Search Climate Insights Directory

The report critiques the AIIB's Climate-Focused Policy-Based Financing (CPBF) instrument, arguing that it contains significant loopholes regarding fossil fuel finance and lacks robust safeguards for human rights and gender equality. Based on an analysis of programmes in Brazil and Bangladesh, the authors find that while CPBF loans are counted as 100% climate finance, the funds are fungible and not tracked for specific climate outcomes. The document recommends banning all fossil fuel finance, strengthening the Project-affected Peoples’ Mechanism (PPM), and aligning Paris alignment methodologies strictly with the 1.5°C goal.

A research paper by CPI/PUC-Rio reveals that the public support for Brazilian rural credit between 2023 and 2025 averaged R$ 59.7 billion per year, nearly five times the commonly reported cost of R$ 12.5 billion for interest rate equalization. The study identifies four primary support mechanisms: economic subsidies, tax benefits (the largest component), public funding sources, and debt renegotiations. It highlights a lack of focalization, with only 31.9% of credit linked to social, environmental, or climate goals, and a significant transparency gap, as 65.2% of contracted volumes lack essential public monitoring data in the Sicor system.

The document explains the operational framework of the Article 6.4 Paris Agreement Crediting Mechanism (PACM), detailing the project lifecycle from prior consideration to credit issuance. It identifies key reporting documents, such as Project Design Documents (PDD) and the Sustainable Development Tool, and directs users to data sources like the UNEP Article 6 Pipeline and UNFCCC platforms. The guide also outlines accountability pathways, including a global grievance mechanism and an appeals process for stakeholders to report harms or challenge registration decisions.

The GCF Accreditation Panel recommends the accreditation of PT Indonesia Infrastructure Finance (PT IIF) as a national direct access entity in Indonesia for medium-sized projects (loans and guarantees) and small-sized projects (equity), with a capacity to manage high-risk (Category A/I-1) environmental and social projects. While PT IIF demonstrated strong fiduciary capacities in on-lending and blending, as well as robust environmental and social safeguards, the Panel identified gaps in public procurement disclosure, the operationalization of its grievance redress mechanism on its website, and the lack of a formal monitoring and evaluation policy. Consequently, accreditation is recommended subject to the applicant meeting these specific conditions before submitting its first funding proposal.

The GCF Accreditation Panel recommends the accreditation of HELVETAS Swiss Intercooperation (APL180) for 'small' individual projects with a maximum environmental and social risk category of medium risk (category B/I-2). The assessment found that Helvetas fully meets most fiduciary, environmental, social, and gender standards, though it partially meets basic fiduciary standards due to gaps in internal audit quality assessment and the public disclosure of investigative guidelines. Helvetas is recommended for accreditation provided it meets specific conditions regarding the publication of its investigation terms of reference and the delivery of an external quality assessment of its internal audit function.

At the 2026 African Development Bank (AfDB) Annual Meetings, Recourse is calling for a shift in development finance to prioritise equitable renewable energy access and a just transition across Africa. The organisation demands a dedicated financing window for decentralised renewable energy (DRE), targeting at least 30% of energy access financing by 2027, and urges the Bank to halt all LNG and fossil gas financing. Recourse also advocates for grant-based and concessional public finance to prevent increasing debt distress and calls for stronger protections for communities affected by energy and extractive projects.

The document serves as a formal disclosure of environmental and social safeguard documents for a GCF-funded project in Togo. It identifies the project as 'Category B' and lists the specific locations and dates where the Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA), Environmental and Social Management Plans (ESMPs), and Local Communities Plan (LCP) were made available to stakeholders across the Maritime, Centrale, Kara, and Savanes regions.

The document outlines the disclosure process for the 'Direct Financing Loans by SIDBI to the Textile Sector' sub-project pool, part of the broader FP241 programme to finance mitigation and adaptation projects in Indian MSMEs. It specifies that the sub-project pool is classified as Category B and details the disclosure of the Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) and Environmental and Social Management Plan (ESMP) in English and Hindi on April 30, 2026, to comply with Green Climate Fund (GCF) policies.

The study finds that the draft CRCF methodology for carbon farming is not fit for purpose, setting a lower integrity standard than the PACM and risking the issuance of units not backed by actual emission reductions. Key failures include insufficient additionality and permanence requirements, the omission of leakage and indirect land-use change (ILUC) risks, and a lack of systematic safeguards. The authors recommend revising the methodology to align with international benchmarks and prohibiting the use of CRCF carbon farming units for offsetting purposes.

The briefing argues that the Asian Development Bank (ADB) uses financial intermediaries (FIs) like Clifford Capital to bypass restrictions on fossil gas investments. While the ADB committed to Paris Agreement goals in 2017 and stopped financing coal, it provided approximately $4.48bn for oil and gas infrastructure in Asia Pacific between 2017 and 2025. The document highlights Clifford Capital, which received a $95m equity investment from the ADB in 2020, as a channel for funding fossil gas projects, including the Tangguh LNG project in Indonesia and Bhola-2 in Bangladesh. The authors call for greater transparency in FI lending, a prohibition on new fossil gas infrastructure funding, and a time-bound fossil fuels exit plan.

The report analyzes the first round of Article 6.2 reviews, finding that every reviewed Initial Report contained inconsistencies with reporting requirements. It argues that the Technical Expert Review Team (TERT) lacks the mandate to judge credit quality or enforce compliance, rendering the process a 'box-ticking exercise'. Case studies on Switzerland, Ghana, Guyana, and Vanuatu illustrate how high-risk or non-compliant credits can be traded despite transparency gaps. The author recommends extending the TERT mandate to include quality assessments and prohibiting the trade of credits until reviews are finalized.

The document outlines the necessity of social and environmental safeguards in mangrove restoration to prevent ecological disruption and socio-economic harm. It provides a framework of actions based on Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) guidelines, covering areas such as environmental impact assessments, human rights, and gender equality. The brief highlights the Natur’ELLES project in Senegal, which has restored 123 ha of mangroves and 68 ha of continental forest while significantly increasing women's leadership in environmental management committees.

The briefing argues that the ADB's financial intermediary (FI) lending, specifically its $95 million equity investment in Clifford Capital, creates a transparency loophole that allows continued support for fossil gas projects. It highlights that while the ADB claims to 'ring-fence' its funds, Clifford Capital continues to finance oil and gas projects globally and in Asia. The document provides case studies of the Tangguh LNG project in Indonesia and the Bhola-2 gas power plant in Bangladesh to illustrate the environmental and social harms resulting from such investments, including mangrove destruction and forced land acquisition. It concludes that the ADB's reliance on outdated 2009 policies for these investments avoids the stricter requirements of the 2025 Environmental and Social Framework.

The GCF Accreditation Panel recommends the accreditation of the Bank of Bhutan Limited (BoB) as a national direct access entity for 'small' projects with a 'medium risk (I-2)' environmental and social category. While BoB demonstrates strong institutional presence as Bhutan's largest commercial bank and a track record in green financing, the assessment identified gaps in internal audit quality assurance, public disclosure of procurement and investigation guidelines, and the operationalization of its grievance redress mechanism. The recommendation is subject to specific conditions to be met both before the issuance of the accreditation certificate and before the submission of the first funding proposal, including the development of a Gender Action Plan and the implementation of risk-based E&S screening tools.

The GCF Accreditation Panel recommends the World Health Organization (WHO) for accreditation under the 'medium' size category and 'medium risk (category B)' environmental and social risk category. The assessment finds that WHO meets basic fiduciary standards, project management standards, and gender policy requirements. While WHO's Environmental and Social Safeguards Framework (ESSF) is considered adequate, the panel noted a gap regarding the lack of an external evaluation of the ESSF, which is set as a condition for accreditation to be resolved within two years of the first funded activity. WHO's track record includes managing large-scale grants, such as a USD 192.92 million project for the Global Polio Eradication Initiative and various climate-resilient health projects in the Pacific and Asia.

The evaluation concludes that the SAP has become operationally ineffective, failing to deliver on its promises of simplification and acceleration. While it has provided unintended value as a 'stepping-stone' for Direct Access Entities (DAEs) to build institutional capacity, it is now virtually indistinguishable from the standard Project Approval Process (PAP). The report recommends discontinuing the SAP in its current form and replacing it with a new, integrated access modality featuring delegated authority and a focus on replicating proven interventions rather than piloting new ideas.

The report examines the governance of copper and lithium in Chile, highlighting a significant gap between international sustainability principles and territorial realities. Through case studies in Tarapacá and Antofagasta, it identifies critical failures in indigenous participation, water management, and the equitable distribution of mining royalties. While the 2023 National Lithium Strategy is noted as a step toward state control and sustainability, the document argues that a just transition requires binding community participation, transparent fiscal management, and regional economic diversification to avoid reproducing historical extractivist inequalities.

The report discloses the environmental and social status of a subproject to expand textile fabric production capacity at Paramount Textile PLC in Gazipur, Bangladesh. Classified as GCF Category B, the project includes an Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) and an Environmental and Social Management Plan (ESMP), both disclosed on 24 February 2026 in Bangla and English. The document confirms that no Land Acquisition and Resettlement Action Plan (LARAP) or Indigenous Peoples Plan (IPP) is required because the expansion occurs on vacant land owned by the company and no indigenous communities were identified in the project influence area.

The document is a formal reporting form for the PURE Rural Mozambique Climate Project, detailing the environmental and social safeguards (ESS) category and the disclosure of impact assessments and management plans.

The report outlines the safeguards and disclosure process for the PdP A&C project, which targets 25 National Protected Areas (NPAs) and 4 buffer zones covering 17.6 million hectares in the Peruvian Amazon. It confirms the publication of the Environmental and Social Management Framework (ESMF), the Indigenous Peoples Planning Framework (IPPF), and the Stakeholder Engagement Plan (SEP) in English and Spanish. The document details a comprehensive disclosure strategy involving hybrid and in-person meetings with indigenous organizations, the distribution of physical documents to park ranger offices, and the creation of audio capsules in Spanish, Ese Eja, and Machiguenga to ensure accessibility for non-Spanish speaking communities.