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The World Resources Institute argues that the incoming Trump administration must continue investing in clean energy and sustainable infrastructure to drive economic growth and job creation. It emphasizes that the global transition to a low-carbon economy is inevitable, citing increased solar and wind projections and corporate commitments to science-based targets. Furthermore, it asserts that maintaining the U.S. commitment to the Paris Agreement is essential for preserving international trust and diplomacy.

The Paris Agreement entered into force on 4 November 2016, with 100 countries representing 67% of global greenhouse gas emissions having ratified it. COP22 and the first meeting of the CMA are tasked with developing operational rules for transparency, progress monitoring, and ramping up ambition to limit global temperature rise to well below 2 degrees Celsius. Key points of contention include the verification of national commitments and the insufficiency of pledges to meet the $100 billion climate finance goal for developing countries by 2020. South Africa has ratified the agreement and set an emissions reduction target of 398–614 MtCO2e for 2025–2030, though this is largely conditional on external assistance and complicated by a continued reliance on coal and budgetary restraints.

The document examines why traditional multilateral development banks struggle to meet the needs of middle-income countries, citing bureaucratic loan processes, rigid procurement rules, and stringent safeguards. Using the African Development Bank (AfDB) as a case study and analyzing experiences in Nigeria and Botswana, it argues that MICs are increasingly turning to private finance, bilateral donors like China, and domestic markets. It recommends that the NDB adopt a leaner operational model, utilize 'use of country systems' (UCS) for procurement, focus on 'green' sustainable infrastructure, and improve gender representation in governance to avoid the pitfalls of established MDBs.

Minister Per Bolund and Johan Kuylenstierna argue that the global financial system must be transformed to steer investment toward a low-carbon pathway to meet the targets of the Paris Agreement and Sustainable Development Goals. While noting initiatives from the World Bank and G20, the authors highlight that green finance remains in its infancy, with green bonds and green infrastructure assets each making up less than 1% of their respective global totals.

The 'Future Proofing Cities' project in Madurai, India, demonstrates that strengthening blue-green infrastructure—comprising hydrological systems and land-based natural habitats—is an effective strategy for reducing climate change impacts. The project highlights the necessity of engaging multiple stakeholders, including government, civil society, and the private sector, to diagnose issues and ensure the sustainability of action plans. A key finding is the critical role of intermediary organisations, such as the DHAN Foundation, in bridging the gap between government authorities and communities to build engagement platforms at provincial and urban local body levels. Additionally, the document notes that successful future proofing requires building evidence-based cases to secure resources from local to global levels and enhancing the capacities of all stakeholders to create a shared mission.

The document details the development of the Madurai Action Plan for Blue-Green Infrastructure, a multi-stakeholder initiative designed to mitigate climate-related hazards like flooding and extreme heat. It emphasizes the role of intermediary organisations, such as the DHAN Foundation, in bridging the gap between government authorities and local communities through participatory methods like 'water walks'. The plan consists of 14 projects across six themes, focusing on sanitation, waste management, and the restoration of water bodies. The case study highlights the importance of integrated, long-term planning over sector-specific approaches and suggests that this model can inform the development of 'smart cities' in India by prioritising natural and cultural heritage alongside urban growth.

The Union of Concerned Scientists proposes a climate resilience framework based on narrowing the 'resilience gap' through combined mitigation and adaptation efforts. The report outlines 15 principles categorized by rigorous science, equitable outcomes, and ambitious common sense to ensure adaptation is scientifically sound and socially just.

The report outlines a strategy to scale China's green bond market, identifying a need for 2 trillion to 4 trillion RMB annually for environmental goals. It proposes a roadmap based on strategic demonstration issuances by diverse entities, capacity building for issuers, and the creation of transparent, long-term green project pipelines. Key recommendations include leveraging the existing 5.72 trillion RMB green loan portfolio for refinancing and exploring the addition of 'green labels' to existing qualifying bonds to enhance market liquidity.

The document outlines expected climate impacts in the Basque Country, including rising temperatures, sea-level rise, and altered precipitation, which threaten public health through heat waves, flooding, and increased pollutants. It identifies 26 adaptation measures, highlighting the cost-effectiveness and co-benefits of ecosystem-based solutions like Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems (SUDS) and behavioral changes in transport.

The document details a 'future proofing' initiative in Madurai, India, supported by the Madurai Corporation, University College London (UCL), and DFID. It emphasizes the integration of 'blue-green infrastructure'—such as the restoration of the Vaigai and Kruthumal rivers—to mitigate climate risks. The approach highlights the need for social inclusivity, specifically addressing the vulnerabilities of slum dwellers and marginalized groups. It also discusses the city's transition toward becoming a 'Smart City' and the role of community-led technical advisory groups in urban planning.

The green bond market experienced substantial growth in 2016, with issuance on track to double from 2015 levels, driven largely by China and other emerging markets. While mitigation projects in clean energy and energy efficiency receive the majority of capital, adaptation financing is increasing, particularly through US municipalities. The private sector now accounts for 66% of issuance. To meet Paris Agreement targets, the report advocates for governments to develop green investment pipelines and implement five key actions: issuing demonstration bonds, applying green standards, enabling domestic verifiers, providing market infrastructure, and promoting international collaboration.

The report highlights the Western Cape's status as a water-stressed region where demand is projected to surpass supply by 2019 in the Western Cape Water Supply System (WCWSS). It identifies diverse business opportunities in the green economy, including precision irrigation, desalination, water reclamation, and the reduction of non-revenue water. The document details the institutional structure of South African water management and outlines specific funding incentives and grants available for greentech manufacturers and infrastructure projects.

The report examines 13 watershed investment programs in the U.S., focusing on how natural infrastructure—specifically forests—can be used to protect drinking water quality and quantity. It provides a framework for program development across three phases: building momentum, designing the program, and implementing the action plan. Key findings emphasize the importance of collaborative partnerships, scientifically informed planning, and diverse financing mechanisms, such as municipal bonds and water rate surcharges, to overcome barriers like insufficient funding and lack of outcome data.

The report argues that the global infrastructure gap persists despite available capital due to a mismatch between investment instruments and project phases. It proposes shifting from bank loans to bond financing during operation phases, mitigating construction risk through guarantees and first-loss protection, and leveraging Islamic finance. The authors advocate for long-term master plans to resolve fiscal mismatches between federal and local governments, reforming procurement to prioritize life-cycle value over the lowest bid, and using fiscal incentives like green accelerated depreciation to encourage sustainable assets.

The document assesses SEI's global urban research portfolio to identify strengths and gaps that can be leveraged for a new programme in sub-Saharan Africa. It finds that while SEI has diverse expertise across 64 projects, there is a lack of cross-centre collaboration and significant research gaps in Central and West Africa, as well as in specific areas like urban solid waste management and green infrastructure in the Global South. The report recommends replicating successful global projects in Africa and expanding research into under-studied regions and strategic themes such as urban governance and inclusive cities.

The research paper examines the fiscal pressures facing South Africa, highlighting high government debt, sluggish economic growth, and rising public sector costs. It details specific budget allocations for infrastructure and energy, including the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Programme and nuclear procurement, while framing these economic realities against the backdrop of student demands for tertiary education funding.

The CDKN-ICLEI First Learning Workshop in Quito, Ecuador, brought together 51 participants from 16 projects to identify enablers and barriers to sub-national climate compatible development (CCD). The workshop focused on moving from planning to implementation, resulting in a revised set of assumptions about effective CCD and the identification of critical knowledge gaps in planning, scaling, and conceptualisation. These outcomes informed seven core learning questions that project partners will address through the creation of 'Inside Stories'—reflective, evidence-based analyses of their learning processes. Regional discussions highlighted that in Asia, CCD is often framed as 'climate-smart' or 'climate-friendly' and requires strong links to poverty alleviation and gender issues, while in Latin America and the Caribbean, local framing and political will are seen as key drivers for sustainability.

The report examines how credit-enhancement mechanisms—such as guarantees, first-loss provisions, and contingent loans—can mitigate the perceived high risks of green infrastructure to mobilize private capital. It analyzes the offerings of major MDBs (including the World Bank, ADB, and EIB) and provides case studies from India, Nigeria, and Mexico to demonstrate how targeting specific risks, such as exploratory costs or tariff volatility, makes projects bankable. The authors conclude that while MDBs have the tools to catalyze green investment, a lack of knowledge among governments and a lack of specialized approval processes for green projects hinder widespread adoption.

The report details the application of natural capital science and software tools across various sectors to integrate ecosystem services into decision-making. Key examples include the Inter-American Development Bank's infrastructure planning in Latin America, China's massive reforestation and zoning efforts, and corporate sustainability initiatives by Dow, Unilever, and Coca-Cola. It highlights the role of the Natural Capital Project's open-source tools, such as InVEST and OPAL, in quantifying the trade-offs between economic development and the preservation of natural assets like watersheds and coastal habitats.

The document argues that climate change adaptation measures involving green and blue areas provide significant co-benefits for human health, which are often overlooked in policy design. It develops a conceptual framework based on five pathways: prevention of climate and pollution effects, improvement of ecosystem quality, social environment benefits, economic activity development, and interaction with microorganisms. The authors review existing literature using objective, self-reported, and mixed methodologies, finding a generally positive but inconsistent correlation between natural environments and health outcomes, with green areas being more extensively studied than blue areas.