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The Japanese green bond market continued to expand in 2021, led by financial institutions. Low-carbon buildings and energy are the primary use of proceeds. The market is characterized by high rates of external review and a preference for shorter maturity periods. Japan is also emerging as a leader in transition finance, supported by government guidelines and the introduction of sustainability-linked bonds. The Bank of Japan has introduced funding operations to support climate-aligned investments by financial institutions.

The Japanese green bond market continued to grow in 2021, led by financial corporates. Buildings and energy are the primary sectors for use of proceeds. The report also highlights the emergence of sustainability-linked and transition bonds, alongside a comprehensive suite of government guidelines and central bank initiatives to promote climate-related financial disclosures and transition finance.

The report evaluates transition planning among ASEAN companies in sectors like cement, steel, and chemicals against the Climate Bonds Initiative's 'Five Hallmarks' of a credibly transitioning company. It finds that while net-zero commitments are increasing, most plans are fragmented and lack the robust, costed, and science-based pathways necessary for a 1.5°C alignment. The document provides specific analysis of companies such as Siam Cement Group and PTT, and offers guidance on improving the credibility of sustainability-linked bonds (SLBs) by ensuring they include material emission scopes and absolute targets.

The report finds that investments in climate resilient infrastructure (CRI) are in their nascent stages, representing only about 1.1% of average annual infrastructure investment in 2019/20. It proposes a five-principle framework to define and track CRI, though data gaps limited its operationalization to three principles. The study highlights a significant gap between investment and vulnerability, noting no correlation between per capita CRI investment and the ND-GAIN Vulnerability Index. It recommends the adoption of common resilience principles, mandated double materiality disclosures, and the creation of a standardized CRI taxonomy to scale finance.

The WTO Dialogue on Plastics Pollution, launched in November 2020 and co-sponsored by 75 members, seeks to align international trade policies with global efforts to reduce plastic pollution. The Dialogue operates through three workstreams: crosscutting issues (transparency and capacity building), promoting trade in sustainable technologies and substitutes, and fostering circularity and reduction. Key priorities include improving the Harmonized System (HS) for better trade data, integrating plastic pollution into the Aid for Trade initiative, and coordinating with other international frameworks like the Basel Convention and the UNEA's legally binding instrument on plastic pollution.

The 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar highlights the increasing risks of extreme heat and humidity for athletes, spectators, and outdoor workers, necessitating adaptations such as rescheduling the tournament to November and December. FIFA reports that the 2022 event will generate record-high emissions of approximately 3.6 million metric tons of CO2 equivalents, primarily from travel, though the organization aims for carbon neutrality through offsetting. The document also notes that heat-related risks will continue to affect future global sporting events in regions like Australia, Europe, Mexico, the U.S., and Canada.

The report identifies methane as a critical target for slowing climate change due to its high warming potential and short atmospheric lifetime. It highlights significant discrepancies between 'bottom-up' government estimates and 'top-down' satellite measurements, particularly in the energy sector. The document details mitigation strategies such as leak detection and repair (LDAR) in oil and gas, alternative livestock feeds, and alternate wetting and drying in rice cultivation. It also emphasizes the role of biogas and food waste reduction as cross-cutting solutions for the agriculture and waste sectors.

The Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH) reports that between September 2020 and August 2022, five major oil companies—BP, ExxonMobil, Shell, Aramco, and Chevron—spent $23.7 million on US Google Search ads, with $10.9 million dedicated to greenwashing. The report highlights a discrepancy between these companies' public sustainability claims and their internal documents, while also noting that Google continued to accept $421,000 from the Competitive Enterprise Institute for climate denial ads despite promising to stop doing so.

This report by the Climate Policy Initiative analyzes the climate finance landscape in Ethiopia for the 2019/2020 period, highlighting a significant gap between committed investments and estimated needs, as well as a heavy reliance on international public grants.

The document defines Nature-based Solutions (NbS) as actions to protect, manage, and restore ecosystems to address societal challenges while providing biodiversity and human well-being benefits. It identifies a lack of specific NbS frameworks in South Asia but notes that existing national laws and policies in India, Bangladesh, and Nepal provide a foundation for their mainstreaming. The report categorizes NbS into five IUCN-based approaches: ecosystem restoration, issue-specific ecosystem-related, infrastructure-related, ecosystem-based management, and ecosystem-protection. It details 15 urban case studies, including the Yamuna Biodiversity Park in New Delhi, the restoration of riverine areas in Rohingya camps in Cox's Bazar, and the Green Lumbini Initiative in Nepal, highlighting the role of multidisciplinary partnerships and community engagement in achieving ecological and socio-economic resilience.

In 2019/20, Ethiopia's tracked climate finance averaged USD 1.7 billion, representing only 7% of its estimated annual needs of USD 25.3 billion. The landscape is heavily dominated by international public finance (92%), with a strong preference for adaptation projects (56%) over mitigation (38%). While the Agriculture, Forestry and Other Land Use (AFOLU) sector received the most sectoral finance (29%), it remains significantly underfunded relative to its 83% contribution to national GHG emissions. Key barriers to scaling finance include a highly regulated financial sector, lack of a stock market, unfavorable collateral policies for SMEs, and a heavy reliance on grants over private capital. The report recommends establishing a comprehensive climate budget tagging system, conducting bottom-up needs assessments, and developing capital markets to mobilize private investment.

In 2019/20, Ethiopia's tracked climate finance averaged USD 1.7 billion per year, representing only 7% of its estimated annual needs of USD 25.3 billion. The landscape is heavily dominated by international public finance (92%), with a strong preference for grants (70%) and a focus on adaptation (56%) over mitigation (38%). While the Agriculture, Forestry and Other Land Use (AFOLU) sector received the most sectoral finance (29%), it remains underfunded relative to its 83% contribution to national GHG emissions. Significant barriers to private investment include a highly regulated financial sector, lack of a stock market, and unfavorable collateral policies for SMEs and small-holder farmers.

This report by the Climate Policy Initiative analyzes climate finance flows in Burkina Faso for the 2019/2020 period. It identifies a significant investment gap, noting that the USD 567 million invested represents only 13% of the USD 4.1 billion required by 2050 to meet the country's Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC). The analysis highlights a heavy reliance on international public funding and suggests policy and financial reforms to mobilize private capital and improve fiduciary standards.

The document argues that integrating National Adaptation Plans (NAPs) and National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plans (NBSAPs) reduces duplication and optimizes limited resources. It highlights that biodiversity protection increases ecosystem resilience, aiding human adaptation to climate change, and cites Eswatini, Fiji, Peru, and Rwanda as examples of countries that have successfully linked these strategies to enhance social and ecosystem resilience.

The report identifies significant gender disparities in the transport sectors of Panamá, Paraguay, and Uruguay, particularly regarding safety, employment, and mobility patterns. It argues that urban transport is often designed around a male commuter model, ignoring the 'mobility of care' typical of women's trips. The document highlights endemic gender-based violence in public transport and the disproportionate economic impact of COVID-19 on women. To address these, the E-Motion programme proposes a three-fold approach: using the transport sector to change social norms, increasing women's access to green jobs in electric vehicle (EV) markets, and systematizing gender mainstreaming in investment plans through capacity building and sex-disaggregated data collection.

Saint Lucia is highly vulnerable to climate change due to its small size, location in a high-risk cyclone and volcanic belt, and economic reliance on agriculture and tourism. To address these risks, the country established a Climate Change Adaptation Policy and a Nationally Determined Contribution in 2015, followed by the initiation of its National Adaptation Plan (NAP) process in 2017 and the subsequent publication of the 2018–2028 NAP.

Community groups, represented by Earthjustice, are challenging the issuance of restricted materials permits in Monterey County, California. They argue that the Agricultural Commissioner failed to conduct required environmental impact analyses, ignored local conditions—specifically the proximity of three schools—and neglected to consider cumulative health effects of multiple pesticides on children and farmworkers. The request seeks the rescission of these permits and a stay on all pesticide applications within a one-mile radius of the affected schools.

The report evaluates the voluntary carbon offsetting practices of eight major European airlines, including easyJet, Ryanair, and Lufthansa. It finds that while some airlines like easyJet have high volumes of offsets, the overall quality of credits is often low due to a reliance on cheap forestry projects in developing countries. The study highlights a significant lack of transparency in reporting and warns that promoting 'carbon neutral' flying may encourage air traffic growth, contradicting the need for sector decarbonization through sustainable aviation fuels (SAF).

This report analyzes climate finance in Nigeria for the 2019/2020 period, highlighting a significant investment gap between current funding levels and the requirements to meet the country's conditional Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) targets.

The briefing analyzes the legislative and institutional deficiencies in Côte d'Ivoire's cocoa sector, highlighting a lack of traceability, inadequate pricing mechanisms, and weak law enforcement. It argues that these gaps contribute to deforestation, child labor, and farmer poverty. The report recommends the creation of a centralized traceability system, a more transparent price-setting process, and a collaborative institutional framework to coordinate the various government ministries and agencies involved in cocoa and forest management.