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A fact sheet by Friends of the Earth detailing how climate change and extreme weather patterns threaten the production of common Valentine's Day gifts, including chocolate, coffee, wine, flowers, and other agricultural products.

This briefing paper by the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) and CARE International argues that climate change is a critical human rights challenge. It examines how climate impacts and the responses to them threaten fundamental rights and provides a set of policy recommendations to integrate a human rights-based approach into the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) process.

This briefing, prepared by the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) and CARE International, argues that climate change is the greatest human rights challenge of the current era. It calls for the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) to integrate human rights protections into its policies, particularly as the international community negotiated the 2015 climate agreement. The document outlines how climate impacts threaten fundamental rights and provides specific policy recommendations to ensure that climate mitigation and adaptation efforts do not further violate human rights.

This report details the results of an expert meeting hosted by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) in October 2014 in Montreux, Switzerland. The meeting focused on rethinking international investment-related dispute settlement to move beyond the singular focus on investor rights and state obligations, proposing more inclusive models that allow stakeholders such as local communities and individuals to seek remedies for injuries or human rights abuses.

This research paper, produced by the Stockholm Environment Institute for the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency (Naturvårdsverket), examines policy instruments and interventions to reduce the negative impacts of Swedish consumption on health and the environment in other countries. It focuses on the international dimension of Sweden's 'generational goal' (generationsmålet), identifying key 'hotspots' such as electronics from China and soy from Brazil, and proposing a mix of economic, administrative, informative, and collaborative measures to drive systemic change toward sustainable consumption.

This 2015 briefing identifies the personnel from the Overseas Development Institute (ODI) and the Climate and Development Knowledge Network (CDKN) attending the UN World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction in Sendai, Japan. It details their professional focuses—such as DRR finance, gender equality, and resilience measurement—and lists their scheduled presentations and exhibition activities during the conference.

The 2015 Green Bond Market Roundup by the Climate Bonds Initiative reports that $41.8 billion in labelled green bonds were issued in 2015. The document highlights growth in market supply driven by policy support, the entry of more corporate and municipal issuers, and expanding investor demand from institutional entities. It also notes an evolution in standards, such as the launch of Climate Bond Standard V2, and an increasing emphasis on reporting and third-party assurance to validate green credentials.

The 2015 Green Bond Market Update reports a diversifying market with significant growth in emerging markets like India and China. In 2015, corporate issuers grew to 36% of the market, and November 2015 marked a record $7.4 billion in issuance. The majority of funds are allocated to renewable energy (45.8%) and energy efficiency (19.6%).

This 2015 research paper argues that removing fossil-fuel subsidies could reduce global GHG emissions by 6-13% by 2050, though this potential is maximized when combined with binding emission caps and investments in low-carbon infrastructure. It provides a roadmap for countries to integrate subsidy reform into their Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs) and other UNFCCC processes to unlock government savings and accelerate the energy transition.

This 2015 briefing note by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) outlines key issues and priorities for the Pan-African Parliament (PAP) ahead of the COP 21 climate conference in Paris. It emphasizes the need for an ambitious, legally binding agreement that addresses the specific vulnerabilities of Africa, ensures equity through the Common But Differentiated Responsibilities (CBDR) principle, and closes significant financial and ambition gaps to limit global warming.

This briefing note, published by the International Institute for Sustainable Development in October 2015, outlines the key issues and priorities for the Pan-African Parliament (PAP) ahead of the 21st Conference of the Parties (COP21) in Paris. It emphasizes the need for a legally binding agreement that addresses the specific vulnerabilities of Africa, ensures climate equity, and secures financial commitments from developed nations to support both mitigation and adaptation efforts.

This policy brief examines the conflict between the UNFCCC's principle of common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities (CBDRRC) and the international aviation law's principle of equal treatment. It argues that 'contextual treatment'—which considers changing national circumstances and provides implementation assistance—offers a viable path to reconcile these opposing frameworks to regulate international aviation emissions.

This guide argues that States have extraterritorial obligations (ETOs) to protect human rights from environmental destruction and climate change. Using the Maastricht Principles, it asserts that States must regulate transnational corporations and cooperate internationally to prevent transboundary harm, citing examples such as illegal logging in tropical forests and hazardous shipbreaking in Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan.

This guide, published by Friends of the Earth International in December 2014, provides communities with information and strategies to resist 'land grabbing' by governments and corporations. It explains the conflict between customary and national land laws, outlines international human rights mechanisms for protection, and critiques common promises made by companies to justify land acquisition.

This guide by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) examines performance requirements (PRs) in investment treaties, analyzing their types, their prohibition under WTO rules, and their treatment in Bilateral Investment Treaties (BITs). It evaluates how these requirements impact the policy flexibility of developing countries and provides options for states to preserve their ability to impose PRs to maximize the economic, social, and environmental benefits of foreign direct investment.

This policy briefing examines whether the 'Bali Package'—a set of agreements reached at the 9th WTO Ministerial Conference in December 2013—can resolve the impasse of the Doha Development Round and secure the future of the World Trade Organization (WTO). The author argues that while the package restored faith in the multilateral system and introduced a novel approach to special and differential treatment (SDT), it fails to address the fundamental structural problems of the Doha Round and is overshadowed by the rise of mega-regional trade agreements.

This research paper argues that the mined diamond industry faces an existential threat from synthetic diamonds, which are increasingly entering the gem market undetected. The author contends that the Kimberley Process (KP) must expand its mandate beyond conflict diamonds to include human rights and a robust traceability system for both rough and polished stones to preserve diamonds' status as a store of value.

This case study by the Climate Policy Initiative examines the trajectory of Spain's concentrated solar power (CSP) industry, detailing how initial successful incentives led to rapid deployment and innovation, followed by a collapse in investor confidence due to retroactive policy changes and a lack of cost-control mechanisms.

This policy brief discusses the role of technological innovation and policy in providing modern, clean energy to the 'bottom of the pyramid' population, focusing on household energy and rural electricity to achieve climate-compatible development.

This research paper examines South Africa's economic challenges within the BRICS context, focusing on its struggle to transition from an upper-middle-income to an upper-income country while facing de-industrialisation and deep-seated structural inequality inherited from the Apartheid era.