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This report examines gender gaps in climate change mitigation financing and proposes solutions to improve project efficacy and sustainability. It argues that mitigation efforts have historically been 'gender-neutral,' often overlooking the disproportionate impact of climate change on women and their potential as leaders in solutions. Through case studies in Nepal, Mali, and Colombia, the document demonstrates that integrating gender perspectives from the design phase leads to better economic and social outcomes and higher project sustainability.

The report argues that climate mitigation projects often ignore gender, treating technical solutions as 'gender neutral,' which can reinforce inequalities. By examining projects in Nepal, Mali, and Colombia, it demonstrates that integrating gender perspectives—through sex-disaggregated data, targeted training, and safety measures—increases the effectiveness and long-term viability of mitigation efforts. It highlights the role of international mechanisms like the UNFCCC, GEF, and CDM in promoting gender-responsive climate finance.

The document outlines a three-step process for NDC implementation: preparatory work, plan elaboration, and execution. It emphasizes a holistic approach across five key modules: governance, mitigation, adaptation, finance, and measurement, reporting, and verification (MRV). The guide stresses the importance of integrating climate actions into national development planning, ensuring gender sensitivity, and aligning with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The document outlines four key legal disputes from the ICJ climate justice hearings: the scope of governing law beyond the Paris Agreement, the applicability of human rights law to climate mitigation, the duty to prevent transboundary environmental harm, and the legal basis for climate reparations.

Civil society organizations argue that the IDB must move beyond 'half-measures' to ensure the MICI is an effective accountability mechanism. Key demands include repealing the requirement for complainants to first engage with Bank Management, removing the 'legal exclusion' that prevents MICI from reviewing cases with ongoing national court proceedings, and granting MICI the authority to launch investigations without Board approval. The authors highlight a systemic failure to provide remedy for harmed communities, citing a case in Colombia where noise pollution from El Dorado International Airport caused health issues despite MICI findings of noncompliance. They further urge the Bank to replace MICI's reliance on short-term consultants with permanent staff to preserve institutional memory and reduce case processing delays.

The report documents a global pattern of violence and legal harassment against land and environmental rights defenders in 2013. It argues that these individuals, often representing vulnerable indigenous or rural communities, are targeted by governments and corporations during conflicts over natural resources and large-scale development projects. The document provides specific case studies from Europe, the Americas, Africa, and Asia, detailing arrests, assassinations, and forced displacements linked to opposition to mining, hydroelectric dams, agribusiness, and oil exploration.

The brief asserts that customary international law requires states to exercise due diligence to prevent significant transboundary environmental harm, a principle rooted in the 'sic utere' doctrine and affirmed by the International Court of Justice and various international declarations. It argues that the 1988 U.N. Convention Against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances does not act as lex specialis to displace this obligation because the Convention focuses on cooperation against drug trafficking rather than state liability for environmental damage.

The document asserts that the phaseout of fossil fuels is a legal requirement under customary international law, human rights law, the law of the sea, and climate treaties like the Paris Agreement. It argues that States must use all available means to prevent significant climate harm, including curbing fossil fuel production, licensing, and subsidies. The authors emphasize that developed States bear a higher burden of responsibility and must provide financial and technological support to developing nations for a just transition. Furthermore, the letter claims that climate obligations are 'erga omnes' and should take precedence over investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) claims.

The document presents a collection of statements from legal experts and policy advisors asserting that international law, supported by rulings from bodies such as the International Court of Justice, requires states to phase out fossil fuels to prevent climate harm and protect human rights.

The guide provides a comprehensive analysis of the legal frameworks governing the trade of tangible and intangible biodiversity assets in the Andean Region. It examines the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and Andean Community (CAN) Decision 391 regarding genetic resources, the CITES convention for endangered species, and WTO agreements (Agriculture, SPS, TBT, and GATS) for agricultural and intermediate products. It also addresses the protection of traditional knowledge, intellectual property rights, and the opportunities for Andean countries to participate in the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) under the Kyoto Protocol to mitigate climate change.

The report details how mercury pollution impacts human health and violates international human rights. It highlights the vulnerability of fetuses and children to neurotoxins, the dangers of artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM), and the systemic failure to protect workers and communities from toxic exposure. Key examples include the Minamata disaster in Japan and mercury-contaminated grain in Iraq.

The document details how mercury exposure—through industrial emissions, artisanal gold mining, and contaminated food sources—causes severe neurological and systemic health damage, particularly in fetuses and children. It links these health outcomes to violations of international human rights frameworks and provides case studies of mass poisoning in Japan, Iraq, and South Africa.

The report examines the draft investment chapter of the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA), finding that it largely replicates NAFTA's Chapter 11. It warns that the proposed investor-state dispute settlement mechanism, broad definitions of expropriation, and restrictions on capital controls and performance requirements would empower corporations to challenge domestic laws and hinder sovereign economic and social development across the hemisphere.

The report examines the draft investment chapter of the FTAA, highlighting its reliance on the NAFTA model. It identifies several critical areas where the draft threatens democratic governance and environmental protection, specifically through investor-state dispute settlement mechanisms, broad definitions of expropriation, and restrictions on capital controls and performance requirements.

The paper analyzes the convergence of human rights and environmental law, arguing that a healthy environment is a prerequisite for the enjoyment of fundamental human rights. It explores legal tools within the Inter-American System—such as precautionary measures, admissibility exceptions, and state responsibility for third-party actions—to address environmental degradation. Through a comparative analysis of jurisprudence from the Inter-American, African, and European systems, the author demonstrates how rights to life, integrity, property, and information are increasingly interpreted to include environmental dimensions, emphasizing the state's duty of due diligence to prevent harm from industrial activities.

The document argues that the IFC's proposed Approach to Responsible Exit fails to establish remedial responsibilities for the IFC or the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA), effectively allowing the institutions to exit projects without addressing harms caused by their investments. The authors contend that remedy should be a prerequisite for exit, as divestment removes the financial leverage necessary to drive corrective action. They propose four core principles: ensuring exits do not undermine ongoing Compliance Advisor Ombudsman (CAO) processes, conducting pre-divestment due diligence verified by communities, implementing meaningful consultation at least 12 months prior to divestment, and establishing protocols to prevent and manage reprisals against affected populations. The submission includes a table of projects in China, Egypt, Chile, Colombia, Nicaragua, and elsewhere where the IFC allegedly exited without providing remedy for documented harms such as forced labor, environmental damage, and human rights violations.

This research paper, published in November 1999 by WWF-World Wide Fund for Nature and authored by experts from the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL), examines the conflict between World Trade Organization (WTO) rules and trade measures used in Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs). The authors argue that uncertainty regarding WTO consistency is used by some nations to 'chill' the development of effective environmental laws, specifically citing the Biosafety Protocol and the POPs Agreement. The paper recommends that WTO members adopt a political statement of consistency and negotiate a separate agreement to grant MEAs equal status with WTO rules.

The document highlights that micro- and nanoplastics are ubiquitous atmospheric pollutants that can travel thousands of kilometers, leading to significant human inhalation. It details how these particles can penetrate deep into the lungs and enter the vascular system, acting as vectors for toxic chemicals. The report links exposure to various respiratory, metabolic, and reproductive health issues and calls for a legally binding international agreement to address the full life cycle of plastics.

The document argues that a small number of fossil fuel and cement producers, termed 'Carbon Majors', are responsible for a significant portion of global greenhouse gas emissions and the subsequent climate crisis. It details how these entities' activities and disinformation campaigns have led to severe human rights violations, particularly in the Philippines, where climate-induced disasters like Typhoon Haiyan have caused immense loss of life and livelihood. The text leverages international human rights law, the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, and the 'Carbon Majors' study to establish a framework for corporate accountability and legal liability for climate damages.

The report examines 38 cases of international arbitration brought by mining companies against Latin American states, highlighting a pattern where corporate legal protections are used to bypass national courts and penalize governments for implementing public health, environmental, or indigenous rights policies. It identifies Canada as a primary source of mining investment and litigation in the region and argues that the current ISDS framework creates a 'chilling effect' on democratic regulation. The document details specific cases in countries such as El Salvador, Colombia, and Venezuela, and proposes a shift toward a legal framework that prioritizes human rights and environmental protection over investor profits.