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The document proposes a 'nexus approach' to move away from sectoral 'silos' in the development of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). By focusing on the interdependencies between water, energy, and food, the authors suggest that a bottom-up process starting with concrete targets—rather than overarching goals—can better identify trade-offs and synergies. The brief illustrates this through three analytical approaches: screening for interactions, exploring the nature of those interactions (interdependencies, constraints, and reinforcements), and mapping 'nexus targets' that serve multiple sectors. Case studies from Ethiopia, China (Ningxia), and the United States (California) demonstrate how these cross-sectoral tensions manifest in real-world resource management.

The report argues that avoiding dangerous climate change requires a sophisticated international regime combining top-down UNFCCC direction with broad bottom-up action. It identifies climate diplomacy as the critical interface between national interest debates and international cooperation, requiring three core capabilities: 'knowing yourself' (understanding national interests), 'knowing the other' (analyzing other actors' constraints), and the 'capacity to influence' (integrating priorities into diplomatic channels). The authors highlight that most countries have not yet sufficiently embedded climate change into their 'whole of government' decision-making machinery, often leaving it siloed in environment ministries. The document outlines the evolution of the climate regime from narrow UNFCCC negotiations to a broader system including the G20, Major Economies Forum, and security councils, while emphasizing the need for strategic confidence-building and the use of 'unusual alliances' to overcome political stalemates.

The document advocates for a 'nexus' approach to land management to address the conflict between the need for increased agricultural productivity and the reality of land degradation. It highlights that while 24% of global land is degraded, a significant portion is improving through restoration. The proposed nexus approach seeks to move beyond the narrow goal of maximizing yields to reduce tradeoffs and build synergies between water, energy, food, and climate regulation.

The paper argues that traditional disaster assessments rely too heavily on direct tangible costs, neglecting indirect and intangible impacts. It proposes a 'total cost' framework comprising four quadrants: direct tangible, indirect tangible, direct intangible, and indirect intangible costs. The authors review market-based, non-market-based, and economic system modelling techniques, concluding that while no single method covers all cost categories across all scales, benefit transfer is a critical tool for making comprehensive total cost estimations accessible at meso and macro scales.

The document argues that a green transformation requires a comprehensive political project combining technological innovation with social change. It examines the tension between 'green growth' and 'degrowth', the need for a European Green New Deal, and the role of federalism in managing ecological and social crises. The text also addresses the challenges of migrant integration and the necessity of expanding solidarity to include nature and future generations.

The paper introduces a framework to analyze food system resilience to climate change, moving from the household as the locus of food security up to community and national scales. It proposes two 'spinwheel' tools: one for food security analysis and one for resilience analysis, integrating system, agent, and institutional criteria. The framework is applied through the CREFSCA project in Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua, utilizing the CRiSTAL tool for community-level assessments.

The report introduces a framework for assessing climate resilience in food systems, moving from the household level up to national policy. It presents two analytical tools: 'Roulette 1' for food security analysis and 'Roulette 2' for resilience analysis. The framework emphasizes that resilience is an emergent property of system interactions and suggests specific indicators for food utilization, access, availability, and supporting infrastructure. The tools are designed to be applied through participatory processes, such as the CRiSTAL-SAN tool, to help policymakers and local practitioners identify vulnerabilities and develop long-term adaptation strategies in Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua.

The report addresses the interdependence of water, energy, and food (WEF) security, arguing that sectoral silos lead to unsustainable outcomes and increased risks. It reviews existing conceptual frameworks from the World Economic Forum, ICIMOD, and the Bonn2011 Nexus Conference, noting a gap in practical implementation guidance. To fill this, the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) introduces a place-based analysis framework centered on ecosystem goods and services (EGS) as the primary link between the three securities. This framework is embedded in a four-stage participatory process: assessing the current system, envisioning future landscape scenarios, developing an investment strategy, and transforming the system through adaptive management. The goal is to move from 'land-grabs' to 'land stewardship' by using natural capital as a hedge against socio-ecological risks.

The paper introduces a formal framework to clarify the concept of vulnerability to climate change, using formalisation to make structures explicit. It identifies three types of operational definitions for assessing vulnerability: evaluating harm for projected future evolutions, evaluating current capacity to reduce harm, or combining both. The author concludes that there is a lack of systematic relationship between theoretical and operational definitions, a mismatch that was not made explicit in previous conceptual literature.

The document argues that for the Green Climate Fund to trigger a paradigm shift, it must move from project-by-project funding to programmatic approaches, ensure strong country ownership, and provide clear incentives for ambition. It defines a paradigm shift as a fundamental move away from practices incompatible with climate challenges, such as transitioning from centralized fossil fuel energy systems to decentralized renewable energies. The authors emphasize that country ownership is not contrary to ambition but is a prerequisite for sustainability, suggesting that funding conditions could be improved for countries demonstrating higher levels of ambition within their capabilities.

The paper examines the intersection of WASH investments and disaster risk reduction, arguing that disconnected public and private investments often increase vulnerability, particularly in poor urban areas. It identifies four critical building blocks for resilience: access, siting, mitigation/adaptation, and sharing. The authors argue that social learning—the process of sharing knowledge across stakeholders—is essential to trigger strategic innovation and effective PPPs. The document highlights how structural flood protections can paradoxically increase risk and advocates for 'green infrastructure' and ecosystem-based assessments to ensure long-term sustainability.

The paper explores the synergies between community based natural resource management (CBNRM) and community based adaptation (CBA), arguing that poverty reduction, governance, and ecosystems are the primary overlapping drivers for both approaches. It highlights that while local incentives drive initial CBNRM action, the scaling of these efforts to national and regional levels depends on an enabling environment consisting of policies, institutions, capacity, and collaboration.

The document argues that low-carbon innovation is a systemic process involving networks of actors and institutional environments, rather than just technical hardware. It highlights that developing countries have a unique opportunity to bypass high-carbon 'lock-in' due to less established energy infrastructures. The authors recommend a 'socio-technical' approach that considers local cultural practices and 'fit-stretch dynamics' to ensure technology adoption. Strengthening indigenous capabilities and aligning international initiatives, such as the UNFCCC Technology Mechanism, with national policies are presented as essential for sustainable transition.

The report defines a green economy as one that improves human well-being and social equity while reducing environmental risks and pressures on natural resources. It traces the evolution of the concept from early 'steady-state' and 'degrowth' theories to modern 'green growth' strategies promoted by the OECD and EU. The document highlights that Estonia is among the most energy- and resource-intensive EU member states, characterized by high CO2 emissions per capita and a significant ecological footprint, despite having a higher share of renewable energy in its energy mix than the EU average. It argues that GDP is an insufficient measure of progress and advocates for indicators that account for natural, human, and social capital, such as the Happy Planet Index.

The document highlights the complexity and unpredictability of the Earth System, noting that human pressures are pushing critical thresholds that could lead to abrupt changes affecting food security, health, and social cohesion. It argues that traditional top-down problem-solving is insufficient and advocates for an integrated approach combining basic research, long-term monitoring, and regular evaluation to address underlying drivers of environmental pressure.

The document analyzes the relationship between the demand for environmental quality, government legislation, and energy transitions. Using five historical British case studies—ranging from the 17th century to the late 20th century—it argues that while markets can drive transitions under specific conditions, effective shifts to low-polluting energy sources typically require strong, sustained public demand and creative pressure groups to ensure legislation is introduced, enforced, and maintained. The author concludes that the transition to a low-carbon economy will likely require similar conditions, as current demand for climate stability may not yet be powerful enough to overcome economic counter-lobbying and political reluctance.

The document argues that policymakers must move beyond treating mitigation, adaptation, and development as separate strategies. It defines 'climate compatible development' as a framework to minimize climate damage while maximizing development opportunities, aiming for 'triple wins' across emissions, resilience, and social growth. The brief highlights the shift in global finance toward the 'polluter pays' principle and provides examples of low-carbon strategies in Guyana and resilience efforts in Bolivia.

The document argues that policymakers must move beyond the traditional separation of adaptation, mitigation, and development to avoid inefficiencies and conflicting strategies. It defines 'Climate Compatible Development' as a framework for 'Triple Win' strategies that minimize climate impacts while maximizing opportunities in a low-emission future. The brief details how mitigation (e.g., REDD+), adaptation (e.g., disaster risk reduction), and economic development (e.g., transitioning away from high-carbon exports) must be merged. It highlights the role of climate finance, shifting from charity to the 'polluter pays' principle, and emphasizes the need for national governance systems that integrate climate goals into budgets and plans to ensure benefits reach poor populations.

The briefing argues that meeting climate mitigation and adaptation challenges in developing countries requires more than just technology transfer; it requires a 'systems of innovation' approach. It proposes Climate Innovation Centres (CICs) as multi-disciplinary, facilitating organisations located in developing countries to bridge gaps in the innovation chain, such as adapting technologies to local conditions, creating markets, and designing policy regimes. The document highlights that different technologies and countries have unique innovation needs, meaning no 'cookie-cutter' formula exists. It cites India's National Biomass Cookstove Initiative as an illustrative example of this innovation-centered approach.

The author proposes a 'no-regrets' framework for development agencies to help vulnerable countries adapt to climate change. This approach integrates disaster risk management (DRM), climate change adaptation (CCA), and social protection (SP) into 'adaptive social protection'. The author emphasizes the use of 'spatially enabled governance'—utilizing GIS, spatial data infrastructure (SDI), and ICT—to implement territorial planning, such as watershed management, to protect assets and livelihoods. The paper also advocates for a 'risk-adjusted Social Protection Floor' that guarantees basic needs while incorporating climate-related hazard triggers and innovative finance like weather-index insurance.