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The 2011 Executive Directorate report of the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) details scientific synthesis efforts, the proposal for a new Center of Excellence on water security, and capacity-building initiatives across Latin America and the Caribbean. It also highlights significant institutional challenges regarding personnel stability and diplomatic relations with its host country, Brazil.

This quarterly financial report from the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) details the institute's budget status, country contributions, and operational expenses as of March and April 2011, prepared for a meeting in Asunción, Paraguay.

This research paper examines the strategic considerations and challenges associated with deploying carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology in developing countries, specifically comparing policies and activities in Brazil, India, and South Africa.

The 2011 Report on Science Program by the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) details the achievements of four scientific programs between May 2010 and April 2011. These include the Second Collaborative Research Network (CRNII), the Small Grants Program for the Human Dimensions (SGP-HD), and a project on land use and biofuels in the La Plata Basin. The report emphasizes the integration of social and economic research into natural science to bridge the science-policy divide, highlighting impacts on urban pollution management, forest conservation, and agricultural risk reduction across the Americas.

This research paper by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) examines the role of safeguards and the pursuit of 'multiple benefits' within the REDD+ mechanism established by the Cancun Agreements. It explores how safeguard systems can move beyond a 'do no harm' approach to actively promote sustainable development, poverty alleviation, and biodiversity conservation. The document analyzes various international safeguard standards, reviews how developing countries are integrating these into their Readiness Preparation Proposals (R-PPs), and discusses the institutional and financial challenges of creating a transparent information-sharing system for monitoring compliance.

This report by Friends of the Earth International and several partner organisations argues against the 'Principles for Responsible Agricultural Investment' (RAI), asserting that large-scale land acquisitions—or 'land grabbing'—cannot be made responsible and should instead be outlawed to protect food sovereignty and human rights.

A statement by Friends of the Earth International and a coalition of social movements condemning the 'Principles of Responsible Agricultural Investment' (RAI) as a facade to legitimize large-scale land grabbing. The document argues that these voluntary principles, promoted by the World Bank and other international agencies, mask financial speculation and human rights violations while advocating instead for food sovereignty and genuine land reform.

The document contains the minutes of the Seventeenth IAI Conference of the Parties (CoP), held on June 9-10, 2010, in Brasilia, Brazil. The meeting focused on the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research's (IAI) financial status, the approval of its 2010-2011 core budget and annual program, and the election of members to its Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC) and Executive Council (EC). It also details national reports on climate change mitigation and adaptation from member countries and discusses the development of a new strategic plan and potential involvement in REDD+ initiatives.

The minutes of the 17th IAI Conference of the Parties (2010) detail the institute's struggle with a 1.75 million USD deficit due to unpaid member contributions, which hampered its scientific and administrative operations. Despite this, the CoP approved a 1.279 million USD budget for 2010-2011 and a new annual plan. The meeting focused on strategic planning for a new scientific program to replace CRN II, exploring REDD+ funding, and electing new members to the Scientific Advisory Committee and Executive Council. Member countries shared updates on national greenhouse gas inventories, adaptation strategies, and carbon neutrality goals.

Minutes from the 29th Meeting of the Executive Council (EC) of the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI), held on June 8, 2010, in Brasilia, Brazil. The meeting focused on a severe financial crisis caused by unpaid member contributions, the approval of the 2010-2011 operating budget, and strategic planning for the institute's scientific programs and its relationship with member countries and the host country, Brazil.

This preliminary analysis examines carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) deployment in Norway and Brazil, suggesting that in these cases, CCS has been utilized as a strategic tool for economic competitiveness rather than primarily for climate change mitigation.

This research paper examines South Africa's strategic objectives and challenges following its invitation to join the BRIC grouping in December 2010, focusing on its role as a representative for Africa in global governance, development, and trade.

This report documents a speaker's meeting on April 4, 2011, featuring Rob Davies, the South African Minister of Trade and Industry. The discussion focuses on South Africa's trade strategy, the challenges of the WTO Doha Development Round, and the potential of the Tripartite Free Trade Agreement (T-FTA) to enhance regional integration and economic growth.

This meeting report details a policy dialogue organized by the European Centre for Development Policy Management (ECDPM) and the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA) in March 2011. The event focused on the implications of engagement by China, India, and Brazil (CIB) in Africa and how this affects Africa-Europe relations, emphasizing the need for mutual learning, triangular cooperation, and African-led development strategies.

This policy briefing examines the trend of trade protectionism and 'bail-out' subsidies following the global economic recession, specifically analyzing whether South Africa's industrial support measures comply with World Trade Organization (WTO) rules under the Agreement on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures (ASCM).

This briefing synthesizes a project on electricity supply and trade in Southern Africa and South America, focusing on the role of anchor states (South Africa and Brazil) in balancing energy security with climate change mitigation. It identifies technological lock-in and outdated institutional frameworks as primary barriers to transitioning to cleaner energy sources.

This research paper analyzes how the accounting of international greenhouse gas (GHG) offsets affects the integrity of global climate mitigation pledges. Using a spreadsheet model based on marginal abatement costs, the authors examine scenarios where offsets are either double-counted (credited to both the buyer and seller) or counted only for the buyer. The study finds that double-counting could significantly dilute the ambition of current pledges, potentially reducing global abatement by up to 1.6 billion tons of CO2e by 2020, thereby increasing the gap to meet 2°C warming targets.

This research paper examines South Africa's expected formal admission into the BRICs grouping in April 2011. The author questions the strategic motivation and economic utility of this membership, arguing that the BRICs lack a formal political or economic structure and that South Africa's economic goals can be better pursued through bilateral relations and a broader South-South strategy.

This fact sheet describes the vulnerability of tropical dry forests in the Americas to global change, detailing trends in productivity and the critical need for expanded conservation efforts to protect biodiversity and ecosystem services.

This report reviews the 2002 Belgian Model Bilateral Investment Treaty (BIT), arguing that it follows a traditional European model that provides extensive protections for foreign investors while imposing broad obligations on host states. The authors contend that the model lacks necessary refinements to preserve policy space for sustainable development, environmental protection, and labour rights, and fails to address governance issues in investor-state dispute settlement.