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The document details a training program held in September 2014 in Santo Domingo, aimed at improving the Dominican Republic's implementation of the IGF Mining Policy Framework. It focuses on two areas where the country was assessed as having low implementation: socioeconomic benefit optimization and artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM). The report outlines expert presentations on tax and non-tax benefits, community engagement, and the formalization of ASM, while recording recommendations from government officials, mining cooperatives, and civil society to improve transparency, legal frameworks, and social license.

The Green Climate Fund reached operational effectiveness in May 2015 after securing signed contribution agreements totaling US$ 5.47 billion, exceeding the 50 per cent threshold of its US$ 10 billion in pledges. The Fund has accredited seven initial entities and is implementing a Readiness and Preparatory Support Programme to assist over 120 developing countries in nominating national designated authorities and developing climate strategies. It has also established initial investment, risk management, and results management frameworks to begin funding mitigation and adaptation projects by its third meeting in 2015.

The SEI Strategy 2015–2019 establishes a framework to bridge science and policy through three primary delivery areas: scientific research, policy engagement, and capacity development. The institute aims to shift from traditional reporting toward a more integrated approach that includes behavioral science, geopolitics, and targeted communication. Central to this strategy is the launch of 'SEI Initiatives'—specialized research hubs focusing on critical issues like climate finance, fossil fuels, and the water-energy-food nexus. The document also details the enabling infrastructure required for these goals, including the PMEC monitoring system and a suite of analytical tools such as LEAP and WEAP, while emphasizing the need to engage 'hard-to-reach' stakeholders in the private sector.

The report examines the vulnerability of Asia's High Mountains (AHM) to climate change, highlighting risks from glacial melt, extreme weather, and water scarcity. It details the varying responses of mountain ranges—such as the retreat of most glaciers in the Hindu Kush-Himalaya versus stability in the Karakorum—and analyzes the resulting threats to human health, agriculture, and infrastructure. The document evaluates current adaptation strategies, including livelihood diversification and community-based water management, while identifying critical data gaps in permafrost and groundwater storage. It concludes with recommendations for regional cooperation in disaster risk management and the synchronization of national and local climate policies.

The report analyzes the systemic power imbalances in compensation processes for extractive industries, where benefits often accrue at the state level while costs are borne by local communities. It evaluates several mechanisms for improving outcomes: Community Development Agreements (CDAs) in mining, strategic human rights litigation, and Biocultural Community Protocols. A specific case study of the Chad-Cameroon Oil & Pipeline Project illustrates the failures of individual-based monetary compensation and argues for a paradigm shift toward livelihood restoration and 'land for land' replacement.

The report analyzes Mongolia's energy transition using four scenarios: a coal-heavy reference case, a 'recent plans' case, an 'expanded green energy' case, and a 'shift in energy export' case. It finds that aggressive energy efficiency and renewable energy deployment could halve territorial GHG emissions by 2035 and reduce overall energy demand by 32% compared to the reference scenario. The study highlights the potential for Mongolia to shift from exporting coal to exporting renewable electricity to Northeast Asia, which would significantly reduce extraction-based emissions and mitigate the economic risk of 'carbon entanglement'.

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 uses the IISD Supply Risk Tool to analyze China's copper supply chain, finding high vulnerability due to heavy reliance on a few major producers like Chile, Peru, and Australia. It identifies resource nationalism and environmental/social governance (ESG) issues—specifically greenhouse gas emissions, energy efficiency, and labor rights—as critical risks that could disrupt supply. The document recommends that the Chinese government enhance the capacity of its embassies, align with international standards, and integrate supply chain sustainability into green procurement and national planning.

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 report introduces the IISD Supply Risk Tool, a methodology designed to identify 'hotspots' where sustainability issues—such as environmental degradation, human rights abuses, and governance failures—intersect with supply security risks for China. Through pilot studies on copper and palm oil, the report demonstrates how these risks manifest at both micro (corporate) and macro (national) levels. For copper, the report highlights high economic importance and vulnerability, with significant risks from resource nationalism and energy-intensive production. For palm oil, it emphasizes high risks related to deforestation, biodiversity loss, and political instability in Indonesia and Malaysia. The document concludes that China lacks a comprehensive national strategy for managing these systemic risks and recommends five policy steps: enhancing the capacity of embassies and consulates, increasing participation in international sustainability standards, researching financial incentives for sustainable procurement, integrating sustainability into green public procurement, and incorporating supply chain risk indicators into corporate social responsibility (CSR) guidelines.

The document details SEI's multi-scale approach to climate mitigation, focusing on sub-national policy for cities, the necessity of limiting fossil-fuel infrastructure to meet the 2°C target, and the strategic use of modern bioenergy in developing countries. It highlights the use of the LEAP system for low-carbon planning and describes ongoing efforts to integrate social variables into technical climate analysis.

The paper examines the debate surrounding the Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Amendment Bill of 2013, specifically the potential shift from a 'first-in, first-assessed' (FIFA) system to competitive bidding for mining rights. It outlines the advantages of auctions—such as rent maximisation and increased transparency—while warning of risks including high administrative burdens, delays in mine development, and the potential for corruption in weak institutional environments. Using examples from Afghanistan and Liberia, the authors argue that any such system must be clearly enshrined in law to limit ministerial discretion and should ideally be a mixed system based on the availability of geological data.

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.

The document examines climate risk communication strategies in four countries, arguing that the lack of effective communication leads to the misinterpretation of scientific data and poor mobilization of vulnerable groups. It concludes that presenting complex information in locally relevant terms and utilizing knowledge co-generation between researchers and communities are essential for creating context-appropriate risk communication.

The Index-Based Livestock Insurance (IBLI) Project in Mongolia, supported by the World Bank, provides financial security to herders facing mass livestock losses from extreme weather. Unlike traditional insurance, IBLI uses aggregated criteria for payouts, making it viable for sparsely populated areas. In 2012, 16,000 policies were purchased. The program is part of a broader government risk management strategy that includes adjusting livestock numbers to match pastureland carrying capacity.

The document examines Mongolia's Index-Based Livestock Insurance (IBLI) project, which provides financial security to herders facing 'dzuds' (extreme weather events). Unlike traditional insurance, IBLI triggers payouts based on aggregated mortality rates rather than individual losses, reducing transaction costs and moral hazard. The project, supported by the World Bank, integrates market-based insurance with government catastrophic coverage to protect against mass livestock losses. The brief emphasizes that for such programs to be sustainable, they require high-quality mortality data, affordable premiums, and integration into a broader risk management strategy that includes sustainable grazing practices and veterinary services.

The document identifies three primary quantitative perspectives—literalist, fatalist, and economist—used to measure the emissions impact of fossil fuel infrastructure. It also proposes a political economist perspective to account for systemic lock-in effects. The authors conclude that while estimates vary widely, it is highly unlikely that new infrastructure has zero impact on global emissions.

The document argues that current climate policies focus too heavily on the demand side, allowing fossil fuel exporting countries to increase production with little impact on their own territorial emissions accounts. It proposes 'extraction-based emissions accounting', which attributes CO2 emissions to the country where fuels are extracted, as a way to promote producer responsibility and identify economic vulnerabilities. The brief notes that countries heavily dependent on high-carbon exports face risks of 'stranded' assets if global demand declines, as projected in some IEA scenarios. Additionally, it suggests integrating life-cycle assessments (LCA) to account for varying upstream emissions, such as those from Canadian oil sands, which can be significantly higher than conventional crude.

The Stockholm Environment Institute is launching a project to analyze the 'new fossil fuel economy,' specifically focusing on how new investments in extraction and trade infrastructure create political and economic dependencies that hinder climate stabilization. The initiative aims to develop new GHG accounting frameworks from a supply perspective, assess equity considerations for supplying countries, and evaluate the social and environmental impacts of unconventional oil, gas, and coal development. Planned case studies include coal infrastructure for Asian markets in Mongolia and Mozambique, oil shale in Estonia, Jordan, Morocco, and the Western U.S., and oil sands in Venezuela's Orinoco basin.

The July 2012 issue of Investment Treaty News Quarterly explores the tension between investor protections and the regulatory autonomy of states. Key discussions include the use of deferential standards of review to enhance the legitimacy of investor-state arbitration and the risks associated with unilateral offers to arbitrate in national investment codes. The document also analyzes how international investment agreements can clash with the provision of public services and the increasing trend of investors challenging renewable energy feed-in tariffs (FiTs) and domestic content requirements. Additionally, it reviews the European Commission's draft text for investor-state dispute settlement in EU agreements and provides summaries of recent arbitral awards involving countries such as Slovakia, Cuba, Paraguay, Ecuador, and Turkey.