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A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed on April 24, 2020, between the Executive Direction of the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) and the Latin American Cooperation of Advanced Networks (CLARA) to promote collaboration in science, technology, and innovation in Latin America.

This technical note by the Climate Policy Initiative (CPI/PUC-Rio) analyzes a new report by Senator Irajá Abreu regarding Provisional Measure (MP) 910/2019, which modifies Law 11.952/2009 on the land regularization of federal public lands. The authors argue that the report maintains harmful rules, reverses previous improvements, and includes unconstitutional legislative additions.

This policy brief by the Climate Policy Initiative (CPI/PUC-Rio) analyzes how Brazilian public policies aimed at combating primary deforestation in the Amazon unintentionally fostered tropical regeneration between 2004 and 2014. The document argues that environmental monitoring and enforcement acted as a deterrent, leading illegal actors to abandon regions and allowing natural forest recovery to occur.

This policy brief by the Climate Policy Initiative (CPI/PUC-Rio) examines how Brazil's law enforcement and monitoring efforts to reduce primary deforestation in the Amazon unintentionally promoted tropical forest regeneration between 2004 and 2014.

This fact sheet by the Climate Policy Initiative analyzes Provisional Measure (MP) 910 of 2019, which proposes changes to the land regularization of federal public lands in Brazil, specifically affecting the Amazon region. The authors argue that the measure risks rewarding illegal land grabbing and deforestation by easing the requirements for obtaining land titles.

This fact sheet analyzes Provisional Measure 910 (MP 910), a proposed amendment to Brazilian legislation regarding the regularization of informal settlements on federal lands. The authors argue that the measure rewards illegal land occupation and deforestation, particularly in the Amazon, by loosening the requirements for obtaining property titles.

The report details the 27th meeting of the IAI Conference of the Parties (CoP-27) held in Brasilia, Brazil, in June 2019. Key outcomes include the adoption of a new Strategic Plan and a revised Scientific Agenda, the renewal of the Executive Director's mandate, and the approval of the 2019-2020 operating budget. The meeting highlighted critical financial sustainability challenges due to inflation and unpaid contributions. Strategic initiatives discussed include the creation of a flexible funding mechanism with the Belmont Forum, the implementation of a science-policy fellowship program (STeP), and the expansion of open data cooperation through South-South partnerships. The IAI also expanded its network by inviting research institutes from Colombia and Panama to become associates.

This report analyzes the evolving jurisprudence of UN human rights treaty bodies (HRTBs) from 2008 to 2019, concluding that States have legal obligations under human rights treaties to implement ambitious climate mitigation (including phasing out fossil fuels), ensure inclusive adaptation, and provide international cooperation. Key developments include a 2019 joint statement by five HRTBs and the Human Rights Committee's recognition that climate change threatens the right to life, potentially triggering non-refoulment obligations in deportation cases.

This technical note argues that Senator Irajá Abreu's report on MP 910/2019 significantly eases land regularization on federal public lands in Brazil, favoring large landowners and criminal land grabbing while dismantling environmental controls and maintaining a misalignment with the Forest Code's temporal markers.

This policy brief by the Climate Policy Initiative analyzes the impacts of rural credit on agricultural production and land use in Brazil from 2002 to 2017. The analysis reveals that while rural credit generally increases productivity, its environmental impact varies significantly by producer size: credit for small farmers tends to reduce deforestation pressures by intensifying production, whereas credit for large producers is associated with increased land expansion and deforestation.

This policy brief by the Climate Policy Initiative (CPI) analyzes the impact of Brazil's rural credit system on agricultural production and land use between 2002 and 2017. The analysis finds that while rural credit generally boosts production, its environmental impacts vary significantly by producer size: credit for small farmers tends to increase productivity and reduce deforestation pressures, whereas credit for large farmers is associated with the expansion of cropland and pastures, leading to higher deforestation.

This policy brief by the Climate Policy Initiative (CPI/PUC-Rio) provides an ex-ante assessment of the environmental risks associated with the construction of the EF-170 Ferrogrão railway in Brazil. Using a market access approach, the researchers project that without mitigation measures, the railway will induce significant deforestation in Mato Grosso, leading to substantial carbon emissions and associated economic costs.

This policy brief by the Climate Policy Initiative (CPI) and PUC-Rio evaluates the projected environmental risks of the EF-170 Ferrogrão railroad project in Brazil. Using a market access approach, the researchers estimate that the railroad will significantly increase deforestation in Mato Grosso by improving market access for farmers and ranchers, leading to substantial carbon emissions and associated social costs.

This report by the Climate Policy Initiative (CPI) and PUC-Rio analyzes whether the tax exemptions provided by the Manaus Free Trade Zone (ZFM) have improved the productive and energy efficiency of industries in the region compared to the rest of Brazil between 2003 and 2015. The study concludes that despite significant fiscal incentives, there is no evidence of efficiency gains at either the aggregate or sectoral levels.

This report by the Climate Policy Initiative (CPI) analyzes whether the tax incentives provided to the Zona Franca de Manaus (ZFM) have improved the productive and energy efficiency of its industries compared to the rest of Brazil between 2003 and 2015. The study concludes that despite significant tax expenditures, there is no evidence that these incentives have increased efficiency, even in the region's most prominent industrial sectors.

This report by the Climate Policy Initiative analyzes the impact of the Zona Franca de Manaus (ZFM) on the Brazilian industrial sector, focusing on tax incentives, sectoral production, and workforce distribution compared to the rest of Brazil.

The 2020 Global Electricity Review by Ember analyzes global electricity generation changes in 2019, highlighting a record 3% fall in global coal-fired generation and a corresponding 2% drop in power sector CO2 emissions. While the EU and US saw significant coal collapses, China's coal generation rose, making it responsible for over half of global coal generation for the first time. Wind and solar generation grew by 15%, though the report notes that this growth rate is slowing and may be insufficient to meet Paris Agreement goals without concerted global effort.

This report by Global Energy Monitor and partners analyzes global coal-fired power plant trends in 2019, noting a general decline in new project planning and construction, contrasted by a net increase in global capacity driven primarily by China.

This report by Global Energy Monitor, Sierra Club, Greenpeace, and CREA analyzes global coal power plant trends in 2019. It highlights a general decline in new coal development and operational capacity globally, though this trend is heavily skewed by China, which continued to increase its capacity. The report details the financial pressures on the coal industry, the role of public funding, and regional shifts in Southeast Asia, South Asia, and the OECD.

This guide by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) examines the increasing trend of states terminating old-generation bilateral investment treaties (BITs) to reform investment regimes. It details the legal mechanisms for termination under international law, analyzes common termination and survival clauses, and provides recommendations for states on how to manage the extinction of these treaties and draft new ones.