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The green bond market in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) experienced a strong recovery in 2019, driven largely by Chile's first sovereign green bonds. While Brazil, Chile, and Mexico dominate the regional volume, the market is characterized by a high prevalence of US dollar-denominated debt and a significant reliance on private placements. Energy remains the most funded sector, though LAC shows a uniquely high allocation toward land use and industry compared to global trends. The report highlights substantial untapped potential in sustainable agriculture and the 'blue economy' (ocean resources), suggesting that sovereign issuance and multilateral development bank support are key to scaling these markets.

The report identifies a total available energy services market in South Africa valued at approximately R125 billion by 2035, driven by rising electricity costs and falling technology prices. It highlights growth in rooftop solar PV, energy storage, and energy efficiency, while detailing the shift from a single-operator utility model to a distributed generation model. Key emerging opportunities include commercial off-the-shelf systems, project bundling, and building modernisation, supported by innovative finance mechanisms like PACE and a growing framework of municipal small-scale embedded generation (SSEG) regulations.

The report identifies significant investment opportunities in South Africa's urban water sector across four markets: commercial and industrial, residential, new property developments, and municipalities. It highlights a projected 17% gap between water supply and demand by 2030, with severe shortages expected in Gauteng, Mpumalanga, KwaZulu-Natal, and the Western Cape. In the Berg River management area, this deficit could cost the region over R146 billion and 650,000 jobs per year by 2040. Key opportunities include water-efficient technologies, wastewater reuse, desalination, and non-revenue water reduction. The report also details the regulatory environment, including the National Water Act and municipal by-laws, and emphasizes the Western Cape's role as a greentech hub.

The document outlines the framework for green panda bonds—Renminbi-denominated bonds issued in mainland China by foreign entities for green projects. It details the regulatory roles of the PBoC, CSRC, and NDRC, the requirements for foreign issuers, and the step-by-step process for issuance, including the need for green frameworks and external reviews. As of October 2018, China was the second largest green bond market globally, with renewable energy accounting for over 60% of allocations.

The Climate Bonds Initiative (CBI) employs a three-step screening process to identify and validate green bonds and loans for its database. This involves identifying self-labeled green instruments, verifying alignment with the Climate Bonds Taxonomy across eight sectors, and ensuring at least 95% of proceeds are allocated to eligible green assets. The methodology explicitly excludes fossil fuel energy and projects that extend the life of fossil fuel assets. Instruments are categorized as included, pending, or excluded, with a mechanism for reclassification based on new data or updated scientific criteria.

As of June 30, 2018, Australia and New Zealand have established themselves as leaders in the use of the Climate Bonds Standard, despite differing national climate policy environments. Australia's market is driven by major banks and sub-sovereign entities, with significant issuance in energy, transport, and buildings. New Zealand's market is more nascent, featuring a world-first green borrowing programme for geothermal energy. Both nations are noted for high levels of certification and best-practice reporting, though further policy support and project pipelines are needed to meet Paris Agreement targets.

The report highlights a pipeline of 38 green infrastructure projects in Indonesia for 2018-2019, ranging from a USD15m solar project to a USD6bn high-speed rail development. It emphasizes the role of green finance, specifically green bonds and the world's first sovereign green sukuk, in bridging a USD150bn infrastructure investment gap. Key sectors identified include low-carbon transport (rail and BRT), renewable energy (geothermal and hydropower), sustainable water and waste management, and the built environment (certified green buildings).

The document details various green asset-backed securities (ABS) and aggregation mechanisms used to fund low-carbon transitions. It highlights specific instruments such as synthetic ABS, PACE ABS, solar ABS, and green covered bonds, providing examples of issuers and the types of underlying assets—ranging from energy-efficient mortgages to electric vehicle leases—that enable institutional investors to finance smaller-scale green assets.

The India Green Economy Barometer 2018 finds that while India has high potential for a green transition and has made significant strides in renewable energy and social inclusion, the overall progress is slow and insufficient. The report identifies key blockages, including the perception that environmental protection hinders economic growth and a lack of mature green financial markets. It highlights successes in solar capacity expansion and corporate social responsibility but warns that a 'business-as-usual' approach threatens long-term wellbeing due to natural resource overuse and rising inequality.

The South African energy services market, comprising small-scale embedded generation (SSEG) and energy efficiency, is driven by rising electricity costs and falling technology prices. The rooftop solar PV market is particularly strong in the commercial and industrial sector, with a projected total available market of R75 billion by 2035. Energy storage is identified as a future keystone of the SSEG market, with a potential value of R14.5 billion by 2035. Energy efficiency opportunities are estimated to reach R21 billion by 2035, with significant potential in green building and manufacturing. The report also highlights innovative financing mechanisms like Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) and the role of the Western Cape as a regional greentech hub.

The report identifies a $895 billion climate-aligned bond universe, consisting of $221 billion in labelled green bonds and $674 billion in unlabelled bonds from pure-play issuers. Transport and energy are the dominant themes, with rail infrastructure being a primary driver. The document highlights the growing role of sovereign and sub-sovereign issuers, particularly in China and the US, and advocates for the green bond market to reach $1 trillion in annual issuance by 2020 to meet Paris Agreement targets.

The report identifies a $895 billion climate-aligned bond universe as of mid-2017, consisting of $221 billion in labelled green bonds and $674 billion in unlabelled bonds from pure-play issuers. Transport and energy are the dominant themes, with China Railway Corp being the largest single issuer. The document highlights the growing importance of municipal and sovereign green bonds, particularly in the US and Europe, and provides a detailed analysis of Brazil's potential to expand its green finance market to meet its Paris Agreement targets. It concludes by advocating for a global green bond issuance target of $1 trillion per year by 2020.

The briefing presents a business case for applying R-PACE financing to new residential construction to achieve net-zero energy (NZE) goals. It identifies key market barriers—such as high up-front costs and split incentives between builders and buyers—and proposes a policy framework to integrate R-PACE into new builds. RMI's analysis across six U.S. states suggests that NZE homes can be delivered with no additional up-front cost to the buyer, providing annual energy savings that exceed the PACE assessment payments.

The document analyzes proposed budget cuts in the FY2018 'skinny' budget, highlighting the elimination of bipartisan programs for low-income energy assistance, climate research, and rural transportation. It details specific reductions across the USDA, DOE, EPA, NASA, and the Department of State, arguing that the 'America First' approach prioritizes physical security and fossil fuels over climate resilience and international cooperation.

REI constructed a 400,000-square-foot distribution center in Goodyear, Arizona, which is the only facility of its type in the U.S. to achieve both LEED Platinum certification and net-zero energy. Developed with RMI through an integrative design charrette, the facility combines aggressive efficiency measures—such as LED lighting, motion sensors, and air-cooled chillers—with a 2.2-megawatt rooftop PV system. The solar array generates 25–30 percent more energy than the building consumes, providing a return on investment through approximately 20 years of free power. The project also integrates advanced automation and employee-centric climate controls, such as hyperchairs, to balance operational efficiency with workforce comfort.

The document examines the growth and potential of green asset-backed securities (ABS), which convert pools of non-liquid carbon-saving assets into tradable securities. It highlights that green ABS accounted for approximately USD 5 billion (6% market share) of green securities issued in 2016, growing from USD 1.9 billion in 2014. The OECD estimates that annual issuance for renewable energy, energy efficiency, and low-emission vehicles could reach USD 280-380 billion by 2035. The briefing identifies key benefits, such as the ability to bundle small projects to reach bond market volumes and the potential for lower capital costs compared to bank financing. It also addresses risks stemming from the 2008 financial crisis and recommends public sector interventions, including the development of uniform 'green' asset definitions, financial support for data collection, and guarantees for junior or mezzanine tranches to attract institutional investors.

The document explains how green covered bonds, which utilize a dual recourse structure and dedicated asset pools, can provide banks with cheaper, long-term funding for low carbon projects. It highlights early examples like BerlinHyp's green Pfandbrief and the Bank of China's dual recourse bond, while arguing that standardizing green asset definitions and expanding legal frameworks to include renewable energy leases would scale the market.

The document explains how green securitisation transforms pools of illiquid low-carbon assets into tradable securities, improving access to and lowering the cost of capital for small-scale projects. It notes that green Asset-Backed Securities (ABS) grew to USD 5bn in 2016 and could reach USD 280-380bn annually by 2035. The author recommends public sector interventions, such as providing guarantees for junior tranches and supporting the standardisation of green loan contracts, to mitigate risks and drive market growth.

The document lists various entities awarded for pioneering green bond activities in 2016. Key achievements include the first green sovereign bond from Poland, the largest overall issuer (Shanghai Pudong Development Bank), and the first green bonds from several countries including Colombia, Costa Rica, Morocco, and the Philippines. It also recognizes the People's Bank of China for regulation and CICERO for its 'Shades of green' assessment model.

The South African energy services market is expanding due to rising electricity costs, decreasing technology prices, and supportive policies. Growth is primarily driven by the commercial and industrial sectors, particularly through rooftop solar PV and energy efficiency retrofits. While national regulations have lagged behind the rapid uptake of small-scale embedded generation (SSEG), local municipalities, especially in the Western Cape, are developing their own guidelines to unlock investment. Significant opportunities exist in public building retrofits, the water-energy nexus in municipal wastewater treatment, and industrial solar thermal applications in the food and beverage sector.