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The Climate and Development Knowledge Network (CDKN) launched its second international research call in September 2011, offering approximately £4 million to fund around 8 projects. The call focuses on two main themes: 'Climate Compatible Development - policies and processes' and 'Climate-related Disaster Risk Management and Resilience'. Projects are expected to last 18-24 months, with typical budgets between £400,000 and £500,000, though exceptional projects may receive up to £1 million. Eligibility requires joint proposals from at least two organisations, including at least one from a developing country. Evaluation is based on scientific excellence, policy impact, and the degree to which the research is demand-led by developing country policy makers.

The document outlines a framework for integrating green growth into national development planning, emphasizing the need for iterative processes and the application of specific economic models to balance economic growth with environmental and social objectives.

The document outlines a strategic approach to green growth, emphasizing that economic, social, and environmental goals are not mutually exclusive. It provides a planning framework that moves from vision setting to implementation, highlights various economic models (such as CGE and EE-IO) for impact analysis, and discusses the challenges of applying these tools in developing nations, such as data scarcity and the 'black box' nature of complex models. Case studies from Rwanda and the 'Heart of Borneo' illustrate the practical application of these principles.

The Government of Kenya, supported by international partners including CDKN, DFID, and AFD, is developing a comprehensive Climate Change Action Plan consisting of eight primary subcomponents and a proposed ninth coordination subcomponent. The eight core subcomponents cover low-carbon development pathways, policy and regulatory frameworks, national adaptation planning, Nationally Appropriate Mitigations Actions (NAMAs) including REDD+ readiness, research and technology transfer, performance measurement, knowledge management, and climate finance. The Ministry of Environment and Mineral Resources (MEMR) serves as the lead agency, supported by an Inter-ministerial Task Force. The proposed coordination subcomponent is intended to act as a Programme Management Office to integrate the eight separate consultancies, manage dependencies, and maintain relationships between the Government of Kenya and donor programmes.

The paper argues that African development should be central to G20 objectives to enhance the forum's legitimacy and global economic rebalancing. It identifies key growth pillars for Africa—including infrastructure, private investment, human resource development, and trade—and suggests that the G20 can add value by focusing on 'beyond aid' issues. The authors recommend that the G20 establish permanent seats for Africa, create a high-level panel on sustainable infrastructure, and promote knowledge exchange platforms to share successful policy tools from emerging market economies. Case studies on South African outward FDI and Special Economic Zones (SEZs) illustrate potential pathways for diversifying investment and industrialization.

This February 2011 request for proposals from the Kenyan Ministry of Environment and Mineral Resources seeks consultancy services to develop a conceptual framework for a long-term national low carbon development pathway. This effort is part of a larger eight-part Climate Change Action Plan designed to protect Kenya's climate-sensitive economy—including agriculture and tourism—and align national development goals, such as Vision 2030, with climate resilience and low-carbon growth.

The report evaluates the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) and its impact on the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) and developing nations. It finds that a significant portion of CDM projects lack additionality, leading to global emission increases and reduced domestic abatement in Europe. The authors argue that the CDM has failed to facilitate meaningful technology transfer or support a systemic shift to low-carbon development in host countries, often subsidizing carbon-intensive activities instead. To address these failures, the report proposes supply-side restrictions on project eligibility and demand-side reforms in the EU, such as auctioning the right to use CERs, to ensure the mechanism serves as a transitional tool rather than a permanent subsidy regime.

The report finds that the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) has largely failed to meet its core objectives of additionality, sustainable development, and low-carbon technology transfer. In the EU, the use of CDM credits has significantly reduced domestic abatement efforts, potentially increasing global emissions by 30 to 106 million tonnes of CO2eq between 2008 and 2009 due to non-additional projects. The authors argue that the CDM often subsidizes carbon-intensive activities and creates perverse incentives that discourage developing countries from implementing national mitigation policies. To realign results with climate goals, the report proposes limiting project eligibility to those providing long-term sustainable benefits, differentiating crediting periods by project type, and introducing tradable or institutionally procured usage rights within the EU ETS.

The guide outlines a comprehensive checklist for public-sector entities to transition from a 'best value for money' approach to 'best value across the project/product life cycle'. It emphasizes the importance of legal mandates, life-cycle costing (LCC), and e-procurement in integrating environmental and social risks into purchasing decisions. The document argues that the public sector's significant spending power—representing 13-17% of GDP in high-income countries and up to 47% in Brazil—can trigger private sector innovation and the commercialization of green technologies. Key recommendations include using performance-based specifications, negotiating bulk discounts or leasing to offset higher upfront costs, and maintaining dialogue with suppliers to foster green competitiveness.

The document discusses how the AGF's goal of mobilising US$100 billion annually by 2020 for climate-resilient development affects Latin America and the Caribbean, emphasizing the need for private sector frameworks, public sector catalysis of investment, and the protection of regional development and adaptation needs.

The document argues that climate compatible development (CCD) planning in developing countries is often skewed toward external accountability to secure international finance, which can lead to ineffective domestic outcomes. To address this, the authors analyze experiences from the Rio Conventions and Poverty Reduction Strategy (PRS) processes, recommending multi-stakeholder engagement, evidence-based planning, wide communication, integrated planning across sectors and scales, and robust monitoring and evaluation to ensure that CCD strategies address real domestic needs while meeting international standards.

The policy brief introduces 'climate compatible development' as a framework to move beyond the traditional separation of adaptation, mitigation, and development strategies. It argues that policy makers must integrate these three pillars to achieve 'triple win' strategies that minimize climate threats while maximizing development opportunities. The document highlights the 'new development landscape' characterized by shifting trade patterns, new climate finance mechanisms based on 'polluter-pays' principles, and the need for long-term national consensus to navigate risks and uncertainties.

The document examines REDD+ as a tool for developing countries to reduce emissions from deforestation and degradation while fostering low-carbon development. It highlights that while over $4.5 billion had been pledged by 2012, significantly more funding is needed to meet estimated costs of $22 to $36 billion by 2015 to reduce global deforestation by 25%. The brief warns that REDD+ could increase the vulnerability of forest-dependent and indigenous peoples if land rights are not secured. It emphasizes that success requires long-term investment in monitoring, reporting, and verification (MRV) systems, which may take up to a decade to establish, and the integration of forest policies into broader national development strategies.

The document argues that policymakers must move beyond the traditional separation of adaptation, mitigation, and development to avoid inefficiencies and conflicting strategies. It defines 'Climate Compatible Development' as a framework for 'Triple Win' strategies that minimize climate impacts while maximizing opportunities in a low-emission future. The brief details how mitigation (e.g., REDD+), adaptation (e.g., disaster risk reduction), and economic development (e.g., transitioning away from high-carbon exports) must be merged. It highlights the role of climate finance, shifting from charity to the 'polluter pays' principle, and emphasizes the need for national governance systems that integrate climate goals into budgets and plans to ensure benefits reach poor populations.

The document examines REDD+ as a tool for mitigating climate change through the reduction of emissions from deforestation and forest degradation in developing countries. It argues that while REDD+ offers opportunities for low-carbon transitions, economic growth, and climate adaptation, its success depends on significant institutional investment and the mitigation of risks to forest-dependent communities.

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 report argues that while the Mekong subregion is highly vulnerable to climate-related risks, ASEAN-facilitated free trade agreements (FTAs) and economic partnership agreements (EPAs) largely lack explicit commitments to climate change. It highlights a tension between low-carbon initiatives, such as hydroelectric dams, and the resulting loss of natural capital. The document recommends mainstreaming climate risk assessments into trade mechanisms and fostering cooperation between ASEAN, the Mekong River Commission (MRC), and the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) initiative.

The CDKN Research Consultation workshop, held on 24 September 2010, gathered 40 UK-based researchers to refine a research framework focused on 'Climate Compatible Development' (CCD). The proposed framework consists of four themes: Impacts, Responding to a Changing Climate, Evaluating Climate Compatible Development, and Policy Processes. Funding is planned across three streams: a Long-Term Strategy (£30-250K), a Short-Term Strategy (under £30K), and an Innovation Fund (£10-50K). Key discussions highlighted the need for better integration between climate science and policy-making, the importance of addressing energy access in developing countries, and the necessity of developing indicators to measure adaptive capacity at the local level.

The report examines the intersection of trade and climate change in the Mekong subregion (Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam). It argues that while ASEAN promotes economic integration and trade liberalization, these frameworks often lack explicit climate change commitments, potentially increasing the region's vulnerability. The document highlights projected climate risks—such as sea-level rise, altered precipitation, and temperature increases—that threaten agricultural production and natural resources. It concludes that ASEAN's trade agreements (FTAs/EPAs) generally fail to incorporate climate risk assessments or mitigation strategies, recommending the mainstreaming of climate concerns into economic cooperation frameworks.

The SEI Strategy 2010-2014 establishes a framework for the institute to act as a leading provider of systems understanding and policy solutions for sustainable development. The strategy reorganizes research into four multidisciplinary themes: managing environmental systems, reducing climate risk, transforming governance, and rethinking development. SEI aims to increase its institutional core funding to 40% by 2014 to enhance strategic flexibility and independence. The institute leverages a distributed structure of research centres across Africa, Asia, Europe, and the USA to link global expertise with local implementation, specifically targeting the needs of poor regions and the development of leadership capacities in the South.