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This briefing is a report from the Executive Council (EC) of the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI), prepared for the 28th Conference of the Parties (CoP-28) on August 19, 2020. It details the EC's activities, recommendations for the IAI Scientific Agenda, and the status of financial reporting and budget approvals.

This briefing report from the Chair of the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) Executive Council (EC) outlines activities and recommendations for the 49th meeting on 19 August 2020. It focuses on the transition of EC membership, the development of a flexible funding mechanism for the Americas, the revision of the IAI Scientific agenda, and pending financial reports and budget approvals for the Conference of the Parties (CoP-28).

This briefing document, prepared by the President of the Executive Council (EC) of the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI), outlines the activities, recommendations, and administrative matters to be discussed during the EC's 49th meeting on August 19, 2020.

This report by the International Institute for Sustainable Development analyzes the socio-economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on employment within the mining sector. It examines immediate disruptions to labor and supply chains, the varying risks across the mining lifecycle, and the short-term responses from governments and corporations. The document concludes with strategic recommendations to build long-term resilience through automation, local procurement, and updated regulatory frameworks.

This briefing outlines the history and current state of the WTO's Informal Working Group (IWG) on Micro, Small, and Medium-Sized Enterprises (MSMEs). It details the group's efforts to identify trade barriers and propose non-binding outcomes—such as improved access to information, trade finance, and the application of a "Small Business Lens" in regulation—to be presented at the Twelfth Ministerial Conference (MC12). The document also compares these efforts with SME provisions in regional trade agreements like the CPTPP and USMCA.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed on April 24, 2020, between the Executive Direction of the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) and the Latin American Cooperation of Advanced Networks (CLARA) to promote collaboration in science, technology, and innovation in Latin America.

The report details the 27th meeting of the IAI Conference of the Parties (CoP-27) held in Brasilia, Brazil, in June 2019. Key outcomes include the adoption of a new Strategic Plan and a revised Scientific Agenda, the renewal of the Executive Director's mandate, and the approval of the 2019-2020 operating budget. The meeting highlighted critical financial sustainability challenges due to inflation and unpaid contributions. Strategic initiatives discussed include the creation of a flexible funding mechanism with the Belmont Forum, the implementation of a science-policy fellowship program (STeP), and the expansion of open data cooperation through South-South partnerships. The IAI also expanded its network by inviting research institutes from Colombia and Panama to become associates.

This report analyzes the evolving jurisprudence of UN human rights treaty bodies (HRTBs) from 2008 to 2019, concluding that States have legal obligations under human rights treaties to implement ambitious climate mitigation (including phasing out fossil fuels), ensure inclusive adaptation, and provide international cooperation. Key developments include a 2019 joint statement by five HRTBs and the Human Rights Committee's recognition that climate change threatens the right to life, potentially triggering non-refoulment obligations in deportation cases.

The 2020 Global Electricity Review by Ember analyzes global electricity generation changes in 2019, highlighting a record 3% fall in global coal-fired generation and a corresponding 2% drop in power sector CO2 emissions. While the EU and US saw significant coal collapses, China's coal generation rose, making it responsible for over half of global coal generation for the first time. Wind and solar generation grew by 15%, though the report notes that this growth rate is slowing and may be insufficient to meet Paris Agreement goals without concerted global effort.

This report by Global Energy Monitor and partners analyzes global coal-fired power plant trends in 2019, noting a general decline in new project planning and construction, contrasted by a net increase in global capacity driven primarily by China.

This report by Global Energy Monitor, Sierra Club, Greenpeace, and CREA analyzes global coal power plant trends in 2019. It highlights a general decline in new coal development and operational capacity globally, though this trend is heavily skewed by China, which continued to increase its capacity. The report details the financial pressures on the coal industry, the role of public funding, and regional shifts in Southeast Asia, South Asia, and the OECD.

This guide by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) examines the increasing trend of states terminating old-generation bilateral investment treaties (BITs) to reform investment regimes. It details the legal mechanisms for termination under international law, analyzes common termination and survival clauses, and provides recommendations for states on how to manage the extinction of these treaties and draft new ones.

This report synthesizes lessons from six country case studies to provide recommendations for designing 'Energy Safety Nets'—social assistance mechanisms intended to ensure the poorest populations can afford both the initial connection to and the ongoing consumption of modern energy services to meet SDG7 goals by 2030.

This guide provides a framework for policymakers and financiers on implementing Energy Safety Nets to ensure the poorest populations can access modern energy services, drawing on experiences from six countries.

The ASSEGAIA Alliance launched the Declaration for the Protection of Sacred Natural Sites in January 2020, calling for the regeneration of the Earth to be central to decisions regarding these sites. The Declaration proposes a conservation model featuring a central 'no-go' zone and a buffer zone for ecologically sensitive activities, managed by Spiritual Guardians. The Alliance seeks to identify and protect such sites globally using international rights of Nature.

A statement by the Climate and Health Alliance (CAHA) and Global Health and Climate Alliance (GCHA) addressed to the World Economic Forum in Davos, calling for urgent Australian government action on climate change following the devastating bushfires in South East Australia.

This guide, published by the Center for International Environmental Law in January 2020, provides instructions for drafting shadow reports to United Nations Human Rights Treaty Bodies (HRTB). It focuses on documenting the links between national climate inaction (or harmful climate solutions) and the violation of state human rights obligations.

This guide by the Center for International Environmental Law provides a structured framework for organizations to draft parallel reports to UN Human Rights Treaty Bodies (HRTBs). It explains how to document the links between a state's climate inaction or ill-designed climate responses and its failure to meet human rights obligations, offering specific recommendations on content, formatting, and submission deadlines for various committees.

This guide by Friends of the Earth International (ATI) argues that gender justice and the dismantling of the patriarchy are essential for systemic transformation and the achievement of social and environmental justice. It advocates for a grassroots, anti-capitalist feminism to challenge interconnected systems of oppression, including capitalism, racism, neocolonialism, and heteronormativity.

This guide by Friends of the Earth International (ATI) argues that gender justice and the dismantling of patriarchy are essential for systemic transformation toward a sustainable and peaceful world. It defines popular and anti-capitalist feminism as a key tool for achieving equality and system change, emphasizing the intersectionality between patriarchy and other systems of oppression such as capitalism, racism, and neocolonialism.