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The report analyzes GHG emission trajectories for Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Mexico, and the United States up to 2030. It evaluates the effectiveness of current and planned policies alongside enhanced mitigation actions aligned with national priorities to estimate the potential reduction in the emissions gap relative to a 2°C target for 2025 and 2030.

The report examines how credit-enhancement mechanisms—such as guarantees, first-loss provisions, and contingent loans—can mitigate the perceived high risks of green infrastructure to mobilize private capital. It analyzes the offerings of major MDBs (including the World Bank, ADB, and EIB) and provides case studies from India, Nigeria, and Mexico to demonstrate how targeting specific risks, such as exploratory costs or tariff volatility, makes projects bankable. The authors conclude that while MDBs have the tools to catalyze green investment, a lack of knowledge among governments and a lack of specialized approval processes for green projects hinder widespread adoption.

The report identifies that the energy efficiency market in India is hindered by a lack of attractive financing structures and a misperception among banks that such projects are high-risk. It argues that commercial banks lack the tools to monetize energy savings as cash flows, leading to prohibitive collateral requirements. To address this, the author proposes an 'India-Adjusted Financing Protocol' to standardize how banks calculate energy savings as predictable cash flows. Additionally, the report suggests a deal aggregation business model where energy efficiency loans are pooled into a single package and securitized, potentially using Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs) and credit enhancements like overcollateralization and excess interest spreads to attract institutional investors. The document draws on international examples such as the PACE and WHEEL programs in the United States, and discusses the roles of Indian institutions like SIDBI, ICICI Bank, and Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL) in implementing these models.

The report details the application of natural capital science and software tools across various sectors to integrate ecosystem services into decision-making. Key examples include the Inter-American Development Bank's infrastructure planning in Latin America, China's massive reforestation and zoning efforts, and corporate sustainability initiatives by Dow, Unilever, and Coca-Cola. It highlights the role of the Natural Capital Project's open-source tools, such as InVEST and OPAL, in quantifying the trade-offs between economic development and the preservation of natural assets like watersheds and coastal habitats.

The report examines the concept of 'Green Growth' and its potential to unblock international climate negotiations. It identifies a lack of a unified definition among stakeholders—including economists, the private sector, and civil society—and notes that while some developing nations have adopted the framework, major powers like the US, China, and the EU have not. The document argues that the narrative can gain traction by evidencing climate co-benefits and aligning with the Intended National Determined Contributions (INDC) process. Case studies from Brazil, India, and Colombia illustrate how these principles are applied domestically, though challenges such as low loan take-up in Brazil and the need for affordable technology in India persist.

This report provides an overview of the water-energy-food nexus in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), focusing on the interdependencies between these sectors and the challenges posed by climate change, population growth, and resource distribution.

The report examines Energy Savings Insurance (ESI), an instrument developed by the Inter-American Development Bank and BASE to unlock energy efficiency investments for SMEs by insuring against the risk that projected energy savings are not met. ESI can absorb up to 80% of underperformance risk and is being piloted or replicated across several countries, including Mexico, Colombia, and El Salvador. If scaled globally, the instrument is estimated to drive USD 10-100 billion in investment and reduce annual emissions by 27-234 MtCO2 by 2030.

This guide serves as a template for science communication, using sea level rise as a case study to demonstrate how to tailor scientific information for various audiences and formats. It outlines a four-step process for planning communication: setting goals, understanding the audience, defining take-home messages, and creating a core 'And, But, Therefore' statement. The portfolio includes practical examples of verbal modules (sound bites, elevator pitches, and presentations) and written modules (Twitter, Facebook, policymaker memos, op-eds, and blogs). Additionally, it provides technical guidance on presentation design and audience engagement to ensure scientific messages are accessible and actionable.

The We Mean Business Coalition acknowledges the US pledge to reduce greenhouse gas pollution by 26-28 percent below 2005 levels by 2025 as a positive step but argues it is insufficient to prevent 3.5 degrees Celsius of warming. The coalition calls for a detailed national decarbonization pathway targeting 80% or more reductions by 2050, a five-year cycle for strengthening targets, and the scale-up of public finance via the Green Climate Fund to leverage private sector capital.

The Energy Savings Insurance (ESI) instrument is designed to stimulate energy efficiency investments by small and medium enterprises (SMEs) by mitigating the risk that actual energy savings fall below projections. A pilot in Mexico's agro-industry sector targets 10 fast-track projects valued at USD 2.14 million, utilizing a package of surety insurance, credit lines from FIRA, and third-party verification by ANCE. Financial modeling indicates that the ESI package can absorb 60-80% of the impact of underperformance on debt service repayments, significantly reducing risk for both equity investors and loan providers. The report proposes scaling the initiative to 6-14 additional Latin American and Caribbean countries through a regional facility, with further replication planned for China, India, Indonesia, and Africa, aiming for a global potential of USD 10-100 billion in investments by 2030.

The Climate Development and Finance Facility (the Facility) is a proposed investment structure designed to overcome financing barriers for renewable energy projects in developing countries. It integrates three stages of support: a Development Fund for early-stage due diligence, a Construction Fund that uses equity to finance construction costs and avoid expensive early-stage debt, and a Refinancing Fund to attract institutional investors once projects are operational. The pilot targets projects between 25-75 MW in specific low- and lower-middle income countries across Africa, Asia, and Latin America. To launch, the Facility requires USD 150 million in donor capital, which is projected to mobilize USD 2 billion in private capital, install approximately 300 MW of clean energy, and reduce annual CO2 emissions by around 600 kt.

The document is a collection of articles examining 'Invisible Walls and Barriers' to communication. It analyzes the use of exclusionary narratives in Spanish populism, the ethical challenges of academic research in Brazilian favelas, the sustainability of community media in Mexico, and the severe political and religious restrictions on media in Afghanistan. It also discusses the impact of austerity on European press freedom, the boundaries of legitimate discourse in Israel, and the role of indigenous community media in Canada's reconciliation process. Finally, it reflects on the paradoxical nature of technological development driven by military interests.

The document examines the shifting diplomatic strategies of middle powers in a multipolar world, contrasting the approaches of the MIKTA grouping, South Africa's alignment with BRICS, and Canada's shift toward strategic consolidation with Western allies.

The author contends that modern trade agreements like TTIP, CETA, and TiSA are not about 'free trade' but are tools for corporations to secure interests through secret negotiations. The text argues that these agreements erode national sovereignty, prioritize capital protection over ecological and social rights via private arbitration courts, and threaten public services through privatization. Using NAFTA and a US-Peru agreement as examples, the author claims that promises of growth and jobs often fail to materialize for citizens, benefiting only large corporations.

The report documents a 2015 policy dialogue hosted by SAIIA and Oxfam to explore the dynamics of South–South Co-operation (SSC) in Africa. It examines the roles of emerging partners like China, Brazil, and India, contrasting their non-conditional approaches with traditional North–South models. The discussions highlight the tension between the need for monitoring and evaluation (M&E) to ensure accountability and the desire of Southern nations to maintain a distinct, solidarity-based framework that avoids Northern-led conditionality. Key conclusions emphasize the need for an African-led strategy to engage emerging partners and the development of a tailored M&E framework that respects national sovereignty while improving transparency.

The Green Climate Fund (GCF) is positioned to become the largest multilateral institution for climate adaptation finance, with donor governments committing US$10.2 billion by the end of 2014. To ensure effectiveness, the document argues that the GCF must prioritize country ownership through direct access modalities, develop robust investment and accountability frameworks that avoid maladaptation, and clarify the role of its Private Sector Facility. It specifically suggests piloting small grants facilities under 'enhanced direct access' to reach local organizations and leveraging the experience of existing National Implementing Entities already accredited by the Adaptation Fund.

Energy Innovation proposes a post-2020 policy framework for California centered on a 2030 statewide carbon cap of 40 percent below 1990 levels. The recommendations include decarbonizing the electricity sector through carbon standards and a 50 percent renewable energy target, expanding transportation policies via the Low Carbon Fuel Standard and vehicle electrification, and establishing global benchmarks for methane emission standards in oil and gas operations.

The report analyzes Indonesia's transition to a fuel pricing system that passes through international oil price changes to reduce wasteful subsidies, which saved IDR 195 trillion (US$ 15.6 billion) in the 2015 State Budget Revision. It compares Indonesia's historically low fuel prices with those of Southeast Asian nations and BRICS economies, noting that Indonesia's prices were among the lowest globally until recent reforms. The document outlines 'good practice' dimensions for pricing systems—subsidies, pass-through, transparency, and enforcement—and examines specific mechanisms used in China, India, Mexico, the Philippines, South Africa, and Thailand. It suggests that Indonesia manage price volatility not through subsidies, but via variable taxes, targeted social assistance, improved supply efficiency, and reduced energy demand.

The report analyzes Indonesia's transition from ad hoc fuel subsidies to a new pricing system introduced in January 2015, which aims to reduce wasteful spending by passing through international price changes. It evaluates 'good practice' across four dimensions—subsidies, pass-through, transparency, and enforcement—and examines case studies from China, Mexico, India, the Philippines, South Africa, and Thailand. The document argues that while full deregulation is the international benchmark for fiscal sustainability, Indonesia's constitutional constraints necessitate a robust, government-led mechanism. It recommends adopting variable taxes, improving real-time monitoring, and investing in non-pricing measures such as energy efficiency and targeted social safety nets to protect vulnerable groups from price volatility.

The document argues that while Mexico has the economic resources of an emerging power—ranking as the 11th-largest economy by purchasing power parity—it fails to project leadership globally or regionally. It identifies a lack of strategic foreign-policy vision, an inconsistent international identity as a 'bridge' between North and Central America, and a tendency to act as a 'status quo middle power' rather than a revisionist force. The author notes that Mexico's heavy dependence on the US and limited engagement in UN security issues and peacekeeping missions further hinder its potential to exercise the influence typical of emerging powers like the BRICS nations.