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The proposal seeks USD 627,331 over 24 months to help Costa Rica mobilize private finance for its National Decarbonization Plan (NDP) and Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC). It focuses on creating a national sustainable finance taxonomy and implementing Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) recommendations for the banking and insurance sectors. Key activities include establishing a Financial Advisory Group (FAG), developing a GCF Country Programme, and creating online reporting modules within the SINAMECC and SICVECA platforms. The project aims to address gaps in climate risk data and the lack of unified classification systems for green investments.

The 30th meeting of the IAI Conference of the Parties (CoP-30) focused on administrative governance, financial sustainability, and the advancement of transdisciplinary climate research in the Americas. Key outcomes included the approval of the 2022-2023 operating budget, the adoption of a revised Scientific Agenda, and the establishment of a Gender, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Policy. The meeting also initiated the recruitment process for a new Executive Director and planned for the 31st meeting to be hosted by Panama in 2023.

The E-Mobility Program for Sustainable Cities in Latin America and the Caribbean is a 450 million USD initiative (200 million USD from GCF) designed to accelerate the transition to commercial electric vehicles (EVs) and enhance the climate resilience of urban transport systems. The program focuses on high-utilization commercial vehicles, including buses, taxis, trucks, and vessels, while excluding private passenger cars. It integrates EV deployment with sustainable urban mobility measures, such as cycle lanes and pedestrianization, and explores advanced technologies like green hydrogen and vehicle-to-grid (V2G) systems to improve grid stability. The program targets nine countries: Barbados, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Panama, Paraguay, and Uruguay. Key goals include reducing GHG emissions by 7.55 million tCO2e and benefiting approximately 8.9 million people through adaptation measures.

The Gender Action Plan for the E-Motion Sub-Program 2 in Panamá, Paraguay, and Uruguay establishes a framework to integrate gender equality into the deployment of electric vehicles (EVs). The plan focuses on three primary outputs: conducting country-level gender assessments to inform EV roadmaps, facilitating regional knowledge exchange on gender in transportation, and integrating gender-responsive components into financed sub-projects. Key objectives include improving women's access to green jobs, addressing sexual harassment in public transport, and accounting for 'mobility of care' in infrastructure design. The program allocates a total budget of 621,000 USD for these activities, including the employment of a four-specialist gender implementation team.

This document is a list of participants for the 53rd Meeting of the Executive Council to the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research, held on 14 June 2022 in Montevideo and via videoconference.

The IAI Executive Directorate reported progress in science and capacity building between 2021 and 2022, despite COVID-19 challenges. Key achievements include the expansion of the Science, Technology, and Policy (STeP) fellowship to 45 fellows across 10 countries, the launch of a virtual campus, and the development of a new Gender, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Policy. The IAI also strengthened regional health-climate research, particularly in the Caribbean and South America, and expanded its science diplomacy initiatives through new partnerships and the planned establishment of the IAI Center for Science Diplomacy.

The IAI Directorate reported progress in science and capacity building between 2021 and 2022, highlighting the expansion of the STeP Fellowship program to 45 fellows across 10 countries and the launch of the IAI Virtual Campus. Key scientific efforts included contributions to the IPCC 6th Assessment Report and the development of climate-health tools for the Caribbean. The Directorate also focused on science diplomacy, establishing the IAI Center for Science Diplomacy and partnering with the Belmont Forum to fund transdisciplinary research. Efforts to increase inclusivity led to the drafting of a Gender, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Policy and the provision of 100 scholarships for students from Latin America and the Caribbean to attend the Sustainability Research and Innovation Congress 2022.

The document outlines the establishment of a working group to implement the 'Initiative for Conducting a National Climate Assessment in Support of Adaptation and Mitigation: Training and Capacity Building in Latin America and the Caribbean'. Supported by the US Global Change Research Program (USGCRP), AmeriGEO, and the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI), the initiative aims to strengthen climate risk assessments for local and regional decision-making. Current progress includes the formation of a working group with members from eight countries and the administration of a knowledge-level questionnaire with a 71% response rate. The next phase involves defining the program's scope and creating a work plan and timeline.

The report provides an update on the 'Initiative for conducting a national climate assessment in support of adaptation and mitigation: Training and capacity building in Latin America and the Caribbean', a project supported by USGCRP, AmeriGEO, and the IAI to strengthen climate risk assessments for local and regional decision-making.

This report provides an update on the 'Initiative for conducting a national climate assessment in support of adaptation and mitigation: Training and capacity development in Latin America and the Caribbean,' established by Decision XXIX/9 of the Conference of the Parties of the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI).

The author argues that for the WTO's efforts on trade and gender to be effective, members must adopt a comprehensive 'gender lens' that distinguishes between economic empowerment and broader gender equality. The proposed framework includes identifying women's multiple economic roles, analyzing the bidirectional relationship between trade and gender, recognizing domains of inequality (capabilities, resources, and security), and applying this analysis across all stages of trade policy from negotiation to implementation.

The document identifies a substantial increase in protests in the Global South after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, driven by food and energy insecurity. Analyzing ACLED data, the authors found food protests in 32 countries and fuel protests in 37 countries. While many protests are isolated, in some nations—such as Paraguay, Guatemala, and Peru—these grievances constituted a significant portion of all unrest events. The report argues that such protests serve as warnings of household hardship and can lead to severe political consequences, citing the flight of Sri Lanka's president as an example.

The report finds that while updated NDCs show increased country ownership, better alignment with national planning processes like National Adaptation Plans (NAPs), and a higher number of prioritized actions, most of these actions remain implementation-unready due to a lack of clear indicators, costs, and time frames. It highlights a general lack of understanding and explicit planning for transformative adaptation and a limited operationalization of 'Loss and Damage' concepts within national contexts.

The policy brief argues that most recovery packages in Latin America and the Caribbean are 'inertial' and environmentally negative, prioritizing short-term economic growth over long-term climate sustainability. It highlights a significant gap between national climate commitments (NDCs) and actual recovery spending, noting a trend toward fossil fuel subsidies and increased deforestation. The document recommends integrating social justice, gender equity, and systemic resilience into recovery plans, while urging governments to adopt green taxonomies and align financial incentives with the 1.5°C goal.

The report presents survey data from 108,946 Facebook users worldwide, revealing high global levels of worry and belief that climate change is happening, though perceptions of its causes and the responsibility for action vary significantly by region. While there is widespread support for renewable energy and the belief that climate action will not harm economic growth, willingness to engage in organized climate activism remains low in most regions, with a notable exception in Sub-Saharan Africa.

The report finds that while updated NDCs show increased ambition and better alignment with national planning, a massive gap remains between current commitments and the emissions reductions needed to limit warming to 1.5°C. Mitigation efforts have improved in scope and transparency, but many sectoral measures remain vague. Adaptation components are more prevalent in developing countries and show increased focus on equity and critical systems, though implementation details like timeframes and indicators are often missing. Climate finance requirements reported in NDCs total $4.282 trillion, highlighting a significant need for increased international support.

The document argues that high-impact hydropower is incompatible with nature-positive goals due to its role in the 84% collapse of freshwater species populations since 1970 and its tendency to cause human rights abuses. It positions insurers as key facilitators of the sector, as private companies often cannot build or invest in projects without insurance. The guide recommends that insurers adopt specific ESG policies, decline cover for projects in protected areas, and require independent impact assessments and greenhouse gas emission calculations. It also highlights that climate change increases the risk to hydropower, with 61% of existing and planned projects projected to be in river basins with high risk of floods or droughts by 2050.

The report argues that whales are sentinel species for ocean health and critical for climate regulation, but face imminent extinction risks from cumulative threats. It advocates for 'connectivity conservation' through the establishment of blue corridors and networks of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) to safeguard migratory routes across national and international waters.

The document argues that the lack of transparency regarding beneficial owners—the individuals exercising ultimate effective control over fishing vessels and facilities—is a primary enabler of corruption and IUU fishing. It details how 'flags of convenience' (FoCs), shell companies, and opaque joint ventures allow bad actors to evade sanctions, launder money, and engage in human rights abuses. The author highlights specific cases, such as the 'Fishrot' scandal in Namibia and the use of Chinese processing facilities to hide North Korean labor. To address these issues, the briefing recommends that governments implement public beneficial ownership registries, verify disclosed data, and that major market states like the US, EU, and Japan make beneficial ownership transparency a condition for seafood import access.

Carbon Market Watch criticises the IMO's slow progress on shipping emissions and the insufficiency of its 2030 energy efficiency targets. It highlights a growing coalition of countries and companies calling for zero emissions by 2050 and advocates for a strong market-based measure, specifically a carbon levy, to bridge the price gap between fossil and sustainable fuels and support climate justice.