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The document discusses how developing countries can use the results of the first global stocktake to refine their national adaptation plans (NAPs), advocate for implementation support, and contribute to future global assessments to ensure their priorities are represented in the global goal on adaptation.

The Nature-Based Infrastructure Global Resource Centre conducted a cost-benefit analysis of nature-based infrastructure (NBI) in Cape Town's Diep/Sand River and Zeekoe catchments. The study finds that NBI interventions—such as creating retention ponds, establishing wetlands, and removing invasive species—offer significant economic returns, with benefit-to-cost ratios up to 2.07 and net benefits reaching ZAR 133 million over 25 years. These gains are primarily driven by avoided costs in dredging and canal refurbishment, reduced flood damages, and the creation of over 60 local jobs annually. The analysis indicates that NBI is particularly valuable under pessimistic climate scenarios with high flood risks, providing a cost-effective alternative to grey infrastructure upgrades.

The report contends that Canadian LNG projects are high-risk investments due to capital intensity, market volatility, and declining global demand. It highlights that importers in Europe and Asia are shifting toward renewables to avoid the price spikes and supply shocks associated with LNG. The authors argue that new LNG infrastructure threatens to become stranded assets, potentially requiring further taxpayer subsidies, while simultaneously increasing global greenhouse gas emissions and delaying the energy transition.

The document argues that traditional consumer protection frameworks must be updated to address e-commerce challenges such as data privacy and cross-border enforcement. It notes that while the global B2C e-commerce market was valued at USD 5.47 trillion in 2023 and is growing, many developing countries lack the modern laws necessary to build consumer trust and manage technology-driven business models.

The report examines the role of state-owned power companies (SPCs) in driving clean energy transitions within emerging markets. It highlights that while SPCs can advance energy security and socio-economic development, they often face significant debt and capital mobilization challenges. The document argues for a combination of visionary leadership, legal frameworks, shifted public finance from fossil fuels to clean energy, and innovative international financing tied to decarbonization progress. Through case studies of Eskom, NTPC, Vietnam Electricity (EVN), and Perusahaan Listrik Negara (PLN), the report analyzes specific transition elements including just energy transition, renewable energy deployment, grid integration, and coal plant retirement.

The report examines the impact of eco-certification on Manitoba's commercial fisheries, which export 80% of their catch to international markets, primarily the U.S. and Europe. It highlights that eco-certification can protect market value, with avoided losses estimated at CAD 250 per CAD 1 invested for large lakes and CAD 16 per CAD 1 for small lakes. The document recommends prioritizing buyer relationships in northwestern Europe and increasing communication between fishers and federal decision-makers.

This report presents guidelines for designing Border Carbon Adjustment (BCA) mechanisms, based on global stakeholder dialogues. It offers specific recommendations on measuring embodied GHG emissions, determining sectoral coverage, managing revenues, and crediting foreign carbon prices. The guidance emphasizes 'parallel treatment' between domestic and foreign producers and suggests mechanisms to support small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and developing countries in their low-carbon transition, while cautioning against blanket country exemptions to maintain the effectiveness of leakage prevention.

The report examines the evolution of consumer protection from traditional to digital markets, highlighting the 'equivalence principle' where online consumers should receive protection not less than that in other commerce. It analyzes how regional trade agreements (RTAs) and the WTO JSI Agreement on Electronic Commerce incorporate consumer protections, while noting that developing countries, particularly LDCs, often lack the legislative and institutional capacity to enforce these rights. The document recommends that developing countries leverage technology, trade agreements, and international cooperation to build robust digital consumer protection frameworks.

The document outlines the global effort to create a legally binding treaty to end plastic pollution. It details the environmental and health risks of plastics, the history of the UN-led INC process, and the contentious treaty elements currently under debate, such as production caps and chemicals of concern. It also identifies the divergent positions of major plastic producers, high-ambition coalitions, and developing nations, while suggesting synergies with existing international conventions.

The document argues that investment treaties function as 'unpriced public insurance' that shifts political and regulatory risks from private investors to host states. Unlike other de-risking tools like political risk insurance or blended finance, treaties often lack pricing mechanisms, performance benchmarks, or environmental and human rights safeguards. This creates an asymmetrical regime where host states face substantial downside risks and contingent fiscal liabilities, which can be exacerbated by large investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) awards. The authors recommend that policy-makers assess treaties alongside other risk-allocation tools, terminate redundant agreements, and coordinate across finance ministries and development banks to prevent 'double recovery' and ensure transparent risk sharing.

The document proposes a functional shift in how investment treaties are viewed, categorizing them as a form of 'unpriced public insurance' that transfers political and regulatory risks from private investors to host states. It argues that unlike other de-risking tools, treaties often lack performance conditions or sustainability safeguards, creating asymmetric financial burdens for states, particularly in the Global South. The brief recommends that policymakers evaluate treaties alongside other risk-mitigation tools to avoid redundancies and ensure that investment governance supports climate transitions and public accountability.

The document proposes a functional shift in how investment treaties are viewed, moving from legal instruments of the rule of law to economic tools of public risk absorption. It argues that these treaties often act as unpriced public insurance, transferring political and regulatory risks from private investors to host states without the conditions, pricing, or performance guarantees found in other de-risking tools. The authors recommend that policymakers evaluate treaties alongside other risk-reduction mechanisms, revise or terminate redundant agreements, and coordinate between financial institutions to avoid double indemnification and ensure equitable risk sharing.

The report details a session hosted by the Women’s Rights and Mining (WRM) network and the Intergovernmental Forum on Mining, Minerals, Metals and Sustainable Development (IGF) on May 5, 2025. The discussion centered on transitioning gender-responsive due diligence (GRDD) from a risk-identification tool to a mechanism for structural empowerment, particularly for women in artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM). Key contributions included Mercedes-Benz's use of gender-disaggregated data, Italpreziosi's 'Empower Your Counterpart' model and 'Empower ASM' app, and ActionAid Zambia's emphasis on grassroots engagement to address local cultural barriers and gender-based violence.

The report examines the challenges and opportunities for a 'green recovery' in Ukraine following Russia's invasion, which caused direct damages of USD 176 billion. While Ukraine has established governance structures and transparency tools like the DREAM platform, it lacks a unified national reconstruction strategy, leaving sustainability efforts fragmented. The document highlights the town of Trostianets as a successful local model of sustainable rebuilding and suggests that Ukraine align its recovery with EU standards, such as the EU Taxonomy and the Recovery and Resilience Facility. It recommends the adoption of international green building and infrastructure certifications (e.g., EDGE, Envision) to ensure long-term resilience and climate neutrality.

The report details the evolving role of Indigenous Peoples in the Rio Conventions, highlighting a shift from being viewed as stakeholders to recognized rights holders. Key 2024 achievements include the creation of a permanent Subsidiary Body on Article 8(j) under the CBD, the extension of the Local Communities and Indigenous Peoples Platform (LCIPP) mandate under the UNFCCC, and the establishment of two separate caucuses for Indigenous Peoples and local communities under the UNCCD. Despite these procedural gains, the report identifies persistent challenges, including limited direct access to funding and the ongoing tension over the use of human rights language and terminology in international environmental governance.

The document outlines a strategic framework for negotiating protocols under the UN Framework Convention on International Tax Cooperation (UN FCITC). It identifies two 'early protocols'—cross-border services and tax dispute resolution—and several 'possible protocols' including the digital economy, illicit financial flows, high-net-worth individuals, and environmental challenges. The report argues that the UN FCITC can provide a more inclusive and effective alternative to OECD-led frameworks, particularly for developing countries, by establishing global standards for taxing the digital economy, combating tax evasion, and coordinating climate-related fiscal policies.

The report outlines a strategic framework for negotiating protocols under the UN Framework Convention on International Tax Cooperation (UN FCITC). It identifies two 'early protocols'—taxation of cross-border services and the resolution of tax disputes—and several 'potential protocols' covering the digital economy, illicit financial flows, high-net-worth individuals, environmental taxation, information exchange, mutual assistance, and harmful tax practices. The document argues that the UN FCITC can provide a more inclusive and effective alternative to OECD-led initiatives, which often disadvantage developing nations. Key recommendations include establishing a global digital services tax, creating a global asset register for beneficial ownership, implementing a global minimum tax on the super-rich, and developing a coordinated multilateral environmental tax architecture to support net-zero goals.

The report outlines a strategic framework for negotiating protocols under the UN Framework Convention on International Tax Cooperation, focusing on enhancing tax revenue and fairness for developing countries. It details two preliminary protocols—cross-border services and tax dispute resolution—and several potential protocols covering the digital economy, illicit financial flows, high-net-worth individuals, environmental taxation, information exchange, mutual administrative assistance, and harmful tax practices. The document argues for a shift away from OECD-led standards, which it claims often disadvantage developing nations, toward a more inclusive UN-led multilateral architecture.

The report examines the role of state-owned power companies (SPCs) in emerging markets and developing economies (EMDEs), noting they control approximately 50% of global power station capacity. Through four case studies, it explores specific transition elements: Eskom (South Africa) on just energy transition (JET), NTPC (India) on renewable energy deployment, EVN (Viet Nam) on grid integration, and PLN (Indonesia) on early coal retirement. Key findings highlight that while SPCs can lead low-carbon action due to declining technology costs, they are often hindered by high debt, fossil fuel subsidies, and a lack of comprehensive legal frameworks. The report recommends that governments mandate specific emission targets for SPCs, shift public finance from fossil fuels to clean energy, and that SPCs establish dedicated JET offices and improve data transparency to build stakeholder trust.

The report examines the November 29, 2024, draft text for 'Fish 2' negotiations at the WTO. It details a proposed hybrid approach combining a broad prohibition of subsidies that contribute to overcapacity and overfishing with a management-based exemption and special and differential treatment (SDT) for developing nations. Key provisions include a two-tiered system for demonstrating stock sustainability, specific rules for distant-water fishing, and a five-year review clause to potentially mandate quantitative subsidy reductions. The document highlights that while convergence is high, significant gaps remain regarding the duration of transition periods and the definition of artisanal fishing.