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The report evaluates the economic viability of restoring peatlands in Central Kalimantan and mangroves in Belitung, Indonesia. It argues that land rehabilitation is most effective when implemented as a package of interventions—such as combining canal blocking, land-use monitoring, and fire suppression for peatlands, or pairing mangrove planting with ecotourism—rather than as isolated measures. For peatlands, the highest societal net benefit (USD 4.136 billion by 2100) is achieved through a combined approach, primarily driven by avoided carbon emissions and fire damages. For mangroves, rehabilitation is deemed economically viable only when linked to additional revenue streams like ecotourism, which provides sustainable livelihoods and prevents land conversion for tin mining. The analysis emphasizes that local community income is critical for long-term success, as without alternative revenue (e.g., carbon payments or tourism), communities may return to environmentally damaging activities.

The report evaluates wastewater treatment options for the Hartenbos estuary, finding that while a hybrid solution is most effective at reducing nutrient pollution, an artificial wetland offers the highest net benefits if ecological and tourism gains are included. It also highlights that reusing 50% of treated wastewater for irrigation by 2060 could support 330 additional hectares of agricultural land, enhancing water security and job creation.

The SAVi assessment finds that tree planting in Addis Ababa generates significant societal value by sequestering carbon and avoiding costs associated with air pollution, flooding, and heat. The analysis indicates that trees provide better value for money and more job creation than grey infrastructure alternatives, such as electric vehicles or rainwater harvesting tanks, provided that the nature-based infrastructure is maintained to ensure tree survival.

The SAVi assessment of forest restoration in the Brantas River basin demonstrates that nature-based infrastructure is more cost-effective than building a reservoir for water storage. Over 20 years, the interventions are projected to generate net societal benefits between USD 104.34 million and USD 131.59 million through avoided flood and erosion damages, carbon storage, and improved water quality.

The report finds that community-based organisations (CBOs) in South Africa provide violence prevention and youth development services at a low cost—under R7,000 per family per year—while generating significant tangible and intangible social benefits. Using case studies of Net vir Pret and Seven Passes Initiative, the analysis suggests a benefit-to-cost ratio of more than 2:1. The authors highlight the adaptability of CBOs compared to state institutions and call for the South African government to develop funding benchmarks to sustainably support these organisations.

This policy brief advocates for a shift from short-term competitive grants to five-year base funding for community-based water monitoring (CBWM) in Canada. It highlights critical gaps in Canada's watershed knowledge—noting that 100 of 167 watersheds lack health scores—and argues that CBWM is a cost-effective method (> 3:1) to collect rigorous long-term data. The brief recommends a five-year pilot project to strengthen local capacities and suggests the Canadian Water Agency as a coordinator to improve data interoperability across federal, provincial, and local levels.

The report advocates for a shift from short-term project-based funding to long-term core funding for community-based water monitoring (CBWM) in Canada. It highlights that 100 of 167 Canadian watersheds lack sufficient data for quality scoring, creating a gap that CBWM can fill more cost-effectively than professional government monitoring. Through three case studies—the Lake Winnipeg Foundation, the Kaska Guardians, and the Clean Annapolis River Project—the document demonstrates that CBWM can achieve a return on investment exceeding 3:1 and up to 11.6:1 in some instances. The report recommends the creation of a five-year pilot project and the use of a proposed Canadian Water Agency to coordinate these efforts to improve environmental governance and climate adaptation.

The report compares utility-proposed closure plans with 'clean closure' alternatives at two US power stations. It finds that while clean closure—which involves the full excavation of coal ash from unlined ponds—requires higher initial capital investment, it provides superior groundwater protection and creates significantly more direct construction jobs. At the J. M. Stuart station, clean closure would cost $279.3 million and create 277 FTEs, compared to $224.4 million and 223 FTEs for the utility plan. At the Sebree station, clean closure would cost $125.7 million and create 138 FTEs, compared to $65.2 million and 63 FTEs for the utility plan.

The study assesses ecotechnologies for nutrient and carbon recovery in Sweden, Poland, and Finland, finding that most are currently not economically feasible despite their potential for resource reduction and CO2 mitigation, with the exception of anaerobic digestion of agricultural wastes.

The report evaluates the impact of SO2 emissions from large solid fuel combustion installations in South Africa, primarily those operated by Eskom and Sasol. It concludes that implementing stricter emission standards is technologically feasible and economically beneficial for society due to significant reductions in public health costs, despite the high capital costs for plant operators. The panel recommends a flexible regulatory approach where emission limits are tailored to the remaining lifetime of each plant, suggesting that plants operating beyond the mid-2030s should meet stricter limits of 250 mg/Nm3 or 500 mg/Nm3, while those retiring sooner may be granted more lenient limits of 1000 mg/Nm3. The report highlights that 'expedited retirement' of older coal capacity could reduce retrofit costs by approximately 25% and minimize electricity tariff increases.

RMI's study evaluates hourly carbon-free energy procurement strategies across seven global markets, finding that while hourly load-matching supports long-term grid decarbonization, strategies must be tailored to regional grid dynamics to maximize immediate emissions reductions.

The assessment finds that the Kakono Hydropower Plant (HPP) is the most sustainable and cost-effective energy option for northwestern Tanzania, demonstrating high climate resilience and the highest net societal benefits. Compared to a utility-scale diesel plant and a gas-solar PV portfolio, the HPP offers the lowest levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) and the most attractive net present value (NPV), particularly when environmental and social externalities are internalized. While the HPP causes some habitat loss and carbon emissions during construction and reservoir operation, these are offset by significant employment generation and the avoidance of high fossil fuel emissions. The report concludes that the HPP is a viable investment for multilateral banks like the African Development Bank, provided that mitigation strategies for GHG emissions and habitat loss are implemented.

The analysis evaluates Estonia's readiness for a hydrogen economy, focusing on the transport and industrial sectors as primary drivers for decarbonization. It models two scenarios (low and high) for hydrogen penetration by 2050, estimating that total investments could reach EUR 22.4 to 44.7 billion. The report highlights that while the transport sector—particularly shipping and rail—and the production of green ammonia and methanol offer the highest potential, significant barriers exist, including a lack of refueling infrastructure, high initial costs, and the need for a national hydrogen strategy. To unlock this potential, the study emphasizes the necessity of increasing renewable electricity capacity, specifically through offshore wind, and providing public investment to kick-start the market.

The report evaluates the Paterson Park Precinct's building infrastructure in Johannesburg, comparing a business-as-usual (BAU) scenario with a green building scenario across different climate pathways (RCP 2.6, 4.5, and 8.5). Using the SAVi tool and Copernicus Climate Change Service data, the analysis finds that green buildings significantly reduce life-cycle costs through lower energy and maintenance expenditures and reduced greenhouse gas emissions. Climate change primarily increases energy costs and GHG emissions for both scenarios, though the green design remains more cost-effective. Additionally, the report identifies solar PV installations as a highly profitable investment in South Africa, particularly when accounting for electricity price inflation.

The report assesses the economic and environmental viability of an agroforestry project in Welkenraedt, Belgium, using the SAVi methodology and Copernicus Climate Data Store (CDS) data. The analysis finds that the project, involving approximately 100,000 m2 of hedges and trees, generates net benefits of EUR 3.9 million over 20 years against an investment cost of EUR 607,629. Key benefits include increased agricultural yields via windbreak effects, reduced heat stress for livestock, and enhanced ecosystem services such as carbon sequestration and nutrient removal. Climate projections under RCP 4.5 and RCP 8.5 suggest that increasing temperatures and precipitation will make the project more economically attractive by increasing the value of avoided flood damage and water treatment costs.

The report assesses a simulated agroforestry project in Welkenraedt, Belgium, covering approximately 100,000 m2 of hedges and trees. Using the SAVi tool and C3S climate data, the analysis demonstrates that the project is financially viable when environmental and social externalities are included. Key findings include estimated net benefits of 3.9 million euros over 20 years against an investment of 607,629 euros. The study highlights how agroforestry mitigates climate risks, such as reducing heat stress for livestock and preventing soil erosion and nutrient runoff, with benefits expected to increase under RCP 4.5 and RCP 8.5 climate scenarios.

The report calculates that nature-based infrastructure (NBI) could cover between 9% and 14% of the global infrastructure gap, representing a potential annual investment of approximately USD 489 billion. Through a literature review and SAVi assessments, the document demonstrates that NBI often provides significant cost savings—averaging 50.6% less than grey infrastructure—and generates higher value, returning USD 10 for every dollar invested compared to USD 3.6 for traditional built infrastructure.

The report finds that inland flooding represents the highest annual cost of climate change for Canadian infrastructure, with mid-range estimates between $5 billion and $8 billion per year. Proactive adaptation can significantly reduce costs for roads, rail, and the electrical grid, though it is less effective for permafrost thaw and inland flooding. The analysis highlights that while total costs are often concentrated in high-population areas like Ontario, specific geographic risks such as permafrost thaw disproportionately affect the three territories.

The report details the results of the BONUS RETURN project, which identified and evaluated ecotechnologies for recovering nitrogen, phosphorus, and carbon from wastewater and agriculture in the Baltic Sea Region. While agricultural waste recovery often showed positive net present value, wastewater technologies typically required expensive infrastructure, leading to negative net present values. The project emphasizes that transitioning to a circular nutrient economy requires shifting away from linear 'silo' thinking, harmonizing EU regulations for phosphorus, and adjusting fertilizer pricing to account for environmental externalities.

The document details how climate variables from the Copernicus Climate Data Store (CDS) are integrated into the SAVi Energy model to quantify the impact of climate change on various power generation technologies. It provides a comprehensive literature review of how variables like temperature, wind speed, and precipitation affect the load factor and thermal efficiency of coal, gas, nuclear, biomass, hydro, solar, and wind power, as well as the efficiency of the electricity grid. The report includes a simulation for Johannesburg, South Africa, demonstrating that rising temperatures and changing precipitation patterns can significantly reduce the load factor and revenues for thermal and hydropower assets, while potentially increasing the load factor for wind energy.