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This research paper by the Climate Policy Initiative examines the barriers preventing adaptation and resilience companies—specifically those providing climate risk analytics—from scaling in developing countries. It proposes a design for a technical assistance (TA) facility, the CRAFT Resilience Accelerator, to be linked with a private equity fund to catalyze the market by addressing context, business model, and internal capacity barriers.

This research paper by the Climate Policy Initiative proposes a systems thinking framework to accelerate climate finance by analyzing the interactions between international public finance actors and domestic financial systems in developing countries. It identifies systemic trends, catalogues the roles of various financial actors, and provides a methodology for mapping system dynamics to optimize coordination and collaboration.

This report addresses the risk of stranded assets resulting from the sustainability transition, arguing that while 'green finance' for new technologies is well-documented, there is insufficient focus on the 'old' industries and assets that may become economically unusable. The document introduces a practical framework designed to help the financial community identify and quantify these risks to reduce unnecessary investment and negative social consequences.

This working paper by the Climate Policy Initiative introduces a framework for allocating investment risks in clean power to minimize costs. It argues that rather than a binary choice between public and private finance, risks should be assigned to the party best equipped to manage them—whether private investors, public entities, or consumers—using a combination of ownership models and policy instruments.

This working paper by the Climate and Development Knowledge Network (CDKN) proposes a practical framework for implementing climate action in cities, particularly in developing countries. Based on an analysis of seven urban projects across Asia, Africa, and Latin America, the paper identifies five critical levers—power and leadership, communication and engagement, capacity building, financing implementation, and the demonstration effect—that practitioners can use to overcome barriers and embed climate compatibility into urban planning and investment.

This research paper by the Climate Policy Initiative (CPI) proposes a risk-based framework for selecting ownership models and finance instruments for clean power investments. The authors argue that minimizing the overall cost of the low-carbon energy transition requires allocating specific investment risks—such as construction, price, and curtailment—to the party (private investors, public entities, or consumers) best placed to manage, understand, and bear them.

This policy brief outlines a project funded by the Climate and Development Knowledge Network (CDKN) to assist the Government of Nepal in enhancing the climate resilience and effectiveness of small- and medium-scale irrigation systems.

The paper introduces a framework and a composite index, the Transnational Climate Impacts Index, to quantify how countries are exposed to climate change impacts occurring in other locations, emphasizing the interconnections of a globalized economy.

This executive summary introduces a World Resources Report framework for creating more equal, productive, and sustainable cities, focusing specifically on 'struggling' and 'emerging' cities in the Global South. It identifies critical challenges in urban population growth and service delivery, proposing that equitable access to core services—housing, water, energy, and transportation—can serve as a catalyst for broader urban transformation.

The paper proposes a framework to integrate three analytical approaches—quantitative systems modelling, socio-technical transition analysis, and initiative-based learning—to better support the governance of transitions to sustainable and low-carbon societies.

This insight brief by the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) provides a systemic framework for understanding sustainable finance, specifically focusing on the global energy transition to a low-carbon future. It decomposes financial transactions into five core elements and identifies three primary categories of barriers—risk/return, information, and scale—that impede the flow of capital into sustainability initiatives. The document proposes a matrix of 26 broad strategies, utilizing both policy and non-policy approaches, and applies this framework to case studies on U.S. residential solar and electric vehicles (EVs).

This report describes a project by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) to develop and test a Water-Energy-Food (WEF) security assessment tool (WEFsat-Mining) in Suriname. The project aimed to help decision-makers understand the interlinkages between mining operations and the environmental and social factors that contribute to community well-being, specifically focusing on the availability and access to water, energy, and food.

This research paper by the Stockholm Environment Institute explores the process of translating the global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into a national agenda for Sweden. Through a screening of 169 targets, the authors argue that the SDGs are universally applicable and require significant domestic policy changes even in high-income countries. The paper identifies key challenges in target interpretation, such as ambiguous wording and the need for political judgment, and recommends a government-led, cross-sectoral approach to implementation to ensure the SDGs become a real policy agenda rather than a mere reporting exercise.

This research paper proposes a comprehensive framework for assessing energy security within low-carbon energy scenarios, using the EU Energy Roadmap as a case study to argue for a broader definition of energy security beyond import dependency.

This policy brief outlines the necessity and implementation of Greenhouse Gas (GHG) inventory management systems for economic zones in China to support the transition to low-carbon operations. It emphasizes a collaborative approach between managing authorities and companies to establish reporting systems that support carbon trading, absolute caps, and performance standards.

This report by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) provides a framework and technical guidance for establishing greenhouse gas (GHG) emission inventory management systems within national-level economic and technological development zones in China. It details the processes for planning, developing, and managing GHG inventories to support low-carbon industrial transitions.

The report introduces the 'electricity system value chain' framework, designed to help technology providers and system designers identify and capture value within the complex, non-linear network of the modern electricity grid. It moves beyond linear value chains to a system-based approach that integrates electrical, communications, and organizational layers to align compensation with the actual value provided by emerging technologies, such as distributed energy resources.

This fact sheet describes the SEI Initiative on Climate Finance, a multi-disciplinary effort by the Stockholm Environment Institute to improve the effectiveness, efficiency, and fairness of the global climate finance regime, with a particular focus on supporting developing countries.

This briefing note by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) proposes the use of process-based indicators to improve the design and implementation of food security policies amidst climate change. Using the Food Security Indicator & Policy Analysis Tool (FIPAT) applied in Central America, the authors argue that moving beyond traditional output and outcome indicators to process-based indicators allows policy-makers to monitor decision-making, institutional capacity, and inclusivity.

This document introduces a report by the African Centre for Cities and CDKN that provides a framework for climate compatible development in African cities, specifically addressing the challenges of informality and inequality.