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Recovery Through Reform: Assessing the climate compatibility of Canada’s COVID-19 response in 2020
The document analyzes Canada's 2020 COVID-19 recovery spending, noting a higher commitment to clean energy (CAD 14.7 billion) than fossil energy (CAD 3.6 billion) according to Energy Policy Tracker data. However, it highlights significant transparency gaps regarding credit support from public finance institutions like EDC and BDC. Compared to France, Germany, and the UK, Canada's per capita investment in electric vehicles is lower, while its investment in building retrofits is relatively high. The brief warns that Canada's hydrogen strategy leans toward 'blue hydrogen' (fossil-based) while European peers prioritize 'green hydrogen'. It recommends applying strict 'green strings' to stimulus, phasing out fossil fuel subsidies, and aligning ambition with international standards.
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Document type: Policy brief
Recovery Through Reform: Export Development Canada’s role in fossil fuel subsidy reform
The document argues that Export Development Canada (EDC) provides disproportionately high levels of support for oil and gas compared to clean technology, often lacking transparency in its transactions. It highlights that EDC's domestic mandate expansion, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic, has facilitated continued fossil fuel financing. The brief recommends that EDC phase out public finance for fossil fuels, set clear climate action targets, and implement 'green strings' (climate-related conditionalities) to ensure economic recovery is aligned with the Paris Agreement and Canada's 2050 net-zero goal.
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Document type: Policy brief
Green recovery is the only sane response to COVID
The Green Economy Coalition asserts that the COVID-19 crisis provides a unique opportunity for a radical economic break, urging governments to implement a green recovery that integrates short-term stimulus with long-term structural reforms. The author warns that current recovery efforts are often insufficiently green and risk accelerating climate breakdown and biodiversity loss. To prevent this, the document proposes six strategic recommendations, including the creation of a strategic guide for governments, fostering societal debate, aligning financial criteria, encouraging leadership from G7 and G20 nations, ensuring transparency, and improving global communications.
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Document type: Statement
After a Significant Stress Test, the Paris Agreement Stands Strong
The document discusses the United States' re-entry into the Paris Agreement under President Biden and emphasizes the need for ambitious 2030 climate targets and increased climate finance to restore credibility and drive a green recovery.
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Document type: Statement
Code Red for nature & people: Top solutions for scaling a green and fair COVID-19 recovery
The Green Economy Coalition (GEC) held a five-day global meeting in November 2021 to identify interventions for a green and fair COVID-19 recovery. The event focused on four primary themes: the 'Code Red' status of nature and climate, the role of a new social contract in addressing inequality, the need for a nature-positive economy, and the alignment of recovery packages with the energy transition. Key outcomes include the finalization of a 'Declaration on a Green COVID-19 Recovery' and a strategic decision to prioritize green recovery advocacy leading up to Stockholm+50 in June 2022. The GEC also agreed to restructure its growth around three working groups: policy, funding, and communications.
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Document type: After-action report
RECUPERAÇÃO VERDE NA AMAZÔNIA
The report analyzes economic stimulus measures in the Brazilian Legal Amazon during the COVID-19 pandemic, finding that 87.2% of the R$ 54 billion in identified funds had a negative impact on natural capital, primarily due to subsidies for large-scale agribusiness. Only 9.7% of funds were directed toward positive impacts, such as family farming and low-carbon agriculture. The document concludes that the federal government missed an opportunity for a 'green recovery,' leading Amazonian state governors to launch the Green Recovery Plan (PRV) to prioritize deforestation control, sustainable production, green technology, and green infrastructure.
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Document type: Report
Strengthening strategic frameworks and stakeholders’ engagement to scale up climate financing and enhance NDC implementation in Uruguay
The proposal seeks USD 593,760 over 18 months to improve the operationality of Uruguay's National Designated Authority (NDA), facilitate direct access to GCF funding for national entities, and integrate climate change into subnational planning and private sector business models. Key activities include updating the Country Programme, developing a sustainable finance roadmap, and supporting the accreditation of the Corporación Nacional para el Desarrollo (CND) and Banco de la República Oriental del Uruguay (BROU).
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Document type: Report
Paris Agreement: The power of ingenuity with collaboration is insurmountable
Five years after the Paris Agreement, there has been a significant increase in net-zero commitments from major economies and businesses, though current pledges only limit temperature rise to 2.1ºC. The author argues that green recovery plans provide better economic and employment benefits than traditional stimulus and calls for mandatory climate-related financial disclosures and the removal of fossil fuel subsidies to unlock further private investment.
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Document type: Statement
Why the UKs increase in climate ambition is good for business
The UK's decision to increase its 2030 emissions reduction target to at least 68% compared to 1990 levels is framed as a positive signal for business investment and economic growth. The author asserts that a zero-carbon transition is the most effective way to drive job creation and GDP growth during the recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic, outperforming traditional stimulus measures. The text highlights the role of the Science Based Target initiative, with over 1,060 companies committing to Paris Agreement-aligned decarbonization plans, and calls for clear roadmaps incorporating finance and just transition principles to maximize competitiveness.
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Document type: Statement
Urban Climate Finance in the Wake of COVID-19
The document analyzes COVID-19 recovery funding for cities, noting that while USD 1.1 trillion was pledged, the vast majority (USD 916 billion) targeted short-term liquidity rather than long-term climate resilience. It identifies gaps in funding programming and recommends that funders structure instruments for direct city access, utilize project preparation facilities, and leverage city networks to bridge the investment gap for green infrastructure.
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Document type: Policy brief
US Paris Agreement 2020
The We Mean Business Coalition welcomes the United States' intention to rejoin the Paris Agreement, arguing that the framework provides the necessary clarity for businesses to make long-term investments in a zero-carbon economy. The coalition emphasizes that green recovery plans following the COVID-19 pandemic can outperform traditional stimulus measures in boosting GDP and employment while addressing the intersection of climate and racial justice.
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Document type: Statement
Increasing the ambition of the Nationally Determined Contributions and climate financing in the Central América
The document is a Readiness support proposal submitted by UNEP to the Green Climate Fund (GCF) for a project titled "Increasing the ambition of the NDCs and climate financing in the Central América." It targets five countries: El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and the Dominican Republic. The project aims to address gaps in regional coordination, institutional legal frameworks, and Monitoring, Reporting, and Verification (MRV) systems. Key objectives include designing market-based financial instruments to attract private sector investment, integrating NDCs with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and COVID-19 recovery plans, and establishing a regional digital platform for investment information. The total requested amount is USD 1,249,986.00 for an implementation period of 18 months.
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Document type: Report
Maximising the benefits: Economic, employment and emissions impacts of green recovery stimulus in Europe
The report uses E3ME modelling to demonstrate that a Green Recovery Plan—incorporating investments in energy efficiency, grid upgrades, renewables, and electric vehicles—outperforms traditional stimulus packages by boosting GDP and employment while significantly reducing CO2 emissions.
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Document type: Report
Overview of recently adopted mitigation policies and climate-relevant policy
The report identifies over 60 mitigation policies adopted between July 2019 and August 2020, noting the highest activity in the energy and transport sectors. It highlights a lack of explicitly 'green' COVID-19 recovery measures in most assessed countries, except for the EU and Republic of Korea. Additionally, it tracks the progress of NDCs and LTS, noting that only Vietnam has officially revised its NDC target among the group, while the EU and Japan have submitted net-zero long-term strategies.
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Document type: Report
Sustainable Debt Global State of the Market H1 2020
The sustainable debt market in H1 2020 was characterized by a shift in composition due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with a surge in pandemic and social bonds offsetting a significant decline in green bond volumes. While green bonds historically dominated, H1 2020 saw a more even split between themes, with pandemic-related investments likely financing around half of the total sustainable debt market. The report highlights the emergence of pandemic bonds, primarily in China, and the role of supranationals in sustainability issuance. Policy-wise, it examines the 'build back better' agenda, the development of taxonomies in the EU and China, and the increasing involvement of central banks and stock exchanges in integrating climate risk into financial systems.
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Document type: Report
Climate Action Tracker Global Update: Pandemic Recovery with Just a Hint of Green
The Climate Action Tracker finds that COVID-19 recovery packages in major emitting economies lack detailed green planning, with quantifiable interventions representing only a small fraction of total GDP investments. While the pandemic may lower emissions by 2030, this is attributed to economic downturn rather than structural decarbonisation, leaving global warming projections at 2.9°C based on current policies, far exceeding the Paris Agreement's 1.5°C limit.
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Document type: Briefing
Covid-19 in the United Kingdom: Navigating a Global Pandemic
The paper examines the UK's handling of the Covid-19 pandemic, highlighting a lack of decisive government action, contradictory messaging, and failures in PPE procurement. It notes that while the public was largely compliant, trust was undermined by perceived double standards and the impact of long-term austerity on the NHS. The author argues that the pandemic exacerbated existing social inequalities, particularly for BAME groups, and converged with the political tensions of Brexit and the Black Lives Matter movement.
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Document type: Research paper
Exploring the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Global Emission Projections
The report analyzes how the COVID-19 pandemic affects global emission pathways toward Paris Agreement goals, estimating a 2020 CO2 reduction of 4% to 8% depending on lockdown duration. It projects a potential 2030 emission reduction of 2.5 to 4.5 GtCO2e relative to pre-pandemic projections, though this could be offset by a rebound to fossil fuels. Additionally, it introduces a classification framework for recovery measures, finding that 31% of Germany's June 2020 stimulus package consists of 'green' measures.
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Document type: Report
Sub-national Climate Finance Initiative (SnCF) LAB INSTRUMENT ANALYSIS
The Sub-national Climate Finance Initiative (SnCF) is designed as a blended finance private equity fund paired with a grant-funded Technical Assistance Facility (TAF) to support mid-sized sustainable infrastructure in developing countries. The Fund targets a total raise of USD 750 million, consisting of a USD 150 million concessional tranche and USD 600 million in commercial capital, aiming to invest in sustainable energy, waste and sanitation, and nature-based solutions. The TAF, targeting USD 28 million, focuses on project preparation, impact certification via Gold Standard, and local government capacity building. The initiative aims to mobilize up to USD 3.8 billion in total finance, with a target of 35-50 projects across up to 20 countries. Key target markets identified include Chile, South Africa, North Macedonia, Mexico, and Jordan. The Fund projects a net IRR of 9.4% for commercial investors and 5.4% for the concessional tranche, with a goal to avoid 77 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent over the infrastructure lifetime.
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Document type: Report
How will COVID-19 impact South Africa’s climate change diplomacy?
The document argues that meaningful global greenhouse gas emissions reductions are increasingly unlikely due to political instability and the COVID-19 pandemic. It recommends that South Africa shift its focus from the UNFCCC process toward strengthening domestic and regional adaptive capacity and resilience. The authors suggest leveraging South Africa's soft power and its role as AU chair to champion a 'green' recovery agenda at the Forum on China–Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) and the EU–AU Summit, while urging the country to move away from its dependence on the Mineral-Energy Complex.
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Document type: Policy brief