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The Climate-Resilient Cities in Latin America Initiative (CRC) focused on small and medium-sized cities (50,000 to 1 million inhabitants) to bridge the gap between research and concrete climate action. The initiative emphasizes that while these cities are highly vulnerable to hydro-meteorological disasters, they offer significant opportunities for resilience due to their proximity scale. Key strategies included the co-generation of knowledge using both scientific data and citizen perceptions, the implementation of low-cost technological prototypes, and the integration of a gender perspective to address the disproportionate impacts of climate change on women. The report argues for a localization agenda where resilience is integrated into local development plans and supported by greater fiscal and administrative decentralization.

The report outlines Vietnam's need for approximately 31 billion USD by 2020 to meet its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) and transition to a sustainable economy. It highlights a significant gap in infrastructure investment, estimating a 102 billion USD shortfall by 2040 if current spending trends continue. The document analyzes four primary sectors for green investment: renewable energy, low-carbon transport, sustainable water management, and sustainable waste management. It details the emergence of green finance in Vietnam, including the issuance of 27 million USD in municipal green bonds by Ho Chi Minh City and Ba Ria-Vung Tau, and the introduction of Decree 163/2018/ND-CP to provide a legal framework for corporate green bonds. The report also provides a list of 40 exemplary green projects and suggests policy actions, such as issuing sovereign green bonds and implementing climate risk disclosures, to attract private and international capital.

The Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) green bond market experienced a strong recovery in 2019, largely driven by Chile's first sovereign green bonds. While Brazil, Chile, and Mexico dominate the market, the region shows significant potential for expansion in green infrastructure, sustainable agriculture, and ocean-based 'blue' finance. The report highlights a high prevalence of USD-denominated issuance and a strong reliance on external reviews, though post-issuance reporting varies by issuer size and type.

The project reclaimed 13,000 m3 of concrete and 5,000 m3 of asphalt for on-site reuse, saving R3.1 million in landfill airspace. While on-site crushing would have saved 36% compared to virgin materials, moving the crusher to Philippi increased costs by 20% over virgin sources due to haulage. Technical findings recommend SANS 3001 testing, a grading modulus of 2.2-2.3, and crushing to 37 mm for G5 material to improve workability and CBR values.

The Sustainable Asset Valuation (SAVi) tool by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) integrates system dynamics simulation with project finance models to value risks and externalities typically ignored in traditional financial assessments. It applies to asset types including energy, roads, buildings, irrigation, sewerage treatment, and nature-based infrastructure. The tool aims to support the goals of the Paris Agreement and UN Sustainable Development Goals by optimizing value for money across an asset's life cycle. Case studies demonstrate its application in valuing climate-risk-related road disruptions in Morocco, the economic gains of wetland conservation in India, and the internal rate of return for wind energy in Senegal.

The Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) has announced the results of its Small Grant Program (SGP-HW) call for proposals. Following a multi-stage review process involving the IAI Directorate, the Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC), and external researchers, 10 proposals were shortlisted from an initial 92. Four projects were selected for immediate funding, three were approved subject to resource availability, and three were recommended for alternate funding. The program emphasizes transdisciplinary research and participatory approaches involving policy makers and stakeholders, with grants up to USD 200,000 to support research, capacity building, and data management.

The report argues that Brazil can align economic growth with its Paris Agreement commitments by investing in more productive land use, renewable energy, energy efficiency, and improved transportation logistics. It concludes that the returns from climate-friendly investments will outweigh the costs of inaction.

The report evaluates multiple conservation scenarios for Lake Dal, concluding that a hybrid approach combining grey infrastructure (sewage treatment plants), solar PV power, and natural infrastructure (artificial wetlands) is the most cost-effective way to prevent ecological collapse and maximize economic benefits from tourism and fisheries.

The paper argues that Africa can leapfrog into sustainable development by learning from China's infrastructure successes and failures. It highlights the 'Avoid-Shift-Improve' framework for transportation and examines case studies in high-speed rail, automated ports, and urban mass transit to suggest low-carbon alternatives to road-based development.

The document argues that Nature-based Solutions (NBS) can reduce disaster risk and provide lower-cost, resilient services when integrated with conventional gray infrastructure. It details specific NBS applications for coastal, urban, and river flooding, provides a framework for implementation, and outlines policy and financing mechanisms to scale these approaches.

The project aims to promote integrated landscape management (ILM) to conserve globally significant forests and wildlife in Nepal's Terai Arc Landscape (TAL). It addresses barriers such as inadequate cross-sectoral coordination, lack of technical capacity for forest and land management, and increasing human-wildlife conflict. The strategy involves four components: strengthening national and state-level coordination, improving participatory planning for buffer zones and corridors, implementing sustainable forest management and HWC mitigation in the Banke-Bardia complex, and establishing knowledge management and monitoring systems. The project targets the restoration of 4,050 hectares of land and the mitigation of 1,270,919 metric tons of CO2e.

The United States is experiencing a rise in 'billion-dollar' weather disasters, with the average number of such events increasing from 5.3 per year (1980-2012) to 11.6 per year (2013-2017). The author contends that investing in resilience is more cost-effective than rebuilding, noting that federal adaptation investments can provide $4 to $10 in future benefits for every dollar spent. Key recommendations include updating building codes, implementing green infrastructure like wetland restoration, and deploying decentralized energy systems such as microgrids to prevent deadly power failures. The text emphasizes that adaptation must occur simultaneously with greenhouse gas mitigation, as resilience measures often align with sustainability goals and carbon reduction.

The report argues that credit enhancement is essential for closing the USD 90 trillion global infrastructure deficit and scaling sustainable infrastructure, which is often more expensive to plan and build due to unpriced environmental and social externalities. It identifies key barriers to adoption, including a lack of public sector expertise, misaligned incentive structures at multilateral development banks (MDBs) that favor loans over guarantees, and the administrative complexity of asset recycling under Basel III. The authors suggest that while a Universal Guarantee Facility is being discussed, empowering existing dedicated de-risking agencies and improving collaboration between providers may be more effective. The report also highlights the need for innovation in mitigating currency, refinancing, and legal risks related to environmental and social compliance.

The report analyzes twelve sustainability standards for infrastructure, categorizing them into project screening tools (e.g., SuRe, Envision, CEEQUAL, ISCA, IFC Performance Standards) and accounting tools (e.g., SASB, TCFD, GHG Protocol, UN PRI). It evaluates these tools based on comprehensiveness, objectivity, clarity, transaction costs, and traction. The study finds that the industry lacks a single global standard, with investors often using multiple tools depending on the project's local context and regulatory regime. It highlights a fundamental tension between 'preservationist' public sector assessments, which determine if a project should be built, and 'conservationist' investor metrics, which focus on implementing projects in the most sustainable way possible.

The document highlights how climate change threatens energy infrastructure through extreme weather and shifting environmental conditions, which can jeopardize the financial viability of projects. It advocates for a resilience-based approach—focusing on robustness, resourcefulness, and recovery—and suggests a combination of technological, green, behavioural, and financial strategies to safeguard energy systems and support NDC mitigation goals.

The report argues that climate change poses significant physical and transition risks to financial assets, particularly in high-carbon sectors, and that these risks are often not adequately priced into the market. It highlights the potential for 'stranded assets' in fossil fuels and coal, while simultaneously identifying substantial growth opportunities in renewable energy, green infrastructure, and energy efficiency. The document concludes that climate-aware investing is a necessity that can match or outperform conventional benchmarks without sacrificing returns.

A coalition of 19 organizations advocates for the adoption of the Disaster Recovery Reform Act (DRRA) and the PREPARE Act in the U.S. Senate's FAA Reauthorization legislation. The letter argues that shifting federal resources toward pre-disaster mitigation and updating building codes will reduce fatalities and long-term federal spending. It specifically promotes the use of green infrastructure, nature-based defenses, and distributed energy resources to protect critical infrastructure from extreme weather events.

The document analyzes the critical link between forest cover and water security in the Cumbaza River micro-basin, noting that 85% of the area is degraded. It highlights how deforestation and climate variability increase sediment loads, affecting urban water treatment for 40,000 users in Tarapoto and reducing water availability for rice and aquaculture farmers. The brief recommends restoring 3,000 hectares in the upper basin by 2040 and 1,500 hectares in the Ahuashiyacu and Shilcayo sub-basins by 2050, while strengthening inter-institutional governance through the Cumbaza Micro-basin Management Committee.

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 examines the systemic failures of public-private partnerships (PPPs), citing the collapse of Carillion in the UK and concerns over the US 'Rebuilding Infrastructure' plan. It argues that PPPs often fail when used primarily to keep debt off public balance sheets, leading to poor project preparation and skewed risk allocation. To improve outcomes, the author suggests moving toward systemic master planning, enhancing public sector negotiation skills, and adopting procurement strategies that prioritize lifecycle value over the lowest bid. The paper emphasizes that for PPPs to support the UN Sustainable Development Goals, they must be designed with transparent, equitable contracts and a focus on sustainable development rather than just financial returns.