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The report details how developing countries approach investment treaty negotiations, highlighting a trend toward renegotiating outdated agreements and the use of model treaties. It identifies the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and investment authorities as the primary leads in negotiations and provides a detailed mapping of ratification processes across various nations.

Global green bond issuance grew by 3% in 2018 to USD 167.3bn, with the USA, China, and France remaining the top national markets. While growth slowed compared to 2017, the broader labelled bond market—including sustainability and social bonds—increased by 13% to USD 226.1bn. The Asia-Pacific region saw the highest growth rate at 35%, and financial corporates became a primary driver of issuance. The report also notes a trend toward larger, benchmark-sized bonds and the emergence of sovereign blue bonds.

The document details how human-induced climate change is altering ocean chemistry and temperature, accelerating sea-level rise, and melting high-mountain glaciers in Latin America. It emphasizes that while some changes are inevitable, urgent mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions is the primary way to limit future damage. The guide highlights the vulnerability of coastal ecosystems and high-mountain communities, arguing that early investment in disaster risk reduction and integrated governance is more cost-effective than future recovery.

The document outlines the impacts of human-induced climate change on the oceans and cryosphere in Latin America, focusing on ocean acidification, sea level rise, and the melting of Andean glaciers. It emphasizes that while some changes are inevitable, urgent mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions and early investment in adaptation—such as nature-based solutions and improved disaster risk governance—can significantly reduce future costs and risks to human societies and ecosystems.

The green bond market in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) is growing, with USD 12.6 billion issued since 2014. Brazil, Chile, and Mexico dominate the market, with Chile leading the region in sovereign green bond issuance. While energy is the most funded sector, LAC shows a higher proportion of funding for land use and industry compared to global trends. The report highlights significant opportunities for growth in sustainable agriculture and the 'blue economy' (ocean-based resources), while noting that public sector entities and financial institutions have substantial untapped potential for future green issuances.

The guide provides a comprehensive overview of green financing in the ASEAN region, detailing available debt and equity instruments, credit enhancement tools, and a step-by-step process for issuing green bonds, sukuk, and loans. It highlights the role of governments, banks, and development finance institutions in scaling up private capital to meet an estimated USD3tn green investment need by 2030.

The Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) green bond market experienced a strong recovery in 2019, largely driven by Chile's first sovereign green bonds. While Brazil, Chile, and Mexico dominate the market, the region shows significant potential for expansion in green infrastructure, sustainable agriculture, and ocean-based 'blue' finance. The report highlights a high prevalence of USD-denominated issuance and a strong reliance on external reviews, though post-issuance reporting varies by issuer size and type.

The green bond market in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) experienced a strong recovery in 2019, driven largely by Chile's first sovereign green bonds. While Brazil, Chile, and Mexico dominate the regional volume, the market is characterized by a high prevalence of US dollar-denominated debt and a significant reliance on private placements. Energy remains the most funded sector, though LAC shows a uniquely high allocation toward land use and industry compared to global trends. The report highlights substantial untapped potential in sustainable agriculture and the 'blue economy' (ocean resources), suggesting that sovereign issuance and multilateral development bank support are key to scaling these markets.

The Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) has announced the results of its Small Grant Program (SGP-HW) call for proposals. Following a multi-stage review process involving the IAI Directorate, the Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC), and external researchers, 10 proposals were shortlisted from an initial 92. Four projects were selected for immediate funding, three were approved subject to resource availability, and three were recommended for alternate funding. The program emphasizes transdisciplinary research and participatory approaches involving policy makers and stakeholders, with grants up to USD 200,000 to support research, capacity building, and data management.

The Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) is promoting a joint call by the Belmont Forum and the European Commission for a Collaborative Research Action (CRA) focused on the interactions between climate change and food systems. The initiative seeks to develop sustainable and resilient food value chains and assess climate impacts on markets, specifically targeting regional food systems in Latin America and the Caribbean, Africa, and Europe. The CRA aligns with Sustainable Development Goals 2 (Zero Hunger) and 13 (Climate Action), offering funding opportunities, including potential matching funds from the European Commission via the ERANET Cofund mechanism, to support interdisciplinary research on agricultural food, waste residues, and socio-economic vulnerabilities in the Global South.

The Draft IAI Strategic Plan (2019–2044) establishes a 25-year roadmap to support sustainable policies in the Americas through interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary research. The plan is organized into three themes: meeting the needs of member Parties, advancing a science agenda for regional sustainability, and ensuring the organizational sustainability of the IAI. Key priorities include climate action, water and food security, biodiversity conservation, and the promotion of open science and data. The IAI aims to act as a bridge between scientific research and policy-making, targeting the co-creation of knowledge and the enhancement of institutional capacities across the region.

The draft Strategic Plan (2019–2044) outlines the IAI's vision to create a sustainable and informed American continent through science-based policy. It focuses on three main themes: meeting the needs of member states regarding global environmental change, advancing science for sustainability (covering food, water, energy, and biodiversity), and ensuring the IAI's own institutional sustainability through improved communication and funding. The plan emphasizes transdisciplinary research, open data, and the inclusion of underrepresented groups such as indigenous peoples and women.

The report promotes agroecology as a holistic science, practice, and social movement that offers a sustainable alternative to industrial agriculture. It argues that agroecological systems provide stable yields, enhance biodiversity, and increase resilience to climate change and disasters. The document contrasts this with 'false solutions' like Climate-Smart Agriculture and sustainable intensification, which it claims maintain corporate dependencies. It concludes with policy recommendations centered on food sovereignty, gender justice, and the protection of small-scale producers' rights to land and seeds.

The document advocates for agroecology—defined as a science, a set of practices, and a social movement—as the essential approach to eradicating hunger and combating climate change. It contrasts this holistic model with 'false solutions' promoted by agribusiness, such as Climate-Smart Agriculture and sustainable intensification, which it claims maintain the industrial status quo. The report provides a comprehensive set of 13 criteria for evaluating sustainable innovations and offers policy recommendations centered on food sovereignty, gender justice, and the protection of small-scale producers' rights to land and seeds.

The document advocates for agroecology as a holistic science, practice, and social movement led by small-scale food producers. It contrasts this approach with industrial models like 'climate-smart agriculture' and 'sustainable intensification,' which it labels as false solutions. The report provides a framework for evaluating agricultural innovations and offers policy recommendations to support food sovereignty, gender justice, and the rights of small-scale producers.

The Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) has released a draft outline for its Strategic Plan, designed as a 25-year roadmap to support science-informed policies and sustainable development in the Americas. The plan is structured around three themes: meeting the needs of member Parties, advancing a science agenda for regional sustainability, and ensuring the organizational sustainability of the IAI. Key priorities include food, water, and energy security, as well as the conservation of biodiversity and ecosystem services to mitigate climate change. The document also emphasizes cross-cutting goals such as open data, capacity building, and the inclusion of women, girls, and Indigenous Peoples.

The AAAS and IAI have entered into a five-year agreement, effective September 14, 2018, to collaborate on science, education, and capacity building related to global environmental change in the Americas. The partnership aims to strengthen scientific contributions to policy and support the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development through joint activities such as high-level conferences, science diplomacy workshops, and sustainability research. A Joint Steering Committee will oversee the coordination and evaluation of these efforts, with both parties maintaining their institutional autonomy and assuming their own costs unless otherwise agreed.

The Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) is seeking extraordinary resources and technical support from Parties to reorganize its website and implement a more flexible and secure content management system, following Decision XXVI/43 adopted at the 26th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (CoP-26).

The report proposes the PAYS for Clean Transport instrument to address the high upfront costs of electric buses, which can be up to 40% higher than diesel alternatives. Under this model, utilities invest in batteries and charging infrastructure and recover costs through a fixed charge on the bus service provider's (BSP) electric bill. This approach shifts capital expenditure from the BSP's balance sheet to a monthly operating expense, reducing the need for grants and leveraging private finance. Modeling for a 100-bus fleet in Santiago, Chile, indicates that PAYS can make electric buses cheaper than diesel over their lifecycle and leverage over 70 dollars of private investment for every grant dollar provided.

The Executive Director of the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) has announced the availability of provisional reports for CoP-26, CE-45, and CE-46 on the IAI website. Participants of CoP-26 are requested to submit observations by September 7, 2018, per Article 85 of the Conference of the Parties Regulations. Representatives of CE-45 and CE-46 are asked to provide comments as soon as possible, preferably 90 days before the 27th Conference of the Parties. Additionally, reports from a joint meeting of the Scientific Advisory Committee and the Science and Policy Advisory Committee (June 18, 2018) and the 2nd Science and Policy Workshop (June 19, 2018) have been made available.