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The document highlights the necessity of private sector finance to meet the Paris Agreement's targets and the International Energy Agency's investment requirements for limiting temperature increase to 2°C. It provides a set of strategic lessons for governments and stakeholders to attract private investment, emphasizing context-specific approaches, public policy, risk-sharing measures, and the involvement of private actors in project design.

India has transitioned from a 'custodian' role for the global South, strictly adhering to the principle of Common But Differentiated Responsibilities and Respective Capabilities (CBDR-RC), toward a more proactive and pragmatic leadership style. While professional negotiators have historically maintained rigid positions based on equity and historical emissions, political leadership—notably during the Copenhagen, Cancun, and Durban COPs—has shown a greater willingness to shift toward binding commitments and transparency. India now emphasizes solar power collaboration and the implementation of the Paris Agreement while continuing to demand green technology transfer from developed nations.

The report argues that President Donald Trump's early presidency was marked by a lack of interest in Africa, a disregard for multilateralism, and leadership traits reminiscent of autocrats, which strained US–Africa relations. It highlights the risks posed by proposed budget cuts to foreign assistance, the US withdrawal from the Paris Agreement, and the erosion of democratic norms. However, it also suggests that domestic resistance to Trump in the US and a push for greater African self-reliance could lead to a democratic reconsolidation and more resilient partnerships.

The briefing argues that President Macron's 2017 climate summit should implement a public finance package to offset U.S. budget cuts to the Green Climate Fund and other programs. The proposed package includes approving the reuse of Clean Technology Fund (CTF) reflows, converting CTF debt from Germany, France, and Canada into equity, and securing new pledges for the Adaptation Fund and the Least Developed Countries Fund (LDCF).

The Centre for Environmental Rights (CER) has challenged the Development Bank of Southern Africa's (DBSA) financing of the Thabametsi coal-fired power plant. The CER highlights a March 2017 North Gauteng High Court ruling that suspended the project's environmental authorisation because climate change impacts were not adequately considered. The CER notes that Thabametsi's own assessments indicate it would be one of South Africa's highest greenhouse gas emitters and faces high water availability risks. The document argues that financing new coal projects contradicts the DBSA's stated goals of supporting a low-carbon economy and its status as a UN Green Climate Fund entity, warning that the plant is likely to become a stranded asset given South Africa's commitments under the Paris Agreement.

The report examines the utility of extreme event attribution (EEA) through interviews with government officials and NGO representatives in Ethiopia, Kenya, and India. While generally viewed positively, the practical application of EEA varies by country and sector. In Ethiopia and Kenya, EEA is seen as a critical tool for securing international climate finance and improving drought early warning systems. In India, stakeholders expressed more skepticism, emphasizing the need for a 'critical mass' of studies to identify trends before the science can effectively influence national mitigation or adaptation agendas. Across all regions, significant barriers persist, including the high technical complexity of EEA outputs, a lack of predictive capacity for future events, and the need for down-scaled, non-technical communication to reach local communities and farmers.

The United States Climate Alliance, formed on June 1, 2017, is a bipartisan group of 13 states and one territory committed to reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 26-28 percent from 2005 levels by 2025. This effort is part of a broader movement including the Mayors National Climate Action Agenda, the "We Are Still In" coalition, and the Under2 MOU, all aimed at filling the policy void created by the Trump Administration's withdrawal from the Paris Agreement. These subnational actors seek to maintain targets such as keeping global warming below 2 degrees Celsius and achieving 100 percent renewable power in some cities, though they face challenges regarding funding and the lack of a federal mandate.

The document provides guidance on identifying and securing diverse funding sources for National Adaptation Plan (NAP) processes, emphasizing that finance is required across all stages, including initiation, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation. It specifically examines approved proposals to the Green Climate Fund (GCF) from developing countries to support national adaptation planning activities.

The U.S. Climate Alliance, formed in June 2017, consists of 13 states and one territory committed to reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 26-28 percent from 2005 levels by 2025. This bipartisan effort is complemented by city-led initiatives like the Mayors National Climate Action Agenda and the 'We Are Still In' coalition, which includes businesses and universities. These subnational actors aim to maintain U.S. alignment with the Paris Agreement's goal of keeping global warming below 2 degrees Celsius, despite the lack of federal mandate or funding.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel sought to establish a 'Compact with Africa' during her 2017 G20 presidency to foster genuine partnerships based on agreed goals and performance standards. The initiative aims to create stable investment environments for infrastructure development while addressing mutual responsibilities in migration, corruption, and counter-terrorism. Key priorities for the compact's success include funding the Green Climate Fund to help African nations adapt to global warming, curbing illicit financial flows—estimated by the AU/UN to exceed $50 billion annually—and utilizing the African Peer Review Mechanism for governance monitoring. The document notes that US reluctance toward multilateralism under Donald Trump complicates these efforts, particularly regarding famine relief and climate finance.

The document reflects on seven years of CDKN's work to integrate climate action with poverty reduction, highlighting its influence on policies in 33 countries and its support for the Paris Agreement. It identifies critical gaps in current Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), the need for diversified climate finance beyond the Green Climate Fund, and the slow pace of sustainable transport and smart city adoption in developing nations compared to the rapid energy transition to renewables.

The document details CDKN's support for Kenya's climate goals, highlighting the impact of the 2016 Climate Change Act and the National Climate Change Action Plan (NCCAP). Key achievements include a 140 MW increase in geothermal energy in 2015, the development of the CaRROT tool for the flower sector, and the submission of four proposals to the Green Climate Fund. It also discusses the 'Raising Risk Awareness' initiative for extreme event attribution and efforts to integrate water, energy, and food (WEF) security planning at the county level.

The document argues that the Green Climate Fund (GCF) Board is creating an artificial distinction between 'development' and 'adaptation', which hinders the approval of funding for Least Developed Countries. The authors contend that effective adaptation must address underlying socioeconomic vulnerabilities—such as livelihood diversification and public health—rather than focusing solely on quantifiable technological infrastructure. They call for the GCF to move toward programmatic approaches and require a 'theory of change' from project proponents to link activities to enhanced resilience.

The document explores the multifaceted meaning of 'bankability' in climate finance, arguing that it extends beyond traditional financial returns to include socioeconomic and environmental impacts. It provides lessons from CDKN's work in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, highlighting how bankability requirements differ between public and private funders and between mitigation and adaptation projects. The paper concludes with a guiding checklist for project developers to improve the success rate of proposals submitted to multilateral funds like the Green Climate Fund (GCF).

The Green Climate Fund Proposal Toolkit 2017 serves as a comprehensive manual for creating funding proposals for the GCF. It details the roles of National Designated Authorities (NDAs), Accredited Entities (AEs), and Executing Entities (EEs), while outlining a ten-step approach to project design. Key requirements include alignment with the GCF's Results Management Framework (RMF), adherence to International Finance Corporation (IFC) Performance Standards for environmental and social safeguards, and the integration of gender-sensitive objectives through a Gender Action Plan (GAP). The document also explains the GCF's six investment criteria—impact potential, paradigm shift potential, sustainable development potential, recipient needs, country ownership, and efficiency and effectiveness—and provides guidance on selecting financial instruments such as grants, concessional loans, equity, and guarantees.

Carbon Market Watch criticizes the Green Climate Fund's approval of three large hydro dam projects in Nepal, Tajikistan, and the Solomon Islands, arguing that such investments contradict the fund's goal of promoting a paradigm shift and risk repeating the human rights and environmental failures seen in the Barro Blanco project in Panama.

The document analyzes proposed budget cuts in the FY2018 'skinny' budget, highlighting the elimination of bipartisan programs for low-income energy assistance, climate research, and rural transportation. It details specific reductions across the USDA, DOE, EPA, NASA, and the Department of State, arguing that the 'America First' approach prioritizes physical security and fossil fuels over climate resilience and international cooperation.

The document argues that large hydropower projects fail to meet GCF Investment Criteria due to greenhouse gas emissions, lack of innovation, negative environmental and human rights impacts, and vulnerability to climate change. It specifically opposes GCF support for the Qairokkum Hydropower Rehabilitation in Tajikistan, Upper Trishuli-1 in Nepal, and the Tina River Hydro Project in the Solomon Islands, urging the GCF to instead support the diversification of energy mixes in countries over-dependent on hydro.

The policy brief critiques the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) as an insufficient replacement for the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) regarding international aviation emissions. It argues that CORSIA's goal of "carbon neutral growth" allows for unlimited emissions growth and lacks the mandatory enforcement and transparency of the EU ETS. The author contends that exempting international flights from the EU ETS would undermine EU climate targets, potentially increasing the EU ETS surplus by 260 million tonnes and reducing emissions reductions by 710 Mt compared to a full-scope scenario. The brief recommends that the EU continue covering international flights, demand full transparency from ICAO's Committee on Aviation and Environmental Protection (CAEP), and end the free allocation of 85% of aviation allowances to fund decarbonization research and the Green Climate Fund.

Ethiopia is positioned as a climate leader, being the first Least Developed Country to submit an Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (INDC). The government aims to reduce annual greenhouse gas emissions from 150 Mt CO2eq in 2010 to 145 Mt CO2eq by 2030. To support these goals, CDKN has assisted the Ministry of Finance and Economic Cooperation (MoFEC) in achieving accreditation as a National Implementing Entity for the Green Climate Fund and the Adaptation Fund in March 2016. Infrastructure investments include a 34-km light rail transit in Addis Ababa and a 750-km railway to Djibouti. Additionally, CDKN is supporting the development of geothermal risk insurance and research into greening the industrial sector, specifically leather, garments, and cement.