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The briefing argues that conventional neoclassical financial analysis fails to account for long-term non-financial risks and externalities, often leading to underinvestment in sustainable transport. It proposes an 'integrated financial analysis' where positive externalities—such as health benefits and time savings—are monetized and converted into revenue streams. Using a case study of a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system in Bandung, Indonesia, the paper demonstrates that while the project is financially unviable based on ticket sales alone, it becomes viable if a small fraction (12% to 19%) of its societal externalities are internalized. The author recommends lowering social discount rates to better incentivize long-term sustainable investments.

The document analyzes the socio-economic and political challenges of transitioning away from thermal coal in the Colombian Caribbean. It highlights the tension between national economic reliance on coal exports and the local need for socio-ecological transformation. The paper identifies significant barriers, including high regional fiscal dependence on royalties, environmental liabilities from unplanned mine closures, and a centralized power structure that often excludes local communities from decision-making. Using the case of La Jagua de Ibirico, it illustrates the crisis triggered by abrupt mining suspensions, emphasizing the urgency of planned closures and economic diversification to avoid systemic collapse in coal-dependent municipalities.

The report examines the potential effects of International Maritime Organization (IMO) candidate mid-term GHG measures on African economies. Using a CGE model, it finds that a USD100/t carbon levy would generally reduce GDP and household incomes across Africa, increase global food prices, and reduce the supply of maritime services. A case study of Ghana highlights existing freight cost imbalances and the risk of a stranded fleet of older vessels. The authors argue that for such measures to be equitable, revenues must be redistributed as direct grants (not loans) for out-of-sector climate resilience and mitigation, based on criteria including climate vulnerability and historical emissions contributions.

The report examines Kenya's climate risk insurance landscape, highlighting the effectiveness of government-subsidised programmes like KLIP and KAIP, while identifying significant barriers such as inadequate weather data, low insurance penetration (2.4%), and a substantial adaptation funding gap of approximately KES 853bn annually. It argues for a multi-level risk transfer approach and improved data infrastructure to enhance the commercial viability and impact of climate insurance.

The report assesses Malawi's high vulnerability to extreme weather and the limitations of its nascent insurance market, which has low penetration (1.9%) and high reliance on international reinsurance. It examines various insurance levels—macro (sovereign), meso (cooperatives), and micro (bundled services)—and identifies barriers such as inadequate weather monitoring infrastructure and a shortage of actuarial skills. The document recommends scaling through digital distribution, 'pay-at-harvest' models, and integrating insurance into national adaptation policies to bridge a significant climate finance gap.

New England's energy transition requires a massive shift from fossil fuel reliance to a decarbonized grid, with peak electricity demand projected to double to 55 GW by 2050. The report argues for a 'clean energy portfolio approach' combining solar, offshore wind, energy storage, and interregional transmission to ensure reliability and affordability. It highlights significant sociopolitical barriers, including community opposition and outdated permitting processes, and recommends comprehensive state-level reforms and proactive community engagement to accelerate deployment.

The document presents findings from the Gender Equality in a Low Carbon World (GLOW) program, demonstrating how gender-responsive business models in agriculture and aquaculture improve productivity and market access. It highlights specific successes in Kenya, Senegal, Rwanda, and Nicaragua, while urging impact investors and public funders to adopt gender-lens investment strategies to support the energy transition.

The document outlines how gender-responsive approaches—identifying barriers for women and promoting their leadership—enhance the efficiency of climate-smart technologies in agriculture and aquaculture. Drawing on the GLOW programme (2021–2024), it provides evidence from Africa and Central America showing that empowering women leads to higher yields, better market access, and increased attractiveness for impact investors.

The report advocates for the mainstreaming of ecosystem-based adaptation (EbA) as a tool to align climate and biodiversity actions across the Rio Conventions. It highlights the potential of EbA to reduce climate hazard intensity by 26% and provide significant economic benefits, such as USD 65 billion in flood protection from mangroves. The document emphasizes the need for policy coherence between National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs), Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), and National Adaptation Plans (NAPs), while stressing that equity and human rights-based approaches are essential for sustainable implementation.

The GLOW programme identifies four primary routes for simultaneous women's empowerment and climate action: improving existing activities, enabling entry into male-dominated sectors, consolidating low-carbon business models, and accessing new green technologies. Key findings emphasize that climate action must be rights-based and locally appropriate, as social norms significantly shape women's ability to adopt new practices. The report argues that women's leadership in decision-making and access to productive assets are essential for the effectiveness and sustainability of just transitions. It recommends integrating gender-responsive budgeting, strengthening the gender capacity of local government personnel, and promoting technologies that reduce the drudgery of unpaid care work.

The report argues that Spanish river basin planning continues to prioritise socioeconomic demands over environmental objectives, leading to the degradation of aquatic ecosystems. It identifies systemic failures in quantifying water resources under climate change, an over-reliance on ineffective irrigation modernisation, and the misuse of WFD exemptions to defer environmental recovery. Case studies of the Tagus, Ebro Delta, Doñana, and Mar Menor illustrate severe overexploitation and pollution, while the Alcolea dam project is cited as an example of flawed cost-recovery and strategic planning.

The report examines the concept of 'Just Resilience' in Kenya, emphasizing the need for climate adaptation to prioritize equity and the voices of marginalized groups. It analyzes Kenya's existing legal and institutional frameworks, identifies vulnerabilities across different sectors and populations, and reviews several community-led adaptation projects. The document highlights significant barriers to achieving just resilience, including financial constraints, governance issues, and top-down decision-making, and provides recommendations for more inclusive, self-reliant, and transparent climate action.

The fact sheet introduces 'transition indicators' as a tool to improve the implementation of Nationally Determined Contributions and national adaptation plans. Based on case studies from seven countries, the document asserts that focusing on a few tangible metrics per sector—rather than abstract CO2 targets—facilitates public dialogue, guides policy implementation, and attracts private investment. It provides specific examples of indicators for water security in India, industrial decarbonization in Germany, transport in South Korea, buildings in China, renewable energy in the Netherlands, and sustainable agriculture in Kenya and Indonesia.

The report demonstrates a causal link between Amazonian deforestation and reduced hydroelectric output in Brazil, affecting plants both within the Amazon and in distant regions like the Paraná Basin. Through case studies of the Teles Pires and several Paraná Basin plants, it quantifies energy and financial losses, highlighting that 17 of Brazil's 20 largest hydroelectric plants are exposed to the 'flying rivers' mechanism. The document argues that forest conservation is essential for national energy security and suggests targeted restoration policies based on land tenure categories.

The document details restoration monitoring efforts across four countries. In Brazil, the Brazilian Restoration and Reforestation Observatory (BRRO) tracks progress toward climate agreements using a multi-stakeholder platform and satellite data. Kenya has developed a monitoring framework with 30 indicators integrated into its 2024 National Ecosystem and Landscape Restoration Strategy. Burkina Faso utilizes the ONEDD platform for centralized data sharing among government and NGO partners. Vietnam employs the FORMIS system for forest status monitoring, though it faces challenges with data accessibility and consistency.

The document advocates for a shift from traditional gender mainstreaming to Gender Transformative Approaches (GTAs) in Southern Africa to address the root causes of inequality and improve resilience to climate change and food insecurity. It provides a series of policy recommendations, including the integration of GTAs into national development plans and disaster risk reduction strategies, and highlights existing legal frameworks at global, continental, and regional levels that can enable these shifts.

The City of Cape Town has established a pioneering model for integrating small-scale embedded generation (SSEG) into its municipal grid, resulting in approximately 6,400 authorised grid-tied systems and over 140 MVA of installed capacity by June 2024. Driven by escalating national loadshedding and rising electricity costs, the City implemented a series of technical guidelines, feed-in tariffs, and smart metering infrastructure. Key initiatives include the 'Cash for Power' programme, the removal of 'net consumer' requirements to allow full account offsetting, and the 2024 launch of an online application system to reduce administrative backlogs. These efforts have facilitated between R1.7 billion and R2.6 billion in investment and created approximately 713 to 1,140 full-time equivalent jobs in the local green economy.

The report emphasizes the critical role of estuaries and mangroves in Central and South America for biodiversity, carbon capture, and coastal protection. It argues that these 'blue carbon' ecosystems are threatened by climate change, pollution, and urbanization, and calls for a comprehensive framework involving scientific diplomacy, transboundary cooperation, and community engagement. The document provides specific policy recommendations across four dimensions: ecology, ecosystem services, spatial governance, and community action, while highlighting the Coiba Archipelago in Panama and the Gulf of Nicoya in Costa Rica as case studies for sustainable management.

The document argues that estuaries and mangroves in Central and South America are critical for biodiversity, climate regulation, and coastal protection, but face threats from climate change, pollution, and urbanization. It proposes a comprehensive framework for sustainable management, emphasizing the need for scientific diplomacy, inclusive governance, and community participation. The report highlights the role of 'blue carbon' in national climate strategies and provides case studies from the Gulf of Nicoya in Costa Rica and the Coiba Archipelago in Panama to illustrate successful sustainable management and the potential for pristine sites to serve as regional health benchmarks.

The document analyzes three case studies where digital tools—ranging from free Wi-Fi hotspots and custom apps to SMS and voice technology—are used to bridge the digital divide in mining regions. It highlights that while these programs may not always be designed exclusively for women, they often result in significant female participation and empowerment by providing access to education, employment opportunities, and human rights information. The report emphasizes the importance of co-design, digital literacy training, and multi-stakeholder partnerships in ensuring the sustainability and inclusivity of these technological interventions.