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The report finds that Jakarta's climate finance from 2015-2019 was dominated by public funding, totaling USD 44.9 billion across 37 projects, with 83% of this amount committed to the controversial Giant Sea Wall project. Despite having the highest fiscal capacity in Indonesia, Jakarta's environmental spending remained low at 8.6% of its budget in 2017-2018, and private sector investment accounted for only 2% of total climate funding. The document recommends better alignment between Jakarta, the central government, and satellite cities, the implementation of climate budget tagging, and the use of innovative financial instruments like municipal green bonds to mobilize private capital, especially in anticipation of the capital city's relocation.

The report analyzes urban green finance in Hyderabad and Kolkata, finding that both cities are heavily dependent on state and central government funding. While Hyderabad has made significant progress in renewable energy and electric mobility, and Kolkata has excelled in e-bus adoption and wetland conservation, both face governance challenges due to overlapping mandates and limited financial autonomy. The study recommends harmonized climate budgeting, increased devolution of funds to urban local bodies, and the exploration of innovative financing mechanisms like green bonds and resilience bonds to bridge investment gaps.

The document argues that while businesses recognize the benefits of circular economy practices, they are hindered by systemic technical, knowledge, and financial barriers. It identifies information availability and government support as primary drivers for transition, particularly for SMEs in Southeast Asia.

The GFCR Investment Window is a proposed $500 million fund, with $125 million requested from the Green Climate Fund (GCF) as a first-loss equity position. Managed by Pegasus Capital Advisors, the fund targets 'climate refugia'—reefs most likely to survive warming oceans—by investing in sustainable ocean production, ecotourism, and sustainable infrastructure to reduce local stressors. The program aims to protect 29,000 hectares of reef, create over 12,700 direct jobs, and benefit over 35 million people indirectly. It utilizes a dual-window model, pairing the Investment Window with a Grant Window to provide technical assistance and pipeline incubation.

The South African Youth Climate Action Plan (SA YCAP) is a comprehensive framework developed by young people aged 13-30 to advocate for an intersectional and just transition to a decarbonised economy. It calls for the integration of youth in policymaking, the implementation of a national climate education plan, and a shift from fossil fuel dependency to decentralised renewable energy. The plan emphasizes the need for good governance to combat corruption in climate finance and proposes specific nature-based solutions and sustainable agricultural practices to protect South Africa's biodiversity and food security.

The report argues that the food industry's reliance on single-use plastics creates significant ecological and health crises while exposing the sector and its financiers to material financial risks. It highlights a 'financial bubble' in the plastics industry driven by overproduction and impending regulation. Research reveals that seven banks operating in Belgium provided over 78 billion euros in financing to nine food industry companies between 2015 and 2021, with Deutsche Bank, BNP Paribas, and ING as the primary financiers. The document calls for banks to implement concrete plastic policies and for the Belgian government to use its influence as a shareholder to drive a transition toward a circular economy.

The report evaluates India's post-pandemic economic recovery through the lens of natural capital, analyzing budgetary allocations in agriculture, MSMEs, power, mining, and the social sector. It finds that while the Union Budget 2021-22 showed more positive natural capital alignment than the initial COVID recovery package, significant gaps remain, particularly a lack of capital expenditure for green infrastructure and a heavy reliance on monetary rather than fiscal instruments to incentivize green practices.

The document analyzes the impact of Covid-19 on green SMME exporters in the Western Cape and evaluates how Wesgro adapted its trade promotion services. Key findings highlight that while travel restrictions severely hindered traditional matchmaking, the shift to virtual training, hybrid trade missions, and digital marketing increased accessibility for smaller firms. The report argues that these digital tools can reduce the environmental impact of business travel and help exporters adapt to emerging green economy demands and climate-related trade barriers, particularly in the EU market.

Togo's revised NDCs aim for a total greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction of 50.57% by 2030 compared to a reference scenario, consisting of a 20.51% unconditional target and a 30.06% conditional target. The plan prioritizes the energy, agriculture, forestry, and waste sectors for mitigation, while focusing on food security, water management, and coastal protection for adaptation. Implementing these goals requires an estimated total investment of 5.48 billion USD, with 78% of the funding needed as international conditional support. The document also outlines a national Measurement, Reporting, and Verification (MRV) system and a communication strategy to increase public awareness and local ownership of climate actions.

The report examines bio-waste (kitchen and garden waste) and textile waste in Tallinn, noting a general increase in generation. It highlights that while kitchen waste collection is improving, garden waste collection has declined. It recommends expanding mandatory bio-waste bins, improving waste purity through EN 13432 standard bags, and strengthening the reuse system for textiles while calling for national-level solutions for textile recycling.

The report analyzes how multidimensional inequality and poverty in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) intersect with environmental risks and policy. It finds that marginalized groups—including Roma communities, women, the elderly, and persons with disabilities—face disproportionate exposure to pollution and hazards, while social norms limit their access to natural resources. The document argues that environmental policies can either exacerbate these inequalities (e.g., through energy taxes) or mitigate them (e.g., through energy efficiency in social housing). It recommends collecting disaggregated data, increasing the representation of disadvantaged groups in decision-making, and implementing gender-responsive budgeting to ensure a more inclusive and effective environmental strategy.

The report examines the application of just transition principles across various sectors in developing and emerging economies to ensure social justice and sustainable development. It specifically analyzes the impacts of policy instruments on employment and identifies ways for the German Development Cooperation to support these efforts. The study covers sectors including coal phase-out, fossil fuel subsidy reform, renewable energy, circular economy, and sustainable agriculture, utilizing case studies from countries such as Bangladesh, Colombia, India, Indonesia, Nigeria, and South Africa.

Methane is the second largest contributor to climate change, with concentrations increasing faster now than since the 1980s. Human activities drive over half of global emissions, primarily through agriculture (40%), fossil fuels (35%), and waste (20%). The briefing highlights that cutting methane in these sectors could reduce human emissions by 45% by 2030, avoiding 0.3°C of warming by the 2040s. However, government action is currently insufficient; only nine of 174 countries with Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) have set separate methane targets, and agricultural targets remain largely vague.

The report evaluates three primary responses to the plastics crisis: chemical recycling, separate collection, and reuse/refill. It concludes that chemical recycling is technically and financially unviable, often serving as a 'smokescreen' for the petrochemical industry. In contrast, it identifies high growth potential in separate collection infrastructure, specifically reverse vending machines (RVMs), and long-term equity opportunities in refillable packaging systems, both of which are being driven by increasing global regulation and consumer pressure.

The report provides a comprehensive overview of China's green asset-backed securities (ABS) market as of 2020, detailing the regulatory environment, market trends, and specific case studies. It highlights that while the market has grown significantly, it remains a small portion of the overall green bond market and is dominated by state-owned enterprises. The document suggests improvements in data transparency, standardization of contracts, and the expansion of green residential and commercial mortgage-backed securities to attract more international investors.

The report provides a comprehensive overview of China's green securitisation market, noting its growth to 85 deals totalling RMB115bn by the end of 2020. It details the regulatory landscape involving the PBoC, CBIRC, CSRC, and NAFMII, and identifies state-owned enterprises as the primary originators. The analysis highlights renewable energy and low-carbon transport as the dominant collateral themes and suggests improvements in transparency, standardisation of green loans, and credit rating soundness to attract more international investors.

The document argues that 'Big Food' companies face escalating risks across waste, climate, and health dimensions due to their 'addiction to single-use plastics'. It highlights a wave of new legislation in Europe, increasing public backlash, and emerging legal precedents in the US and EU that could lead to significant financial and legal liabilities. The brief warns investors that many companies are failing to disclose these material risks or are relying on 'false solutions' rather than reducing their plastic footprints.

The ACT Fund is a mid-market greenfield infrastructure fund designed to overcome investment barriers in West Africa by combining technical assistance, equity, and subordinated debt. It utilizes a 'blended currency mechanism' to reduce financing friction during early project stages and provides structured exit solutions for international equity by refinancing projects with local-currency senior debt once they are operational. The fund targets an initial capitalization of USD 150 million for equity and USD 100 million for subordinated debt, with a primary focus on renewable energy before expanding into urban mobility, water, and waste systems.

Ghana's updated NDC (2020-2030) aims to reduce absolute greenhouse gas emissions by 64 MtCO2e and benefit nearly 38 million people. The plan consists of 13 adaptation and 34 mitigation measures, requiring an estimated investment of US$ 9.3 to US$ 15.5 billion. The strategy emphasizes sustainable energy transition, landscape restoration, and social inclusion, with a specific focus on reducing short-lived climate pollutants to improve public health.

The report examines the environmental platforms of seven political parties and one electoral alliance for the 2021 Estonian local elections. It finds a significant increase in the volume and specificity of environmental promises compared to 2017, with a shift in focus toward climate, energy, and mobility. In Tallinn, mobility dominated the discourse, while Tartu platforms emphasized nature and parks. The analysis highlights that Eestimaa Rohelised (Greens) provided the most comprehensive environmental programs across all levels, while EKRE's platforms were the most modest and occasionally opposed the 'green transition'. The document also assesses the alignment of these promises with the UN SDGs and the criteria for Tallinn's bid as a European Green Capital.