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The research paper advocates for South Africa to move away from a market-led 'blended finance model' (BFM) for its just energy transition, arguing that market failures necessitate a state-led approach. The author proposes a 'climate response fund' to be financed by a combination of carbon tax increases, earmarking the General Fuel Levy and Mineral and Petroleum Resource Royalty, and implementing public sector efficiency reforms and retirement tax deduction caps. Together, these measures could generate over R100 billion annually for adaptation and equity. The paper also suggests the issuance of sovereign green bonds to fund renewable energy grid infrastructure, arguing for a gentler fiscal deficit glide path to accommodate this strategic investment.

The document examines the role of DFIs in climate finance, specifically focusing on the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) in South Africa. It argues that the IDC is currently unable to meet its mandate of supporting a just transition because it operates like a commercial bank, relying on capital markets and maintaining a risk-averse, private-sector-biased governance structure. The authors recommend a significant recapitalisation of the IDC through fiscal and monetary policy, a shift toward concessional lending with longer grace periods, and a reform of its board to include broader representation from civil society and workers.

The policy brief contends that South Africa must move beyond the blended finance model for its just energy transition due to market failures and risks of insufficient or unpredictable private capital. It proposes a suite of domestic resource mobilisation (DRM) measures—including sovereign green bonds, carbon tax reforms, and earmarking existing revenues—to generate approximately R100bn annually for climate priorities. These funds would be pooled into a central climate response fund dedicated to adaptation, equity, and supporting displaced workers, particularly in Mpumalanga. The author argues that this assertive domestic commitment is essential for maintaining state control over infrastructure and for unlocking larger-scale international finance between 2030 and 2050.

The report evaluates federal funding programs in Canada, finding that while most allow for natural infrastructure, few incorporate the full range of criteria needed to make it a mainstream alternative to grey infrastructure. It recommends integrating specific enabling criteria, improving access for rural communities, and increasing funding for proactive adaptation.

The report presents two case studies—one from Zanzibar and one from Canada—to illustrate the practical application of gender equality and social inclusion (GESI) in nature-based solutions (NbS) for climate adaptation. In Zanzibar, the 'Pamoja Voices' toolkit helped cooperatives identify gender-specific climate risks and restructure governance to include women and youth. In Canada, the Dane Nan Yḗ Dāh network demonstrates an Indigenous-led approach to land and wildlife monitoring that integrates traditional knowledge and intergenerational collaboration. Both cases emphasize the necessity of community-led processes, the use of disaggregated data, and the establishment of trust-based local partnerships to ensure that adaptation benefits are equitably distributed.

The report presents two case studies on integrating gender equality and social inclusion (GESI) into nature-based solutions (NbS) for adaptation. The first case study focuses on the Pamoja Voices toolkit used by cooperatives in Zanzibar to ensure women and youth are included in climate-resilience planning. The second case study examines the Dane Nan Yḗ Dāh Network in Canada, where Kaska Dena Land Guardians combine Traditional Knowledge with Western science for land and wildlife monitoring. Both cases emphasize the necessity of community-led approaches, intergenerational knowledge sharing, and the use of disaggregated data in monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) to avoid maladaptation and ensure equitable benefit sharing.

The report argues that while Canadian federal infrastructure programs generally allow for natural infrastructure, significant design gaps—such as high funding thresholds, lack of capacity-building support, and a focus on new 'tangible capital assets' over existing ecosystem preservation—stymie widespread adoption. It evaluates programs like the ICIP, CCBF, and DMAF against 14 enabling criteria, finding that most fail to prompt or require the consideration of natural solutions. The report recommends a 'natural infrastructure-first' approach, differentiated support for rural and underserved communities, and the integration of natural infrastructure into housing and biodiversity policies to address interconnected crises.

The document serves as a practical toolkit for Mozambican communities to safeguard traditional knowledge through legal mechanisms like Geographic Indicators (GIs) and Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) regulations. It details the process of forming producer associations for GI registration, negotiating Prior Informed Consent (PIC) for research, and developing Community Protocols to govern interactions with outsiders. The guide emphasizes the role of knowledge holders in maintaining secrecy and the importance of tiered cost-sharing models to make legal protections accessible to vulnerable community members.

The document outlines a proposal for a community-centered national database to safeguard Mozambique's traditional knowledge on biodiversity. It identifies critical regulatory gaps in digital documentation and proposes a multi-tiered access system to prevent misappropriation. The framework emphasizes interoperability with existing scientific repositories like BioNoMo and RECIMO, and integrates a robust community-led governance model for consent and dispute resolution.

The document outlines recommendations for the EPA to integrate climate justice into environmental protections. It emphasizes the need for transparent, holistic decision-making, the acknowledgment of historic biased policies, and the strengthening of the National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA) to better account for cumulative stressors and the specific needs of marginalized communities and non-mainland US territories.

The document outlines eight systemic challenges in climate-related mobility, including the risks of simplistic conflict narratives, the instrumentalization of migration as adaptation, and the impact of slow-onset events. It emphasizes the need for rights-based frameworks, inclusive governance, and the recognition of colonial legacies to address these inequities. To tackle these issues, SEI focuses on three priority areas: managing transboundary climate impacts, conducting grounded research to shift power dynamics (such as through the HABITABLE project), and strengthening global cooperation for sustainable livelihoods using tools like AidAtlas and Trase.

The report finds broad support among U.S. registered voters for various climate policies, including methane limits, carbon dioxide regulation, and renewable energy expansion, though support levels vary significantly by political affiliation. While a majority support the Paris Climate Agreement and the Inflation Reduction Act (after reading a description), actual political advocacy and collective efficacy remain low.

The GCF Accreditation Panel recommends the accreditation of ArmSwissBank, a commercial bank in Armenia, as a national direct access entity for 'small' projects (up to USD 50 million) with a medium environmental and social risk category (B/I-2). The bank demonstrated strong capabilities in on-lending, blending, and project management, with a track record including USD 44.92 million for a KfW renewable energy programme. However, the panel identified gaps in public disclosure of procurement and whistleblower policies, the lack of anonymous complaint channels, and insufficient staff capacity to screen against IFC Performance Standards. Accreditation is recommended subject to conditions: the bank must publish its whistleblower and complaint procedures, establish anonymous reporting channels, provide evidence of staff training on IFC Performance Standards, and publicly disclose its procurement policy before submitting its first funding proposal.

Campinas, Brazil, launched its Local Climate Action Plan (PLAC) in June 2024, aiming for net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. The plan utilizes an integrated approach that connects climate priorities with social inclusion and nature, supported by a roadmap of approximately 130 short-term activities to ensure feasibility through 2032. To avoid governance gaps, the city established the Municipal Committee for Coping with Climate Change Impacts, which includes deliberative, consultative, and participative groups. Key immediate priorities include expanding 150 km of cycling infrastructure by 2030 and aligning climate targets with the 2026–2029 Multi-Year Plan (PPA) budget cycle.

The study finds that human-induced warming from burning fossil fuels made peak January Fire Weather Index (FWI) conditions 35% more probable and 6% more intense. It also notes that the dry season has lengthened by approximately 23 days, increasing the overlap between available fuel and the Santa Ana winds. While climate models show varying results on precipitation trends, the overall evidence indicates that climate change has increased the likelihood of devastating fires in the region, with disproportionate impacts on elderly, disabled, and lower-income populations, including Black residents in Altadena.

The evaluation of the GCF's 'Health and Well-being, and Food and Water Security' (HWFW) result area finds that while investments are highly relevant to country needs—particularly in food and water security—the RA approach itself has been inconsequential to achieving results. The report highlights significant gaps in health-related programming and tracking, as well as systemic challenges in results reporting and data quality. It recommends a comprehensive rearticulation of the purpose and formulation of all GCF result areas to better align with project origination and strategic impact.

The document highlights the critical role of Indigenous Peoples in Southeast Asia as environmental stewards, noting that their lands overlap with 40% of global protected areas and that deforestation rates on their lands in Southeast Asia are half those on other lands. It criticizes the ASEAN declaration on environmental rights for omitting Indigenous Peoples, arguing that this lack of recognition leads to 'development aggression,' criminalization of land defenders, and the erosion of traditional knowledge. The brief specifically notes the vulnerability of Indigenous women and the overlooked contributions of marine-based 'Sea Nomads.' It concludes by recommending that ASEAN and its Member States formally adopt the terminology and protections of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) to improve biodiversity and climate outcomes.

The document highlights the escalating risk of wildfires in Canada, using the Jasper, Alberta fire as a case study to illustrate the dangers of fragmented governance and outdated policies. It proposes a three-pronged adaptation toolkit focusing on restricting new development in high-risk areas, retrofitting existing buildings with FireSmart materials, and implementing landscape-level risk reduction such as fuel thinning and Indigenous cultural burning.

The document highlights the urgent need for Canada to enhance wildfire preparedness, citing the Jasper fire as a critical warning. It identifies gaps in current zoning and governance and proposes a three-pronged adaptation toolkit involving land-use regulation, building retrofits, and landscape-level fuel management.

The research identifies six globally-influential climate adaptation imaginaries—Eco Modern State, Just Adaptation, Promethean (Green) Growth, High Tech Society, Human Stewardship, and Knowledge Society—and argues that dominant visions often reproduce existing power relations and business-as-usual approaches.