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This briefing from the IAI Directorate provides an update on the partnership between the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) and the Belmont Forum, detailing the IAI's role as a member and co-Chair, and its participation in several Collaborative Research Actions (CRAs).

This briefing from the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) updates the Conference of the Parties on its partnership with the Belmont Forum and its involvement in Collaborative Research Actions (CRAs) to address global change challenges in the Americas.

This briefing provides an update on the Latin America and Caribbean Initiative (LACI), an effort by the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) to strengthen climate risk assessments and capacity building for adaptation and mitigation in the region.

The IAI Science Diplomacy Center (SDC) Advisory Board met in March 2023 to refine the Center's strategic framework and identify flagship activities. The SDC aims to enhance the capacity of IAI member states to address global change through a science diplomacy knowledge hub, regional training for policymakers, and improved science-policy communication. Proposed priority actions include landscape analyses of scientific information flow in government and the development of training courses on negotiation and science diplomacy. The SDC intends to co-design its three-year working plan with member states, utilizing engagement at CoP 31 to ensure initiatives meet regional needs.

The Scientific Diplomacy Center (SDC) of the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) is establishing a framework to strengthen the science-policy interface across the Americas. The center aims to provide member states with scientific evidence to address global change challenges, including food security, water resources, and disaster risk management. Key proposed initiatives include developing a scientific diplomacy knowledge hub, creating training courses for policymakers and negotiators, and conducting outreach to analyze how scientific information is translated into policy. The SDC plans to co-design its three-year priority activities with IAI member states, with a specific engagement plan for COP 31 to ensure these initiatives meet regional needs.

This report details the selection process and election of Dr. Anna Stewart Ibarra as the Executive Director of the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI), as decided by the Conference of the Parties at its 2023 Extraordinary meeting.

This document is a report on the 2023 Extraordinary meeting of the Conference of the Parties (CoP) to the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI), held via videoconference on 18 April 2023. The primary purpose of the meeting was the election of a new Executive Director for the IAI.

The 2023 Extraordinary meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) was held on 18 April 2023 to elect a new Executive Director. Following a recruitment process overseen by a 10-member search committee, Dr. Anna Stewart Ibarra was recommended and subsequently elected to a three-year term. The search committee highlighted the need for the IAI to bridge the gap between science and policy to address global environmental change challenges in the Americas.

On April 18, 2023, the IAI Conference of the Parties held an extraordinary meeting via videoconference to elect a new executive director. Following a selection process managed by a 10-member committee, Dr. Anna Stewart-Ibarra was recommended and subsequently elected to the position for a three-year term. The selection committee emphasized the need for leadership capable of bridging the gap between science and policy to address global environmental change in the Americas.

In 2022, solar and wind power continued their rapid growth, with solar being the fastest-growing source and wind recording the largest absolute increase. Conversely, nuclear power saw a significant decline, primarily driven by outages in France and Germany. Coal generation reached an all-time record high of 10,186 TWh, although its overall share of the global electricity mix slightly decreased. Hydro power rebounded after a poor 2021 but remains below 2020 levels due to droughts in Europe. Fossil gas generation remained relatively stable despite supply chain disruptions. To align with the IEA Net Zero Emissions scenario by 2030, the report argues that solar and wind must sustain high annual growth rates, coal and unabated gas must be phased out, and nuclear power must grow more rapidly than its recent historical average.

The global GSS+ debt market reached a cumulative volume of USD3.7tn by the end of 2022, though new issuance fell 24% year-on-year to USD858.5bn due to rising interest rates and macroeconomic instability. Green bonds remained the dominant theme, accounting for 58% of 2022 volumes at USD487.1bn, while social bonds saw the steepest decline (41%) as COVID-19 recovery funding tapered. Transition bonds were the only segment to grow, increasing 5% to USD3.5bn, driven by policy support in China and Japan. The report also highlights the emergence of sovereign sustainability-linked bonds (SLBs) in Chile and Uruguay and the need for a dedicated Climate Resilience Taxonomy to scale adaptation and resilience (A&R) financing.

The report finds that all 15 assessed products in Belgian supermarkets make misleading carbon neutrality claims because they rely on carbon credits that do not provide climate benefits equivalent to the emissions generated. The analysis highlights systemic issues with carbon offsets, including a lack of additionality in renewable energy projects and a lack of permanence in forest-based sinks. Furthermore, the report notes a lack of transparency in company-level climate strategies and a conflict of interest within the third-party certification industry.

The Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) is providing financial assistance for members of the Executive Council, the Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC), the Science and Policy Advisory Committee (SPAC), and national representatives from low- and middle-income Parties to attend the CE-55 and CoP-31 meetings in Panama City from June 20 to 22, 2023. Financial support covers airfare, meals, lodging, and per diems, and is funded by resources external to the IAI's operating and program budgets. Eligible participants must register and contact the IAI by April 30, 2023, for financial support, and submit accreditation credentials by May 20, 2023.

The document is a directory of participants for the 'Taller Regional en Clima, Ambiente y Salud' (Regional Workshop on Climate, Environment, and Health) held in March 2023 in Neuquén, Argentina. It lists the institutional hosts and organizers, including the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI), and the Global Consortium on Climate and Health Education (GCCHE). The text provides detailed professional profiles of the organizers, members of transdisciplinary teams from various American countries, and a list of speakers and experts specializing in climate science, public health, epidemiology, and environmental governance.

Latin America possesses significant potential to lead in renewable energy, with over 319 GW of prospective utility-scale solar and wind capacity that could increase the region's current capacity by more than 460% by 2030. While Brazil, Chile, and Colombia are accelerating their buildouts and are on track to meet national targets, Mexico's progress has stalled due to policy shifts favoring state-owned fossil fuel entities. The report highlights the role of solar and wind in diversifying energy matrices to reduce reliance on drought-prone hydropower and the emerging economic opportunity of green hydrogen exports.

Ecuador is highly vulnerable to climate-related events, such as El Niño, but lacks an official economic quantification of loss and damage to effectively participate in international negotiations. This proposal, implemented by the Corporación Andina de Fomento (CAF) and the Ministry of the Environment, Water and Ecological Transition (MAATE), aims to create a national L&D framework. The project will focus on establishing an intersectoral working group, developing standardized methodologies for quantifying economic and non-economic losses, creating a national L&D evaluation, and building technical capacity through training and a communication strategy. The total requested amount is USD 499,952 over a 24-month period.

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) signed a Memorandum of Understanding on February 16, 2023, to foster international cooperation and the exchange of scientific information. The agreement focuses on understanding the impact of global change on regional and continental environments in the Americas to support mitigation and adaptation efforts. The parties commit to annual meetings, reciprocal representation at events, and the exchange of publications, operating on a non-legally binding basis and generally without the exchange of funds.

The analysis finds that while the low rainfall during the October-December 2022 period in Central South America cannot be attributed to climate change and is partly driven by La Niña, human-induced climate change likely reduced water availability by increasing temperatures and evapotranspiration. This exacerbates the agricultural drought, which has already caused severe crop losses in Argentina and water shortages in Uruguay.

The report examines the South African cannabis industry, arguing that current legal and regulatory frameworks create high barriers to entry that exclude traditional growers and small enterprises. It identifies critical bottlenecks in medical cannabis exports, such as the lack of mutual recognition for SAHPRA licenses in European markets, and a lack of processing capacity for industrial hemp. The authors advocate for a tiered licensing system, the legalisation of a regulated adult-use market to support inclusive growth, and the establishment of a specialised state agency to coordinate the sector's development and ensure decent work and environmental sustainability.

The document analyzes the relationship between trade and climate change in Latin America, highlighting the region's relatively low greenhouse gas emissions intensity but high vulnerability to climate hazards. It examines domestic climate commitments in Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs)—such as electromobility, sustainable agriculture, and circular economy initiatives—and their trade implications. The paper also assesses external pressures from trading partners, specifically the EU's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) and deforestation regulations. It concludes by recommending strengthened international cooperation, technology transfer, and the expansion of 'Aid for Trade' to support a just transition to a low-carbon economy.