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The guide uses a series of realistic, simulated scenarios to explore the complexities of involving citizens in sustainable energy projects, such as wind farm siting and energy efficiency upgrades. It focuses on three primary dimensions of success: social legitimacy, institutional sustainability, and political effectiveness. Through 39 different sections, the document analyzes the trade-offs between different engagement models—participatory, deliberative, and hybrid—and provides strategies for managing conflicts, handling technical constraints, and navigating the influence of higher-level government bodies and political election cycles.

The report explores 17 case studies of financial instruments—including green bonds, social impact bonds, crowdfunding, and viability gap funds—to determine their applicability to soil remediation. It argues that while private capital is attracted to sites with high post-remediation land value capture, projects with lower commercial potential require public de-risking mechanisms, such as subsidies, guarantees, or performance-based returns, to become viable.

The document examines the 'jurisdictional approach' (JA)—a comprehensive, government-led strategy for forest and land-use governance across defined political territories. It argues that subnational jurisdictions (states, provinces, districts) are critical for scaling emissions reductions because they are closer to land users and possess the authority to shape land-use decisions. Through case studies in Brazil, Indonesia, Malaysia, Peru, and Mexico, the paper highlights that while JA fosters multi-stakeholder collaboration and policy innovation, it is frequently hampered by political turnover, limited public sector capacity, and a lack of tangible financial incentives. The authors conclude that JA is not a 'silver bullet' but a necessary recognition of the role of multi-level government in protecting forests and enhancing livelihoods.

The document outlines a methodology for identifying high-impact clean energy markets in developing economies based on private sector attractiveness, energy access, and climate relevance. It identifies Tier 1 countries—including India, South Africa, Kenya, and Rwanda—and analyzes their specific investment barriers, such as off-taker risk in India and currency volatility in South Africa. Additionally, it provides case studies on blended finance structures, ranging from project-level interventions like the Lake Turkana Wind Farm to fund-of-funds like GEEREF, illustrating how concessional capital and guarantees are used to leverage private investment.

The 2018 Progress Assessment for Goal 4 highlights the difficulty in quantifying the impact of basic needs on deforestation due to limited data. While the distribution of clean cookstoves in developing countries nearly doubled between 2015 and 2016, financial support for woodfuel interventions declined. The report identifies several drivers of deforestation linked to poverty, including swidden agriculture, subsistence migration, and charcoal production, and presents case studies from Peru, Guatemala, Brazil, Mexico, Ghana, and Côte d’Ivoire demonstrating the potential of sustainable landscape approaches, community forestry, and agricultural intensification to reduce forest loss.

The document argues that global agricultural production has declined by 1-5% per decade over the last 30 years due to climate change, necessitating an urgent transition to climate-resilient systems. It identifies critical risks, including heat stress, extreme weather, and pests, which disproportionately affect smallholder farmers and women in the tropics. The authors propose a roadmap based on five pillars: promoting resilient and low-emission technologies, expanding digital climate information, mobilizing innovative finance, strengthening farmer organizations, and delivering enabling policies. The paper highlights successful examples of 'no regret' options, such as stress-tolerant crop varieties and sustainable intensification, and emphasizes the need for context-specific, participatory approaches to scale these solutions.

The paper argues that the 'water security' discourse often leads to the securitization of water challenges, which can justify the transgression of normative positions. In contrast, the authors propose a 'water equity' discourse that incorporates norm-critical considerations to empower sub-national agents and bypass traditional power-brokering cycles in addressing water controversies exacerbated by climate change.

The report examines the biogas industry in the Western Cape, South Africa, which it describes as being in a "nascent or infant state". Through five case studies and two financial scenarios, it concludes that biogas project viability is highly site-specific and depends heavily on economies of scale, high on-site energy requirements, and high waste management costs. The analysis suggests that small-scale commercial installations (<50 kWe) are generally not financially viable, while medium-scale installations (>50 kWe; <1MW) at abattoirs can be viable, particularly when waste disposal costs are high due to legislative changes regarding landfill classifications.

The research examines the capacity of 'old industrial regions' (OIRs) to transition from declining mature industries to new growth paths. It utilizes the Regional Innovation Systems (RIS) framework to analyze 'lock-in'—functional, cognitive, and political—that hinders diversification. Using examples like Germany's Ruhr region, the paper argues that successful renewal requires 'regional branching' based on existing capabilities and a shift from top-down mandates to inclusive, bottom-up 'regional development coalitions'. It provides a typology of innovation support and warns against the 'regional resource curse' where renewable energy transitions may fail to create localized value.

The document proposes a feebate system for India—where inefficient vehicles pay a fee and efficient ones receive a rebate—as a market-based alternative to static fuel economy standards. It argues that such a policy could help India reach its goal of 100 percent electric vehicle adoption by 2030 without relying on public funds. Drawing on case studies from Norway, France, and Ontario, the authors suggest a three-phase implementation strategy: establishing a professional design body, implementing a revenue-neutral point-of-sale feebate, and eventually expanding to other vehicle segments and the used car market.

The document outlines strategies for leveraging local knowledge to enhance climate resilience, emphasizing the need for tailored training for government staff and community engagement to fill information gaps. It advocates for a hybrid approach where local expertise is complemented by scientific data to create a robust foundation for planning. Case studies from various developing countries illustrate how this process can lead to improved flood risk mapping, the adoption of renewable energy, and the creation of greenhouse gas inventories.

The report examines the synergies between Community Forest Management (CFM) and agroecology, positioning them as essential tools for food sovereignty and biodiversity conservation. It critiques the 'green economy' and market-based conservation models like REDD+, arguing that they erode traditional values and community autonomy. The document specifically challenges the FAO's definition of forests for including monoculture plantations, which it claims facilitates deforestation and undermines the livelihoods of the 1.6 billion people dependent on forests. It advocates for the recognition of territorial control, women's autonomy, and traditional knowledge as the primary drivers of effective forest protection.

The Practitioner’s Guide to Developing River Basin Report Cards outlines a five-step process—identifying values/threats, choosing indicators, defining thresholds, calculating scores, and communicating results—to synthesize complex ecological, social, and economic data into simple grades. It emphasizes the necessity of stakeholder engagement, the role of 'champions' in driving policy change, and strategies for overcoming barriers such as insufficient data, political resistance, and trans-boundary complexities. Through case studies from the USA, Colombia, India, the Philippines, and Australia, the guide demonstrates how these tools can increase public awareness and influence resource allocation and management decisions.

The paper identifies five key levers—power and leadership, communication and engagement, capacity building, financing implementation, and demonstration effect—essential for successful climate action in cities. Drawing on seven CDKN-supported projects across Asia, Africa, and Latin America, it argues that city governments face significant barriers, including short political cycles, fragmented governance, and limited financial resources. The framework serves as a checklist for donors and practitioners to create investable and implementable climate propositions, highlighting the importance of local champions, tailored business cases, and cross-city collaboration to scale successful interventions like India's Heat Action Plans.

The report examines the 'art' of market facilitation through the experience of the FSD Network in Sub-Saharan Africa. It argues that effective facilitation requires a shift from traditional project-based delivery to a systemic approach that addresses root causes of market failure. Key success factors identified include the use of Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs) for operational flexibility, the maintenance of technical credibility and neutrality, and the use of results chains for adaptive management. The document highlights the critical importance of understanding political economy and partner incentives, noting that technical solutions often fail when they ignore underlying social or political dynamics.

The document introduces the CARIWIG portal, which provides downscaled regional climate projections, historical data, and simulation tools for tropical storms and drought to help Caribbean decision-makers integrate climate risk into planning. It emphasizes that while these tools provide high-resolution data relevant to national levels, the process of downscaling increases uncertainty, necessitating a shift toward 'robust' adaptation strategies and 'no regret' options.

The document argues that climate action must be integrated into macroeconomic planning and sectoral policies to achieve 'triple wins' for mitigation, adaptation, and poverty eradication. It highlights the necessity of political leadership, cross-government coordination, and the use of 'knowledge brokers' to translate scientific data into actionable policy. The report emphasizes that while international finance is a catalyst, domestic resource mobilisation and the removal of fossil fuel subsidies are critical for long-term sustainability. Case studies from Asia, Africa, and Latin America illustrate the importance of gender-sensitive approaches, participatory planning, and the role of non-state actors in scaling up local innovations to national levels.

The document examines the complexities of groundwater governance, distinguishing it from surface water management due to the resource's invisibility and dispersed private exploitation. It highlights the critical interdependence between governance and technical monitoring, using the Netherlands as a model for integrated data collection. A global diagnostic reveals significant gaps in actor participation, legal harmonization, and policy scope across different stages of management development. The paper also addresses the scarcity of dedicated international treaties for the 592 identified transboundary aquifers and concludes with a strategic roadmap for 2030 to prevent irreversible degradation of aquifer systems.

The briefing highlights how small businesses, specifically domestic seed companies, support climate risk management (CRM) in developing countries. It recommends that these companies improve decision-making regarding seed choices, increase knowledge of climate-resilient varieties, and strengthen distribution and quality control systems. Additionally, it suggests that development practitioners support these efforts through infrastructure improvements, capacity building on climate risk integration, and facilitating access to climate finance, while researchers should investigate small businesses as climate knowledge brokers.

The document outlines five key strategies for local governments to build effective climate partnerships: choosing partners strategically beyond the environmental sector, involving marginalised and opposing groups, leveraging local actors while understanding their spheres of influence, ensuring mutual benefit through co-design, and employing a trusted facilitator or knowledge broker. It illustrates these points with examples such as solar energy initiatives in Pakistan and Indonesia, climate-smart agriculture in Nepal, and coastal management in Belize.