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The Clean Air Task Force (CATF) provides recommendations for the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) $10.75 million funding opportunity for Innovative Research and Training for Subsurface Energy Production. CATF argues that to move beyond regions with shallow heat, funding must target the primary hurdles of drilling deeper than 7km and completing wells in temperatures exceeding 400°C. The document highlights the need for advanced digital twin capabilities and system-wide modeling to reduce development risk, noting that current data for extreme environments is insufficient. It emphasizes that public-private partnerships are essential to share the high cost and risk of exploratory drilling and to develop a skilled workforce. Specifically, CATF recommends that the DOE award projects focusing on either well field development at temperatures >400°C in shallow heat regions or drilling to 200°C at depths >7km.

The paper identifies parametric insurance as a critical tool for strengthening the financial resilience of cities in EMDEs, where less than 10% of climate-related losses are currently insured. It highlights a structural collaboration gap between municipalities and insurers, noting that only 5 of 16 mapped programs engage directly with municipal governments. To address this, the authors propose three priority actions: supporting affordable premiums through national and international funding, strengthening municipal capacity for risk-layering, and improving legal and regulatory enabling environments. The document argues that parametric insurance is a particularly effective entry point due to its ability to provide rapid liquidity and simpler product structures compared to traditional indemnity insurance.

The Clean Air Task Force asserts that Europe faces an "untenable policy gap" regarding fusion energy despite the 2024 Draghi Report's call for an innovation strategy. While the US, China, Great Britain, and Germany are advancing regulations and public-private partnerships, the EU lacks a cohesive strategy to transition fusion from research to industrial application. The author advocates for a strategy that targets commercialisation in the 2030s, separates fusion from fission regulations, and utilizes public resources to de-risk common technological challenges. This call is supported by a broad ecosystem, including startups and Members of the European Parliament, who demand concrete timelines and funding commitments rather than mere intentions.

Africa faces a significant infrastructure deficit, with an annual funding shortfall of US$68–108 billion. The report examines the role of the Programme for Infrastructure Development in Africa (PIDA), the potential of domestic capital—estimated at over US$1.1 trillion—and the challenges of public-private partnerships. It highlights that up to 90% of projects fail before financial close due to poor early-stage preparation, arguing for better project bankability and risk-sharing instruments to attract private investment.

Africa's infrastructure spending is robust relative to GDP but insufficient given population growth, with financing heavily reliant on governments and development partners. Public investment is severely constrained by high sovereign debt, with debt servicing costs often exceeding infrastructure spending. Private investment remains low due to high capital costs and risk perceptions, though specific countries like South Africa and Egypt have seen success through targeted policy frameworks. Development finance is also facing a decline due to geopolitical and macroeconomic pressures.

Indonesia requires an estimated USD 24 billion to expand its transmission infrastructure by 47.76 thousand circuit kilometers between 2025 and 2034. Because the state-owned utility PLN cannot fund this alone, the report proposes shifting from corporate-level finance to project finance structures using special purpose vehicles (SPVs) and long-term revenue contracts. The evaluated models include leasing, joint ventures, public-private partnerships (PPPs), infrastructure investment trusts (InvITs), and collective investment schemes for infrastructure (CIS-DINFRA). Successful implementation depends on three policy enablers: a dedicated transmission fee, off-balance sheet treatment, and targeted fiscal support.

The report argues that substituting tax-exempt public debt for investor-owned utility (IOU) equity and taxable debt can significantly lower transmission costs for ratepayers in New England. It identifies two primary paths: strengthening existing quasi-public entities or creating a new purpose-built transmission authority. The author emphasizes that any such vehicle must have a clear statutory mandate for FERC-jurisdictional transmission, non-recourse revenue-bond authority, the ability to form public-private partnerships, and governance structures that ensure state accountability and risk control.

The report argues that New England's transmission costs are the highest in the U.S., driven by a lack of cohesive planning and a reliance on expensive private capital. It proposes replacing private equity and debt with low-cost, tax-exempt public financing, which could save ratepayers up to $8.3 billion on new transmission and $1.1 billion on asset condition projects. The authors suggest several implementation pathways, including integrating public financing into ISO New England's Longer-Term Transmission Planning (LTTP) process or creating new state transmission authorities.

The report assesses how Indonesia can move from corporate-level financing to project finance to meet a USD 24 billion investment requirement for transmission lines and substations. It analyzes five models: leasing, joint ventures (JVs), public-private partnerships (PPPs), infrastructure investment trusts (InvITs), and collective investment schemes for infrastructure (CIS-DINFRA). While leasing and JVs are easier to implement, InvITs and CIS-DINFRA offer the highest scalability and liquidity. The report emphasizes that success depends on three policy enablers: a dedicated transmission fee, off-balance sheet accounting treatment, and targeted fiscal support.

The report outlines a strategic framework for transforming African education, emphasizing a shift from rote learning to a system that integrates digital skills, vocational training, and foundational literacy. It argues that while education is strongly linked to income, growth requires the ability to apply knowledge through 'learning by doing'. The authors recommend a systematic approach to the 'education funnel', starting with early childhood development and progressing through tertiary education, supported by innovative financing and public-private partnerships to reduce the cost of digital connectivity.

The policy brief outlines seven critical functions that U.S. states perform to advance clean energy and climate goals, emphasizing that state-level action is resilient to federal political swings and provides scalable models for emissions reductions and economic development.

The report argues that Africa's health and WaSH sectors require a shift from donor dependency to domestic investment and institutional reform. It emphasizes the role of the Africa CDC in health sovereignty and the goal of producing 60% of vaccines locally by 2040. The document advocates for tailored strategies based on a typology of state capacities and the adoption of decentralized, solar-powered WaSH solutions to improve outcomes across the continent.

South African municipalities receive less than 10% of tracked climate finance despite their critical role in the just energy transition. The report identifies barriers such as weak creditworthiness and limited technical capacity, recommending reforms in capacity building, finance tracking, financial systems, and public-private partnerships.

The report identifies a significant gap in climate finance reaching South African local governments, noting that less than 10% of international public climate finance flows directly to them. Municipalities face technical capacity limitations, low creditworthiness, and rigid donor requirements, which prevent them from leveraging private debt or concessional loans. While frameworks like the Climate Change Act (2024) and the National Green Finance Taxonomy (2022) provide a basis for engagement, the report argues that a lack of bankable projects and misalignment between national policies and local capabilities stall progress. It recommends structured capacity-building, improved tracking of climate finance flows, and the development of cost-reflective tariff structures to improve municipal creditworthiness and attract private investment.

The policy brief highlights how investment contracts—often overlooked in favor of treaty reforms—can create regulatory restrictions and financial losses for states. It identifies risks from outdated stabilization clauses and tax incentives, and notes a rise in contract-based investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) cases. The authors propose a three-pronged national strategy: strengthening inter-ministerial coordination, creating centralized contract inventories, and developing national model contracts aligned with international sustainability standards.

The document highlights the risks posed by outdated and opaque investment contracts, such as stabilization clauses and tax incentives, which can limit a state's regulatory space and lead to costly international arbitration. It proposes a three-step national reform strategy: improving inter-ministerial coordination, centralizing and evaluating existing contracts, and developing standardized model contracts. It also calls for greater alignment between contract reform and broader regional and global efforts to modernize investment governance.

The document outlines the complex regulatory and permitting landscape for transmission in Colorado, contrasting the processes for public utilities and independent developers. It highlights the role of the Colorado Electric Transmission Authority (CETA) in addressing transmission gaps identified in a 2024 study, specifically through its ability to issue revenue bonds, exercise eminent domain, and facilitate public-private partnerships to advance complex projects that traditional utility planning might overlook.

The document defines a climate change adaptation investment plan (CCAIP) as a set of investment-ready priority activities linked to specific financial sources. It outlines a structured approach to bridging the adaptation financing gap by diversifying funding across domestic, international, public, and private sources using instruments such as grants, bonds, and blended finance. The text emphasizes the necessity of political leadership, particularly from ministries of finance, and the integration of gender-responsive and socially inclusive (GESI) considerations to ensure equitable outcomes. It further distinguishes CCAIPs from broader NAP financing strategies, noting that while the latter identifies overall needs and gaps, the CCAIP focuses on narrow, time-bound, and actionable investment packages ready for immediate implementation.

The Western Cape water sector is transitioning toward innovative procurement and financing models due to tightening public budgets and increasing climate pressures. Significant capital expenditure is planned for 2025/26 to 2027/28, with approximately R16.5 billion from the City of Cape Town and R7.5 billion from other local municipalities. Key opportunities include public-private partnerships (PPPs) for large-scale infrastructure like desalination and water reuse, as well as a growing market for decentralized water-efficient sanitation solutions (WESS) in both public informal settlements and private property developments.

The ARE Energy Access Investment Forum 2026 brought together 1,400 participants from 87 countries to discuss renewable electrification. Key outcomes included the launch of the USD 25m ASCENT Project Preparation Facility by COMESA and a GDP 14m contribution from the UK's FCDO to the Sustainable Energy Fund for Africa in the DRC. The forum highlighted systemic gaps in capital allocation for small African-led firms and the need to shift from supply-led to demand-led skills training for the green transition.