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The document examines the struggle of Chinese Economic and Trade Co-operation Zones (ETCZs) in Africa to become operational, identifying failures in implementation, infrastructure, and regulatory frameworks. While eight zones were approved across several African nations, only the zone in Egypt is fully operational. The author argues that these zones are hindered by a top-down Chinese approach, cultural barriers, and a lack of integrated industrial policies in host countries, contrasting their struggle with the relative success of private Chinese industrial zones.

The Barbados Declaration, issued by the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS) in May 2012, emphasizes the urgent need for SIDS to transition to renewable energy to mitigate economic vulnerabilities caused by high dependency on imported fossil fuels. The document identifies wind, solar, geothermal, and ocean energy as commercially feasible options and calls for increased financial support, technology transfer, and capacity building from developed nations and international organizations. It reaffirms the importance of the Barbados Programme of Action (BPOA) and the Mauritius Strategy of Implementation (MSI) as blueprints for sustainable development.

The document analyzes the first official recognition of agriculture by the UNFCCC at COP 17 in Durban. It reviews submissions from 21 parties to the SBSTA, highlighting a tension between developed countries' focus on scientific mitigation and developing countries' priority on adaptation and food security. The briefing argues that agriculture requires a unique approach to emission reductions—potentially based on efficiency per unit of production—due to the necessity of increasing food supplies for a growing global population. It identifies key points of divergence, including trade implications and the role of smallholder farmers, while suggesting areas of consensus such as the link between agriculture and food security.

The research paper examines how shifts in consumer behaviour in high-income countries to reduce GHG emissions—such as buying fewer goods and shifting to services—can disproportionately harm the GDP of lower-income countries and Least Developed Countries (LDCs) due to their reliance on trade. Using a multi-regional input-output (MRIO) model based on the WRAP scenario, the authors find that while such shifts benefit the domestic economy of the consuming country, they can lead to significant GDP losses in poor exporting nations. The paper suggests alternative strategies to align climate mitigation with development goals, such as preferentially sourcing products from low-GHG, low-income regions or improving production efficiency in developing countries.

The document details a 2011 conference on India-Africa relations, highlighting the shift toward South-South co-operation and the potential for shared economic growth. It examines the role of the private sector, specifically the success of Indian firms in South Africa compared to Chinese firms, and discusses strategic cooperation in energy, pharmaceuticals, and security. The report also addresses global governance reforms, including the push for permanent seats on the UN Security Council for India and African nations, and the economic nature of climate change negotiations.

The Climate and Development Research Review meta-synthesizes 572 research papers to inform policy-makers on climate compatible development. It identifies four critical themes: decision-making under uncertainty, natural resource management, climate finance, and the low-carbon transition. The review emphasizes that top-down adaptation policies often fail if not grounded in local realities, leading to 'maladaptation'. It highlights the lack of a universal definition for climate finance as a barrier to fund mobilization and argues that one-off technological breakthroughs are insufficient for a systems-level energy transition. Finally, it warns that without ambitious global mitigation, human society may exceed the limits of adaptation, shifting the focus toward managing loss and damage.

The report analyzes the results of COP 17, highlighting a trade-off between inclusivity and ambition. Key outcomes include the operationalization of the Green Climate Fund, the agreement on a second commitment period for the Kyoto Protocol, and the creation of the Durban Platform for Cooperative Action to establish a global mitigation regime by 2020. While it marks a turning point by including major emitters like the US, China, and India in future legal obligations, the report notes significant gaps in funding clarity and short-term mitigation ambition.

The Zambia–China Cooperation Zone (ZCCZ), comprising the Chambishi and Lusaka East subsections, is China's first economic and trade co-operation zone in Africa. While it has attracted significant investment, primarily in copper smelting, the project faces critical implementation hurdles including poor surrounding infrastructure, a lack of regulatory frameworks for local content and technology transfer, and labour disputes stemming from differing work cultures. The document argues that for the ZCCZ to succeed, both Chinese investors and Zambian authorities must increase transparency and develop a cohesive industrial strategy that integrates local entrepreneurs.

The document evaluates the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission, launched in 2009 to make solar power affordable by 2022 and establish India as a global leader in solar energy. It highlights the success of competitive bidding in reducing tariffs but warns that a lack of expertise requirements attracted inexperienced developers, risking project defaults. The brief also notes that while off-grid subsidies exist, the market-based approach and high down payments limit access for the most energy-poor. It recommends integrating participatory models and strengthening environmental impact assessments to ensure long-term sustainability.

The research paper examines indirect tools—capacity building and the creation of enabling environments—to remove non-financial barriers for low-carbon business activities in developing countries. It analyzes past experiences with the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), identifies gaps in current international climate finance, and provides recommendations for the post-2012 climate regime, emphasizing the need for demand-driven, coordinated efforts and a stronger focus on the core regulatory business environment.

The document argues that climate finance priorities should be driven by local environmental and developmental needs rather than donor preferences. It advocates for a bottom-up approach, the delinking of public and private funding to prevent profit-driven motives from overriding social needs, and the implementation of rigorous safeguards to ensure the integrity of emission-reducing projects. The brief emphasizes the need for downward accountability to affected communities, inclusive decision-making, and the protection of indigenous livelihoods to prevent climate finance from becoming a source of social instability or conflict.

The paper argues that developing countries face a dual burden of climate mitigation and adaptation alongside existing development challenges, often lacking the institutional capacity to harness necessary technologies. It proposes Climate Innovation Centers (CICs) as facilitators and coordinators that bridge the gap between basic research and full commercialization. CICs are designed to operate as 'system operators' or 'glue' for the innovation ecosystem, partnering with governments, firms, and financial institutions to overcome 'valleys of death' in financing and technical development. The author suggests that CIC design must be tailored to a country's specific economic level and population size, and aligns this model with the UNFCCC's Climate Technology Center and Network established under the Cancun Decision.

This prospectus is a call for Expressions of Interest (EOI) issued by the Climate and Development Knowledge Network (CDKN) on behalf of Kenya's Ministry of Environment and Mineral Resources (MEMR). It seeks partners to implement an Action Plan based on the National Climate Change Response Strategy (NCCRS), consisting of eight core subcomponents and a proposed coordination component.

The Government of Kenya, supported by international partners including CDKN, DFID, and AFD, is developing a comprehensive Climate Change Action Plan consisting of eight primary subcomponents and a proposed ninth coordination subcomponent. The eight core subcomponents cover low-carbon development pathways, policy and regulatory frameworks, national adaptation planning, Nationally Appropriate Mitigations Actions (NAMAs) including REDD+ readiness, research and technology transfer, performance measurement, knowledge management, and climate finance. The Ministry of Environment and Mineral Resources (MEMR) serves as the lead agency, supported by an Inter-ministerial Task Force. The proposed coordination subcomponent is intended to act as a Programme Management Office to integrate the eight separate consultancies, manage dependencies, and maintain relationships between the Government of Kenya and donor programmes.

The document explores the intersection of climate change and the right to development (RTD), arguing that RTD is not a 'right to pollute' but a framework for a 'technological leap' toward non-carbon development. It emphasizes that industrialized countries bear the responsibility for providing financial and technological support to developing nations. The author advocates for development models integrated with biological cycles, such as agroecology, and critiques carbon-based industrial models like the American Corn Belt. The briefing also evaluates the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) under RTD criteria, finding uneven benefit distribution and a lack of human rights considerations. Finally, it positions RTD as a 'moral compass' for the transition to a green economy, referencing the Rio+20 process and the Cancun outcomes of the UNFCCC.

This document is a request for technical and financial proposals issued by the Ministry of Environment and Mineral Resources of the Republic of Kenya in February 2011. It outlines the terms of reference for consultancy services to develop a National Climate Change Technology Action Plan (NCCTAP) as part of Subcomponent 5 of the broader National Climate Change Response Strategy (NCCRS) Action Plan.

The document examines the current investment incentive mix in Lao PDR, highlighting a 'double subsidy' of tax holidays and low-cost land concessions. It argues that these incentives provide minimal returns in tax revenue, job creation, or technology transfer, and recommends replacing them with a uniform corporate tax rate and targeted incentives for green infrastructure, public services, and human capital development.

The document asserts that limiting global warming to 2° Celsius requires significant innovation in technologies and processes to reduce costs and improve performance. It highlights the role of public climate finance in attracting private investment and suggests that the UAE can lead an expanded international innovation system through cooperation in areas such as joint research, capacity building, and the support of innovation hubs like IRENA and Masdar.

The document examines the risk of climate negotiations losing credibility due to complexity and economic uncertainty. It proposes a two-stage approach: a flexible transitional system (2013–2020) with varied commitments, followed by a 'hard shell' long-term regime (2020–2035) aligned with 2050 goals. This strategy aims to preserve the process's essence while integrating sustainable development goals from Rio+20 and data from the IPCC Fifth Assessment Report.

The Cancun Climate Summit is characterized as a moderate success that restored faith in the multilateral process following the Copenhagen summit. Key outcomes included the first official UN agreement to keep global temperature increases below 2°C, the recognition of voluntary emission reduction plans for 2020, and the establishment of financial mechanisms for developing countries, including a 30 billion dollar transfer for 2010-2012 and the creation of the Green Climate Fund. While the summit made progress on measurement, reporting, and verification (MRV) and forest protection (REDD+), it left the decision on a second Kyoto Protocol period to the 2011 Durban summit. The authors attribute the success to the leadership of the Mexican government and the UNFCCC Executive Secretary.