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Friends of the Earth International issues a statement calling for a legally binding Global Plastics Treaty that addresses the entire lifecycle of plastics, from production and extraction to waste management, while limiting the influence of the fossil fuel industry in negotiations.

This briefing document, prepared by the IAI Directorate, presents the report of the 31st meeting of the Conference of the Parties (CoP-31) held on 21-22 June 2023 in Panama City, Panama. The document outlines the administrative, financial, and scientific decisions made during the meeting, including the approval of budgets, the election of leadership, and the establishment of new initiatives such as the Science Diplomacy Center and an Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities Advisory Committee.

The IAI Science Diplomacy Center (SDC) is a regional initiative aimed at strengthening the science-policy interface in the Americas, particularly Latin America and the Caribbean. Between 2023 and April 2024, the SDC established three priority pillars: Capacity Building, a Knowledge Hub, and Emerging/Innovation Issues. Key achievements include the launch of a training workshop in Panama, the expansion of the STeP Fellowship program to 47 fellows from 14 countries, and the development of a specialized science diplomacy curriculum with the University of Sao Paulo. The SDC is also building a digital Knowledge Hub and forging strategic partnerships with entities such as AAAS, UNESCO, and DiploCientifica to support sustainable development and global environmental change objectives.

This briefing by Somos El Cambio explains the necessity of the energy transition, defined as phasing out fossil fuels in favor of renewable sources and more efficient energy use to mitigate global warming. It highlights the economic and environmental benefits of this shift, particularly for Latin America and the Caribbean, while emphasizing the need for fairness and equity to avoid repeating the extractivist patterns of the fossil fuel era.

This policy brief, produced by Transforma and WWF, outlines the climate adaptation challenges and opportunities for Latin America and the Caribbean in the lead-up to COP30 in Belém do Pará, Brazil. It emphasizes the need to scale adaptation financing, integrate biodiversity and human rights into national planning, and leverage Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EbA) to build resilience in a region that is the second most exposed to climate change globally.

A briefing on the High-Level Symposium held on October 24, 2023, in Panama City, which focused on strengthening collaboration between National Meteorological and Hydrological Services (NMHSs), Ministries of Environment, and Disaster Risk Management Offices to improve climate information and early warning systems in Latin America and the Caribbean.

The report documents the 31st meeting of the Conference of the Parties (CoP-31) to the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI), held in Panama City from 21-22 June 2023. The meeting focused on financial sustainability, the establishment of new science-policy initiatives, and the strengthening of equity and diversity within the organization's research and training frameworks.

This briefing provides an update on the Initiative for enhancing capacity for climate risk assessment and catalyzing partnerships to inform decisions in Latin America and the Caribbean (LACI). It details the initiative's progress from a scoping and partnership building phase involving 14 countries to a pilot co-design phase featuring four specific projects aimed at strengthening climate risk assessments and data interoperability in the region.

This briefing provides an update on the Initiative for Conducting a National Climate Assessment in Support of Adaptation and Mitigation (LACI), an effort led by the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) to strengthen climate risk assessments and decision-making in Latin America and the Caribbean.

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.

This report by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) analyzes 24 financing strategies for climate adaptation in developing countries, categorized into discrete adaptation strategies and general climate action strategies. It evaluates how these documents are developed, the role of multilateral development banks (MDBs), and their effectiveness in mobilizing finance. The report identifies a need for better integration between ministries of finance and climate leads, more strategic use of public grants to leverage private investment, and improved country-level tracking of climate finance flows.

A June 2022 briefing by the Climate Action Tracker reporting that progress on updating 2030 climate targets has stalled following the Glasgow Climate Pact. The document warns that current targets and policies are insufficient to limit warming to 1.5°C, projecting end-of-century warming of 2.4°C based on 2030 targets and 2.7°C under current policies.

This report by Ember analyzes global electricity trends in 2021, tracking progress against the IEA's Net Zero by 2050 pathway. While wind and solar reached a historic milestone of over 10% of global electricity, an unprecedented surge in electricity demand led to record-breaking coal generation and the largest absolute rise in power sector CO2 emissions ever recorded.

The Ember 2022 Global Electricity Review analyzes global power trends for 2021, highlighting a record-breaking year where wind and solar power reached a historic share of global electricity, yet were offset by record-high coal generation and carbon emissions driven by a surge in global electricity demand.

This legal briefing by the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) analyzes the decision of an arbitral tribunal to deny an amicus curiae submission by CIEL and the Sociedad Cooperativa de Producción Pesquera Puerto Chale in the case of Odyssey Marine Exploration, Inc. v. United Mexican States. The briefing argues that the denial undermines the legitimacy of the investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) system and ignores the significant environmental and human rights risks associated with the Don Diego seabed mining project.

This report assesses progress toward Goal 5 of the New York Declaration on Forests (NYDF), which aims to restore and maintain 350 million hectares of landscapes and forestlands by 2030. It highlights a significant gap between political commitments and actual implementation, noting that previous targets were not met and that monitoring remains technically challenging.

The 2020 assessment of NYDF Goal 5 finds that the target of restoring 150 million hectares of forest by 2020 is not on track, with only 18% of the goal met since 2000. While some Central American countries like El Salvador and Costa Rica show net tree cover gains, others like Nicaragua and Honduras show net losses. The report highlights significant challenges in monitoring restoration due to satellite data limitations and emphasizes the need for better financial transparency and planning to scale forest landscape restoration (FLR).

The World Resources Institute provides a three-step guide for governments and communities to transform degraded landscapes effectively. The process emphasizes the integration of biophysical data with social landscape analysis to avoid pitfalls such as planting trees in incorrect locations or violating human rights, ensuring that restoration pledges to initiatives like the Bonn Challenge and AFR100 result in high-impact outcomes.

This policy brief examines the risk of Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) claims against governments arising from national investment laws, particularly in the context of emergency COVID-19 measures. It highlights how domestic laws providing consent to international arbitration can expose states to costly claims and suggests mitigation strategies.

This briefing by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) examines the risk of Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) claims based on national investment laws, particularly in the context of government emergency measures taken during the COVID-19 pandemic. It highlights how domestic laws can provide a legal basis for international arbitration, potentially bypassing national courts and exposing states to significant financial liabilities.