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The Green Climate Fund (GCF) identifies five high-impact investment priorities: climate-compatible cities, sustainable climate-smart agriculture, forest finance, resilience in Small Island Developing States (SIDS), and transforming energy generation and access. The analysis emphasizes a holistic approach that integrates mitigation and adaptation, particularly in Africa and Asia. It highlights the role of the Private Sector Facility (PSF) in mobilizing capital for adaptation—a historically underfunded area—and suggests using targeted calls for proposals to balance the investment portfolio.

The report asserts that the combined fortunes of the world's wealthiest individuals could fund a total transition to renewable energy in the Global South by 2030. It estimates that $5.15 trillion is required to meet the energy demands of Africa, Latin America, and non-OECD Asia (excluding India and China). The authors argue that the energy transition must go beyond substituting fuel sources to include democratic ownership of resources and the dismantling of corporate power to address the intersecting crises of climate change and extreme inequality.

The report by Friends of the Earth International asserts that a 100% renewable energy revolution is financially feasible, noting that the personal fortunes of the world's 782 wealthiest people (approximately $5,149 billion) could fund this transition for Africa, Latin America, and much of Asia by 2030. Using International Energy Agency (IEA) demand projections, the authors calculate that $5,148 billion in additional investment is required to meet electricity needs in these regions using renewables. The document emphasizes that the transition must be guided by principles of democratic control, energy access as a human right, and community consent to avoid further human rights violations. It concludes that the primary barrier is not finance, but a lack of political will, and recommends ending fossil fuel subsidies, repaying climate debt from developed nations, and implementing global feed-in tariffs to facilitate a just energy transition.

The IAI activities plan for 2015-2016 focuses on completing a tripartite institutional structure across Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay, while advancing interdisciplinary research and capacity building. Key initiatives include a small grants call on ecosystem services in adaptation, professional development seminars in Colombia and Panama, and the development of four global environmental change seminars for 2016-2018. The institute also continues its engagement with IPBES and the UNFCCC SBSTA process.

The document advocates for a shift in DDR processes from viewing gender as a challenge to treating it as an asset. It emphasizes that women are active combatants who gain skills and independence during conflict, while men can also be victims of violent masculinity and repressive regimes. The author argues that successful DDR requires increasing female participation in peace processes, 'disarming' violent masculinities, and accounting for the socio-economic and cultural contexts that affect reintegration.

The BNDES serves as a national development bank that provides significant post-shipment credit to Latin America, primarily for infrastructure and capital goods. While the Brazilian government has promoted South-South integration, BNDES disbursements largely follow the dynamics of Brazilian trade and market demand. The bank faces criticism regarding the environmental and social sustainability of its projects and the high concentration of funding among a few large firms.

The document analyzes India's transition from a borrower to an owner in multilateral financial institutions, its internal development finance structure, and its strategic use of development assistance to project soft power and counterbalance China's influence in South Asia. It highlights the tension between India's global aspirations and its domestic infrastructure deficit, which is estimated at $1 trillion under its 12th Five-Year Plan.

The document examines the increasing role of BRICS countries in international development finance, specifically focusing on lending to neighboring regions. It highlights a gap between public loan announcements and actual spending, and argues that understanding the terms of these loans—whether commercial, concessional, or tied to resources—is critical to determining if they offer a true alternative to traditional institutions like the World Bank. The author applies theories of regional economic integration to suggest several possible motivations for this finance: market-driven efficiency, collective hedging against global institutions, the pursuit of non-market-oriented development autonomy, or the strategic ambitions of regional hegemons. Finally, the brief suggests that the national lending patterns of BRICS members may serve as a primary indicator for the future operations of the collective New Development Bank (NDB).

The SEI Strategy 2015–2019 establishes a framework to bridge science and policy through three primary delivery areas: scientific research, policy engagement, and capacity development. The institute aims to shift from traditional reporting toward a more integrated approach that includes behavioral science, geopolitics, and targeted communication. Central to this strategy is the launch of 'SEI Initiatives'—specialized research hubs focusing on critical issues like climate finance, fossil fuels, and the water-energy-food nexus. The document also details the enabling infrastructure required for these goals, including the PMEC monitoring system and a suite of analytical tools such as LEAP and WEAP, while emphasizing the need to engage 'hard-to-reach' stakeholders in the private sector.

The document examines the integration of ecosystem-based adaptation (EbA) and community-based adaptation (CbA) through the EU-funded EcoAdapt project. By utilizing the Model Forests approach in Bolivia, Argentina, and Chile, the project sought to develop long-term climate adaptation strategies for water resources. The integration aims to combine the protection of biodiversity and ecosystem services with the empowerment of local communities to identify their own needs. Key benefits identified include increased community ownership, a better understanding of socio-ecological interconnections, and a more holistic view of large-scale environmental processes. However, the project faced challenges such as waning community motivation, inclusive participation gaps—specifically with cattle ranchers in Bolivia—and instabilities within the public sector. The briefing concludes that successful up-scaling requires a socio-ecological systems approach, secure finance, supportive public policies, and the development of accessible tools for local actors.

The report assesses 50 environmental impact assessment frameworks, finding that few focus exclusively on livestock. It identifies nine key impact dimensions—including GHG emissions, water use, and biodiversity—and notes a significant lack of ex-ante analysis and explicit rationale for indicator selection. The review highlights that while many frameworks target policymakers, they often rely on short-term data and lack clear methodologies for up-scaling results across different spatial and temporal scales.

In 2013, global climate finance flows totaled USD 331 billion, a decrease of USD 28 billion from 2012. This decline was primarily driven by a USD 31 billion drop in private investment, largely due to falling solar PV costs. Public finance remained stable at USD 137 billion, with Development Finance Institutions (DFIs) acting as the primary public source. Mitigation accounted for 91% of total flows, while adaptation received 7% (USD 25 billion), all of which originated from public sources. The report highlights a significant gap between current flows and the estimated USD 1.1 trillion annual investment needed in the energy sector to limit global temperature rise to 2 degrees Celsius.

Carbon Market Watch opposes expanding LULUCF activities within the CDM, citing risks to climate adaptation, a lack of market demand for offsets, and the non-permanent nature of land-based carbon sequestration compared to permanent fossil fuel emissions. The organization suggests that LULUCF activities are better suited for Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Actions (NAMAs), National Adaptation Plans (NAPs), and REDD+, emphasizing a rights-based approach to food security and land rights.

The IISD guide outlines a framework for negotiating agricultural investment contracts, emphasizing the primacy of national legislation over contracts and international treaties. It provides a comprehensive model contract covering land rights, financial obligations, social and environmental commitments, and dispute resolution, while advocating for transparency and community engagement to ensure sustainable rural development.

The IISD Guide to Negotiating Investment Contracts for Farmland and Water is a comprehensive tool designed for governments and communities to manage foreign investments in agricultural land. It emphasizes the primacy of domestic law over investment contracts and international treaties, while providing a model contract to fill gaps where domestic laws are weak. The guide outlines a preparatory phase involving investor screening, community engagement, and impact assessments, and proposes specific contractual provisions covering tenure, financial obligations, social development, and environmental protections. It strongly advocates for transparency, the avoidance of stabilization clauses, and the use of domestic courts for dispute resolution to protect the national interest and ensure long-term project viability.

The document assesses the impact of implementing the SSP2 scenario in the GCAM model, finding that a business-as-usual approach leads to a temperature increase of nearly 5ºC by 2095. It further evaluates a stabilization policy (RCP2.6) using a global carbon tax, which achieves negative emissions by 2100 through massive deployment of nuclear power, bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS), and afforestation, though it highlights tensions between economic efficiency and regional equity.

The report finds that Brazil's land rental markets are significantly underdeveloped compared to North America and Europe, with only 3.3% of agricultural land under lease or sharecropping. This inefficiency is attributed to insecure property rights and a rigid legal framework, primarily the 1964 Land Statute, which imposes non-renounceable clauses to protect renters. The authors argue that these regulations are outdated for today's more capitalized farmers and that deregulation could boost agricultural productivity and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by facilitating the conversion of degraded pastureland to sugarcane production.

The document provides an educational overview of REDD+ (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation), detailing its three-phase implementation process and the technical challenges of establishing reference levels for carbon emissions. It contrasts market-based financing (carbon credits) with fund-based approaches, highlighting concerns that carbon offsets may allow developed nations to avoid reducing their own emissions. The guide emphasizes significant risks to indigenous communities, including forced eviction due to land tenure insecurity and the potential for corruption in fund distribution. It evaluates the safeguards of the UN-REDD and World Bank programs, noting that while UN-REDD has stronger theoretical protections, practical implementation remains a concern, as evidenced by a case study in Vietnam where free, prior and informed consent (FPIC) was found to be deficient.

The document describes a pilot study focused on copper supply chains as part of a broader initiative to help Chinese enterprises and policy-makers manage the social and environmental footprints of their inbound supply chains. It argues that sustainability risks—such as negative impacts on biodiversity, water, and communities—can lead to supply chain disruptions and damage China's international brand, thereby threatening resource security. The project, supported by the UK's DFID, developed a methodology tested through copper and palm oil pilots and stakeholder consultations to bridge the gap in how sustainability risks are understood and managed by companies operating in China.

This synthesis report by the International Institute for Sustainable Development proposes a commodity-by-commodity framework to assess sustainability risks and vulnerabilities for importers, specifically focusing on China's global resource needs. The report argues that China's reliance on inward supply chains exposes it to systemic risks—including natural hazards, local conflict, and resource nationalism—which are currently managed in a tactical rather than strategic manner.