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The document outlines a framework for designing the global stocktake, a periodic review process under the Paris Agreement. It proposes four critical areas of focus for the Ad hoc Working Group on the Paris Agreement (APA): determining the necessary information inputs, establishing operational modalities to ensure transparency and accountability, defining the outputs required to inform future actions, and ensuring the process effectively drives increased climate ambition and implementation support.

The paper pilots the use of Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA) to understand why some research projects achieve policy uptake while others do not. Analyzing 20 completed projects, the study identifies three causal pathways to success, with research credibility emerging as a necessary 'gatekeeper' condition. The authors conclude that while QCA is a resource-intensive method that reduces causal complexity, it is a valuable tool for challenging and refining a Theory of Change in complex international development settings.

The brief examines how gender-sensitive programming in urban Kisumu, Kenya, can improve climate compatible development outcomes by addressing the distinct vulnerabilities of men and women. While the PPP project demonstrated that inclusive decision-making allows for better addressing of practical needs and enables women to take leadership roles, significant barriers remain, including entrenched cultural attitudes and insufficient institutional capacity. The document recommends gender audits, the appointment of gender focal persons in county departments, and a focus on structural barriers to ensure more equitable and effective climate interventions.

The policy brief examines the challenges of developing a robust accounting framework for climate finance under the UNFCCC, following a decision reached at the Paris negotiations. It identifies two competing approaches to accounting: one focused on 'meeting financial obligations' (assessing the effort of developed nations) and another on 'tracking resilient/low carbon finance' (assessing the total scale of global resources). The authors argue that current practices, particularly the OECD DAC Rio marker methodology, fail because they mix these two approaches, leading to overestimations, double counting, and a lack of transparency. The brief recommends that the SBSTA adopt a two-track approach to develop separate accounting systems for each purpose and establish an internationally agreed baseline to verify the additionality of financial contributions.

The report examines the shift in global climate governance from the top-down targets of the Kyoto Protocol to the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) of the Paris Agreement. It highlights the 'ambition gap' in current pledges and argues that the success of the agreement depends on integrating the actions of non-state actors—such as cities, regions, and businesses—into national frameworks. The document details specific subnational initiatives like the C40 network and Brazil's CB27, while providing a case study of Singapore's role in the negotiations.

The document examines how climate mitigation projects—specifically under the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), REDD+, and Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Actions (NAMAs)—have failed to uphold international human rights obligations. Through case studies in Panama, India, Mexico, and Georgia, it demonstrates that inadequate stakeholder consultation, lack of sustainable development criteria, and absent grievance mechanisms have led to rights violations, including forced evictions and loss of livelihoods. The brief argues that while the Paris Agreement's preamble recognizes human rights, these obligations must be translated into specific, mandatory guidelines and independent accountability processes to prevent future harm.

The paper argues that the New Development Bank (NDB) lacks a clear, shared definition of sustainable development and suggests that South Africa could lead the BRICS group in establishing a holistic framework. Drawing on stakeholder interviews and international best practices, the authors recommend that the NDB prioritize social and environmental safeguards, move away from coal and extractive industries, and establish formal dialogue mechanisms with civil society to ensure transparency and pro-poor outcomes.

The document argues that European SMEs are critical for the green transition but are hindered by a lack of technical capacity and a poor legislative framework for private-to-private finance. Based on GreenEcoNet case studies, it finds that while SMEs prefer private financing, they lack the skills to exploit the full range of available instruments. The authors recommend a participatory policy approach, including an investors-SMEs round table and the promotion of crowdfunding, to bridge these gaps.

The document analyzes the Paris Agreement's achievements and outlines a detailed pathway for operationalizing its ten core elements: mitigation, adaptation, loss and damage, finance, technology transfer, capacity building, transparency, global stocktake, compliance, and cooperative approaches. It emphasizes the need for clear accounting rules, scaled-up finance, and robust transparency frameworks to ensure environmental integrity and increase ambition over time.

The authors propose that Canada use the Federal Sustainable Development Act and the Federal Sustainable Development Strategy (FSDS) as the primary vehicles for implementing the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) domestically. They argue that the FSDS must evolve from a narrow environmental focus to a comprehensive economic, social, and environmental agenda to avoid losing critical time in the 15-year window to achieve the 2030 Agenda.

The Centre for Environmental Rights, representing several non-governmental and community organisations, urges the South African government to finalise and publish draft regulations for greenhouse gas (GHG) reporting and pollution prevention. The letter argues that these regulations are essential for South Africa to meet its commitments under the Paris Agreement and its Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (INDC), specifically regarding the introduction of mandatory GHG reporting by 2016. Key demands include shifting reporting from a company level to an individual facility level and ensuring that GHG emission data is made publicly available through the National Atmospheric Emission Inventory System (NAEIS). The authors warn that failing to incorporate these transparency and monitoring measures could render the regulations unconstitutional and hinder the state's ability to track emissions trajectories and identify mitigation opportunities.

The report argues that while cities are critical for climate action, they face significant barriers in accessing international climate finance due to limited institutional capacity and rigid funding requirements. It proposes three access modalities for the GCF: promoting unconventional implementing entities, accrediting cities as implementing entities themselves, and utilizing Enhanced Direct Access (EDA) through mechanisms like a National City Facility. The authors emphasize that GCF should prioritize secondary cities and provide a diverse range of financial instruments to unlock domestic and local funding.

The document examines how subnational monitoring systems align with the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and 231 identified indicators. Using the Province of Manitoba's Sustainable Development and Green Economy Indicators as a case study, the analysis finds that while thematic alignment is relatively strong—with over 20% of provincial indicators aligning with SDGs—there is a significant structural gap in indicator types. Specifically, the provincial sets lack the finance and policy indicators present in the SDGs, focusing instead on state indicators. The authors argue that aligning subnational systems is critical for effective bottom-up accountability and national-level aggregation of SDG progress.

The document highlights that energy efficiency upgrades, particularly attic insulation, can provide a high return on investment in terms of home resale value. It references the Remodeling magazine Cost vs. Value Report to show that attic insulation was the only project with a greater-than-100-percent cost vs. value ratio nationally, yielding a 166 percent return. Beyond resale value, the briefing identifies operational cost savings, improved thermal comfort, and health benefits—such as an 85 percent drop in hospital admissions for children with asthma following comprehensive retrofits—as key drivers for homeowners. Other value-adding upgrades mentioned include solar PV systems, high-efficiency HVAC systems, envelope improvements, and advanced water heating technologies.

The Green Climate Fund (GCF) Secretariat reports progress in its public and private sector pipelines, the simplification of funding proposal templates, and the expansion of readiness support to 45 countries. Key achievements include the signing of contribution agreements with five additional countries and the launch of a new website to enhance stakeholder engagement. The Secretariat also operationalized its accreditation framework, moving 11 applicants to stage II, and provided substantive support for the development of the GCF Strategic Plan.

The WWF–Woolworths Partnership Review documents the outcomes of a three-year collaboration (2012–2015) focused on reducing the environmental footprint of Woolworths' supply chain. Key achievements include the implementation of Life Cycle Analyses (LCA) for dairy, beef, and textiles to identify environmental hotspots, and the adoption of water stewardship and 'Water Balance' programs to replenish freshwater ecosystems. The partnership also advanced sustainable seafood procurement through WWF-SASSI and initiated research into food waste and greenhouse gas emissions. The report emphasizes the value of NGO-corporate collaboration in driving systemic change and sets the stage for a second phase expanding into other African countries and Australia.

An analysis of the 156 INDCs submitted by December 2015 reveals that at least 78% contained conditions, with approximately one third consisting solely of conditional contributions.

The World Resources Institute has developed the Restoration Diagnostic to help countries and landscapes move from restoration commitments to action. By analyzing 16 global case studies, WRI identified three essential themes for success: clear motivation, enabling conditions, and capacity/resources for sustained implementation. The Diagnostic and its accompanying Excel-based Assessment Tool allow stakeholders to identify missing success factors and determine the policies and incentives needed to trigger restoration at scale.

Dr. Daniel A. Reifsnyder describes the iterative process of drafting the Paris Agreement, emphasizing the shift toward a 'Party-driven' approach and the breakdown of the 'firewall' between developed and developing nations. He highlights the importance of the October 5 non-paper as a template for the final deal and details the agreement's core goals, including temperature limits and a robust transparency system.

The Centre for Environmental Rights (CER), representing several environmental justice organisations, submitted comments on 8 February 2016 regarding the Draft Declaration of Greenhouse Gases as Priority Pollutants and the Draft National Pollution Prevention Plans (PPP) Regulations. The submission argues for greater alignment between these regulations and South Africa's international commitments under the Paris Agreement and its Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (INDC), while advocating for increased transparency, public access to data, and more rigorous monitoring and verification of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.