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This SEI synthesis brief argues that low-carbon energy transitions must explicitly integrate gender and social equity to avoid marginalizing vulnerable groups. Through case studies in regions like the Lower Mekong and countries such as Zambia and Sweden, it demonstrates how political power dynamics, socio-cultural norms, and systemic barriers in job markets and technology adoption can perpetuate inequality despite technological advances.

This report details the history and current state of e-commerce negotiations at the WTO, focusing on the Joint Statement Initiative (JSI). It examines how existing WTO rules apply to digital trade, the growth of the JSI membership to 83 countries, and the critical divides between developed and developing nations regarding data flows, customs duties, and technical capacity.

This briefing, produced by the NYDF Assessment Partners, Chatham House, and Climate Focus, evaluates progress in forest governance across nine tropical forest countries. It examines twelve indicators across five governance areas—legal and institutional frameworks, tenure and resource allocation, demand-side measures, transparency, and the rule of law—to assess how these nations are working toward Goal 10 of the New York Declaration on Forests (NYDF). While some countries have improved their legal frameworks and transparency through international partnerships, the report highlights systemic weaknesses in the rule of law, a lack of cross-sectoral policy coherence, and persistent challenges in securing land tenure for local communities.

This fact sheet details a SEK 6 billion (USD 604 million) green bond issued by Stora Enso on February 20, 2019, marking the first entry of a Finnish forest product company into the green bond market.

This IISD report presents the results of a 2018 online survey of 72 respondents from 54 developing countries regarding their investment treaty negotiation processes. It examines trends in treaty renegotiation, the impact of investment disputes, the use of model treaties, ratification procedures, and the specific government agencies involved in leading and supporting these negotiations.

This briefing by the Stockholm Environment Institute examines the gender imbalances within the energy sector of the Lower Mekong Region (LMR). It argues that without gender-sensitive policies, the transition to renewable energy may reinforce existing inequalities, as women are under-represented in technical roles and often excluded from energy decision-making and benefits.

A fact sheet detailing a THB5bn (USD153m) green bond issued by B.Grimm Power Public Company Ltd on December 20, 2018, to finance and refinance solar generation assets in Thailand.

This guide by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) examines the use of 'security for costs' in investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS), where tribunals require investors to deposit funds to cover a state's potential legal costs. The document analyzes the high financial burden on taxpayers, the challenges states face in obtaining such orders due to high judicial thresholds, and the impact of third-party funding. It concludes by recommending stronger, more explicit treaty language to ensure states can recover costs and prevent 'arbitral hit and run' scenarios.

This guide by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) examines the use of 'security for costs' (cautionnement pour frais) in Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS). It analyzes why states seek these deposits to protect taxpayers from high defense costs and speculative claims, the legal obstacles they face due to vague arbitration rules, and the current restrictive jurisprudence of tribunals. The document concludes by recommending that states integrate specific, robust security for costs provisions into their investment treaties to ensure a more equitable balance between investors and states.

This briefing by the Stockholm Environment Institute discusses the potential climate, environmental, and social impacts of China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in Southeast Asia. It highlights the risks of 'carbon lock-in' from coal and fossil fuel investments and the ecological threats posed by hydropower dams in the Mekong region. To mitigate these risks, the authors propose a participatory decision-making framework based on transparency, stakeholder inclusion, and adherence to international sustainable finance standards.

This research paper examines the adaptive capacity of smallholder rural households in Asia to cope with climate variability and change, utilizing a rural livelihoods framework and data from nearly 600 participants.

This report summarizes progress toward Goal 10 of the New York Declaration on Forests, which focuses on strengthening forest governance, transparency, and the rule of law, while empowering indigenous peoples and local communities. It details developments in producer and consumer countries regarding illegal timber trade, the rising violence against environmental defenders, and the status of financial resources and data collection for land tenure security.

This white paper, authored by the Stockholm Environment Institute for the USAID Clean Power Asia programme, assesses the intersection of gender equality and renewable energy in the Lower Mekong countries and other ASEAN member states. It highlights a gap between national gender equality commitments and their application within technical sectors like energy.

The Gender Mainstreaming Strategy for USAID Clean Power Asia provides a framework to integrate gender equality into renewable energy planning, policy, and investment across ASEAN and Lower Mekong countries. It identifies the energy sector as heavily male-dominated and proposes a 'twin-track approach' that combines project-cycle mainstreaming with the development of 'gender champions' to address systemic biases. Key recommendations include adopting gender-lens investing, ensuring at least 33% female participation in activities, and shifting M&E from output-based to outcome-based tracking.

This report, developed by FHI 360 and funded by the Rockefeller Foundation, provides an inventory and summary of digital technologies used to enhance resilience, primarily in Asia. It details a wide array of tools—ranging from mobile apps and IoT sensors to big data analytics and geospatial mapping—designed to support disaster preparedness, emergency response, and long-term livelihood stability for vulnerable populations.

This briefing by Friends of the Earth International examines the financial and regulatory impacts of Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) mechanisms on countries negotiating the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP). It argues that ISDS allows foreign corporations to sue governments over public interest regulations, creating significant financial burdens and a 'regulatory chill' that undermines democracy and the right to regulate.

This World Resources Institute working paper analyzes the alignment between the Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs) submitted under the Paris Agreement and the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the 2030 Agenda. By mapping climate actions across 92 INDCs, the authors demonstrate that climate policies often generate mutual benefits for sustainable development, though these synergies are frequently unrecognized or uncoordinated at the national level due to institutional silos.

This technical annex evaluates progress toward Goal 3 of the New York Declaration on Forests, which targets the reduction of deforestation from non-agricultural sectors. It identifies infrastructure, human settlements, and mining as the primary non-agricultural drivers, with logging as the main cause of forest degradation. The report highlights a significant lack of disaggregated data, making it impossible to establish quantitative indicators for progress. It reviews public policy tools such as import bans on illegal timber in the US, EU, and Australia, and the use of Strategic Environmental Impact Assessments (SEA) by the World Bank. Private sector efforts include FSC and PEFC certifications, though certified forest land has plateaued at 10% since 2008, and emerging responsible mining initiatives like the Oro Verde program in Colombia.

This research paper analyzes the impact of currency risk on infrastructure projects in developing markets, arguing that hard currency loans from International Financing Institutions (IFIs) create dangerous asset-liability mismatches. The authors propose that IFIs shift their strategy from direct lending to developing local capital markets and providing credit guarantees. This approach aims to leverage private commercial capital and reduce the financial burden on host governments and end-users.

This report provides a comparative analysis of the adaptive capacity and adaptation strategies of small-scale rice farm households in Lao PDR and the Philippines, focusing on two top rice-producing provinces in each country across three ecozones (irrigated lowland, rainfed lowland, and rainfed upland) and two cropping seasons.