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This research paper by Andreas Spiegel of Swiss Re argues for a balanced climate adaptation strategy that combines cost-effective risk prevention measures with risk transfer mechanisms, such as insurance. Using data from the Economics of Climate Adaptation (ECA) working group, the author demonstrates that a significant portion of climate-related losses can be averted through preventative action, while residual risks should be managed via public-private partnerships and innovative financial instruments to protect vulnerable economies, particularly in developing nations.

This research paper by Yolanda Kakabadse, former environment minister of Ecuador and President of WWF International, argues that traditional water infrastructure design—based on the assumption of a stationary climate—has led to the degradation of freshwater ecosystems and increased societal vulnerability. The author proposes a shift toward climate-sustainable development by integrating ecosystems into infrastructure planning, managing water at a basin scale, and moving away from sectoral silos in policymaking.

This research paper by Diana Liverman identifies the critical types of information required for climate change adaptation decision-making, emphasizing a user-centered approach to information delivery. It argues that effective adaptation requires a combination of basic climate data, economic cost-benefit analyses, vulnerability assessments, and knowledge of best practices, all integrated into an iterative risk management process.

A media briefing by the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) and Friends of the Earth Europe detailing a study on the feasibility of Europe reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 40% below 1990 levels by 2020 and 90% by 2050. The document outlines the necessary energy system transformations, lifestyle changes, and financial obligations to developing countries required to achieve climate justice and limit global temperature increases to 2°C.

This research paper analyzes the environmental impacts of China's electrical power sector and explores how a sustainable trade strategy can be linked to energy policy. It details China's heavy reliance on coal, the resulting pollution, and the regulatory frameworks used to manage these effects. The document also surveys international best practices in low-carbon energy policy—including economic and regulatory instruments—and suggests policy options for China to improve efficiency and competitiveness.

This report, written by an IISD consultant, evaluates the 'Istanbul version' of the OECD's Checklist for Private Sector Participation in Water Infrastructure released in March 2009. While acknowledging improvements over previous versions, the author argues that the checklist remains of limited operational value for practitioners due to internal contradictions, a failure to address systemic risks of international investment arbitration, and an over-reliance on outdated theoretical models regarding decentralization and regulation.

This 2009 briefing by the Environmental and Energy Study Institute examines the Montreal Protocol's success in ozone recovery and its failure to address the climate impacts of ozone-depleting substances (ODSs) and their substitutes, hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs). It highlights the risk posed by existing ODS 'banks' and the rapid growth of HFC emissions, while discussing proposed legislative responses in the United States and internationally.

This fact sheet from the Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) details the employment potential of renewable energy (RE) and energy efficiency (EE) sectors globally and within the United States. It compiles various studies and reports to argue that clean energy transitions can provide quality, long-term jobs and economic growth, contrasting these trends with the decline of traditional fossil fuel employment.

This report documents a seminar held by the Institute for Security Studies on September 19, 2009, regarding the unionisation and democratisation of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF). The discussions focus on the tension between constitutional labour rights and military discipline, the adversarial relationship between the Department of Defence (DOD) and military unions, and the systemic grievances of soldiers leading to protests.

This research paper evaluates the 'price-gap approach' for measuring fossil fuel subsidies, arguing that while it provides a useful global benchmark, it systematically understates the total magnitude of government support by ignoring transfers that do not affect end-user prices.

This report analyzes the legal risks host states face when international investment agreements (IIAs) allow investors to 'internationalize' contract disputes, engage in forum-shopping, or initiate multiple legal proceedings. It examines the impact of broadly-worded dispute resolution clauses, umbrella clauses, and fork-in-the-road clauses, providing a survey of IIA drafting trends and arbitral jurisprudence to recommend best practices for protecting state sovereignty.

This research paper examines the role of human rights in African international relations, arguing that while there is a robust framework of regional and international treaties, human rights often remain a "variable concern" subordinated to national interests and geopolitical strategies. The author analyzes the tension between international monitoring mechanisms and the pursuit of "African solutions to African problems," specifically highlighting the controversy surrounding the ICC arrest warrant for Omar Al-Bashir and the influence of China's non-interference policy on the continent.

This research paper by Mireille Affa’a Mindzie, published by the South African Institute of International Affairs in August 2009, examines the role of human rights in African international relations. It analyzes the tension between the formal commitment to international human rights standards and the practical application of these standards in bilateral and multilateral diplomacy, where national interests and the pursuit of 'African solutions to African problems' often take precedence.

The Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) delivered opening remarks at the 18th Session of the SCCR in June 2009, advocating for a new international instrument on copyright exceptions and limitations to improve access for the disabled, libraries, and education.

This report summarizes an Institute for Security Studies (ISS) seminar held on June 17, 2009, in Pretoria. The session, featuring historian Stefan August Lütgenau and respondent Issake Souaré, examined the complexities of arts and cultural heritage restitution, focusing on Austria's post-WWII experience with Nazi-looted assets and the broader challenges of returningCS colonial looting in Africa.

The author reflects on three major shifts in global history—the end of Eurocentrism and Empire, the end of the Cold War, and a current shift away from Anglo-Saxon dominance—while arguing that South Africa's future depends on an active, self-reliant citizenry rather than a reliance on 'great men' leaders.

The Action List from the Sixteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties (CoP) of the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI), held in Bogota, Colombia on 19-20 May 2009, records administrative decisions including the election of the Bureau, approval of the FY 2009-2010 budget and annual program, and amendments to the Rules of Procedure.

The document records the decisions made during the sixteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties (CoP) of the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI), held in Bogotá, Colombia, on May 19-20, 2009.

This research paper compares two methods for calculating energy footprints embodied in trade for the United Kingdom in 2002: the National Footprint Accounts' Product Land Use Matrix (NFA-PLUM) and a multi-region input–output model (MRIO). While total import and export figures are comparable between the two, the study finds significant discrepancies when results are broken down by economic sector.

This briefing by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) examines the role of agriculture, forestry, and other land use (AFOLU) in climate change mitigation. It analyzes the potential for carbon sequestration in developing countries, the technical and financial obstacles to including these sectors in international agreements, and the specific policy positions and regulatory frameworks of Canada.