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The Green Climate Fund Secretariat report details operational progress between October 2014 and February 2015. Key achievements include the launch of the Online Accreditation System on 17 November 2014, the appointment of 100 national designated authorities, and the mobilization of approximately US$ 10.2 billion in pledges. The Secretariat also advanced the development of its investment framework, results management indicators, and administrative structures, while increasing staff diversity with female representation rising to 35% and staff from developing countries to 39%.

The Green Climate Fund reported total pledges of approximately US$ 10.2 billion following a High-Level Pledging Conference and subsequent announcements. For the 2014 calendar year, the Fund's actual administrative expenditures were US$ 9.7 million, significantly under its approved budget of US$ 18.8 million, primarily due to delays in staff recruitment. The Fund also reported spending US$ 0.4 million on readiness activities and US$ 718,701 from a special contribution by the Republic of Korea for headquarters equipment.

The document outlines Manitoba's current emissions profile, its history of climate action, and the need for a new integrated plan for mitigation and adaptation. It examines policies from other jurisdictions regarding larger emitters and proposes principles for Manitoba's future strategy, including the development of mandatory GHG reporting regulations.

The 10th GCF Board meeting resulted in the accreditation of 13 new entities, including the World Bank and Deutsche Bank, despite civil society opposition. The Board approved a US$200 million pilot for Enhanced Direct Access, alongside other pilots for MSMEs and resource mobilization. Additionally, US$2.5 million was allocated for readiness support in nine countries, and the Fund's total signed contributions reached US$5.47 billion.

The Green Climate Fund reached operational effectiveness in May 2015 after securing signed contribution agreements totaling US$ 5.47 billion, exceeding the 50 per cent threshold of its US$ 10 billion in pledges. The Fund has accredited seven initial entities and is implementing a Readiness and Preparatory Support Programme to assist over 120 developing countries in nominating national designated authorities and developing climate strategies. It has also established initial investment, risk management, and results management frameworks to begin funding mitigation and adaptation projects by its third meeting in 2015.

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 report examines the role of performance requirements (PRs) in foreign direct investment, analyzing how their prohibition in bilateral investment treaties (BITs) and the WTO TRIMs Agreement restricts the ability of host states—particularly developing countries—to achieve sustainable development goals. It contrasts traditional BITs, which are silent on PRs, with a growing minority of 'TRIMs+' treaties that impose broader prohibitions. Through the analysis of investment tribunal cases like Mobil Oil v. Canada and Lemire v. Ukraine, the document highlights the unpredictability of legal interpretations. It concludes by offering policy options for states to maintain their regulatory sovereignty, such as avoiding PR prohibitions in treaties or using specific carve-outs and grandfathering clauses.

The document examines performance requirements (PR)—stipulations imposed on investors to achieve specific development goals—and the legal constraints placed upon them by the WTO's TRIMs Agreement and various Bilateral Investment Treaties (BITs). It highlights a growing trend, led by Canada and the United States, toward broader prohibitions of PRs (MIC+ clauses) that extend to pre-establishment phases. Through the analysis of cases like Lemire v. Ukraine and Mobil Oil v. Canada, the guide illustrates the unpredictability of investment tribunals in interpreting these prohibitions. It concludes by offering strategic options for developing nations to maintain their regulatory space, such as avoiding PR prohibitions in BITs or explicitly excluding certain sectors and mechanisms from such restrictions.

The CFAS Guide outlines the state of climate finance negotiations leading up to COP20 in Lima. It details the progress of the US$100 billion annual mobilization goal, the operationalization of the Green Climate Fund (GCF), and the financial challenges facing the Adaptation Fund. The document also examines the role of the Standing Committee on Finance (SCF) in improving the measurement, reporting, and verification (MRV) of financial flows and the coordination of forest financing. Additionally, it discusses the integration of finance into Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs) and the elements of the forthcoming 2015 climate agreement.

The CFAS Guide outlines the state of climate finance negotiations leading up to COP20 in Lima, focusing on long-term funding goals, the operationalization of the Green Climate Fund, and the roles of various financial mechanisms under the UNFCCC.

The paper examines the rise of 'mega-regional' trade agreements like the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP), which aim for deep regulatory integration beyond WTO standards. It argues that while overall GDP impacts on outsiders may be small, these agreements risk eroding trade preferences and establishing new global regulatory norms that could marginalise developing countries. For South Africa, the authors recommend a strategy of unilateral regulatory reform, deeper regional integration within SADC and COMESA, and constructive engagement in the WTO to avoid being left behind by 'competitive liberalisation'.

The Green Climate Fund (GCF) has officially designated Ms. Amel Akremi, Deputy Director of the General Directorate of the Environment and the Quality of Life, as the Focal Point for Tunisia. This appointment is a prerequisite for Tunisia to access GCF resources. The GCF has offered to provide readiness and preparatory support, specifically to strengthen Tunisia's National Designated Authority (NDA) arrangements, upon request.

The Green Economy Coalition (GEC) argues that while the green economy narrative is gaining traction, it requires a shift toward moral and economic storytelling, local 'heroes', and systemic financial reform to become mainstream. The document identifies key narrative 'storylines'—such as economic revival, community empowerment, and financial crisis—and emphasizes that emerging economies are currently adopting these frameworks more enthusiastically than developed nations. It specifically calls for the reform of central banks and monetary policy to address systemic risks like 'stranded assets' and 'carbon bubbles', suggesting that civil society must lead this change to overcome political apathy in the North.

The policy brief examines the tension between national interests and human rights values in the foreign policies of emerging democracies like Brazil, India, Indonesia, and South Africa. While these states have collaborated with established democracies on specific crises in Myanmar, North Korea, and Libya, the author identifies significant cleavages driven by a preference for sovereignty, non-intervention, and economic interests. The document highlights how historical grievances against Northern hegemony and fear of reciprocal criticism of domestic records inhibit a consistent pro-human rights stance. However, it notes that transnational advocacy, the globalisation of media, and international mechanisms like the UN Human Rights Council provide pathways to pressure states toward greater accountability.

The research paper assesses the 2014 US-Africa Summit and the 'US strategy toward Sub-Saharan Africa', arguing that while economic growth in Africa is rising, democratic governance remains a 'chronic twin-deficit' alongside peace and security. It notes that the rise of emerging powers like China, which saw trade with Africa grow from 'US$3 billion in 2002 to around US$192 billion in 2012', has provided African states with financial alternatives that may 'corrosive impact on the pace of the democratisation agenda'. The author suggests the US should move beyond supporting 'minimalist electoral outcomes' and instead support the African Union's African Peer Review Mechanism and African Governance Architecture to foster robust, accountable institutions.

The Green Climate Fund (GCF) has officially recognized the Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources as the National Designated Authority (NDA) for Saudi Arabia. This designation allows Saudi Arabia to access GCF resources and makes the country eligible for readiness and preparatory support to strengthen its NDA arrangements.

The Green Climate Fund (GCF) has officially recognized the Ministry of Planning and Investment, specifically Director General Dr. Pham Hoang Mai, as the National Designated Authority (NDA) for Viet Nam as of July 15, 2014. This designation is a prerequisite for Viet Nam to access GCF resources. The GCF has offered to provide readiness and preparatory support to strengthen the country's NDA arrangements upon request.

The Green Climate Fund has designated Prof. Victor Chub, Minister and Director General of the Centre of Hydrometeorological Service, as the focal point for Uzbekistan. This appointment is a prerequisite for the country to access GCF resources, and the Fund has offered readiness and preparatory support to strengthen Uzbekistan's National Designated Authority (NDA) arrangements.

The EU ETS is currently failing to promote low-carbon solutions due to a carbon price that has plunged to around 5 euros per tonne of CO2, driven by a surplus of 2.1 billion tonnes of CO2-equivalent allowances. This oversupply is attributed to weak emission targets, the inflow of international offsets, and reduced demand following the economic crisis. The document warns that this surplus allows the EU to transform current emission reductions from other policies into 'future rights to pollute', potentially reducing the domestic impact of the 2030 climate target from 40% to 34%. To fix the market, the author recommends increasing the linear reduction factor to 2.6%, permanently cancelling 1.6 billion excess allowances, enacting the Market Stability Reserve by 2017, and transitioning to full auctioning for all industrial sectors post-2020 to eliminate windfall profits and adhere to the polluter-pays principle.

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.