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The International Conservation Budget 2014 details U.S. government initiatives to protect global biodiversity and natural resources. It highlights the strategic link between conservation and national security, noting how resource scarcity and illegal wildlife trafficking fuel instability and terrorism. The report outlines funding and activities across agencies including USAID, the Department of the Treasury (via the Global Environment Facility and Tropical Forest Conservation Act), the Department of State, and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. Key efforts include combating wildlife trafficking, managing transboundary landscapes through the SCAPES program, and implementing REDD+ initiatives in Mexico and the Amazon. The document emphasizes the role of public-private partnerships and community-based natural resource management in achieving sustainable development and protecting critical ecosystems across Africa, Asia, and Latin America.

This collection of articles from the Green European Journal examines the instability of the current financial system, the risks posed by fossil fuel asset bubbles, and the need for a 'green' economic transition. It critiques the role of private bank money creation, the impact of austerity in the EU periphery, and the influence of banking lobbies on regulation, while proposing alternatives such as sovereign money, debt jubilees, and mandatory climate risk accounting for financial institutions.

The report analyzes the landscape of investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS), noting that the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) and the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) are the most frequently used frameworks. It examines the governing structures of intergovernmental bodies (ICSID, PCA, UNCITRAL) versus non-governmental ones (ICC, SCC, LCIA, CRCICA), arguing that intergovernmental structures offer better reform opportunities for states. The document highlights critical flaws in the current system, including the 'dual-role' of arbitrators acting as both counsel and judge, the lack of transparency in private institutions, and the limited avenues for states to challenge awards based on errors of law or fact. It suggests that systemic reforms to these central rules could impact thousands of existing investment treaties simultaneously.

The document outlines the observed and projected climate impacts in Latin America, emphasizing the need for integrated adaptation and low-carbon development to protect economic growth and human security.

The document argues that disaster risk reduction (DRR) and climate change adaptation have evolved separately despite significant overlaps. It highlights that while DRR focuses on near-term risks and emergency management, adaptation takes a longer-term view of adjusting to climatic shifts. The brief emphasizes that both are driven by exposure and vulnerability, which are often exacerbated by poor development planning. It calls for a transformative approach that prioritizes vulnerability reduction over simple risk management, integrating human rights and sustainable development to prevent the creation of new risks.

The document analyzes the slowdown of deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon, noting that while overall rates dropped by 83% from 2004 to 2012, progress has stalled. It argues that previous command-and-control measures were more effective for large landowners than for smallholders or those in remote areas. The brief recommends shifting toward incentive-based policies, adopting higher-resolution monitoring technology, and tailoring interventions to specific actor types to achieve Brazil's 2020 deforestation goals.

The document analyzes the effectiveness of Brazil's anti-deforestation policies in the Amazon, noting that while an 83% reduction in annual deforestation was achieved between 2004 and 2012, progress has since stagnated. It argues that previous 'command and control' measures primarily targeted large landowners and critical frontiers, leaving smallholders and remote areas less addressed. The authors recommend shifting toward incentive-based policies for small farmers, adopting high-resolution radar monitoring to detect smaller clearings, and focusing on forest degradation rather than just total forest cover.

The document outlines SEI's approach to climate adaptation, emphasizing that vulnerability is driven more by socioeconomic conditions than by climate exposure. It argues that adaptation and development are inextricably linked and that adaptation has inherent limits, meaning it cannot replace mitigation. The briefing also details SEI's global initiatives, such as the weADAPT platform and the Asia Adaptation Knowledge Platform, and identifies future research priorities including the role of gender, culture, and the private sector in adaptation.

The document examines the concept of 'unburnable carbon' and the risk of 'lock-in' where new fossil fuel infrastructure commits societies to high-emission pathways. It highlights a gap in green growth planning, which typically focuses on demand-side efficiency rather than supply-side extraction limits. The authors argue that without widespread carbon capture and storage (CCS), a 2°C warming limit will require leaving the majority of coal and unconventional oil reserves in the ground, potentially creating a 'carbon bubble' of overvalued assets.

The report documents a pattern of violence and judicial harassment against land and environmental rights defenders in 2013. It argues that these individuals are particularly vulnerable as global competition for land and resources increases, often facing threats from government forces and corporations. The document provides specific case studies from Europe, the Americas, Africa, and Asia, detailing arrests, murders, and forced evictions linked to opposition against extractive industries, mega-projects, and agribusiness.

The document argues that a green transformation requires a comprehensive political project combining technological innovation with social change. It examines the tension between 'green growth' and 'degrowth', the need for a European Green New Deal, and the role of federalism in managing ecological and social crises. The text also addresses the challenges of migrant integration and the necessity of expanding solidarity to include nature and future generations.

The document is a participant list for the 21st Conference of the Parts, held June 12-13, 2013, in Montevideo, Uruguay. It details representatives from various countries, including Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, and the USA, as well as observers and staff from the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) and the Ministry of Housing, Territorial Planning and Environment (MVOTMA/DINAMA).

The report details the transition of the IAI to a tripartite management scheme with offices in Argentina, Uruguay, and Brazil. While agreements are in place and staff appointed in Argentina and Uruguay, the agreement with Brazil remains under study. Additionally, the report highlights a critical lack of continuity in the Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC) due to unfilled vacancies and expiring mandates, and notes the IAI's participation in the ENSOCIO-LA project and the World Climate Research Programme (WCRP) for America and the Caribbean.

The CDKN East Africa Climate Finance Workshop identified a gap between pledged and required climate finance and highlighted the need for supportive policy environments and institutional architecture to improve readiness. Participants noted a preference for grants over loans, particularly for adaptation, and emphasized the importance of inter-ministerial coordination and private sector engagement to catalyze financial flows toward low-emission and climate-resilient options.

National development banks (NDBs) are positioned as critical intermediaries to bridge the climate finance gap by leveraging public funds to attract private capital. Due to their local market knowledge and development mandates, NDBs can address both demand-side barriers (pre-investment) and supply-side risks (investment phase). In the LAC region, NDBs possess significant assets and capital, and many are already utilizing a variety of instruments—including Tier 1 and Tier 2 loans, guarantees, and equity—to promote low-carbon development. The report argues that NDBs can achieve leverage factors equal to or greater than multilateral development banks (MDBs) because of their proximity to local financial institutions and ability to manage country-specific risks.

The document argues that while public and private funding for climate-resilient development is increasing, it remains insufficient to limit global temperature rise to below 2 degrees Celsius. It highlights the need for a more equitable international climate finance architecture, specifically calling for the inclusion of least developed countries and small island developing states in the design of the Green Climate Fund (GCF). The brief emphasizes that climate change should be treated as an economic concern managed by national ministries of finance and planning, and that public finance must be used strategically to unlock the private sector, which is expected to provide over 85% of the necessary funding.

The document identifies five primary drivers for adopting CCD: national awareness of climate adaptation needs, the pursuit of energy security and resource efficiency, the desire to capture new green economic opportunities, the goal of improving access to climate finance, and strong government leadership. Conversely, it outlines seven key challenges: high implementation and opportunity costs, opposition from vested interest groups, lack of reliable data on risks and trade-offs, political short-termism, limited state capacity, institutional constraints (such as inter-ministerial conflict), and technological uncertainties. The paper suggests solutions including the use of carbon markets, participatory dialogue processes, the integration of climate goals into long-term legislation, and the creation of inter-ministerial committees with direct accountability to the presidency.

This research paper by the Climate and Development Knowledge Network (CDKN) examines the drivers and challenges associated with Climate Compatible Development (CCD), defined as a "development first" approach that minimizes climate harm while maximizing human development opportunities in a low-emissions, resilient future. Drawing on experience from over 40 countries, the paper identifies key sociopolitical drivers—such as national resilience needs, energy security, and economic opportunities—and outlines significant barriers, including high implementation costs, political resistance, and institutional capacity gaps.

The document identifies five key drivers for Climate Compatible Development (CCD)—national adaptation needs, energy security, new economic opportunities, access to climate finance, and strong government leadership—while detailing seven primary obstacles, including high opportunity costs, political resistance, and institutional constraints. It provides case studies from over 40 countries to illustrate how these factors interact and suggests solutions such as multi-stakeholder dialogue, legislative anchoring, and risk-sharing financial mechanisms.

The paper identifies five key drivers for CCD: national adaptation needs, energy security and resource efficiency, new economic opportunities, access to climate finance, and strong government leadership. It also outlines seven primary challenges, including high implementation and opportunity costs, opposition from vested interest groups, lack of trusted data, short-term political thinking, limited state capacity, institutional constraints, and technological uncertainties. The authors argue that managing the political economy of CCD is essential for overcoming these barriers.