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The document examines the existential threats faced by small island developing states (SIDS), highlighting their extreme vulnerability to sea-level rise and economic shocks despite contributing less than 1% of global carbon emissions. It advocates for a transition from seeing themselves as 'small islands' to 'large ocean states' by leveraging their exclusive economic zones (EEZs) through the 'blue economy.' The brief emphasizes the need for innovative financing, such as blue bonds and debt-for-climate swaps, and the urgent transition to domestic renewable energy to reduce dependence on fossil fuel imports.

Developing countries are increasingly facing 'compound shocks'—simultaneous or sequential disruptive events like pandemics, economic crises, and climate-driven disasters—which deplete budgets and cause cascading system failures. The authors argue that the current disaster risk finance architecture over-incentivizes ex post relief over ex ante preparedness. To address this, they propose that the World Bank's IDA offer softer financing terms (higher grant components) to countries that commit to specific resilience investments in data collection, regulatory reform, budgetary frameworks, and early warning systems. Additionally, they recommend introducing automatic 'disaster clauses' in IDA debt to defer payments following major shocks, similar to models used by Grenada and Barbados. Finally, the document proposes transforming the Global Risk Financing Facility (GRiF) into a Financial Intermediary Fund (FIF) to increase its operational independence, broaden its donor base beyond Germany and the United Kingdom, and better support regional risk pools and risk measurement capacity.

The paper examines the GCF's 'direct access' modality, which allows developing country institutions to receive funding without international intermediaries. While 62 such entities were accredited by November 2020, 42 (67%) had not yet received project approval. The authors analyze four support mechanisms—the Readiness Programme, Project Preparation Facility (PPF), Simplified Approval Process (SAP), and Enhancing Direct Access pilot—finding that high costs, complex application processes, and restrictive funding rules create significant bottlenecks. The paper recommends automating 'kick-off' funding upon accreditation, streamlining the SAP, and allowing preparatory funds to cover internal staff time.

The Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) has established a four-year work programme (2020-2023) to scale up climate finance for its Borrowing Member Countries (BMCs). The strategy focuses on three main areas: public sector investment in water security, renewable energy, and resilient infrastructure; leveraging the private sector through financial sector transformation; and enhancing institutional capacity through GCF Readiness support. The pipeline includes regional programmes for financial transformation, Integrated Utilities Services (IUS) for energy, and water security, alongside single-country projects in The Bahamas, St. Kitts and Nevis, and Grenada. The CDB emphasizes the need for concessional financing to address high public debt levels exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Climate Ambition Summit resulted in 45 announcements of new or updated Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), including ambitious targets from the EU, UK, and Denmark. However, the analysis finds that these commitments often rely on existing policies, remain conditional on unmet financial promises to developing nations, and fall short of the urgent emission cuts required by science to limit warming to 1.5°C.

The World Resources Institute acknowledges a growing momentum toward net-zero transformations following the Climate Ambition Summit, noting new targets from the EU, UK, Colombia, and China. However, it emphasizes that too few major economies provided bold 2030 emission cuts or the financial mobilization necessary for developing nations, specifically noting the failure of developed countries to provide clear signals on meeting the $100 billion annual climate finance commitment.

The proposal seeks USD 498,902 over 14 months to address fiduciary and operational gaps in the Belize Development Finance Corporation (DFC). Based on a PwC gap assessment, the project aims to establish an Investment Management Policy, an Asset and Liability Committee, an Environmental and Social Management System, and policies for internal audit, procurement, and communication. The Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) will serve as the implementing partner to help the DFC become a vehicle for deploying gender-responsive climate finance to Belize's private sector, particularly MSMEs.

The proposal addresses the vulnerability of the Caribbean agricultural sector to climate change and its historical lack of prioritization in climate finance. It aims to increase the sector's profile by improving the collection and analysis of agricultural data, strengthening institutional capacities for GCF programming, and developing a pipeline of bankable, low-emission, and climate-resilient projects. Key activities include regional scoping studies on NDCs, the creation of a knowledge management portal, and the development of occupational competency standards for youth in climate-smart agriculture.

The Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) is seeking Project Preparation Facility (PPF) funding to design a programme that blends GCF and CDB resources to provide concessional loans to Development Finance Institutions (DFIs) in Belize, Jamaica, and St. Lucia. These DFIs will then on-lend to micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and homeowners for climate mitigation and adaptation projects. The programme aims to address financial barriers, such as high interest rates and perceived risks, while providing technical assistance to improve the capacity of both lenders and borrowers to implement bankable climate projects. Tentative targets include reducing at least 0.6 million tCO2eq and benefiting at least 375,000 people.

The study developed four regional socio-economic scenarios for the Caribbean and national storylines for four island states, linking them to global Representative Concentration Pathways (RCPs) and Shared Socio-economic Pathways (SSPs). When applied to hotel water demand in Barbados using RCP 4.5, the analysis revealed a 17% difference between the highest and lowest estimated water demand based on varying socio-economic conditions.

In 2019, the global green bond market reached a record USD258.9 billion in issuance, a 51% increase over 2018. The market saw significant growth in non-financial corporate issuance and the entry of eight new countries. Europe led in cumulative volume, while the USA, China, and France remained the top individual countries by amount issued. Energy, buildings, and transport dominated the use of proceeds, accounting for 82% of the total. The report also notes a rise in green sukuk and the increasing importance of external reviews and Climate Bonds Standard certification.

Prof. Michael Taylor of the University of the West Indies conducts 'climate SMART workshops' for technocrats from various small island nations to bridge the gap between global climate science and local decision-making. These workshops employ interactive methods, such as games and role play, and utilize local science and simplified messaging to make IPCC findings relevant and actionable for sector workers.

The report proposes a 'green stimulus' for the Caribbean focusing on distributed energy resources (DERs) to combat pandemic-related job losses and long-term economic vulnerability. It identifies solar PV, wind, electric vehicles (EVs), and energy efficiency as high-impact sectors for immediate employment. Beyond jobs, the document highlights how DERs improve resilience against hurricanes and economic shocks, while enabling economic diversification in sectors like agro-industry by lowering energy costs.

The study introduces a simulation model for Barbados and other small island developing states (SIDS) to inform national planning against climate change and economic volatility. Using a robust decision making (RDM) approach, the model demonstrates that climate change increases external debt through storm damage, which destroys productive capital and necessitates imports for rebuilding, compounding existing economic uncertainties in tourism and export demand.

The global green bond and green loan market reached a record USD 257.7 billion in 2019, a 51% increase over 2018. Growth was primarily driven by Europe, which accounted for 45% of global issuance. The USA, China, and France remained the top-ranked countries, together representing 44% of the market. Energy and Buildings were the dominant sectors for use of proceeds, each holding approximately 30% market share. Certified Climate Bonds grew by 86% to reach USD 45 billion, with cumulative certified issuance surpassing the USD 100 billion milestone. The market also saw increased diversification with debut issuances from emerging markets including Kenya, Barbados, and Saudi Arabia.

The paper presents a model for small island developing states (SIDS) that examines the relationship between the anticipation of extreme climate events and the resulting damage to commercial capital stocks, specifically applying this model to tropical storm damage in Barbados.

The report details the conclusion of the CRN3 program, which involved 17 projects across 15 IAI Parties, and the launch of the SGP-HW program, which selected six projects focused on ecosystem services and human well-being. It also outlines the planning for the fourth round of Cooperative Research Networks (CRN4), emphasizing transdisciplinary research, regional priorities, and the pursuit of co-financing through entities like the Belmont Forum.

The IAI Directorate reports on the completion of the Third Collaborative Research Network (CRN3) program, which involved 17 projects across 15 IAI Parties and leveraged US$ 15.36 million in additional funding. The report details the transition toward the SGP-HW small grants program, which emphasizes transdisciplinary co-design with stakeholders and the implementation of an Open Data Policy. It also outlines the preliminary planning for the fourth iteration of the Collaborative Research Network (CRN4), recommending alignment with the Belmont Forum to secure co-funding and a focus on Party-driven priorities.

The document analyzes how the CEDAW monitors the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (ICEDAW) to address climate change. It highlights that in 2018, the Committee made climate-related recommendations to 75% of reviewed states, focusing heavily on adaptation (44%) and procedural rights (37%), while mitigation received significantly less attention (7%). The briefing details specific state obligations across four areas: mitigation, adaptation, procedural rights, and international cooperation, emphasizing the role of General Recommendation 37 (GR37) in framing disaster risk reduction with a gender perspective.

The green bond market in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) is growing, with USD 12.6 billion issued since 2014. Brazil, Chile, and Mexico dominate the market, with Chile leading the region in sovereign green bond issuance. While energy is the most funded sector, LAC shows a higher proportion of funding for land use and industry compared to global trends. The report highlights significant opportunities for growth in sustainable agriculture and the 'blue economy' (ocean-based resources), while noting that public sector entities and financial institutions have substantial untapped potential for future green issuances.