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This report by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) examines the role of international carbon market mechanisms within the context of negotiations for a post-2012 climate change agreement. It reviews the existing Kyoto Protocol instruments—International Emissions Trading (IET), Joint Implementation (JI), and the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM)—and explores potential expansions or new mechanisms, such as sectoral crediting and REDD, to enhance cost-effectiveness and engage developing countries in mitigation efforts.

This report by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) provides an overview of the UNFCCC climate change negotiations held in Bonn from March 29 to April 8, 2009. It details the progress and points of contention across the four pillars of the Bali Action Plan—mitigation, adaptation, technology, and financing—as countries worked toward a comprehensive post-2012 climate agreement intended for adoption at COP 15 in Copenhagen in December 2009.

This report by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) details the outcomes of the UNFCCC climate change negotiations held in Bonn from March 29 to April 8, 2009. It outlines the progress made across the four pillars of the Bali Action Plan—mitigation, adaptation, technology, and finance—as parties worked toward a global post-2012 climate agreement intended for conclusion at COP-15 in Copenhagen in December 2009.

This report examines the integration of sustainable development—specifically environmental, labor, and social concerns—into Peru's trade and investment agenda. It analyzes the shift from a 1990s policy of prioritizing foreign investment with minimal standards to a current framework where sustainable development commitments are largely driven by external requirements from free trade agreements (FTAs) and international trade partners.

This report synthesizes research from a TKN-CINDES project involving case studies of Argentina, Brazil, Chile, and Peru. It examines the shift in South American countries from a defensive stance toward sustainable development in trade to the acceptance of environmental and labor chapters in free-trade agreements (FTAs), particularly those with the United States and Canada.

This 2009 fact sheet by the Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) examines the potential of unharvested crops and food processing waste as biomass feedstocks for biofuels. It argues that these resources can provide renewable energy and chemicals without competing with food production, highlighting specific waste streams from the potato, orange, and tomato industries and the economic benefits of recycling these materials.

The Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) Quarterly Status Report for the period ending March 31, 2009, details the institute's financial standing, budget performance, and administrative updates. It highlights a shortfall in member country contributions, overall spending that is below budget, and ongoing efforts to resolve host country agreements and internal controls.

This research paper examines the relationship between greenhouse gas emissions and human well-being, using China as a primary case study. It analyzes how income per capita, energy production mixes, and geography correlate with CO2 emissions across 174 countries and 30 Chinese provinces, arguing that current high-consumption lifestyles in rich countries are incompatible with low-emission stabilization targets.

This fact sheet from the Environmental and Energy Study Institute describes biomass cofiring—the simultaneous combustion of biomass and a base fuel, typically coal—as a low-cost transition tool to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and fossil fuel reliance in the electric sector.

This report by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) provides an overview of the outcomes of the fourteenth Conference of the Parties (COP 14) to the UNFCCC held in Poznan, Poland, in December 2008. It details the progress of the two main negotiating tracks—the Ad Hoc Working Group on Long-term Cooperative Action (AWG-LCA) and the Ad Hoc Working Group on Further Commitments for Annex I Parties under the Kyoto Protocol (AWG-KP)—as they move toward a comprehensive post-2012 climate agreement expected at COP 15 in Copenhagen.

This policy briefing from the South African Institute of International Affairs examines the economic relationship between intellectual property rights (IPRs) and development in developing countries. It analyzes the trade-offs between providing incentives for innovators through temporary monopolies and ensuring public access to essential knowledge and medicines. The document reviews the impact of IPRs across various sectors, the role of international agreements like TRIPS, and the debate over whether strong IPR protection stimulates or hinders economic growth and technology transfer in developing nations.

This 2009 report by CIEL and Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung proposes institutional mechanisms to integrate human rights into global climate change policy. It argues that climate change severely threatens rights to life, health, food, and water, particularly for women, children, and indigenous peoples. The report suggests five approaches: utilizing existing UN special procedures, creating a new special procedure on climate change and human rights, maintaining direct Human Rights Council engagement, leveraging human rights treaty bodies, and establishing human rights-focused subsidiary bodies or expert groups within the UNFCCC. It emphasizes the need for increased participation of marginalized communities in climate negotiations and the recognition of a principle that all climate-related activities must respect human rights.

Friends of the Earth President Brent Blackwelder outlines the challenges facing the U.S. transportation sector, noting its high contribution to greenhouse gas emissions and oil consumption. He calls for systemic reform to meet President-elect Obama's climate goals and expresses cautious hope that nominee Ray LaHood, despite a poor overall environmental record, may support visionary transportation policy due to his history of supporting passenger rail and public transit.

This testimony by Rob Bradley of the World Resources Institute (WRI) argues that the United States is well-positioned to resume international leadership on climate change. Bradley asserts that the global landscape has shifted since the Kyoto Protocol, with major developing nations now presenting their own climate plans. He advocates for a new agreement based on the Bali Action Plan, which emphasizes "measurable, reportable and verifiable" (MRV) actions from both developed and developing countries to ensure mutual accountability and trust.

This briefing from the Environmental and Energy Study Institute details the funding needs and impacts of three key state energy programs—the State Energy Program (SEP), Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP), and Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)—within the context of the proposed American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

This report by the Center for International Environmental Law examines the legal history and environmental impact of the U.S.-Mexico border wall, focusing on the unprecedented authority granted to the Secretary of Homeland Security to waive all legal requirements to expedite construction.

In a statement to the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Energy and Commerce on January 15, 2009, Jonathan Lash, President of the World Resources Institute (WRI), advocated for the urgent enactment of domestic U.S. climate legislation. Representing the United States Climate Action Partnership (US CAP), Lash argued that climate trends are accelerating faster than models predicted and that the U.S. must lead a transition to a low-carbon economy through a market-driven, economy-wide cap-and-trade program and complementary clean energy investments.

This briefing by the Institute for Security Studies analyzes the economic and political outlook for Africa in 2009, highlighting the risks posed by the global banking crisis, commodity price volatility, and precarious democratic transitions.

Friends of the Earth International (FoEI) formally notified the IUCN of its decision to withdraw its membership due to the IUCN's corporate partnership with Shell and other corporations, arguing that such partnerships serve as 'greenwashing' and undermine environmental and human rights struggles.

This briefing by the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) analyzes various proposals for operationalizing technology cooperation within the UNFCCC framework ahead of the 2009 Copenhagen negotiations. It contrasts the institutional and financial preferences of the G77 + China, the European Union, and other nations, while proposing a comprehensive evaluation framework based on legal principles, specific actions across the technology chain, and institutional mandates. The document also includes a position paper from the Climate Action Network (CAN) advocating for a dedicated Technology Cooperation Mechanism and a Technology Fund to ensure the measurable, reportable, and verifiable (MRV) transfer of environmentally sound technologies (ESTs) to developing countries.