Search Climate Insights Directory

This executive summary argues that electric vehicles (EVs) are the most effective tool for reducing the European Union's reliance on imported oil and enhancing energy security. It proposes a five-pillar strategy—Deploy, Build, Power, Flex, and Protect—to transition road transport from oil dependence to electric security.

This briefing by RMI reflects on Amory Lovins's 1976 'soft energy path' concept, arguing that modern challenges—including AI-driven electricity demand, critical mineral scarcity, and geopolitical instability—should be addressed through design, efficiency, and demand management rather than traditional supply-side infrastructure expansion.

This briefing by RMI and the Center for Green Market Activation (GMA) outlines the challenges of decarbonizing the chemicals sector and proposes a strategy combining demand aggregation and 'book and claim' systems to unlock investment in low-emissions production technologies.

This report by FSD Africa argues that domestic capital market development is essential for African economies to mobilize long-term finance for climate adaptation, infrastructure, and demographic shifts, especially as bilateral aid and foreign direct investment decline. It suggests that while public equity markets are often prioritized, they are frequently impractical for smaller or frontier markets due to high costs and information asymmetries. Instead, the report advocates for a focus on strengthening the savings base through pension reforms and macro-financial stability, developing corporate bond markets, and utilizing hybrid public-private structures, guarantees, and pooled investment vehicles to channel institutional capital into infrastructure, housing, and MSMEs.

This report by GreenCape outlines the rationale and framework for establishing a voluntary, industry-led Circular Textiles Initiative in South Africa. The initiative aims to transition the domestic clothing and textile sector from a linear 'take-make-waste' model to a circular economy to reduce import dependency, create local jobs, and mitigate environmental degradation.

This guide by the Africa Policy Research Institute outlines a strategic framework to close the adaptation finance gap, particularly in the Global South. It proposes moving from fragmented, project-based funding to 'Country Platforms for Climate Action'—nationally led governance frameworks that coordinate policy and de-risk investments. The document provides a practical 8-Move Playbook for policymakers to transform climate adaptation from a perceived cost into a scalable asset class by layering finance and linking payments to verified resilience outcomes.

This briefing by RMI proposes a 'new carbon economy' that treats carbon dioxide as a valuable raw material rather than a waste product to achieve a net-negative emissions footprint while maintaining the supply of essential carbon-based materials.

The summary of the 12th Meeting of the San Giorgio Group (SGG12), convened by the Climate Policy Initiative in March 2026, outlines a strategic framework to accelerate climate-development alignment. The meeting focused on moving from incremental interventions to systemic transformation by leveraging 'relevance, resilience, and resolve' to scale climate finance and improve country-level delivery.

This report by RMI outlines four strategic priorities for 2026 to align community clean energy projects with the requirements of mainstream investors and lenders following a structural shift in 2025 that reduced the availability of federal funding.

This research paper by RMI outlines strategic decarbonization planning for commercial real estate investors, emphasizing the transition from regulatory compliance to integrated strategies that enhance asset value. It highlights the financial benefits of sustainable building features, such as rent premiums and higher total returns, and proposes six key principles for embedding decarbonization into capital investment decision-making.

The African Climate Foundation (ACF) outlines its 2026–2030 strategy to shift from a phase of expansion to one of systemic integration. The foundation aims to ensure Africa's climate transition is driven from within by supporting local institutions, coalitions, and governments through strategic grants, financial hosting, and incubation. Its framework focuses on three priority areas—energy access, climate resilience, and green industrialization—supported by cross-cutting levers in sustainable finance and international partnerships.

This research paper by RMI proposes the establishment of a government-led Advance Market Commitment (AMC) to scale carbon removal technologies. It argues that current voluntary and compliance markets are insufficient to meet the gigaton-scale requirements needed by midcentury and provides a framework for governments to coordinate demand, harmonize standards, and catalyze private investment to bridge the funding and deployment gap.

The report 'Priority Actions for Deforestation- and Conversion-Free Finance' provides a strategic framework to align private financial flows with the goal of halting and reversing deforestation and ecosystem conversion by 2030. It outlines specific priority actions for three key groups: policymakers, central banks and financial supervisors, and financial institutions, emphasizing the need for coordinated action to manage nature-related risks and catalyze a transition to nature-positive business models.

This briefing by the Stockholm Environment Institute explores how development and climate financiers can scale up locally led adaptation (LLA) by leveraging complementarity between different funding models, building on community-led development (CLD) legacies, and integrating private sector capital.

This research paper examines the intersection of the evolving international trading system and the urgent need to address biodiversity loss, climate change, and sustainable development. It argues that while trade has historically contributed to environmental harm, it can be repurposed as a strategic tool for sustainability through new narratives, inclusive international cooperation, and coherent policy frameworks. The author identifies a shift from traditional trade liberalization toward 'multipurpose' approaches that balance security, resilience, and sustainability, and proposes a policy agenda to reorient trade rules, scale up sustainable technologies, and ensure equitable economic transformation for developing countries.

This briefing by RMI outlines a strategic framework of five building blocks to accelerate India's transition to zero-emission trucking (ZET), highlighting the potential for significant CO2 abatement, fuel savings, and economic growth.

This briefing by RMI argues for the creation of regional financing ecosystems to bridge the gap between available clean energy capital and local project implementation. It posits that localized strategies, which coordinate regional banks, community lenders, and economic development organizations, can overcome systemic barriers such as misaligned risk appetites and deal fragmentation to ensure an inclusive energy transition.

This research paper examines Morocco's strategic position as a supplier of green transition minerals (GTMs) and its bilateral relationships with China and the European Union. The authors argue that while Morocco benefits from the distinct strengths of both partners—China's industrial scale and speed versus the EU's regulatory standards and capacity building—its current engagement is fragmented. To overcome this, the paper proposes a five-step trilateral framework designed to transform geopolitical competition into pragmatic cooperation, aiming to establish Morocco as a regional hub for green value chains and industrial processing.

This report by RMI outlines strategies and a toolkit for Caribbean policymakers and energy leaders to accelerate a just and equitable transition from aging, diesel-based energy models to resilient renewable energy systems, emphasizing the urgency of the transition due to climate impacts and the importance of the 2025 window for revising Nationally Determined Contributions ahead of COP30.

The Global Resilience Partnership (GRP) Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) Plan 2024-2029 outlines the framework for tracking progress, capturing lessons, and assessing the impact of its resilience initiatives. The plan emphasizes an adaptive management approach and a 'Triple Loop Learning' system to improve resilience outcomes in the Global South, focusing on food, finance, and communities.