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The report analyzes the mini-grid sectors in Sierra Leone and Nigeria, focusing on regulatory frameworks, tariff structures, subsidies, and the productive use of energy (PUE). It highlights that while Sierra Leone has established a regulatory framework, its market is nascent and characterized by a top-down, donor-funded approach, whereas Nigeria has a more mature, private-sector-led market. Key findings emphasize the need for Sierra Leone to shift toward a bottom-up approach, implement results-based financing (RBF), and integrate PUE to improve the commercial viability of mini-grids and reduce end-user tariffs.

The New Development Bank (NDB) emphasizes the use of 'country systems' for project implementation, which shifts the primary responsibility for environmental and social assessments, consultations, and grievance mechanisms to the client. However, the Centre for Environmental Rights (CER) finds that critical project documentation—including risk assessments, management plans, and Country Partnership Plans (CPP)—is not publicly available. While the NDB has its own Information Disclosure Policy (IDP), there is ambiguity regarding its susceptibility to South Africa's Promotion of Access to Information Act (PAIA), as the NDB's Africa Regional Center has indicated it is not subject to such legislation. The report highlights a lack of transparency in the NDB's decision-making processes and recommends that all project and policy information be made accessible via the NDB website to ensure accountability.

The report identifies significant opportunities for green finance in Central America and the Caribbean (CAC), noting that while the market is small with only six deals to date, there is high potential for expansion in renewable energy, low-carbon transport, sustainable water and waste management, sustainable agriculture, and the blue economy. It highlights the role of the Central American Bank for Economic Integration (CABEI) and regional stock exchanges in driving this growth, while providing a guide for issuers to align with international standards like the Climate Bonds Taxonomy.

The report analyzes the green finance landscape in Central America and the Caribbean (CAC), noting that while the market is small—with only six green bond issuances as of June 2020—there is significant potential for growth in renewable energy, low-carbon transport, sustainable water, and waste management. It highlights the role of the Central American Bank for Economic Integration (CABEI) and the leadership of Costa Rica in climate ambition. The document provides a step-by-step guide for green financing and explores emerging opportunities in sustainable agriculture and the blue economy, while discussing the economic disruptions caused by COVID-19 and the 2020 hurricane season.

The report highlights Malaysia's leadership in sustainable finance, particularly through the issuance of green sukuk, and identifies a significant pipeline of green infrastructure projects. It emphasizes the need for private capital to meet a cumulative infrastructure investment requirement of roughly USD 460bn from 2016-2040. Key opportunities are detailed in renewable energy (especially solar and biomass), low-carbon transport (rail and EVs), sustainable water management, and waste-to-energy projects.

The Japanese green bond market grew by a third in 2020, reaching a cumulative issuance of USD 26.15 billion. Issuance is led by financial corporates and government-backed entities, with proceeds primarily allocated to buildings, transport, and energy. The report highlights a strong record of external reviews and post-issuance reporting, while identifying significant opportunities to scale up the market through the refinancing of unlabelled climate-aligned debt, particularly in the transport sector. Additionally, it outlines Japan's policy shift toward net-zero emissions by 2050 and the resulting development of green growth strategies and ESG disclosure frameworks.

The report identifies significant barriers to digitising cash transfers in Nigeria, including regulatory restrictions on agent e-float, low recipient digital literacy, and a lack of economic incentive for financial service providers (FSPs) to serve poor, rural populations. While mobile phone penetration is relatively high, most recipients use basic feature phones and prefer cash due to ease of access and lack of network reliability. The document proposes segmenting recipients by 'digital payment readiness' and digitising community savings groups as entry points for financial inclusion. It also highlights the inefficiency of current 'virtual accounts' that require 100% cash-out, arguing for a transition toward permanent digital wallets and merchant payment systems to reduce liquidity burdens and fraud.

The report assesses gender inequalities in Tanzania, specifically within the agriculture sector, identifying four primary barriers for women: land ownership, labor access, technical/technological gaps, and financial constraints. It reviews national and international policy frameworks and proposes how the TACATDP project will address these barriers through adaptation credits, guarantee support, and technical assistance.

The report highlights that the water and sanitation sector contributes up to 5% of global greenhouse gas emissions and is highly vulnerable to climate impacts. It advocates for a shift from single-issue, siloed approaches toward integrated, local, and cross-sectoral collaborations to achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 6 and 13. Through case studies in Peru, Uganda, Germany, and Bolivia, the document demonstrates how regulatory frameworks, peer-to-peer partnerships (WOPs), and systems-thinking can reduce carbon footprints and build resilience. It concludes that while collaboration is essential, it must be implemented proportionately to avoid operational inefficiency.

The report finds a nascent process of alignment in Colombia, where progress in green bond issuance and renewable energy auctions is offset by significant continued investment in fossil fuels and high deforestation rates. While the government has established frameworks like the Climate Change Law (2018) and a Carbon Tax, public spending remains heavily skewed toward the energy and mining sectors. Private financial flows are largely inconsistent with climate goals, with carbon-related assets dominating the listed equity market and insurance portfolios. The authors recommend a just transition that redirects fossil fuel subsidies toward renewables and enhances the use of green taxonomies to improve transparency.

The document analyzes the evolution of the public sphere from physical spaces to digital networks, arguing that while technology offers potential for inclusion, it has also enabled state and corporate control, misinformation, and the marginalization of vulnerable groups. It highlights the importance of 'public interest media' and 'communicative action' to foster democratic accountability. Through case studies in India, Latin America, Palestine, and Ecuador, the text illustrates how marginalized communities use alternative media—such as feminist journalism in India (Khabar Lahariya) and community radio in Ecuador (CORAPE)—to resist hegemony and reclaim their right to communicate. It concludes by advocating for regulatory frameworks that prioritize human rights and digital justice over market logic.

The document argues that wood forensic science—a suite of identification technologies—can reveal the true species and origin of timber, exposing the fraud and corruption that facilitate illegal logging. While these tools can support law enforcement and due diligence in consumer and producer countries, their effectiveness depends on political will, institutional capacity, and the expansion of global reference data sets.

Conservation corps in the United States employ youths, veterans, and seniors in environmental restoration and resilience projects. These programs, modeled after the New Deal-era Civilian Conservation Corps, provide workforce training in green skills while reducing federal land maintenance costs. Current efforts to expand these programs include President Biden's 2021 Civilian Climate Corps Initiative and various legislative proposals to increase national service positions and funding for reforestation and public land restoration.

This report by the Climate Policy Initiative and Vivid Economics analyzes the 'greenness' of COVID-19 recovery stimulus packages in five Asian countries—India, Indonesia, the Philippines, Singapore, and South Korea—using the Greenness of Stimulus Index (GSI). The study finds that most of these nations are not sufficiently incorporating climate considerations into their fiscal responses, with 'dirty' stimulus often outweighing green measures.

The report analyzes the legal and governance void created by Brexit, specifically the loss of the European Commission's enforcement role and the CJEU's jurisdiction. It examines the proposed Office for Environmental Protection (OEP) under the Environment Bill, the shift to 'retained EU law', and the risks associated with increased secondary legislation and resource shortages in agencies like the Environment Agency and Natural England. Case studies on air quality and pesticides illustrate the potential for regressive environmental standards and the loss of independent scientific oversight.

China has made significant progress in establishing a green financial system, with green credit and bonds becoming the largest in the world. However, the system remains heavily dominated by public actors, with public sources accounting for 51% of total green finance. To meet its 2015 environmental standards and climate targets, China requires an estimated USD 1.4 trillion in annual investment over the next decade, meaning current finance levels must scale up by at least four times. Key barriers to private capital include a lack of transparency in project pipelines, high search costs for impact investors, and a preference for state-owned enterprises (SOEs) in formal financing channels. The report highlights opportunities in green fintech, such as Ant Forest, and matchmaking platforms like those in Huzhou. It also examines China's outbound finance, noting that half of energy-related investments in Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) countries went to fossil fuels, and suggests implementing mandatory exclusion lists and green standards to decarbonize these flows.

The report finds that while health is a priority in National Adaptation Plans (NAPs), SRHR is largely overlooked in overarching documents, creating a gap between sector-specific health planning and national climate strategy. It argues that realizing SRHR is a foundation for climate resilience and recommends integrating SRHR into vulnerability assessments, gender analyses, and monitoring systems.

The report analyzes 19 general NAP documents, five health-sector NAPs, and five Green Climate Fund proposals to assess the integration of sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) in climate adaptation planning. It finds that while health is universally prioritized, specific SRHR issues are rarely addressed in general NAPs and often disconnected from sector-specific health plans. The document argues that SRHR is a fundamental basis for climate resilience, as its denial limits women's agency and participation in climate action. It provides eight recommendations to better integrate SRHR through gender-responsive vulnerability assessments, inter-agency collaboration, and systemic health sector adaptation.

The document assesses Thailand's air quality regulatory framework, noting that while some pollutants have decreased, national standards remain weaker than WHO guidelines. It identifies a 'siloed approach' to policymaking across different ministries as a primary barrier to enforcement and recommends the establishment of a single, national regulatory body to coordinate multi-sectoral air pollution mitigation.

The United States faces a deficit in public direct current fast-charging (DCFC) infrastructure, with only 17,000 plugs currently installed. The report highlights that current economics limit growth to a few high-traffic locations, potentially creating an inequitable system where lower-income drivers without home charging pay a significant price premium. In contrast, China has scaled its network to over 309,000 public fast-charging plugs by treating charging as a national priority since 2014. China's strategy included stimulating demand through the electrification of taxis and fleets, reforming utility tariffs to allow industrial rates, capping service fees, and providing installation subsidies. These efforts led to significant economies of scale, reducing the cost of a 50 kW DCFC unit to approximately $3,000, compared to $20,000–$35,000 in the United States. The author suggests the U.S. needs national and local goals, redesigned utility rates, and a focus on equitable access to achieve a similar transition.