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The report argues that carbon pricing is likely to improve air quality in California because the most feasible GHG abatement strategies—such as energy efficiency and fuel switching—also reduce local air pollutants. Using data from the European Union (EU) Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS), the authors find a statistically significant negative relationship between carbon prices and emissions of both GHGs and local air pollutants (sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and particulate matter). Notably, EU oil refineries showed stronger reductions in local air pollutants than the average industrial facility. While cogeneration is identified as the only strategy that could potentially increase local emissions, the report suggests that existing air quality regulations and new source reviews in California should prevent such outcomes. The authors recommend that California regulators use industrial audits to maximize synergies between GHG and LAP abatement and consider financial incentives for high-benefit projects in poor air quality areas.

The document evaluates the British Columbia carbon tax as an effective model for low-carbon development that has reduced emissions without hindering economic growth. It compares BC's approach with other Canadian provincial and federal strategies, highlighting a closing gap in carbon pricing across the country. The briefing identifies key risks to future success, including the expansion of the natural gas sector and the lack of carbon pricing in the United States. IISD recommends retaining the tax and considering integrated mitigation and adaptation strategies.

The paper examines the fragmented landscape of climate change adaptation finance, analyzing the roles of the UNFCCC, the Adaptation Fund, the Global Environment Facility (GEF), and Overseas Development Assistance (ODA). It argues that the current system is a 'non-system' characterized by inefficiencies, double counting of funds, and a lack of standardized metrics for success. The author explores the potential for regional banks, such as the African Development Bank, to provide more effective, decentralized management of funds. The document concludes by offering lessons for the Green Climate Fund (GCF), emphasizing the need for direct access modalities, clear ring-fencing of assets, and a transparent trustee selection process to avoid conflicts of interest, particularly regarding the World Bank.

The document examines the risk posed by a projected surplus of up to 13 billion Assigned Amount Units (AAUs) that could be carried over into a second Kyoto Protocol commitment period. It argues that without restrictions, this surplus could eliminate additional emissions reductions and threaten the goal of limiting global warming to 2°C, thereby undermining the viability of the global climate deal planned for 2020.

The report examines the financing gap for smallholder farmers in developing countries, who are critical for global food security but highly vulnerable to climate change. It argues that achieving a 'triple dividend'—increased food production, improved adaptive capacity, and reduced emissions—requires a coordinated mix of public, private, and climate-specific financing. The document analyzes the limitations of current mechanisms, such as the decline in official development assistance for agriculture and the high transaction costs of carbon markets, and recommends creating national funds and enabling policy environments to support climate-smart agricultural transitions.

The 66th CDM Executive Board meeting established the 2012-2013 business plan and the 2012 Management Plan, which includes a commitment to assess improvements for demonstrating additionality in large-scale projects. The Board is transitioning to a risk-based approach for project registration to handle an expected surge in applications before 2012 year-end EU restrictions. Other key developments include the creation of a permanent working group for Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) and ongoing debates regarding perverse incentives in nitric acid N2O abatement methodologies. Carbon Market Watch expressed concern over the risk-based approach and the lack of Board discussion regarding the price collapse of EU-ETS allowances and CDM credits.

The briefing examines the funding gap for climate change in the global South, specifically Africa, where adaptation costs are projected to reach $30 to $60 billion annually by 2030. It evaluates several funding mechanisms—including direct budgetary contributions, shipping and aviation levies, financial transaction taxes, Special Drawing Rights (SDRs), the redirection of fossil fuel subsidies, and carbon taxes—against criteria for fairness, such as adequacy, predictability, and transparency. The document argues that public funding must be prioritized over private finance and carbon markets, which it claims are often biased toward profitable mitigation projects in middle-income countries and fail to provide meaningful support to the poorest African regions.

The report investigates the governance of climate finance in the Global South, arguing that current mechanisms often prioritize mitigation over adaptation and corporate profit over local needs. Through case studies in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, it highlights systemic issues including the 'greenwashing' of industrial activities, the marginalization of indigenous land rights, and a lack of transparency in fund disbursement. The authors advocate for a normative framework based on democratic governance, downward accountability to vulnerable communities, and the separation of public and private funding sources to ensure climate finance addresses actual developmental and environmental needs.

The report assesses China's ambition to launch a national carbon trading system by 2015, noting that while the government is determined to move away from inefficient top-down administrative measures, a functional domestic market does not yet exist beyond the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM). It highlights the initiation of seven regional pilots (Beijing, Chongqing, Guangdong, Hunan, Shanghai, Shenzhen, and Tianjin) as critical experiments that will determine the future of Chinese climate policy. The authors identify significant hurdles, including a lack of reliable emission data, the absence of a mature free-market economy, and the need for robust legal frameworks for monitoring, reporting, and verification (MRV).

The document assesses the impact of large-scale power projects on the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), noting that these projects are expected to generate nearly 70% of total CERs between 2013 and 2020. It argues that additionality for these projects is difficult to demonstrate, potentially leading to a global increase in greenhouse gas emissions. The authors propose phasing out these projects to stabilize the carbon market and shifting support toward national policies like feed-in tariffs and carbon taxes.

The document examines 'evergreen agriculture'—the integration of specific tree species into annual food crop systems—as a solution to low soil fertility and climate vulnerability in Zambia. It highlights two primary systems: maize agroforestry using Faidherbia albida, which significantly increased unfertilised maize yields to 4.1 tonnes per ha in 2008, and conservation agriculture with trees using nitrogen-fixing species like Gliricidia and Tephrosia. The brief argues that these practices improve water retention, reduce erosion, and sequester 2–4 tonnes of carbon per ha per year, with a potential aggregate sequestration of 50 billion tonnes of CO2 over 50 years in Africa. However, scaling up requires increased seed supply, expanded extension services, and supportive policy frameworks. While carbon markets are mentioned as a funding source, the document notes high transaction costs and measurement difficulties, suggesting that Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Actions (NAMAs) may offer a more viable path for financing and implementing low-carbon development strategies.

The report critiques the Kalimantan Forests and Climate Partnership (KFCP), a bilateral agreement between Australia and Indonesia designed to pilot REDD carbon offsets. It argues that the project ignores indigenous land rights, fails to address the primary drivers of deforestation, and risks creating social conflict. The document further contends that market-based REDD mechanisms generally shift climate responsibility from rich to poor nations and are prone to 'leakage' and permanence issues.

A coalition of 109 civil society organisations calls for a second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol and the closure of carbon market loopholes. The letter demands that market-based mechanisms be tied to binding targets and proposes specific reforms to the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), including human rights safeguards, a robust appeals procedure, and the exclusion of non-additional projects and Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS).

The report examines the role of agriculture within UNFCCC negotiations, highlighting its unique position as a sector where mitigation and adaptation are intertwined. It identifies key areas of consensus, such as the link between agriculture and food security, while detailing points of contention between developed and developing nations regarding trade implications, the principle of common but differentiated responsibility (CBDR), and the use of carbon markets. The document argues for a 'triple dividend' approach that simultaneously improves food security, adaptive capacity, and emission reductions.

The document argues for a 'triple dividend' approach to agriculture that balances the need to feed a growing global population with the necessity of climate mitigation and adaptation. It highlights that while agriculture is a major emitter of greenhouse gases, it also possesses significant potential for carbon sequestration and resilience building. The report identifies sustainable intensification and soil carbon sequestration as key strategies, though it notes challenges such as high upfront costs, knowledge gaps, and the difficulty of scaling up successful local projects. It emphasizes the need for research and development, improved extension services, and innovative financing to support smallholder farmers, particularly in developing regions.

South Africa hosted COP 17 in 2011 with the goal of establishing legal guidelines for carbon emission reductions and advancing a post-2012 global climate regime. The document highlights the tension between developed and developing nations regarding binding targets, specifically the stalemate over the Kyoto Protocol. South Africa aims to act as a bridge-builder, championing African agency and adaptation needs while coordinating with the BASIC alliance. Domestically, the document notes that South Africa must finalize policies on carbon taxes and renewable energy tariffs to lead by example, as it is the world's 13th highest greenhouse-gas emitter.

The paper examines the emerging institutional architecture for adaptation finance and explores the feasibility of an 'adaptation market'. It concludes that commodifying adaptation benefits is unfeasible due to a lack of international demand and viable metrics, as adaptation primarily generates local and private benefits rather than global public goods. However, it identifies a nascent marketplace for 'adaptation finance credits'—where the commodity is the proof of expenditure—supported by a growing professional industry of project developers and consultants, though it lacks the allocative efficiency of carbon markets.

The report estimates that at least USD 97 billion per annum in climate finance was provided in 2009/2010, with private finance (USD 55 billion) significantly outweighing public finance (at least USD 21 billion). The vast majority of these funds (USD 93 billion) are directed toward mitigation, while adaptation receives only USD 4.4 billion. The analysis highlights a critical lack of standardized definitions and a significant gap in data regarding the effectiveness of these financial flows.

The Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) advocates against the Keystone XL pipeline, citing the high greenhouse gas emissions of Alberta's tar sands and concerns over political influence in the State Department's permitting process. The statement also details CIEL's efforts to eliminate coal funding in international finance institutions, specifically criticizing World Bank loans for coal projects in South Africa and Kosovo, while referencing IPCC findings that renewables could meet nearly 80 percent of global energy supply by mid-century.

The research paper examines indirect tools—capacity building and the creation of enabling environments—to remove non-financial barriers for low-carbon business activities in developing countries. It analyzes past experiences with the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), identifies gaps in current international climate finance, and provides recommendations for the post-2012 climate regime, emphasizing the need for demand-driven, coordinated efforts and a stronger focus on the core regulatory business environment.