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The report finds that improvements in forest governance are too slow to measurably reduce deforestation, with natural forest loss increasing by 42% between 2014 and 2017 compared to the previous decade. While some progress exists in transparency and international cooperation to combat illegal logging, significant challenges remain, including widespread corruption, inadequate implementation of existing laws, and increasing violence against land defenders. The report emphasizes that securing legal land rights for indigenous peoples and local communities is more effective for forest protection than legally protected areas, yet a substantial portion of their lands remain unrecognized by governments.

The document investigates the risks of arsenic entering the human food chain through rice consumption in Cambodia, driven by the increasing use of groundwater for dry season irrigation. While arsenic in drinking water is a well-known issue, the paper finds limited awareness of rice as an exposure pathway among stakeholders. It highlights that rice grown in the Mekong River floodplain, particularly in Kandal province, shows higher arsenic levels, and suggests that the Cambodian government should shift toward surface water irrigation and higher-value crops to mitigate health risks and protect export markets.

The document analyzes the challenges states face when seeking security for costs in ISDS, noting that tribunals often apply an excessively high threshold for granting such orders. It highlights the impact of third-party funding and the inconsistency of current jurisprudence, ultimately proposing specific treaty language to standardize the process and ensure investors can satisfy cost awards.

The document examines the challenges states face in obtaining security for costs in investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS), noting that tribunals often apply extremely strict criteria. It highlights the risks posed by third-party funding and the lack of consistent rules in arbitration frameworks. To address this, the guide proposes specific treaty language to mandate security for costs when investors are likely insolvent or use 'hit and run' third-party funding.

The report analyzes local content policies (LCPs) used by mineral-rich nations to increase the use of domestic labor, goods, and services in the mining sector. It details various policy instruments—ranging from mandatory quotas and ownership requirements to government incentives and voluntary business initiatives—and examines their practical application in countries such as Norway, Chile, Ghana, and Brazil. The document argues that LCPs often fail when implemented as blanket provisions without clear objectives or sufficient industrial capacity. It identifies critical prerequisites for success, including institutional readiness, a favorable business climate, and a long-term vision that transcends political cycles. The report concludes that effective LCPs require a combination of quantitative and qualitative measures, robust monitoring through key performance indicators, and strong partnerships between governments, mining firms, and local suppliers to ensure sustainable economic diversification.

The briefing examines the risks associated with China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in Southeast Asia, particularly regarding carbon-intensive energy projects and hydropower dams. It argues that current investment patterns may lead to carbon lock-in and ecological damage. To mitigate these risks, the authors propose a decision-making framework based on transparency, stakeholder participation, and adherence to international sustainable finance standards.

The Independent Evaluation Unit (IEU) review of the GCF's Results Management Framework (RMF) finds that while the RMF helps classify projects into adaptation and mitigation themes, it suffers from critical flaws in its logical models and a lack of measurement protocols. The review reveals that 39% of approved projects lack impact indicators for at least one targeted result area, representing a reporting gap for USD 1.3 billion in investments. Key deficiencies include the absence of baseline data in 50% of projects and insufficient M&E budgeting in 70% of cases. The IEU recommends developing theories of change, creating a technical guide to consolidate scattered Board decisions, and strengthening the role of National Designated Authorities (NDAs) beyond the granting of non-objection letters. The report also notes that gender-related tools are not yet fully integrated into the RMF.

The report finds that the ivory ban significantly reduced claimed ivory purchases and future purchase intentions in China, particularly in 'Layer 3' cities. While a large segment of 'Ban Influenced Citizens' shifted to 'Rejectors,' a persistent group of 'Diehard Buyers' and 'Regular Overseas Travelers' continue to seek ivory, often through retail stores in China or during trips to destinations like Thailand. Awareness of the ban is primarily driven by online news portals, and the ban is widely perceived as a 'game changer' that offers hope for elephants.

The policy brief examines the tension between national climate measures and international trade rules, such as those of the WTO. Based on a literature review and 26 expert interviews, it categorizes 22 options for alignment by their short-term political feasibility. The authors recommend six immediate actions: leveraging regional trade agreements (RTAs), engaging in plurilateral efforts like the Environmental Goods Agreement, intensifying WTO and UNFCCC coordination, voluntarily including climate issues in the WTO Trade Policy Review Mechanism, advancing border carbon adjustments (BCAs) via like-minded coalitions, and promoting fossil fuel subsidy reform through a group of WTO Members.

The document examines how digitalization is restructuring global value chains and the risks it poses to developing nations, such as increased technological divides and value capture by advanced economies. It contrasts the digital industrial policies of the EU (market-friendly) and China (interventionist) to propose a dual-track policy framework for developing countries: 'enabling markets' (focusing on infrastructure, ecosystems, and mitigating disbenefits) and 'digital catch-up' (focusing on technology linkage, learning, and economic leverage). The authors highlight specific instruments like payment interoperability, data localization, and fiscal incentives, while warning of implementation hurdles such as ministerial silos and international trade agreement constraints.

The RECAF project targets the Central Highland and South Central Coast regions of Viet Nam to mitigate emissions from the nexus of forestry and agriculture. With a total indicative cost of USD 94 million, the project seeks to reduce 6 MtCO2e over a 12-year lifespan. Key strategies include mainstreaming the National REDD+ Action Plan (NRAP) into provincial planning, developing deforestation-free value chains for commodities like coffee and rubber, and implementing a 'low emission credit' product for smallholders. The project also focuses on enhancing forest carbon stocks on 0.5 million hectares and establishing collaborative forest management (CFM) and payment for forest ecosystem services (PFES) to benefit 40,000 smallholder households.

The Independent Evaluation Unit (IEU) reported progress on its 2018 work plan between January and May 2018, focusing on institutional strengthening, the development of a GCF evaluation policy, and the initiation of several key evaluations. The IEU is developing an evaluation policy through extensive stakeholder consultations and a reference group of international agencies. Key technical activities include the creation of evidence maps for forestry, adaptation, and transformational change, as well as a study on the evaluability of the GCF portfolio. The unit is also conducting a readiness evaluation and reviewing the GCF results management framework. To support these goals, the IEU has established partnerships with organizations such as the FAO and the Global Development Network and has launched a new website and newsletter to communicate standards and findings. As of April 30, 2018, the IEU had utilized 22% of its approved annual budget of USD 2,953,867.

The Independent Redress Mechanism (IRM) report details its operational progress between February and May 2018, focusing on staffing, outreach, and the development of procedures. The IRM is now fully staffed and operational, though it received no new complaints or reconsideration requests during the reporting period. Key activities included civil society outreach in Mongolia, participation in Structured Dialogues in Mali and Vietnam, and the development of a custom Case Management System. The IRM is currently finalizing its Procedures and Guidelines for Board adoption in October 2018 and has provided capacity-building training to 84 participants from direct access entities.

The report examines the health and economic costs of coal in Indonesia, highlighting the link between coal combustion and non-communicable diseases (NCDs). It argues that the Indonesian government's continued subsidies for coal, which reached USD 946 million in 2014, contradict public health needs and the availability of cheaper renewable energy alternatives.

The report analyzes the health and economic costs of coal in Indonesia, highlighting that coal-related air pollution causes thousands of premature deaths and significant financial burdens on low-income households. It argues that the Indonesian government's continued subsidies for coal production and power plants contradict public health goals and that transitioning to cheaper renewable energy would reduce these burdens.

The policy brief contends that climate risks are often 'borderless' and that treating adaptation as a local problem hinders global ambition. It advocates for a shared terminology and a transboundary framing of risk—recognizing how impacts in one country create risks in others via trade, migration, and ecosystems—to better utilize the Paris Agreement's mechanisms, such as the global stocktake and National Adaptation Plans, for collective resilience.

The paper argues that while top-down regulatory measures have not yet limited global warming to 2°C, bottom-up non-state action in the refrigeration and air-conditioning (RAC) sector can fill the emissions gap. It identifies supermarkets, cold stores, and hotels as key end-users whose choices regarding energy efficiency and low-GWP refrigerants can significantly reduce carbon footprints. However, the document notes that few non-state initiatives currently target the RAC sector due to regulatory, market, and informational barriers. It suggests that alliances can help overcome these hurdles, though it emphasizes that voluntary action must be accompanied by mandatory government regulation to be effective.

The document examines the global landscape of data flow restrictions, specifically comparing the regimes of BRICS nations. It argues that data localisation—requiring data to be stored or processed within a specific jurisdiction—imposes significant costs on productivity, innovation, and GDP. For South Africa, the author recommends maintaining its current conditional flow regime while pursuing further liberalisation at a regional level to become a data processing hub, rather than adopting the strict localisation policies seen in China and Russia.

The briefing argues that climate adaptation is currently undervalued and incorrectly viewed as a local problem, which hinders global ambition. It proposes a 'transboundary' approach to climate risk, recognizing that impacts in one country create risks in others through trade, biophysical flows, people, and finance. The authors review progress from COP23 and suggest that the Paris Agreement's mechanisms—such as the global stocktake and National Adaptation Plans—should be operationalized to track and manage these cross-border risks to avoid 'climate change contagion' in the global economy.

The report introduces a framework for measuring 'additionality' in climate finance, focusing on whether public investments catalyze activity that would not have occurred under a business-as-usual scenario. It details a qualitative multi-criteria assessment (MCA) for individual projects and a quantitative 'additionality modifier' based on the IESE VCPE Index for portfolio-level analysis. The findings suggest that private equity is a viable instrument for additionality as it often targets high-risk markets where commercial investment is otherwise lacking.