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The report analyzes the impasse in WTO Doha Round negotiations regarding environmental goods and services (EGS), specifically the difficulty in defining and listing goods for tariff reduction. It proposes a framework for progress by examining the structures of the CITES, Rotterdam, and Stockholm Conventions, as well as the Energy Star, Marine Stewardship Council (MSC), and coffee sustainability labels. The authors recommend that the WTO avoid creating its own standards, instead referencing external scientific standards, establishing a technical advisory body, and incorporating flexibility through reservations and special treatment for developing countries.

The report argues that trade liberalization in Southeast Asia often marginalizes women because policy-makers incorrectly view macro-economics and trade instruments as gender-neutral. While liberalization can create new employment and income opportunities, poor women remain particularly vulnerable. The document identifies five areas of gender divergence: job segregation, the paid/unpaid labour divide, household resource distribution, access to state redistribution, and financial market credit. It recommends that ASEAN and member states conduct gender-oriented reviews of trade initiatives, provide access to social safety nets, and invest in capacity building to eradicate discrimination and enable women to benefit from economic openness.

The author argues that while South Africa possesses the political will and capability to react to security threats during the 2010 FIFA World Cup, it suffers from a lack of proactivity in counter-terrorism intelligence. This vulnerability is attributed to the politicisation of intelligence services and a sense of complacency following previous successful sporting events. The document identifies two primary security dimensions: high levels of violent criminality, exacerbated by porous borders and unemployment, and the risk of terrorism, noting that sports events are 'magnets' for such attacks. The author calls for an urgent overhaul of intelligence services, the replacement of political appointees with professionals, and improved national and international cooperation to prevent potential outrages.

The document examines how the Japanese steel industry, a major global producer, can engage in climate mitigation under post-2012 frameworks. It contrasts sectoral approaches—which are favored by energy-intensive industries to prevent carbon leakage and maintain competitiveness—with cap-and-trade systems. The author proposes four options for integration: incorporating sectoral approaches into Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Actions (NAMAs) or CDM reforms, establishing agreements outside the UNFCCC, relying on non-binding recognition of commitments, or implementing transnational sectoral trading. It concludes that while the Japanese government's support for sectoral approaches shifted under the Hatoyama administration, the industry continues to support them due to low costs and international competition risks.

The research investigates how asymmetric global climate policies can lead to carbon leakage, specifically the relocation of CO2-intensive industries like iron and steel. Using the Basque Country as a representative Old Industrial Region (OIR), the authors demonstrate that while relocation impacts may be negligible at a national level, they can significantly reduce regional GDP. The study finds that reducing emissions through industrial relocation is far more costly in terms of GDP loss than achieving the same reductions through cost-effective mitigation policies.

The document analyzes the relationship between agricultural trade policies and food security, specifically focusing on the vulnerabilities of net food-importing developing countries (NFIDCs) during the Doha Round of WTO negotiations. It argues that while some Doha Round flexibilities primarily benefit food-producing nations, the reduction of trade-distorting domestic support in developed countries could provide long-term food security by stabilizing prices and reducing biofuel-driven crop diversion.

The report argues that while precise surgical assessment of comparability is currently impossible, a common set of core indicators is necessary to define fairness and support domestic and international negotiations. It proposes an 'apples with apples' anchoring point based on economy-wide emissions excluding LULUCF and introduces 'trajectory indicators' to align 2020 targets with 2050 goals. The analysis categorizes Annex I Parties into 'New World' economies, 'Old OECD economies', and 'Transition economies' based on emissions, population, and GDP trends. Finally, it emphasizes the need for harmonized economic modelling to provide a rational basis for cost-comparability, especially following the global financial crisis.

The report assesses the impact of carbon pricing on Poland's industrial competitiveness, noting that while Poland has benefited from a favorable 1990 emissions baseline and the EU ETS, certain carbon-intensive sectors remain at risk. Due to significant data constraints, the authors identify six specific sectors for further detailed analysis to prevent carbon leakage and economic loss.

The document argues that China's reliance on resource-intensive, low-tech exports has created an environmental reputation that now acts as an economic liability. It analyzes the impact of Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) and Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) measures from the EU, US, and Japan, noting significant financial losses in the mechanical, electrical, textile, and agricultural sectors. The paper highlights the rise of private voluntary standards (such as ISO 14001 and HACCP) as de facto conditions of sale and recommends that the Chinese government strengthen its domestic standards regime, improve information dissemination to exporters, and foster partnerships with the private sector to transition toward a sustainable trade model.

The report assesses the tension between economic growth through trade facilitation and the preservation of biodiversity in the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS). It argues that while measures to ease the movement of goods and people—such as those proposed by the WTO, ASEAN, and the GMS Cross Border Transport Agreement—can stimulate economic development, they also risk exacerbating the illegal trade in wildlife and timber by providing easier transit routes for smugglers. The author highlights that current conservation efforts are often fragmented by national borders, whereas the ecoregions they protect are transboundary. The report recommends that GMS states rationalize conservation measures, strengthen penal laws, and coordinate customs intelligence to mitigate the risks posed by trade facilitation.

The report examines the intersection of trade and climate change in the Mekong subregion (Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam). It argues that while ASEAN promotes economic integration and trade liberalization, these frameworks often lack explicit climate change commitments, potentially increasing the region's vulnerability. The document highlights projected climate risks—such as sea-level rise, altered precipitation, and temperature increases—that threaten agricultural production and natural resources. It concludes that ASEAN's trade agreements (FTAs/EPAs) generally fail to incorporate climate risk assessments or mitigation strategies, recommending the mainstreaming of climate concerns into economic cooperation frameworks.

The document outlines the UNDP's strategy to integrate climate change adaptation into national development priorities, emphasizing the need to move beyond technical climate modeling toward strengthening political leadership, financial management, and accountability systems. It identifies four primary barriers to effective national decision-making: sporadic political commitment, fragmented technical knowledge, limited institutional capacity for direct fund access, and weak reporting systems. To address these, the UNDP implements initiatives such as the Africa Adaptation Programme and the Adaptation Learning Mechanism, while promoting the use of National Multi-Donor Climate Funds to shift from agency-led to nationally-led financial management.

The paper contends that current economic and political models fail to value ecosystems, which are critical for both climate mitigation and adaptation. It argues that climate stabilisation requires a three-way balance between human-induced emissions, natural ecosystem emissions, and the absorptive capacity of global ecosystems. Because ecosystem absorptive capacity is declining by approximately 1% per decade, the authors propose a radical change that places ecosystem conservation at the heart of decision-making, serving as a 'safety net' against failures in human emission reductions. The document recommends four strategies—political commitment, investment, incentives, and information—and urges policymakers to integrate ecosystem-based adaptation and mitigation into international frameworks like the UNFCCC and national plans such as NAMAs and NAPAs.

The author, Dan Bena of PepsiCo, advocates for a 'new collaborative era' where blurred boundaries between public and private sectors enable more effective climate adaptation. The document identifies two primary opportunities for government intervention supported by private sector expertise: instituting systems for efficient natural resource use and creating financial vehicles to provide credit to underserved communities. To illustrate these points, the paper details PepsiCo's initiatives in India, including 'direct seeding' in paddy cultivation to reduce water use and the formation of potato farmer cooperatives to mitigate credit risk. It also describes a partnership in Mexico with FUNDAR to develop sustainable agribusinesses for corn farmers and a project in Ceará, Brazil, where the PepsiCo Foundation supports the Columbia Water Center in integrating climate forecasts into state water allocation decisions via COGERH.

The report examines the steel sector's role in global emissions, specifically focusing on China and India. It identifies six abatement categories, noting that while new plants often meet best available technology (BAT) standards, significant potential remains in closing obsolete plants, improving efficiency in existing facilities, and increasing scrap recycling. The study suggests that a national approach combining carbon pricing with non-price incentives (like investment capital) is more viable than transnational trading. Initial modelling indicates that with a carbon price of $25/tCO2, China could abate up to 150 MtCO2/year and India up to 40 MtCO2/year, potentially generating significant financial flows through credits.

The document analyzes the COP 15 summit, detailing the emission commitments of major economies like the US, China, and the EU, and evaluating the resulting non-binding agreement. It highlights the establishment of the Copenhagen Green Climate Fund and the political consensus on a 2°C temperature limit, while criticizing the lack of specific mitigation targets and the opaque negotiation process.

The document examines how a hypothetical carbon price of 3000¥/t would affect Japanese industry, identifying 17 subsectors at risk. While findings align with similar studies in the UK, Germany, and USA, the Japanese pig iron subsector is noted as being disproportionately affected. However, the overall impact on the competitiveness of final products like flat steel is expected to be minimal compared to other trade influences.

The document examines China's heavy reliance on coal-fired power, which makes it a global leader in sulphur dioxide and carbon dioxide emissions. It analyzes the 'big up/small down' strategy to replace inefficient small thermal units with larger, cleaner ones and reviews international best practices—including carbon taxes, feed-in tariffs, and emission trading—to suggest policy options for China to reduce its carbon intensity and protect its exports from future climate-related trade barriers.

The report examines the barriers and opportunities for implementing life cycle costing (LCC) in sustainable public procurement (SPP). It finds that while LCC is used in some industrialized nations, its application is often non-systematic and hindered by conflicting capital and revenue budgets, a lack of procurer expertise, and data gaps. The authors argue that LCC should be integrated into high-level public expenditure policy to shift the procurement mindset from 'best value for money' at purchase to 'best value across the asset life cycle.'

The report assesses whether genetic engineering can reduce nitrogen fertilizer pollution by improving nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) in crops. It finds that while some GE genes show promise in controlled environments, no GE NUE crops have been commercialized, and they may cause unpredictable side effects. In contrast, traditional breeding has a proven track record of improving NUE, and ecosystem-based methods like cover crops and precision farming offer complementary ways to reduce nitrogen loss. The authors argue that a multi-pronged approach, supported by increased public investment in non-GE methods, is necessary to feed a growing population while mitigating environmental damage.