual frameworks and empirical case studies, noting that most research focuses on hazard exposure rather than underlying systemic causes. Key drivers of vulnerability include population growth, poverty, and institutional failures. The authors argue that current recommendations are mismatched with these causes, focusing on short-term relief and early warning systems rather than addressing the root socio-economic structures and power relations that perpetuate vulnerability.

The document evaluates SEI's use of stakeholder engagement, distinguishing between the mere use of participatory methods and a comprehensive participatory approach. Through case studies in East Africa, Vietnam, and the UK, it argues that effective engagement requires careful planning, cultural sensitivity, and a clear purpose to avoid 'extractive' research. The authors recommend that SEI adopt institute-wide guiding principles, invest in facilitation training, and create internal mechanisms for sharing expertise to move from being a practitioner of participation to a theoretical contributor in the field.

The World Resources Institute (WRI) reported total revenue of $27,765,582 and total expenses of $28,102,119 for the 2008 tax year. The organization operates three primary program services: the Climate, Energy and Pollution Program, the Institutions and Governance Program, and the People and Ecosystems Program. WRI maintains a global presence with activities and grantmaking in regions including East Asia and the Pacific, Europe, North America, South America, South Asia, and Sub-Saharan Africa. As of the end of the year, the organization held total assets of $53,223,660 and total liabilities of $3,795,121.

The report argues that humanity has depleted natural capital to achieve short-term gains, leading to a decline in 15 of 24 evaluated ecosystem services. It proposes a five-part action agenda: developing ecosystem service information, strengthening local community rights, managing across multiple scales, improving accountability, and aligning economic incentives. To implement this, the authors suggest creating new institutions such as Ecosystem Service Districts, Biome Stewardship Councils, a Commission on Macroeconomics and Ecosystem Services for Poverty Reduction, and a global Leaders' Forum.

The document examines the controversy within WTO negotiations over whether government-to-government payments for access to Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZ) should be classified as subsidies. While some developing countries, particularly Small Island Developing States (SIDS), view these fees as essential monetary transfers for development, other nations highlight a lack of transparency and negative impacts on the marine environment and international markets. The text notes that these arrangements are primary supply sources for tuna, molluscs, and demersal fishes for Distant Waters Fishing Nations (DWFNs) like Japan and the EU.

The paper analyzes how trade liberalization and increased foreign direct investment (FDI) affect the environment in Lao PDR, focusing on hydropower, mining, and construction materials. It highlights risks such as deforestation, water pollution from mining, and habitat loss, while noting opportunities for 'green' growth and renewable energy exports. The author argues that while the government is committed to sustainable development, institutional capacity for implementing environmental safeguards and coordinating Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) remains insufficient.

The report examines the intersection of foreign investment and environmental sustainability in Lao PDR, focusing on the hydropower, mining, and construction sectors. It highlights a gap between the government's formal environmental policies and actual implementation, noting that large-scale projects often bypass rigorous environmental impact assessments (EIAs). The document specifically discusses the Nam Theun 2 dam as a case study of social and environmental displacement, and it analyzes the role of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and international standards in mitigating industrial damage.

The report provides an overview of ecotourism in Laos, highlighting its growth from 14,000 visitors in 1990 to 1.12 million in 2006. It analyzes the National Ecotourism Strategy and Action Plan (2005-2010) and identifies key barriers to sustainable growth, such as inadequate infrastructure, limited human resources, and the need for better coordination between government and non-governmental actors. The text emphasizes the role of ecotourism in poverty reduction and conservation, particularly in protected areas like Nam Ha.

The text consists of remarks by David Runnalls at the Trade Ministers’ Dialogue on Climate Change Issues in Bali (2007). He asserts that climate change threatens global GDP and human well-being, potentially leading to the failure of the multilateral trading system if left unaddressed. Runnalls highlights that the UNFCCC and WTO frameworks are mutually supportive and suggests four primary areas of linkage: direct impacts of climate change on trade infrastructure, competitiveness impacts of national climate actions, legal interactions between the two regimes, and the use of trade policy to benefit the climate. Specifically, he proposes liberalizing trade in low-carbon goods, reducing fossil fuel subsidies, creating special rules for environmental subsidies, and improving technology transfer and intellectual property rights (IPRs) to facilitate a clean development path for developing countries.

The Male’ Declaration, adopted by Small Island Developing States in 2007, argues that climate change threatens fundamental human rights and calls for urgent global action to limit temperature rises to below 2°C and greenhouse gas concentrations to under 450ppm. It specifically requests that the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights study the effects of climate change on human rights and that the UN Human Rights Council convene a debate on the subject in March 2009.

The petition argues that the arbitration between Biwater Gauf Tanzania Limited and Tanzania transcends a private commercial dispute because it concerns the privatization of water services, which is directly linked to basic human rights and the UN Millennium Declaration goal of increasing access to safe drinking water. The author contends that the public nature of the dispute and its potential as a model for poverty alleviation in Africa necessitate a transparent process that permits citizen participation.

The Rapid Trade and Environment Assessment (RTEA) for Lao PDR examines the intersection of trade liberalization—driven by ASEAN, WTO accession, and GMS integration—and environmental sustainability. The report identifies that while resource-intensive sectors like hydropower, mining, and forestry drive GDP growth, they place significant pressure on forests, water, and biodiversity. Conversely, 'green' niche sectors such as organic agriculture, ecotourism, and silk handicrafts offer sustainable export potential. The assessment emphasizes that the net environmental outcome depends on the government's ability to implement and enforce regulatory frameworks, strengthen institutional capacity, and engage the private sector in corporate social responsibility (CSR).

The report analyzes 43 proposed post-2012 climate regimes, categorizing them into five types: targets with flexibility mechanisms, targets with emissions trading only, policy and sectoral approaches, technology approaches, and other approaches. It argues that while the current project-based CDM is compatible with some regimes, an 'expanded CDM'—incorporating programmatic, policy-based, or sectoral crediting—could vastly increase the volume of greenhouse gas reductions but risks swamping the carbon market if not matched by ambitious developed-country targets. The authors emphasize the 'development dividend'—benefits beyond GHG reductions—and suggest that graduating large emitters (like the BRICSAM nations) from the CDM could improve regional equity for least developed countries (LDCs).

The report applies a prototype framework to Kenya, finding a simultaneous decline in biodiversity and human well-being. It identifies land-use change, resource consumption, demographics, and economics as primary drivers of ecosystem change. While Kenya's PRSP addresses several social opportunities, it is found to be less effective in addressing demographic drivers and lacks a concrete implementation strategy for environmental regulations.

The document outlines a proposal for the Canadian Environmental Outlook (CEO), an integrated environmental assessment designed to provide a prospective view of Canada's environment. It defines the CEO as a process and a series of reports that move beyond traditional state-of-the-environment reporting by focusing on future trends and strategic choices. The paper suggests a 20-to-30-year time horizon and a multi-scalar geographic approach (national, sub-national, and local). It identifies key potential topics such as climate change, water quality, and biodiversity, and recommends a governance structure involving shared ownership between federal, provincial, and territorial governments. The document concludes by recommending a full feasibility analysis and a structured project proposal to be completed by autumn 2007, with a target for a flagship report in 2010.

The briefing analyzes the EC-Biotech dispute, where a WTO panel rejected the obligation to consider the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety because they were not ratified by all WTO Members. The author argues this narrow interpretation of the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties creates 'clinical isolation' for WTO law and deviates from the Appellate Body's approach in US-Shrimp, which integrated sustainable development and MEAs into its analysis. The document emphasizes that the WTO's own Committee on Trade and Environment and the Doha Mandate support 'mutual supportiveness' between trade and environmental goals.

The report presents a business case for Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC), arguing that failing to secure community approval creates significant financial, operational, and reputational risks. Through four case studies in the Philippines, Argentina, Thailand, and Peru, it demonstrates that while FPIC requires an iterative process of information sharing and negotiation, the costs are minimal compared to the potential losses from project delays, asset write-downs, and lost revenues. The authors recommend that project sponsors, financiers, and host governments integrate FPIC into their decision-making and permitting processes to avoid costly conflicts.