Search Climate Insights Directory

The Climate Bonds Standard Version 3.0, published by the Climate Bonds Initiative in December 2019, provides a science-based framework for certifying green bonds, loans, and other debt instruments. It ensures that these investments are aligned with the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement and the Green Bond and Green Loan Principles, utilizing a rigorous process of pre- and post-issuance verification and annual reporting to prevent 'greenwash'.

This briefing by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) examines the status of Article 6 of the Paris Agreement and the role of Internationally Transferred Mitigation Outcomes (ITMOs). It details the two primary cooperation avenues (Article 6.2 and 6.4), the challenges of establishing a rulebook—including debates over additionality and double counting—and provides examples of pilot projects and national strategies, particularly focusing on Canada's preparations.

This research paper proposes the creation of an independent Global Stocktake (iGST) to enhance the accuracy and transparency of the official Global Stocktake (GST) process under the Paris Agreement. The authors identify significant knowledge gaps in mitigation, adaptation, finance, and equity, and recommend that the iGST focus on synthesizing existing data, fostering common understandings of key climate goals, and providing forward-looking recommendations to raise global ambition.

The 2019 Global Landscape of Climate Finance report by the Climate Policy Initiative analyzes global climate-related primary investment from 2013 to 2018. It finds that while annual climate finance reached record levels, crossing the USD half-trillion mark in 2017 and 2018, current investment levels remain significantly below what is required to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement and a 1.5 ˚C scenario.

This report reviews the status of marine and coastal ecosystem-based adaptation (EbA) in South Africa, detailing the country's policy frameworks, institutional arrangements, and practical implementation of nature-based solutions to enhance climate resilience.

This briefing by the Climate Policy Initiative proposes a methodological approach and analytical framework for a dashboard designed to measure the speed and nature of private capital shifts toward a zero-carbon, climate-resilient economy, aligning with the Paris Agreement.

A statement from World Resources Institute's Leonardo Martinez-Diaz regarding the Green Climate Fund's first replenishment, which saw 27 countries pledge $9.7 billion.

This fact sheet details a USD 250 million senior secured green bond issued by China Jinmao Holdings on June 21, 2019, with a five-year tenor and a 4% coupon.

The document provides a practical guide and analytic method for comparing the climate-effectiveness of different investments intended to displace coal-fired electricity, emphasizing that both emissions and costs must be combined to make sound climate protection choices.

A statement by World Resources Institute President & CEO Andrew Steer following the 2019 UN Climate Action Summit, criticizing the lack of ambition from major economies while highlighting commitments from the private sector, cities, and smaller nations.

The 'Building a Resilient Future Outcome Document' records the proceedings of a one-day event held on 22 September 2019 in New York City, convened by the Global Resilience Partnership. The event brought together over 500 practitioners to identify actions and partnerships to accelerate climate adaptation and resilience, specifically responding to the UN Climate Action Summit's Call for Action. The document outlines high-level messages, specific commitments from seven thematic action sessions, and a roadmap for building a global movement to protect vulnerable communities from climate-related shocks.

This outcome document summarizes a day of discussions held on September 3, 2019, in Bangkok, Thailand, convened by the Global Resilience Partnership (GRP). The event, titled "Stepping Up Action on Delivering a Resilient Future," aimed to provide stakeholders from Asia and the Pacific with a platform to share resilience-building strategies and raise the need for urgent action ahead of the UN Secretary General's Climate Action Summit. The document outlines key messages and recommendations across five thematic sessions focusing on early warning systems, systems thinking, intersectional vulnerability, nature-based solutions, and financial innovation.

The Climate Resilience Principles, published by the Climate Bonds Initiative in September 2019, provide a framework for integrating climate adaptation and resilience criteria into the Climate Bonds Standard & Certification Scheme. The document defines climate resilience investments as those improving the ability of assets and systems to persist, adapt, or transform against climate-related stresses. It establishes a three-part framework—Framing, Design, and Ongoing Management—to ensure that green bond proceeds are used for assets that are 'fit-for-purpose' and do no significant harm to the broader system. The report also addresses the potential for trade-offs between climate mitigation and resilience goals, suggesting that mitigation requirements might be relaxed for assets providing exceptional resilience benefits in high-risk contexts.

This executive summary, produced by the Climate Policy Initiative (CPI) and the Institute for Climate Economics (I4CE), provides a framework and actionable recommendations for the 24 national and regional development banks of the International Development Finance Club (IDFC) to align their financial activities with the goals of the Paris Agreement.

This report provides a comprehensive framework and actionable recommendations for members of the International Development Finance Club (IDFC)—a group of 24 national and regional development banks—to align their strategies and operations with the goals of the Paris Agreement. It emphasizes that alignment requires moving beyond incremental climate finance to a systemic transformation of financial flows, ensuring all activities are consistent with low-GHG, climate-resilient development pathways.

This executive summary evaluates progress five years after the 2014 New York Declaration on Forests (NYDF), concluding that the goals to halve tropical deforestation by 2020 and end it by 2030 are unlikely to be met. The report highlights an acceleration in the loss of primary forests, inadequate restoration progress, and a significant gap between 'grey' finance for agriculture and 'green' finance for forest conservation.

This policy briefing by the South African Institute of International Affairs examines the role of marine and coastal Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EbA) in enhancing climate resilience, particularly in Southern and East Africa. It advocates for the integration of biodiversity and ecosystem services into national climate policies to protect vulnerable coastlines and livelihoods from sea-level rise and extreme weather events.

The World Resources Institute argues that a proposed costing approach by the Green Climate Fund (GCF) Board is unsuitable for climate adaptation because it creates an artificial and impractical distinction between 'adaptation' and 'development' activities.

This briefing by the World Resources Institute analyzes the 2018 Joint Report on Climate Finance from six major multilateral development banks (MDBs). While total climate finance commitments reached a record $43 billion in 2018, the analysis highlights disparities in bank performance, challenges in mobilizing private investment, and the urgent need for MDBs to align their entire portfolios with the Paris Agreement.

A Green Bond Fact Sheet for a CNY 3 billion (USD 438 million) senior unsecured bond issued by ABC Financial Leasing Co., Ltd. on June 5, 2019, to fund wind energy projects.