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The workshop focused on leveraging international funds like the Green Climate Fund (GCF) and Climate Investment Funds (CIFs) to drive low-carbon investment in Brazil. Key discussions highlighted that a lack of long-term governmental strategic vision and internal organizational cultures in banks act as barriers to green investment. The event presented innovative financial instruments and case studies from Colombia and Mexico to demonstrate how blending concessional finance with private resources and risk mitigation tools can unlock climate-relevant investments.

The workshop brought together 60 participants from India and Nepal to evaluate the shortcomings of the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) and explore the potential of Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Actions (NAMAs). Participants emphasized the need to integrate human rights and robust safeguards into the 2015 Paris climate agreement and the Indian national policy framework. Key outcomes included the agreement to form a civil society working group to coordinate demands for the Indian government and the decision to write an open letter to Prime Minister Modi ahead of COP 20.

The document examines the potential for low-carbon technologies to address energy poverty in Africa, highlighting that while grid expansion is suitable for urban areas and some rural zones, off-grid and mini-grid renewables are increasingly viable for remote regions. It identifies significant barriers to adoption, including high upfront capital costs, lack of local technical capacity, and the political influence of fossil fuel reserves. Using Morocco's rural electrification programme as a success story, the briefing argues that low-carbon options must be integrated into broader development objectives—such as job creation for youth, health improvements from reduced air pollution, and national energy self-sufficiency—to become politically and economically competitive.

The workshop concluded that low-carbon options have not yet fundamentally changed the barriers to energy access in Africa, such as high supply costs and weak financing. Participants argued that energy access must be framed as a tool for inclusive development rather than just a grid connection, and that national governments must lead the transition by creating enabling environments and sustainable business models. While the emissions impact of basic energy access is considered negligible, there is a call for stronger evidence linking low-carbon pathways to job creation to convince policymakers.

The document outlines a 2013 workshop focused on reforming international investment law. Participants argued that China, as both a home and host state, is well-positioned to lead a shift toward a 'balanced approach' that integrates sustainable development. Key recommendations include refining the 'Fair and Equitable Treatment' (FET) standard to be more specific, revising compensation for indirect expropriation, and addressing the 'three-hat problem' where individuals act as arbitrator, counsel, and witness in the same proceedings. The workshop concluded that the current investor-state dispute settlement system incorrectly applies commercial dispute mechanisms to issues of public interest.

The CDKN East Africa Climate Finance Workshop identified a gap between pledged and required climate finance and highlighted the need for supportive policy environments and institutional architecture to improve readiness. Participants noted a preference for grants over loans, particularly for adaptation, and emphasized the importance of inter-ministerial coordination and private sector engagement to catalyze financial flows toward low-emission and climate-resilient options.

The workshop, held at the School of Planning and Architecture (SPA) in Bhopal, focused on bridging the knowledge gap for low carbon, climate resilient (LC-CR) solutions in rural and small-town contexts. It combined expert lectures on climate change, energy and carbon intensities, and passive design strategies with practical applications, including a site visit to the Water and Land Management Institute (WALMI) and a group design exercise for a demo centre. Key discussions highlighted the dual responsibility of the construction sector to both adapt to and mitigate climate change, the lack of regulations for embodied energy compared to operational energy, and the need to integrate alternative technologies into official Public Works Department (PWD) schedules of rates to ensure wider adoption.

The report identifies a critical gap between climate science outputs and the operational needs of transportation practitioners. It argues that adaptation requires not only improved climate data—such as updated precipitation atlases and sea-level rise projections—but also a deep understanding of local non-climate factors like infrastructure elevation and soil saturation. The document emphasizes the need for a 'central clearinghouse' of information, better 'Climate-to-English' translation of scientific terms, and the integration of climate risk into existing asset management and budgeting processes. It highlights various pilot projects and tools, including the FHWA Risk Assessment Model and Toronto's Climate Change Risk Assessment Tool, as pathways toward increasing the adaptive capacity of transportation systems.

The document outlines key messages from a 2012 expert meeting on REDD+, emphasizing that safeguard information systems (SIS) can leverage existing national and international reporting architectures to reduce costs. It argues that private sector involvement is essential for bridging financing gaps and providing technical expertise, but requires policy certainty, particularly regarding carbon credit ownership and trading rights. The briefing suggests a 'nested approach' for resource mobilization and calls for further capacity building in MRV and benefit-sharing systems.

The document details a workshop between social scientists, climate scientists, and various leaders to address why the American public remains divided on climate change despite scientific consensus. It argues that communication must shift from a 'knowledge deficit' model to one based on shared values, targeted messaging for the 'persuadable middle,' and the use of diverse, non-traditional messengers.

The Union of Concerned Scientists and the Erb Institute for Global Sustainable Enterprise held a workshop in January 2012 involving 105 professionals to discuss climate communication. The event emphasized that building public understanding of climate risks in the U.S. is a psychological and social challenge requiring the integration of social sciences into the climate debate. The resulting report focuses on four themes: the need for social consensus, target audience definition, meeting audiences where they are, and focusing on risk versus rewards.

The report outlines a multi-disciplinary approach to wildlife crime, arguing that it should be treated as transnational organized crime and a national security issue. It emphasizes the need for collaboration between conservationists, the military, intelligence agencies, and the private sector to dismantle criminal syndicates, reduce demand in Asian markets, and strengthen the judicial chain of enforcement.

The workshop identified four primary challenges in climate finance: a limited understanding of effectiveness, the need to track domestic and South-South flows alongside North-South flows, the difficulty of measuring and linking policy to the dominant private finance sources, and a general lack of comprehensive information. Participants emphasized the need for common methodologies to calculate disbursement data, the development of risk-sharing mechanisms to unlock private capital, and the creation of an integrated system for storing financial data. These findings served as the basis for the Climate Policy Initiative's (CPI) Climate Finance Project, which aims to provide analysis and a productivity evaluation framework for policymakers.

The document examines the complexities of 'doing participation' in environmental governance, arguing that effective engagement requires moving beyond 'tick-box' exercises to a holistic approach that accounts for power dynamics, social-ecological contexts, and the integration of scientific and local knowledge. It presents various case studies and methodologies, such as Q methodology for stakeholder selection and adaptive co-management frameworks, to address the tensions between representative democracy and deliberative practices.

The report details the results of four workshops held between October 2007 and February 2008 in Siófok, Keszthely, and Balatonalmádi, Hungary. Stakeholders identified significant weather shifts, including summer peak temperatures reaching the +40˚C range and increased extreme rainfall events, which impact agriculture, tourism, and human health. Current adaptation is largely ad hoc and driven by economic loss, but participants proposed a range of future 'win-win' strategies. These include diversifying tourism to be less weather-dependent, reintroducing traditional building materials like reed, and implementing rainwater storage in viticulture. The report emphasizes that successful long-term resilience requires shifting from individual initiatives to collaborative regional planning and updating building codes and legislation to support sustainable practices.

The report details a workshop on border adjustment mechanisms (BAMs) as a tool to combat carbon leakage and transition from free allowance allocation to full auctioning of carbon permits. It argues that BAMs should be limited to a narrow set of carbon-intensive commodities (1-2% of GDP) to avoid becoming protectionist 'sticks' or non-tariff trade barriers. The discussion explores implementation options, such as basing adjustments on 'best available technology' or 'average domestic production', and suggests international coordination to define eligible products, harmonise procedures, and provide flexibility for least developed countries.

The report details a workshop where 40 participants discussed a variety of climate adaptation tools, ranging from information databases to computer-based decision tools and qualitative risk management processes. It identifies a general trend of integrating climate impacts as additional stressors into existing decision-making structures and highlights a gap in tools targeting the middle ground between grassroots communities and senior officials. The document also lists specific tools such as PRECIS, CRiSTAL, and ADAPT, comparing their audiences, spatial scales, and data types.

The document outlines the challenges faced by conservation efforts in Nepal due to the Maoist insurgency, noting that conflict has constrained programmes, damaged infrastructure, and threatened staff. It highlights that environmental impacts are often opportunistic or driven by local resource needs resulting from a lack of security. To counter these effects, the briefing recommends that conservation organisations implement contingency planning, ensure transparent operations to maintain legitimacy, and engage local communities in protected area management to contribute to poverty reduction and conflict mitigation.

The report details a workshop in Bonn that brought together over 70 stakeholders to bridge the gap between international Just Transition (JT) negotiations and on-the-ground realities. Key discussions focused on overcoming barriers in the Global South—such as limited technical capacity, fragmented governance, and financial constraints—and the importance of national ownership. The document highlights South Korea's coal phase-out fund as a case study and proposes five key outcomes for the Just Transition Work Programme (JTWP), including the establishment of a Global JT Mechanism and the integration of JT into national climate plans like NDCs. Participants emphasized that JT should be framed as a development opportunity and an enabler of climate ambition rather than a cause for delay.

The report details a workshop focused on the evolving biothreat, the convergence of biotechnology with AI and robotics, and the need for a multi-layered U.S. biodefense strategy. It emphasizes the importance of U.S. technical leadership, the development of rapid medical countermeasures, and the establishment of international norms to deter both state and non-state actors.