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The report evaluates a pilot project by Oorja Development Solutions that integrated solar milling services with existing solar irrigation infrastructure in Uttar Pradesh. Findings indicate that while solar mills reduce costs and travel distances for households, sustained adoption is hindered by operational issues such as operator unavailability and inconsistent grinding quality. The study highlights positive shifts in women's mobility and autonomy due to the proximity of the mills, as well as dietary improvements from more frequent, small-batch processing. It recommends that Indian policy frameworks, specifically PM-KUSUM, be expanded to incentivize multi-use solar systems and gender-inclusive designs.

Farmers Post is a proposed direct-to-consumer delivery model partnering with the USPS to connect small farmers with local markets. National survey data shows 54% of adults are very or fairly likely to use the service, with particularly high interest from those in food deserts and minority groups. Two pilots in Connecticut and Virginia demonstrated that logistics are viable, though technical hurdles with the USPS website and the need for standardized packaging remain. The report argues that for the program to scale and support low-income consumers, it must integrate SNAP/WIC payments and Double Up Food Bucks, while establishing a dedicated USPS flat-rate box to reduce costs and waste.

The Energy Savings Insurance (ESI) instrument is designed to stimulate energy efficiency investments by small and medium enterprises (SMEs) by mitigating the risk that actual energy savings fall below projections. A pilot in Mexico's agro-industry sector targets 10 fast-track projects valued at USD 2.14 million, utilizing a package of surety insurance, credit lines from FIRA, and third-party verification by ANCE. Financial modeling indicates that the ESI package can absorb 60-80% of the impact of underperformance on debt service repayments, significantly reducing risk for both equity investors and loan providers. The report proposes scaling the initiative to 6-14 additional Latin American and Caribbean countries through a regional facility, with further replication planned for China, India, Indonesia, and Africa, aiming for a global potential of USD 10-100 billion in investments by 2030.

The report evaluates water consumption in peach and plum orchards in the Western Cape, finding that while South African farmers are significantly more water-efficient than global averages, local improvements are possible through better irrigation scheduling and the adoption of drip irrigation over micro-sprinklers. It also details a pilot project testing the AWS standard across nine farms, identifying drought, social risks (theft), and regulation as primary concerns for farmers, and recommending the alignment of the AWS standard with other agricultural certifications like GlobalGAP.

The report identifies a pool of 147 potential CSA technologies for Nepal, categorizing them into water-smart, energy-smart, nutrient-smart, carbon-smart, weather-smart, and knowledge-smart interventions. Using climate analogue tools, the study maps the suitability of these options across the country, finding that districts like Nawalparasi are representative of the Terai region. Key findings indicate that precision nutrient and water management can significantly increase rice and wheat yields, while zero-tillage in wheat improves profitability despite potential yield decreases. The report argues that scaling out requires a combination of knowledge-transfer, market-based, public-private partnership, and community-based 'Climate-Smart Village' approaches, supported by an enabling environment including credit access and gender-responsive mechanization.

The Green Outcomes Fund (GOF) is a pioneering climate finance instrument in South Africa that uses an outcomes-based payment model to de-risk investments in green SMMEs. By providing grant funding to Catalytic Finance Partners (CFPs) upon the verification of specific green outcomes—primarily permanent job creation—the GOF aims to bridge the investment gap for high-potential green businesses. The pilot phase, launched in January 2020 with a total facility size of ZAR 488.1 million, has demonstrated that such incentives can encourage fund managers to invest in sectors they previously avoided due to perceived risk. Key findings highlight the necessity of business development support for SMMEs and the importance of deep sector expertise for fund managers. While the fund has successfully created green jobs and diverted waste, it has faced challenges with slow drawdown of funds due to a prevalence of low-skilled jobs and the disruptive impact of COVID-19. The GOF is now exploring scaling strategies, including expanding its model within South Africa and extending its reach to other African countries such as Rwanda, Ethiopia, and Uganda.

The CollabSolar project in Bengaluru attempted to reduce transaction costs and attract developers by aggregating the rooftop solar demand of six corporate entities. Key findings indicate that aggregation is most effective within small geographic areas and requires a collective minimum demand of 8-10 million kWh/year to mitigate the risk of individual buyer withdrawal. The project highlighted critical barriers, including corporate charter restrictions for MNCs wishing to invest capital, the need for tripartite agreements with landlords for leased spaces, and the absence of net-metering schemes in Bengaluru at the time, which forced systems to be sized to minimum weekend loads.

The CARE-WWF Alliance piloted a Collective and Sustainable Investment (CSI) model in Tanzania's Southern Agricultural Growth Corridor, integrating collective and sustainable investment mechanisms into Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLAs). The pilot involved 114 VSLA groups, resulting in 91 collective enterprises, 92% of which were nature-based. Key outcomes included a 102% increase in average household income—with female-headed households seeing a 157% increase—and significant improvements in water flow, with wet season flows increasing by 178% and dry season flows by 105%. While the model successfully shifted mindsets toward environmental responsibility and empowered women through land tenure and decision-making, it also triggered unintended intrahousehold conflicts and intergenerational tensions over riverbed cultivation. The report recommends streamlining the curriculum, expanding sustainability components for diverse ecosystems, and implementing loan monitoring systems to support preferential loan conditions, which were not adopted during the pilot.