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The document details a two-day workshop held in October 2016 in Dakar, Senegal, involving over 25 participants from seven West African countries. It examines the implications of the Paris Agreement, specifically Article 6 and carbon markets, while highlighting the failures of the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) and the challenges of accessing the Green Climate Fund. The workshop concluded with the 'Dakar Declaration,' which provides six specific recommendations for West African negotiators at COP22 to ensure the new sustainable development mechanism prioritises human rights, the least developed countries, and a shift from market-based offsets to climate finance.

The document discusses the transition from Kyoto Protocol carbon markets to the Paris Agreement's cooperative approaches, specifically the use of internationally transferred mitigation outcomes (ITMOs). It warns that without robust accounting and oversight, these transfers risk introducing 'hot air' carbon units into ambitious Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), which could jeopardize the goals of limiting global temperature increase to 1.5C or well below 2C.

The document argues that achieving NDC goals requires substantial private sector investment in low-carbon, climate-resilient infrastructure. It proposes using Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Actions (NAMAs) to create the policy and financial frameworks necessary to make these investments competitive against carbon-intensive alternatives by addressing investment barriers and risks.

The document outlines five primary strategies for integrating climate compatible development into local political agendas: establishing cross-party consensus, linking climate action to development goals, aligning climate measures with sectoral objectives, utilizing local and national 'champions', and designing initiatives to benefit marginalized groups. It emphasizes that finding innovative, non-climate-specific entry points—such as energy security or economic alternatives—can lead to more enduring policy success. Examples include Uruguay's cross-party agreement on renewable energy, the use of 'water walks' in Madurai, India, and the integration of low-emission strategies into Bogor's municipal development plan.

The document examines the tension between WTO non-discrimination rules and national climate policies, such as renewable energy subsidies and carbon pricing. It analyzes recent WTO disputes over local content requirements and proposes solutions including authoritative interpretations of GATT Article XX, the use of regional trade agreements (RTAs) to test new rules, and increased institutional coordination between the WTO and UNFCCC.

The document examines the tension between international trade rules and national climate policies, arguing that while trade rules are often seen as barriers to climate ambition, they can also facilitate the deployment of clean technologies. It proposes five key steps to create a more climate-friendly trade regime: an authoritative interpretation of GATT Article XX, the inclusion of climate expertise in WTO dispute settlement, the use of regional trade agreements to test climate rules, the pursuit of plurilateral deals like the Environmental Goods Agreement, and increased institutional coordination between the WTO and UNFCCC to enhance transparency.

The NAP Global Network provides resources, policy analysis, and coordination platforms to help bilateral donors align their investments with the adaptation priorities of developing countries. The Network aims to reduce duplication of efforts and increase the effectiveness of official development assistance for climate adaptation, offering services such as 'NAP Assemblies' for joint implementation and peer learning workshops. A practical example of this coordination is cited in Cambodia, where USAID and GIZ collaborated to support the Ministry of Environment's NAP process.

The National Energy Transition Strategy (NETS) for Saint Lucia identifies an optimal energy portfolio consisting of solar, wind, energy storage, energy efficiency, and existing diesel generation. This combination is projected to reduce diesel expenditures by 42% and carbon emissions by 40% by 2025. The report emphasizes that utility ownership generally leads to lower customer rates and that energy efficiency is the most cost-effective resource for minimizing system costs. While geothermal energy offers significant base-load potential, its viability depends on concessional financing and successful exploration. The strategy also highlights the need for regulatory reform, specifically decoupling utility revenues from sales to incentivize energy efficiency and avoiding 'rate shock' associated with certain independent power producer (IPP) arrangements.

The paper analyzes the diversity of (I)NDCs across target types, sectoral coverage, and greenhouse gas scopes, finding that while economy-wide absolute targets facilitate easier accounting, only 18 (I)NDCs (covering 41% of global emissions) currently employ them.

The document provides a detailed comparative analysis between the Kyoto Protocol's flexibility mechanisms (CDM, JI, and IET) and the emerging frameworks under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement (specifically Articles 6.2 and 6.4). It examines differences in purpose, governance, and accounting, highlighting the shift from a bifurcated system of Annex I and non-Annex I countries to a universal application for all Parties. The paper emphasizes the need for 'robust accounting' and 'environmental integrity' to avoid double counting and the transfer of 'hot air', while outlining critical unresolved questions for UNFCCC negotiations regarding the nature of internationally transferred mitigation outcomes (ITMOs) and the scope of eligible activities.

The document argues that Eskom is obstructing South Africa's transition to renewable energy and violating constitutional rights through the continued operation of polluting coal-fired power stations. The signatories call for the removal of barriers to small-scale renewable energy, the decommissioning of ageing coal plants, and greater transparency regarding emission compliance plans.

The briefing identifies six critical challenges to connecting climate action and sustainable development: creating a unified national narrative, developing integrated planning and policies, ensuring institutional coherence, adopting a whole-of-society approach, reforming finance, and aligning monitoring and reporting systems. It emphasizes that because climate change impacts development and the sectors driving development are the same as those critical for mitigation, treating these agendas as separate risks undermining both. The document highlights examples of integrated strategies in Ethiopia, Colombia, France, Gabon, and Bangladesh, while calling for a shift from fragmented bureaucratic silos toward systemic transformation and inclusive governance.

The document argues that the draft Regulations unfairly place the burden of GHG emission calculations on data providers rather than the competent authority. It recommends shifting the data provider's role to reporting activity data at a facility level, expanding the scope of GHGs to include fluorinated gases, and ensuring full public disclosure of emission data to meet South Africa's obligations under the Paris Agreement and its Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC).

The SEforALL Strategic Framework for Results (2016-21) establishes a partnership-based delivery model to accelerate progress toward Sustainable Development Goal 7 and the Paris Agreement. The framework focuses on empowering leaders to broker partnerships and unlock finance, utilizing 'heat maps' to prioritize engagement in high-impact countries. Key priorities include an 'energy efficiency first' approach, scaling up renewables through IRENA's REmap, and ensuring a people-centered transition that prioritizes women and the energy poor. The global team is transitioning into a Quasi-International Organization headquartered in Vienna to improve operational efficiency and governance.

The Stockholm Environment Institute reviewed 24 climate change mitigation policy databases, finding that while data availability is increasing, it is heavily skewed toward the energy sector and industrialized nations. The analysis reveals significant gaps in information regarding the agricultural sector, sub-Saharan Africa, policy costs, and actual emission savings. Furthermore, the review notes a lack of interactivity and poor linkage between different databases, which limits potential synergies for policy makers.

The document outlines a framework for designing the global stocktake, a periodic review process under the Paris Agreement. It proposes four critical areas of focus for the Ad hoc Working Group on the Paris Agreement (APA): determining the necessary information inputs, establishing operational modalities to ensure transparency and accountability, defining the outputs required to inform future actions, and ensuring the process effectively drives increased climate ambition and implementation support.

The author contends that using CO2 equivalent (CO2e) as a single metric for emission pledges obscures the distinct atmospheric behaviors and impacts of different substances, potentially hindering both peak warming reduction and sustainable development. By pledging targets for substances separately, countries can address the specific harms of short-lived pollutants—such as methane's contribution to tropospheric ozone, which damages crops and human health—while pursuing long-term CO2 reductions, thereby achieving both climate and development goals.

The report examines the shift in global climate governance from the top-down targets of the Kyoto Protocol to the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) of the Paris Agreement. It highlights the 'ambition gap' in current pledges and argues that the success of the agreement depends on integrating the actions of non-state actors—such as cities, regions, and businesses—into national frameworks. The document details specific subnational initiatives like the C40 network and Brazil's CB27, while providing a case study of Singapore's role in the negotiations.

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.

Carbon Market Watch outlines specific requirements for the three frameworks under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement: cooperative approaches, the Sustainable Development Mechanism (SDM), and non-market approaches. The organization emphasizes the need for robust accounting to prevent double counting and 'hot air' trading, the integration of human rights safeguards, and the principle of supplementarity to ensure domestic emission reductions are prioritized over the purchase of compliance.