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The document argues that climate compatible development is won or lost at the subnational level, where local actors face intense pressure from climate extremes but possess unique advantages in local knowledge and cross-sectoral coordination. It identifies key barriers, such as scientific uncertainty at local scales and a gap between public expectations and available resources. To overcome these, the paper recommends strategies including the cultivation of local political 'champions', the creation of 'knowledge partnerships' to translate climate science for communities, and the use of participatory planning to mobilise in-kind resources. It emphasizes that for these local successes to contribute to global transformational change, they must be 'scaled out' to other localities and 'scaled up' into national policy frameworks.

The document identifies three critical sets of conditions for the effective implementation of local climate policies in developing countries: government capacity, problem framing, and political factors. It argues that while government capacity (legal, financial, and technical) acts as a necessary enabling condition, the actual motivation for policy action depends on how climate goals are framed to align with local socioeconomic concerns and the influence of political entrepreneurs and interest groups. The author emphasizes that implementation is more politically challenging than adoption and suggests a 'configurational' approach to understanding how these various factors combine to produce successful outcomes.

The document argues that the GM crop industry is based on myths, noting that nearly 99% of current GM crops are designed for herbicide tolerance or insect resistance rather than nutrition or climate adaptation. It highlights that GM crops have led to increased agrotoxic use due to weed and insect resistance, particularly in North and South America, and have caused negative environmental impacts, such as the decline of the monarch butterfly. The report also notes the market monopoly held by six multinational companies and the financial burden on small farmers. It concludes that agroecology is a more sustainable and effective solution for food security and hunger than GM technology.

The report argues that the GM crop industry is built on myths, with 99% of GM crops focused on herbicide tolerance and insect resistance rather than nutrition or climate adaptation. It highlights increased pesticide use in North and South America, environmental damage such as the decline of the Monarch butterfly, and the monopolistic control of the seed market by six multinational corporations. The document advocates for food sovereignty and agro-ecology as more effective and sustainable alternatives to combat hunger and malnutrition.

The paper identifies four types of double counting—double issuance, double claiming, double use, and double purpose—and argues that preventing these is essential for the integrity of international carbon markets. It recommends a 'net flows' accounting approach to ensure full fungibility of units and the international linking of emissions trading schemes. To prevent double issuance, the authors suggest a combination of entity attestations, host country approval, and a centralized UNFCCC information platform. The document emphasizes that globally unique serial numbers containing detailed metadata on mechanism, country, vintage, and scope are critical for effective international oversight.

A coalition of social movements and NGOs argues that the FAO's current forest definition is reductionist and primarily benefits industrial timber, pulp, paper, and rubber companies. The authors contend that by defining forests simply as land with a certain percentage of tree cover, the FAO erroneously classifies large-scale monoculture plantations as 'reforestation' and ignores the structural and cultural importance of forests to the 300 million people who depend on them for their livelihoods. The letter calls for a new, community-led definition process that recognizes the role of forests in food sovereignty and biological diversity.

The research paper examines the establishment of the BRICS New Development Bank (NDB), arguing that a democratic governance model with equal contributions of USD$ 10 billion per member is preferable to a weighted system. It suggests the bank should focus on infrastructure and sustainable development, potentially extending investments beyond the BRICS nations to less developed states in Africa, Latin America, and East Asia. The author advises against the premature adoption of a BRICS-specific currency, recommending the use of recognized global standards for transactions.

The report identifies that high cost, short tenors, and variable interest rates of debt increase the cost of renewable energy in India by 24-32% compared to the US. It evaluates five recommended instruments to address these barriers: government bonds, infrastructure debt funds (mutual fund model), partial credit guarantees, partial risk guarantees, and exchange rate liquidity facilities. The analysis finds that government bonds offer the highest potential for cost reduction (up to 4.5 percentage points) and tenor increase (up to 10 years), while other instruments like partial credit guarantees can mobilize private capital from pension and insurance funds by enhancing project credit ratings to AA. The report also examines the impact of currency hedging costs, which currently neutralize the advantages of lower-cost foreign debt, and proposes a liquidity facility to mitigate this risk.

Margaret Bowman of the Walton Family Foundation outlines a vision for water resilience in the Colorado River basin to address a projected gap of 3.2 million acre feet between water supply and demand by 2060. The proposed strategy relies on three primary pillars: upgrading agricultural irrigation to save an estimated one million acre feet, implementing urban water efficiency programs to save another one million acre feet, and utilizing wastewater and stormwater recycling to gain 1.2 million acre feet. Bowman advocates for market-based water banking and targeted augmentation over large-scale water import schemes. She emphasizes the interdependence of urban and agricultural sectors and highlights the 2012 international agreement between the United States and Mexico as a model for cooperation, citing a recent pulse flow experiment in the Colorado River delta as an example of ecological and social co-benefits.

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.

The report identifies China as highly vulnerable to copper supply disruptions due to its heavy reliance on imports, particularly from Chile, Australia, and Peru. It highlights significant sustainability risks associated with copper mining, including high greenhouse gas emissions, energy intensity, and social conflicts. To mitigate these risks, the document recommends that the Chinese government strengthen the capacity of its embassies, engage with international sustainability standards, explore fiscal incentives, and integrate green procurement criteria into public policy.

The report argues that sustainability issues—such as pollution, biodiversity loss, and social conflict—in supplier countries create strategic risks for China's security of supply. It introduces a methodology to identify 'hot spots' by analyzing demand-side vulnerability and supply-side hazards. Through pilot studies on copper and palm oil, the report demonstrates that while China is highly vulnerable to supply disruptions in these sectors, it lacks a coordinated national strategy to manage these risks. The authors recommend that the Chinese government build the capacity of its embassies, engage more deeply with international sustainability standards, explore fiscal incentives for sustainable sourcing, and integrate supply chain sustainability into green public procurement and national planning.

The paper finds that while G-20 documents rarely mention Africa explicitly, they address broader developing country interests, particularly in adapting financial standards and promoting financial inclusion. It highlights the role of the Financial Stability Board (FSB) and the Global Partnership for Financial Inclusion (GPFI) as key channels for African engagement, while noting that African states often lack the supervisory capacity to implement complex international standards like Basel III.

The text outlines how ASEAN's free trade agreements (FTAs) can help small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) expand markets and promote sustainable development. It also addresses the UK's accession to the CPTPP, arguing that the deal poses a threat to public health and requires a health impact assessment.

The document serves as a manual for NGOs to navigate the process of filing amicus curiae submissions in ICSID proceedings. It explains the legal nature of international investment arbitration, the specific rules (such as Rule 37(2)) governing non-disputing party participation, and the challenges of integrating human rights law into investment disputes. It provides best practices for drafting petitions and submissions, emphasizing the need for legal arguments grounded in applicable law and the importance of demonstrating the petitioner's independence and expertise. The guide also includes several case studies and actual petitions and orders from cases such as Biwater Gauff v. Tanzania and Suez v. Argentina to illustrate the practical application of these rules.

The document explains the role of amicus curiae in ICSID proceedings, detailing the legal requirements under Rule 37(2) for non-disputing parties to file written submissions. It highlights the tension between investment protection and human rights, arguing that amicus interventions are critical for introducing public interest perspectives into a system that often prioritizes investor rights. The guide provides best practices for drafting petitions and submissions, emphasizing the need for legal grounding and the demonstration of the petitioner's independence and expertise.

The document argues that high debt costs in rapidly emerging economies can increase the cost of utility-scale wind and solar PV projects by 24-32%. It proposes two primary solutions: indexing renewable energy tariffs to foreign currencies to attract lower-cost international capital by mitigating currency hedging costs, and implementing government-backed concessional debt programs to reduce the total support required to make projects viable. The report provides detailed analysis of these mechanisms using India as a primary case study, suggesting that these interventions could lower the cost of renewable energy support by up to 30%.

This executive summary adapts the IPCC's Fifth Assessment Report for Latin American decision-makers. It details observed warming (0.7–1°C since the 1970s) and shifting rainfall patterns that threaten water availability and food production. The report emphasizes that further warming is inevitable and highlights the need for integrated adaptation and mitigation strategies, such as sustainable urban planning and payment for ecosystem services. It concludes that international cooperation and financial support from developed countries are critical for the region to build resilience and pursue low-carbon development.

The document outlines the three primary areas of MRV—greenhouse gas emissions, mitigation actions, and support—and highlights the specific challenges LDCs face, particularly regarding the lack of common definitions for climate finance and the capacity burdens of reporting requirements.

The document posits a correlation between domestic climate laws and international ambition, suggesting that national legislation provides the confidence and evidence needed for negotiators to defend ambitious global commitments. It identifies several factors influencing a country's negotiation position, including economic competitiveness, national interest, and leadership goals, while noting that the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) serves as the primary system for these negotiations.