Search Climate Insights Directory

The report examines the use of blended finance in Colombia to address a structural funding gap for Sustainable Development Goals, focusing on renewable energy, sustainable agriculture, and the bioeconomy. It highlights that while mobilizing private capital is essential, previous blended finance efforts have been limited by a lack of standardization and a focus on isolated transactions rather than structural solutions. The study utilizes 17 semi-structured interviews, a multi-stakeholder dialogue with approximately 40 participants, and a review of global reports to determine how international cooperation, government, and the private sector can effectively mobilize capital.

The document outlines a strategy for Africa to transition from agricultural extraction to a value-added bioeconomy, leveraging the fact that approximately 60% of its cultivable land is currently unutilized. It advocates for coordinated improvements in finance, policy, knowledge, and market systems to foster sustainable biomass production and climate-resilient value chains.

The report highlights a critical shortage of holistic, AI-ready biological data in the US, which limits the potential of AI/ML in biotechnology and biodefense. It argues that the US government should transition from merely curating data to actively creating high-quality, standardized data sets. The authors emphasize that without rigorous benchmarks and standards to address biological variability, AI-driven discoveries face significant translational risks. The document also discusses the tension between open data sharing and the need to secure data to prevent the creation of enhanced bioweapons, calling for updated Dual Use of Research Concern (DURC) guidelines. Finally, it reviews recent US policy momentum, including the Genesis Mission and various cloud laboratory legislative efforts, as essential steps toward a secure bioeconomy.

Biosuroeste is a 600-hectare 'agroecological lighthouse' in Colombia's Southwestern Antioquia that transforms land recovered from conflict into a living laboratory for regenerative development. The site implements two primary productive systems—an edible forest and a livestock system using adaptive rotational grazing—designed to mirror the scale of local family farms (0.5–15 ha). These systems demonstrate that environmental restoration and productivity are not competing goals, with the livestock system achieving 40% higher meat production per hectare than the Colombian national average. In 2025, the park provided training to over 2,500 producers, students, and rural families, promoting a 'scaling deep' approach to agroecological transformation by reshaping local values and relationships with nature.

The report finds that Pronaf exhibits a regressive distribution of credit, where the most capitalized producers receive the bulk of resources while the most vulnerable are excluded. It highlights that 79% of family farmers did not access Pronaf credit in 2024/25, and resources are heavily concentrated in the South and Southeast regions and in conventional crops like soy, corn, and coffee. The document argues that lines for bioeconomy and agroecology remain marginal, often representing less than 1% of total credit. It emphasizes the critical but underfunded role of Technical Assistance and Rural Extension (ATER), which received less than 0.3% of the total family agriculture budget in the 2025/26 Plan Safra. To address these failures, the report recommends establishing minimum allocation targets for smallholders and the North/Northeast regions, updating outdated fiscal modules for eligibility, integrating the Brazilian Sustainable Taxonomy, and blocking subsidized credit for properties with recent deforestation.

The Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) 2025 results report details the organization's progress in driving sustainable development through scientific research, capacity building, and policy engagement. Key achievements include the development of the 2025 Production Gap Report, the creation of the Integrated Guide for Business Greenhouse Gas and Air Pollutant Emission Assessment, and the support of Kazakhstan's NDC 3.0. SEI also highlights its 'One-SEI' programs, which foster cross-centre collaboration on themes such as sustainable transport, food systems, and finance. Organizationally, SEI reports a 52% reduction in air travel emissions per employee since 2017 and an increase in peer-reviewed journal outputs by 30% over 2024.

The policy brief assesses the macroeconomic, financial, and labor risks associated with Colombia's energy transition, particularly for five vulnerable departments. It warns that a disordered transition could lead to the loss of 448,000 jobs by 2035 and increased country risk. To mitigate this, the authors propose an integrated policy package comprising macro-fiscal-financial measures to lower capital costs, territorially differentiated labor protections, and a productive-territorial strategy focusing on 'lever sectors' like electric energy, efficient construction, and agroecology to create sustainable local employment.

The paper explores the bidirectional relationship between agriculture and industrial policy. It highlights how agriculture's long experience with subsidies and market distortions can inform current green industrial strategies, while detailing how the transition to a bioeconomy and green energy affects agricultural inputs and land use. The author emphasizes the need for 'sustainable productivity' metrics and warns of fiscal asymmetries between high-income and low-income countries during this transition.

The report examines the growth of the bioeconomy and the deployment of biobased technologies—including bioenergy, bioplastics, and sustainable land use—as a means to reduce emissions and build climate resilience. It highlights the potential for these technologies to operate locally and inclusively, leveraging regional resources and indigenous knowledge to support a low-carbon transition.

The Amazonia Viva Program is a large-scale initiative requesting 200 million USD from the Green Climate Fund (GCF) and 699.47 million USD in co-financing from the World Bank to protect the Amazon biome. The program targets a total of 3 million beneficiaries, including 993,609 direct beneficiaries, and aims to mitigate 8,468,951 tCO2eq over 20 years. It is structured into three components: National Programs and Actions, Regional Cooperation, and Program Management. Key interventions include securing land tenure, restoring degraded lands, promoting agroforestry, and strengthening transboundary governance and climate monitoring. The program specifically focuses on vulnerable groups, including Indigenous Peoples and Afro-descendants, who manage nearly 50% of the Amazon's territories.

The report identifies that while Brazil has immense biological potential, biodiversity-based biotechnology is constrained by a complex and fragmented regulatory environment. The Access and Benefit-Sharing (ABS) framework, particularly the SISGEN system and benefit-sharing rules, is described as a barrier to innovation that creates legal uncertainty and discourages investment. In the Amazon, these hurdles are compounded by infrastructure gaps and weak institutional coordination. The authors argue that the forthcoming National Bioeconomy Development Plan (PNDBIO) is a critical opportunity to explicitly integrate biodiversity-based biotechnology into Brazil's national strategy to unlock economic value and support conservation.

Malaysia faces significant fiscal and energy security risks due to its heavy reliance on oil and gas exports, particularly LNG shipments to Japan, South Korea, and China. The document highlights a growing crude oil trade deficit and the threat of stranded assets as global demand shifts. To mitigate these risks, the report recommends diversifying into green manufacturing, hydrogen, and carbon capture services, while establishing a Sustainable Energy Transition Fund and a Just Transition Commission to support displaced workers in resource-dependent regions like Sabah and Sarawak.

The report analyzes the convergence of nature-based solutions (NbS) and adaptation and resilience (A&R) finance, highlighting a critical funding gap where annual global nature finance flows of USD 200 billion are only one-third of the amount needed by 2030. Through five case studies—including the Acumen Resilient Agriculture Fund and Wildfire Resilience Insurance—the document identifies key barriers such as the complexity of measuring outcomes in changing climates, the lack of standardized metrics, and the high upfront costs of resilience interventions. It argues that while carbon credits and regulatory standards like the EU Deforestation Regulation provide pathways, scaling requires a shift from reactive to preventive investment mindsets and the development of credible, localized impact metrics. The report concludes that reforming the development finance architecture and leveraging global frameworks like COP30 are essential to mainstreaming nature-based adaptation.

The paper examines bioeconomy implementation in Colombia, Thailand, and East Africa, highlighting a common gap between high-level strategies and ground-level execution. In Colombia, the focus is on territorial strategies and balancing biodiversity conservation with sustainable use. Thailand emphasizes a Bio-Circular-Green (BCG) model driven by Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs), though it faces challenges in including artisanal bioeconomy and smallholder farmers. East Africa utilizes a regional strategy (2022–2032) focusing on circularity and value addition, but struggles with infrastructure and funding. Cross-regional findings suggest that successful implementation requires robust monitoring, tailored capacity building, diverse financial support, and inclusive governance.

The document examines the intersection of trade and the bioeconomy, arguing that while international trade can exacerbate biodiversity loss, it can also be leveraged through price-based, support, and regulatory measures to promote sustainability. It highlights the economic significance of biodiversity-based trade and calls for enhanced international cooperation, particularly through the G20, to align policies, remove harmful subsidies, and support low- and middle-income countries in their transition.

The report analyzes how Brazilian states in the Amazon biome are transitioning from federal dependence to active leadership in forest restoration. While states have successfully implemented mandatory restoration frameworks tied to the Forest Code and pioneered PES and REDD+ programs, the report identifies significant fragmentation. Key barriers include burdensome bureaucracy for native species forestry, a lack of integration with carbon markets (except in Pará), and inconsistent regulations across states that hinder landscape-scale projects. Pará is highlighted as the leader with the most comprehensive framework, including a dedicated State Plan for the Restoration of Native Vegetation.

The report analyzes the New PAC's infrastructure plans for the Amazon, finding a disconnect between project distribution and actual regional needs. It highlights contradictions between the program's green growth discourse and its inclusion of high-impact projects like the Ferrogrão railroad and BR-319 highway, as well as investments in natural gas power plants. The authors argue that the New PAC lacks transparency and fails to align with the Action Plan for the Prevention and Control of Deforestation in the Legal Amazon (PPCDAM). Recommendations include creating a comprehensive regional development plan, prioritizing infrastructure in the 'Deforested Amazon', and shifting energy investments toward solar and wind power.

The document examines the transition to a sustainable bioeconomy in the tropics, focusing on the institutional, business, and technological environments of specific bioresources in Thailand, Kenya, and Colombia. It highlights a systemic gap where public policies prioritize economic growth and productivity over environmental and social sustainability, particularly for smallholder farmers. While Thailand leads in high-value bioproducts like bioplastics from cassava, it faces challenges with soil degradation and labor shortages. In contrast, Kenya and Colombia primarily use cassava for food security, with nascent industrial sectors. The paper also explores non-timber forest products (NTFPs), such as croton in Kenya and açaí in Colombia, noting that while they offer high value and conservation potential, they are hindered by complex regulatory permits and a lack of scaled investment. The authors recommend shifting from monocultures to sustainable production systems, strengthening smallholder cooperatives, and streamlining biodiversity regulations to ensure an inclusive and ecologically sound bioeconomy.

The document analyzes Brazil's public incentives for agricultural methane abatement, noting that while the country is the fifth largest methane emitter globally and agriculture is its primary source, existing policies often lack specific, targeted strategies for methane reduction. It examines instruments like the Ecological Transformation Plan, the Brazilian Sustainable Taxonomy, and the Eco Invest programme, while proposing the adoption of the Climate Bonds Agricultural Criteria to better direct capital toward low-carbon farming.

The 2030 Global Forest Vision provides a framework for governments to accelerate progress toward 2030 forest goals through actions in national planning, trade, finance, land rights, and governance. It emphasizes the need for integrated climate and biodiversity plans, the scaling of finance via mechanisms like the Tropical Forest Finance Facility (TFFF) and REDD+, and the recognition of Indigenous and local community land rights. The report also calls for financial regulators to address forest-related risks, the repurposing of harmful agricultural subsidies, and the restructuring of sovereign debt to value natural capital.