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Average annual climate finance reached nearly USD 1.3 trillion in 2021/2022, nearly doubling from 2019/2020 levels, though this remains only 1% of global GDP. Growth was primarily driven by mitigation finance in energy and transport, with significant concentration in China, the US, Europe, Brazil, Japan, and India. Adaptation finance, while reaching a record USD 63 billion, remains severely underfunded compared to the USD 212 billion annual need for developing countries by 2030. The report highlights a critical investment gap, noting that annual needs will increase to between $8.1 and $9 trillion through 2030, and over $10 trillion annually from 2031 to 2050.

The Strategic Plan argues that current energy efficiency efforts are insufficient to meet global climate targets and calls for a doubling of the rate of energy intensity improvement and a tripling of annual end-use energy efficiency investments by 2030. It outlines five pillars for progress: buildings, industry, transport, financing, and behavioral changes, emphasizing international cooperation between the G20 and Global South countries. The plan aligns with the G20 New Delhi Leader Declaration and a Voluntary Action Plan to double the global rate of energy efficiency improvement within the decade.

The report details a pattern of acquisitions by OpenGate Capital that resulted in the closure of at least five companies and the loss of over 1,300 U.S. jobs. It examines specific cases including HUFCOR, Golden Guernsey Dairy, Fusion Paperboard, Hamilton Scientific, PennySaver, and Pacific Crest Transformers, alleging that the firm extracted fees and dividends while eroding the value of these businesses. The document highlights legal disputes over unpaid wages, lack of worker notice, and allegations of 'cash stripping' and 'looting' by bankruptcy trustees.

The briefing outlines bipartisan efforts in the U.S. to enhance 45Q tax credits for carbon capture and storage. It details proposals from the American Jobs Plan and House Republicans to increase credit values and extend eligibility. A CATF analysis suggests that an $85 per tonne incentive, combined with direct pay, could lead 46 power plants to capture 71 million metric tons of CO2 annually by 2035, creating approximately 4,500 construction jobs and 4,900 operational jobs per year.

Ethiopia is positioned as a climate leader, being the first Least Developed Country to submit an Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (INDC). The government aims to reduce annual greenhouse gas emissions from 150 Mt CO2eq in 2010 to 145 Mt CO2eq by 2030. To support these goals, CDKN has assisted the Ministry of Finance and Economic Cooperation (MoFEC) in achieving accreditation as a National Implementing Entity for the Green Climate Fund and the Adaptation Fund in March 2016. Infrastructure investments include a 34-km light rail transit in Addis Ababa and a 750-km railway to Djibouti. Additionally, CDKN is supporting the development of geothermal risk insurance and research into greening the industrial sector, specifically leather, garments, and cement.

The document translates the global findings of the IPCC's Fifth Assessment Report into a regional context for South Asia, detailing observed warming, projected risks to food and water security, and the potential for low-carbon development. It emphasizes that while further warming is inevitable, integrated adaptation and mitigation can protect development gains and offer economic opportunities.

During the 11th Five-Year Plan, China reduced its energy intensity by 19.06% compared to a 2005 baseline, primarily through the adoption of cleaner technologies and economic structural changes. While administrative and incentive instruments significantly reduced CO2 emissions, total emissions grew by 33.6%, making China the world's largest greenhouse gas emitter. The report highlights that while large enterprises and local governments implemented energy-saving measures, small- and medium-sized enterprises lagged behind, and regional competition often prioritized GDP growth over carbon reduction. Looking toward the 12th FYP, the document warns that rising marginal costs and rapid urbanization will make achieving new energy and carbon intensity targets more challenging.

Since the 2018 45Q reform, 84 carbon management projects have been announced in the U.S., with a significant surge in 2021. The majority of these projects are industrial-sector initiatives utilizing saline storage, though regional infrastructure in the Midwest is enabling ethanol projects. The power sector accounts for 23% of projects, primarily natural gas and coal plants, while only one large-scale Direct Air Capture plant is planned.

WRI analysis suggests Mexico can achieve its conditional nationally determined contribution (NDC) at an average cost of US$12/ton by implementing 21 policy levers across the electricity, transport, and industry sectors. Such actions could save over 25,000 lives and $5 billion in health costs over 12 years. However, the report argues that meeting current NDC commitments is insufficient to reach Mexico's long-term strategy emissions abatement goal, necessitating higher ambition.