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The GCF's private sector strategy aims to mobilize institutional finance and private capital for climate adaptation and mitigation in developing countries through a four-pronged approach: promoting conducive investment environments, accelerating innovation, de-risking market-creating investments, and strengthening domestic financial institutions. The report reviews the PSF's performance, noting a co-financing ratio of 3.25:1 and a heavy initial reliance on concessional loans. To meet its updated Strategic Plan targets, the GCF proposes expanding its use of equity and guarantees, improving the accreditation process via a project-specific assessment approach, and implementing a private sector outreach plan.

The paper explores 'buen vivir' (living well), an indigenous-rooted concept from South America that prioritizes harmony between humans and nature over economic growth. It examines the tension between this biocentric approach and European 'green' strategies like the European Green Deal, which the authors argue remain tied to economic growth and productivity. While official adoption in EU-Latin America relations has been limited since a 2015 resolution, the document highlights a growing trend of local European initiatives—such as granting legal rights to nature in Spain and the Netherlands—that align with the principles of buen vivir.

The report reviews 42 NDCs to identify national priorities for advanced low-emission technologies. It finds that 14 jurisdictions include carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS), 16 include low-carbon hydrogen and ammonia, and 11 prioritize nuclear energy. The analysis highlights a mix of developed and developing nations seeking these technologies, with some relying on international financial and technological support for implementation.

The report identifies land tenure insecurity, administrative complexity in establishment, and limited commercial rights as primary obstacles for Community Protected Areas (CPAs) in Cambodia. It argues that the current 15-year tenure is insufficient for long-term conservation and livelihood development, and highlights a jurisdictional conflict between the Ministry of Environment and the Forestry Administration regarding non-timber forest product permits. Recommendations include expanding exclusion rights, lengthening tenure to 30 years, simplifying management plans, and formalising the conversion process between Community Forests and CPAs.

The report finds that while Canadian community foundations (CCFs) have grown their endowments to nearly CAD 7 billion as of 2020, they have largely failed to use these assets to combat climate change. Most CCFs rely on vague 'ESG integration' for risk mitigation rather than pursuing climate-positive investments. The analysis reveals significant capacity gaps and a lack of diversity on investment committees, which often act as barriers to strategic change. The report recommends moving toward positive screening, increasing transparency of holdings, and joining the Canadian Philanthropy Commitment on Climate Change to align financial assets with community climate goals.

Natural Justice critiques the draft Forest Law of Mozambique for failing to distinguish between native and planted forests, neglecting sustainable forest management, and ignoring the socio-cultural rights of local communities. The organization warns that the law's focus on economic exploitation and lack of deterrent sanctions for illegal logging and corruption could lead to the extinction of precious tree species by 2029. Key recommendations include incorporating the principle of non-regression, establishing clear community consultation processes, and implementing robust monitoring and training systems to combat organized forest crime.

Natural Justice provides a detailed critique of Mozambique's preliminary draft Forestry Bill (April 2022), arguing that the document functions more as an economic instrument for logging and trade than a tool for environmental protection. The organization highlights critical gaps in the bill regarding sustainable forest management, community rights, biodiversity protection, and the prevention of institutional corruption.

The report finds that human rights are not systematically referenced in the reviewed NAPs, with few countries using them to guide the planning or implementation process. While some plans, notably Fiji's, demonstrate a strong commitment to human rights-based approaches, most others only make indirect or superficial references to rights. The authors argue for the development of detailed guidance to integrate social, political, administrative, and legal entry points into the NAP process to better protect vulnerable groups.

The report examines the plastic recycling ecosystem in Mombasa, Kenya, identifying a value chain that ranges from informal waste pickers to formal converters. While PET, HDPE, and PVC are recycled, other polymers like LDPE and polystyrene largely end up as litter. The study highlights significant barriers to a circular economy, including high licensing costs, poor working conditions for marginalized collectors, and a lack of designated recycling infrastructure. It emphasizes the potential of upcoming Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) regulations to transform the sector and recommends implementing waste segregation at the source and providing financial incentives for recyclers.

The document maps the various 'entry points' for environmental policy within the WTO, ranging from formal committees and negotiating groups to newer, member-led plurilateral initiatives. It highlights that while no single environmental agreement exists, the WTO manages this nexus through general exceptions (GATT Article XX), monitoring bodies (TBT and SPS committees), and specific negotiations on fisheries subsidies and environmental goods. The brief also details three recent ministerial statements from December 2021 focusing on environmental sustainability, plastic pollution, and fossil fuel subsidy reform, which aim to foster cooperation ahead of the Thirteenth WTO Ministerial Conference.

The report identifies significant gaps in the governance of the Table Mountain Strategic Water Source Area (TMSWSA), noting that groundwater management is currently a national mandate that lacks local enforcement and clear delegation to Catchment Management Agencies (CMAs). It highlights the vulnerability of the Table Mountain Group and Cape Flats aquifers to over-extraction and pollution, exacerbated by unregulated borehole drilling during Cape Town's 2016-2018 drought. To address these failures, the document proposes a flexible, multi-stakeholder Partnership Framework based on adaptive management, recommending WWF South Africa as the host institution and secretariat to coordinate between the City of Cape Town, the Department of Water and Sanitation, and local communities.

The report argues that the lands of indigenous peoples and local communities (PICLs) in Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, and Peru are critical carbon sinks that are currently undervalued in national climate commitments. Analysis shows that 92% of PICL forest lands in these countries are net carbon sinks, sequestering an average of 30 tonnes of carbon per hectare annually—more than double the rate of non-PICL lands. Despite this, the NDCs of these four countries contain limited references to PICLs and lack specific targets for protecting their lands. The report identifies significant governance gaps, including incomplete land titling, limited land rights, and the failure to implement Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC). It further highlights that these lands are under constant threat from illegal mining, logging, and agribusiness, often involving state collusion. The authors recommend that governments strengthen partnerships with PICLs, integrate their carbon sequestration data into national inventories, and ensure full legal recognition and protection of their territories to meet 2030 climate goals.

The report analyzes the participation of women in Chile's large-scale mining sector, noting an increase in female employment from 6.16% in 2010 to 10.06% in 2021. While there is growth in leadership roles and professional engineering, women remain severely underrepresented in core operational and maintenance roles. Significant gender pay gaps persist, particularly in support services, and women face systemic barriers including sexual harassment, gender stereotypes, and a lack of childcare infrastructure. The document emphasizes that large-scale mines drive the overall increase in female participation, while smaller operations lag behind.

The report details a workshop focused on the design and implementation of seafood traceability programs. It compares the EU's catch certificate scheme and the U.S. Seafood Import Monitoring Program (SIMP), highlighting the shift from paper-based systems to digital interoperability. Key discussions centered on the challenges faced by small-scale fishers, the need for standardized Key Data Elements (KDEs), and the potential of technologies like blockchain and the Global Business Identifier (GBI) to enhance supply chain transparency and combat IUU fishing.

This report by the Climate Policy Initiative outlines the climate finance landscape in Kenya, identifying a significant funding gap and a disproportionate flow of resources toward mitigation rather than adaptation. It proposes three innovative financial blueprints—the African Conservancies Fund, the Chyulu Hills Payment for Ecosystem Services, and the Green Village Savings and Loans Association—designed to mobilize private capital for underfunded adaptation sectors.

The polluter-pays principle (PPP) requires those who produce pollution to bear the costs of managing it to prevent damage to human health and the environment. While established in the European Union and OECD, it is not yet a customary international norm due to ambiguities in defining 'the polluter' and varying national implementations. In climate change law, the PPP informs debates on loss and damage and is indirectly present in the Paris Agreement through nationally determined contributions and climate finance. The document suggests that combining the PPP with the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities (CBDR) could help the Global North absorb costs for environmental harms caused in the Global South.

The document examines the dual role of U.S. ports as both victims of climate change (facing sea level rise and extreme storms) and contributors to it through significant greenhouse gas and pollutant emissions. It details mitigation strategies such as electrification of machinery, shore powering for berthed ships, and the adoption of renewable energy. It also discusses adaptation measures, contrasting 'gray infrastructure' like seawalls with nature-based solutions such as mangrove restoration and living shorelines. The brief highlights specific initiatives at ports in Los Angeles, Long Beach, Savannah, Miami, and others, while noting the role of EPA programs and international certifications in driving sustainability.

The document examines the parallels between the COVID-19 pandemic and the climate crisis, specifically regarding how systemic risks cascade across borders and sectors. It advocates for a broader approach to resilience that incorporates human wellbeing, ecological health, and adaptive risk management to handle the complexity of climate extremes.

The report examines the global trend of establishing green taxonomies to define sustainable economic activities and reduce 'greenwashing'. It details three primary methodology types: whitelist-based, technical screening criteria-based, and principle-based. A significant portion of the document compares the EU's six-objective framework with China's three-objective system, highlighting the 'Common Ground Taxonomy' as a tool to improve interoperability between the two markets. The report concludes that while taxonomies are essential for product development and risk management, challenges remain regarding data quality and the need to incorporate transition guidelines for high-emission industries.

The report examines the rise of green taxonomies as classification systems to identify sustainable economic activities and reduce greenwashing. It identifies three primary development approaches: whitelist-based, technical screening criteria (TSC) based, and principle-based. A central focus is the alignment between the EU and China taxonomies via the International Platform on Sustainable Finance (IPSF) and the Common Ground Taxonomy (CGT), which aims to facilitate cross-border green capital flows. The document details how these taxonomies are implemented by regulators for mandatory disclosure and by financial intermediaries for product development and risk management.