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The GCF-EBRD SEFF co-financing Programme aims to mobilize private sector climate finance by providing credit lines and technical support to local partner financial institutions (PFIs). The programme targets 13 countries, with an initial focus on Egypt, Georgia, Morocco, Tajikistan, and Tunisia, to finance over 20,000 projects in renewable energy, energy efficiency, and climate resilience. With a total budget of USD 1,538.5 million, the initiative seeks to reduce carbon emissions by approximately 29 million tonnes over its lifetime and create around 11,500 green jobs.

The report highlights that while African countries have shown ambition in their Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs), they lack the financial resources, technical capacity, and institutional frameworks necessary for implementation. It emphasizes the need for a shift from top-down to bottom-up adaptation strategies, the integration of climate change into national education curricula, and the harmonisation of regional policies, particularly within the East African Community. The document argues for a comprehensive African research agenda to generate evidence-based policies and the use of 'hooks' to align climate action with sustainable development goals to limit temperature increases to 1.5°C.

The document analyzes the implementation and impact of FinScope, a nationally representative survey in South Africa designed to make financial markets work for the poor. It details how the survey moved from a 2002 pilot to a sustainable, syndicate-funded model that provided essential data for the South Africa Financial Sector Charter. The study highlights a significant increase in financial inclusion from 61% to 86% between 2004 and 2014, though it notes the difficulty of attributing this change solely to the survey. It also discusses the replication of the FinScope model in 23 other countries and the emergence of similar tools like the World Bank's Global FinDex.

The report identifies a critical 'cusp group' comprising 23% of sub-Saharan Africa's population who are transitioning from absolute poverty but lack meaningful assets. By analyzing three distinct market types—the 'stuck' and over-indebted market of South Africa, the 'uncertain' and rapidly digitizing market of Kenya, and the 'squeezed' and capital-constrained market of Ghana—the document argues that credit must expand in 'healthy ways' to avoid financial crises. It recommends a tiered approach to regulation: improving market monitoring globally, leveraging digital ID and P2P lending in constrained markets, and introducing 'learner's licenses' for credit or loss-capping for lenders in over-indebted markets.

The document examines FSD Kenya's intervention to scale savings groups in Kenya by reducing formation costs and improving sustainability. It evaluates these efforts through the 'Adopt-Adapt-Expand-Respond' (AAER) framework, highlighting the transition from donor-funded pilots to fee-for-service models and the attempt to link informal groups to formal banking services like Postbank.

The report identifies a 'cusp group' comprising 23% of sub-Saharan Africa's population who earn $2-$5 per day and straddle formal and informal economies. It analyzes three distinct credit market 'faces': South Africa is 'Stuck' due to aggressive formal lending and high indebtedness; Kenya is 'Uncertain' as it transitions from traditional loans to rapid, short-term digital lending; and Ghana is 'Squeezed' by macroeconomic instability and high costs that limit formal credit access. The document argues that 'healthy' credit markets must be accessible, robust, diverse, and value-adding to prevent over-indebtedness while enabling asset accumulation. It recommends that regulators improve market monitoring, invest in digital identification, and introduce mechanisms like 'learner's licenses' for credit to protect vulnerable borrowers.

The document evaluates FSD Kenya's role in expanding financial inclusion from 27.4% in 2006 to 66.7% in 2013. It highlights successes in capacity building for banks (notably Equity Bank), facilitating the regulatory environment for M-Pesa, and developing public infrastructure like credit information sharing and an interbank payments switch. However, it notes failures in the SACCO sector and limited impact on the 'real economy' (agriculture and SMEs) due to misaligned incentives. The study concludes that while the financial system is more inclusive, the primary beneficiaries have been those above the poverty line and the supply-side providers.

The document examines the intersection of agricultural finance and climate risk management (CRM) through a case study of Centenary Bank's operations in Eastern Uganda. It highlights how climate hazards like floods and droughts disrupt the entire rice value chain, increasing loan default rates for banks while threatening farmer livelihoods. The research identifies that while existing savings and credit services provide some buffers and allow for income diversification, there is a need for more tailored products, such as preferential interest rates for CRM strategies and improved climate information services, to enhance resilience for both value chain actors and financial providers.

The report evaluates the PSDP's interventions with SMMEs in Botswana, categorising them into those hindered by the enabling environment, nascent manufacturers, and those lacking specific skills training. While individual interventions showed positive results, the report highlights a failure in policy implementation regarding micro-financing and suggests that targeted donor support for audited SMMEs can unlock regional value chains in markets like Namibia and Zambia.

The report compiles research on enhancing global climate action, focusing on innovative financing mechanisms like microfinance and debt-for-climate swaps, the role of carbon pricing in driving innovation, and the necessity of robust accountability frameworks for the Paris Agreement. It also examines specific urban water resiliency in Patna, India, and proposes a Low-Emissions Technology Commitment within the UNFCCC to accelerate energy research. The proceedings emphasize the need for a multi-level approach to adaptation and the potential for 'climate clubs' to overcome multilateral deadlock.

The Global Climate Policy Conference 2015 explored innovative research-driven approaches to climate action, focusing on the intersection of development, adaptation, carbon pricing, and state accountability. Key discussions highlighted the need for a 'club' approach to carbon pricing and technology, the importance of microfinance and local capacity in adaptation, and the role of basic energy research in breaking the link between emissions and economic growth.

The report examines the 'customer journey' of households in Kiambu County, Kenya, adopting Philips advanced cookstoves distributed via the Visionary Empowerment Programme (VEP). It identifies that while trust in local microfinance partners drives initial sign-ups, actual adoption is hindered by a lack of user-centric value propositions, poor fuel supply chains for pellets, and a 'start-up phase' where users struggle with new routines. The study concludes that users often 'stack' stoves, using the advanced model only for specific tasks, and that a holistic approach considering the end-user's definition of 'improved' is essential for achieving health and climate goals.

The document analyzes the scarcity of agricultural financing in developing countries, where risks like natural hazards and high transaction costs deter lenders. It categorizes financial needs into four groups: farmers/entrepreneurs, value chain actors, rural infrastructure, and R&D. The brief details a range of instruments from informal savings and micro-finance to complex value-chain and infrastructure financing. It emphasizes the government's role in risk management through credit guarantees and insurance subsidies, and the importance of flexible regulatory frameworks to attract investment while protecting savings.

The paper argues that financial inclusion is essential for alleviating poverty and stimulating local economic development in Africa. It identifies significant barriers to formal banking for the rural poor, including strict 'Know Your Customer' (KYC) regulations, lack of documentation, and geographic distance from banks. Consequently, many rely on informal savings and credit schemes—such as esusu in Nigeria and susu in Ghana—and informal remittance networks, which provide flexibility but carry high risks due to lack of regulation. The author highlights M-Pesa in Kenya as a successful model of mobile-led financial inclusion, contrasting it with less successful attempts in other countries. The document emphasizes that physical infrastructure must be paired with financial literacy to be sustainable and recommends that governments create enabling regulatory environments, diversify financial products (including Islamic banking), and improve credit-reporting infrastructure for SMEs.

The briefing argues that a compelling business case for large-scale adaptation investment in LDCs has not yet been established because most adaptation needs function as public goods with little financial return for investors. It introduces a framework analyzing the interaction between enabling environments, mobilization, and delivery, noting that even when private finance is mobilized, it may not reach priority sectors or could lead to maladaptation. The author concludes that private sector contributions to adaptation finance are likely to be limited and suggests exploring alternative pathways such as domestic SME incentives, improved tax collection, microfinance, and reduced remittance costs.

The paper examines the multi-level nature of resilience in WASH systems—at regional, urban, and individual levels—to identify strategies for public-private partnerships. It argues that businesses must integrate ecosystem health into investment decisions to mitigate climate-related risks like floods and droughts. Furthermore, it emphasizes the need for an institutional culture focused on greener urban environments and partnerships that support vulnerable populations through micro-finance and the inclusion of informal entrepreneurs.

The report argues that limited access to finance hinders agro-value chain productivity and increases vulnerability to climate hazards. While some models, such as a coffee credit scheme in Uganda, show potential to reduce vulnerability by improving farm-level finance, the banking sector generally fails to account for climate risks. The document recommends that banks integrate climate risk into strategies, incentivize adaptation, develop new products through collaboration, and increase financial inclusion, particularly for women.

The document argues that while climate change threatens agro-value chains and the financial institutions that support them, the banking sector's integration of climate risk remains limited. It highlights the potential for innovative finance models and information and communication technologies to reduce vulnerability, using the coffee value chain in Uganda as a primary case study. The authors recommend that banks explicitly integrate climate risk into management strategies, incentivize adaptation through climate-proofed instruments, develop new products via partnerships, and target financial services toward women.

The report examines the role of carbon finance in scaling up improved cookstove initiatives in India and Kenya. Through a review of 75 project design documents and 49 stakeholder interviews, it finds that while carbon revenues can provide essential funding for price subsidies, R&D, and after-sales support, they also introduce significant risks. These include a potential mismatch between carbon efficiency goals and cultural user needs, uncertainties in emission reduction predictions, and volatility in carbon credit demand. The study suggests that carbon finance is most effective as a transitional tool for businesses that are already fundamentally viable, rather than as a sole funding source for NGOs or small enterprises.

The report identifies seven primary and secondary barriers to institutional impact investing, including a shortage of attractive deals, lack of track records, and limited exit options. It suggests that governments can mitigate these by strengthening the investment pipeline through technical assistance and seed funding, and by promoting blended capital arrangements. The authors propose the National Impact Investment Readiness Assessment (NIIRA) tool to help investors and policy-makers evaluate the quality and scalability of a country's impact investment pipeline. A case study of India illustrates the role of pioneering firms like Aavishkaar and IntelleGrow in building a supportive entrepreneurial ecosystem.