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This policy brief by the Climate and Development Knowledge Network (CDKN) outlines strategies for promoting green urban industrialisation in Ethiopia. It advocates for a 'corridor approach' to connect urban clusters and industrial parks, using the Kombolcha–Mek’ele corridor as a primary case study to demonstrate how integrated transport, institutional coordination, and catalytic green investments can drive sustainable economic growth and climate resilience.

This executive summary from the 2018 'Brown to Green' report analyzes the progress of G20 countries toward a low-carbon economy. It highlights a significant gap between current Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and the goals of the Paris Agreement, noting that G20 energy-related CO2 emissions began increasing again in 2017 and that 82% of the G20 energy supply remains dependent on fossil fuels.

The 2018 Progress Assessment Goal 5 Update evaluates global efforts to restore degraded landscapes and forestlands under the Bonn Challenge and the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) of the Paris Agreement. It reports that Bonn Challenge pledges have reached 168.9 million hectares, surpassing the initial 2020 milestone of 150 million hectares, although measuring actual implementation remains a significant challenge.

The India Green Economy Barometer 2018 report assesses India's progress toward a sustainable and inclusive economy. It finds that while India has high potential and has made significant strides in renewable energy and corporate social responsibility, the overall transition is slow and insufficient. The report highlights critical barriers, including the perception that environmental protection hinders economic growth, and calls for systemic reforms in finance, national accounting, and high-impact sectors like agriculture and construction to ensure a fair and green transition.

This report by Good Governance Africa-Nigeria analyzes the systemic failures of Nigeria's power sector and advocates for the expansion of renewable energy and the deregulation of the gas sector to address chronic electricity shortages and economic losses.

This case study examines Botswana's approach to increasing local procurement in the mining industry, focusing on the alignment between demand-side preferential treatment and supply-side supplier development programs.

This policy brief examines the implementation gap of the United Nations Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS) in national legislation, particularly in low-income countries. It identifies regulatory capacity and GDP per capita as primary barriers to implementation and proposes strategies such as regional collaboration, integration into national chemicals strategies, and alignment with the Agenda 2030 to increase global coverage.

This report, commissioned by the Swedish research council Formas and produced by the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI), examines how research and innovation can support the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It identifies critical research gaps, proposes a four-fold role for science, and suggests structural reforms to the Swedish research system to better align with global sustainability targets.

This briefing by the Stockholm Environment Institute examines the socio-economic and climate-related vulnerabilities of the Mendoza wine region in Argentina. It highlights a divide between large, efficient growers and smallholders who struggle with quality standards and economic stability. The document also analyzes the region's dependence on mountain snowmelt and glaciers for water, noting that current water laws are outdated for current climate trends, and suggests looking to California's groundwater management as a potential model for reform.

This policy brief examines the challenges of managing natural resources in three Rwandan districts—Rutsiro, Bugesera, and Kirehe—amidst national goals to modernize agriculture and increase energy output. It highlights a critical tension between national development targets and local resource scarcity, particularly regarding water and woody biomass, and recommends tailored local actions supported by national policy and financial incentives to ensure sustainable growth.

This research paper examines the "action gap" between national commitments to integrate climate change adaptation into social and economic development and the actual implementation of concrete projects. By analyzing five "early movers"—Afghanistan, Colombia, Germany, India, and Rwanda—the paper identifies critical enabling factors such as political will, legislative mandates, inter-agency coordination, accessible knowledge, and supportive budgetary processes to accelerate the transition from planning to action.

The Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) argues that the Federal Housing Administration's (FHA) decision to stop insuring new mortgages on homes with property assessed clean energy (PACE) loans is misguided. RMI contends that the FHA overstates the risks of PACE while ignoring the significant default risks associated with high energy costs in inefficient homes.

This report by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) defines sustainable infrastructure and provides guidance on integrating sustainability criteria into public–private partnerships (PPPs) and other infrastructure contracts to support the sustainable development goals (SDGs) and the Paris Agreement on Climate Change.

This briefing by the World Resources Institute examines the potential impact of the Trump administration's climate policy rollbacks on U.S. and global greenhouse gas emissions, while evaluating the capacity of subnational actors to offset these increases.

The report argues that the European Commission's proposal for a Multilateral Investment Court aims to institutionalize and preserve the investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) system, which the authors claim prioritizes corporate privilege over the public interest and democratic lawmaking.

This policy brief examines the role of off-grid solar energy in Ethiopia's rural electrification efforts under the Growth and Transformation Plan (GTP II). While solar adoption has grown, the document identifies significant policy, financial, and administrative barriers that hinder private sector investment and the availability of high-quality equipment.

This research paper by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) examines the synergy between fossil fuel subsidy reform (FFSR) and the 'just transition' framework. It argues that reforming subsidies not only reduces greenhouse gas emissions and market distortions but also unlocks significant financial resources to support workers and communities affected by the shift to a green economy.

This report by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) examines the causes and impacts of urban stormwater runoff and evaluates various governance and financing mechanisms to manage it. The authors contrast traditional 'gray' engineered infrastructure with 'green' infrastructure (GI) and propose the development of stormwater markets—specifically through allowance trading and credits—to attract private investment and reduce the financial burden on public utilities.

The Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) criticizes the European Commission's consultation process regarding the proposed Multilateral Investment Court, arguing that the Commission misrepresented public feedback to claim broad support for the initiative despite significant opposition found in narrative comments.

The report "Continuous Improvement" in Illegal Practices in the Peruvian Forest Sector examines how timber exporters in Peru, with government complicity, use "continuous improvement" strategies to bypass transparency and export high-risk timber to markets with fewer restrictions.