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This briefing note provides background for an IISD webinar on the development and negotiation of model bilateral investment treaties (BITs). It examines why countries are revising their investment governance frameworks, the shift toward more transparent consultation processes, and the substantive changes in new-generation models aimed at protecting the right to regulate and promoting sustainable development.

This briefing, issued by the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) on September 27, 2018, presents a draft outline of the IAI's Strategic Plan for review by its member Parties. The document details the process for developing the plan, its overarching vision and mission, and a structured framework organized around three main themes: responding to the needs of member Parties, advancing science for sustainability in the Americas, and ensuring the long-term sustainability of the IAI organization.

A statement by Friends of the Earth International calling for a radical systemic overhaul of global energy, food, political, and economic systems to prevent global warming from exceeding 1.5 degrees Celsius. The document argues that current incremental measures and 'false solutions' are insufficient and that a transition to decentralized, people-led renewable energy is necessary to achieve climate justice.

A statement by Friends of the Earth International calling for a radical systemic change in global energy, food, political, and economic systems to limit global warming to 1.5°C and achieve climate justice.

The report argues that government efforts to limit flood risk through natural infrastructure are consistent with fiduciary responsibilities and good governance. It identifies a need for frameworks to guide the selection of natural infrastructure over grey infrastructure and notes that Canada faces increasing flood risks from fluvial, pluvial, and coastal sources.

This guide outlines the methodology used by the Climate Bonds Initiative (CBI) to assess and include debt instruments in its Green Bond Database. It details a three-step screening process based on the Climate Bonds Taxonomy to ensure that listed bonds align with climate science and the 2-degree Celsius warming limit set by the Paris Agreement.

The Climate Bonds Initiative (CBI) employs a rigorous screening methodology to identify eligible green bonds for its database, requiring at least 95% of proceeds to align with the Climate Bonds Taxonomy. The taxonomy spans eight sectors, including energy and transport, while strictly excluding fossil fuel-related assets. Bonds certified under the Climate Bonds Standard are automatically included, and the CBI maintains a dynamic process for the re-classification of bonds based on updated information or evolving scientific criteria.

This systematic review analyzed 244 studies to determine the impact of prescribed burning on biodiversity in temperate and boreal forests, finding positive effects on certain plant richness but noting high heterogeneity and potential risks to conservation-dependent taxa.

The Carbon-Free Regions Handbook: Mobility is a guide by RMI that outlines strategic actions for regional governments to reduce the carbon intensity of transportation, which currently accounts for 14% of global greenhouse gas emissions.

This report by the International Institute for Sustainable Development analyzes the Government of Canada's 'progressive and inclusive' trade and investment agenda. It argues that Canada's current model, based on investment protection and liberalization, fails to align with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and creates risks through investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) mechanisms. The author urges the government to use upcoming consultations on the model foreign investment promotion and protection agreement (FIPA) to fundamentally rethink investment governance rather than making marginal procedural fixes.

The City of Toronto issued a CAD 300 million green debenture on August 1, 2018, to fund sustainable transport and related infrastructure. As the second Canadian city to issue green bonds, Toronto's framework also allows for investments in renewable energy, green buildings (requiring LEED Gold or Toronto Green Standard Tier 2), water and waste management, and climate resilience.

This policy brief by the Institute for Economic Justice (IEJ) argues that South Africa's monetary policy is 'anti-developmental' because it prioritizes price stability and inflation targeting over growth and employment. The author contends that the South African Reserve Bank (SARB) relies on inappropriate tools, specifically interest rate manipulation, which discourages investment and contributes to de-industrialization and financialization. The brief proposes a fundamental shift toward a developmental monetary framework involving direct credit provision to productive sectors, the monetisation of fiscal operations, and closer coordination between the SARB and the National Treasury.

The Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (CAPE) submitted a statement to the Task Force on Just Transition for Canadian Coal Power Workers and Communities advocating for the accelerated phase-out of coal-fired power plants. CAPE argues that while closing these plants provides critical climate and public health benefits, it must be accompanied by a just transition plan to protect the social determinants of health for displaced workers and communities.

This storybook introduces Floating Treatment Wetlands (FTWs), artificial platforms that enable aquatic emergent plants to grow in deep water to improve the quality of freshwater lakes by capturing nutrients and transforming pollutants.

This briefing by the Climate Bonds Initiative outlines key public sector green bond policy developments from the first half of 2018, focusing on sovereign issuance, national guidelines, financial incentives, and the role of central banks in supporting the energy transition.

This guide by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) provides a strategic framework for governments to design and implement local content policies in the mining sector. It outlines a four-step process—aligning with national objectives, taking stock of capabilities, crafting specific policies, and establishing monitoring mechanisms—to ensure mining investments contribute to sustainable, inclusive economic development and diversification.

This fact sheet details a CAD 450 million green bond issued by Ontario Power Generation on June 22, 2018, to finance hydroelectric projects and other clean energy initiatives in Canada.

This article summarizes the Tropospheric Ozone Assessment Report (TOAR-Vegetation), which analyzes ozone distribution and trends across over 3,300 vegetated sites globally using three specific metrics (M12, AOT40, and W126) to assess impacts on vegetation.

The report details the 46th meeting of the Executive Council (EC) of the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research, held on 22 June 2018 in Antigua, Guatemala. The meeting focused on electing a new EC Bureau, reviewing decisions from the 26th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (CoP-26), and discussing the implementation of the IAI Strategic Plan.

The report details the proceedings and 45 decisions of the 26th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (CoP-26) of the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI), held in Antigua, Guatemala, on June 20-21, 2018. The meeting focused on financial sustainability, the development of a new Strategic Plan, the strengthening of science-policy interfaces, and the expansion of institutional partnerships.