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This research paper argues that South Africa should lead a campaign to nominate a qualified African candidate for the presidency of the World Bank to challenge the historical precedent of American appointments and advocate for global economic governance reform.

This research paper analyzes the challenges and opportunities for establishing a common trade and investment agenda among the BRICS nations. It highlights the tension between complementary economic relationships—where China imports resources from Brazil, Russia, and South Africa—and conflicting national strategies to promote domestic manufacturing. The author suggests that BRICS cooperation should focus on resuscitating the WTO Doha round, engaging with China's shift toward a consumption-led economic model, and coordinating currency reform positions within the G20.

This report by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) examines the legal complexities of 'indirect expropriation' in international investment law. It analyzes how the lack of a clear definition in most investment treaties creates tension between the protection of foreign private investments and the sovereign right of host states to regulate in the public interest, particularly regarding health, environment, and human rights.

This report by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) examines the legal complexities of 'indirect expropriation' in international investment law. It analyzes how the lack of a precise definition in treaties allows arbitral tribunals to apply varying criteria—such as the 'sole effect doctrine' or proportionality—which can conflict with a state's sovereign right to regulate for the public interest, including health, environment, and human rights.

This research paper by Trudi Hartzenberg for the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA) examines the intersection of trade, investment, and competition policy in South Africa. It analyzes how South Africa balances the need for foreign direct investment (FDI) and global trade integration with domestic development goals, particularly employment creation. The paper details the evolution of South Africa's competition regime, the role of the Competition Act of 1998, and the complexities of managing cross-border mergers, using the Walmart-Massmart transaction as a primary case study.

The Nineteenth Conference of the Parties (CoP) of the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) agreed to expand the IAI Directorate's capacity to provide scientific knowledge for public policy and increase public awareness through a distributed structure hosted by Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay.

This report by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) examines the theoretical benefits and practical drawbacks of Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs), specifically focusing on their ability to integrate into sustainable development frameworks. It argues that while PPPs can attract capital and encourage life-cycle technology investments, they often suffer from high costs, reduced transparency, and a lack of explicit sustainability safeguards.

This report summarizes a high-level discussion titled "The Missing Piece? Climate Change Mitigation and the Benefits of Fossil Fuel Subsidy Reform," held as an official side event of the UNFCCC COP 17 on December 7, 2011, in Durban, South Africa. The event focused on the scale of fossil fuel subsidies compared to climate finance and the necessity of reforming these subsidies to enable green growth and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

This briefing outlines an 8-point plan to mobilize the $75 trillion held by institutional investors toward the low-carbon transition via the bond market. It argues that while climate-resilient infrastructure provides the long-term, secure assets pension funds and insurers seek, current deal flow is too small and fragmented. The plan proposes aggregating small projects into investment-grade offerings, utilizing public sector risk-sharing and regulatory leverage, greening development banks, and implementing standardized climate bond certifications to bridge the annual investment gap of $1 trillion to $1.3 trillion.

The CRED V.1.3 Technical Report describes the methodology of the Climate and Regional Economics of Development (CRED) model, an integrated assessment model designed to estimate the optimal pace of climate mitigation investment and its global cost distribution. Version 1.3, completed in June 2011, focuses on the distribution of climate damages and policy costs across nine global regions to inform international climate negotiations.

This research paper analyzes the impasse of the Doha Development Agenda (DDA) following a ministerial meeting and evaluates the strategic negotiating position South Africa should adopt. It highlights the tension between domestic policy imperatives—specifically industrial policy and agricultural support—and the need for multilateral trade agreements.

This briefing synthesises the IPCC SREX report's findings on climate extremes and the agriculture sector. It highlights that disaster risk is increasing due to higher exposure and vulnerability, particularly in developing countries. Key threats include intensified droughts, heatwaves, and flooding, which cause significant economic losses and threaten food security. The document advocates for 'climate-smart' agriculture, improved disaster risk management, and a combination of short-term coping strategies and long-term structural adaptations to build resilience.

This briefing, published by the Climate and Development Knowledge Network in 2012, synthesises key findings from the IPCC Special Report on Managing the Risks of Extreme Events and Disasters to Advance Climate Change Adaptation (SREX) specifically for ecosystem management. It examines the interplay between climate extremes, human vulnerability, and ecosystem resilience, advocating for ecosystem-based adaptation (EbA) as a cost-effective strategy to reduce disaster risk and support sustainable development.

The document is an independent auditors' report and the accompanying financial statements for the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) for the fiscal years ending June 30, 2012, and June 30, 2011. It details the Institute's financial position, operational revenues, research program expenditures, and a qualified audit opinion regarding specific accounting adjustments.

This report by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) examines the role of public procurement as a strategic tool for driving green growth and innovation. It argues that governments can leverage their significant purchasing power to create demand for sustainable products, thereby incentivizing private sector innovation and scaling green markets. The document provides a theoretical framework for sustainable value creation and presents several international case studies to illustrate different approaches to Green Public Procurement (GPP).

This report presents the proceedings of a May 2012 conference in Winnipeg, Canada, focused on the 'Water-Energy-Food (W-E-F) security nexus'. The document explores the interdependencies between water, energy, and food systems, emphasizing the need for integrated governance, the use of Earth Observations for monitoring, and the potential of the bioeconomy to provide sustainable solutions for these linked risks.

This report documents the 5th African Conference of Commandants (ACoC), held from 28–30 November 2011 in Gaborone, Botswana. The conference brought together commandants from African Staff Colleges to discuss the impact of globalisation on human rights, the proliferation of small arms, gender equality in the military, and the standardisation of military education to support the African Standby Force (ASF) and peace support operations (PSOs).

This report provides a comprehensive overview of the ecosystem services concept, detailing the various benefits nature provides to humans and the methodologies used to assign them monetary value. It explores the classification of services into supporting, regulating, provisioning, and cultural categories, while also introducing the concept of 'ecosystem disservices'. The document offers guidance for integrating these values into policy-making at national, local, and corporate levels to promote sustainable development and biodiversity conservation.

This policy brief, produced by the Stockholm Environment Institute in partnership with the business leaders' initiative 3C, examines the risk of metal scarcity for low-carbon technologies. Using a custom scenario calculator, the authors analyze the future supply and demand for cobalt, lithium, neodymium, indium, and tellurium, concluding that cumulative supply deficits for several of these metals could hinder the global transition to a low-carbon economy.

The Annual Partner Survey 2011-2012 report details the results of a voluntary survey conducted by the Climate and Development Knowledge Network (CDKN) in late 2011. The survey gathered feedback from 202 participants—including NGOs, individual consultants, and research institutes—regarding the quality of CDKN's products, its effectiveness in knowledge sharing and partnership facilitation, and its overall influence on organizational practices and policies.