Search Climate Insights Directory

An analysis of 14 major economies outside the traditional UNFCCC contributors reveals that they provided approximately $102 billion in voluntary climate finance from 2013 to 2023. The study highlights a shift toward a multipolar finance reality, where emerging markets and developing economies (EMDEs) are increasingly active, though their contributions remain fragmented in official reporting. The report emphasizes the need for inclusive reporting frameworks and the scaling of triangular partnerships and de-risking mechanisms to mobilize further private capital to meet global climate goals.

The paper assesses climate finance provided by 14 non-Annex II countries, finding they contributed $102.38 billion between 2013 and 2023. While China is the largest contributor, other nations show a strong preference for adaptation. The study emphasizes the need to standardize this voluntary data to support the Baku to Belém (B2B) Roadmap and a multipolar financial system.

The report outlines seven key recommendations for ensuring a just transition away from fossil fuels, focusing on institutionalising social dialogue, enhancing transition modelling, implementing worker-centred planning, and pursuing sequenced economic diversification. It emphasises the need for collaborative governance, justice-oriented finance, and the integration of just transition principles into multilateral processes like the Belém Roadmap.

The report examines the mismatch between India's diplomatic rhetoric and its actual economic and institutional footprint in Africa. While India possesses comparative advantages rooted in historical ties, shared post-colonial values, and expertise in digital public infrastructure and pharmaceuticals, it lags behind rivals like China in trade, investment, and credit provision. The author identifies fiscal constraints, bureaucratic inefficiency, and reputational risks as primary barriers and recommends a coordinated 'multi-actor Africa policy' focused on high-impact sectors and strategic partnerships with anchor states including South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya, and Egypt.

The document advocates for ending the artificial separation of climate mitigation and adaptation, arguing that treating them as parallel streams wastes resources and undermines sustainable development. It emphasizes that climate change is a systemic condition of development rather than a standalone sector. Using examples from Asia's energy, food, and water systems, the text demonstrates how integrated planning—such as combining low-carbon buildings with heat resilience—creates essential synergies. The author calls for structural shifts in governance, including the institutionalization of climate risk assessments for all infrastructure and a move by international donors from funding discrete projects to supporting holistic development programs.

The IEJ argues that the Just Transition Mechanism must be equity-oriented, grant-based, and non-prescriptive to support developing countries' national priorities. It emphasizes the need for technical assistance that covers labour markets and social protection, and calls for governance that ensures the participation of affected stakeholders and avoids exacerbating debt burdens.

The briefing examines the limitations of North-South Just Energy Transition Partnerships (JETPs), specifically regarding funding, local ownership, and equity. It proposes South-South cooperation as a complementary approach that leverages peer learning and context-specific solutions to integrate local development needs like energy access and job creation. Using the experiences of South Africa and Colombia, the text identifies specific areas for collaboration, including mine closures and green industrialization, while noting that institutional support and inclusive participation are necessary to achieve transformative development goals.

The paper examines the disconnect between trade and climate policies, which hinders the distribution of adaptation technologies to the Global South. It defines adaptation technology through three pillars—hardware, software, and orgware—and emphasizes that these tools are highly site-specific. The author identifies three primary challenges: a shallow understanding of adaptation among trade policy-makers, trade barriers such as high tariffs, and siloed discussions between the WTO and UNFCCC. To resolve this, the document recommends involving trade experts in National Adaptation Plan (NAP) and Technology Needs Assessment (TNA) processes, reducing trade barriers, leveraging regional agreements, and supporting South-South cooperation.

The report examines the challenges of Just Energy Transition Partnerships (JETPs), noting their tendency to prioritize donor agendas and techno-economic frameworks over local social needs. It proposes South-South cooperation (SSC) as a vital complement to address these gaps through peer learning and context-specific solutions. Using South Africa and Colombia as case studies, the document identifies specific areas for collaboration, including mine closure, green industrialization, and the integration of peace-building experiences into transition planning.

The document argues that while North-South just energy transition partnerships are innovative, they are limited by issues of financing, local ownership, and equity. South-South cooperation (SSC) is presented as a complementary approach that can foster peer learning and context-specific, justice-centred solutions focusing on energy access, job creation, and socio-political inclusion. The brief highlights South Africa and Colombia as examples of countries facing transition challenges with untapped potential for cooperation in mine closure, green industrialization, and community benefit-sharing.

The document highlights Indonesia's decision to contribute to the Tropical Forest Forever Facility (TFFF), a fund initiated by Brazil to raise up to $125 billion for nature conservation. The author describes this as a move away from the historical reliance on 'Global North' funding and urges wealthy nations to invest in the fund to reach the necessary scale, while noting that Indonesia and Brazil must still address internal deforestation drivers.

Climate finance for emerging markets and developing economies (EMDEs) surpassed USD 1 trillion in 2023, with 80% mobilized domestically. Mitigation finance dominates, accounting for 92% of flows (USD 979 billion), while adaptation finance reached USD 48 billion. China is the primary driver, providing 64% of total EMDE flows. Significant gaps remain, with annual mitigation needs estimated at USD 3.86 trillion. The report recommends strengthening domestic enabling environments, improving the quality of international finance, and increasing data transparency to scale investment.

The report details a workshop series organized by the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI), the Alliance for Just Deliberation on Solar Geoengineering (DSG), and The Degrees Initiative. The program focused on solar radiation modification (SRM) as a case study for emerging climate intervention techniques. Through expert presentations and a multilateral negotiation simulation in Bogotá, Colombia, the initiative aimed to bridge the gap between science and policy for officials from Latin America and the Caribbean. Key outcomes include a consensus on the need for regional research to ensure equitable participation in global forums, concerns over 'moral hazard' regarding climate mitigation, and the importance of including Indigenous Peoples and local communities in research governance.

The Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI), alongside the Alliance for Just Deliberation on Solar Geoengineering (DSG) and The Degrees Initiative, conducted a workshop series culminating in an in-person simulation in Bogota, Colombia. The program aimed to empower policymakers and technical specialists from Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) to navigate the complexities of solar radiation modification (SRM) governance. Participants identified critical needs for regional research to understand local physical and socio-economic impacts, noting a disparity between the region's low greenhouse gas emissions and its high climate vulnerability. Discussions highlighted the risk of SRM creating a "moral hazard" that could divert attention from Paris Agreement commitments, specifically Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). The report emphasizes the necessity of strengthening science-policy interfaces, ensuring the participation of Indigenous Peoples through free, prior and informed consent, and fostering South-South and triangular cooperation to enhance regional data access and institutional knowledge.

The document examines the shortcomings of Just Energy Transition Partnerships (JETPs), noting their tendency toward techno-economic framing and donor-driven agendas. It proposes South-South cooperation (SSC) as a vital alternative that leverages shared socio-economic challenges and peer learning to foster more inclusive, justice-centred transitions. Using South Africa and Colombia as case studies, the brief identifies specific opportunities for collaboration in mine closure, green industrialization, and institutional coordination to move beyond one-size-fits-all models.

The paper analyzes the energy transition pathways of Brazil and South Africa, focusing on the intersection of green skills and social protection. It highlights South Africa's struggle with coal dependency and fragmented skills planning versus Brazil's stronger renewable energy base and integrated social programs like Bolsa Verde. The authors argue that for a just transition, these nations must align green skills strategies with national development goals, increase funding for reskilling, and leverage South-South cooperation to protect vulnerable workers and reduce inequality.

The workshop, held in September 2025, focused on linking local leadership with global climate frameworks. Through case studies from India, South Africa, and Ethiopia, participants identified the necessity of community ownership, political will at the national level, and the use of the COP30 Action Agenda to scale locally-led solutions. The event concluded that a global Just Transition must be grounded in local realities and supported by international mechanisms for finance and knowledge sharing.

The report examines how technology transfer for climate change adaptation is handled within the UNFCCC and WTO frameworks, noting that these policy domains have largely evolved in isolation. It defines adaptation technology as comprising hardware, software, and orgware, and highlights that while trade is recognized as a driver for transfer, it is rarely explicitly integrated into national adaptation plans (NAPs) or technology needs assessments (TNAs). The author identifies significant divergences between developed and developing countries over intellectual property rights (IPRs) and the role of government incentives. Analysis of Small Island Developing States' BAEF reports reveals that high import duties and reliance on foreign imports are key barriers. The report recommends involving trade experts in the NAP process and developing actionable guidance to operationalize technology transfer.

The document analyzes the institutional strain on BRICS caused by its expansion, noting that while the bloc's global influence has grown, its consensus-based governance struggles with divergent member interests. It evaluates Brazil's 2025 presidency, which attempted to prioritize institutional development but saw most structural reforms deferred in the Rio Declaration. The authors contrast the informal nature of the broader bloc with the formal success of the New Development Bank (NDB) and propose six targeted, low-bureaucracy improvements—including a shared document repository and standardized onboarding—to improve operational effectiveness without sacrificing the group's flexible identity.

The report argues that the traditional Official Development Assistance (ODA) model is outdated and failing to meet 21st-century challenges. It identifies six key pressures: shifting poverty geographies, rising demands for climate and health financing, fragmentation from new actors, changing flow natures, geopolitical rivalries, and declining public trust. The author contends that incremental tweaks are insufficient and proposes a 'reset' that integrates ODA into a broader Global Public Investment (GPI) framework. This new architecture would distinguish core poverty reduction from global public goods financing, reform governance to include the Global South, and shift the narrative from donor-driven charity to mutual interest. The report outlines five future scenarios for 2040, ranging from 'Incremental Change' to a 'Managed Handover' to non-governmental actors, urging policymakers to proactively shape a transition to avoid a fragmented 'Wild West' of bilateralism.