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The report examines the Indonesia Environmental Fund Agency (BPDLH), established in October 2019 to bridge financing gaps for environmental protection and climate goals. By utilizing the Public Service Agency (BLU) legal vehicle, BPDLH gains flexibility in sourcing funds from both the state budget and international donors, as well as in its procurement and staffing. The document compares BPDLH to seven other fund-managing BLUs, noting that BPDLH is unique in its ability to act as a strategic hub for diverse funding mechanisms. It specifically details two initial funding windows: the REDD+ fund, which uses result-based payments and grants for various stakeholders, and the Forest Rehabilitation Revolving Fund, which provides loans to private enterprises in the forestry sector.

China is the world's largest primary energy consumer and energy-related CO2 emitter. While the country is on track to meet most 2020 targets from its 13th Five-Year Plan, energy-related CO2 emissions continued to grow through 2018, surpassing 10 GtCO2. The report's 'Continuous Improvement Scenario' projects that primary energy consumption will peak in 2029 at 5,400 Mtce and CO2 emissions will peak in 2025 at 10,930 MtCO2, subsequently declining to 5,010 MtCO2 by 2050. This outlook assumes the maximum adoption of commercially available energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies, leading to a power system where non-fossil sources generate 89% of electricity by 2050.

The report analyzes the current legislation of UEMOA member states regarding artisanal gold mining to determine if these laws facilitate 'virtuous practices,' such as the use of gravimetric processing instead of mercury or cyanide. It identifies gaps in strategic, institutional, and normative frameworks and proposes specific reforms, including the legal authorization of mechanization during crushing and processing, an increased role for local authorities, and the creation of 'new generation' reserved gold panning zones.

The report identifies that Indonesia's solar energy growth lags behind India and the GCC region due to differences in land acquisition policies, policy enabling conditions, and investment risk. It suggests that Indonesia can lower costs by creating a stable investment climate, streamlining decision-making through intra-governmental restructuring, and reconsidering local content requirements, citing the success of long-term Power Purchase Agreements in the GCC and Solar Parks in India.

In 2019, global coal-fired electricity generation fell by 3%, contributing to a 2% decrease in power sector CO2 emissions, the largest declines since 1990. While coal collapsed in the EU and US, generation rose in China, which now accounts for half of global coal generation. Wind and solar generation grew by 15% in 2019, reaching 8% of the world's electricity, meeting the annual growth rate required by the Paris climate agreement. However, the document notes that the US transition is partly a switch to gas, whereas the EU is moving directly from coal to renewables.

The document analyzes the divergence between the EU and WTO regarding the precautionary principle (PP), highlighting that the EU treats it as a constitutional legal principle while the WTO incorporates elements of precaution implicitly and restrictively. It argues that the EU's framework provides superior environmental protection by allowing for permanent measures, a broader interpretation of scientific uncertainty, and the inclusion of societal risk tolerance. The briefing concludes that the UK must retain its EU-inherited approach to precaution to resist deregulatory pressure from trading partners.

A study by the Climate Policy Initiative and PUC-Rio finds that the Manaus Free Trade Zone (ZFM) has not resulted in efficiency gains for the region's industries. Despite significant tax expenditures—reaching R$ 27.8 billion for ZFM, Western Amazon, and Free Trade Areas in 2015—both energy and productive efficiency levels in the ZFM remained similar to the national average from 2003 to 2015. This lack of impact persists even in the most representative sectors, such as two-wheel vehicle production and audio and video, where tax benefits are most concentrated.

The report argues that South Africa should avoid a strict 'standard model' of electricity reform—which emphasizes full unbundling and privatization—in favor of a pragmatic approach that balances economic efficiency with social and environmental priorities. By analyzing India and Mexico, the document finds that unbundling alone does not resolve financial distress or lower prices if tariffs remain regulated below cost. It highlights that while private sector participation via auctions has accelerated renewable energy deployment in India and Mexico, it has also created tensions regarding public ownership. The report recommends that South Africa implement targeted subsidies for the vulnerable and explore community or municipal ownership models to ensure a just transition and successful decarbonization.

The document asserts that off-grid renewable energy, such as solar home systems and mini-grids, outperforms grid extension in cost, emissions, and deployment speed. It provides quantitative evidence showing that off-grid solutions can reduce investment costs by up to 30% and save 500 to 800 Mt of CO2 by 2030. The paper recommends integrating off-grid renewables into Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), implementing financial de-risking mechanisms, fostering digital and storage innovations, and enforcing technology and consumer protection standards.

The document analyzes policy coherence between the Paris Agreement's NDCs and the 2030 Agenda's SDGs in Germany, Kenya, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Sweden, and the Philippines. It finds that while synergies exist, significant conflicts often emerge around energy transitions, economic growth, and inequality (SDG 10). These incoherencies are driven by institutional fragmentation, conflicting national ideologies, and vested interests. The authors argue that achieving both agendas requires moving beyond institutional fixes to address deep structural changes and political dynamics.

The document examines the role of public-private partnerships (PPPs) in developing infrastructure in the SADC region, distinguishing them from privatisation and highlighting their potential to overcome budget constraints and technical inefficiencies. It identifies key barriers to PPP uptake in SADC, including political interference, lack of administrative maturity, and the risks of hidden debt through government guarantees. The briefing recommends the establishment of independent PPP units, improved public engagement protocols, and rigorous due diligence on partners to ensure sustainable project delivery.

The report analyzes the climate impact of transportation network companies (TNCs) in seven major U.S. cities. It finds that non-pooled ride-hailing trips emit 47% more than private vehicle trips of the same length, largely due to 'deadheading' (driving without passengers). When accounting for the modes of transport that ride-hailing displaces—including mass transit, walking, and biking—typical ride-hailing trips are approximately 69% more polluting than the trips they replace. The analysis suggests that a transition to electric vehicles and an increase in pooling rates to 50% could reduce these emissions by 52% relative to displaced trips.

The study compares three socio-economic scenarios (SSP1-3) across three models (IMAGE, GLOBIOM, and PLUMv2) to evaluate the impact of cropland expansion on biodiversity and carbon storage. It finds substantial variation between the nine projections, with the choice of model explaining a greater proportion of the variance than the scenario used. IMAGE and GLOBIOM project the highest impacts on carbon and biodiversity, while SSP1 projects the lowest, though still significant, impacts.

The document defines sustainable material management infrastructure as assets that reduce waste generation by promoting recovery, reuse, and recycling. It distinguishes between 'grey' infrastructure (e.g., unregulated landfills, incineration without energy recovery) and 'green' infrastructure (e.g., sorting facilities, composting, waste-to-energy). The guide details the environmental, economic, and social shortcomings of business-as-usual (BAU) scenarios—such as GHG emissions, resource scarcity, and public health risks—while highlighting the benefits of green investments, including carbon footprint reduction and green job creation. It also analyzes risks to project financing, such as volatile commodity prices and regulatory uncertainties, and provides a comprehensive overview of policy interventions, measurement indicators, and a detailed breakdown of costs and revenues for various waste management technologies.

The report details a participatory workshop in Thailand where stakeholders from agriculture, biotechnology, and social science backgrounds developed three distinct visions for a sustainable bioeconomy. These visions range from an ecology-focused approach prioritizing farmer well-being and environmental sustainability to a technology-driven approach focused on R&D and economic growth. The analysis emphasizes the importance of public-private partnerships, regional ASEAN cooperation, and the specific cultural importance of rural development in the Thai context.

The report evaluates the DBSA and IDC using the Fair Finance Guide International (FFGI) methodology, finding that both institutions lack strong policy commitments to a low-carbon transition despite their developmental mandates. The DBSA showed strength in nature and power generation policies but failed on climate change targets, while the IDC ranked lowest among six assessed DFIs due to a critical lack of publicly available policies.

The document presents a data table comparing emission standards (LDV), gasoline octane levels, refinery counts, import percentages, and sulfur content in gasoline and diesel for various countries in Latin America and the Caribbean. Key data points include Chile's transition to Euro 6 by 2022, Colombia's target of Euro 6 by 2030, and specific sulfur limits ranging from 15 ppm in Mexico to 8000 ppm in Cuba.

Canada provides significant public finance for fossil fuels, ranking worst among G20 OECD members on a per GDP basis. While some exploration measures have been phased out, total support increased by 12% relative to 2014–2016, driven largely by infrastructure development for oil and gas, including liquefied natural gas. The document highlights substantial unquantified support for projects like the Trans Mountain Pipeline and recent COVID-19 relief measures for fossil fuel producers.

Turkey ranks last among G20 OECD member countries in fossil fuel funding, providing an average of USD 6.8 billion in total government support between 2017 and 2019. While state-owned enterprise investment in oil and gas production decreased by 33% compared to the 2014–2016 average, support for fossil fuel consumption increased by 11% through tax expenditures. The document highlights significant transparency gaps, noting that Turkey has not performed the G20 fossil fuel subsidy peer review and lacks data on public financing from government-owned banks.

The document analyzes the scale and nature of food export restrictions during the COVID-19 crisis compared to the 2007/08 period. It finds that while 22 countries imposed restrictions in 2020, the overall impact on globally traded calories and monetary value is significantly lower than in 2008. The brief notes that current food availability challenges are driven more by logistical disruptions than the supply shortages and high energy prices that characterized the previous crisis.