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The report examines the landscape of urban resilience solutions in informal contexts across the Global South, finding that while diverse solutions exist, most are in early development stages. It highlights the critical role of philanthropic and research grants for early-stage testing and notes that these interventions often yield co-benefits in sustainable development, health, and gender equity.

The author contends that hosting COP29 in Azerbaijan—a country with an authoritarian regime and a growing fossil fuel industry—threatens the summit's potential for real change. The text highlights Azerbaijan's lack of net-zero targets, its expansion of gas production, and its poor human rights record, including the detention of environmental activists. It also criticizes the European Union for increasing gas imports from Azerbaijan, which the author claims bolsters the regime's power. Finally, the document calls for the UN to reform the COP host selection process by introducing mandatory climate action and human rights requirements.

The Saint-Louis Declaration, issued by the African Activists for Climate Justice (AACJ) Senegal consortium, calls for the integration of climate justice into Senegal's environmental policies. It highlights the extreme vulnerability of the Saint-Louis region and demands simplified access to green funds, the operationalization of the loss and damage fund at COP29, and increased support for climate-resilient agriculture and renewable energy in rural areas.

Reclaim Finance outlines the stakes for COP29, emphasizing that the New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG) for North-South climate finance should be at least a trillion dollars and provided as grants or grant-equivalents. The organization warns against allowing private finance or carbon offsets to count toward these public obligations, noting that private capital often bypasses the poorest communities and adaptation projects. While acknowledging the role of private finance in tripling renewable energy, the document criticizes the Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero (GFANZ) for its failure to restrict fossil fuel financing and the methodological flaws in Net-Zero Banking Alliance targets. It further highlights the failure of Just Energy Transition Partnerships (JETPs) in South Africa, Indonesia, and Vietnam due to a lack of concessional funding and private sector risk aversion.

The document argues that transboundary climate risks originating in mountain areas are of rising concern and highly relevant to the adaptation needs of all countries. It identifies the Global Stocktake, Global Goal on Adaptation, Finance, Planning and reporting, and Loss and Damage as key negotiation tracks for advancing the mountain agenda and enhancing regional climate resilience.

The document outlines a three-step approach for utilities to incorporate the DOE's Energy Infrastructure Reinvestment (EIR) program into resource planning: modeling portfolio-wide savings from low-interest financing, prioritizing 'clean repowering' at existing fossil sites, and optimizing transmission investments. It argues that failing to model these factors leads to suboptimal resource portfolios and missed savings. The brief provides technical guidance on calculating forward interest rates, managing compliance costs (such as NEPA and the Davis-Bacon Act), and leveraging the EIR's $250 billion lending authority to accelerate the clean energy transition while reducing costs for ratepayers.

The We Mean Business Coalition calls on G20 and COP29 leaders to establish a new collective quantified goal (NCQG) for climate finance and ensure 2035 nationally determined contributions (NDCs) are 'investible' through sector-specific targets and clear regulations. The coalition emphasizes that targeted public finance is essential to de-risk projects and unlock private investment, particularly in low- and middle-income countries, while noting that 260 businesses representing over $1.6 trillion are urging a fossil fuel phase-out.

The briefing outlines a three-part agenda for the next US administration to maintain the momentum of its green industrial strategy. It emphasizes the need to bridge the gap between initial investment and long-term economic stability by streamlining permitting, diversifying supply chains to reduce reliance on China, and ensuring that clean energy benefits reach low-income and legacy industrial communities. The author advocates for a 'private-sector-led, government-enabled' framework supported by strategic governance mechanisms to ensure the US remains a global leader in cleantech innovation and manufacturing.

The document argues that AI and HPC are transforming fusion development from an empirical, physical testing process to an 'in silico' approach, significantly reducing the time and cost required to reach commercial viability. It identifies five critical technical areas where these tools are essential: materials selection, high-temperature superconductors, inertial fusion energy (IFE) challenges, tritium breeding/extraction, and plasma diagnostics and control. Furthermore, the report suggests that AI can support the creation of fit-for-purpose regulations and reduce the Levelized Cost of Electricity (LCOE) through predictive maintenance and optimized remote handling. The authors highlight a symbiotic relationship where AI accelerates fusion's development, and fusion eventually provides the carbon-free, firm power required to sustain the energy-intensive growth of AI data centers.

The report analyzes the integration of AI and HPC into the fusion energy sector to compress development timelines and overcome technical barriers. It details applications in in-silico design iteration, materials discovery, superconducting magnet optimization, and plasma control. The document also assesses the economic viability of fusion, estimating a potential Levelized Cost of Electricity (LCOE) between 4.7 and 7.9 cents per kWh, and explores a symbiotic relationship where AI accelerates fusion development while fusion provides the firm, carbon-free power required by AI data centers.

The brief evaluates 62 of 95 water investments established between 2013 and 2018 in Kenya's ASAL regions, finding that functionality generally declined between 2019 and 2023 due to poor maintenance funding, governance gaps, and insufficient climate data. It recommends integrating indigenous knowledge, securing dedicated operations and maintenance budgets, and adopting landscape-level management to ensure long-term resilience.

The policy brief contends that carbon markets are a flawed mechanism that fails to provide real climate finance, instead allowing Global North polluters to avoid direct emission reductions while potentially harming Global South communities.

The document argues that the Chair's third non-paper provides an adequate structure for negotiations at INC-5 but would result in an 'ineffective and useless treaty' if not significantly strengthened. CIEL advocates for replacing voluntary language with legally binding obligations, establishing a dedicated financial mechanism based on the polluter pays principle, and implementing global phase-outs of chemicals of concern. Key recommendations include introducing a freeze on new polymer production capacity, making national plans mandatory, and adopting a qualified majority voting system for the Conference of the Parties to prevent decision-making paralysis.

The document examines how ISDS allows foreign investors, particularly in the fossil fuel industry, to sue governments over climate regulations, leading to a 'chilling effect' where states delay or weaken policies to avoid costly awards. It argues that these protections act as a subsidy for GHG-intensive industries, contradicting Article 2.1(c) of the Paris Agreement. The brief concludes that fragmented procedural reforms are insufficient and advocates for a unified global approach, including the use of COP29 and Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) to coordinate ISDS withdrawals or carve-outs.

The document synthesizes two primary negotiating texts for a future global plastics treaty, highlighting critical gaps in the Chair's third Non-Paper compared to the Compilation draft. It details proposed articles on the full lifecycle of plastics, including primary polymer production, chemicals of concern, product design, waste management, and a just transition for waste pickers. The synthesis includes various options for mandatory and voluntary obligations, financial mechanisms, and the establishment of a governing body and subsidiary organs to end plastic pollution by 2040.

The report finds that while European DFIs are central to public climate finance, their current private capital mobilisation levels are low, with most lacking specific mobilisation targets. It identifies barriers such as low risk appetite from shareholders, a preference for transaction-level tools over institutional-level ones, and regulatory hurdles like the EU Taxonomy's limited applicability outside Europe. The document proposes 30 recommendations, including adopting broader mobilisation definitions, increasing on-selling of assets, and enhancing transparency through databases like GEMs to attract private investors.

The document outlines the methodological frameworks used to quantify climate finance needs for agrifood systems. It establishes a comprehensive taxonomy developed by CPI and FAO covering sectors such as crop and livestock systems, forestry, fisheries, and food diets. The 'top-down' approach aggregates data from 46 publications, using seven key reports to estimate needs for 2024-2030, while the 'bottom-up' approach extrapolates data from 167 Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). The analysis highlights significant data gaps for the post-2030 period and notes that agrifood system finance needs in low-income countries represent a larger relative proportion of their economy, averaging 2.7% of GDP.

The document analyzes the shift in Brazil's bioeconomy governance since 2023, highlighted by the creation of the National Bioeconomy Strategy and the National Bioeconomy Secretariat within the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change (MMA). It categorizes bioeconomy into three visions—biotechnological, bio-resources, and bio-ecological—noting that the current national strategy primarily aligns with the bio-ecological vision. The report details new regulatory frameworks such as the 'Fuel of the Future' law and various sustainable production programs, while mapping the transversal roles of multiple ministries (including MDIC, Fazenda, and MCTI) in coordinating the transition to a low-carbon economy.

Between 2021 and 2023, climate finance for land use in Brazil averaged US$ 17.1 billion per year, a 99% increase from the 2015-2020 period. Domestic sources provided 97% of these resources, with rural credit serving as the primary instrument (58% of total flows). While the crop sector was the largest recipient (74%), the native forest sector remained heavily dependent on the federal public budget. The report highlights a significant rise in 'loss and damage' spending due to extreme weather events and notes a sharp decline in the use of thematic bonds for land use after 2021.

The report finds a substantial divergence in ambition between the EU ETS and CORSIA. While the EU ETS is moving toward 100% auctioning of allowances by 2026 and high carbon prices, CORSIA relies on offsetting emissions above a baseline, resulting in significantly lower emissions coverage and a much weaker price signal. The EU may expand the EU ETS to extra-EEA flights by 2027 if CORSIA is deemed insufficient to meet climate goals.