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The IAI Directorate expanded its international visibility and partnerships through participation in major climate and biodiversity forums, including the IPCC, UNFCCC, and CBD. Key achievements include securing Observer Status with the IPCC and UNCCD, establishing Memoranda of Understanding with Future Earth and IPBES, and launching a digital science communication campaign during COP-23. The Directorate also focused on enhancing the science-to-policy interface, specifically regarding ocean knowledge, climate-resilient megacities in the Americas, and the impacts of climate change on biodiversity.

This briefing, prepared by the United States of America for the twenty-sixth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI), recommends that the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) be invited to become an Associate of the Institute under Article XI of the Agreement Establishing the IAI.

A briefing document prepared by the United States of America for the 26th meeting of the Conference of the Parties of the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI), recommending that the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) be invited to become an Associate of the Institute.

The document presents temporary migration as a 'home-grown climate change adaptation' strategy used by farmers and pastoralists to survive climate-induced agricultural failures. It highlights how restrictive border policies and conflicts hinder this survival mechanism, urging governments to create legal migration options and open borders to facilitate safe adaptation rather than attempting to prevent movement.

The policy brief outlines a 'toolbox' of six consensus policies—integrated frameworks, carbon pricing, smart subsidies, supportive innovation, energy efficiency, and electricity market design—intended to accelerate the clean energy transition. It argues that these policies can leverage private capital and existing technologies to align the world with the 2°C goal by 2030, potentially reducing annual emissions by more than double the required amount, while capturing an economic opportunity estimated to exceed $1 trillion per year worldwide.

The report outlines a multi-pronged approach to building cooling, emphasizing the transition from active air conditioning to passive design and high-efficiency technology. It details various technical solutions—ranging from 'super-efficient' AC units and passive cooling techniques to wearable devices and the use of waste cold from LNG terminals. The document also analyzes policy levers such as Minimum Energy Performance Standards (MEPS) and behavior change campaigns like Japan's 'Cool Biz'. Finally, it explores innovative business models to improve affordability for the poor, including Pay-As-You-Go (PAYG), ESCO models, and public-private partnerships in countries like India, Mexico, and Bangladesh.

The report examines the growing global need for cooling, driven by urbanization and rising incomes, particularly in developing countries. It warns that a surge in air conditioning (AC) use could lead to massive increases in electricity demand and urban heat island effects. The document also details the critical role of cold chains in reducing food loss and ensuring vaccine viability, while emphasizing the need to 'leapfrog' high-emission cooling technologies to avoid severe environmental impacts.

The document analyzes the difficulties in establishing the Global Compact for Migration (GCM) compared to the Global Compact on Refugees, citing domestic political pressures, populism, and a lack of UN leadership. It highlights the unequal nature of migration negotiations between the African Union and the European Union, where the EU prioritizes border control while African nations focus on development. The author critiques the GCM's zero draft as a non-binding 'wish list' that lacks accountability mechanisms, though it notes the potential of its proposed capacity-building mechanism to support African regional migration goals.

As of 31 January 2018, the Green Climate Fund (GCF) had accredited 59 entities, with a pipeline of 198 entities having created accounts on the Online Accreditation System. The report highlights a strategic shift toward prioritizing direct access entities, which now constitute a larger share of those completing the accreditation process. It also details the ongoing support provided to direct access entities through readiness programs and gap assessments, and tracks the progress of accredited entities in fulfilling specific fiduciary, environmental, social, and gender conditions. Additionally, the document notes a temporary lack of quorum in the Accreditation Panel (AP), which delayed new accreditation recommendations for the nineteenth Board meeting.

The 'Luz en Casa Amazonia' program, implemented by the ACCIONA Microenergia Foundation, provides third-generation solar home systems (3GSHS) to remote, low-income communities in the Peruvian Napo basin. The model utilizes a pay-as-you-go (PAYG) system and local management committees to overcome the technical and economic barriers of national grid connection in high-ecological-value areas. Since February 2017, the pilot project has served 325 people across 61 households, reducing reliance on polluting lighting sources and lowering energy expenditures by approximately 50%. The initiative is funded by a mix of Spanish Cooperation, Peru's FONDECYT, and ACCIONA Microenergia, with goals to scale to 1,000 users and integrate 3GSHS into the Peruvian regulatory framework via a social tariff.

Between 2012 and 2016, the ACCIONA Microenergia Foundation implemented the "Luz en Casa Oaxaca" program, providing third-generation solar home systems (3GSHS) to over 7,500 households in remote areas of Oaxaca, Mexico. The initiative, structured as a public private partnership for development (PPPD), benefited more than 30,000 people with a total investment of Euro 2.5 million. The program replaced polluting energy sources like diesel generators and oil lamps with solar technology, resulting in 1,200 tons of CO2 savings and the avoidance of 13.3 tons of batteries. Technical sustainability was supported by the creation of six Supply & Service Centres (Centros Luz en Casa), three of which are managed by women.

The report analyzes 19 green bonds issued in Q3 2017, finding that they generally achieve higher oversubscription and tighter pricing relative to initial price thoughts than vanilla bonds. While a 'greenium' (pricing without a new issue premium) was observed in a minority of cases, half the sample did not exhibit a new issue premium. EUR green bonds showed strong secondary market performance, consistently tightening more than their corresponding indices after 7 and 28 days.

The document outlines the process of declaring 'free territories' as a political practice of autonomy and self-determination. It provides a framework for preventive and reactive strategies, emphasizing the need for information dissemination, network organization, and propositional agendas to protect territories from extractivist models and corporate appropriation. The guide details specific regional examples, including mining-free zones in Mesoamerica, gasfield-free communities in Australia, and GMO-free regions in Europe and Costa Rica.

The document outlines the conceptual and practical framework for declaring 'free territories' as an exercise of autonomy and human rights. It provides a strategic approach to resisting the 'extractivist model'—specifically targeting REDD+, mining, fracking, and GMOs—by documenting successful community-led initiatives across Latin America, Europe, Australia, and other regions. The guide emphasizes that these declarations are not merely legal acts but political processes requiring permanent organization, public legitimacy, and the proposal of sustainable alternatives for local development.

The guide outlines the political and social process of declaring territories 'free' from specific threats, such as REDD+, mining, fracking, and GMOs. It frames these declarations as an exercise of autonomy and self-determination, providing strategic advice on prevention, information sharing, and alliance building. The document details various global case studies, including the M4 movement in Mesoamerica, anti-fracking efforts in Australia and Europe, and GMO-free initiatives in Costa Rica and the European Union, emphasizing that such declarations are tools for resisting corporate imposition and promoting sustainable, community-led development models.

The document explores the crisis of professional journalism, highlighting the tension between commercial interests and the public interest. It analyzes the decline of trust in media, the impact of digital platforms and 'fake news', and the struggle of public broadcasters in Europe. Conversely, it highlights a resurgence of non-profit, digitally native public service journalism in Latin America and community-led 'communicative ecology' experiments in South Africa, while documenting the extreme dangers faced by investigative journalists in Mexico and Honduras.

In 2017, global green bond issuance reached USD 155.5 billion, a 78% increase over 2016. The market was led by the US, China, and France, with a notable rise in sovereign issuance and the emergence of new issuers from 37 countries. While renewable energy remains the primary use of proceeds, there was significant growth in allocations for low carbon buildings and transport. The report highlights a push toward harmonized international standards and forecasts a need for the market to reach USD 1 trillion by 2020 to impact climate targets.

This executive summary from the 2018 'Brown to Green' report analyzes the progress of G20 countries toward a low-carbon economy. It highlights a significant gap between current Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and the goals of the Paris Agreement, noting that G20 energy-related CO2 emissions began increasing again in 2017 and that 82% of the G20 energy supply remains dependent on fossil fuels.

The report analyzes the growth of green bond markets in emerging economies, highlighting the critical role of national guidance and alignment with international standards like the Green Bond Principles. Through case studies of countries such as China, Indonesia, and Morocco, it identifies key barriers—including lack of capacity and limited investor demand—and proposes a 'Green Bond Market Development Toolkit' featuring a self-assessment matrix and a roadmap of milestones to accelerate sustainable capital flows.

The global green bond market reached a cumulative issuance of USD 521bn by 2018, with USD 167.6bn issued in 2018 alone. The USA, China, and France emerged as the leading national markets. The report highlights a significant increase in issuance from financial institutions, particularly commercial banks, and a growing trend toward shorter-dated bonds. While Europe remains the largest overall market, the Asia-Pacific region saw the highest year-on-year growth at 35%. The market is also diversifying into other labelled instruments, including sustainability, social, and blue bonds, and expanding into emerging markets through the adoption of regional standards like the ASEAN Green Bond Standards.