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The document reports that natural capital in Ethiopia, Indonesia, and Trinidad and Tobago is poorly managed, with per capita market natural capital stocks stagnating or declining after 2008. It highlights a dangerous concentration of market natural capital in agricultural land for Ethiopia, and in oil, gas, and minerals for Indonesia and Trinidad and Tobago, while noting that non-market natural capital is threatened by climate change and population growth.

The document analyzes produced capital—the value of human-made assets—in Ethiopia, Indonesia, and Trinidad and Tobago, noting that levels remain low compared to developed nations and are concentrated in few sectors. It highlights a critical need for increased investment in renewable energy and agriculture to meet climate and food security goals, while noting that a lack of regular measurement by national statistical offices hinders policy-making.

The report argues that while GDP growth suggests sound economic development in Trinidad and Tobago from 1995 to 2020, an analysis of comprehensive wealth reveals an unsustainable path. The country's wealth is heavily skewed toward the petroleum industry, leaving non-oil sectors like agriculture, fisheries, and forestry under-invested. Additionally, human capital has declined globally from 35th in 2009 to 46th in 2018, and financial capital contributes little to overall wealth despite sovereign wealth fund efforts.

The report advocates for moving beyond GDP by adopting a 'comprehensive wealth' framework that measures natural, human, social, produced, and financial capital. Using data from 1995 to 2020, the report demonstrates that GDP often masks unsustainable development trends. In Trinidad and Tobago, fossil fuel reliance led to declining comprehensive wealth and well-being from 2008. Indonesia showed a decrease in well-being created per unit of wealth between 1995 and 2020. Ethiopia is advised to shift produced capital investments from manufacturing toward modern farming to enhance wealth growth.

The report argues that GDP is an insufficient measure of national progress as it ignores costs to nature and society. By analyzing Indonesia's comprehensive wealth—which includes produced, human, natural, financial, and social capital—the study finds that while Indonesia's comprehensive wealth nearly tripled between 1995 and 2020, its GDP grew at a significantly slower rate, suggesting the country is not fully benefiting from its increasing assets.

Between 1995 and 2020, Ethiopia's comprehensive wealth grew at an average annual rate of 3.3%, with human capital serving as the primary driver. However, real per capita wealth declined in 2018/19 and 2019/20, coinciding with increasing environmental pressures on ecosystems and climate.

The document outlines the ongoing efforts by WTO members to expand the 2022 Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies. It focuses on draft rules circulated on April 12, 2024, by the chair of the Rules Negotiating Group, aimed at preventing government financial support from creating excessive fishing pressure and harming marine resources.

The toolkit offers a framework for building MEL systems to ensure the effectiveness of National Adaptation Plan processes, avoid unintended negative effects, and support reporting requirements under the Paris Agreement.

The Advancing Natural Infrastructure Forum 2024 brought together practitioners and leaders to discuss the transition from 'grey' to 'green' infrastructure in the Canadian Prairies. The event highlighted successful projects—such as beaver dam analogues by Blood Tribe Land Management and floating treatment wetlands at Olds College—and emphasized the need for watershed-scale collaboration and dedicated funding. Key discussions focused on the business case for natural assets, the role of Indigenous leadership, and the integration of natural infrastructure into municipal asset management and corporate reporting to address climate adaptation and biodiversity.

The document highlights how current life-cycle assessments (LCAs) for building materials in Canada may misdirect decarbonization efforts due to data gaps and a lack of transparency. It specifically notes that LCAs often ignore biogenic carbon emissions from wood products, which can account for up to 72% of their total lifecycle emissions, potentially overstating the carbon advantage of wood over materials like concrete and steel. The briefing recommends that the federal government invest in regionalized national life-cycle inventories and that policymakers prioritize energy efficiency, building durability, and material efficiency over a narrow focus on embodied emissions.

The report examines the environmental and socio-economic impacts of artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) tailings, highlighting the widespread use of mercury and cyanide and the lack of formal governance frameworks. It argues for the creation of international and regional standards, the formalization of the ASGM sector, and the implementation of gender-sensitive policies to ensure sustainable tailings management and the potential recovery of critical minerals.

The report analyzes the ASM value chain, from exploration to mine closure, highlighting a stark divide between rudimentary artisanal methods and more capitalized small-scale operations. It identifies critical gaps in technology for ore extraction, transportation, and beneficiation, while showcasing promising innovations in mercury-free gold processing, blockchain-based traceability, and digital mining cadastres. The document warns that while mechanization can boost yields and critical mineral supply, it risks displacing labor—particularly women—and increasing environmental degradation if not managed through inclusive policies and strategic zoning.

The document argues that while encouraging sustainable investment is a central policy challenge, treaties have a limited role compared to national and regional legal frameworks. It suggests that if treaties are used, they should focus on complementary roles such as facilitating international cooperation on high borrowing costs in developing countries, phasing out fossil fuel investments, and ensuring access to justice for those affected by investor misconduct. The authors emphasize that domestic law should remain the primary level of regulation for the social and environmental impacts of investment projects.

The document argues that the current model of investment protection is often ineffective and suggests that future treaties should prioritize sustainable investment, the regulation of investor conduct, and international cooperation to support the energy transition and sustainable development goals.

The report argues that GDP is an insufficient measure of national success because it ignores the depletion of assets and non-market well-being. By analyzing data from 1995 to 2020 for Ethiopia, Indonesia, and Trinidad and Tobago, the study demonstrates that comprehensive wealth (CW)—which includes natural, human, social, produced, and financial capital—reveals critical sustainability trends invisible to GDP. Key findings include the unsustainable depletion of fossil fuel assets in Trinidad and Tobago, the inefficient management of natural capital in Indonesia, and the critical need for increased agricultural productivity and wealth accumulation in Ethiopia.

The report examines the infrastructure funding gap in Canada, specifically within the water sector of the Canadian Prairies, and proposes a shift toward natural infrastructure. It identifies several private financing instruments—including carbon and biodiversity credits, outcome-based financing, natural asset companies, and insurance mechanisms—while emphasizing the need for intermediary organizations to coordinate stakeholders and the importance of Indigenous involvement in the reconciliation process.

The report examines the environmental and health risks associated with ASGM tailings, which often contain mercury and cyanide. It finds that while large-scale mining (LSM) has robust standards, ASGM lacks specific international and regional tailings governance, relying on general mining codes that are often poorly enforced due to sector informality. The document recommends the creation of an international ASM-specific tailings standard, the implementation of strategic environmental assessments (SEAs), and the development of formalization schemes to improve waste management and recover critical minerals from tailings.

The report examines the critical issue of tailings management in artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM), highlighting the prevalence of hazardous chemicals like mercury and cyanide. It identifies a significant gap in international, regional, and national governance, noting that most frameworks lack specific provisions for ASGM tailings. The document advocates for the formalization of the sector, the creation of specific legal frameworks for tailings management, and the integration of gender-sensitive approaches to protect women and children. It also suggests exploring the potential of ASGM tailings as a source of critical minerals and encourages collaboration between ASGM and large-scale mining (LSM) to transfer technical expertise.

The document outlines a methodology for governments to define and assess 'critical' or 'strategic' minerals, emphasizing the need for producing countries to leverage their resources for industrial development. It proposes a four-step process: understanding criticality, taking stock of risks and opportunities, making strategic decisions, and establishing a regular review cycle. The guide provides detailed checklists across geological, economic, social, environmental, geopolitical, and regulatory dimensions to help policymakers identify bottlenecks and strategic assets in the context of the energy and digital transitions.

The document outlines a methodology for governments to identify 'critical' or 'strategic' minerals based on technical, economic, and geopolitical risks. It emphasizes that while advanced economies focus on supply security, producing countries should use criticality assessments to maximize financial benefits, increase industrial value-added, and position themselves as preferred partners in the energy and digital transitions. The guide proposes a four-step process: understanding criticality, conducting a comprehensive balance of risks and opportunities, making strategic decisions, and establishing a periodic review cycle. It includes detailed checklists for geological, economic, social, environmental, and geopolitical data collection.