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This policy brief, based on a report by the Stockholm Environment Institute, examines transboundary climate risks to global food security through the trade of six key agricultural commodities. It argues that traditional risk management strategies like diversification are becoming ineffective due to the systemic nature of climate change, necessitating a shift toward multilateral cooperation and a global systemic view of adaptation to prevent geopolitical tension and protect import-dependent, low-income countries.

This policy brief analyzes the fiscal implications of the gradual phase-out of coal production in Colombia, focusing on the role of royalties and the economic vulnerability of producing regions like Cesar and La Guajira. It examines production trends, international trade dynamics, and the impact of the General Royalties System (SGR) reform, concluding that current policy measures are insufficient to offset the projected decline in coal demand and revenue.

This analysis evaluates the outcomes of the virtual Climate Ambition Summit held in December 2020, which served as a substitute for the postponed Glasgow Climate Change Conference. While the summit resulted in 45 announcements of new or updated Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), the author argues that these commitments often lack the urgency required by climate science and are frequently conditional on financial support for developing nations.

This policy brief analyzes the history of global climate governance, highlighting the transition from the Kyoto Protocol's rigid mandates for developed nations to the Paris Agreement's universal, bottom-up approach. It emphasizes that while the Paris Agreement achieved universality by evolving the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities, current national pledges remain insufficient to limit global warming to 1.5°C.

The Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI) 2021 evaluates 57 of the world's highest greenhouse gas emitters, finding that no single country is currently on a path compliant with the Paris Agreement goals. While the European Union improved its ranking to 16th place, the report highlights a stark divide between leading nations and G20 members like the USA, Saudi Arabia, and Russia, who are rated 'very low'.

This briefing by the Climate Action Tracker (CAT) evaluates the impact of recent net zero pledges on global warming projections, noting that while targets have lowered end-of-century estimates, a significant gap remains between current policies and the goals required to limit warming to 1.5°C.

This executive summary by the Climate Policy Initiative (CPI) evaluates the alignment of global power sector investment with the Paris Agreement goals for 2018. Using a new science-based methodology, CPI finds that significant investment continues to flow into fossil fuel power, putting the world on a temperature trajectory exceeding 3.2°C. The document highlights a critical gap in asset-level transaction data and provides recommendations for public and private actors to halt carbon-intensive investments and accelerate the decommissioning of fossil fuel plants.

This report by the International Institute for Sustainable Development analyzes the evolution of global climate governance from the 1979 World Climate Conference to the 2015 Paris Agreement. It examines the shift from 'top-down' prescriptive instruments like the Kyoto Protocol to 'bottom-up' participatory frameworks, highlighting the ongoing tension between universal participation and the equitable distribution of responsibilities based on historical emissions and national capacities.

This policy brief examines the restart of agriculture negotiations at the World Trade Organization (WTO) in September 2020 under Chair Gloria Abraham Peralta. It analyzes the challenges of achieving Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 2 amid the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change, and shifting global trade dynamics, while outlining seven key negotiating areas and potential pathways for progress.

Minutes from the Green Economy Coalition (GEC) Steering Group meeting on November 11, 2020, detailing strategic responses to the COVID-19 pandemic and the status of four strategic priorities.

This report by Amigos de la Tierra América Latina y el Caribe (ATALC) analyzes the role of transnational corporations (TNCs) in the accumulation of capital and their impact on human, environmental, and collective rights in Latin America and the Caribbean. It details how TNCs utilize 'corporate capture' to influence governments and legal systems, creating an 'architecture of impunity' that protects their interests over popular sovereignty. The document characterizes the impacts of TNCs across extractivist sectors—including agribusiness, forestry, mining, and energy—and services, while advocating for a legally binding UN treaty to regulate TNCs and a systemic shift toward popular sovereignty and economic justice.

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).

This literature review by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) and Sitra examines the relationship between the transition to a circular economy and its impact on global and regional employment, emphasizing the need for 'decent work' and just transition policies.

This guide provides a framework for project champions and funders to mobilize capital for large-scale natural infrastructure in Canada. It argues that successful projects are driven by time-sensitive forcing events rather than general valuation studies, and it outlines a five-step process for developers to move from identifying drivers to securing predevelopment funding.

This policy brief by the Public Affairs Research Institute (PARI) argues for the introduction of 'encouraged whistleblowing' (qui tam) within South Africa's public procurement system to combat widespread corruption and inefficiency. The authors propose a legal mechanism where private individuals are financially incentivized to report fraudulent claims against the state, drawing on the model of the United States' False Claims Act to recover damages and reduce the burden on under-resourced state prosecutors.

This policy brief from the International Institute for Sustainable Development explores the precautionary principle, a guide in international environmental law that advocates for taking protective action even in the absence of full scientific certainty to avoid serious or irreversible damage.

This policy brief examines the scale and structure of the illegal wildlife trade, the historical evolution of international regulatory frameworks—specifically CITES—and the emerging debate over whether a new, legally binding international instrument is needed to address wildlife crime and zoonotic disease risks in a post-COVID-19 world.

This briefing explores the precautionary principle as a guide for decision-makers to protect the environment, public health, and security in the face of scientific uncertainty. It traces the principle's evolution from national laws in Sweden to its integration into major international treaties and the law of the European Union, while discussing the ongoing tension between environmental safeguarding and economic development.

This briefing by the International Institute for Sustainable Development examines the evolution of international efforts to combat the illegal wildlife trade, focusing on the role and limitations of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

This policy brief outlines the international governance of biodiversity, focusing on the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and its associated protocols. It details the shift from species-based to area-based conservation, the challenges of ensuring fair benefit-sharing from genetic resources, and the regulatory complexities introduced by emerging technologies like synthetic biology and digital sequence information (DSI). The document emphasizes the urgency of moving away from "business as usual" to reverse biodiversity loss and achieve sustainable development goals.