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The 2023 Production Gap Report finds that governments plan to produce more than double the amount of fossil fuels in 2030 consistent with a 1.5°C warming limit. While many major producers have pledged net-zero emissions, most continue to expand production, with global coal production projected to increase until 2030 and oil and gas until at least 2050. The report argues for a managed, equitable phase-out of all fossil fuels, noting that reliance on carbon capture and storage (CCS) and carbon dioxide removal (CDR) is risky due to technical uncertainties and a poor track record of pilot project success.

The document details Côte d’Ivoire's efforts to integrate gender responsiveness into its climate adaptation policies from 2018 to 2023. It outlines key institutional milestones, such as the creation of the National Gender and Climate Change Platform and the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the ministries of environment and gender. The report identifies successful practices including dedicated NAP writing sessions for gender experts and the use of gender-disaggregated indicators. It concludes with recommendations to improve resource mobilization, strengthen monitoring mechanisms, and increase the involvement of women and youth in decision-making to ensure more inclusive climate adaptation.

The Central African Republic's National Gender and Climate Change Strategy (NGCCS) 2023–2030 seeks to integrate gender equality and social inclusion (GESI) into all climate actions. The strategy is jointly led by the Ministry of the Environment and Sustainable Development (MEDD) and the Ministry of Gender Affairs and the Protection of Women, Families and Children (MPGPFFE). It identifies five strategic areas of focus: governance and finance, priority sector actions, capacity strengthening, awareness-raising, and the empowerment of women and vulnerable groups. Out of 112 total actions, 31 have been prioritized with an estimated cost of USD 575,000. These priority activities include establishing gender and climate focal points in ministries, creating a GESI and climate database, and promoting gender-sensitive budgeting in climate finance.

The National Gender and Climate Change Strategy (SNGCC) 2023–2030 of the Central African Republic seeks to integrate gender equality and social inclusion (EGIS) into all climate actions to ensure sustainable and equitable results. The strategy is structured around five strategic axes: governance and finance, sector-specific actions, capacity building, communication, and the empowerment of women and vulnerable groups. It identifies 112 total actions, with 31 prioritized activities estimated to cost 575,000 USD. Implementation is led jointly by the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development (MEDD) and the Ministry for the Promotion of Gender, Protection of Women, Family and Children (MPGPFFE).

The document argues that Land and Environmental Defenders (LEDs) are critical to climate mitigation but face escalating violence, criminalization, and exclusion from global climate processes. It calls for the UNFCCC and COP28 parties to guarantee civic space, prioritize land tenure security—particularly for women—and integrate human rights-based protections into the Global Stocktake and Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).

The document details Africa's strategic position for COP28, as framed by the Nairobi Declaration. It argues that the continent must shift from being viewed as a 'climate victim' to a 'climate champion' by leveraging its renewable energy potential and critical minerals. Central to this is a demand for a complete overhaul of the global financial architecture to increase grant-based and concessional finance, as current investments are far below the $2.8 trillion needed by 2030. The brief emphasizes the urgent need to operationalize the Loss and Damage Fund and double adaptation finance to prevent an estimated $6 trillion in economic losses by 2035. It also highlights the importance of the first Global Stocktake as an accountability tool to hold the world's largest emitters and fossil-fuel companies responsible.

The report assesses Colombia's energy transition policies, specifically Law 1715 of 2014 and Law 2169 of 2021, finding both have a 'Medium' implementation rating. While legal frameworks are strong, the country has struggled to meet installed capacity targets for renewables due to social conflicts and regulatory uncertainty. The document also examines the phase-out of coal and hydrocarbons, noting contradictions between international commitments and national development plans regarding natural gas.

The report argues that technical assistance (TA) from the World Bank Group (WBG) and Asian Development Bank (ADB) creates a 'paradox' by facilitating fossil gas dependency while the institutions claim to align with the Paris Agreement. Between 2016 and August 2023, the WBG allocated nearly $200 million in TA for gas-related sectors across 14 countries, while the ADB committed nearly $11 million from 2016 to 2021. The authors contend that TA has a disproportionate impact on national energy strategies, often locking countries into carbon-intensive infrastructure and creating stranded asset risks. Case studies in Bangladesh, Vietnam, and Pakistan illustrate how TA has been used to prepare LNG projects or gas storage systems rather than accelerating renewable energy transitions. The report recommends that all energy-sector TA be approved at the Board level and redirected toward enhancing Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and renewable energy infrastructure.

The document outlines the outcomes of the SB58 conference, noting a failure to agree on a host for the Santiago Network secretariat, ongoing technical discussions regarding carbon markets under Article 6, and the need for increased climate finance for developing nations. It also highlights the push to integrate ocean-based climate action into NDCs and the need for clearer timelines and human rights language in the Action for Climate Empowerment (ACE) framework.

The document proposes detailed amendments to version 8.0 of the draft recommendation on methodological requirements for the Article 6.4 mechanism. Carbon Market Watch advocates for stronger, mandatory language (changing 'should' to 'shall'), the reintroduction of safeguards to prevent the locking-in of carbon-intensive practices, and more rigorous additionality and baseline-setting standards to ensure the mechanism encourages genuine climate ambition.

The GCF Secretariat report for 2023 details progress on six strategic objectives, highlighting a mix of target achievements and lagging indicators. While the Fund has increased its private sector financing and adaptation focus, it faces challenges with project implementation timelines, with only 49% of the portfolio rated 'on track' against a 70% target. The report also outlines the launch of the project-specific assessment approach (PSAA) and the progress of the second replenishment period (GCF-2), which had received over USD 7.25 billion in pledges as of September 2023.

The Brazilian sustainable debt market reached USD 33.3bn by H1 2023, with green bonds dominating at 45.2%. Within the agriculture sector, forestry is the most financed land-use category, followed by agriculture and bioenergy. The report highlights the role of sustainability-linked bonds (SLBs) for hard-to-abate sectors and recommends government guarantees and a national taxonomy to scale GSS+ financing.

The National Gender and Climate Change Strategy (SNGCC) of the Central African Republic (2023–2030) aims to institutionalize a gender and social inclusion approach across all climate actions. It identifies agriculture and water resources as the most vulnerable sectors and outlines five strategic axes: governance and financing, sector-specific actions, capacity building, communication, and the empowerment of women and vulnerable groups. The strategy includes a detailed action plan with 31 priority activities for 2023–2026, budgeted at 351 million FCFA (approximately 575,000 USD), to be co-managed by the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development and the Ministry for the Promotion of Gender.

The proposal aims to address critical gaps in Benin's climate action, including the lack of a centralized climate information system and poor integration of national climate commitments into communal development plans. Key planned activities include the creation of a digital climate data repository, a baseline study on the integration of climate change into local planning, an evaluation of the 2016-2025 Low-Emission Climate-Resilient Development Strategy (LECRDS), and the development of a concept note for scaling up nature-based solutions. The project will be implemented by the International Centre for Research in Agroforestry (ICRAF) over 24 months, targeting the National Designated Authority, sectoral ministries, and local communes.

The We Mean Business Coalition has launched the 'Fossil to Clean' campaign to accelerate the global transition from fossil fuels to clean energy. The campaign introduces 'Fossil to Clean principles' that call for explicit end dates for fossil fuel use to provide market certainty and prevent unwise economic risks in new oil and gas projects. While over 13,000 businesses are committed to science-based emission reductions, the coalition emphasizes that government regulation is the most critical accelerator to overcome barriers such as permitting delays and lack of infrastructure. The campaign aims to mobilize business voices leading up to COP28 to push governments to include fossil fuel phase-out targets in their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).

Between 2015 and 2020, climate finance for land use in Brazil averaged US$ 6.6 billion per year, dominated by domestic private finance and rural credit. While the crop sector was the primary recipient, the report highlights a significant gap in the proportion of total rural credit that is climate-aligned and notes a decline in public budget allocations for the forest sector.

The briefing asserts that current Nationally Determined Contributions are collectively insufficient to meet Paris Agreement temperature goals, necessitating that the Global Stocktake provide clear, sector-specific mitigation actions and targets. It proposes a comprehensive list of actions—including phasing out fossil fuels and subsidies, boosting renewables, and decarbonizing industry—to inform the 2030 and 2035 time horizons. The author suggests these outputs be integrated into the CMA cover decision or technical annexes and provide a structured guidance framework for Parties to update their NDCs with achievable targets aligned with IPCC emission reduction goals.

The document assesses the role of non-state actors (NSAs) in climate action, highlighting the risk of greenwashing and the need for improved accountability. It recommends streamlining reporting to align NSA data with national governments, expanding the Global Stocktake's tracking parameters to include contextual data beyond emissions, and adapting progress tracking to account for local complexities and tangible outcomes.

The document outlines key recommendations for the first Global Stocktake (GST) at COP28, arguing that the outcome should serve as a 'global accelerator' for climate action. It emphasizes the need for enhanced Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) with ambitious 2030 and 2035 targets, supported by increased climate finance. Specific high-impact areas for acceleration include shifting away from fossil fuels, transforming food and land-use systems, decarbonizing transport, and increasing funding for adaptation and loss and damage.

The document examines the complex intersection of political instability, economic crisis, and energy transition in Nigeria. It highlights the tension between Nigeria's desire to leverage fossil fuels for economic diversification and the global shift by financing partners toward renewables. The author analyzes the inefficiencies of the power sector, using the Kaduna Electricity Distribution Company as a case study, and proposes three policy options for the Tinubu administration to integrate energy transition into national development. It concludes that securing international capital requires aligning domestic policies with the strict de-fossilization requirements of partners like the EU and USA, while exploring innovative support for subnational entities and traditional rulers.