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The report identifies a discrepancy between the optimism of national-level experts and the reservations of sector-level experts regarding NDC implementation. While national experts express confidence in policy alignment, sector experts highlight significant challenges in funding, skills, and the alignment of development plans. The findings reveal that only 38% of respondents' governments have quantified resource needs and 90% believe governments must improve their ability to attract private capital. To address these gaps, the report proposes a new diagnostic framework to assess a sector's 'fitness' for decarbonisation and advocates for an 'enhanced benefits approach' that links climate mitigation to broader development goals like energy security and economic growth.

The document outlines the transition of climate adaptation research from descriptive impact assessments to a fourth generation focused on acceleration and implementation. Drawing on the Adaptation Futures 2016 conference, it proposes research priorities across five key messages: managing interconnected risks, fostering diverse partnerships, engaging the private sector, reinforcing the link between research 'on' and 'for' adaptation, and shifting monitoring from process to progress.

The report examines the potential for China to use revenues from a national emissions trading scheme (ETS), expected by 2016, to fund renewable energy. While experts agree that earmarking is feasible, they suggest that funds should target less mature technologies like tidal and geothermal power rather than established wind and solar PV, which are already well-financed. Short-term revenues from auctioning allowances are expected to be small, but long-term potential exists if political will remains constant. Governance challenges include the need for transparency, the harmonization of monitoring, reporting, and verification (MRV) rules across regions, and the decision between centralizing or localizing fund management.

The paper examines electoral management in Benin, Cape Verde, Ghana, Nigeria, Senegal, and Sierra Leone, highlighting a trend toward independent or hybrid EMB models. It identifies critical challenges including the high cost of elections, executive interference in appointments and tenure, and the complexities of electoral dispute adjudication. The author argues that the effectiveness of EMBs is often undermined by a political culture of impunity and zero-sum politics, despite formal legal guarantees of independence.

The report finds that Natura 2000 impact assessments in Estonia are generally of poor quality, with most EIA reports failing to meet EU requirements. A survey of experts reveals significant gaps in available baseline data, particularly regarding the 'favourable conservation status' of species and habitats, and a lack of specialized ecological expertise among licensed EIA practitioners.

The document assesses the contribution of the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) to sustainable development in China's biogas sector. It finds that while the CDM can attract foreign investment and technology, the lack of transparent national sustainable development criteria and low incentives for CER buyers to prioritize sustainability often lead to poorly designed projects with low efficiency. The study highlights a disparity between the industrial sector, where wastewater treatment is common, and the livestock sector, which faces significant technical and financial barriers. It concludes that the CDM's second objective—advancing sustainable development—is often undermined by a 'race to the bottom' in criteria setting and a lack of international agreement on sustainability standards.