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The document reviews the integration of human rights and social principles across four key areas of the Paris Agreement implementation guidelines: Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), Adaptation Communications, the Enhanced Transparency Framework (ETF), and the Global Stocktake (GST). It highlights that while some parties, notably Norway, Canada, and the African Group of Negotiators, have pushed for the inclusion of human rights and gender equality, these elements often remain absent from co-facilitator summaries or are limited to specific contexts like adaptation. The briefing notes that the role of civil society and intergovernmental organizations in the ETF and GST processes is a critical factor for ensuring social dimensions are considered in future climate action.

The Green Economy Barometer 2017 reports a dichotomy in the global sustainability transition. While electric vehicle sales grew 42% in 2016 and lithium-ion battery prices fell 75% since 2011, fossil fuels (oil, gas, and coal) continued to provide approximately 86% of the world's energy. The report notes a disconnect between high-level geopolitical commitments and 'on the ground' realities, where rural economies and smallholder farmers lack investment, and automation threatens low-skilled workers. While countries like Peru, Uganda, the UK, and India have introduced green growth strategies or targets, the report warns that nature protections are being dismantled in some regions, such as India and South Africa.

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.

The report finds that while infrastructure and mining are major drivers of forest loss, a lack of aggregate data prevents a global assessment of progress. It highlights the role of transport networks and mineral extraction in tropical deforestation and details emerging sustainability standards and data initiatives intended to fill these research gaps.

Australia employs a balanced approach to local procurement, combining national regulatory frameworks like the Australian Industry Participation (AIP) National Framework with state-level policies and Indigenous Land Use Agreements (ILUAs). Key demand-side measures include requiring AIP plans for projects exceeding AUD 500 million, while supply-side support is provided through the Supplier Access to Major Projects (SAMP) program and the ICN Gateway database. The country also aligns its education system with the needs of the Mining Equipment, Technology and Services (METS) sector and has previously used tax incentives like the Enhanced Project By-Law Scheme to reward firms implementing AIP plans.

The document describes the Mining Skills Council (CCM) in Chile, an industry-led hub established in 2012 to bridge the gap between mining company needs and educational training. By collecting data from companies and training providers, the CCM identifies skills shortages and forecasts human capital demands over a 10-year horizon. This intelligence is used to help education institutions improve training programs and create a system of certification for labour competencies. The case study highlights that while Chile lacks formal local content legislation, the CCM promotes direct employment by ensuring the local workforce possesses work-ready competencies, a model the document suggests is replicable in other countries regardless of whether they have state-owned mining companies.

The document outlines the proceedings of a three-day conference focused on the causes, mechanisms, and aftermath of state capture in South Africa. It examines the role of apartheid legacies, the influence of the private sector, the vulnerability of state-owned enterprises, and the failure of oversight institutions. The report emphasizes that state capture is a politico-economic project involving both formal and informal power, often facilitated by the politicization of the bureaucracy and the erosion of the criminal justice system. It argues for comprehensive state reform, including electoral changes, transparency in party funding, and the protection of whistleblowers, while drawing comparisons with state capture in Nigeria, Kenya, and Angola.

The report identifies a growing "restoration economy" where businesses generate financial returns by improving the ecological function of degraded landscapes. It categorizes these opportunities into four main investment themes: technology, consumer products, project management, and commercial forestry. Through case studies of 14 companies across eight countries, the authors illustrate how various models—from drone-based reforestation and climate-smart credit for smallholders to sustainable timber and bamboo plantations—can scale. The document highlights that while significant market opportunities exist due to government pledges and rising resource demand, investors face hurdles such as high transaction costs, low liquidity, and insecure land tenure in developing regions.

The We Mean Business coalition is calling for private sector companies to sign the Powering Past Coal Alliance declaration, joining over 25 countries, states, and regions in accelerating the phase-out of traditional coal power. The coalition emphasizes that coal plants produce nearly 40% of global electricity and are a primary driver of climate change and negative health effects. The document advocates for a 'just transition' to clean energy to help limit global temperature increases to well below 2°C, and preferably 1.5°C, urging companies to sign the declaration before the One Planet Summit on December 12, 2017.

The report examines the practices of Nestlé, Danone, Mead Johnson Nutrition, and Abbott, concluding that the proliferation of 'premium' and 'specialised' infant formulas is a strategy to increase market share and profit margins, particularly in Asia, often at the expense of breastfeeding promotion and consumer affordability.

The document outlines a methodology for volunteering economies to identify, measure, and evaluate fossil fuel subsidies (FFS). It details the 'building blocks' of a review—definition, scope, measurement, and evaluation—and analyzes the practical application of these tools through case studies of self-reports (Finland, Sweden) and peer reviews within the G20 and APEC frameworks (China, USA, Peru, New Zealand). It emphasizes that these reviews are voluntary, non-adversarial tools designed to create a baseline for reform and facilitate international peer learning.

The executive summary outlines a framework for countries to conduct voluntary self- and peer reviews of fossil fuel subsidies (FFS). It describes the 'building blocks' of these reviews—including scope, definition, measurement, and evaluation—and provides practical recommendations based on the experiences of countries such as China, Finland, New Zealand, Peru, and Sweden. The guide emphasizes that these reviews are tools for peer learning and domestic reform rather than compliance mechanisms, aiming to align subsidies with sustainable development and international commitments like those of the G7, G20, and the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

The report assesses the evidence on whether investment treaties attract foreign direct investment (FDI), facilitate domestic reforms, or limit government policy space. It finds that while treaties may modestly increase FDI, particularly in high-sunk-cost sectors like mining, they often benefit foreign investors at the expense of host states through distributive effects and potential regulatory chill. The evidence on other claimed benefits, such as 'levelling the playing field' or depoliticizing disputes, is found to be limited or contradictory.

Friends of the Earth International argues that the TPP failed because it prioritized corporate interests over people and the environment. The organization calls for a fundamental reset of trade policy, warning that continuing with 'mega trade deals' like the TPP, TTIP, and RCEP fuels populism and undermines climate action and workers' rights.

The report finds that East Africa is the largest regional crowdfunding market in Africa, though it is dominated by non-financial return models (donation and reward) and lacks bespoke regulation. While loan and equity-based models dominate globally, they are in embryonic stages in East Africa. The authors recommend against immediate bespoke regulation to avoid stifling growth, instead proposing a phased approach involving sector mapping, the creation of a regulatory sandbox ('RegLab'), and government-backed co-investment and currency hedge funds.

Between 2010 and 2014, US$748 million in climate finance primarily targeting climate change was committed to 15 Pacific SIDS, predominantly as grants. The funding was split between adaptation (59%) and mitigation (36%), with 72% sourced through bilateral channels, led by Australia. The vast majority of support (86%) was project-based, with a heavy concentration in creating 'enabling environments' and renewable energy. The analysis notes that Polynesian countries were more successful in attracting diverse funding than Micronesian countries, and highlights significant differences in flexibility and transaction costs between bilateral and multilateral funding sources.

Between 2010 and 2014, US$748 million in climate finance was committed to 15 Pacific SIDS, primarily as grants and delivered through bilateral channels. Adaptation received 59% of this funding, while 36% went to mitigation. The majority of support (86%) was project-based, with a strong focus on creating an 'enabling environment' for climate policy and planning.

The 2017 Green Economy Barometer reports a dual reality: while renewable energy capacity is growing and green technologies are hitting mass markets, the 'brown economy' remains dominant, biodiversity is in crisis, and financial systems continue to subsidise fossil fuels. The document argues that the transition is gathering speed but risks failure if it does not address the needs of rural economies, informal workers, and the youth unemployment crisis.

Between 2010 and 2014, Papua New Guinea received US$41.4 million in grant-equivalent finance specifically for climate change, with a majority (60.6%) supporting mitigation. An additional US$147.4 million in ODA provided climate co-benefits. Major donors included Australia, Japan, the European Union, and the Adaptation Fund. From January 2015 to September 2016, further allocations were made via the Pilot Program for Climate Resilience (US$25 million), the Global Environment Facility (US$2.84 million), and the Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (US$3.8 million).

Between 2010 and 2014, the Solomon Islands received US$42.4 million in grant-equivalent finance specifically targeting climate change, with a primary focus on adaptation. Major contributors included the Global Environment Facility, Japan, and the Adaptation Fund, with funding directed toward disaster prevention, forestry, and water policy. Additionally, the country received US$6.70 million for solar power development between 2015 and 2016.