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The IAI Science Diplomacy Center (SDC) is a regional initiative designed to foster science-policy dialogue and collaboration in the Americas, particularly Latin America and the Caribbean. Between 2023 and April 2024, the SDC established three priority pillars: Capacity Building, a Knowledge Hub, and Emerging/Evolving/Innovation Issues. Key achievements include the launch of a Science Diplomacy Training Program for Policy Makers, the expansion of the Science, Technology, and Policy (STeP) Fellowship program, and the development of a specialized science diplomacy curriculum with the University of Sao Paulo. The SDC is also building a Knowledge Hub to map experts, bibliography, and events, while engaging in strategic partnerships with organizations such as AAAS, UNESCO, and DiploCientifica to secure funding and expand regional training.

The report analyzes Indonesia's Comprehensive Wealth Index (CWI), which grew by an average of 4.3% annually between 1995 and 2020, driven primarily by human and produced capital. However, real per capita GDP grew more slowly at 2.8%, indicating a declining rate of return on wealth from 6.8% in 1995 to 4.8% in 2020. The study highlights inefficiencies in natural resource management and a lack of investment in renewable energy, suggesting that better asset management could have pushed Indonesia into the World Bank's upper-middle-income category by 2020.

The report concludes that TotalEnergies' strategy prioritizes oil and gas expansion and shareholder returns over the energy transition. It finds that the company's 2030 production targets and LNG capacity expansions significantly overshoot NZE limits, while its renewable energy growth relies primarily on acquisitions rather than organic development. Furthermore, the report argues that TotalEnergies' diversification into gas power, blue hydrogen, and bioenergy is unsustainable and that its emissions targets rely heavily on unproven carbon capture and offset technologies.

The Global Subnational Agricultural Production (GSAP) database is the first standardized global dataset providing subnational agricultural production data (2010–21) for the world's 50 most relevant crops. By collecting data from national agricultural censuses and surveys at the district, province, or region level, GSAP fills a critical information gap left by national-level data sources like FAOSTAT. The database currently covers 185 countries and approximately 15,000 subnational jurisdictions, capturing a significant portion of global production for staples such as soybean (92%), maize and sugarcane (85%), and wheat and rice (75%). The project aims to enhance the accuracy of analyses regarding yield gaps, climate adaptation, and supply chain sustainability, with future goals including the launch of a public online platform and the expansion of data to include livestock and forestry.

The report finds that global coal capacity reached a historic high in 2023, increasing by 48.4 GW to a total of 2,130 GW. While new construction starts reached a nine-year low outside of China, China saw an eight-year high in new starts. Only 15% of global operating coal capacity has commitments to close in line with the 1.5°C Paris Agreement goal. In Indonesia, the report highlights a surge in 'captive' coal plants supporting nickel smelting, noting that 27.5% of Indonesia's operating coal capacity is captive. Despite the US$20 billion Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP), Indonesia's early retirement targets for coal plants shrank from 5.5 GW to 1.7 GW in late 2023.

The document explores the theoretical capacity of superhot rock energy in South America, highlighting its potential to meet rising energy demands, reduce fossil fuel reliance, and leverage existing oil and gas expertise, while noting that commercial scale is not expected by 2030.

The document asserts that high-emitting States have breached international obligations to prevent significant transboundary harm and protect human rights by allowing cumulative greenhouse gas emissions to degrade the global climate system. It argues that these breaches constitute internationally wrongful acts under the law of State responsibility, requiring States to cease wrongful conduct and provide full reparation—including restitution, compensation, and satisfaction—for material and moral injuries. The memorandum emphasizes that international climate agreements like the Paris Agreement do not preclude these reparations and suggests that the burden of proof for causation should shift to responsible States given the available attribution science.

The report examines how International Climate Finance (ICF) can better support sectoral transitions in emerging economies, arguing that current architecture is limited by insufficient funding and a reliance on loans that increase sovereign debt. Through case studies of Brazil, India, Indonesia, and South Africa, it highlights the need for ICF designs that account for sectoral characteristics, cross-sectoral linkages, and economy-wide transition needs to avoid carbon lock-ins and support just energy transitions.

The report highlights a divide between emerging middle powers (IBSA) and Germany regarding the war in Ukraine, the dominance of the US dollar, and the role of BRICS+. While IBSA respondents prefer mediation in conflicts and view the US dollar's dominance unfavourably, German respondents support Ukraine and view the dollar's role as favourable. Despite these differences, there is shared optimism for the G20 and a common interest in the 2030 Agenda, specifically regarding technology transfer and global public investment.

The report identifies critical gaps in the governance of legal deforestation in the MATOPIBA region (Maranhão, Tocantins, Piauí, and Bahia), where agricultural expansion for soy and corn drives significant vegetation loss. It highlights a lack of clarity in legal competence between state and municipal authorities for issuing Authorizations for the Suppression of Vegetation (ASV) and the failure of the national SINAFLOR system to serve as an effective management tool. Key issues include underreporting of ASVs, a lack of public transparency regarding georeferenced data, and technical incompatibilities between state and federal systems. The authors recommend that the federal government clarify issuing competencies, improve SINAFLOR's functionality, and ensure open access to complete ASV data to support the goal of zero deforestation by 2030.

The report analyzes Brazil's complex legislative framework for forest restoration, concluding that current policies are designed for property-scale rather than landscape-scale implementation. It identifies three essential factors for scaling up: permitting a variety of restoration typologies within a single project, breaking barriers between public and private land tenure, and integrating both mandatory and voluntary restoration areas. The authors argue that the ongoing revision of the National Plan for Native Vegetation Recovery (PLANAVEG) is a critical opportunity to implement these changes and leverage the carbon market to achieve climate and socioeconomic goals.

The Kuali Fund-GCF Gender Assessment analyzes gender disparities in the financial and agricultural sectors across Brazil, Colombia, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, and Panama. It identifies systemic barriers—including limited access to credit, land ownership gaps, and the burden of unpaid care work—that hinder women-led micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and female smallholder farmers. The report argues that women are more vulnerable to climate change and face a significant financing gap, which the fund aims to address through a Gender Action Plan (GAP) involving technical assistance, gender-responsive financial products, and capacity building for financial service providers (FSPs).

The author argues that the Thirteenth WTO Ministerial Conference (MC13) failed to produce tangible progress on climate-related trade issues due to geopolitical tensions and opposition from members like India. While some plurilateral initiatives and external coalitions showed modest activity, the document suggests that success should now be measured by the revitalization of the WTO Committee on Trade and Environment and the development of non-binding codes of conduct rather than binding multilateral agreements.

The document examines the systemic failures in managing legal deforestation in Brazil's Matopiba region, highlighting the inefficiency of the Sinaflor system and the lack of transparency in ASV data. It argues that the current governance framework allows for significant underreporting of legal land conversion, which undermines the goal of zero deforestation by 2030 in the Cerrado biome.

The report analyzes Brazil's complex restoration landscape, arguing that current policies are designed for property-scale rather than landscape-scale implementation. It identifies three critical factors for scaling: permitting a variety of restoration typologies within single projects, overcoming land tenure uncertainties on public lands, and integrating mandatory legal obligations with voluntary restoration activities. The authors suggest that the ongoing revision of the National Plan for Native Vegetation Recovery (PLANAVEG) is a key opportunity to implement these changes.

The report analyzes the challenges of scaling up forest and native vegetation restoration in Brazil, arguing that current public policies are designed for individual rural properties rather than landscape-scale initiatives. It identifies three essential factors for success: the adoption of multiple complementary restoration typologies, the integration of both public and private lands, and the synergy between mandatory legal restoration and voluntary initiatives. The authors highlight the potential of carbon markets and payment for environmental services to drive these efforts, while noting that regulatory contradictions—particularly regarding environmental licensing for native silviculture—remain significant hurdles.

The report critiques the industrial agribusiness model, describing it as a network of transnational corporations and financial institutions that prioritise profit maximisation through large-scale monocultures and high-input systems. It argues that these entities promote 'false solutions'—including voluntary certifications, sustainable intensification, and regenerative agriculture—to greenwash their image, capture policy-making processes, and commodify nature through carbon markets. The document highlights the negative impacts of this model, such as deforestation in Indonesia and Brazil, human rights violations, and the displacement of small-scale farmers in Argentina, while contrasting these with 'real peoples' solutions' based on food sovereignty and agroecology.

The report critiques the industrial agri-food system, describing it as a network of producers, processors, and retailers that prioritizes profit maximization through intensive monocultures and chemical inputs. It argues that corporate-led initiatives—such as sustainability certifications, 'sustainable intensification,' and 'regenerative agriculture'—are 'false solutions' designed to greenwash industrial practices, capture carbon markets, and shift responsibility to consumers. The document highlights the negative impacts of this model, including deforestation, human rights violations, and the marginalization of small-scale farmers, while contrasting these with 'people's solutions' based on food sovereignty and agroecology.

The report critiques the industrial agribusiness model, describing it as a network of transnational companies and financial institutions that prioritize profit and scale over environmental and social health. It argues that the industry employs 'false solutions'—market-based mechanisms and corporate-led certifications—to avoid genuine regulation and maintain control over the global food system. The document highlights specific examples, including the failure of RSPO certifications in Indonesia and the impact of no-till farming in Argentina, to demonstrate how these tactics often exacerbate deforestation and undermine small-scale producers.

The report finds that since the 2021 IEA Net Zero roadmap, at least 20.3 billion barrels of oil equivalent (boe) of new oil and gas discoveries have been announced. In 2023 alone, 20 fields were approved for development, sanctioning 8 billion boe. The analysis highlights a significant disconnect between the industry's push for new reserves—particularly in South America and Africa—and climate goals, noting that current production pathways are significantly higher than 1.5 degree compatible scenarios. It specifically criticizes the use of scope one and two emissions claims to justify projects while ignoring scope three emissions.