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The document examines the rollout of biofuels and agribusiness in Southeast Asia, finding that promised poverty reduction and rural development benefits often fail to materialize. It highlights systemic issues including unclear land tenure, the vulnerability of small-scale producers, and weak enforcement of environmental laws. The authors argue that investments frequently precede inclusive development planning, leading to social tensions and ecological risks, and recommend prioritizing 'upstream' planning and strengthening dispute resolution mechanisms.

The document analyzes how climate change increases the risk of food price shocks through both direct impacts on domestic harvests and indirect impacts via global commodity markets. It argues that while many import-dependent countries, such as Senegal, pursue self-sufficiency in staples like rice to avoid international volatility, this approach can create 'rice risk lock-in' by increasing exposure to domestic climate shocks and reducing agricultural diversity. The authors recommend a balanced strategy of diversifying food sources, diets, and import origins to build climate resilience.

The SEI Initiative on Producer to Consumer Sustainability (P2CS) is a research and action platform designed to address the complexity of global production-to-consumption systems (PCSs). The initiative focuses on developing 'next-generation' footprint accounting tools to provide higher spatial resolution and better attribution of responsibility across supply chains. It also investigates supply chain governance to identify gaps in existing risk-management commitments and foster new mechanisms for sustainable trade. Initial pilot projects (2015–2016) target beef and soy in Brazil and oil palm in South East Asia for European markets.

The TDDR Initiative by the Stockholm Environment Institute seeks to transform the relationship between development and disaster risk reduction (DRR). It identifies three critical gaps in current approaches: a lack of understanding regarding vulnerability creation, a failure to apply knowledge at appropriate scales, and an over-fixation on risk reduction rather than the trade-offs in decision-making. The initiative intends to use a social-ecological systems framework to conduct context-specific research and support the implementation of the Sendai Framework.

The SEI Initiative on Transforming Development and Disaster Risk (TDDR) addresses the paradox where development often acts as a root cause of disaster risk rather than a means to reduce it. Using a social-ecological systems (SES) framework, the initiative focuses on three research areas: understanding the interaction between development and risk, exploring equitable social-ecological resilience, and investigating adaptive governance processes. The goal is to generate knowledge and a synthesis framework to transform development into a tool for risk reduction, while monitoring the implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction.

The guide outlines a process for civil society organizations to monitor adaptation finance, from analyzing national contexts and compiling international data to mapping funding flows and designing local tracking tools. It emphasizes the use of evidence-based advocacy to ensure funds reach the most vulnerable populations.

The International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) argues that while the Arctic possesses vast renewable energy reserves and successful technology tests, adoption remains slow. To accelerate this transition, the IISD proposes clear long-term targets, the phase-out of fossil fuel subsidies—specifically subsidized diesel—and the establishment of public-private partnerships funded by environmental taxes.

Friends of the Earth International and its signatories critique the Lima Conference for producing weak pre-2020 mitigation pledges and failing to secure binding commitments on finance, adaptation, and loss and damage. The statement asserts that the outcome shifts responsibility to the Global South, protects polluting corporations, and risks expanding carbon markets at the expense of land rights. It calls for a systemic transformation away from fossil fuels toward community-controlled renewable energy and agro-ecological solutions.

The document examines the challenges Indigenous Peoples and local communities face when seeking redress for human rights violations linked to conservation, such as the eviction of the Endorois in Kenya. It categorizes redress mechanisms into state-based (national courts, NHRIs) and non-state-based (UN systems, regional human rights courts, financial institution accountability mechanisms, and corporate mechanisms). While state-based systems can issue binding decisions, they are often inaccessible due to discrimination and lack of recognition of collective rights. Non-state judicial mechanisms often have high procedural hurdles, such as the exhaustion of domestic remedies, while non-judicial mechanisms frequently lack enforcement power. The author suggests exploring a 'Roundtable for Ethical Conservation' as a specialized mechanism to ensure compliance with human rights standards.

The report details WWF's efforts to transform commodity markets through the promotion of credible certification schemes, corporate engagement, and policy influence. It highlights the growth of standards like RSPO and MSC, the integration of small-scale producers into sustainable supply chains, and the increasing commitment of major retailers and financial institutions to sustainable sourcing. The document argues that while significant progress has been made in moving sustainability from a niche to a mainstream requirement, further work is needed to scale these impacts and integrate them into national policies and landscape-level management.

The report identifies geothermal energy as a cost-competitive, low-carbon baseload power source, but notes that its deployment is hindered by high resource risks and long development timelines. It finds that 76-90% of geothermal project investments rely on public debt or equity, as the private sector is generally unwilling to fund the high-risk exploration phase. The document argues that while current policy support often focuses on the operational phase, public finance should be redirected toward the early stages of project development to attract more private capital.

The document calls for the business and insurance sectors to stop funding climate denialism and instead catalyze ambitious action to limit global temperature rise to less than 2 degrees Celsius. It highlights the role of fossil fuel companies in subverting legislative action and the severe economic costs of climate change, citing the Philippines as an example. The author advocates for holding company directors personally liable for misleading the public about climate risks and urges insurers to reconsider providing coverage for anti-climate activities.

The paper analyzes Myanmar's current investment treaty landscape, noting that the country has seven treaties in force and one pending with Japan. It highlights significant variations between ASEAN-negotiated treaties and bilateral investment treaties (BITs), which complicates government compliance. A critical finding is that most-favoured nation (MFN) clauses may force Myanmar to grant a combination of benefits to investors that exceeds the terms of any single treaty. Additionally, with the exception of the Myanmar-Philippines BIT, all treaties allow foreign investors to pursue binding monetary awards against the state through investor-state arbitration.

The report examines the vulnerability of small-scale rice farmers in Lao PDR and the Philippines, focusing on two top rice-producing provinces in each country across three ecozones: irrigated lowland, rainfed lowland, and rainfed upland. In Lao PDR, agriculture is the primary livelihood, but production is low, poverty is high, and government risk management measures are limited. The Philippines faces increasing intensity and frequency of typhoons, averaging 20 per year, which threatens its large population and economic development.

Climate change risks, specifically typhoons and intense rain, are causing significant income losses for rice farmers in the Philippines' Pangasinan and Tarlac provinces. Future climate projections indicate shifting rainfall patterns that will further threaten agricultural sustainability, necessitating local government intervention.

The report examines the high financial risks governments face in investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS), where average claims reach US$492 million. It details the disparity between claimed and awarded amounts, a growing trend toward compound interest, and the significant burden of legal and administrative costs, which often fall disproportionately on respondent states, particularly developing countries.

The report by Friends of the Earth International (FoEI) details over 100 incidents of violence against environmental defenders across 27 countries. It identifies a systemic pattern of criminalization, physical attacks, and state repression linked to large-scale extractivist projects. The document advocates for legally binding international norms for transnational corporations and the recognition of environmental defense as a fundamental human right.

The document argues that agricultural cooperatives promote inclusive investment by allowing farmers to maintain control over resources while achieving economies of scale. It highlights that well-organized cooperatives reduce risk for foreign investors and facilitate more efficient contracting. The brief emphasizes that government support should be limited to creating an enabling legal environment and providing technical resources, rather than interfering in internal management, as bottom-up initiatives are generally more successful.

The document promotes agricultural cooperatives as a socially and politically acceptable alternative to 'land grabbing,' allowing farmers to retain control of their resources while accessing markets and finance. It distinguishes between production and service cooperatives and highlights the benefits of collective bargaining and resource sharing. The text emphasizes that while foreign investment can reduce risk and provide capital, government support should be limited to creating a favorable legal environment and providing technical training, rather than direct interference in management.

The report analyzes Myanmar's investment treaty landscape, noting a significant disparity between its older bilateral investment treaties (BITs) and more recent ASEAN-related agreements. It highlights risks associated with investor-state arbitration, most-favoured nation (MFN) clauses, and the potential for costly legal claims due to vaguely worded protections. The author suggests that Myanmar should clarify its treaty objectives and potentially use the ASEAN Comprehensive Investment Agreement as a template for future negotiations to ensure more balanced and precise obligations.