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The report examines country platforms (CPs) as vehicles to integrate climate finance with national development goals in emerging economies. It argues that CPs must be country-led and grounded in macro-fiscal analysis to avoid debt vulnerabilities and ensure social inclusivity. Using the South African Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP) as a primary example, the document outlines criteria for effectiveness—including whole-of-government approaches and credible project pipelines—and proposes a four-quadrant analytical framework to guide their design. It also highlights the role of philanthropy in funding early-stage technical work and the necessity of overcoming structural path dependencies to achieve genuine economic diversification.

The document reviews Chile's evolution toward a Just Socioecological Transition (JSET), highlighting the shift from energy-focused policies to a multi-dimensional approach. It identifies critical gaps in monitoring, funding, and legislative alignment while suggesting international mechanisms to support the 2025-2035 National Strategy.

The report identifies seven recurring patterns where international climate support reproduces structural barriers in the Global South, such as prioritising technical infrastructure over social protection and centralising decision-making power. Based on analysis of Chile, Indonesia, Kenya, South Africa, Uganda, and Vietnam, it argues that Just Transition efforts are hindered by labour informality, contested land rights, and a lack of subnational delivery capacity. The framework recommends that the JTWP embed social requirements in finance, strengthen subnational institutions, develop justice-aligned data systems, shift from consultation to co-decision, and address the extractive dynamics of green supply chains.

Benin's NDC 3.0 (2026-2035) aims to reduce cumulative greenhouse gas emissions (excluding the forestry sector) by 32.8% compared to a business-as-usual scenario, a significant increase from the 20.15% target in NDC 2.0. The plan includes 32 mitigation measures implemented through 180 projects, with the energy sector being the most prominent. Adaptation is a central pillar, focusing on eight key sectors, including agriculture, water resources, and health, to address high vulnerability and a low readiness score of 0.342. The total funding requirement for the 2026-2035 period is estimated at 14.488 billion USD, with 9.266 billion USD for conditional actions.

The document analyzes Nigeria's transport sector, which is heavily dependent on fossil fuels and accounts for 24% of national GHG emissions. It evaluates current policies, emerging green initiatives like the P-CNGI and Lagos E-Mobility Project, and provides recommendations for integrating climate action into national transport planning, drawing on lessons from Ethiopia and Kenya.

The report finds that while India has achieved a non-fossil electricity capacity share exceeding 50% in 2025, public finances remain heavily tied to fossil fuels. In FY 2024, fossil fuel revenues contributed nearly INR 9 lakh crore (USD 108 billion) to the exchequer, and 83% of central state-owned enterprise capital expenditures were directed toward fossils. Although clean energy subsidies grew by 31% year-on-year in FY 2024 and fossil fuel subsidies declined by 12%, the latter was attributed to cyclical price movements rather than structural policy. The study recommends improving the targeting of electricity subsidies, redirecting state-owned enterprise capital toward clean-tech, and diversifying government revenue through carbon pricing and green taxes.

Ten years after its 2015 adoption, the Paris Agreement has shifted the projected global warming trajectory from 4.8 degrees C to between 2.3 and 2.9 degrees C, though it remains off track for the 1.5 degrees C goal. While clean technology growth has exceeded expectations—with electric vehicles now comprising a fifth of auto sales and solar and wind electricity generation tripling—current nationally determined contributions (NDCs) would deliver less than 14% of the emissions reductions needed by 2035. The author argues that the next decade requires a total economic transformation, a more aggressive approach to phasing out fossil fuels, and a remodeled multilateral process where COP decisions are not subject to a veto by a few nations. Key priorities include supporting the green transitions of large middle-income countries, which account for 60% of global emissions, and integrating climate commitments into national economic policies.

The 2025 G20 presidency under South Africa served as a symbolic platform for African priorities, including debt sustainability and just energy transition, but faced significant challenges due to the absence of the US and a general lack of collective ambition on climate change. While the presidency successfully advanced discussions on critical minerals and disaster resilience, the Final Communiqué failed to mention transitioning away from fossil fuels, reflecting a broader trend of G20 paralysis on environmental leadership.

The COP30 summit in Belém concluded with the "Mutirão global" agreement, which maintained negotiations but postponed key decisions on fossil fuels and adaptation finance. While the summit saw record indigenous participation and significant funding commitments for tropical forests and energy infrastructure, it failed to establish a clear mechanism to limit warming to 1.5°C and lacked a process for reviewing Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). The document urges reporters to translate these diplomatic results into human-centric stories focusing on vulnerable communities and territorial rights.

The study finds a substantial disconnect between African climate commitments (NDCs) and national development blueprints (NDPs), with NDCs focusing on climate-centric sectors like energy and forestry while NDPs prioritize economic growth, finance, and the private sector. This 'parallel policy framework' is driven by institutional fragmentation, where NDCs are often externally funded and led by environment ministries, whereas NDPs are domestically anchored and led by economic planning ministries. The authors recommend a 'whole-of-government' approach to embed climate goals into national budgets and development strategies to maximize socio-economic co-benefits.

The report finds that while India has achieved its non-fossil electricity capacity target of 50% by 2025, government support for fossil fuels remains five times larger than for clean energy. Total government support to energy in FY 2024 was at least INR 6.3 lakh crore (USD 75 billion), with a significant portion shifting from direct subsidies to investments by state-owned enterprises (SOEs) and public financial institutions (PFIs). The analysis highlights a critical fiscal reliance on fossil fuel revenues, which account for 90% of energy revenues, and a growing burden of electricity subsidies for end consumers that constrains fiscal space for clean energy. The report recommends transitioning to targeted direct benefit transfers for electricity, phasing out fossil fuel production subsidies, and implementing a strategic roadmap for aligning public finance with net-zero goals by 2047.

The document outlines a granular, asset-level process for financial institutions (FIs) to map a company's transition footprint. This process involves five key steps: assessing double materiality to prioritize business lines, gathering detailed asset-level data, identifying retrofit and retirement timelines, selecting appropriate transition benchmarks (such as NDCs or peer data), and evaluating the resulting transition exposure. The guide emphasizes that moving beyond high-level emissions disclosures to asset-specific analysis allows FIs to identify carbon lock-in, policy misalignment, and opportunities for early retirement of high-emissions assets.

The document assesses the feasibility of using domestic fiscal tools—explicit fossil fuel subsidies (EFFS) and environmental taxes—to close Africa's climate finance gap, which is estimated at 5–10% of GDP. While these tools could contribute 1.7% and 1.1% of GDP respectively, the author argues they are insufficient to fully close the gap. The paper recommends establishing independent fuel reserve authorities to manage price volatility and suggests a gradual, long-term withdrawal of subsidies to avoid social unrest and inflation. It highlights that Africa's climate finance is heavily dependent on foreign sources and public funding compared to global averages.

The report analyzes methane emissions in Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Chile, and Costa Rica, comparing their national frameworks with EU regulations. It identifies significant emission sources—primarily oil and gas operations in energy, landfills in waste, and enteric fermentation in agriculture—and highlights a general lack of binding methane-specific targets and granular monitoring (MRV) in the LAC region. The document recommends aligning LAC policies with EU benchmarks and the Oil and Gas Methane Partnership (OGMP 2.0) to enhance transparency, attract climate finance, and improve international market access.

The document examines the role of Internationally Transferred Mitigation Outcomes (ITMOs) as a cost-effective tool for Canada to achieve its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). It highlights that internal decarbonization, particularly in heavy industry, is increasingly expensive, whereas ITMOs allow Canada to account for verified emissions reductions achieved abroad. The author suggests that by integrating ITMOs into its trade and financial strategies, Canada can open new markets for its clean technologies, such as methane reduction and advanced manufacturing. Using Japan's Joint Crediting Mechanism (JCM) as a model, the briefing recommends that Canada establish a national coordination mechanism involving multiple government departments to manage bilateral agreements and mobilize private investment.

The paper examines the transition of African carbon market engagement from the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) legacy to the operationalisation of Article 6.4 and 6.2 of the Paris Agreement. It warns against a continued reliance on exporting low-cost credits, which risks 'carbon grabs' and price asymmetry, where credits have been offered as low as USD 1-3 per tonne. The author proposes a 'Paris mindset' where domestic use of credits for national carbon taxes or sectoral targets is prioritised, and exports are used only for calculated surpluses. To achieve this, the document outlines five pillars of readiness: Policy & Institutions, Registry & MRV, Authorisation & Corresponding Adjustments (CAs), Safeguards & Benefit-sharing, and Finance & Market Access. It provides a comparative analysis of several African nations, noting that South Africa and Egypt are adopting a domestic-focused 'Paris' approach, while Ghana and Rwanda remain more export-led, and Kenya and Nigeria are in hybrid transitions.

The paper examines the transition of African carbon markets from the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) legacy to the implementation of Article 6 of the Paris Agreement. It contrasts an 'export-led' approach, which risks exploitative 'carbon grabs' and low pricing (USD 1-3 per tonne), with a 'sovereign-first' approach that uses carbon markets as tools for national decarbonization. The author proposes a five-pillar readiness framework—covering policy, registries, authorization, safeguards, and finance—to help countries move toward domestic compliance markets. Current progress varies across the continent, with South Africa and Egypt adopting domestic-focused 'Paris' mindsets, while Ghana and Rwanda remain more export-led, and Kenya and Nigeria occupying hybrid positions.

The document examines the tension between Africa's potential as a clean energy leader and the restrictive nature of unilateral trade instruments like the EU's CBAM. While Africa possesses significant renewable energy potential and 30% of global critical mineral reserves, the paper argues that CBAM could reduce collective GDP by 0.91% (approximately USD 25 billion) and limit fiscal space for green R&D. It suggests that African nations leverage their strategic mineral advantages, utilize the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) to eliminate 97% of internal tariffs, and push for more structured discussions on trade restrictions within the UNFCCC and WTO.

Ten years after the Paris Agreement, solar energy has transitioned from a marginal source to the fastest-growing electricity source globally, with leadership shifting from advanced economies to emerging markets. Brazil, China, and India have been central to this shift, collectively accounting for 60% of new solar capacity since 2015. The report highlights how national commitments (NDCs), international financing, and industrial policies—such as Brazil's renewable energy auctions and China's manufacturing scale—have drastically reduced costs and increased global deployment. By 2025, the world reached 2.2 TW of solar capacity, with the focus now shifting toward energy storage and grid reliability to ensure 24/7 availability.

The report details the transition of solar leadership from mature to emerging economies following the 2015 Paris Agreement. It highlights the exponential growth of solar power globally, rising from 1% of generation in 2015 to 8.8% in the first half of 2025. The document specifically examines the roles of Brazil, China, and India, noting that these three countries account for 60% of all new solar capacity since 2015. It attributes this surge to national targets (NDCs), international climate finance, and the establishment of the International Solar Alliance (ISA).