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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.

The report identifies four core areas for improving sustainable development (SD) planning: multistakeholder participation, integrated vertical planning across government levels, cross-sectoral policy integration, and monitoring, evaluation, and reporting (MER). Across Africa, Asia-Pacific, and Latin America and the Caribbean, the report finds a prevalence of 'silo' sectoral planning and a lack of institutional frameworks for stakeholder engagement. It argues for the creation of national SD councils chaired by heads of state and the adoption of 'glocal' planning to align global goals with local implementation. Key capacity gaps include a lack of data for evidence-based policy, poor coordination between governmental and non-governmental agencies, and limited technical skills for information management at subnational levels.

The World Resources Institute (WRI) outlines five 'do's and don'ts' for the Green Climate Fund (GCF) Board to ensure the fund effectively delivers resources for climate mitigation and adaptation. These recommendations cover investment criteria, financial risk management, accreditation of entities, results management, and the proposal approval process, emphasizing the need for a high risk appetite and a balance between top-down and bottom-up proposals to support international climate action ahead of COP 21.

The Green Climate Fund (GCF) has officially recognized Ethiopia's Ministry of Environment and Forest as its National Designated Authority (NDA). This designation is a prerequisite for Ethiopia to access GCF resources. Consequently, the GCF has offered to provide readiness and preparatory support, including assistance to strengthen the country's NDA arrangements, upon request.

The 'Water for Our Future' event, hosted by the World Water Council, WWF, and The Coca-Cola Company, focused on three themes: Green Growth, Water Stewardship and Industry; Water for Food; and Enough Safe Water for All. The forum emphasized the necessity of 'multisector partnerships' and a shift from short-term water projects to long-term water services. Key discussions highlighted the undervaluation of water in the US, the critical role of farmers in water stewardship, and the need for inclusive planning that incorporates local communities and women. The report also presents case studies on the 'golden triangle' partnership in the Rio Grande/Rio Bravo basin and a public-private partnership for wastewater treatment in Jordan.

CIEL argues that TTIP would allow the chemical industry to weaken safety regulations and limit access to critical health and safety data. The statement highlights the divergence between the U.S. risk-based approach and the EU's hazard-based REACH system, asserting that regulatory harmonization would likely result in lower standards. CIEL also warns that Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) mechanisms would enable corporations to bypass domestic courts and challenge public interest laws, creating a 'regulatory chilling effect'.

The analysis evaluates the effectiveness of national mitigation policies across major emitting economies relative to their 2020 pledges. It finds that while India, China, and Russia are projected to exceed their targets, others like Canada and the USA likely require additional policies to fully deliver their pledges. The report also notes a widespread adoption of renewable energy targets and car efficiency standards among these nations.

The document argues that the Green Climate Fund's Private Sector Facility (PSF) must address specific risk gaps—namely policy and financing risks—to unlock large-scale private capital for climate mitigation and adaptation. It proposes two primary business models: a 'Facilitated Model' acting as a fund-of-funds through intermediaries, and a 'Full-service Model' engaging directly with private actors. The authors emphasize the need for a clear separation between governance and management, suggesting the use of independent due diligence and private sector expertise, potentially through a dedicated Investment Panel, to ensure efficient decision-making and risk management.

The report argues that there is no single blueprint for a green economy, but rather multiple pathways driven by local communities. It critiques 'green growth' for focusing on GDP and resource efficiency while often ignoring social justice, structural power asymmetries, and the needs of the poor. The document emphasizes the need to connect international financial and policy mechanisms with ground-level realities, suggesting that developing countries can 'leapfrog' industrialised pathways by investing in low-carbon infrastructure. Key recommendations include 'greening' existing financial flows like Official Development Assistance (ODA), integrating social justice goals from the outset of policy design, and diversifying political narratives to include indigenous and non-Western knowledge.

The document analyzes the gap between current and ideal governance practices for sustainable development in Asia-Pacific, focusing on multistakeholder processes, vertical and horizontal integration, and monitoring and evaluation. It identifies a prevalence of 'silo' approaches where sustainable development is managed primarily by environment ministries and recommends a comprehensive capacity-building agenda to improve long-term strategic planning, data quality, and subnational implementation.

The document examines how National Sustainable Development Councils (NCSDs) can support the transition from Millennium Development Goals to Sustainable Development Goals. Based on survey data from 12 countries, it identifies that while most nations have national sustainable development strategies, they face significant financial and structural barriers, including institutional resistance and poor data quality. The briefing highlights the advisory role of NCSDs and recommends a participatory approach, vertical alignment between government levels, and the strengthening of existing institutional frameworks to achieve national SDG targets.

This informational brochure examines the development of nanotechnology in the Asia-Pacific region, noting that while countries like China, Japan, and South Korea have invested heavily in the sector, there is a critical lack of funding for evaluating health and environmental risks. Consequently, nanoproducts are entering the market unregulated and unlabeled, despite the technology's promotion as a solution for regional challenges such as energy diversification and disease treatment.

The author argues that climate policy is inherently contested because it creates winners and losers, necessitating a strategic approach to communication and implementation. The proposed plan includes simplifying the climate narrative through personal and emotional storytelling, framing action as a transformational economic opportunity (green growth), designing policy packages that compensate those negatively impacted, building cross-party long-term consensus to avoid policy reversals, and focusing on rigorous implementation. The text highlights various international examples, such as Rwanda's green growth strategy and Bolivia's payments for ecosystem services, to illustrate how climate action can be integrated with development goals.

The Philippines successfully phased out most consumer energy subsidies by deregulating the downstream oil industry in 1998 and restructuring the electricity sector via the Electric Power Industry Reform Act of 2001. To manage the social impacts of these reforms, the government implemented targeted measures including the Pantawid Pamilya Pilipino Program (4Ps) conditional cash transfers, lifeline electricity rates, and the Pantawid Pasada program for public transport operators. While the country has attracted private investment and improved energy efficiency, it continues to face challenges such as high electricity rates, power shortages in Mindanao, and fuel smuggling.

The report examines why MSMEs in the ASEAN region have low utilization rates of free trade agreements despite their significant contribution to regional GDP and employment. It identifies key barriers, including lack of information, complex Rules of Origin (RoO), and limited access to finance. The document compares ASEAN's experience with other regions and proposes a coordinated information campaign, financial infrastructure improvements, and the simplification of certification processes to better integrate MSMEs into regional and global value chains.

The paper argues that single-year targets create uncertainty regarding emissions pathways and may reduce cumulative mitigation outcomes compared to multi-year targets, especially when tradable units are used. It assesses four accounting options to address these issues and recommends that future international agreements require continuous multi-year targets to ensure comparability and alignment with carbon budgets.

The report analyzes Mongolia's energy transition using four scenarios: a coal-heavy reference case, a 'recent plans' case, an 'expanded green energy' case, and a 'shift in energy export' case. It finds that aggressive energy efficiency and renewable energy deployment could halve territorial GHG emissions by 2035 and reduce overall energy demand by 32% compared to the reference scenario. The study highlights the potential for Mongolia to shift from exporting coal to exporting renewable electricity to Northeast Asia, which would significantly reduce extraction-based emissions and mitigate the economic risk of 'carbon entanglement'.

The document examines Europe's position within a global 'leading group' of countries advancing energy efficiency, renewable energy, and carbon pricing. It argues that staying in this group is essential for Europe to attract investment, drive innovation, and reduce dependence on energy imports. The authors contend that energy prices are not the primary driver of global competitiveness for most industries, as 92% of German manufacturing spends less than 1.6% of revenue on energy. For the small minority of energy-intensive sectors, the report asserts that price differentials are primarily caused by natural resource endowments rather than climate policies, and that existing 'Carbon Leakage' protections in the EU ETS mitigate competitive risks. The report concludes that a coordinated European low-carbon strategy can create net-employment gains and maintain international credibility in climate negotiations.

The report argues that green bonds can lower the cost of capital for green industries and increase financial transparency. It analyzes international experiences from development banks and municipal markets to propose a four-step blueprint for China: defining eligible green investments, coordinating regulatory frameworks, engaging investors through roundtables, and launching pilot projects across sovereign, municipal, and corporate issuers.

The document serves as a comprehensive resource for SMEs in ASEAN member states to navigate the complexities of free trade agreements (FTAs). It details the specific requirements, documentation, and support facilities available in various member countries, while explaining the mechanics of regional and international trade pacts.