Search Climate Insights Directory

This executive summary analyzes finance commitments for electricity and clean cooking access in 20 high-impact countries between 2013-14 and 2015-16. While electricity finance increased, it remains insufficient to meet 2030 universal access goals, with a significant geographical imbalance favoring Asia over Sub-Saharan Africa. Finance for clean cooking has decreased and remains critically low.

This report by the Climate Policy Initiative and the Global Center on Adaptation analyzes international public climate adaptation finance for Small Island Developing States (SIDS) between 2021 and 2022. It identifies a significant funding gap, noting that current annual flows of approximately $2 billion are far below the estimated annual need of $11.7 billion. The report highlights that a large portion of this finance is provided as debt, posing macroeconomic risks, and calls for a shift from GNI-based ODA eligibility to a multidimensional vulnerability index to improve financial access.

This July 2012 fact sheet from the Environmental and Energy Study Institute describes the technology, applications, and economic landscape of small-scale wind power in the United States. It details the differences between horizontal and vertical axis turbines, the shift toward grid-connected systems, and the role of federal and state incentives in driving market growth.

This report by Energy Innovation analyzes the rising costs of coal-fired power generation in the United States between 2021 and 2024, concluding that coal is becoming increasingly uneconomic compared to alternatives like wind, solar, and natural gas.

The Coal Atlas 2015, published by the Heinrich Böll Foundation and Friends of the Earth International, provides a comprehensive analysis of the global coal industry's impact on climate, health, human rights, and the economy. It argues that coal is the largest single source of carbon dioxide emissions and that a global transition to renewable energy is necessary to avoid catastrophic climate tipping points. The report details the environmental destruction caused by open-cast mining, the severe health risks associated with coal combustion, and the systemic use of subsidies and lobbying to maintain the industry's viability. It also examines the specific situations in major coal-consuming and producing nations, including China, India, the US, Russia, and Germany, while highlighting the rise of the 'carbon bubble'—the risk of fossil fuel assets becoming stranded as climate policies tighten.

This report by Friends of the Earth International analyzes how 17 international agreements, declarations, and normative standards support community forest management (CFM). It identifies key rights—including self-determination, consultation, territorial rights, livelihoods, women's rights, and traditional knowledge—that underpin successful CFM and provides a legal framework for advocates to pressure governments and private sectors to recognize and protect community-led forestry.

This document is the first chapter of 'Florestas em Foco', a publication by the Forest Declaration Assessment. It outlines the goals of the New York Declaration on Forests (NYDf), discusses the drivers of global deforestation, and calls for a new economic model that prioritizes nature and the inclusion of indigenous peoples to achieve sustainable forest management.

This document is the first chapter of 'Forests in Focus', published by the NYDF Progress Assessment. It evaluates the progress of the New York Declaration on Forests (NYDF), noting that the 2020 target to halve deforestation was not met and highlighting the systemic drivers of forest loss, including financial investment and commodity demand, while calling for increased transparency and the inclusion of Indigenous peoples in forest management.

This scoping study, prepared by Enviro Consulting International for FSD Africa, analyzes the supply and demand for green finance targeting small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Morocco. It identifies a significant gap between the ambitious climate targets set in Morocco's Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) and the available financial instruments, which are currently concentrated in the industrial and agricultural sectors and primarily focused on energy efficiency and renewable energy. The report recommends strengthening the regulatory and tax frameworks, improving SME governance, and designing new instruments such as a credit guarantee facility or a dedicated green equity fund to catalyze the transition to a green economy.

This scoping study, commissioned by the Moroccan Ministry of Economy and Finance and supported by FSD Africa and the UK Embassy, analyzes the supply and demand for green financing instruments targeting small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Morocco. The report identifies a significant gap between the ambitious climate goals of Morocco's Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) and the current financial offerings, which are heavily concentrated in the industrial and agricultural sectors and focused primarily on energy efficiency and renewable energy. It recommends the development of new financial instruments, such as a dedicated green equity fund or a specialized guarantee mechanism, to support a broader range of green sectors and smaller enterprises.

This report by the Green Economy Coalition and the Advocates Coalition for Development and Environment (ACODE) analyzes the extent to which Uganda's COVID-19 recovery packages—specifically the national budgets for FY 2020/21 and 2021/22—integrate sustainable natural capital management. The study finds a decline in natural capital responsiveness between the two budget years and recommends that all recovery measures undergo natural capital implication assessments to ensure a holistic recovery.

This report by the Green Economy Coalition reviews the first ten years of the SEED Awards (2005-2015), an initiative founded by UNEP, UNDP, and IUCN to support social and environmental enterprises. It analyzes the survival and impact of 202 SEED Winners across 37 countries, highlighting the role of multi-stakeholder partnerships and tailored support in fostering green and inclusive growth at the grassroots level.

The 2025 COP30 Hub Synthesis Report, published by the Global Resilience Partnership, details the outcomes of the Resilience Hub at COP30 in Belém, Brazil. It evaluates progress on adaptation finance, the Global Goal on Adaptation (GGA), and the role of non-party stakeholders in building resilience for 4 billion people by 2030. The report highlights a shift toward a 'blended model' of climate action, combining formal multilateral negotiations with voluntary coalitions and Indigenous-led initiatives.

This briefing by GreenCape explores how Black Soldier Fly (BSF) agriculture in South Africa can utilize carbon markets to generate revenue and de-risk operations. It details three primary pathways for carbon mitigation—landfill diversion, alternative protein production, and soil carbon sequestration—while outlining the regulatory landscape of South Africa's Carbon Tax Act and the technical challenges of project registration.

This industry brief by GreenCape explores investment opportunities for industrial hemp within the textiles value chain in Cape Town and South Africa. It highlights hemp's potential as a sustainable alternative to cotton, the regulatory shifts enabling its commercial cultivation, and the specific strategic advantages of Cape Town as a potential processing hub.

This industry brief by GreenCape examines financing options for small-scale embedded generation, primarily solar photovoltaic (PV) and lithium-ion battery storage, for commercial, industrial (C&I), and agricultural businesses in South Africa. It analyzes the trade-offs between outright purchase, commercial debt, power purchase agreements (PPAs), and leasing models, while detailing available tax incentives and the impact of the energy crisis on sector growth.

This industry brief by GreenCape provides guidance for businesses in the Western Cape on installing behind-the-meter (BTM) solar PV systems to reduce electricity costs and improve energy security. It details financial viability factors, pricing benchmarks for 2025/26, various financing models including Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs), and the role of municipal feed-in tariffs and national tax incentives in South Africa.

The Market Intelligent Report by GreenCape provides an overview of the water sector in South Africa, with a specific focus on the Western Cape. It details the regulatory framework, governance structures, and current challenges such as non-revenue water and skills shortages. The report identifies opportunities for the private sector in desalination, water re-use, and infrastructure maintenance, while outlining available municipal grant funding and regional projects like the Berg River Improvement Plan.

GreenCape has issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) for a legal service provider to assist in developing a Waste Management Policy and Regulatory Tool. The tool is intended to help municipalities and project developers navigate the complex legal requirements for implementing alternative waste treatment technologies in South Africa, specifically within the Western Cape province.

This 2025 Market Intelligence Report by GreenCape analyzes investment opportunities in South Africa's large-scale renewable energy sector, focusing on private off-taker development and local component manufacturing. It details the shift from public procurement to private power purchase agreements (PPAs), the impact of electricity market liberalisation, and the systemic barriers posed by grid capacity constraints and policy uncertainty.