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The IAI Executive Directorate is implementing a multifaceted approach to improve the provision of scientific information to governments in the Americas. This includes drafting procedural regulations for the Science-Policy Advisory Committee (SPAC), establishing links with multilateral environmental agreements, and strengthening the capacity of member states to integrate science into public policy. The report highlights the conclusion of the third round of Cooperative Research Networks (CRN3), detailing how specific projects on nitrogen cycles, tropical dry forests, water security, and marine ecosystems have influenced national policies and management plans in countries such as Brazil, Uruguay, Chile, and Mexico.

The IAI Directorate is implementing Phase One of its Long-Term Funding Strategy, which focuses on planning, preparation, and identifying potential donors across philanthropy, entertainment, politics, and technology sectors. Key efforts include seeking 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status in the United States to facilitate external funding and pursuing 'Readiness Delivery Partner' status with the Green Climate Fund to support member countries. The IAI is also engaging in strategic partnerships, such as a climate resilient governance program for megacities in South America involving Argentina, Brazil, and Chile, and a global project on climate change and migration (SOURCES) led by the University of Amsterdam.

The IAI Executive Directorate reports on its five-year communication plan to better integrate scientific data into policy. Key achievements include a MOOC reaching 10,000 participants, a significant increase in social media engagement, and collaborations with UN agencies (UNOSSC, UNFCCC) on publications regarding urban climate management and coastal loss and damage. The IAI also produced eight synthesis reports on regional environmental issues and held high-level events at COP-24 and the AGU Centennial.

The IAI Directorate's report details the implementation of the IAI Long-Term Communications Strategy and Plan, focusing on increasing public awareness and providing scientific data to policymakers. Key activities include joint publications with UN agencies, the development of project briefs on climate and environmental issues, and the use of social media and online courses to disseminate research findings.

The IAI Directorate reports the successful July 2018 merger of the Science-Policy Liaison Directorate (Buenos Aires) with the Integrated Operations and Finance Directorate, as mandated by Decision XXVI/19. The report notes that the establishment of a Science Development Office in Brazil was deemed unnecessary and that the transition occurred without service interruptions.

The document details how human-induced climate change is altering ocean chemistry and temperature, accelerating sea-level rise, and melting high-mountain glaciers in Latin America. It emphasizes that while some changes are inevitable, urgent mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions is the primary way to limit future damage. The guide highlights the vulnerability of coastal ecosystems and high-mountain communities, arguing that early investment in disaster risk reduction and integrated governance is more cost-effective than future recovery.

The IAI Directorate Science reports on the final phase of the third Collaborative Research Network (CRN3), the launch of the Small Grant Program on ecosystem services and human wellbeing (SGP-HW), and the planning for the fourth Collaborative Research Network (CRN4). Key initiatives include a co-design process for climate adaptation in the megacities of Buenos Aires, São Paulo, and Santiago de Chile, and a collaborative research framework with Argentina's CONICET. The Directorate is shifting toward a co-funding model to diversify science funding and is emphasizing transdisciplinary research aligned with international frameworks like the SDGs.

The meeting, held on 2-3 April 2018, brought together policy makers, scientists, and international organizations to establish a co-designed research program for megacities in the South. The initiative aims to provide scientific guidance for adaptation and mitigation actions, specifically targeting decarbonization in transport, housing, and waste management, as well as addressing climate-related health risks and extreme weather events. The participants outlined a seven-component research plan emphasizing governance, social dimensions of adaptation, and capacity building to support the implementation of the Paris Agreement and Sustainable Development Goals in Buenos Aires, Santiago, and Sao Paulo.

The document outlines a strategy for companies to drive global climate action by engaging with governments. It recommends that CEOs use high-profile events to advocate for the Paris Agreement, align corporate emissions-cutting efforts with national 'nationally determined contributions' (NDCs), and meet with government ministers to break down policy silos. The text highlights a gap in NDCs, noting that while 114 NDCs highlight renewable energy, far fewer address energy storage (31) or water conservation and reuse (33).

Friends of the Earth International denounces the Argentine government for cancelling the accreditation of 61 civil society representatives for the December 2017 WTO meeting in Buenos Aires. The organization argues that WTO policies often hinder climate action, such as the ruling against India's National Solar Mission, and penalize developing countries' food storage programs while allowing subsidies in the EU and US. The statement further criticizes the lack of transparency in trade agreements like RCEP and TTIP, calling for a trade system based on human rights, sustainable environmental policy, and food sovereignty.

Friends of the Earth International denounces the Argentine government for barring them and 60 other civil society members from the December 2017 WTO conference in Buenos Aires. The organization argues that WTO policies often obstruct climate action and food sovereignty, citing the penalization of India's National Solar Mission and public food reserve programs in developing countries. The statement further criticizes the secrecy surrounding trade agreements like RCEP and TTIP, calling for a trade system based on human rights, sustainable environmental policy, and food sovereignty.

The document evaluates the progress of WTO commitments made at the 10th Ministerial Conference (MC10) in Nairobi, specifically regarding agriculture and least-developed countries (LDCs). It highlights significant implementation gaps, such as the lack of a permanent solution for public stockholding for food security and the slow pace of eliminating agricultural export subsidies. The paper notes a fundamental disagreement between developed and developing nations over whether to prioritize the Doha Development Agenda (DDA) or introduce new 21st-century trade issues. For South Africa, the authors recommend aligning with the Africa Group on regional integration and industrialization, supporting the G33 proposal on public stockholding, and backing the ACP proposal on fisheries subsidies to support its own ocean economy.

The guide examines the politics of climate change in three Latin American mega-cities, finding that while political leadership and local framing drive policy adoption, implementation is often hindered by a lack of broad social coalitions and low electoral salience of climate issues.

The National Designated Authority for Argentina has formally nominated the Unit for Rural Change, part of the Ministry of Agriculture, Stockbreeding and Fisheries, for accreditation to the Green Climate Fund.

The report details the transition of the IAI to a tripartite structure. The Executive Directorate of Integrated Operations and Finance is operational in Montevideo, Uruguay, following a host country agreement that entered into force on December 13, 2013. The Science-Policy Liaison Directorate in Buenos Aires, Argentina, has renovated office space at the Ministry of Science, Technology and Productive Innovation, though staffing for the Director and assistants has faced delays. The Science Development Directorate in São José dos Campos, Brazil, remains under negotiation as the IAI seeks to ensure the host country agreement refers to the IAI as a whole rather than just the specific directorate to avoid operational difficulties.

The Implementation Committee reports on the transition to a tripartite structure for the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI). The Integrated Operations and Finance Directorate in Montevideo, Uruguay, is largely operational following the ratification of its host country agreement on December 13, 2013. The Science-Policy Liaison Directorate in Buenos Aires, Argentina, has renovated office space, though staffing for the Director and Assistant Director positions has been delayed by administrative and diploma legalization issues. The establishment of the Science Development Directorate in São José dos Campos, Brazil, remains pending due to ongoing negotiations over the host country agreement, specifically regarding whether the agreement should cover the IAI as a whole or only the specific directorate.

The IAI is implementing a tripartite structure with headquarters operations moving to Montevideo and a strategic office in Buenos Aires. Research priorities include monitoring CRN3 projects, finalizing a MacArthur Foundation project on tropical Andean biodiversity, and leading the Latin American network for Future Earth. Capacity building includes a modeling event in Panama City and the management of seed grants. Policy engagement focuses on contributions to IPBES, the UNFCCC's SBSTA, and planned events for the UNFCCC COP in Lima regarding environmental monitoring and global change governance.

The document identifies three critical sets of conditions for the effective implementation of local climate policies in developing countries: government capacity, problem framing, and political factors. It argues that while government capacity (legal, financial, and technical) acts as a necessary enabling condition, the actual motivation for policy action depends on how climate goals are framed to align with local socioeconomic concerns and the influence of political entrepreneurs and interest groups. The author emphasizes that implementation is more politically challenging than adoption and suggests a 'configurational' approach to understanding how these various factors combine to produce successful outcomes.

The IAI activities plan for 2014-2015 focuses on institutional restructuring, the monitoring of CRN3 projects, and the leadership of the Latin American Future Earth Network. Key initiatives include a training event in Panama, the closure of a MacArthur Foundation project on Andean biodiversity, and participation in IPBES and UNFCCC processes, including planned events for the CoP in Lima.

The report analyzes the transition of water from a public commons to a financial asset, examining how privatization, commoditization, and financialization are driven by corporate interests and international financial institutions. Through case studies from Palestine, Australia, Sri Lanka, the US, Colombia, Argentina, Uruguay, Switzerland, England, Mozambique, Mexico, and El Salvador, it documents the social and ecological impacts of this shift, including water scarcity, pollution, and the violation of territorial rights. It advocates for a public/community-based management model that prioritizes the human right to water over profit.