Search Climate Insights Directory

The 2011 Scientific Program Report by the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) details the achievements of four scientific programs between May 2010 and April 2011. It focuses on the Cooperative Research Networks (CRN II), the Small Grants Program for Human Dimensions (SGP-HD), and an IDRC-funded project on land use in the Río de la Plata basin. The report emphasizes the integration of natural and social sciences to inform policy decisions regarding climate change, biodiversity, and water security across the Americas.

This Quarterly Status Report from the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) provides a financial and administrative update as of March 31, 2011, for the EC-CoP meeting in Asunción, Paraguay. It details the status of member country contributions, core budget expenses, cash reserves, and administrative updates regarding internal controls and host country agreements.

Minutes from the 32nd Executive Council (EC) meeting of the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI), held on June 16-17, 2011, in Asunción, Paraguay. The meeting focused on the process for selecting a new host country for the IAI Executive Directorate, establishing a cooperation agreement with ECLAC (CEPAL), and discussing the CRN 3 program and strategic planning.

The Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) presents its core budget request for fiscal year 2011-2012, totaling US$1,331,536. The budget supports the Directorate's operations, including the management of the Collaborative Research Network II (CRN II) and the Small Grants Program for the Human Dimensions (SGP-HD), while maintaining operational expenses at a minimum.

The Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) operational budget request for fiscal year 2011/2012 proposes a total expenditure of US$1,331,536, representing an approximate 4.1% increase over the previous year. The budget focuses on maintaining current service levels, monitoring scientific programs such as CRN II and SGP-HD, and managing contributions from member countries.

The 2011 Executive Directorate report of the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) details scientific synthesis efforts, the proposal for a new Center of Excellence on water security, and capacity-building initiatives across Latin America and the Caribbean. It also highlights significant institutional challenges regarding personnel stability and diplomatic relations with its host country, Brazil.

This quarterly financial report from the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) details the institute's budget status, country contributions, and operational expenses as of March and April 2011, prepared for a meeting in Asunción, Paraguay.

The 2011 Report on Science Program by the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) details the achievements of four scientific programs between May 2010 and April 2011. These include the Second Collaborative Research Network (CRNII), the Small Grants Program for the Human Dimensions (SGP-HD), and a project on land use and biofuels in the La Plata Basin. The report emphasizes the integration of social and economic research into natural science to bridge the science-policy divide, highlighting impacts on urban pollution management, forest conservation, and agricultural risk reduction across the Americas.

This introductory text for an annotated bibliography discusses the opportunities and risks carbon markets present for indigenous peoples. It emphasizes the need for free, prior and informed consent, the importance of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, and identifies a specific lack of information regarding First Nations in Canada.

The minutes of the 17th IAI Conference of the Parties (2010) detail the institute's struggle with a 1.75 million USD deficit due to unpaid member contributions, which hampered its scientific and administrative operations. Despite this, the CoP approved a 1.279 million USD budget for 2010-2011 and a new annual plan. The meeting focused on strategic planning for a new scientific program to replace CRN II, exploring REDD+ funding, and electing new members to the Scientific Advisory Committee and Executive Council. Member countries shared updates on national greenhouse gas inventories, adaptation strategies, and carbon neutrality goals.

Minutes from the 29th Meeting of the Executive Council (EC) of the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI), held on June 8, 2010, in Brasilia, Brazil. The meeting focused on a severe financial crisis caused by unpaid member contributions, the approval of the 2010-2011 operating budget, and strategic planning for the institute's scientific programs and its relationship with member countries and the host country, Brazil.

This policy briefing examines the trend of trade protectionism and 'bail-out' subsidies following the global economic recession, specifically analyzing whether South Africa's industrial support measures comply with World Trade Organization (WTO) rules under the Agreement on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures (ASCM).

This research paper analyzes how the accounting of international greenhouse gas (GHG) offsets affects the integrity of global climate mitigation pledges. Using a spreadsheet model based on marginal abatement costs, the authors examine scenarios where offsets are either double-counted (credited to both the buyer and seller) or counted only for the buyer. The study finds that double-counting could significantly dilute the ambition of current pledges, potentially reducing global abatement by up to 1.6 billion tons of CO2e by 2020, thereby increasing the gap to meet 2°C warming targets.

This report reviews the 2002 Belgian Model Bilateral Investment Treaty (BIT), arguing that it follows a traditional European model that provides extensive protections for foreign investors while imposing broad obligations on host states. The authors contend that the model lacks necessary refinements to preserve policy space for sustainable development, environmental protection, and labour rights, and fails to address governance issues in investor-state dispute settlement.

This report documents the proceedings of the Fifth Annual Forum of Developing Country Investment Negotiators, held in Kampala, Uganda, from October 17–19, 2011. The event, co-organized by the Government of Uganda, the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD), and the South Centre, brought together 79 participants from 40 countries to discuss how developing nations can align foreign direct investment (FDI) with sustainable development goals. The forum focused on the risks of existing bilateral investment treaties (BITs), the importance of regulatory space for host states, and regional cooperation in investment policy.

This policy brief by the Stockholm Environment Institute compares greenhouse gas mitigation pledges made by developed (Annex 1) and developing (non-Annex 1) countries under the Copenhagen Accord and Cancún Agreements. By analyzing four detailed studies, the brief concludes that developing countries have pledged more absolute mitigation than developed countries, yet global pledges remain insufficient to limit warming to 2°C.

This policy brief by the Stockholm Environment Institute analyzes the impact of international greenhouse gas offsets on the fulfillment of emission reduction pledges under the Cancún Agreements. It specifically examines the risk of 'double-counting'—where both the buyer and seller count the same emission reduction toward their targets—and how this could dilute global climate ambition and hinder the pursuit of a 2°C pathway.

This report presents the proceedings of a workshop held on June 1–2, 2010, at the Stockholm Resilience Centre. The event brought together approximately 35 scholars to explore the role of social learning in environmental change, governance, and sustainability, focusing on its application across diverse contexts such as natural resource management, climate change adaptation, and formal education.

This briefing consists of testimonies presented to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) on October 25, 2010, by the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) and environmental defenders from Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, and Panama. The testimonies denounce a regional pattern of violence, criminalization, and systemic impunity targeting individuals who oppose the impacts of the mining industry in Mesoamerica.

This report by the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) documents a regional trend of human rights abuses, violence, and killings targeting environmental defenders opposing industrial mining in Mexico and Central America. It argues that these abuses are driven by the failure of host states to manage environmental impacts and protect defenders, as well as a lack of accountability for mining companies in their home states, particularly Canada and the United States.