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The document critiques carbon markets, specifically 'cap and trade' and 'carbon offsetting', as mechanisms that allow major polluters to avoid reducing emissions at the source. It highlights the failure of the EU ETS and the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), noting that global emissions continue to rise. The briefing emphasizes the severe impacts on indigenous peoples and local communities, citing REDD as a driver of land grabbing and forced displacement. It specifically warns against the implementation of Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, which could institutionalize these markets, and calls for a transition to agroecology and a just energy transition instead.

Friends of the Earth International opposes BECCS, describing it as a 'dangerous distraction' from urgent emissions reductions. The document argues that the land requirements for BECCS at scale—up to 3,000 million hectares—would cause widespread deforestation, land-grabbing, and increased global hunger. It further contends that the technology is technically unproven, energy-inefficient, and carries significant risks of CO2 leakage, while potentially enabling corrupt carbon offsetting practices that allow polluters to avoid real emissions cuts.

The report argues that the 'financialization of nature'—the process of turning ecological functions into tradeable monetary units—primarily serves corporate interests rather than conservation. It details how companies in extractive industries, aviation, and construction use biodiversity offsets to bypass environmental regulations and greenwash destructive activities. The document also highlights the emergence of a 'new conservation industry' comprising NGOs, think tanks, and financial institutions that promote these market-based approaches. Finally, it contends that private sector investment in conservation is significantly over-hyped, serving as a facade to secure public subsidies and avoid stringent environmental laws.

The document critiques carbon emission markets, including 'cap and trade' and 'offsetting' mechanisms, as ineffective tools for climate action. It asserts that these systems allow historical polluters to avoid reducing emissions at the source while causing human rights abuses and 'climate colonialism' in the Global South. The briefing specifically warns against the adoption of Article 6 of the Paris Agreement at COP25, arguing that it would institutionalize these flawed mechanisms and prioritize corporate interests over climate justice.

The document advocates for financial sector deepening in Africa to align local systems with global investor expectations and unlock vast domestic assets. It highlights that Africa's private institutional assets under management (AUM) were estimated at USD 2.4 trillion in 2020 and are projected to reach USD 6.4 trillion by 2040. The briefing emphasizes that public investment in capital market development can achieve high leverage ratios, sometimes as high as 35:1, to crowd in private capital. By improving regulation, transparency, and the use of local currency instruments, the document argues that Africa can shift from aid dependence toward a self-sustaining financial ecosystem that supports high-impact sectors such as green infrastructure, MSMEs, and climate-resilient agriculture.

FSD Africa's 2025-2030 strategy aims to transform the continent's financial system to better support sustainable growth and climate resilience. The agency intends to mobilise domestic private capital—estimated at $2.4 trillion—to address gaps in energy transition, climate adaptation, and SME financing. Key implementation plans include the creation of four Centres of Expertise and a Catalytic Transactions Team to build a pipeline of bankable green projects. The strategy sets specific targets, including adding 1,500 megawatts of energy capacity and creating or protecting 200,000 jobs.

The FSD Africa and FSDAi venture finance portfolio consists of numerous funds and platforms targeting climate action, gender-lens investing, and financial inclusion across the African continent. Key climate-focused initiatives include Africa Climate Ventures, which aims to reduce 100 million tonnes of carbon emissions by 2030, and the Catalyst Fund, which targets 40 pre-seed climate resilience start-ups. Gender-focused funds such as Aruwa Capital and RiTA Fund I specifically address capital imbalances for female-led businesses. The portfolio also includes sector-specific vehicles for fintech (First Circle Capital), insurance (Inclusive Insurance Investment Fund), and renewable energy (Nithio, Spark Energy), utilizing a mix of equity, grants, and debt to catalyze private investment and drive sustainable economic growth.

The report identifies severe coastal erosion, flooding, fishery decline, and poor waste management as existential threats to Saint-Louis, Senegal. After evaluating eighteen financial instruments, it recommends the use of Impact Bonds due to their flexibility in scale, capacity to crowd in private capital, and focus on measurable outcomes. The report suggests potential applications for these bonds in waste management, sustainable tourism, and aquaculture, particularly targeting youth and women.

The project targets Kwale, Kilifi, Tana River, and Lamu counties to combat impacts from drought, storms, and coastal erosion. It proposes a 'Source-to-Sea' framework that links upstream agricultural management with downstream coastal ecosystem restoration. Key interventions include restoring mangroves, coral reefs, and seagrasses, implementing climate-resilient farming to reduce riverbank erosion and sedimentation, and establishing sustainable finance mechanisms like Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES) and blue carbon markets. The project aims to benefit approximately 323,100 direct beneficiaries, focusing on vulnerable fisherfolk and small-scale farmers, while addressing social issues such as gender-based violence and sex trafficking linked to economic desperation.

The COP30 Resilience Hub Report details the outcomes of the climate summit in Belém, Brazil, highlighting a mix of incremental progress and persistent gaps in adaptation finance and implementation. Key achievements include the adoption of 59 indicators for the Global Goal on Adaptation (GGA), a political commitment to triple adaptation finance by 2035, and the establishment of a Global Just Transition Mechanism. The report also showcases Peru's national resilience model, which integrates Indigenous governance and a comprehensive 'Country Package for forests and nature'. However, it notes significant misalignments between short-term political/financial cycles and long-term climate risks, and emphasizes that less than 1% of climate finance currently reaches Indigenous peoples and local communities.

Global Witness calls for the UK, US, EU, and China to end the 'money pipeline' driving deforestation by replacing voluntary initiatives with binding national laws. The organization warns that the Amazon is approaching a tipping point and criticizes the failure of previous pledges, such as the 2014 New York Declaration on Forests. It specifically urges the UK to implement its Environment Act, the EU to finalize laws stopping bank funding for deforestation, the US to include financiers in due diligence regimes, and China to prohibit illegal timber imports and regulate commercial banking risks.

The document explores the intersection of Black Soldier Fly (BSF) agriculture and carbon markets, specifically within the South African context. It identifies three primary pathways for BSF farmers to access carbon credits: diverting organic waste from landfills to avoid methane, producing low-carbon alternative proteins for animal feed, and enhancing soil carbon sequestration through the use of BSF frass. The brief details the mechanics of mandatory and voluntary carbon markets, the specific phases of South Africa's Carbon Tax Act, and the complex 10-step process for project registration. It also highlights significant barriers to entry, including high upfront costs (starting at R1 million for small projects), a lack of BSF-specific methodologies, and legal restrictions in the Western Cape that prohibit credits for landfill diversion due to a 2027 organic waste ban.

The document provides a high-level analysis of South Africa's carbon credit and REC markets, highlighting a significant supply deficit in the compliance market and the challenges of high project development costs. It details the transition to mandatory carbon budgets and the influence of the EU's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) and Article 6 of the Paris Agreement on the domestic landscape.

The IAI Directorate Report (June 2015 - May 2016) outlines the institute's efforts to bridge the gap between global change science and policy in the Americas. Key activities include the implementation of the NSF-funded Training Institute Seed Grant Program, the development of Professional Development Seminars, and the creation of a Science Policy Liaison Directorate in Buenos Aires to quantify the impact of IAI research. The report highlights strategic collaborations with the UNFCCC, CBD, and the UN's 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, as well as a transition toward greater financial ownership by member countries through the Inter-american Forum of Funding Agencies. It also details specific regional projects, such as climate vulnerability assessments in the Tropical Andes and water management initiatives in Argentina and Colombia.

The IAI report outlines its efforts to bridge the gap between climate science and policy in the Americas through capacity-building programs, international networking, and strategic alliances with UN agencies and development banks. Key achievements include the implementation of seed grant programs, the development of climate vulnerability tools for the tropical Andes, and increased visibility through the UN's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) campaign. The document also highlights a transition toward a more diversified funding model and the establishment of a Science-Policy Liaison office in Buenos Aires to quantify the impact of IAI research on national and regional policies.

The document argues that green bonds can help China meet its massive funding needs for a low-carbon economy while addressing systemic financial issues, such as over-reliance on short-term bank lending. It suggests that China can leverage its experience with Green Credit Guidelines to establish a robust market based on clear standards and independent verification. The report proposes a comprehensive action plan including public demonstration issuances, dual recourse structures for municipal bonds, green warehousing to aggregate small projects, and tax incentives. It emphasizes that these tools, combined with carbon pricing and the greening of development banks, could position China as a global leader in green capital markets.

The Green Climate Fund (GCF) was established at the 2010 Cancun UN climate talks to channel finance from developed to developing countries for climate adaptation and mitigation. While African nations seek the GCF to address 'climate debt' and provide grants for public goods, activists warn that the fund could become a 'Greedy Corporate Fund' if it prioritizes private sector facilities and carbon markets over the needs of the most vulnerable. Significant tension exists regarding the role of the World Bank, which serves as the initial three-year trustee and seeks to be an implementing entity, raising concerns about conflicting interests and the imposition of conditions on poor governments.

The document examines the establishment of the Green Climate Fund (GCF) following the 2010 Cancun and 2011 Durban agreements. It critiques the World Bank's historical role in climate finance, citing conflicts of interest, a bias toward mitigation over adaptation, and the promotion of private sector instruments that may marginalise the poorest nations. The author advocates for the GCF to maintain a distinct legal personality, an independent secretariat, and a grant-based approach to adaptation to ensure direct access for developing countries, particularly in Africa.

The document provides an educational overview of REDD+, explaining its goal of providing financial incentives to developing countries to reduce carbon emissions by protecting forests. It details the debate over reference levels and funding mechanisms—specifically carbon markets versus a dedicated REDD+ fund—while highlighting significant risks to Indigenous peoples, such as forced evictions and the devaluation of non-monetary forest values. The guide compares the safeguards of UN-REDD and the World Bank, noting that UN-REDD's standards are generally stronger, though implementation remains a concern.

The audit by Mazars Austria GmbH concludes that SEforALL's 2023 financial statements present a true and fair view of its financial position in accordance with Austrian Generally Accepted Accounting Principles. The organization reported a total income of $94.1 million, with significant expenditures in personnel ($16 million) and consultancy fees ($9.8 million). The audit found no material weaknesses in internal controls or doubts regarding the organization's ability to continue as a going concern.