Search Climate Insights Directory

The report analyzes twelve sustainability standards for infrastructure, categorizing them into project screening tools (e.g., SuRe, Envision, CEEQUAL, ISCA, IFC Performance Standards) and accounting tools (e.g., SASB, TCFD, GHG Protocol, UN PRI). It evaluates these tools based on comprehensiveness, objectivity, clarity, transaction costs, and traction. The study finds that the industry lacks a single global standard, with investors often using multiple tools depending on the project's local context and regulatory regime. It highlights a fundamental tension between 'preservationist' public sector assessments, which determine if a project should be built, and 'conservationist' investor metrics, which focus on implementing projects in the most sustainable way possible.

The document argues that while the SADC region faces severe energy pressures and a heavy reliance on coal and hydropower, renewable energy mini-grids offer a viable complement to national grid extension, particularly for rural populations. However, most current projects remain in the pilot phase due to unsustainable business models, vague policy frameworks, and a lack of private investment. The brief recommends adopting anchor-business-community (A-B-C) models and establishing clear regulatory frameworks to scale these solutions.

The document examines the use of improved cookstoves in Central America, noting that while many models meet WHO emission targets in labs, they often fail to significantly reduce personal pollutant exposure in the field due to 'stove stacking' and improper use. It identifies the 'plancha' as the most common model and highlights that successful adoption depends on user-centered design, training, and cost-sharing. The report calls for standardized performance measures and national certification bodies to ensure health benefits are actually realized.

The report assesses climate change adaptation preparedness in southern Africa to support requests for finance and fund administration. Focusing on Zimbabwe, it finds that the country lacks a specific climate change policy, relying instead on fragmented sectoral policies across environment, water, agriculture, and disaster management, highlighting a need for mainstreaming and harmonisation.

The report examines the impact of improved cookstoves in Central America, noting that while many stoves reduce emissions, they often fail to meet WHO air quality guidelines for personal exposure. It identifies user-centered design, training, and financing as critical for adoption, while highlighting a lack of longitudinal data on sustained use.

The report examines how social constructions of gender—rather than biological differences—create inequalities in the division of labour and access to resources, which in turn dictate how men and women interact with and are affected by the environment. Through case studies in Uganda, the Philippines, Indonesia, India, and South Africa, it demonstrates that women often face a 'double work burden' and higher vulnerability to environmental hazards, while men typically dominate large-scale, more environmentally damaging industrial activities. The document proposes an analytical framework focusing on formal and informal constraints to help organisations implement gender-sensitive programming.