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This policy brief by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) examines how Voluntary Sustainability Standards (VSS) can mitigate financial risks for financial service providers (FSPs) investing in agriculture in developing countries. By analyzing 12 VSS across economic, environmental, and social dimensions, the document identifies gaps in current standards—particularly regarding economic viability and climate adaptation—and provides recommendations for FSPs, VSS developers, and governments to catalyze investment in sustainable agriculture.

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 policy brief by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) examines how voluntary sustainability standards (VSSs) can help reduce poverty among smallholder farmers. Based on a study of 13 major standard initiatives and 12 meta-studies, the document analyzes VSSs across three dimensions of poverty: access to resources, opportunities and choice, and power and voice. While VSSs can provide benefits such as better crop prices and improved natural resource management, the brief concludes that their overall impact on poverty reduction is inconclusive and context-specific, requiring significant external support from governments and the private sector to be effective.

This policy brief, published by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) in March 2023, examines whether voluntary sustainability standards (VSS) can help reduce poverty among smallholder farmers. Based on a 2021 study that analyzed 13 VSS initiatives, 12 meta-studies, and 57 interviews across six countries, the document argues that VSS can be a tool for poverty reduction when integrated into broader strategies. It identifies key barriers to access for smallholders and provides recommendations for VSS designers and policymakers to enhance the socio-economic and environmental benefits of these standards.

The Genesee-Finger Lakes Emissions Scenario report, produced by the Stockholm Environment Institute and the Climate Solutions Accelerator of the Genesee-Finger Lakes Region, outlines a project to assess the region's climate footprint and identify emission reduction pathways to guide a future Climate Action Strategy.

This policy brief examines the intersection of climate change and trade for the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) within the framework of the World Trade Organization (WTO). It argues that a new "sustainability agenda" at the WTO offers opportunities for CARICOM to advance its trade-related climate interests, particularly as the region faces severe vulnerability to rising temperatures and declining global trade competitiveness.

The research paper 'Toward Multipurpose Trade Policy?' by Nicolas Lamp describes a paradigm shift in international trade, moving from a primary focus on economic efficiency and liberalization toward 'multipurpose trade policy.' This new approach integrates substantive policy objectives—such as climate mitigation, national security, and labor rights—directly into trade policy rather than treating them as externalities. The author outlines the domestic challenges of balancing incommensurable goals and the international implications, including a declining role for multilateral trade law and the World Trade Organization (WTO).

This report provides a Sustainable Asset Valuation (SAVi) of an assisted natural regeneration (ANR) project covering 2,868 hectares in Sodo Woreda, Ethiopia, demonstrating that land restoration provides direct economic benefits to farmers and climate services.

This briefing by RMI argues that integrating urban nature—such as forests, street trees, and bodies of water—into city planning reduces greenhouse gas emissions, lowers energy costs, and improves equity. The document highlights that the global value of urban nature's benefits is nine times the costs, and it calls for a significant increase in annual investment to reach a potential $2 trillion in annual net benefits by 2030.

This policy brief examines the barriers Local Green Entrepreneurs (LGEs) face in South Africa, specifically focusing on the lack of inclusive finance. It argues that while small, medium, and micro enterprises (SMMEs) are critical for decarbonisation and climate adaptation, they are hindered by limited risk appetite from funders, compliance-driven ESG requirements, and regulatory red tape. The document recommends the development of a Green Economy Framework and the adoption of innovative finance mechanisms to support black-, youth-, and female-owned green enterprises.

This policy brief examines the intersection of international trade and climate change, specifically focusing on how the World Trade Organization (WTO) can facilitate cooperation to support climate mitigation and adaptation goals while ensuring a just transition for developing countries.

This report provides a legal assessment of the June 24, 2022, agreement in principle to reform the Energy Charter Treaty (ECT), concluding that the proposed modernization is insufficient to support global climate action goals or the energy transition.

The Geothermal Risk Transfer Facility is a programme funded by the FCDO (2021-2025) designed to catalyse private investment in African green energy by leveraging local insurance capital to de-risk early-stage geothermal development drilling.

This scoping report by FSD Africa evaluates the feasibility of developing a green bond market within the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU). It identifies significant barriers, including underdeveloped regional financial markets, a lack of government-led climate initiatives, and limited stakeholder familiarity with international green bond standards. The report provides recommendations for capacity building, regulatory harmonization, and the identification of bankable green projects to attract both public and private investment for climate mitigation and adaptation.

This policy brief summarizes a regional flagship report on the gendered impacts of climate change in Southeast Asia. It advocates for mainstreaming gender equality into climate-relevant sectoral policies to ensure socially inclusive outcomes and sustainable development.

The Green Guarantee Company (GGC) is a specialist guarantor designed to help public and private sector borrowers in emerging and frontier markets access long-term hard currency debt from global institutional investors for climate adaptation and mitigation projects. Managed by the Development Guarantee Group (DGG), the GGC provides full guarantees for bonds and loans of 5-20 years, aligned with the Climate Bond Standard (CBS), to mitigate sovereign and currency risks. The instrument includes a Technical Assistance (TA) facility to build issuer capabilities and market readiness. The GGC aims to catalyze approximately USD 10 billion in commercial term debt over its first decade, targeting sectors such as energy, transport, water, buildings, and waste, with an initial pilot phase in South Africa.

The report details the proceedings of the 53rd meeting of the Executive Council (EC-53) of the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI), held on June 14, 2022, in Montevideo and via videoconference. The meeting focused on financial approvals, the performance evaluation of the Executive Director, the recruitment process for a new Director, and progress on climate assessment initiatives in Latin America and the Caribbean.

The Centre for Environmental Rights, representing the Life After Coal/Impilo Ngaphandle Kwamalahle Campaign, submitted a letter to the South African Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment on 5 August 2022. The letter urges the government to strengthen its 2030 Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) targets to align with the Paris Agreement and the Glasgow Climate Pact, arguing that current targets are insufficient to limit global warming to 1.5°C.

The report 'Landscape of Green Finance in India' by the Climate Policy Initiative analyzes green finance flows in India for FY 2019-20, focusing on climate mitigation and adaptation. It finds that while green finance flows increased by 150% between FY 2017/18 and FY 2019/20, the total of INR 309 thousand crores per annum remains significantly below the estimated INR 11 lakh crores per year required to meet India's Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).

This policy brief examines the challenges and opportunities for securing sustainable finance to support Africa's regional infrastructure agenda, specifically within the framework of the Programme for Infrastructure Development in Africa (PIDA) and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). It highlights the gap between Africa's high climate vulnerability and its low access to sustainable finance, proposing lessons from the ASEAN region to improve project bankability and regulatory harmonisation.