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In 2019/20, Ethiopia's tracked climate finance averaged USD 1.7 billion per year, representing only 7% of its estimated annual needs of USD 25.3 billion. The landscape is heavily dominated by international public finance (92%), with a strong preference for grants (70%) and a focus on adaptation (56%) over mitigation (38%). While the Agriculture, Forestry and Other Land Use (AFOLU) sector received the most sectoral finance (29%), it remains underfunded relative to its 83% contribution to national GHG emissions. Significant barriers to private investment include a highly regulated financial sector, lack of a stock market, and unfavorable collateral policies for SMEs and small-holder farmers.

The GCF SAP Review Tool is a guide designed to streamline the appraisal of climate finance proposals for developing countries. It establishes minimum standards for 'quality at entry' through two detailed checklists—one for concept notes and one for funding proposals—covering climate rationale, investment criteria, financing structures, and environmental and social safeguards. The tool aims to increase review consistency, reduce the number of review rounds, and provide predictability for Accredited Entities and National Designated Authorities.

The document identifies critical gaps in the support system for Local Green Entrepreneurs (LGEs) in South Africa, specifically highlighting that while SMMEs contribute to carbon reduction, they face significant 'green funding gaps'. It argues that current policies, such as the Draft SMME and Cooperative Funding Policy, fail to explicitly recognize LGEs. The brief identifies five 'signature issues', including the limited risk appetite of funders and compliance-driven ESG requirements. To address these, it recommends the development of a Green Economy Framework, the use of credit guarantee schemes like the sefa Innovation Fund, and the reduction of bureaucratic 'red tape' in certification processes to foster a more inclusive green recovery.

The report evaluates 10 water retention projects in Manitoba's Seine Rat Roseau Watershed District, finding that such projects generally provide positive economic returns, particularly for livestock producers. While upfront construction costs are the primary expense, benefits include flood and drought protection, improved water quality, and operational efficiencies. A cost-benefit analysis indicates an average benefit-cost ratio of 3.16 for livestock producers over a 20-year period, though crop-only operations showed lower returns due to high initial costs and fewer on-farm co-benefits.

The report examines the global cocoa market, highlighting the tension between growing demand and climate-related supply risks. It analyzes how VSSs like Fairtrade and Rainforest Alliance attempt to improve sustainability and farmer incomes, while noting that power imbalances and low farm-gate prices continue to drive poverty among the 5 to 6 million cocoa farmers worldwide.

Haiti has launched its first National Adaptation Plan (NAP) for 20222030, focusing on agriculture, water, health, and infrastructure. The plan identifies 340 adaptation actions, with 21 designated as priority actions requiring a minimum of USD 980 million in funding. Implementation depends on strengthening human capacities, adopting climate technologies, and establishing a monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) system. The document stresses that inclusive governance involving universities, the private sector, civil society, and local governments is essential for success, with a specific focus on gender mainstreaming and the role of the National Committee on Climate Change (CNCC).

The report projects that under current trends, 1.22 billion people will be at high risk of lacking cooling access by 2030. While achieving universal electricity access (SDG 7.1.1) alone provides limited relief, combining it with the eradication of extreme poverty (SDG 1.1) could reduce the high-risk population by 36 percent to 783.3 million. The analysis highlights that urban poor populations are growing due to urbanization and the urban heat island effect, while rural poor populations in Africa remain particularly vulnerable. The report emphasizes that income and energy access are critical prerequisites for the adoption of sustainable cooling solutions.

The Plan Director de la Cuenca Alta del Rio La Paz provides a comprehensive diagnostic and strategic roadmap for managing water resources in a 1,725 km² area. It identifies critical vulnerabilities, including severe water pollution in urban rivers, glacier retreat, and inadequate sanitation in rural areas. The plan proposes 11 strategic lines (LE) focusing on climate resilience, water governance, technological innovation in irrigation, and the construction of wastewater treatment plants (PTAR), with a total estimated investment of 1,555,183,480 BOB.

The paper estimates that US$ 14.66 billion in international development finance commitments targeted 'NbS-like' activities (combining climate and biodiversity objectives) between 2016 and 2020. It identifies a declining trend in both the total amount and the share of climate finance allocated to these activities since 2017. The analysis highlights significant funding gaps for Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and Least Developed Countries (LDCs), and suggests that project documentation often fails to provide detailed evidence that these funds deliver tangible biodiversity benefits.

The HydroHazards project develops frameworks to analyze how simultaneous or sequential hydrometeorological events impact critical infrastructure and create social vulnerabilities. A national analysis of Sweden indicates that while extreme precipitation, river streamflow, and sea levels rarely coincide in one location, the south and west coasts are more prone to simultaneous floods and extreme sea levels. In the municipality of Halmstad, the project applies a mixed-methods approach—combining network analysis, synthetic distribution networks, and the Impact Chain model—to identify how infrastructure failures lead to cascading effects on the population, distinguishing between underlying social vulnerabilities (e.g., income) and emerging vulnerabilities caused by service disruptions.

The document argues that the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated existing inequities in the UNFCCC process, particularly for Global South negotiators and civil society organizations. It highlights how travel restrictions, vaccine inequality, and the digital divide hindered participation and coordination, while broader geopolitical power dynamics and aid dependencies allowed Global North countries to maintain disproportionate influence over negotiation outcomes. The authors recommend short-term funding and logistical reforms, long-term institutional changes such as capping delegation sizes and shifting COP venues to the Global South, and a broader effort to decolonize research and build allyship to shift global power dynamics.

The document examines the intersection of global trade flows and climate change, highlighting how trade can both exacerbate emissions through 'embodied' carbon and facilitate the diffusion of green technologies. It details a variety of policy levers—including border carbon adjustments, the removal of fossil fuel subsidies, and the liberalization of environmental goods—that can align trade with climate goals. The brief analyzes the role of the WTO, noting that while existing rules generally allow for good-faith environmental policies, tensions arise over local content requirements and discriminatory measures. It highlights member-led initiatives like the Trade and Environmental Sustainability Structured Discussions (TESSD) and the Fossil Fuel Subsidy Reform group as critical paths for future cooperation, emphasizing the need for a 'just transition' for developing countries and least developed countries (LDCs).

The document evaluates the IMF's updated surveillance practices by analyzing recent reports for Indonesia and South Africa. While it notes a 'sea change' in the IMF's willingness to integrate climate issues—such as endorsing carbon taxes and green financing—it argues that the organization continues to prioritize steep fiscal consolidation and austerity. This focus on budget deficit ceilings is seen as a threat to the funding required for climate adaptation and mitigation. The authors highlight significant 'blind spots,' including the failure to fully account for the long-term fiscal risks of stranded fossil fuel assets and the potential for carbon-intensive exports to decline as trade partners decarbonize. The report concludes that while there is 'cautious optimism' due to more sophisticated analytical work, the IMF's advice remains insufficient for achieving a socially-just green transition.

The CER's submission on the draft NWRS-3 argues that the strategy must move beyond treating climate change as a future threat and instead implement binding regulations to protect water security. The CER advocates for the formal legal protection of Strategic Water Source Areas (SWSAs), strengthened compliance monitoring and enforcement (CME) through the 'Blue Scorpions', and a moratorium on unconventional oil and gas exploration due to risks of water contamination and methane emissions. It further emphasizes the need for transparency in water licensing and the alignment of the NWRS-3 with South Africa's international commitments under the Paris Agreement and the domestic Climate Change Bill.

The Canadian Climate Institute's research indicates that climate change acts as a continuous drag on Canada's GDP, with cumulative losses estimated at $25 billion by 2025 and potentially up to $103 billion by 2055. The study highlights that low-income households are disproportionately affected and that proactive adaptation can save $13-$15 for every dollar spent, potentially cutting climate costs in half.

The NAP Global Network and Lensational implemented a pilot project in Ghana and Kenya to empower women on the front lines of climate change through photography and storytelling. By training women to document their lived experiences and visions of resilience, the initiative created a common language for dialogue between grassroots communities and policy-makers. This approach shifted the traditional consultation model, allowing women to set the agenda and influence the actions, strategies, and policies within the National Adaptation Plan (NAP) processes. Following the pilots, the approach is being expanded to Jamaica.

The report finds that while global climate finance almost doubled between 2011 and 2020, reaching a cumulative USD 4.8 trillion, current growth rates are insufficient to meet climate goals. Preliminary 2021 estimates show an all-time high of USD 850–940 billion, driven largely by electric vehicle demand. However, a significant gap remains in adaptation finance, and continued fossil fuel subsidies in 51 major countries exceeded total global climate finance investment for the 2011-2020 period. The report argues that annual flows must reach USD 4.3 trillion by 2030 to avoid the worst impacts of climate change.

The health community has developed policy recommendations for COP27 to address the insufficient integration of health issues into UNFCCC policy and monitoring. The document argues that climate-sensitive health threats cause millions of avoidable deaths and productivity losses, while mitigation efforts in energy, transport, and agriculture provide significant health co-benefits. It highlights that the health sector contributes 4-5% of global emissions and is a priority for adaptation in many Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). The text calls for urgent international financing to address health-related loss and damage and to build 'health resilience' as a foundation for economic productivity and overall climate resilience.

The document describes resilience hubs as community-serving facilities designed to provide essential resources and reliable power during extreme weather events. It outlines a framework for implementation, emphasizing the importance of community buy-in, strategic siting in trusted locations, and the integration of energy efficiency, solar power, and battery storage to ensure 'hours of safety' for vulnerable residents. The guide also highlights available federal funding sources, such as the Inflation Reduction Act and the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities program, to support these initiatives.

The document argues that integrating National Adaptation Plans (NAPs) and National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plans (NBSAPs) reduces duplication and optimizes limited resources. It highlights that biodiversity protection increases ecosystem resilience, aiding human adaptation to climate change, and cites Eswatini, Fiji, Peru, and Rwanda as examples of countries that have successfully linked these strategies to enhance social and ecosystem resilience.