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The document reports on the establishment and initial work of the IAI's Gender, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Committee, which has developed an implementation plan for the institute's gender policy. It recommends that the Conference of the Parties adopt provisional decisions to monitor this policy and establish a new Advisory Committee for Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IP&LC-AC).

A briefing from the IAI Directorate regarding discussions with Panama to establish a regional office to increase the institute's visibility and promote accession in Central America and the Caribbean.

The IAI Executive Directorate is engaging in informal conversations with Panama's National Secretariat for Science, Technology and Innovation (SENACYT) to establish a regional office. This initiative aims to increase the visibility of scientific projects and capacity-building activities, while encouraging non-member states in Central America and the Caribbean to join the IAI.

The report indicates that while the global coal fleet grew by 19.5 GW in 2022, this was primarily driven by China, which now accounts for 68% of global developing coal capacity. Outside China, new coal proposals have collapsed by 84% since 2015. However, the current pace of decommissioning is insufficient to meet Paris Agreement goals, with a required average of 117 GW of annual retirements to achieve a 2040 phase-out. In Latin America, development has slowed significantly, though Argentina recently commissioned the Río Turbio plant and Brazil maintains plans for 1.4 GW of new capacity by 2031, despite current project stalls.

The report indicates that while the global coal sector is generally declining, China is significantly increasing its coal capacity, contrasting with a sharp drop in new projects elsewhere. Most of the world's operational coal capacity is now within the scope of national neutrality targets, though the current pace of retirement remains insufficient to meet Paris Agreement objectives. In Latin America and the Caribbean, coal development has slowed significantly, with notable retirements in Chile and Peru, though Argentina and Brazil maintain some capacity in development.

The report finds that while the world outside China is nearing a 'no new coal' milestone, a massive surge in coal permitting and construction in China is offsetting global progress. In 2022, the global coal fleet grew by 19.5 GW, driven by China, which now accounts for 68% of global capacity under development. While the U.S. and EU continue to retire capacity, the pace of global retirements remains far below the levels required to meet a 1.5C pathway, which would necessitate an average of 117 GW of retirements per year. The report also highlights the role of private finance, noting that most financial institutions' coal policies remain insufficient to align with climate science.

The 24/7 Carbon-Free Energy (24/7 CFE) Compact, launched in September 2021 at the United Nations High-Level Dialogue on Energy, aims to eliminate reliance on fossil fuels by moving beyond annual renewable energy matching to hourly, real-time matching of demand and carbon-free supply. Coordinated by SEforALL with support from Google, the Compact has grown to over 120 signatories, including governments, private companies, and academic institutions. The initiative supports a technology-inclusive approach, prioritizing storage, demand-side management, and the development of Granular Certificates to drive investment. Current and future efforts include a global study on policy and regulatory reforms to empower consumers and a working group exploring the role of green hydrogen in achieving 24/7 CFE.

The Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research is seeking nominations to replace three members of the Science-Policy Advisory Committee (SPAC) and one member of the Science Advisory Committee (SAC) by June 2023. Nominations will be filled at the 31st meeting of the Conference of the Parties in Panama City. The institute emphasizes the need for international expertise in global change in the Americas, with a specific call for geographic, gender, and ethnic balance, noting underrepresentation of South America, the Caribbean, and the Tropical Andes. Desired expertise includes science diplomacy, economics, biodiversity governance, and informatics.

The Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) is seeking nominations to replace four committee members whose mandates expire in June 2023. Three vacancies are for the Science and Policy Advisory Committee (SPAC) and one for the Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC). Nominations will be addressed at the 31st Conference of the Parties in Panama City from June 21-22, 2023. The IAI emphasizes the need for international recognition in global change science in the Americas, interdisciplinary experience, and a desire for better geographic, gender, and ethnic balance, specifically noting underrepresentation from South America, the Caribbean, and the Tropical Andes.

The Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) is providing financial assistance for members of the Executive Council, the Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC), the Science and Policy Advisory Committee (SPAC), and national representatives from low- and middle-income Parties to attend the CE-55 and CoP-31 meetings in Panama City from June 20 to 22, 2023. Financial support covers airfare, meals, lodging, and per diems, and is funded by resources external to the IAI's operating and program budgets. Eligible participants must register and contact the IAI by April 30, 2023, for financial support, and submit accreditation credentials by May 20, 2023.

The report evaluates grievance mechanisms across various carbon market standards and funds, using UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights as a benchmark. It finds that most voluntary carbon market (VCM) standards have opaque or insufficient mechanisms, while the Green Climate Fund (GCF) and Gold Standard provide more robust models. The authors recommend that the Article 6.4 mechanism prioritize accessibility, transparency through public repositories, independence, and the ability to provide binding remedies, including the power to overturn Supervisory Body decisions.

The report outlines the legal framework and procedural steps taken to recruit a new Executive Director for the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI), including the formation of a selection committee and the receipt of applications from North, Central, and South America.

The report outlines the legal framework and procedural steps taken to recruit a new Executive Director for the IAI, noting the composition of the Selection Committee and the regional origin of applicants.

Latin America possesses significant potential to lead in renewable energy, with over 319 GW of prospective utility-scale solar and wind capacity that could increase the region's current capacity by more than 460% by 2030. While Brazil, Chile, and Colombia are accelerating their buildouts and are on track to meet national targets, Mexico's progress has stalled due to policy shifts favoring state-owned fossil fuel entities. The report highlights the role of solar and wind in diversifying energy matrices to reduce reliance on drought-prone hydropower and the emerging economic opportunity of green hydrogen exports.

Ecuador is highly vulnerable to climate-related events, such as El Niño, but lacks an official economic quantification of loss and damage to effectively participate in international negotiations. This proposal, implemented by the Corporación Andina de Fomento (CAF) and the Ministry of the Environment, Water and Ecological Transition (MAATE), aims to create a national L&D framework. The project will focus on establishing an intersectoral working group, developing standardized methodologies for quantifying economic and non-economic losses, creating a national L&D evaluation, and building technical capacity through training and a communication strategy. The total requested amount is USD 499,952 over a 24-month period.

Project GAIA establishes a framework to integrate gender equality and social inclusion into its investment cycle, requiring all approved projects to develop specific GESI Action Plans. The plan focuses on five pillars: governance, leadership, employment, capacity building, and consumption (access to basic services). It sets platform-level targets, such as achieving 30% women in governance by year one, and project-level requirements, including mandatory gender assessments and the use of sex-disaggregated data in impact reporting. The framework also incorporates safeguarding measures against sexual exploitation, abuse, and harassment (SEAH) and gender-based violence (GBVH).

The document argues that the Open Government Partnership (OGP) is an underutilized platform for conservationists to drive transparency, participation, and accountability in natural resource governance. It provides three specific templates for creating OGP commitments: beneficial ownership transparency to combat deforestation, openness and integrity in wildlife law enforcement, and participatory governance for Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). The guide emphasizes that these reforms help prevent 'open washing' by using multi-stakeholder forums and independent reporting to track government progress.

The IAI Science Diplomacy Center (SDC) held its first advisory board meeting in November 2022 to establish a framework for strengthening the science-policy interface in the Americas. The board defined a vision focused on peaceful and sustainable regional development through transdisciplinary collaborations and set goals including the creation of a science diplomacy knowledge hub and regional training. Key recommendations include focusing on 'Climate Action' as a priority thematic area, leveraging the Science, Technology and Policy (STeP) Fellowship program to produce non-technical policy briefs, and developing a strategic communication plan to attract diverse funding from foundations and member Parties. The meeting also highlighted the need for contextualized training that includes scientists, diplomats, and journalists, and the establishment of a formal mentorship program to bridge the gap between early-career researchers and policy-makers.

The IAI Science Diplomacy Center (SDC) held its first advisory board meeting in November 2022 to define its mission, vision, and goals for enhancing science diplomacy in the Americas. The board identified 'Climate Action' as a primary initial focus area and recommended the development of a Strategic Communication Plan to provide decision-makers with digestible, non-technical scientific information. The SDC aims to operate as a knowledge hub and leverage the STeP Fellowship Program to build regional capacity, while exploring sustainable funding through grants, donations, or matching fund structures.

The IAI's Science Diplomacy Center (SDC) Advisory Board met in Uruguay in November 2022 to define the Center's strategic framework. The Center aims to facilitate regional collaboration on global change challenges, specifically prioritizing 'Climate Action' as a common ground for member states. Key recommendations include developing a Strategic Communication Plan to provide policymakers with jargon-free scientific reports and exploring sustainable funding through grants, donations, or matching fund structures. The Center will also seek synergies with the Science, Technology and Policy (STeP) fellowship program to build regional capacity in science diplomacy.