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The brief examines gender-sensitive approaches to climate compatible development in urban Peru, specifically focusing on Risk Management and Climate Change Adaptation Networks (GRIDES). It finds that while women's leadership in these networks leads to implicit gender approaches in local government proposals, a lack of explicit understanding of gender results in a failure to include concrete measures for tackling gender inequality.

The brief examines gender-sensitive approaches to climate compatible development in urban Kenya, focusing on the 'People’s Plans into Practice (PPP)' project in Kisumu. It finds that including vulnerable groups and women in decision-making improves the addressing of practical needs and enables women to assume leadership roles, although cultural attitudes continue to allow men to dominate planning processes.

The paper pilots the use of Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA) to understand why some research projects achieve policy uptake while others do not. Analyzing 20 completed projects, the study identifies three causal pathways to success, with research credibility emerging as a necessary 'gatekeeper' condition. The authors conclude that while QCA is a resource-intensive method that reduces causal complexity, it is a valuable tool for challenging and refining a Theory of Change in complex international development settings.

The report examines how gender relations influence vulnerability to climate risks in urban Kisumu, Kenya. Using the People’s Plans into Practice (PPP) project (2008–2013) as a case study, it finds that while gender-sensitive programming—such as participatory design of water and sanitation facilities—can improve outcomes and empower women, deep-seated cultural biases and structural barriers like male-dominated land ownership persist. The study argues that for climate compatible development to be effective, it must move beyond 'gender-blind' or 'gender-aware' approaches toward 'gender-transformative' strategies that address the root causes of vulnerability and are supported by coordinated county-level policies.

The document argues that gender-sensitive approaches are essential for the sustainability and impact of climate resilience efforts in urban India, noting that urban vulnerabilities differ significantly from rural ones due to complex social dimensions of caste, class, and gender.

The brief examines how gender-sensitive programming in urban Kisumu, Kenya, can improve climate compatible development outcomes by addressing the distinct vulnerabilities of men and women. While the PPP project demonstrated that inclusive decision-making allows for better addressing of practical needs and enables women to take leadership roles, significant barriers remain, including entrenched cultural attitudes and insufficient institutional capacity. The document recommends gender audits, the appointment of gender focal persons in county departments, and a focus on structural barriers to ensure more equitable and effective climate interventions.

The brief finds that while women's participation in GRIDES has led to an implicit gender approach in local government plans, gender is often narrowly perceived as a 'women's issue' rather than a transformative process. It identifies political, socioeconomic, and cultural barriers—including a lack of political will and patriarchal beliefs—that hinder the implementation of concrete measures to tackle gender inequality in climate adaptation. The document recommends 'de-womanising' the gender approach, strengthening civil servant capacity, and aligning local initiatives with Peru's National Gender and Climate Change Plan.

The report examines how gender-sensitive programming in urban India can enhance climate resilience and people's empowerment. Using the ACCCRN project in Mahewa ward, Gorakhpur, as a case study, it finds that while the project began as gender-blind, its evolution toward a gender-sensitive implementation phase significantly improved the sustainability of interventions in water, sanitation, and agriculture. The study highlights that urban gender dynamics differ from rural ones due to weaker social cohesion and higher dependence on external services. It concludes that women's active participation as agents of change, rather than mere recipients, drives better outcomes, though deep-seated patriarchal structures and a lack of gender-disaggregated data in planning remain significant barriers.

This policy brief explores the application of transitional justice frameworks to international climate negotiations. It argues that because climate policy shares similarities with conflict transitions—such as profound loss, interdependence, and disputes over historical responsibility—lessons from transitional justice can help build the legitimacy and trust required for the Paris Agreement's success. The author suggests a balance of 'backwards-oriented' acknowledgments of responsibility and 'forwards-oriented' supports, proposing specific mechanisms such as collective reparations, long-term low-carbon development support, and 'soft accountability' tools like non-binding acknowledgments of historical responsibility.

The SUT project estimated greenhouse gas emissions from tourism service providers in Chiang Mai and Hue using the Bilan Carbone® tool. In Chiang Mai, transport was the dominant emission source, leading the city to prioritize non-motorised transport (NMT) to reduce CO2eq. In Hue, the project identified the promotion of traditional garden houses as a low-carbon strategy that acts as a carbon sink and creates employment for the poor, particularly middle-aged women. The report highlights that participatory research and strong political will from city leaders were critical enabling factors, while a lack of technical skills for scientific assessment and high maintenance costs for heritage sites posed significant challenges.

The paper examines the 'wicked problem' of aligning poverty eradication with climate mitigation and adaptation. It proposes 'climate compatible development' as an analytical framework that integrates mitigation, adaptation, and economic transformation. The author emphasizes that achieving 'zero poverty, zero emissions' requires strong policy leadership, careful design to manage winners and losers, and cross-government implementation to avoid 'pilot phase syndrome'.

The document argues that bridging the emissions gap requires both 'getting the economics right' through financial mobilisation and carbon pricing, and 'getting the politics right' through leadership and stakeholder engagement. It emphasizes a 'development first' approach for developing countries, using the 'cost of inaction' to build national consensus. To avoid maladaptation and protect the poorest, the text advocates for the inclusion of socially marginalised groups and women in decision-making, while managing the 'water-energy-food nexus' and removing laws that undermine climate goals.

The document argues that engaging the private sector is critical for scaling up climate adaptation and mitigation in Bangladesh due to high costs and public budgetary constraints. While the private sector is already pursuing market opportunities—such as climate-resilient seeds and solar home systems—significant barriers remain, including information gaps, weak financial markets, and policy constraints. The Green Climate Fund (GCF), specifically its Private Sector Facility (PSF), is presented as a key mechanism to overcome these barriers by providing low-cost finance and support for SMEs. The brief recommends that the Government of Bangladesh develop a clear roadmap for private sector involvement in climate policy and integrate climate considerations into public procurement.

The document analyzes the charcoal value chain in Kenya, highlighting the tension between high biomass energy demand and forest loss. It evaluates the role of Charcoal Producer Associations (CPAs) and the potential for improved kiln and stove technologies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The brief advocates for a coordinated policy approach, including the implementation of a Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Action (NAMA), to transition the sector from an informal, inefficient state to a regulated, sustainable industry that contributes to Kenya's Paris Agreement commitments.

The document outlines a diverse landscape of climate financing for cities, categorised into local internal revenues, external third-party sources, and international funds. Local options include property and land taxes, user fees, development charges, and Tax Increment Financing (TIF), as well as 'intracting' for energy retrofits. External sources feature Energy Performance Contracting (EPC), green bonds, and crowdfunding. International support is available through climate funds like the Green Climate Fund (GCF) and Global Environment Facility (GEF), Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs), and philanthropic organisations, though the authors note that most international funds require cooperation with national governments due to strict fiduciary and creditworthiness standards. The guide emphasizes that while international funds are necessary for large-scale projects, local sources foster greater municipal autonomy and sustainability.

The document examines Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Actions (NAMAs) as tools for developing countries to achieve mitigation and sustainable development goals. It highlights a significant gap between the high interest in NAMA development and the actual financial support provided, noting that less than 2% of requested support has been offered. The brief argues that the lack of official UNFCCC guidelines for stakeholder consultation and the absence of sector-specific environmental criteria—such as 'negative lists' to exclude harmful technologies—risk promoting 'greenwashing' and locking countries into high-carbon infrastructure. It recommends adopting universal safeguards, harmonized sustainable development assessments, and mandatory guidelines for effective stakeholder engagement, including indigenous peoples, to ensure NAMAs drive true transformational change.

The research paper reviews INDCs submitted to the UNFCCC as of November 20, 2015, to identify the prevalence of fiscal policies such as fossil fuel subsidy reform, clean energy subsidies, and carbon pricing. It finds that 39 INDCs reference these instruments, with a strong trend toward unconditional commitments. The paper highlights the significant potential for greenhouse gas reductions through fossil fuel subsidy reform (FFSR), supported by the GSI-IF model, and recommends that more countries integrate these tools to help meet the two-degree climate threshold.

WRI Climate Director Jennifer Morgan frames COP21 as a transformational moment to shift the world toward a sustainable economic model. While noting that over 160 countries have submitted climate action plans (INDCs) and major economies are increasing renewable energy supply, the document warns that current efforts are insufficient to meet the 2 degree C limit. It proposes three essential components for the Paris agreement: clear long-term and short-term signals to catalyze investment and decarbonization, a solidarity package providing finance and tools to developing countries, and a global system of transparency and accountability.

The paper explores the analogy between transitional justice—typically used to transition societies from periods of deep injustice to peace—and the climate change context. It identifies four key similarities: unavoidable interdependence, the inadequacy of current judicial processes, disagreements over the link between past actions and future obligations, and the importance of socio-economic human rights. The author suggests that climate policy could adopt specific transitional justice practices, such as guarantees of non-recurrence, reparations, limited liability, and formal peace processes, to move beyond political stalemates regarding historical responsibility. However, the paper also notes significant limitations, including the fact that climate injustices are ongoing rather than past, the lack of a unified global 'society', and the risk of co-optation by powerful actors.

The policy brief examines the intersection of the post-2015 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the COP 21 climate negotiations, and the Financing for Development agenda. It advocates for a 'bottom-up' approach to climate mitigation through INDCs that are integrated with domestic socio-economic priorities to create co-benefits in sectors like agriculture and energy. The author emphasizes that African nations should leverage clean energy and the energy-food-water nexus to leapfrog fossil-fuel-based development, while highlighting South Africa's green economy strategies as a model for job creation and GDP growth.