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The document identifies how shifting regulatory frameworks since the late 1990s have created market insecurity and discouraged private investment in Brazilian transport infrastructure. It highlights that current regulations often prevent long-term profits for concessionaires, leading to a reliance on public subsidies and a decline in service quality. Specifically, it notes that transporting soy in Brazil is nearly three times more expensive than in the US. The brief recommends realigning auction incentives for highways, returning to vertical integration for railways, and deregulating public ports to foster competition and efficiency.

The report argues that carbon pricing is a critical tool for meeting the Paris Agreement's goal of keeping global temperatures well below 2°C. It introduces 'Carbon Pricing Bands' to categorize price levels by their economic impact—ranging from 'Introductory' (up to $20) to 'Targeted' (above $80)—and presents four potential future trajectories: a 'Success Trajectory' leading to a low-carbon world, and three failure scenarios ('Sailing into the Cliff', 'Stormy Waters', and 'Running Aground') where temperatures rise by 3°C to 4°C due to inadequate or chaotic pricing policies. The update highlights post-COP21 developments, including the commitment of 90 nations to use market mechanisms and specific national actions in China, India, and Canada.

The World Resources Institute asserts that the U.S. Supreme Court's pause on the Clean Power Plan (CPP) is a temporary measure and that the policy remains legally sound and economically beneficial. The CPP is identified as a critical tool for the U.S. to meet its goal of reducing emissions 26-28 percent below 2005 levels by 2025. According to EPA estimates, the plan's health and economic benefits, valued between $25 billion and $65 billion, significantly outweigh the compliance costs of $7 billion to $9 billion. The document notes that many states, including Virginia, Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Missouri, are already positioned to meet or exceed their targets through existing clean energy policies and infrastructure. Furthermore, it highlights a broader trend of climate action among U.S. cities, such as New York and Chicago, and major corporations like Walmart and Microsoft, while urging global adherence to the Paris Agreement.

The World Resources Institute (WRI) responds to the U.S. Supreme Court's decision to temporarily halt the Clean Power Plan. WRI asserts that the plan is on solid legal ground and is essential for reducing power sector carbon dioxide emissions by an average of 32 percent from 2005 levels by 2030. The organization emphasizes that the plan supports a low-carbon economy, drives innovation, and improves public health, noting that renewable energy is often now cheaper than traditional fuels.

The paper examines the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) as a catalyst for Ethiopia's transition toward a low-carbon, 'green' economy and its ambition to become a primary electricity exporter in East Africa. It details the dam's technical specifications, its integration into Ethiopia's Growth and Transformation Plans, and the role of regional bodies like the Eastern Africa Power Pool (EAPP) and the Tripartite Free Trade Area (TFTA) in facilitating energy trade. The author argues that while the GERD offers a significant opportunity for regional integration, its success depends on overcoming hydro-hegemonic tensions with downstream states, improving trans-boundary environmental assessments, and harmonizing national energy policies across the region.

The Union of Concerned Scientists views the D.C. Circuit Court's decision to keep the Clean Power Plan in effect as a victory for climate action, noting that many U.S. states are already making significant progress toward the plan's 2022 and 2030 carbon emission benchmarks.

The author asserts that the Paris agreement's success is rooted in the collapsing cost gap between clean and fossil energy and the increasing profitability of low-carbon investments. The text highlights that private sector investment is driving climate finance, which grew 18% to $391 billion in the previous year. Specific examples are provided of economic opportunities in the U.S., Europe, India, China, Indonesia, and Brazil, suggesting that the transition to low-carbon energy and sustainable agriculture can unlock trillions in economic value.

This briefing outlines the Climate Policy Initiative's (CPI) framework for evaluating the efficiency of public financial interventions, such as green banks, in supporting the transition to a low-carbon economy. It focuses on identifying financial barriers and determining the most effective risk-bearing mechanisms and implementing institutions to address them.

The We Mean Business Coalition argues that current Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs) from over 180 countries are insufficient, potentially leading to 2.7°C of warming. To bridge this gap, the author proposes a formal mechanism within the Paris Agreement—specifically referencing Articles 3 and 10—that requires countries to communicate and strengthen their climate commitments every five years starting from 2020. The document warns that a failure to update policy environments every five years will cause government progress to lag behind businesses and investors, increasing risks for the private sector.

The report outlines a systematic approach to identifying and addressing financial barriers to low-carbon investment. It proposes an analysis matrix that intersects various financial stakeholders with specific barriers—such as high cost of capital, perceived risk, and split incentives—to determine where public intervention is most effective. The authors argue that dedicated institutions like green banks can be advantageous by co-housing policies to allow for flexible funding, creating a 'brain trust' of expertise, and simplifying access for consumers. The document also provides a table of existing public green infrastructure banks in the OECD, including examples from Australia, the UK, Korea, Canada, and the USA.

The guide outlines three primary strategies for business engagement during COP21: educating leaders on climate science and policy, making public climate commitments through platforms like the Lima-Paris Action Agenda and the We Mean Business 'Take Action' campaign, and participating in onsite networking and events in Paris. It highlights specific tools for tracking commitments, such as NAZCA, and lists various side events and hubs, including the 'Open to Business' hub, designed to facilitate business-led climate action.

The paper contends that while green industrial policy is often criticized for enabling rent-seeking, the creation of rents is necessary to incentivize investment in high-risk green technologies where markets fail. It proposes shifting the policy focus toward 'rent management'—the strategic process of defining, offering, and eventually withdrawing extra profits—to ensure a transition to a low-carbon economy despite high technological uncertainty and long investment horizons.

The We Mean Business Coalition argues that for a global climate deal to effectively incentivize private sector investment, it must include a quantifiable emissions target to keep warming below 2°C, a five-year cycle for increasing national commitments, and mechanisms—such as carbon pricing—to leverage trillions in private finance.

The document outlines a framework for sustainable finance based on five transaction elements: financier, principal, expenditure, agreement (source of capital), and agreement (use of capital). It identifies three primary barriers to capital flow—risk/return, information, and scale—and suggests that these can be addressed through both policy and non-policy strategies. Applying this framework to case studies, the report finds that residential solar in the U.S. is primarily hindered by consumer-side barriers and lack of standardization, whereas electric vehicle (EV) adoption is stymied by limited financier demand for infrastructure-appropriate financial instruments.

The Corporate Leaders Group (CLG) advocates for the phase-out of fossil fuel subsidies by 2025, arguing that these subsidies create perverse incentives that undermine carbon pricing and hinder the transition to a low-carbon economy. The document highlights that eliminating these subsidies could reduce global greenhouse gas emissions by 13% and free up significant government resources, particularly in developing countries where subsidies often exceed healthcare spending. CLG supports the Fossil Fuel Subsidy Reform Communiqué, which calls for transparency, ambition in timeframe, and targeted support for the poorest populations during the transition.

The We Mean Business coalition asserts that the economic case for climate action is now clear, with 200 international companies and over 100 investors already making ambitious commitments. The coalition calls for a Paris Agreement that ensures global decarbonization by the end of the century, establishes five-year update cycles for government commitments, and provides clear policy signals like carbon pricing to shift investment toward low-carbon assets.

The World Resources Institute highlights the U.S.-China Joint Announcement on Climate Change, noting China's commitment to a 2017 emissions trading system and $3.1 billion in climate finance, alongside U.S. actions via the Clean Power Plan. The statement argues that this collaboration establishes a foundation for a strong global agreement in Paris by aligning on long-term low-carbon goals, ambition-building processes, and transparency.

The document outlines the commitment of 93 companies to address climate change and support the transition to a low-carbon economy. The authors argue that climate change threatens business growth and a healthy economy, and that the private sector must use innovation and scale to reduce natural-resource use and invest in clean energy.

The We Mean Business coalition asserts that the Paris Agreement must establish a collective long-term goal of net zero greenhouse gas emissions well before the end of the century to keep warming below 2°C. The authors call for mechanisms to regularly strengthen country commitments every five years, implement transparent government accountability rules, and shift trillions of dollars toward low-carbon investment through policy signals like carbon pricing.

South Africa's INDC proposes a 'peak, plateau and decline' emissions trajectory, with GHG emissions expected to peak between 2020 and 2025 and decline in absolute terms after 2036. The plan integrates climate action with the National Development Plan's goal to eliminate poverty by 2030. Adaptation efforts focus on six goals, including the development of a National Adaptation Plan by 2020, while mitigation emphasizes a transition to a low-carbon economy through renewable energy and efficiency. The document emphasizes that these commitments are premised on a fair multilateral agreement and the provision of international finance, technology, and capacity-building support.