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This report details the activities of the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) during the World Summit for Sustainable Development (WSSD) held in Johannesburg, South Africa, in August and September 2002. It examines the official Johannesburg Declaration on Sustainable Development, various unofficial scientific and NGO forums, and the perceived failures of the decade following the Rio Earth Summit.

This report details the activities of the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) during the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) held in Johannesburg, South Africa, in August and September 2002. It outlines the IAI's participation in official sessions and alternative forums, specifically focusing on climate change, biodiversity, and ecosystem monitoring.

This briefing paper assesses the outcomes of the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD), held from 26 August to 4 September 2002 in Johannesburg. It details the resulting political declarations, implementation plans, and partnership commitments, while analyzing the political tensions between developed and developing nations regarding renewable energy targets, corporate accountability, and the role of the WTO in environmental governance.

This report by Friends of the Earth International (FOEI) documents 22 campaigns against multinational corporations whose activities cause biodiversity loss and harm local communities. It argues that corporate globalization, driven by industrial agriculture, mining, and logging, prioritizes shareholder profit over ecological stability and human rights. The document calls for binding international laws to hold companies legally and economically accountable for environmental damage and advocates for the recognition of 'ecological debt' owed by Northern industrial nations to the Global South.

This briefing by Friends of the Earth International examines how the World Trade Organization (WTO) negotiations following the 2001 Doha Ministerial Conference may undermine the objectives of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). The document highlights conflicts between trade liberalization and biodiversity protection, specifically regarding genetically modified organisms (GMOs), agricultural subsidies, and intellectual property rights.

The New Business Climate is a 2002 guide by the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) designed to help corporations and institutions reduce carbon emissions while improving business performance. It argues that climate change presents both risks to asset values and opportunities for innovation, advocating for a transition from incremental thinking to radical resource efficiency and the use of emerging carbon markets to manage costs.

A statement from the Basel Action Network and other environmental organizations opposing the United States government's intent to selectively ratify the 1989 Basel Convention while refusing to implement the 1995 Basel Ban Amendment.

This report analyzes the potential for China to participate in the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) under the Kyoto Protocol. It evaluates the economic, environmental, and social benefits and costs, emphasizing that while the CDM offers short-term gains in foreign investment and technology, it poses a long-term risk of technology dependence if core R&D and manufacturing capabilities are not transferred. The authors provide strategic recommendations for China to ensure the CDM supports its long-term sustainable development goals.

This report by the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) provides a review of dispute resolution options for negotiators of the Draft Convention on the Conservation and Management of Highly Migratory Fish Stocks in the Central and Western Pacific Region. It analyzes the existing legal frameworks of UNCLOS and the SSA, evaluates the effectiveness of various international tribunals and arbitration, and draws lessons from other international regimes—such as the WTO and the Montreal Protocol—to recommend mechanisms that enhance transparency, scientific rigor, and efficiency in fisheries management.

This research paper examines the emergence of markets for global environmental services in Central America, focusing on greenhouse gas emission reduction trading in Costa Rica and the role of shade-grown coffee in biodiversity and carbon sequestration in El Salvador.

This executive summary examines the emergence of environmental services markets in Central America, focusing on Costa Rica's leadership in carbon emission reductions and El Salvador's potential for biodiversity and carbon sequestration through shade-grown coffee. It analyzes how international agreements like the Kyoto Protocol and the Convention on Biological Diversity create financial opportunities for developing nations to link environmental conservation with sustainable economic development.

This CIEL working paper presents the results of an informal survey conducted by Axel Bree and David Hunter to determine the environmental policies and procedures of non-US export credit and risk insurance agencies. The survey found that while most agencies claim to consider environmental issues, none had detailed written environmental policies as of September 1998.

This 1998 report by the Stockholm Environment Institute presents two contrasting future scenarios for the Baltic Sea Region (BSR) up to the year 2030: a Conventional Development Scenario (CDS) and a Sustainability Vision. The report argues that a 'business-as-usual' approach will lead to increased environmental pressure and persistent socio-economic disparities, whereas a transition to sustainability requires proactive policy interventions, technological decoupling of growth from resource use, and a shift in human values.

This policy brief by the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) argues that offshore carbon capture and storage (CCS) is an unproven and risky strategy that delays the transition from fossil fuels. It highlights that proposed projects in areas like the Gulf of Mexico and North Sea face significant leakage risks due to legacy oil and gas wellbores and a history of poor offshore infrastructure monitoring. The document asserts that CCS often fails to meet emission reduction targets, frequently serves enhanced oil recovery, and relies on public subsidies that divert funds from renewable energy.

This report by the Center for International Environmental Law, prepared for the United Nations Environment Programme, evaluates the effectiveness of trade and positive measures within the Montreal Protocol. It analyzes how these mechanisms—ranging from import/export bans on ozone-depleting substances (ODS) to financial assistance for developing nations—have driven near-universal ratification and compliance to reduce global emissions of controlled substances.

This briefing by the Center for International Environmental Law examines the impact of intellectual property (IP) provisions in EFTA Free Trade Agreements (FTAs), specifically focusing on how TRIPS-Plus standards in the EFTA-Egypt FTA may restrict access to medicines and threaten food security through seed restrictions.

The policy brief outlines strategies to ensure the 'widest and most effective participation possible' in the negotiations for a global treaty to end plastic pollution. It identifies systemic barriers in current UN processes—such as restrictive accreditation, limited speaking rights, language gaps, and lack of funding—and recommends adopting more open models (like the Escazú Agreement) to include frontline stakeholders, including waste pickers, Indigenous Peoples, and youth.

This report by the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) and Greenpeace analyzes the tensions between international trade rules, primarily those of the World Trade Organization (WTO), and the conservation of global fisheries. It argues that current trade interpretations often hinder sustainable fisheries management by prohibiting regulations based on production and processing methods (PPMs). The authors propose a framework to integrate the precautionary approach into trade law, eliminate destructive subsidies, and ensure that investment liberalization does not undermine the ability of states to protect marine resources and traditional fishing communities.

This open letter, published by the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL), is addressed to the participants of the First Conference on Transitioning Away from Fossil Fuels in Santa Marta, Colombia. It features a collection of statements from legal experts, academics, and policy advisors who argue that phasing out fossil fuels is a binding legal obligation under international law, rather than a matter of political discretion. The document emphasizes that current approvals for new fossil fuel projects and the continued use of subsidies violate international legal duties to prevent climate harm and protect human rights.

This briefing note by the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) and the Global Initiative for Economic, Social & Cultural Rights (GIESCR) reviews the 2023 outputs of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) regarding climate change. It details the Committee's focus on gender-responsive adaptation, the disproportionate impact of climate change on marginalized women, and recommendations concerning fossil fuel extraction and climate finance.