This briefing note drew on a recent survey that examined national councils for sustainable developments’ (NCSD) expectations for and recommendations on sustainable development goals (SDGs), and reviewed the NCSDs’ work over the last 25 years.

The review focused particularly on countries and situations where NCSDs have functioned well in order to try to identify any common elements of good practice or success factors that might be of use to other countries that are establishing or reshaping these bodies in the context of delivering the SDGs of the Post-2015 Development Agenda.

This paper highlights common capacity-building needs identified across the three regional workshops undertaken in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), Africa, and Asia and the Pacific (AP) that were deemed necessary for advancing the integration of sustainable development principles and green economy approaches into planning and implementation practices.

It thus provides key guidance for a capacity-development agenda to be implemented during 2014 and 2015, and beyond, as countries prepare to deliver the post-2015 development agenda and the global SDGs.

SDplanNet is a sustainable development planning network created to help government professionals at the national and subnational levels share best practices and build capacity in the preparation and implementation of strategies for sustainable development and inclusive and fair green economies and as a vehicle to assist in implementing Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

This paper is a synopsis of discussions held at the SDplanNet Asia Pacific regional workshop series that took place in Incheon Korea from April 7–9, 2014. The workshop was attended by participants from diverse government and non-government agencies active at the national level across Asia Pacific, as well as regional organizations and networks that have mandates for sustainable development and planning at the regional levels.

Based on a mandate agreed at the Rio+20 conference, the international community has been engaged in a process to define and agree on a set of sustainable development goals (SDGs) as a cornerstone of the post-2015 development agenda.

The paper provides an overview of potential approaches to monitoring and reporting in the context of future SDGs.

The objective of this briefing note is to assess the current status of capacity-building efforts by international organizations on sustainable development planning and implementation.

In particular, it covers the types of courses that are being provided, the distribution of these courses, and notable trends and gaps.

As underlined widely in research on governance for sustainable development, the subnational level plays a key role in implementing sustainable development policies, including the goals and (possibly) targets they comprise.

This implementation applies to the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and goal sets in national and subnational sustainable development strategies or other cross-cutting strategies, and potentially to the sustainable development goals (SDGs) that are currently being developed. This briefing note explores the role of the subnational level in SDGs, shows good practice and provides practical ideas based on real examples.

On March 27, 2014 the European Commission launched public consultations on the investment chapter of the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP), a trade and investment agreement under negotiation between the European Union (EU) and the United States.

The first negotiation round took place in July 2013, and the European Commission is targeting mid-2015 as the date for the conclusion of the TTIP. In response to the increased public interest in the TTIP and criticism surrounding the secrecy of the negotiations as well as the content of the investment chapter, particularly the envisaged inclusion of investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS), the EU decided to conduct a 90-day public consultation process on 12 main questions related to investment protection standards and ISDS. Comments can be submitted via an online questionnaire until July 6, 2014. In this context, the European Commission also held a stakeholder meeting with business and non-business participants in May 2014.

The attached report by IISD replies to the European Commission’s questions and statements related to the TTIP public consultation. The report seeks to inform the general public as well as European institutions about the legal implications of the proposed investment chapter text.

In 2012 the Government of Manitoba released its environment plan, TomorrowNow.

Its commitments include creating a green economy action plan and updating the climate change plan for the Province of Manitoba.  In efforts to meet these commitments, the International Institute for Sustainable Development assisted the province in developing its innovative green economy action plan as well as updating its climate change plan to address the need to transition to a green economy and low-carbon development framework for Manitoba. The work was carried out through a series of dialogue sessions with key stakeholders on climate change and the green economy. This background paper provides information to the public about Manitoba’s building and energy sectors and their importance for the province to address climate change and strengthen its green economy.

Risk management is a core element of any business and this is no exception for the financial services industry, but the new risks and potential opportunities from climate change in particular are not typically taken into account.

The current lack of access to finance along agro-value chains constrains productivity and quality, resulting in limited economic returns and re-investment for all value chain actors, limited capacity for value addition and decreased ability to repay loans. However, awareness about climate risks is growing among financial institutions specifically, particularly in the insurance sector, and in the private sector more generally.

While the provision of agricultural finance that supports climate adaptation remains low, some successful models are emerging. For example, Centenary Rural Development Bank Ltd, one of the leading microfinance commercial banks in Uganda, is currently piloting a coffee credit scheme in Uganda. These models do not (yet) explicitly account for climate risks, but by improving access to finance at the farm level, they have the potential to reduce farmers’ vulnerability to shocks and stresses. They are often made possible through the rise of new information and communication technologies. The role of technology is expected to reduce financial transaction costs and improve access to inclusive financial services for farmers and other actors along value chains.

Limited access to financial resources is one of the key barriers to agro-value chain development and exacerbates the negative impacts of climate hazards. With an adequate enabling environment, improved access to finance can support climate adaptation along agro-value chains. The main assumption behind finance for climate adaptation along agro-value chains is relatively simple: improving value chain actors’ access to finance can help them build their assets and therefore reduce their vulnerability to climate and non-climate risks. However, access to climate-resilient and inclusive finance alone is not sufficient to support sustainable agro-value chain development in a changing climate. A combination of other factors is needed, calling for the support of the government and development partners.

To remain profitable and competitive, the banking sector needs to take a more proactive and holistic approach to climate risk management. Four actions are recommended. First, banks should explicitly integrate climate risk in their risk management strategies. Second, they should incentivize adaptation and climate-proof their financial instruments to support climate adaptation (or at a minimum to prevent maladaptation) along agro-value chains. Third, banks should explore any potential new opportunities from climate change by developing new products and services in collaboration with other actors (e.g., research organizations, telecommunication and software companies). Finally, a more proactive approach to supporting climate adaptation also calls for greater financial inclusion, including financial services that explicitly target women with a framework in place to monitor and evaluate progress and impacts.