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The Carbon-Free Regions Handbook: Finance is a guide for regional governments on organizing and delivering financial solutions to enable low-carbon transitions. It outlines strategies for increasing capital availability, overcoming up-front costs, creating market incentives, and reducing procurement costs for clean energy assets.

This report by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) defines sustainable infrastructure and provides guidance on integrating sustainability criteria into public–private partnerships (PPPs) and other infrastructure contracts to support the sustainable development goals (SDGs) and the Paris Agreement on Climate Change.

This research paper by the Climate Policy Initiative (CPI) proposes a risk-based framework for selecting ownership models and finance instruments for clean power investments. The authors argue that minimizing the overall cost of the low-carbon energy transition requires allocating specific investment risks—such as construction, price, and curtailment—to the party (private investors, public entities, or consumers) best placed to manage, understand, and bear them.

This research paper by GreenCape examines the use of Performance-Based Contracts (PBCs) to reduce Non-Revenue Water (NRW), drawing on international experiences from countries such as Brazil, Malaysia, Thailand, and Ireland. It outlines the technical, financial, and managerial challenges of NRW reduction and provides guidance on scoping, risk-reward balancing, and ensuring the sustainability of water savings for public utilities, with a particular focus on the South African context.

This report by Meister Consultants Group, Inc. (MCG) for the Climate and Development Knowledge Network (CDKN) examines public-private collaborations (PPCs) designed to build climate and disaster resilience in developing countries. Through an analysis of nine case studies, the report identifies how formal and informal partnerships between governments, businesses, and civil society can overcome market barriers to deliver adaptation and disaster risk management solutions.

This document is a Question and Answer (Q&A) briefing regarding an Invitation to Tender (ITT) for the Climate and Development Knowledge Network (CDKN) project AAGL-0035.

This policy brief by the Climate and Development Knowledge Network describes nine case studies of public-private collaborations (PPCs) in developing countries designed to build resilience against climate change and natural disasters. It outlines success factors for these partnerships, emphasizing local engagement, scalability, the strengthening of micro-enterprises, and the use of innovative technology and value-chain partnerships to overcome traditional market barriers.

This case study by the Climate Policy Initiative analyzes the Ouarzazate I Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) project in Morocco. It examines how a public-private partnership (PPP) model, supported by significant international concessional finance and government subsidies, was used to overcome the high capital costs and commercial immaturity of CSP technology to establish a foundation for a larger regional solar portfolio.

This report by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) examines the theoretical benefits and practical drawbacks of Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs), specifically focusing on their ability to integrate into sustainable development frameworks. It argues that while PPPs can attract capital and encourage life-cycle technology investments, they often suffer from high costs, reduced transparency, and a lack of explicit sustainability safeguards.

This research paper by Andreas Spiegel of Swiss Re argues for a balanced climate adaptation strategy that combines cost-effective risk prevention measures with risk transfer mechanisms, such as insurance. Using data from the Economics of Climate Adaptation (ECA) working group, the author demonstrates that a significant portion of climate-related losses can be averted through preventative action, while residual risks should be managed via public-private partnerships and innovative financial instruments to protect vulnerable economies, particularly in developing nations.

This briefing from the World Resources Institute explores the potential for national governments to partner with the private sector to enhance climate adaptation efforts, leveraging corporate risk management expertise and investment capacity to promote the public good.

This research paper examines how national governments can engage the private sector to support climate change adaptation. It argues that private sector participation depends on a strong business case for long-term resiliency and suggests that governments must identify specific business sectors and align public and private interests to promote the public good while discouraging activities that harm vulnerable populations.

This report, written by an IISD consultant, evaluates the 'Istanbul version' of the OECD's Checklist for Private Sector Participation in Water Infrastructure released in March 2009. While acknowledging improvements over previous versions, the author argues that the checklist remains of limited operational value for practitioners due to internal contradictions, a failure to address systemic risks of international investment arbitration, and an over-reliance on outdated theoretical models regarding decentralization and regulation.

This case study analyzes the financing model and risk allocation of the Ouarzazate I Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) plant in Morocco, a 160MW facility costing USD 1.3 billion. The project utilizes a public-private partnership (PPP) to mobilize capital and mitigate risks in a market where CSP is not yet commercially viable due to high technology costs and fossil-fuel subsidies.

This case study examines the role of the U.S. government in advancing diesel internal combustion engine technology. It details how federal investments in basic combustion research, the development of simulation tools, and the establishment of public-private partnerships led to significant improvements in fuel efficiency and a dramatic reduction in harmful emissions for heavy-duty trucks between the 1970s and 2010.

This reference guide by GreenCape provides water and wastewater businesses and investors with a framework for entering the South African public water sector. It details the institutional landscape, planned infrastructure spending in metropolitan and Western Cape municipalities, procurement legislation, and platforms for technology trialling.

This report by the Alliance for Rural Electrification (ARE) outlines best practices for using decentralised renewable energy (DRE) to electrify rural health care facilities. It argues that DRE is the most cost-effective and rapid solution for providing essential power for medical equipment, vaccines, and emergency services, particularly in the context of pandemics like COVID-19. The document proposes a public-private partnership model combining 'smart grants' for initial capital and market-based compensation mechanisms, such as Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs), to ensure long-term financial and technical sustainability. It includes 16 case studies from various regions to demonstrate diverse delivery models and technological applications.

The Concession Agreement Template is a standardized guide provided by the Alliance for Renewable Electrification to help countries accelerate private sector participation in rural electrification through Mini-Grid Public-Private Partnership (PPP) contracts.

This research paper examines Botswana's experience with multilateral development banks (MDBs) in financing infrastructure, specifically focusing on the African Development Bank (AfDB). It identifies systemic delays in loan processing and procurement as primary challenges while highlighting the success of non-lending knowledge services. The document also evaluates alternative financing sources, such as public-private partnerships (PPPs) and domestic bond markets, noting that while these exist, they have not yet replaced the need for MDB lending.

This guide by the World Resources Institute outlines five public-private financing mechanisms designed to overcome capital barriers for energy efficiency investments: on-bill financing, Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) financing, Sustainable Energy Utility (SEU) models, loan guarantees, and loan loss reserve funds (LLRFs).