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Carbon Market Watch argues that existing carbon markets have collapsed due to oversupply and poor quality, specifically citing the CDM and JI. The briefing recommends strengthening additionality criteria, shortening crediting periods, and establishing mandatory human rights and sustainability safeguards. For new mechanisms like the FVA and NMM, it advocates for a binding international governance structure and a common transaction tracking mechanism to prevent double counting of emission reductions.

The report evaluates the 'Doha Gateway' decisions from a human rights perspective, noting that while human rights are not explicitly mentioned in the Doha outcomes, they are referenced via the Cancun Agreements. The analysis covers mitigation ambition, loss and damage mechanisms, REDD+ safeguards, the Clean Development Mechanism's lack of appeals processes, public participation under Article 6, and the adoption of 'gender balance' over 'gender equality'.

Combined heat and power (CHP) systems integrate heat and electric power production, achieving efficiencies of 70 percent or more compared to less than 45 percent for separate production. In the United States, there are over 4,100 systems with more than 82 GW of installed capacity, primarily in the chemical (29%), petroleum refining (18%), and pulp and paper (14%) industries. The DOE and EPA estimate an untapped potential of 130 GW, which could save U.S. businesses $10 billion annually and further reduce CO2 emissions by 150 million tons per year. Beyond efficiency, CHP provides critical resilience during extreme weather events, as demonstrated during Hurricane Sandy and Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. While biomass-fueled CHP offers a path to net carbon negative operations by avoiding methane emissions from waste, widespread deployment is hindered by regulatory and legal barriers, including interconnection standards and backup power rates.

The Jakarta Declaration, issued by representatives from several Asian nations, argues that access to environmental information is critical for public health and pollution control. It calls for the operationalization of Freedom of Information (FOI) laws, the adoption of proactive disclosure requirements for air and water quality, and the creation of mandatory pollutant release and transfer registers. The document emphasizes that environmental data, including emissions from private and state-owned corporations, should not be restricted by claims of commercial confidentiality when it relates to public health.

Combined heat and power (CHP) systems in the U.S. offer significantly higher energy efficiency (70% or more) than separate heat and power production. With over 82 GW of installed capacity, CHP is widely used in industrial sectors, particularly chemicals, petroleum refining, and pulp and paper. The document highlights CHP's ability to provide resilient power during extreme weather events, such as Hurricane Sandy, and its potential to reduce CO2 emissions. While there is an untapped potential of 130 GW, deployment is hindered by regulatory and legal barriers. The text also emphasizes the climate benefits of biomass-fueled CHP, which can be net carbon negative and provide reliable baseload power.

The document reviews the history of the TICAD process from its inception in 1993 to the 2013 TICAD V summit, highlighting Japan's shift from a front-line aid provider to a partner navigating a landscape of increased investment from BRIC nations. It details the specific goals of previous conferences and outlines the three core themes of TICAD V: a robust and sustainable economy, an inclusive and resilient society, and peace and stability. The author argues that Japan needs to strengthen its internal institutional capacity and public relations to better differentiate its approach from those of the US, Europe, and China.

The author critiques the European Union's lack of preparation for the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) negotiations, warning that the United States is likely to use GMO products as a 'make-it-or-break-it' condition. The text argues that the EU must protect its environmental, climate, and consumer standards, and suggests that the positive agenda for TTIP should focus on energy and resource efficiency to support a low-carbon economy. It further cautions against using TTIP as a strategic tool to contain China, suggesting instead a multilateral approach to global trade to avoid dividing the world into competing blocs.

The document examines the role of intellectual property rights (IPRs) in the global transition to clean energy, arguing that they are essential for motivating the private sector to innovate and lower costs. While acknowledging that IPRs can be a barrier for least-developed countries (LDCs) that rely on imitation, the author contends that the benefits of IPRs generally outweigh the costs. The paper highlights the concentration of clean energy patents in the US, Japan, and Germany, while noting China's rapid growth in the sector. It proposes a shift in terminology from 'technology transfer' to 'technology diffusion' and suggests a combination of IPR protection, public funding for basic research, and global finance mechanisms for demonstration projects to close the innovation gap in developing nations. A case study on the Kimberley Mechanism in South Africa illustrates how patenting can enable the development of low-cost concentrating solar power (CSP) components.

Carbon Market Watch criticizes the development of New Market Mechanisms (NMM) and the Framework for Various Approaches (FVA) following COP-17 and COP-18. The author argues that these initiatives risk increasing the supply of low-quality carbon credits in a market already severely oversupplied, where offset prices are below 0.20 EURO. The document highlights a conflict between countries seeking 'flexible' rules (such as Japan, the US, and New Zealand) and those advocating for stringent, CDM-like oversight (such as the EU) to ensure environmental integrity and avoid double counting.

The document discusses the tension between the EU's unilateral inclusion of international aviation in its Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS) and the need for a global agreement via ICAO. It warns against the use of low-quality offset credits, specifically industrial gas offsets and non-additional CDM credits, arguing that any global mechanism must prioritize real, permanent, and verified emissions reductions over supplementary offsets.

Friends of the Earth President Erich Pica criticizes Ernest J. Moniz's support for nuclear power and fracking, while praising Gina McCarthy's record at the EPA and calling for stronger White House support for climate regulations.

Civil society organizations are urging the World Bank to integrate the Inspection Panel's twenty years of experience into its safeguard policy review, arguing that the Panel's investigations provide a critical feedback loop for institutional learning.

The report assesses how carbon pricing affects the competitiveness and investment strategies of energy-intensive industries (EIIs). It finds that while carbon costs are a factor, they are often secondary to energy and raw material prices. The analysis highlights the risk of carbon leakage, where production shifts to regions with lower emissions costs, particularly as demand grows in Asia. The report emphasizes that current short-term policy horizons, such as the EU's 2020 targets, are insufficient for the 20- to 40-year investment cycles typical of these sectors, suggesting a need for longer-term regulatory certainty and support for breakthrough technologies like Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS).

The report analyzes the design and operational experiences of various emissions trading systems, including the EU ETS, RGGI, WCI, NZ ETS, TMG ETS, and the Australian CPM. It highlights key design trade-offs regarding coverage, allowance distribution, and price management, while emphasizing that the EU ETS experience demonstrates that over-allocation does not necessarily preclude abatement. The document also provides a toolkit for policymakers to assess the environmental and economic effectiveness of such systems.

Institutional investors manage approximately $71 trillion in OECD assets, but their ability to fund renewable energy is constrained by liquidity needs, fund size, and policy barriers. While they could potentially cover all corporate equity and debt needs for renewables, their capacity for direct project investment is limited to roughly 24% of equity and 49% of debt requirements. The report suggests five steps to unlock this potential: fixing policy barriers, improving investor practices, modifying regulatory constraints, developing better pooled investment vehicles, and encouraging corporate investors.

The report details the Green Climate Fund's administrative spending and trust fund status through the end of 2012. It tracks expenditures for the Board, Interim Secretariat, and Interim Trustee, while noting that all received contributions and anticipated pledges had been allocated to administrative budgets through December 31, 2013, leaving no funds available for new funding decisions.

The document finds that while trade among BRICS nations has grown, intra-BRICS FDI remains low and lacks strategic policy direction. Most BRICS countries rely on traditional investors from the EU, US, and Japan, though China, India, and Brazil have increased resource-seeking investments in Africa. The briefing recommends collaborative research, comparative studies of investment frameworks, and improved statistics to foster sustainable, development-oriented FDI within the bloc.

The report argues that stricter chemical laws do not impede innovation but rather accelerate it by pushing companies to develop safer alternatives. Using case studies on phthalates and CFCs, it demonstrates that regulatory pressure correlates with spikes in patent filings. However, it highlights the danger of 'regrettable substitution,' where hazardous chemicals are replaced by structurally similar ones with unknown risks. The document concludes that for innovation to create a safer marketplace, laws must shift the burden of proof for safety to manufacturers, internalize environmental and health costs, and ensure transparent access to hazard information.

The COP18 summit in Doha resulted in incremental progress, primarily the agreement of a second commitment period for the Kyoto Protocol (KP2) from 2013 to 2020. While the EU and several other nations committed to an average emission reduction of 18% below 1990 levels, major emitters including the US, China, Russia, Japan, Canada, and New Zealand did not approve or opposed the commitment. The summit failed to establish a concrete roadmap for the $100 billion annual climate finance target for 2020, though it introduced a new agreement to establish an international mechanism for "loss and damage" by COP19. The document highlights ongoing tensions regarding the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities (CBDR-RC) and the dispute over "hot air" carbon credits, particularly involving Poland and the EU.

The document examines how Taiwan can engage with international carbon markets despite not being a party to the UNFCCC or the Kyoto Protocol. It analyzes formal eligibility requirements and material 'market readiness' conditions across various systems, including the EU ETS, RGGI, WCI, and others. The study suggests that while formal treaty-based access is restricted, Taiwan can utilize indirect participation, bilateral cooperation, and the development of a robust domestic cap-and-trade system with absolute targets to facilitate future linkage.