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Canada committed in 2009 to phase out inefficient fossil fuel subsidies, a goal it recently accelerated to 2023. However, the lack of a clear, shared definition of 'inefficient' remains a barrier. The International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) argues that Canada should adopt the World Trade Organization's definition of subsidies and apply four specific criteria—alignment with climate commitments, support for the low carbon economy, just transition consistency, and the effectiveness of the policy goal—to identify which subsidies are inefficient. The brief highlights that federal subsidies totaled at least CAD 1.91 billion in 2020, with additional billions provided at the provincial level.

Global Shipping Watch is a data platform that matches cargo records with AIS vessel movements to attribute maritime emissions to specific companies, products, and routes. It aims to overcome barriers to decarbonization by providing transparency for scope 3 emissions reporting and sustainable supply chain management. The initial 2019 data release covers US imports and exports, as well as exports from Brazil, Chile, Peru, and Indonesia.

The Project Preparation Facility (PPF) has disbursed and committed USD 32.8 million (82% of its USD 40 million allocation) to support the development of climate funding proposals. To date, PPF support has enabled 11 approved funding proposals totaling nearly USD 3.0 billion in investment. The Secretariat has reduced processing times by 84% through streamlined approvals and introduced simplified funding and service modalities to better support direct access entities (DAEs). To cover a pipeline of 28 active requests and anticipated new needs, the document requests an additional USD 18.0 million for the remainder of GCF-1.

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 document denounces the June 2022 assassinations of indigenist activist Bruno Araújo Pereira and journalist Dom Phillips in Brazil's Vale do Javari. It attributes the worsening violence against Indigenous Peoples to the government of Jair Bolsonaro and the management of the National Indian Foundation (FUNAI). The organization demands transparent investigations into the murders and the protection of Indigenous territories from illegal loggers, miners, and drug traffickers.

Friends of the Earth International condemns the June 2022 murders of Bruno Araújo Pereira and Dom Phillips in the Vale do Javari indigenous territory. The organization links these killings to a broader pattern of systemic violence against indigenous peoples and land defenders under the government of Jair Bolsonaro, exacerbated by illegal logging, mining, and drug trafficking. It calls for transparent investigations into the perpetrators and the protection of indigenous land rights and self-determination.

The document examines the progress of WTO negotiations on fisheries subsidies, detailing the three main pillars of the draft agreement: prohibitions on subsidies for illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing; subsidies for overfished stocks; and subsidies contributing to overcapacity and overfishing. It highlights the tension between imposing meaningful disciplines on the largest fishing nations and providing 'appropriate and effective special and differential treatment' for developing countries. The analysis also covers transparency requirements, notification obligations, and the potential inclusion of forced labour and non-specific fuel subsidies in the final deal.

The paper argues that COVID-19 recovery should move beyond short-term stimulus to 'structural reforms' that are systemic, long-lasting, and general purpose. It introduces a 'Green Structural Recovery Menu' featuring ten high-level measures, including green fiscal reform and natural capital investment. The authors provide a toolkit of prioritisation criteria—categorised as conventional, advanced, and systemic/political—to help governments align policies with specific goals like job creation or planetary boundaries. The report identifies significant gaps in current agendas, particularly regarding gender integration, nature-based solutions, and support for MSMEs. It also addresses the financing challenge for the global south, suggesting debt-for-nature swaps and blended finance. Case studies from countries such as South Korea, Indonesia, and Pakistan illustrate the practical challenges and mixed results of implementing these reforms.

The GCF Board's 31st meeting resulted in the approval of two funding proposals totaling approximately USD 187.6 million, the adoption of an updated accreditation framework, and the re-accreditation of several entities. The Board discussed the Second Performance Review (SPR) and the need for a more effective private sector strategy and simplified approval processes for Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and Small Island Developing States (SIDS).

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 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 document examines the intersection of corruption, land tenure, and Community Forest Management (CFM) in the Peruvian Amazon. It argues that systemic corruption in regional governments—manifesting as the prioritization of individual land titles over communal ones and the 'active inaction' of monitoring bodies—facilitates land grabbing and illegal logging. These factors undermine the sustainability of CFM initiatives, expose Indigenous leaders to violence, and leave communities vulnerable to economic scams and legal penalties. The authors recommend prioritizing community land titling, updating land registries with georeferenced maps, and strengthening the autonomy and funding of environmental enforcement agencies.

The document examines the role of Indigenous Peoples as stewards of 80% of the world's remaining biodiversity and their historical struggle for recognition within the United Nations and multilateral environmental agreements. It highlights the tension between Western commodified views of nature and Indigenous holistic perspectives, noting that while instruments like the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Nagoya Protocol have made strides in recognizing traditional knowledge, climate frameworks like the UNFCCC and initiatives like REDD+ continue to marginalize Indigenous voices and rights. The brief concludes that achieving global sustainability requires moving beyond tokenism to respect Indigenous self-determination and leadership.

The European Union has proposed a regulation to prevent commodities linked to deforestation and forest degradation from entering its market. While the author views the draft as an ambitious step toward reducing greenhouse gas emissions and protecting biodiversity, they identify four critical areas for improvement: clarifying definitions of 'forest' and 'agricultural use', expanding the scope to include rubber and other ecosystems like peatlands, increasing transparency through public disclosure of company declarations, and implementing targeted supply-side engagement to protect smallholder producers.

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 report analyzes the intersection of voluntary sustainability standards (VSSs) and sustainable finance in eight agricultural commodity sectors. It argues that while VSSs effectively address environmental and social risks—such as deforestation and labor rights—they often lack the rigorous economic and business management criteria that financial service providers (FSPs) require for due diligence. By benchmarking 12 VSSs against sustainable finance frameworks, the document identifies gaps in areas like corruption prevention, economic viability, and climate adaptation. It recommends that VSSs align their criteria with FSP needs, that FSPs develop preferential loan programs for certified farmers, and that governments support land tenure and infrastructure to improve investment readiness.

Global Shipping Watch is a data platform that matches cargo records with vessel movements from the Automatic Information System (AIS) to attribute maritime emissions to specific companies, products, and countries. By addressing the previous inability to associate emissions with individual cargo owners, the tool aims to improve scope 3 carbon reporting and life-cycle analyses. The initial 2019 data release covers US imports and exports, as well as exports from Brazil, Chile, Peru, and Indonesia.

The report assesses the current state of energy transition in Latin America and the Caribbean, identifying gaps in energy efficiency, electrification, and the adoption of low-carbon technologies like hydrogen and CCUS. It highlights the region's strong baseline in renewable electricity, primarily from hydropower, while emphasizing the need for more aggressive long-term targets and climate adaptation strategies to protect energy infrastructure from extreme weather.

The report synthesizes evidence from the GCF-1 period, finding that while the institution has established its functional architecture, it continues to struggle with slow accreditation processes, limited direct access for national entities, and poor quality in results measurement and reporting. It highlights a lack of a formal accreditation strategy and persistent policy gaps at the Board level. While the portfolio is growing, most projects are still in early implementation stages, and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has compounded existing delays. The report identifies the need for a more strategic approach to paradigm shifts and the mobilization of private sector finance, noting that current results reporting lacks credibility due to inconsistent methodologies.