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The policy brief examines the opportunities and challenges of a sustainable energy transition partnership between the African Union (AU) and the European Union (EU). It highlights Africa's vast renewable energy potential and the possibility of energy trade via Power-to-X technologies, while cautioning that the EU must avoid post-colonial rhetoric and provide tailor-made incentives for fossil-fuel-dependent African nations. The authors recommend joint vision formulation, large-scale green infrastructure investment through blended finance, and a focus on job creation and education to ensure a just transition.

The document argues that National Development Banks (NDBs), which hold over USD 5 trillion in assets, are uniquely positioned to close the urban climate investment gap due to their domestic expertise and ability to provide local currency financing. However, their impact is limited by narrow mandates, a lack of bankable project pipelines, and insufficient internal capacity to assess climate risks. To enhance their role, the brief recommends that NDBs strengthen their climate mandates, seek accreditation from multilateral funds like the Green Climate Fund, and deploy risk-mitigation instruments such as guarantees to catalyze private investment. It also emphasizes the need for national governments to improve the financial creditworthiness of cities and integrate NDBs into the planning of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).

The document outlines the role of blended finance in mobilizing commercial capital for sustainable development goals, emphasizing the need for DFOs to anchor these activities in local contexts. It recommends that DFOs develop explicit local context policies, align investments with national development strategies, and deepen partnerships with local financial institutions. Additionally, it highlights the critical need to increase local currency financing and develop cost-effective foreign exchange solutions to mitigate risks for international investors.

The report argues that current green finance in China focuses too narrowly on individual assets and lacks robust monitoring, reporting, and verification (MRV) to prove additionality. It proposes a 'deep green' finance framework designed to overcome structural barriers to sustainability, such as the economic dependency of Shanxi on coal and the systemic transmission and tariff constraints affecting Sichuan's hydroelectric resources. The author suggests four tests for deep green finance and six recommendations for policymakers to align finance, policy, and market design to accelerate a systemic low-carbon transition.

The strategy identifies key climate-vulnerable sectors in Ghana—including agriculture, construction, finance, and mining—and outlines a roadmap for integrating private sector actors into the National Adaptation Plan (NAP). It analyzes barriers such as high interest rates, low awareness, and limited technical capacity, proposing solutions like blended finance, sector-specific training, and the use of business membership organizations (BMOs) as conduits for engagement. The document emphasizes a 'business case' for adaptation, focusing on risk management and new market opportunities, and provides a set of guiding principles to ensure dynamic and efficient public-private collaboration.

The Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA) is seeking funding from the Green Climate Fund (GCF) to prepare a national Water Reuse Programme (WRP) in South Africa. The country faces a projected 17% water deficit by 2030, exacerbated by climate change. The proposed WRP consists of two main components: the establishment of a national water reuse programme office to support municipalities in project preparation and the creation of a blended finance solution using project bonds to establish water reuse as a new asset class. The project preparation phase will include technical and climate impact assessments, the design of financial architecture, and gender and social studies. The total indicative cost for the full programme is estimated between USD 3 billion and 5 billion, with a request for USD 153.4 million in GCF funding.

The document argues that off-grid solar (OGS) is a critical tool for achieving universal energy access and climate mitigation, particularly by replacing kerosene lamps and reducing black carbon emissions. Despite this, multilateral climate finance institutions have invested only a small fraction of the total capital deployed in the sector. The briefing identifies barriers such as the complexity of projects that combine mitigation, adaptation, and development, as well as a focus on large-scale projects. It recommends strategies including increased concessional financing for early-stage businesses, expanded use of blended finance to attract commercial equity, and the development of a uniform methodology to quantify the climate benefits of OGS, specifically regarding black carbon.

The document identifies significant barriers to financing sustainable cooling, including the diversity of needs across human comfort, agriculture, and health sectors, and a lack of global tracking for cooling-specific investments. It argues that while private capital is abundant, it is often too risk-averse for the innovative or low-income contexts where cooling is most needed. The brief highlights the role of the Kigali Cooling Efficiency Program (K-CEP) and suggests leveraging blended finance, national cooling action plans, and bulk procurement to scale solutions. It specifically emphasizes the need to coordinate funding for refrigerant replacement (via the Montreal Protocol) with energy efficiency improvements to maximize climate benefits.

The Global Resilience Partnership (GRP) has compiled a directory of resilience-focused initiatives, categorising them into funds and financing facilities, networks and alliances, organisations, and specific programmes and projects. The mapping covers a wide array of mechanisms, from large-scale funds like the Green Climate Fund to specialised regional initiatives such as the Africa Risk Capacity and the Caribbean Catastrophe Risk Insurance Facility. These initiatives target various sectors including agriculture, urban infrastructure, water management, and financial risk disclosure, with a strong emphasis on supporting Least Developed Countries (LDCs), Small Island Developing States (SIDS), and vulnerable populations.

The document examines sub-national pooled financing mechanisms (SPFMs) as a tool for South African municipalities to access cost-effective private capital for infrastructure. While SPFMs have successfully mobilized billions in developed and emerging economies, they have not yet been implemented in Africa. In South Africa, the author identifies a mature bond market and appetite for municipal finance, but notes significant barriers including deteriorating municipal financial health, a lack of technical capacity, and limiting regulations from the National Treasury. The brief argues that the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA) holds a near-monopoly on municipal lending and should lead de-risking efforts to catalyze a vibrant local government debt market.

The statement highlights that micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in India contribute 37% of GDP and create 80% of new jobs, positioning 'Local Green Enterprises' as essential for achieving Sustainable Development Goals. It calls for targeted policy interventions, including affordable credit, streamlined public procurement, and triple bottom line impact assessments, to support the transition from 'brown' to green business practices.

The Delhi Declaration on Local Green Enterprise asserts that micro, medium, and small enterprises (MSMEs) are essential for India's transition to a green economy, as they create 80% of new jobs and contribute 37% to the GDP. The declaration defines Local Green Enterprises (LGEs) as those demonstrating environmental consciousness in resource and waste management and inclusiveness in wages and revenue distribution. To scale these enterprises, the signatories call for affordable credit through blended finance, streamlined public procurement processes, and government-led triple bottom line impact assessments to incentivize the shift from 'brown' to green business practices.

The report finds that while renewable energy investment reached USD 322 billion in 2018, it must almost triple to USD 800 billion by 2050 to meet climate goals. Investment is heavily concentrated in China, the US, and Western Europe, with a dominance of solar PV and onshore wind. The private sector provides 86% of capital, primarily through project developers. Off-grid renewables, though growing, represent less than 1% of total energy access finance, with Sub-Saharan Africa as the primary destination.

The report updates global climate finance averages for 2017/18 to USD 574 billion per year and provides a preliminary 2019 estimate of USD 608–622 billion. It highlights that mitigation dominates finance (93%), with renewable energy as the largest sector. The document also analyzes the disruptive effects of COVID-19, noting a tension between 'green' recovery packages and significant stimulus funding for carbon-intensive sectors.

The GCF's 2020-2023 updated strategic plan focuses on promoting a paradigm shift toward low-emission and climate-resilient development. Key goals include balancing funding between mitigation and adaptation, increasing direct access funding, and scaling up private sector mobilization. The plan emphasizes strengthening country ownership through the alignment of investments with national climate strategies like NDCs and NAPs. Operationally, the GCF aims to simplify accreditation processes, optimize project approval speeds, and enhance institutional capacity to better serve vulnerable regions, including LDCs, SIDS, and African states.

The report examines how different climate funds can be combined to achieve results that exceed the capacity of any single mechanism. It identifies several types of synergies, including the scaling up of pilots, continuity of action, and the blending of qualitatively different financial instruments (e.g., grants and loans). The analysis highlights that while convergence of funding is common, synergies are often hindered by administrative misalignments, such as diverging approval processes and time gaps between project phases. Key drivers for success include strong national coordination, the use of country investment plans, and the role of 'local champions' and Direct Access Entities. The report recommends strengthening country-driven investment planning, harmonizing fund procedures, and improving cross-fund information sharing to maximize the effectiveness of climate finance.

The report finds that while energy finance disbursements in high-impact countries (HICs) grew by 61% between 2013 and 2018, they still significantly lagged behind commitments (USD 32 billion disbursed vs USD 52 billion committed). Analysis of projects from 2002 to 2018 reveals that 58% of planned financing and 49% of projects were delayed. Key barriers include cumbersome administrative processes, poor project design, limited access to local finance, and low public awareness, particularly for clean cooking. The report argues that sound project design and streamlined administration are more critical for disbursement efficiency than general regulatory improvements.

The proposal aims to support Morocco's 2030 Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) by addressing the lack of climate finance at the regional, provincial, and communal levels. It proposes two main components: the design of a multi-sector National Financing Vehicle (NFV) to blend public and private capital, and the creation of a 'train-the-trainer' capacity-building program for the Climate Change Competency Center (4C). The project will identify a 'champion' region to develop a climate finance pipeline and a GCF concept note, which will then inform the national training program. The initiative is designed to transition Morocco from a project-based funding approach to a coherent national integrated climate change investment strategy.

The document identifies key obstacles to the growth of Indonesia's green bond market, including currency hedging costs, market illiquidity, and a lack of bankable green projects. It provides a roadmap of solutions involving government subsidies, MDB credit enhancements, and regulatory reforms to attract international investors.

Annual tracked climate finance averaged USD 579 billion in 2017/2018, a 25% increase from 2015/2016, though it remains far below the USD 1.6 trillion to USD 3.8 trillion annually needed for energy system transitions. Renewable energy remains the largest destination for finance, while low-carbon transport is growing rapidly. Private finance accounts for 56% of total flows, with a strong domestic preference as 76% of investment stays within the sourcing country.