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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 Land Accelerator, supported by Germany's BMZ and the DOEN Foundation, provides technical knowledge and capital to entrepreneurs restoring degraded land. The 2019 Demo Day featured 14 African entrepreneurs from 8 countries presenting businesses focused on sustainable food, land use, and climate resilience.

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 argues that Brazil can align economic growth with natural resource protection by intensifying production on underutilized pasture lands. It identifies three main directives for reform: improving risk management tools (insurance and derivatives), aligning rural credit with the 2012 Forest Code to incentivize environmental conservation, and simplifying the complex, public-sector-dominated credit system to increase private bank participation and predictability.

The document argues that Brazil can align economic growth with environmental protection by reforming its rural credit system to support the 2012 Forest Code. It identifies inefficiencies in the current credit design, such as annual planning horizons and a dominance of public banks, and proposes a phased transition toward risk management tools, private sector participation, and subsidies strictly tied to the provision of public environmental goods.

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 document explores how green bonds can support Brazil's agricultural sector, noting that while the forestry sector has successfully used these instruments, sustainable agriculture remains underfunded. It highlights the underutilization of government programs like the ABC Program and suggests that securitizing small loans via Certificados de Recebíveis do Agronegócio (CRA) and leveraging bank-issued green bonds could bridge the financing gap for sustainable practices.

The report argues that Brazil can align its economic growth with climate commitments by increasing agricultural productivity on degraded lands, diversifying its energy matrix with renewables, and improving transport infrastructure. It concludes that the financial returns of climate-friendly investments will outweigh the costs, with specific opportunities to double agricultural production without further deforestation and reduce total energy system costs through decarbonization.

The report examines the environmental and health impacts of the global livestock sector, highlighting its role in greenhouse gas emissions, deforestation, and antimicrobial resistance. It argues that current consumption trends are incompatible with the Paris Agreement and Sustainable Development Goals. The document analyzes the rise of plant-based and cultured meat alternatives as disruptive innovations and criticizes the lack of government policies to drive a transition, noting that existing subsidies often support intensive farming. It recommends shifting subsidies, implementing meat taxes, and updating dietary guidelines to promote sustainable, low-emission food systems.

The report evaluates two alternative income streams for oil palm smallholders in Central Kalimantan to mitigate risks from climate change and market volatility. Beef cattle farming, utilizing oil palm leaf waste for feed, is found to be highly profitable with a potential net profit of IDR 2 million per month, though it requires significant upfront capital. Fish cultivation, specifically tilapia and silver catfish, offers a lower-investment alternative, with tilapia providing a potential annual net profit of IDR 7.4 million. Both options are deemed feasible and scalable to help diversify rural incomes and support a green growth strategy in the region.

The Socio-Climate Benefits Fund (SCBF) is a proposed investment vehicle designed to combat small-scale deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon. It operates by funding a 'New Company' that provides upfront capital, technical training, and market access to smallholders who implement sustainable agroforestry systems (SAFs) on their land. The model utilizes a vertical integration approach, similar to poultry or swine supply chains, where the New Company and smallholders co-own the harvest. The initial pilot targets the state of Acre, aiming to restore 12,000 hectares of forest and engage up to 3,000 properties over a decade. The fund seeks a mix of grants, concessional debt, and equity to overcome barriers such as lack of long-term finance and market access for small-scale farmers.

The document outlines four key actions for state, provincial, and regional governments to address land use's role in climate change: sustainable land management, open space conservation, agricultural methane capture, and regenerative agriculture. It emphasizes that land use is best managed at the subnational level to capture rural impacts and cross-jurisdictional effects, noting that while agriculture, forestry, and other land use account for 24% of global emissions, the sector can offset this by 20% through carbon removal.

The document outlines the process for developing long-term low greenhouse gas emission development strategies, emphasizing their role in guiding near- and medium-term actions and avoiding stranded assets. It details essential design elements, including long-term visions, sectoral pathways, and the critical role of the energy sector. The paper also discusses the use of modeling, scenarios, and qualitative inputs to inform these strategies, while highlighting the importance of transparent communication and just transitions.

The study argues that current national climate plans are insufficient and would necessitate disruptive changes after 2030. By implementing a global roll-out of regional regulatory policies across energy, transport, buildings, industry, and land use, global CO2 emissions could be reduced by an additional 10 GtCO2eq by 2030. While these policies are less disruptive than immediate global carbon pricing, they result in higher economic impacts, suggesting they should complement rather than replace carbon pricing to achieve the Paris goals.

The authors created the CACAO database, which uses a 110x110 km grid to map conflicts, climate data, and socio-economic variables across Africa. Initial descriptive analysis shows that conflicts often overlap with areas rich in natural resources and populated regions, while the relationship with temperature and precipitation changes is more complex and requires further spatial and temporal analysis.

In the first half of 2018, China's green bond issuance grew by 14% year-on-year to 130.2 billion RMB (13 billion USD), with 9.3 billion USD aligning with international green bond definitions. Financial institutions remained the largest issuers, while renewable energy was the primary use of proceeds. The report highlights a trend where nearly half of green bonds were excluded from the Climate Bonds Initiative database due to allocating more than 5% of proceeds to general working capital, a practice permitted under Chinese national guidelines but restricted by international standards.

The China Green Bond Market Mid-Year Report 2018 details a 14% year-on-year increase in green bond issuance from Chinese issuers in H1 2018, totaling USD 13.02 billion. While financial and non-financial corporates drove growth, 28% of total issuance failed to align with international green bond definitions, primarily due to allocations to general working capital. Renewable energy remained the largest sector for proceeds, and over 40% of issuance occurred offshore, led by ICBC. The report also highlights new regulatory measures from the PBoC and the launch of a Green Bond Issuance Programme in Hong Kong.

The document highlights the critical link between climate adaptation and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), noting that infrastructure must be resilient to both chronic stress and acute shocks to remain functional. It identifies a significant investment gap, with UN estimates for developing countries reaching US$280-500 billion annually by 2050. Currently, the green bond market is heavily skewed toward mitigation, with only 3-5% of proceeds allocated to adaptation and resilience. The briefing calls for clearer definitions, improved sector-specific disclosure, and the integration of adaptation criteria across all thematic bonds to mobilize the necessary capital.

The policy brief analyzes the Brazilian National Rural Credit System (SNCR), arguing that its complex structure—comprising numerous funding sources and programs with intricate eligibility criteria—creates significant disparities in financing. It highlights how geographic location, outdated farm size definitions (fiscal modules), and shifting revenue thresholds lead to inconsistent credit access for similar producers, potentially resulting in underinvestment and lower agricultural productivity.

The report analyzes the palm oil sector in Berau, East Kalimantan, finding that the region can meet its production targets and mill capacities without further land expansion by focusing on productivity increases. While corporate plantations operate efficiently, smallholders face significant barriers, including lack of land certification, limited access to finance, and inefficient transport routes. The report recommends strengthening smallholder cooperatives, improving financial access, and exploring the feasibility of local CPO refineries to increase regional value-add.