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KPMG India provided limited assurance to Power Finance Corporation Limited, concluding that its Green Bond Framework conforms in all material respects to the pre-issuance requirements of the Climate Bonds Standard Version 2.1. The assessment covered the selection of nominated projects and assets, internal processes and controls, and reporting prior to issuance.

First Environment, Inc. conducted a pre-issuance verification of the LACMTA's Proposition A First Tier Senior Sales Tax Revenue Bonds, Series 2017-A (Green Bonds) between August 14 and October 2, 2017. The verification assessed the bonds against the Climate Bonds Standard Version 2.1 and the Low Carbon Land Transport sector criteria Version 1.0. The verifier concluded that the bonds, intended to fund public transport rail infrastructure, conform in all material respects to the required standards.

The document outlines nine key lessons for engaging the private sector in climate projects, emphasizing the need for context-specific approaches, strong public policy, and the use of innovative financial instruments. It argues that public sector leadership is essential to reduce risks and demonstrate the business case for private investment, particularly in adaptation projects which are typically seen as riskier than mitigation projects. Case studies from countries like Indonesia, Kenya, India, and Colombia illustrate the effectiveness of risk-sharing mechanisms, pilot projects, and the inclusion of private actors in the design phase of project lifecycles.

Sustainable Energy Bonds (SEBs) are proposed as a mechanism to bridge the debt financing gap for small-scale sustainable energy projects in India. By aggregating small projects through a Non-Banking Finance Company (NBFC), SEBs reduce transaction costs and provide standardized impact reporting to attract impact investors. The analysis suggests that initial issuances, such as a proposed USD 5 million pilot by cKers Finance, require approximately 4% in public finance support—covering credit enhancement and monitoring, reporting, and verification (MRV) costs—to maintain competitive lending rates of around 10% for project developers.

The document identifies distributed water harvesting (DWH) as a means to build agricultural resilience in the Canadian Prairies against temperature increases and precipitation changes. It notes that because individual DWH projects often require less than CAD $1 million, they are ineligible for certain traditional Canadian infrastructure financing. Consequently, the text proposes the use of green and climate bonds, highlighting the associated ecosystem service co-benefits.

The report identifies a $895 billion climate-aligned bond universe, consisting of $221 billion in labelled green bonds and $674 billion in unlabelled bonds from pure-play issuers. Transport and energy are the dominant themes, with rail infrastructure being a primary driver. The document highlights the growing role of sovereign and sub-sovereign issuers, particularly in China and the US, and advocates for the green bond market to reach $1 trillion in annual issuance by 2020 to meet Paris Agreement targets.

The report identifies a $895 billion climate-aligned bond universe as of mid-2017, consisting of $221 billion in labelled green bonds and $674 billion in unlabelled bonds from pure-play issuers. Transport and energy are the dominant themes, with China Railway Corp being the largest single issuer. The document highlights the growing importance of municipal and sovereign green bonds, particularly in the US and Europe, and provides a detailed analysis of Brazil's potential to expand its green finance market to meet its Paris Agreement targets. It concludes by advocating for a global green bond issuance target of $1 trillion per year by 2020.

The report identifies a $895 billion universe of climate-aligned bonds, including $221 billion in labeled green bonds. It highlights the dominance of the transport and energy sectors and the critical role of sovereign and sub-sovereign issuers, particularly in China and the US. The document argues for a massive acceleration of green bond issuance to reach $1 trillion annually by 2020 to support Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).

The document proposes the Green FIDC, a specialized securitization vehicle that transforms risky greenfield projects into bankable assets for institutional investors. By utilizing a two-stage process—initial development finance followed by refinancing through senior shares in the Brazilian capital markets—the instrument aims to reduce reliance on the Brazilian National Development Bank (BNDES) and lower the cost of capital for renewable energy and energy efficiency initiatives. The analysis highlights two pilot opportunities: a 90 MW solar PV project in Ceará and a municipal street lighting LED retrofit in Rio de Janeiro. Financial modeling suggests the instrument is commercially viable, with the potential to leverage USD 1 billion in investment and avoid 10 million tons of CO2 if scaled.

The report examines how domestic DFIs in Brazil, Mexico, and Chile can mobilize investment for their NDCs. While these institutions committed over US$11 billion in climate finance in 2015, the vast majority (98%) targeted mitigation, primarily in renewable energy, leaving a significant gap in adaptation and urban infrastructure. Key barriers include a lack of long-term low-cost capital, perceived poor risk-adjusted returns, and limited technical capacity to structure complex climate projects. The report recommends that governments provide clearer mandates and that multilateral development banks (MDBs) support NDBs through risk-mitigation instruments, technical assistance, and improved climate finance tracking.

The report identifies that institutional investment in renewable energy is constrained by illiquidity, fund size, and a lack of internal expertise, limiting potential direct investment to less than 1% of total assets under management. To address this, the authors propose the Clean Energy Investment Trust (CEIT), a pooled, listed, and low-fee vehicle designed for liability-hedging. The report argues that a CEIT could increase potential institutional investment from $305 billion to nearly $4 trillion, significantly lowering the cost of capital for renewables. Initial core investors are expected to be large public-sector pension funds, with smaller institutions joining as the market matures.

The report presents a road map for developing Colombia's green bond market, noting that while initial issuances by Bancolombia (2016) and Davivienda (2017) have occurred, further tools and strategies are needed to remove barriers and ensure sustained growth in green bond issuances to fund the country's green growth goals and Paris Agreement contributions.

The document identifies five key building blocks for a successful green bond market: the enabling environment, investors, issuers and project pipeline, governance, and definitions and standards. It highlights a significant funding gap for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), noting that US$1 trillion is needed annually for clean energy alone. Because public sector balance sheets lack the capacity to meet these needs, the text estimates that 80–90% of funding must come from the private sector, necessitating the leverage of capital markets.

The document reflects on seven years of CDKN's work to integrate climate action with poverty reduction, highlighting its influence on policies in 33 countries and its support for the Paris Agreement. It identifies critical gaps in current Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), the need for diversified climate finance beyond the Green Climate Fund, and the slow pace of sustainable transport and smart city adoption in developing nations compared to the rapid energy transition to renewables.

The guide outlines five essential building blocks for green bond markets: the enabling environment, investors, issuers and project pipeline, governance, and definitions and standards. It emphasizes that while public sector support is often needed initially, a successful market must eventually become self-sustaining, diverse in its environmental objectives, and transparent in its reporting. The document provides practical frameworks for policymakers to assess their market's readiness and offers case studies from China, India, and Nigeria to illustrate effective policy incentives and issuance strategies.

The report details the expansion of China's green bond market in H1 2017, highlighting a 33.6% year-on-year growth in issuance and a shift toward more diverse issuers. It examines the alignment of these bonds with international standards, the impact of new domestic policies, and the potential for green municipal bonds to drive local low-carbon transitions.

The Chinese green bond market grew by 33.6% in the first half of 2017, reaching a total issuance of $11.52 billion. The market saw a diversification of issuers, with non-financial enterprises and policy banks increasing their share as commercial bank dominance declined. While most bonds maintain high credit ratings and align with both domestic and international definitions, the report highlights a push toward standardization and the potential for growth in green municipal bonds.

The report identifies a significant price gap between sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and conventional jet fuel as the primary barrier to adoption. It proposes that U.S. airports, specifically the Port of Seattle at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, can overcome this by funding 'co-benefits'—such as air quality improvements and greenhouse gas reductions—rather than the fuel commodity itself. The authors evaluate 14 funding mechanisms and recommend a portfolio including corporate support, port taxing authority, general non-aeronautical revenue, and airline agreements to meet an estimated $6 million annual cost for a 1% SAF blend. Additionally, the report explores infrastructure financing, noting that long-term co-benefit procurement contracts can de-risk private investment in regional SAF production.

The report finds that while 74% of analyzed green bonds provide some public reporting, there is significant inconsistency in quality and content. Reporting is generally more comprehensive for larger issuers and those in European markets, whereas U.S. municipalities and private placements show lower compliance. While impact reporting is increasing, it lacks standardized metrics, and over 70% of bonds fail to clearly disclose the proportion of funds used for refinancing versus new projects.

Scott Vaughan argues that traditional GDP is an insufficient measure for the circular economy because it ignores resource savings and environmental damage. He advocates for 'beyond GDP' accounts, such as the Comprehensive Wealth framework, to highlight the economic necessity of resource efficiency. Vaughan also discusses the potential for job growth in the circular economy, particularly in the EU and Denmark, while warning that automation in mining may displace workers in developing countries. Finally, he calls for the removal of fiscal incentives that encourage raw material extraction over recycling and promotes the use of green bonds and clean finance to support the transition.