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This fact sheet describes the activities of the Climate and Development Knowledge Network (CDKN) in Bangladesh, focusing on technical assistance for climate-compatible development, research on climate-induced displacement, and leadership in the global 'loss and damage' agenda.

This policy brief outlines the context and objectives of the Fifth Review of the UNFCCC’s Financial Mechanism (FM), which was initiated at CoP18 in December 2012 and scheduled for conclusion by CoP20 in 2014. The document argues that the Review provides a critical opportunity to restructure the institutional architecture of climate finance, address past shortcomings of the Global Environment Facility (GEF), and integrate new entities like the Green Climate Fund (GCF) and the Standing Committee on Finance (SCF).

This fact sheet from the Climate and Development Knowledge Network (CDKN) outlines its activities and research projects in India as of March 2013. The document highlights efforts to integrate climate change and disaster risk reduction (DRR) into policy, specifically focusing on heat-health vulnerability in Ahmadabad, disaster management in Leh, and the promotion of climate-adapted shelter design and green construction.

This 2013 policy brief provides recommendations for government officials in Ahmedabad, India, to mitigate the deadly health impacts of extreme heat. It highlights Ahmedabad's role as the first Indian city to develop a heat-health early warning system and suggests specific interventions, such as creating a nodal coordination office, implementing 'cool roofs' (white china mosaic), expanding urban green cover, and improving labor protections for outdoor workers. The brief emphasizes the need for interdisciplinary coordination between meteorological services, health departments, and municipal administration to protect vulnerable populations, particularly in slum communities.

The policy brief examines Mongolia's Index-Based Livestock Insurance (IBLI) project, a World Bank-supported initiative designed to protect herders from mass livestock losses caused by 'dzuds' (extreme weather). By using aggregated mortality indices rather than individual loss assessments, the program reduces transaction costs and provides financial security to sparsely populated areas. The system employs a tiered response: herders absorb losses under 6%, private Livestock Risk Insurance covers losses between 6-30%, and Government Catastrophic Coverage handles losses over 30%. While the program has successfully insured millions of animals and provided critical payouts, the brief emphasizes that insurance must be part of a broader strategy including sustainable grazing and veterinary improvements. Key success factors identified include the use of long-term census data, public education to drive demand, and the maintenance of affordable premiums through public-private partnerships.

This fact sheet describes the support provided by the Climate and Development Knowledge Network (CDKN) to the Government of Nepal to strengthen its climate change policy-making, economic impact assessments, and international negotiation strategies as of March 2013.

This executive summary by the Climate Policy Initiative (CPI) examines the potential for institutional investors—such as pension funds and insurance companies—to fund renewable energy infrastructure. It identifies three primary investment channels and analyzes the policy, regulatory, and institutional barriers that prevent these investors from lowering the cost of capital for renewable energy projects.

This case study examines the role of the United States government in the development and market adoption of low-emissivity (low-e) windows. It details how federal research, computer modeling tools, standardized rating systems, and labeling programs like ENERGY STAR catalyzed private sector investment and led to widespread commercial success in building energy efficiency.

This report by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) analyzes the legal principles and methods used to determine compensation for the expropriation of foreign investments. It examines the tension between customary international law and Bilateral Investment Treaties (BITs), highlighting how vague treaty language often leaves the calculation of compensation to the discretion of arbitral tribunals and accounting firms. The document provides recommendations for States to draft more precise BIT clauses to protect public funds and maintain regulatory space for public interest legislation.

This guide by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) analyzes the legal principles and methods for calculating compensation in cases of expropriation of foreign investments. It examines the differences between customary international law and Bilateral Investment Treaties (BITs), highlighting the challenges of valuing indirect expropriation and the risks associated with various valuation methods used by arbitral tribunals.

This 2013 report by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) evaluates the commercial-scale harvesting of cattail biomass in Manitoba for use as a bioenergy feedstock and a nutrient-management tool. Through trials at Pelly’s Lake and along Highway 1, the study demonstrated that existing agricultural windrowers and balers can effectively harvest cattails, though efficiency is highly dependent on soil moisture and weather. The project successfully recovered phosphorus from the biomass, highlighting the potential for improving water quality in the Lake Winnipeg basin. Key challenges included equipment plugging and the risk of machinery becoming stuck in soft wetland soils. The report concludes that while commercially viable, costs vary by site, and future success depends on optimizing harvest timing and potentially managing wetland water levels.

This report provides a greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions baseline projection for the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) from 1990 to 2030. It establishes a business-as-usual (BAU) reference scenario across seven sectors—agriculture, land use, land-use change and forestry (LULUCF), energy supply, energy demand, transportation, industrial processes, and waste—to help the DRC identify and design nationally appropriate mitigation actions (NAMAs).

This report by the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) examines the economic and environmental costs of heating oil in the Northeast United States and proposes heat pumps as a viable, low-cost alternative to both oil and natural gas expansion.

This policy briefing analyzes the proposed corporate governance framework for Uganda's forthcoming national oil company (NOC), comparing it with the state-owned enterprise (SOE) model in Norway. The author argues that Uganda's current legislative approach is insufficient and recommends adopting stakeholder-oriented guidelines and a centralized supervisory body similar to Norway's Department of State Ownership to prevent corruption and government interference.

This executive summary outlines the needs of transportation planners in the United States to adapt infrastructure to climate change. It highlights the significant financial losses from extreme weather, such as Superstorm Sandy, and argues that adaptation requires a combination of high-resolution climate data (specifically short-duration rainfall intensity), better understanding of local non-climate factors, and improved science literacy among transportation professionals. The document emphasizes that adaptation is a management and economic challenge requiring tools that integrate climate variability with local economic and community values.

The research paper evaluates the Platinum Sector Peace and Stability Accord, arguing that while it provides a framework to manage conflict and prevent violence at South African platinum mines, it cannot resolve the broader socio-economic and market crises facing the industry.

The report examines the political and security shifts in Mali following the 2013 French military intervention. It notes a temporary strengthening of the interim presidency and a marginalization of the military junta, while highlighting the extreme difficulty of stabilizing the north due to the porous nature of armed groups and the lack of public trust in the MNLA. The author argues that while military gains were made, long-term stability requires deep governance reforms and a credible, inclusive electoral process rather than a simple return to the pre-coup political order.

This case study examines Capricorn Investment Holdings (CIH), a Namibia-based financial services group, and its regional expansion into Botswana and Zambia. It details the operational barriers CIH faces, including tax inefficiencies, regulatory uncertainty in Namibia, skill shortages, and the costs associated with duplicating IT systems to meet national central bank requirements.

This case study describes the operational challenges faced by Carlsberg Malawi Ltd. (CML), a beverages company operating in Malawi through three subsidiaries: Southern Bottlers Malawi Limited, Carlsberg Malawi Brewery Limited, and Malawi Distilleries Limited.

Sunbird Tourism, the largest hospitality provider in Malawi, faces significant operational barriers including high taxes (specifically a 1% tourism levy and a turnover tax), difficulty accessing international finance, and infrastructure deficits in electricity and water. While the company leverages local pension funds for finance and internal training to address a shortage of senior Malawian management, it continues to struggle with high costs associated with backup utilities and the loss of import tax incentives.