Search Climate Insights Directory

The Western Cape Industrial Symbiosis Programme (WISP) is a free service delivered by GreenCape and initiated by the Western Cape Government. It employs an industrial symbiosis approach to match unused resources—including energy, water, and materials—from one company to another to create economic and environmental benefits. The programme specifically targets gaps faced by SMEs in implementing resource and energy efficiency, aiming to reduce CO2 emissions and landfill costs while increasing profits and innovation.

The white paper proposes using cleantech clusters—groups of co-located firms and institutions—to overcome the slow adoption of climate solutions in developing countries. It advocates for the creation of independent, non-profit cluster agencies to coordinate ecosystems, attract investment, and create jobs, citing the success of organizations like GreenCape and Clean in South Africa, Denmark, Brazil, and Colombia.

The International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) provides policy solutions and research to integrate environmental and social priorities with economic development. In Canada, the institute focuses on freshwater management through the Experimental Lakes Area, the development of a green economy, and addressing the challenges of resource development in the Arctic. IISD also works with the extractives industry on social licence and water management, and collaborates with partners in the U.S. and Mexico to develop a coordinated North American energy strategy to improve energy security and sustainability.

The document asserts that a green economy is impossible without efficient water stewardship, proposing Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) as the primary entry point for solving linked water, energy, and food security challenges. It emphasizes the need for new water targets, polycentric governance to manage transboundary water flows, and the use of earth observations for monitoring. The Lake Winnipeg Bioeconomy Project is cited as a model for linking hydrologic and nutrient cycles to provide renewable feedstock and ecosystem benefits.

The IISD is implementing a project to address the marginalization of poor producers in sustainable markets. While sustainable agricultural production is growing—reaching 20% of global palm oil and 30% of cocoa—production remains concentrated in advanced, export-oriented economies. To counter this, the IISD's Sustainability Standards Initiative (SSI) provides data, digital platforms, and advisory services to help least developed countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America strategically access value-added sustainable markets and align with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The briefing outlines key environmental priorities for the WTO's MC12, focusing on fisheries subsidies, climate policy alignment with the Paris Agreement, and several member-led initiatives. It highlights the 'Structured Discussions on Trade and Environmental Sustainability' (TESSD), a ministerial declaration on plastic pollution, and a proposal for fossil fuel subsidy reform. The author emphasizes that success depends on integrating the needs of developing countries through enhanced 'Aid for Trade' and inclusive dialogue to avoid a two-speed global green economy.

The report examines the environmental impact of the ICT sector, specifically regarding energy consumption, CO2 emissions, and the global e-waste trade. It contrasts these negative effects with the potential for ICTs to drive economic growth and support a 'green economy' through improved resource efficiency, dematerialisation, and systemic social transformation. The text highlights the disproportionate burden of e-waste on developing nations and identifies critical policy challenges, such as rebound effects and unintended consequences of digital openness.

The IISD project 'Tirer parti des marchés durables pour réduire la pauvreté et favoriser le développement durable' aims to prevent the marginalization of poor producers in least developed countries. By increasing transparency and providing data on over 400 voluntary sustainability standards (VSS), the project seeks to enable these countries to develop evidence-based strategies for sustainable production and market access. The initiative includes data collection, a digital platform, and tailored advisory services, initially targeting six pilot countries across Africa, Asia, and Latin America.

The document provides a comprehensive framework for Senegalese communities to understand climate change, assess their vulnerabilities, and take 'climate action' through legal empowerment. It details the specific climate risks facing Senegal, lists international and national legal obligations, and provides a step-by-step toolkit for advocacy, information access, and litigation.

The report details five dialogues focused on state capacity in South Africa, specifically addressing the energy transition, freight and public transport, the criminal justice system, and water security, concluding with a synthesis on public sector professionalization. A recurring theme is the detrimental impact of state capture and political interference on institutional memory and technical expertise. The document argues that state capability requires not just administrative skills but the agency to 'reach into society' and coordinate complex projects. Key recommendations include reforming senior appointment processes to insulate the public service from politics, creating a single administration to reduce fragmentation, and rethinking the municipal fiscal framework to ensure the viability of basic service delivery.

The paper finds that while Uganda has increased its climate ambition in its updated NDC, its actual post-COVID recovery packages have largely ignored green goals in favor of immediate health and economic rescue. It highlights a significant funding gap, where over 70% of NDC implementation costs must come from external sources, and warns that rising public debt may further obstruct climate investment. The authors recommend leveraging green procurement, nature-based solutions, and innovative financing to align economic recovery with the country's transition to a green economy by 2030.

The document analyzes the shift in Indian foreign policy under Prime Minister Narendra Modi toward a more assertive, geo-economic approach. It examines how India integrates Africa into its strategic calculations, particularly regarding energy security, maritime security in the Indian Ocean, and competition with China. The paper details the history of the India–Africa Forum Summit (IAFS), the use of lines of credit (LOCs) for infrastructure, and the potential for aligning Indian engagement with Africa's Agenda 2063 and the Africa Integrated Maritime Strategy.

The document analyzes the macroeconomic resilience of Uganda and Rwanda between 2000 and 2020, identifying five shared crisis periods triggered by exogenous shocks such as the global financial crisis, climate events, and the COVID-19 pandemic. It examines how these shocks transmitted through the economies—affecting export growth, inflation, and capital formation—and highlights the specific vulnerabilities of both nations, including reliance on foreign aid and agricultural productivity. The authors recommend increasing capital inflows, improving domestic revenue mobilization, enhancing agricultural productivity, and operationalizing climate change adaptation strategies to build future resilience.

The report examines the relationship between water productivity, water flows, and ecosystem services, emphasizing that narrow agricultural efficiency often creates trade-offs with broader landscape health. It advocates for an integrated approach to water resource management that values regulating and supporting services alongside provisioning ones.

The report provides an economic valuation of the environmental and social losses resulting from the Rempang Eco City project on Pulau Rempang. It finds that the average monthly income of local households (Rp32.77 million) is significantly higher than government claims (Rp3 million), and that the projected environmental losses per household (Rp109 million per month) are more than three times their income. The document criticizes the project's 'green economy' narrative, highlighting the destruction of mangroves, loss of traditional livelihoods in fisheries and agriculture, and the marginalization of indigenous communities through forced relocation and criminalization.

The document introduces a Green Economy Model (GEM) for India, developed by the World Resources Institute India and KnowlEdge Srl. Based on a 2015 model by Andrea M. Bassi, this system dynamics tool is customized to India's national context, incorporating primary and allied sectors that influence climate change to help inform low-carbon development pathways.

The analysis finds that pursuing a net zero emissions pathway by 2050 in Ethiopia would increase the average real annual GDP growth rate by 1.4 percent relative to a business-as-usual scenario. While the NZE pathway requires an additional US$66.98 billion in cumulative investment costs by 2050, it is projected to generate $111 billion in cumulative co-benefits through increased real GDP and avoid $89 billion in costs, primarily in energy. Social co-benefits include an average of 672,000 additional green jobs and significant increases in disposable incomes (10.5 percent by 2030 and 53.1 percent by 2050). The benefit-cost ratio for investments in mitigation and adaptation is estimated to rise from 1.04 in 2030 to 2.99 by 2050.

The document asserts that the U.S. has a critical opportunity to lead international climate policy because the global landscape has shifted since the Kyoto Protocol. It highlights that major developing nations are now implementing their own climate plans and that the Bali Action Plan allows for 'measurable, reportable and verifiable' actions from both developed and developing countries. The author emphasizes the synergy between climate action and economic growth, noting that 'green' stimulus packages can create jobs and reduce energy costs. Finally, it stresses the need for developed nations to provide financial and technological support to developing countries to ensure a successful global agreement.

The report advocates for a strategic approach to climate adaptation where private sector interests align with the needs of vulnerable communities in developing countries. It posits that community risks are business risks, and companies can gain a competitive edge by developing climate-resilient products and services. While a survey of United Nations Global Compact and UNEP 'Caring for Climate' signatories shows that 86% of respondents see adaptation as a business opportunity, most companies lack comprehensive strategies due to difficulties in integrating long-term scientific data into short-term business planning. The document outlines specific steps for companies to integrate adaptation into core strategic planning and for governments to stimulate markets through financial and risk-reduction incentives, emphasizing that private action complements but does not replace essential public investment.

The document details several financial incubators aimed at biodiversity conservation in South Africa. These include the use of tax incentives under the Income Tax Act, biodiversity offsets, carbon payments for grasslands, municipal property rates rebates, and the investigation of green bonds as debt finance instruments. Each incubator provides specific financial estimates for potential funding flows or net benefits ranging from small annual increases to millions of dollars in net present value.