Search Climate Insights Directory

The document details a green finance mechanism where a solar developer finances, installs, and maintains a rooftop PV system on a commercial property. The property owner receives rental income, while the tenant purchases the generated electricity via a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA). A specific implementation for Pick n Pay in Brackenfell, Cape Town, resulted in a 22.12% reduction in the outlet's carbon footprint and created a new annual revenue stream of approximately R188,000 for the property owner.

The Green Economy Strategy Framework for the Western Cape focuses on driving business opportunity and investment to become the "lowest carbon province & leading green economic hub of the African continent". Key priorities include renewable energy, where 60% of the 64 REIPPP projects were developed by Western Cape-based developers, and the Atlantis SEZ, which attracted Gestamp with a R220 million investment expected to create 200 permanent jobs. The framework also highlights the WISP initiative, which completed 11 business synergies in six months, and special initiatives such as the Better Living Challenge, a GREEN Finance Support facility, and RIA Waste to support green job creation.

The report evaluates the South African Green Finance Taxonomy (SA GFT) across three pillars: Make Substantial Contribution (MSC), Do No Significant Harm (DNSH), and Minimum Social Safeguards (MSS). While the SA GFT shows high international alignment in its environmental objectives and sectoral coverage, it faces significant usability challenges regarding the DNSH and MSS pillars due to a lack of quantitative thresholds and clear reporting guidelines. The report recommends introducing more flexible alignment classifications, increasing the use of quantitative metrics, and integrating existing national social regulations to improve adoption and cross-border climate finance flows.

The document presents data on 600 companies in Cape Town's green sectors, highlighting that the majority are micro-enterprises and that the sector contributes R312 billion to the city's total GDP.

The document introduces a guidebook and a series of reports focused on the management and financing of soil rehabilitation in China. It aims to harness green finance approaches to attract private investors and blend public and private capital for the remediation of contaminated soils, supporting China's environmental priorities and its first soil pollution law.

This guide by the International Institute for Sustainable Development provides a step-by-step framework for issuing green bonds in China. It outlines the requirements for qualifying green assets, the necessity of independent verification, the processes for tracking and reporting proceeds, and the specific regulatory bodies responsible for approving different types of bonds. The document emphasizes that any bond type can be 'green' if the proceeds are earmarked for qualifying environmental projects, and it highlights the potential for re-labelling existing bonds in China that already fund green assets.

The International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) is an independent policy research organization that operates across six primary programs: Economic Law and Policy, Energy, Water, Resilience, SDG Knowledge, and Reporting Services. The organization focuses on creating holistic, interconnected solutions to global challenges, providing technical support to developing countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, and tracking the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Its work spans nearly 100 countries, ranging from supporting solar power transitions in India to phasing out fossil fuel subsidies in Indonesia.

The document examines the disconnect between financial policy-making and environmental goals, arguing that the global financial system is structurally biased toward fossil fuels and against renewables and energy efficiency. It asserts that greening the financial system fits within the mandates of central banks and regulators—including objectives like financial stability, investor protection, and growth. The author proposes a framework for financial policy-makers, especially in China, involving mandatory carbon exposure disclosure, carbon stress tests, and the assessment of carbon risk as a systemic threat. Additionally, the paper advocates for 'interventionist' policies, such as preferential risk weights and lending quotas for green investments, noting that such measures are already used by major central banks in both OECD and emerging economies to support other sectors.

The document outlines a step-by-step process for participating in an EU consultation and provides template answers advocating for stricter regulations on the financial sector. It argues for the creation of a 'brown taxonomy' to identify and exclude fossil fuels and polluting activities, the implementation of a 'social taxonomy' to protect labor rights, and the alignment of all EU financial activities with the 1.5°C goal of the Paris Agreement. It specifically suggests that the European Central Bank's monetary policy and post-COVID-19 recovery measures should exclude the most polluting sectors.

The document outlines a step-by-step process for responding to a consultation on the EU's sustainable finance strategy and provides model answers. It argues that the EU needs major additional policy actions to align finance with the Paris Agreement, specifically calling for a 'brown taxonomy' to identify harmful activities, a legal prohibition on financing new fossil fuel projects, and the establishment of a social taxonomy to identify socially abusive activities. It further suggests that the European Central Bank's monetary policy should exclude polluting sectors and that COVID-19 recovery funding should be tied to social and environmental conditions.

A survey of 1,026 French citizens reveals that 60% believe sustainable or ISR-labeled investments should not finance oil companies developing new fossil fuel fields, and 64% consider such financing to be a form of greenwashing.

The text examines the gap between theoretical 'perfect' markets and real-world economic behavior, specifically regarding the under-investment in energy and resource efficiency. It identifies failures in capital allocation, organizational inertia, and perverse regulatory incentives that discourage sustainability. The author proposes solutions such as 'negawatt' markets, decoupled utility earnings, and improved informational feedback loops to align profit motives with the preservation of natural capital.

The document highlights that over 3.2 billion people in 52 high-impact countries face cooling access challenges, with 1.05 billion at high risk. It advocates for a shift from equipment-based projections to a needs-based approach covering thermal comfort, food security, and healthcare. The report recommends national action plans, public-private partnerships, and targeted financing for the most vulnerable populations to ensure equitable access to sustainable cooling.

The ICCAP project (2024-2029) seeks to enhance resilience in Asia-Pacific by scaling green financial products for rural smallholders and marginalised groups. It focuses on policy analysis, capacity building for financial service providers, and the creation of a Regional Adaptation Investment Facility (RAIF) to mobilise private capital. The project targets 14,000 direct beneficiaries across Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, Lao PDR, Nepal, and Fiji, with a goal of catalysing 250 million EUR for climate adaptation.

The Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) is an international non-profit research organization that integrates scientific research with policy analysis to promote sustainability. Operating through eight global centers, SEI focuses on climate change, water, air, and land use, while incorporating perspectives on governance, economics, gender, and human health. Its regional centers provide specialized expertise in areas such as sustainable urbanization in Africa, climate adaptation in Asia, and environmental governance in the Baltic region and European Union.

The complaint argues that the Jawa 9 and 10 coal power plant project, with a combined capacity of 2,000 MW, causes severe environmental and social harm to the local community in Cilegon, Banten. It alleges that the project is unnecessary due to electricity overcapacity in the Java-Bali grid and that its Environmental Impact Assessment (AMDAL) is fatally flawed, failing to adequately address cumulative pollution, climate impacts, and forced displacements. The complainants assert that the IFC failed in its due diligence and oversight of Bank KEB Hana Indonesia, which provided $56 million in funding to the project developer, PT Indo Raya Tenaga, despite being a pilot client for the IFC's 'Green Equity Approach'. The document details reports of community intimidation, loss of livelihoods for farmers and fishers, and significant health risks, including respiratory infections. The complainants request a full compliance investigation, fair compensation for losses, and a systemic change in IFC policy to eliminate indirect support for coal projects.

The document outlines the role of business in achieving Indonesia's 2035 NDC, highlighting a USD 3.8 trillion investment opportunity. It identifies critical barriers such as regulatory uncertainty and fragmented institutional responsibilities, while proposing solutions across the power, industry, and transport sectors to align national policy with private sector readiness.

The document addresses the difficulty of comparing private sector banks' sustainable finance commitments due to wide variations in structure and limited transparency. It proposes a technical framework to standardize the interpretation of these commitments by focusing on design, accountability, transparency, and the banks' portfolio contexts to enable better comparison between different institutions.

The paper examines the transition of private sector banks toward net-zero emissions, emphasizing the need to move beyond high-level commitments to operational changes in client engagement and product design. It identifies five critical elements for a Paris-aligned strategy: GHG data management, emissions targets, client benchmarking, clear engagement policies, and the training of relationship managers. The document notes that while momentum is growing through initiatives like the Net-Zero Banking Alliance, many banks are only in the early stages of integrating Paris alignment into their core business strategies.

The report evaluates the potential for renewable energy (RE) integration within 159 China's overseas industrial parks (COIPs). It identifies significant capacity for photovoltaic (PV) and wind power, estimating that full development could contribute up to 5% of the global net-zero emission RE installed capacity target if achieved by 2030.