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This report from the Executive Council (EC) of the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) outlines the council's activities and recommendations ahead of the 27th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties (CoP-27) in Brasilia, Brazil. The EC provides guidance on the IAI Strategic Plan, the election rules for the Science and Policy Advisory Committee, and the establishment of flexible funding mechanisms for global change projects in the Americas.

This report from the Chair of the Executive Council (EC) of the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) outlines the EC's activities and recommendations ahead of the 27th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (CoP-27) in Brasilia, Brazil.

The report details the conclusion of the CRN3 program, which involved 17 projects across 15 IAI Parties, and the launch of the SGP-HW program, which selected six projects focused on ecosystem services and human well-being. It also outlines the planning for the fourth round of Cooperative Research Networks (CRN4), emphasizing transdisciplinary research, regional priorities, and the pursuit of co-financing through entities like the Belmont Forum.

The IAI Directorate reports on the completion of the Third Collaborative Research Network (CRN3) program, which involved 17 projects across 15 IAI Parties and leveraged US$ 15.36 million in additional funding. The report details the transition toward the SGP-HW small grants program, which emphasizes transdisciplinary co-design with stakeholders and the implementation of an Open Data Policy. It also outlines the preliminary planning for the fourth iteration of the Collaborative Research Network (CRN4), recommending alignment with the Belmont Forum to secure co-funding and a focus on Party-driven priorities.

The report argues that industrial aquaculture is unsustainable due to its heavy reliance on wild-caught fish for feed, which threatens marine ecosystems, undermines food security in the Global South, and creates a massive animal welfare crisis. It highlights that nearly 20% of wild fish catches are processed into FMFO, often targeting keystone forage species and juveniles. The document criticizes the lack of transparency among aquafeed companies and the inadequacy of current certification schemes like the MSC and IFFO. To address these issues, it recommends a transition toward herbivorous species, alternative proteins like insects and algae, and stricter governance to eliminate illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing.

The report argues that industrial aquaculture is fundamentally broken due to its dependence on wild-caught forage fish, which threatens marine ecosystems, food security in vulnerable coastal regions, and animal welfare. It highlights a lack of transparency among major feed producers and critiques existing certification systems, recommending a transition toward herbivorous species and sustainable alternative proteins.

The report argues that industrial aquaculture's reliance on fishmeal and fish oil (FMFO) is unsustainable, plundering marine ecosystems and undermining food security in the Global South. It highlights the exploitation of forage fish and 'trash fish', the lack of transparency among major aquafeed companies, and the failure of certification schemes to prevent the use of food-grade fish for animal feed.

The report analyzes 38 ISDS cases brought by mining companies against Latin American states, highlighting a systemic bias that favors corporate profits over human rights and environmental laws. It documents how these suits often target government measures resulting from community resistance or environmental regulations, creating a 'chilling effect' on public policy. The document details specific cases in countries such as Colombia, El Salvador, and Venezuela, and proposes a fundamental shift toward a legal framework that prioritizes human rights and environmental protection over investor rights.

The BioStartUp programme, initiated by PerúBioInnova and the University San Ignacio de Loyola (USIL), provides an eight-month incubation process for start-ups utilizing Amazonian plants and fruits for nutrition and cosmetics. The initiative addresses barriers such as legal issues regarding genetic resources, patent rights, and market access. The programme resulted in seven start-ups improving their business models and the creation of a 'navigator' tool to facilitate the replication and up-scaling of the incubation model, which has been endorsed by the Peruvian Ministry of Environment and Production.

This document is a report on the 26th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (CoP-26) to the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI), held in Antigua, Guatemala, from 20 to 21 June 2018. It details the proceedings, administrative and financial discussions, and the adoption of 45 decisions concerning the IAI's strategic plan, funding, science-policy initiatives, and organizational structure.

The report examines local content policies (LCPs) in the mining sector, specifically focusing on local procurement. It details how 'local' is defined through geography, value addition, and ownership, and outlines various demand-side and supply-side policy options. The document emphasizes that for these policies to succeed, they must be supported by pre-conditions such as capacity analysis, a conducive business climate, and strong monitoring and enforcement mechanisms.

The report evaluates Ecuador's mining policy framework, identifying a strong constitutional and legal basis for environmental protection and social participation. While the government has successfully attracted large-scale investment and implemented an innovative advance royalty system for community benefit, significant gaps remain in technical regulation for mine closure, environmental monitoring of large-scale waste, and the formalization of artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM). The assessment emphasizes the need for more robust community consultation processes and increased technical capacity within state regulatory agencies to ensure sustainable mining development.

The Green Economy Coalition (GEC) convened a global meeting in Cape Town from January 8-10, 2019, bringing together over 130 participants to address the question of how everyone can get a stake in the green economy. The event resulted in five core findings, a set of policy recommendations for the UN-PAGE Ministerial, and a framework for the GEC's next ten-year strategy. The report highlights a global trend toward green investment—noting over 9 trillion of private investment since 2007—while warning that biodiversity is in crisis and the global financial system is structurally unfit for the environmental crisis. It also provides status updates on green economy initiatives in several GEC hub countries, including South Africa, India, Mongolia, Peru, Senegal, and Uganda.

The report details how developing countries approach investment treaty negotiations, highlighting a trend toward renegotiating outdated agreements and the use of model treaties. It identifies the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and investment authorities as the primary leads in negotiations and provides a detailed mapping of ratification processes across various nations.

The Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI), in collaboration with the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) and Bolivian partners, applied the Gridded Meteorological Ensemble Tool (GMET) to generate daily climate grids for Bolivia and parts of neighbouring countries from 1980 to 2016. Using a database of over 400 stations, the project demonstrated GMET's ability to incorporate prediction errors and uncertainty into spatial precipitation and temperature data, though it found that satellite-based data remained necessary to fill gaps in data-sparse regions. The project included a technology transfer to train local experts and the release of the tool as open-source software.

The document examines the link between community land tenure and global sustainability goals, highlighting that while indigenous and rural communities manage over 50% of the world's land, only 10% is legally recognized. It presents evidence that secure tenure reduces deforestation and carbon emissions more cheaply than technological carbon capture. The author calls for legal reforms, simplified formalization procedures, and a more equitable playing field between communities and corporations to protect these critical carbon sinks and support rural livelihoods.

The analysis argues that EUSIPA perpetuates the flaws of old-generation Bilateral Investment Treaties by providing vague investor protections and a biased dispute settlement system that lacks sufficient judicial independence and fails to prioritize public interest over investment claims.

The document examines the reciprocal relationship between climate change and land in Latin America, highlighting how land degradation and desertification threaten livelihoods and food security. It advocates for sustainable land management, integrated governance, and gender-equitable policies to enhance resilience and achieve climate goals.

The document details how human-induced climate change is altering ocean chemistry and temperature, accelerating sea-level rise, and melting high-mountain glaciers in Latin America. It emphasizes that while some changes are inevitable, urgent mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions is the primary way to limit future damage. The guide highlights the vulnerability of coastal ecosystems and high-mountain communities, arguing that early investment in disaster risk reduction and integrated governance is more cost-effective than future recovery.

The document outlines the impacts of human-induced climate change on the oceans and cryosphere in Latin America, focusing on ocean acidification, sea level rise, and the melting of Andean glaciers. It emphasizes that while some changes are inevitable, urgent mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions and early investment in adaptation—such as nature-based solutions and improved disaster risk governance—can significantly reduce future costs and risks to human societies and ecosystems.