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The report examines two nature-based solutions (NbS) projects: mangrove restoration in Grenada and interurban biological corridors in Costa Rica. It highlights the importance of establishing ecological baselines, using participatory monitoring and citizen science, and integrating biodiversity targets into urban planning to ensure that climate adaptation efforts also provide net gains for ecosystem health.

The report argues that while water retention is a key climate adaptation tool in Manitoba, its effectiveness depends on strategic site selection, naturalized design, and long-term monitoring. It details the multi-dimensional benefits of water retention—including flood and drought risk reduction, water quality improvement, carbon sequestration, and biodiversity enhancement—and provides a three-step integrated framework for the province to assess storage needs, develop optimized solutions, and implement informed decision-making processes.

The document presents two case studies to illustrate the practical application of nature-based solutions (NbS) for climate adaptation. The first case focuses on mangrove restoration in Grenada, emphasizing the use of a specific restoration protocol and diverse biodiversity monitoring tools to improve seedling survival and ecosystem health. The second case examines the Biodiver_City project in Costa Rica, which implements interurban biological corridors in the San José metropolitan area to combat urban heat islands and flooding while enhancing ecological connectivity. Both cases highlight the importance of baseline data, citizen science, and multi-stakeholder coordination in achieving biodiversity co-benefits.

The report examines the intersection of gender equality and mine closure, noting that women often face disproportionate negative impacts during the post-mining transition, including increased gender-based violence and economic vulnerability. It argues that conventional environmental and social impact assessments (ESIAs) often lack gender responsiveness. The document provides a framework for integrating gender-based analysis (GBA) and inclusive community engagement across the mine life cycle—from pre-mining planning and land-use decisions to the transition of workers in the service and supply sectors. It concludes with specific recommendations for governments to develop gender mining strategies and mandate the use of GBA in regulatory processes.

The document argues that mine closures often exacerbate the social, economic, and domestic vulnerability of women, who are frequently excluded from decision-making and formal employment in the mining sector. It outlines how gender-blind closure processes can lead to increased gender-based violence, food insecurity, and a higher burden of unpaid care work. To counter this, the report recommends that governments mandate gender-based analysis in Environmental and Social Impact Assessments (ESIAs), ensure women's representation in closure committees, and provide targeted social services and retraining for women in the service and supply sectors during the transition to post-mining economies.

The report argues that mine closures often exacerbate the social, economic, and domestic vulnerability of women, who are frequently excluded from decision-making and formal mining employment. It outlines a framework for governments to mandate gender-responsive practices throughout the mine life cycle, including the use of Gender Comparative Analysis (GCA) in environmental and social impact assessments, the creation of inclusive closure committees, and the provision of targeted social services to combat gender-based violence during the post-mining transition. The document emphasizes that while mine operators hold primary responsibility for closure, governments must establish the regulatory standards and strategic frameworks to ensure equitable outcomes for all community members.

The Foreign Pollution Fee Act proposes ad valorem charges on imports across 15 broad categories, including steel, aluminum, and solar panels, based on their greenhouse gas (GHG) intensity relative to U.S. production. The author argues the Act is administratively complex and serves as a protectionist tool, noting that it lacks credits for carbon prices paid in exporting countries and imposes onerous requirements for foreign producers to prove lower emissions. While it offers special treatment for low-income countries through International Partnership Agreements (IPAs), the author contends the bill's primary focus is on restricting imports from China and Russia rather than environmental protection.

The report finds that while CETP signatories have made significant progress in restricting fossil fuel finance, they have lagged in scaling up clean energy support. In 2022, signatories shifted USD 6.5 billion out of fossil fuels but only USD 5.2 billion into clean energy. Most high-income signatories lack concrete, publicly available targets and strategies to 'fully prioritize' clean energy, and financing remains heavily concentrated in upper- and middle-income countries, with no low-income countries among the top 20 recipients between 2020 and 2022.

The IISD Model Contract Clauses for Responsible Investment in Agriculture provide customizable legal language to help policy-makers and state lawyers fill gaps in domestic laws and ensure agricultural investments support sustainable development. These provisions specifically address gender equity and the transition to climate-resilient production practices.

The analysis of Canada's Emissions Reduction Plan (ERP) indicates that while decarbonization is essential for long-term socio-economic benefits, many of its policies require additional social and economic safeguards to prevent inequality and actively reduce poverty.

Canada has introduced the first transparently published guidelines to prevent new inefficient fossil fuel subsidies, building on its 2022 commitment under the Glasgow Statement. While the framework adopts the World Trade Organization's definition of subsidies and establishes a definition of inefficiency, critics and the IISD highlight loopholes, such as exemptions for 'abated' fossil fuel production involving carbon capture and storage. A significant gap remains in domestic public financing for fossil fuels, which Environmental Defence estimated at CAD 19 billion from the Federal Government in 2022. The government has pledged a plan to end this domestic public financing by fall 2024.

The document argues that while African leaders remain committed to the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) as a tool for transformative growth, its actual implementation is stalled due to unresolved technical details, primarily rules of origin. Despite the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the agreement has maintained political momentum, with 44 AU member states having ratified it by February 2022. However, the transition from negotiation to operational trade has been slow, with only a small number of symbolic shipments occurring. The authors suggest that regional economic powers, such as Kenya and South Africa, should provide leadership through concessions and collaboration on technical rules to unlock the agreement and stimulate continental industrialization.

The document outlines the role of Biennial Transparency Reports (BTRs) within the Paris Agreement's Enhanced Transparency Framework (ETF) and explains how countries can use outputs from their National Adaptation Plan (NAP) processes to fulfill reporting options on climate change impacts and adaptation efforts.

The document emphasizes that developing countries cannot meet climate ambitions without integrating citizens into policy-making. It asserts that public engagement is essential for building the social mandate and long-term support necessary to implement adaptation actions prioritized within National Adaptation Plan (NAP) processes.

The document examines the utility of tax incentives, noting that empirical evidence often shows they are not a mandatory precondition for attracting investment. It highlights how the OECD/G20 global minimum tax (Pillar 2) will render many profit-based incentives redundant by requiring a 15% effective tax rate for large multinationals. The brief recommends shifting toward cost-based incentives, improving governance through transparency, and prioritizing non-tax determinants of investment such as infrastructure and the rule of law.

The report examines the role of tax incentives in attracting investment, arguing that their effectiveness is often overstated and that the introduction of a 15% global minimum tax in January 2024 renders many profit-based incentives obsolete. It distinguishes between profit-based and cost-based incentives, noting that the latter are more efficient and less susceptible to the global minimum tax. The document advises governments in developing countries to shift focus toward non-fiscal investment facilitation, such as infrastructure and human capital, and to ensure that any remaining incentives are transparent, evidence-based, and linked to sustainable development goals.

The document argues that tax incentives are often ineffective at attracting investment and may be rendered redundant by the 15% global minimum tax (GloBE rules) starting in January 2024. It recommends shifting from profit-based incentives to cost-based incentives and improving governance through transparency and inter-agency coordination.

The report argues that progress reporting is a critical tool for tracking National Adaptation Plan (NAP) implementation, especially for countries lacking full monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) systems. It highlights how reporting facilitates a 'learn-by-doing' approach, improves transparency, and supports Paris Agreement obligations. Despite these benefits, the report notes that few countries currently report on NAP progress due to resource and capacity constraints.

A coalition of NGOs calls on the EBRD to end all support for fossil fuels in its 2024-2028 Energy Sector Strategy, arguing that continued investment in gas infrastructure creates lock-in risks and contradicts the 1.5°C goal. The signatories request the exclusion of midstream and downstream gas projects, the removal of loopholes like "CCS-readiness," and the EBRD's accession to the Glasgow Statement.

The report outlines a strategy for India to secure a responsible lithium supply chain to avoid energy and economic security risks. It highlights lithium's status as a critical mineral globally and in India, noting that while other major economies have secured resources through overseas investments and refining capabilities, Indian companies have had a negligible role. The document warns that failure to act could hinder India's ability to build a Li-ion battery manufacturing base and stymie the growth of electric vehicles and stationary storage.