Search Climate Insights Directory

This document is a participant list for the 39th Executive Council Meeting of the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research, held in Lima, Peru, on June 23, 2015. It lists representatives from various countries including Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, and the USA, as well as observers from Panama, Japan, Ecuador, and organizations such as UNESCO and the Asia-Pacific Network for Global Change Research.

This guide describes the role of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in regulating chemicals and manufactured nanomaterials, specifically detailing the activities of the Working Party on Manufactured Nanomaterials (WPMN) and its steering groups.

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 research synthesis brief by the Stockholm Environment Institute summarizes findings from the 2008–2015 Mistra-SWECIA programme regarding climate change adaptation in the Swedish forestry sector. It examines the driving forces, risks, and social barriers affecting the roughly 330,000 individual forest owners who manage about half of Sweden's forests. The document highlights the tension between scientific climate projections and the practical, often gradual, perceptions of forest owners, while also analyzing indirect global climate risks to Sweden's export-dependent forestry economy.

This statement by Friends of the Earth International criticizes the lack of coherent rules and oversight regarding climate finance, specifically highlighting instances where developed nations use climate funds to finance coal-fired power plants in developing countries.

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 fact sheet describes the 10-Year Framework of Programmes on Sustainable Consumption and Production (10YFP) Programme on Sustainable Lifestyles and Education (SLE). The programme aims to foster the uptake of sustainable lifestyles as a common norm to address global challenges such as climate change, resource efficiency, and biodiversity conservation through multi-stakeholder cooperation and education.

This research paper reviews Myanmar's existing investment treaties, analyzing the legal and policy implications of their terms to inform potential reforms and future treaty negotiations.

This document is a list of participants for the 38th Executive Council Meeting of the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research, held on August 14, 2014, in Mexico City, Mexico.

This document is a list of participants for the 22nd Conference of the Parties, held in Mexico City on August 13 and 14, 2014.

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 report reviews Myanmar's investment treaty landscape as of June 2014, analyzing the legal implications of its bilateral investment treaties (BITs) and agreements negotiated through ASEAN. It highlights significant variations in drafting and provisions across these treaties, which increase the complexity of government compliance and the risk of costly investor-state arbitration claims.

This document consists of two distinct sections: a policy brief introduction regarding the utilization of ASEAN-led Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) by micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), and a commentary on the United Kingdom's accession to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) and its potential public health implications.

This informational brochure examines the development of nanotechnology in the Asia-Pacific region, noting that while countries like China, Japan, and South Korea have invested heavily in the sector, there is a critical lack of funding for evaluating health and environmental risks. Consequently, nanoproducts are entering the market unregulated and unlabeled, despite the technology's promotion as a solution for regional challenges such as energy diversification and disease treatment.

This report provides a comparative analysis of the trade policies of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa (BRICS) within the framework of the World Trade Organization (WTO). It examines their political coordination, their specific roles and proposals during the Doha Round negotiations, and their use of trade instruments such as tariffs, subsidies, and anti-dumping measures. The document highlights areas of convergence, particularly in defending the interests of developing countries, and areas of divergence stemming from different economic growth models.

The paper argues that single-year emissions targets are fundamentally flawed compared to continuous multi-year targets because they create uncertainty regarding cumulative emissions, are more susceptible to annual variability, and are incompatible with domestic emissions trading schemes. The authors highlight that the use of tradable units can further reduce the ambition of single-year targets, potentially allowing countries to meet goals without domestic mitigation. They recommend that future international agreements mandate continuous multi-year targets to ensure comparability and align with global carbon budgets.

This document consists of two distinct parts: a guide intended to help small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) leverage the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) free trade agreements to expand markets and promote regional growth, and a critical commentary on the United Kingdom's accession to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), highlighting potential threats to public health.

This guidebook, produced by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) and the ASEAN Business Advisory Council (ASEAN BAC), provides practical guidance for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to utilize free trade agreements (FTAs) within and outside the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). It details the mechanisms of internal agreements like the ASEAN Trade in Goods Agreement (ATiGA) and external partnerships with China, Japan, Korea, India, Australia, and New Zealand, while providing country-specific export procedures and support facilities for ASEAN member states.

This briefing, produced by the European Capacity Building Initiative (ecbi) for the Least Developed Countries (LDC) Group, analyzes strategies for the LDC Group to increase global ambition for climate mitigation within the negotiations for a new climate agreement intended to enter into force in 2020.