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The document advocates for the integration of nature-based solutions (NbS)—categorized into green and natural infrastructure—as a resilient alternative or supplement to traditional 'gray' manmade infrastructure in the U.S. It details how NbS can mitigate coastal storm damage, inland flooding, and extreme heat while providing co-benefits like carbon sequestration and improved water quality. The text provides specific cost comparisons and case studies from various U.S. cities and states to demonstrate the economic and environmental efficacy of these approaches.

Rwanda's National Adaptation Plan (NAP) process, led by the Ministry of Environment and Rwanda Environment Management Authority (REMA), employs an integrated approach to promote climate-resilient development with a focus on community- and ecosystem-based adaptation. The process has leveraged funding from the Green Climate Fund (GCF) and the Global Environment Facility (GEF), including a USD 32.8 million GCF allocation for climate resilience in Gicumbi District. Priority adaptation sectors address impacts such as droughts, landslides, and food insecurity through measures like irrigation, afforestation, and disaster risk reduction.

Viet Nam is developing a National Adaptation Plan for 2021-2030 with a Vision 2050, aimed at reducing climate vulnerabilities and integrating adaptation into socio-economic planning. The process is linked to the country's Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC), which is being updated by the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment. Priority sectors for adaptation include agriculture, public health, and infrastructure, addressing impacts such as sea level rise and saltwater intrusion.

The report identifies about 50 policies from July 2018 to May 2019 in 25 countries, noting that the energy sector saw the most activity with 29 entries. While most policies aim to reduce emissions, the document highlights emissions-increasing policies in Argentina and the United States. Additionally, it notes that of the 25 countries, four have submitted long-term GHG strategies to the UNFCCC and five have developed drafts or domestic strategies.

The document outlines adaptation strategies for various climate-related health risks in Canada, including extreme temperature events, flooding, wildfires, food insecurity, vector-borne diseases, and water quality issues. It provides specific examples of municipal actions—such as Toronto's green roof bylaws and Vancouver's warming centres—and offers actionable tips for health professionals to support vulnerable patients and advocate for resilient community policies.

Ethiopia's National Adaptation Plan (NAP) serves as a roadmap to reduce climate vulnerability by mainstreaming adaptation into development activities, aiming to support the country's goal of achieving middle-income status by 2025. The process involves vertical integration across federal, regional, zonal, and woreda levels, ensuring dialogue between national and sub-national governments, civil society, and the private sector. The NAP is designed to guide the implementation of climate-resilient strategies already produced by various line ministries under the Climate-Resilient Green Economy (CRGE) strategy. Key climate drivers identified include increasing temperatures, rainfall variability, droughts, and floods, with priority adaptation sectors encompassing agriculture, water, forestry, health, urban areas, industry, transport, and power.

South Africa's National Climate Change Adaptation Strategy (NCCAS) acts as its National Adaptation Plan (NAP), aiming for a climate-resilient transition through a country-driven process involving 11 sectors and three spheres of government. The strategy addresses the expectation that climate change will exacerbate poverty and service access, with projections indicating drastic temperature increases—potentially over 6°C in some interior regions under low mitigation—and uncertain rainfall patterns.

Tanzania's National Adaptation Plan (NAP) process, coordinated by the Vice President’s Office - Division of Environment, aims to integrate climate impact data into decision-making, align priorities with the Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC), and improve access to climate finance. The process focuses on cross-sectoral coordination and participatory planning to increase resilience and meet Paris Agreement targets. Priority sectors for adaptation include agriculture, health, freshwater resources, and the coastal and marine environment, addressing impacts such as droughts, floods, and sea level rise. Key milestones from 2012 to 2018 include the National Climate Change Strategy, the formation of a multi-agency NAP Team, and a stocktaking exercise for mainland Tanzania and Zanzibar.

Thailand's National Adaptation Plan (NAP) employs a sector-based approach to mainstream climate resilience across government ministries and sub-national structures, focusing on six priority sectors identified in the Climate Change Master Plan (2015–2050). The process, which progressed from a first draft in 2015 to approval by the National Committee on Climate Change Policy (NCCC) by 2018, targets key climate impacts including floods, droughts, coastal erosion, and heat waves exceeding 40°C. The NAP's primary objectives are to integrate adaptation into sectoral plans, government budgeting frameworks, and to enhance stakeholder awareness and resiliency measures.

The document describes the Caribbean's approach to a green economy, defined by the Caribbean Natural Resources Institute (CANARI) as aiming for long-term prosperity through equitable benefit distribution and ecological management. It highlights the increasing importance of resilience following the 2017 hurricanes and the emerging, though still conceptually unclear, 'blue economy' framework promoted by international actors. Key sectoral efforts focus on renewable energy (solar, geothermal, and wind) and greening the tourism industry. The text details various multi-stakeholder and intergovernmental initiatives, including the Caribbean Green Economy Action Learning Group, the Santa Cruz Declaration on Local Green Enterprises, and the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States' (OECS) commitment to a strategic action plan for an inclusive green economy. Specific national examples include Grenada's 2016 Blue Growth Coastal Master Plan and the development of a Local Green-Blue Enterprise Radar in Trinidad and Tobago.

The report identifies newly adopted policies in 25 major emitting countries and regions—representing 79% of 2012 global GHG emissions—that support long-term decarbonisation goals. These policies include carbon taxes, coal phase-outs, and support for renewable energy and electric vehicles, focusing on legislative decisions and executive orders with direct effects on reducing emissions.

The report examines the application of Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) to improve fund transfers in emerging markets, distinguishing between public DLT (like Bitcoin) for consumer remittances and private DLT for inter-institutional clearing and settlement. It argues that while public DLT can bypass traditional intermediaries, it faces hurdles in liquidity and 'costs at the edge'. Conversely, private DLT offers a more secure and scalable model for financial institutions to settle obligations domestically or internationally, potentially reducing entry barriers and enhancing KYC/AML processes.

The document serves as an introduction to the role of domestic public finance in the implementation of National Adaptation Plan (NAP) processes, noting that while no single integration approach exists, concrete examples are emerging as more countries adopt these processes. It references the NAP Global Network
s Targeted Topics Forum on Financing NAPs: Options for Implementation, which examined various financing sources and mechanisms to support NAP implementation.

The document outlines how developing countries can integrate climate adaptation into national budgeting and use domestic fiscal tools to fund resilience. It highlights the importance of coordinating between climate-sensitive sectors and finance ministries, using instruments like fuel taxes and green bonds, and implementing tracking systems to demonstrate country ownership and identify funding gaps.

Dr. Daniel A. Reifsnyder describes the iterative process of drafting the Paris Agreement, emphasizing the shift toward a 'Party-driven' approach and the breakdown of the 'firewall' between developed and developing nations. He highlights the importance of the October 5 non-paper as a template for the final deal and details the agreement's core goals, including temperature limits and a robust transparency system.

The document outlines the transition from the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), which ended in September 2015, to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as part of the Post-2015 Global Development Agenda ending in 2030. It details the role of the 30-member Open Working Group (OWG) in creating 17 goals and 169 targets through a consultative process involving civil society. The text defines sustainable development based on the 1987 Brundtland report and discusses the principle of Common but Differentiated Responsibilities (CBDR), which acknowledges that developed countries bear greater responsibility for environmental degradation. It also highlights South Africa's role in negotiating the SDGs via the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) and its leadership of the G77+ China group.

The document argues that because climate change is a multi-faceted challenge, the global response post-2020 must integrate the central role of the UNFCCC with other international venues. It notes that the UNFCCC and Kyoto Protocol already recognize a division of labor, specifically delegating the regulation of emissions from international aviation to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and from shipping to the International Maritime Organization (IMO).

China is implementing seven regional pilot emissions trading systems (ETS) in Beijing, Chongqing, Shanghai, Tianjin, Guangdong, Hubei, and Shenzhen to test the framework for a national ETS after 2016. These pilots could regulate between 0.8 and 1 billion tonnes of CO2 and may incorporate price control mechanisms to ensure market stability. Additionally, the pilots are expected to allow the use of Chinese Certified Emissions Reductions (CCERs), a government-administered offset program based on the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), with potential demand reaching 100 million offsets per year by 2015.

The EU-ETS is the world's largest cap-and-trade system, regulating approximately half of the EU's CO2 emissions across 30 countries. While it has evolved through three trading periods to include more greenhouse gases and airline emissions, the system has suffered from severe over-allocation of allowances, leading to price collapses and a surplus of approximately 2 billion allowances by the end of 2012.

The document outlines the two primary forms of carbon pricing: emissions trading schemes (ETS) and carbon taxes. It details the European Union Emissions Trading Scheme as the world's largest, alongside regional programs like the RGGI in the US and the Tokyo Cap and Trade Program. It also lists numerous national carbon taxes, noting Finland as the first to introduce one in 1990, and describes hybrid systems in Australia and New Zealand.