Search Climate Insights Directory

This discussion paper by the Climate Policy Initiative outlines a proposed operating model for multilateral development banks (MDBs) to increase the volume and efficacy of climate finance deployment in response to the climate crisis and other global challenges facing developing countries.

This statement, submitted by the Life after Coal Campaign (LAC) and the Fair Finance Coalition Southern Africa (FFCSA) to the Presidential Climate Commission, provides critical comments on South Africa's Just Energy Transition Investment Plan (JET-IP). The authors argue that the plan is overly skewed toward private sector interests and large-scale infrastructure, specifically green hydrogen, while neglecting social ownership models, local manufacturing, and the urgent needs of coal-affected communities.

This policy brief, submitted by Amnesty International and the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) to the UNFCCC Transitional Committee in April 2023, argues that the operationalization of the Loss and Damage Fund must be grounded in international human rights law. The authors advocate for a rights-based approach that prioritizes the most marginalized groups, ensures effective remedy and reparations, and utilizes public, grants-based funding to avoid increasing the debt of developing countries.

The Climate Bonds Standard Version 4.0 is a voluntary labelling scheme developed by the Climate Bonds Initiative to certify debt instruments, assets, and non-financial legal entities that align with the Paris Climate Agreement. It provides a science-based framework for certifying Use of Proceeds (UoP) instruments, specific physical assets, entities undergoing climate transition, and Sustainability-Linked Debt (SLD).

This report, published by Global Energy Monitor and several partner organizations, tracks the global development of coal-fired power plants as of April 2023. It analyzes the tension between the global trend toward coal phase-out and a significant surge in coal plant approvals and construction in China, while evaluating the progress of other major economies and the role of private finance in the energy transition.

This case study describes the Africa Carbon Markets Initiative (ACMI), a partnership co-led by Sustainable Energy for All (SEforSforALL), the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet (GEAPP), and The Rockefeller Foundation. LaunchedS Launched at COP27, theS theSSSSS the initiative aims to establish high-integrity Voluntary Carbon Markets (VCMs) to channel international finance into African clean energy projects and climate mitigation efforts.

This report evaluates the progress of four Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs)—the African Development Bank, the Asian Development Bank, the Inter-American Development Bank, and the World Bank—in mainstreaming climate adaptation finance. Based on case studies from Kenya, Nepal, and Peru, the document examines how these institutions scale up funding, incorporate climate risk screening, and align their portfolios with national priorities such as National Adaptation Plans (NAPs) and nationally determined contributions (NDCs).

The Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) issued a statement during the 52nd Session of the Human Rights Council welcoming an OHCHR report on climate change impacts on vulnerable populations. CIEL emphasizes the human rights obligations of States to provide remedies for climate harm and regulate fossil fuel corporations and their financial backers.

This consultation brief by the Climate Policy Initiative examines the conflict between financial institutions' net zero portfolio targets and the need to finance the managed early retirement or retrofitting of unabated coal-fired power plants.

The document analyzes climate adaptation in Senegal, highlighting the alignment of the Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) with the Senegal Emerging Plan 2035. While the government has prioritized eight vulnerable sectors and local communities have developed effective grassroots adaptation strategies, the country faces significant challenges in evidence-based knowledge, the integration of indigenous practices into policy, and a substantial financing gap of USD 14.5 billion by 2030.

The Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) provides a statement supporting the Special Rapporteur's report on the climate crisis and the right to housing, emphasizing the need for international remedies, debt relief for vulnerable nations, and safeguards against misguided climate policy responses.

This guide provides strategies for Project Preparation Facilities (PPFs) to help small and intermediary cities—defined as those with 10,000 to 200,000 residents—access climate finance. It addresses critical barriers such as limited municipal capacity, small project sizes that deter investors, and poor creditworthiness, which prevents borrowing on commercial terms. The document recommends tailored PPF interventions, including specific calls for proposals, project aggregation models, blended finance, and community-based funding instruments to unlock investment for low-carbon and resilient infrastructure.

This research paper from the Stockholm Environment Institute analyzes the global interactions between Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) targets and the 1.5°C climate target, finding that these goals are generally synergetic.

The Institute for Economic Justice (IEJ) issued a statement on February 21, 2023, arguing that South Africa's national budgets and monetary policies have systematically undermined the government's developmental goals. The IEJ calls for a shift away from debt stabilisation and austerity toward a development-focused budget that prioritises public investment in infrastructure, the care economy, and the green economy, while specifically addressing the crisis at Eskom and the inadequacy of social protection grants.

This briefing, submitted by Amnesty International and the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) to the UNFCCC on February 15, 2023, argues for the full integration of human rights standards into the design and implementation of the new Loss and Damage Fund. The authors advocate for a rights-based approach that ensures non-discrimination, provides effective remedies for affected communities, and prioritizes public grant-based financing over loans to avoid increasing the debt of developing nations.

This policy brief, submitted by Amnesty International and the Center for International Environmental Law to the UNFCCC, argues that the operationalization of the Loss and Damage Fund must be grounded in international human rights law. The authors advocate for a rights-based approach that prioritizes the most marginalized populations, ensures public participation in governance, and utilizes grants-based funding derived from the 'polluter pays' principle to avoid increasing the debt of developing nations.

The Institute for Economic Justice (IEJ) provides a critique of the 2023 State of the Nation Address (SONA), arguing that the government is increasingly relying on the private sector to deliver key infrastructure and manage the energy transition, which the IEJ claims undermines state capacity and affordability for the poor.

A statement from a coalition of civil society organizations (CSOs) addressed to US Secretary Janet Yellen, arguing that the World Bank Group's (WBG) Evolution Roadmap is an expansion of 'business as usual' rather than a true transformation. The authors urge the US Treasury to push for systemic reforms, including ending fossil fuel financing, democratizing governance, and addressing sovereign debt, rather than focusing on expanded financing and private sector 'de-risking'.

This briefing by RMI outlines the concept of a "managed phaseout" for coal power plants, arguing that financial institutions must move beyond simple divestment to actively fund the early closure of plants and the transition to clean energy to ensure the process is just and equitable for workers and communities.

This briefing, submitted by Amnesty International and the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) to the UNFCCC on February 15, 2023, argues that the newly established Loss and Damage Fund must be guided by international human rights law. The authors advocate for a fund based on non-discrimination, substantive equality, and the provision of effective remedies, emphasizing that funding should be public, grant-based, and sourced from historical polluters to avoid increasing the debt of vulnerable nations.