Search Climate Insights Directory

This policy brief examines the Technology Mechanism established under the UNFCCC's Cancún Agreements, analyzing its potential to facilitate the development and transfer of climate technologies to developing countries. The authors argue for a systemic approach to innovation that balances 'push' and 'pull' factors, recommends the use of cooperative research, development, and demonstration (RD&D) programs, and emphasizes the need for dedicated funding windows within the Green Climate Fund to overcome financial barriers like the 'valley of death'.

This briefing describes a CDKN-funded project (RSGL 0024e) running from April 2012 to March 2014 with a value of £490,248. The project aims to integrate climate compatible development (CCD) perspectives into Payments for Ecosystem Services (PES) and Andean Reciprocal watershed Agreements (ARA) by combining the strengths of top-down national schemes and bottom-up local initiatives.

This case study examines the experiences of Jamaica and Senegal in accrediting National Implementing Entities (NIEs) to gain direct access to the Adaptation Fund, highlighting challenges in fiduciary management, institutional capacity, and the implications for future access to the Green Climate Fund.

This policy brief examines the Philippines' legal and institutional approach to climate resilience, centered on the 2009 Climate Change Act. The Act establishes a centralized governance structure led by the Climate Change Commission to mainstream climate adaptation and mitigation across government sectors and local government units (LGUs). While the framework emphasizes devolved planning and integrated socio-economic objectives, the document notes tensions between these goals and national policies promoting large-scale mining and coal investment.

This case study by the Climate Policy Initiative analyzes the Ouarzazate I Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) project in Morocco. It examines how a public-private partnership (PPP) model, supported by significant international concessional finance and government subsidies, was used to overcome the high capital costs and commercial immaturity of CSP technology to establish a foundation for a larger regional solar portfolio.

The Clarification Note and Applicant Guidelines for Round 2 of the CDKN Innovation Fund outline the requirements for funding 'game-changing' project ideas focused on climate compatible development (CCD) in Africa. The fund supports an initial innovation process of up to 6 months to develop project proposals and other outputs, with potential subsequent funding for implementation.

This case study examines Grenada's use of the Strategic Program for Climate Resilience (SPCR) to integrate climate resilience into poverty reduction and sustainable development, highlighting lessons on country-specific responses, comprehensive mainstreaming, and the role of multilateral finance.

This policy brief describes the South African Renewables Initiative (SARi), a government-led effort launched in December 2011 to establish financing arrangements for scaling up renewable energy. The initiative aims to achieve a target of 19 GW of renewable electricity by 2030 while managing the incremental costs compared to coal-fired power to avoid unacceptable economic burdens on the public.

This briefing describes the outcomes of the May 2012 Bonn Climate Change Conference, focusing on the initialization of the Ad Hoc Working Group on the Durban Platform for Enhanced Action (ADP) and ongoing tensions regarding the Kyoto Protocol's second commitment period and climate financing.

This report analyzes the state of the global securitization markets as of May 2012, examining whether recent activity in residential mortgage-backed securities (RMBS) and trade finance signals a recovery that could eventually benefit climate finance. ItS It discusses how bank recapitalization pressures have reduced renewable energy lending, which relies on banks for 95% of project finance globally, making the development of securitized clean energy assets vital for recycling capital. The report evaluates market trends in Europe and the United States, the impact of regulatory frameworks like Basel III and Solvency II, and the role of standardization initiatives like the Climate Bond Standard and the Prime Collateralised Securities Initiative (PCSI).

This report details the outcomes of an expert meeting and field visit held in Nairobi, Kenya, in April 2012. The event was part of the 'Building REDD+ Policy Capacity for Developing Country Negotiators and Land Managers' project, delivered by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) and the ASB Partnership for the Tropical Forest Margins. The meeting focused on two primary determinants for the success of REDD+: the development of Safeguard Information Systems (SIS) and the fostering of effective private sector engagement.

This policy paper advocates for a human rights-based approach to climate finance to ensure that mitigation and adaptation efforts do not violate human rights or cause social and environmental harm. It proposes six guiding principles—including 'Do No Harm' and public participation—and provides detailed recommendations for the Green Climate Fund (GCF) to implement robust safeguards, a transparent monitoring system, and an independent grievance mechanism.

This document is a summary of a UNDP paper that establishes a framework for defining and assessing 'climate finance readiness' in countries, focusing on the capacities required to manage both international and domestic climate funds.

This briefing by Simon Maxwell of the Climate and Development Knowledge Network (CDKN) proposes a 'green growth guarantee' as a concrete deliverable for the G20 summit in Los Cabos and the Rio+20 Summit in 2012. The author argues that while technical discussions on green growth are advancing, political leaders need a high-profile commitment to support developing countries in planning and implementing sustainable growth through indicators, financial engagement, and peer review.

This report evaluates climate change adaptation preparedness in southern Africa, specifically focusing on a desk study of Zimbabwe's current state of knowledge and policy framework.

The document advocates for a human rights-based approach to climate finance to ensure rights considerations are integrated into the development and monitoring of institutions like the Green Climate Fund.

This report by the Center for International Environmental Law argues for the integration of a human rights-based approach into the global climate finance architecture. It evaluates existing mechanisms—the Global Environment Facility (GEF), REDD+ initiatives, and the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM)—and provides detailed recommendations for the design of the UNFCCC's Green Climate Fund (GCF) to prevent social and environmental harm.

This report summarizes a high-level discussion titled "The Missing Piece? Climate Change Mitigation and the Benefits of Fossil Fuel Subsidy Reform," held as an official side event of the UNFCCC COP 17 on December 7, 2011, in Durban, South Africa. The event focused on the scale of fossil fuel subsidies compared to climate finance and the necessity of reforming these subsidies to enable green growth and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

This briefing outlines an 8-point plan to mobilize the $75 trillion held by institutional investors toward the low-carbon transition via the bond market. It argues that while climate-resilient infrastructure provides the long-term, secure assets pension funds and insurers seek, current deal flow is too small and fragmented. The plan proposes aggregating small projects into investment-grade offerings, utilizing public sector risk-sharing and regulatory leverage, greening development banks, and implementing standardized climate bond certifications to bridge the annual investment gap of $1 trillion to $1.3 trillion.

Energy efficiency represents 44% of global GHG abatement potential in a 2°C scenario but receives a small share of climate finance, which is largely concentrated in emerging economies like China. Market barriers hinder the scaling of funding in both developed and Developing Countries. The report advocates for increased funding from bilateral and multilateral development banks to leverage private finance and suggests using the Green Climate Fund to establish an innovative financing framework for cost-effective energy efficiency actions.