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This briefing provides an update on the Initiative for Conducting a National Climate Assessment in Support of Adaptation and Mitigation (LACI), an effort led by the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) to strengthen climate risk assessments and decision-making in Latin America and the Caribbean.

The report examines 93 unique plastic pollution reduction measures notified by nearly 70 WTO members. It finds that prohibitions on single-use plastics and import restrictions on plastic waste are the most common tools. The analysis highlights a lack of product diversity in current bans and suggests that WTO members could benefit from enhanced transparency, geographic expansion of successful measures, and the exploration of new thematic areas beyond common single-use items.

This briefing provides an update on the Latin America and Caribbean Initiative (LACI), an effort by the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) to strengthen climate risk assessments and capacity building for adaptation and mitigation in the region.

The report outlines the progress of the LACI initiative, which aims to strengthen climate risk assessments to support local and regional decision-making. Following a scoping phase involving 14 countries to identify priorities and map capacities, the initiative has entered a pilot co-design phase with four specific projects focusing on El Salvador, regional data interoperability, Amazonia, and Jamaica.

This document is a report on the 2023 Extraordinary meeting of the Conference of the Parties (CoP) to the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI), held via videoconference on 18 April 2023. The primary purpose of the meeting was the election of a new Executive Director for the IAI.

The 2023 Extraordinary meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) was held on 18 April 2023 to elect a new Executive Director. Following a recruitment process overseen by a 10-member search committee, Dr. Anna Stewart Ibarra was recommended and subsequently elected to a three-year term. The search committee highlighted the need for the IAI to bridge the gap between science and policy to address global environmental change challenges in the Americas.

On April 18, 2023, the IAI Conference of the Parties held an extraordinary meeting via videoconference to elect a new executive director. Following a selection process managed by a 10-member committee, Dr. Anna Stewart-Ibarra was recommended and subsequently elected to the position for a three-year term. The selection committee emphasized the need for leadership capable of bridging the gap between science and policy to address global environmental change in the Americas.

In 2022, solar and wind power continued their rapid growth, with solar being the fastest-growing source and wind recording the largest absolute increase. Conversely, nuclear power saw a significant decline, primarily driven by outages in France and Germany. Coal generation reached an all-time record high of 10,186 TWh, although its overall share of the global electricity mix slightly decreased. Hydro power rebounded after a poor 2021 but remains below 2020 levels due to droughts in Europe. Fossil gas generation remained relatively stable despite supply chain disruptions. To align with the IEA Net Zero Emissions scenario by 2030, the report argues that solar and wind must sustain high annual growth rates, coal and unabated gas must be phased out, and nuclear power must grow more rapidly than its recent historical average.

The Independent Redress Mechanism (IRM) report details the processing of four specific project complaints (FP039, FP121, FP146, and FP001) and the implementation of its 2022-2023 work plan. Key operational activities included the development of a Gender Strategy Note, the creation of an educational board game called "road to redress," and the provision of mediation training for Direct Access Entities (DAEs). Financially, the IRM spent USD 1.34 million of its USD 1.65 million approved 2022 budget, representing an 81% utilisation rate.

The GCF Accreditation Panel recommends the re-accreditation of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) for a second term with no conditions. The assessment confirms that IDB continues to meet GCF's basic and specialized fiduciary standards, environmental and social safeguards, and gender policies. IDB's portfolio includes eight approved GCF projects totaling USD 761.7 million, with a strong track record in mitigation and adaptation, particularly in the Latin American and Caribbean region. The report highlights IDB's commitment to Paris Agreement alignment and its capacity to support direct access entities through capacity-building initiatives.

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) signed a Memorandum of Understanding on February 16, 2023, to foster international cooperation and the exchange of scientific information. The agreement focuses on understanding the impact of global change on regional and continental environments in the Americas to support mitigation and adaptation efforts. The parties commit to annual meetings, reciprocal representation at events, and the exchange of publications, operating on a non-legally binding basis and generally without the exchange of funds.

The document examines the challenges and opportunities for establishing green jobs in Latin America and the Caribbean, particularly in rural areas affected by COVID-19. It highlights a significant gap between 'environmental jobs' and 'green jobs' due to high informality and the lack of decent work standards. Through case studies in Colombia (bioeconomy and nature tourism in Guaviare) and Chile (agroecology in La Serena), the brief argues for a territorial approach that combines public policy with community-led initiatives to foster resilience and a just transition. It concludes with recommendations for governments to institutionalize green job definitions, improve statistical tracking, and provide targeted financial and technical support to vulnerable populations, including women and youth.

The document examines the potential for creating approximately 15 million green jobs in Latin America and the Caribbean by 2030, particularly in the energy, forestry, transport, and ecosystem restoration sectors. It highlights the challenge of high labor informality, which hinders the establishment of 'decent' green employment. Through case studies in Colombia (Amazonian bioeconomy and tourism) and Chile (agroecology in Coquimbo), the brief argues for the need to institutionalize green job definitions, improve statistical data, and provide targeted financial and technical support to rural organizations and women entrepreneurs to ensure a just transition.

The proposal outlines a 24-month program to address five key barriers to climate finance and mitigation in Paraguay. It focuses on developing a National SLCP Strategy, strengthening the accreditation process for Sudameris Bank and the Agencia Financiera de Desarrollo (AFD), creating a Private Sector Engagement Strategy for the AFOLU sector, updating the national MRV system, and developing a high-quality GCF project concept note.

The report documents systemic human rights violations in Paraguay's soy-growing regions, linking these abuses to major US commodity traders (ADM, Cargill, and Bunge) and European meat processors (2 Sisters and Danish Crown). It argues that voluntary sustainability certifications, specifically 'mass balance' schemes, act as accounting tricks that allow tainted soy to enter European supply chains. The document calls for mandatory due diligence legislation in the EU and UK to replace ineffective voluntary initiatives.

Global Witness reports that the expansion of soy monocultures in Paraguay is driving illegal land grabs, forced evictions of indigenous and peasant communities, and toxic pesticide poisoning. The report traces these products through global traders like ADM, Cargill, and Bunge to major European meat producers 2 Sisters and Danish Crown, and numerous high-street retailers. It argues that voluntary sustainability certifications, such as 'mass balance', act as 'accounting tricks' that mask the origin of 'tainted' soy, and calls for mandatory human rights due diligence legislation in the EU and UK.

The IAI provides financial support between $100,000 and $300,000 USD for research projects lasting up to 3 years, targeting teams from 14 specific Latin American and Caribbean countries. Funding is contingent on co-funding and alignment with IAI's strategic policies, including a mandatory equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) plan.

The report identifies significant gender disparities in the transport sectors of Panamá, Paraguay, and Uruguay, particularly regarding safety, employment, and mobility patterns. It argues that urban transport is often designed around a male commuter model, ignoring the 'mobility of care' typical of women's trips. The document highlights endemic gender-based violence in public transport and the disproportionate economic impact of COVID-19 on women. To address these, the E-Motion programme proposes a three-fold approach: using the transport sector to change social norms, increasing women's access to green jobs in electric vehicle (EV) markets, and systematizing gender mainstreaming in investment plans through capacity building and sex-disaggregated data collection.

This briefing outlines the progress of the Regional Assessment conducted by the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI). The assessment aims to identify knowledge gaps and uncertainties in decisions impacted by global environmental change (GEC) to better target science and capacity-building efforts for Member Countries.

The IAI is conducting a Regional Assessment to better understand how global environmental change (GEC) affects the decisions of its member Parties. Through surveys and subregional listening sessions held in 2022, the IAI identified 'climate action' as the most important current national priority for 14 Parties. Key barriers to using scientific information include a lack of intersectoral collaboration and a lack of science available for non-technical audiences. The assessment has grouped member countries by shared priorities and identified specific regional focuses, such as water security in the Southern Cone and biodiversity in the Andean subregion. Next steps include a deep analysis of collected data and a review of national policy documents, with results to be communicated at CoP-31.