Search Climate Insights Directory

As of 31 October 2016, the GCF pipeline consists of 46 funding proposals requesting USD 3.2 billion and 169 concept notes requesting USD 7.9 billion. The portfolio includes 27 approved projects, with varying levels of progress in fulfilling conditions for the execution of Funded Activity Agreements (FAAs). The document also tracks the progress of direct access entities and a pilot programme for micro-, small- and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), which has shortlisted 7 concept notes for funding up to USD 100 million.

The report analyzes national efforts to transition from carbon-intensive energy sources to sustainable alternatives by reforming fossil fuel subsidies and implementing innovative policy instruments.

The statement asserts that the shift toward renewable energy is an economic inevitability, citing corporate commitments from companies like Walmart and General Mills and the cost-competitiveness of wind and solar power over fossil fuels in various global regions. It emphasizes that the drive to decarbonize the US energy economy will persist through the actions of states, cities, and businesses, and calls for bipartisan cooperation to protect climate policies like the Clean Power Plan.

The Paris Agreement entered into force on 4 November 2016, with 100 countries representing 67% of global greenhouse gas emissions having ratified it. COP22 and the first meeting of the CMA are tasked with developing operational rules for transparency, progress monitoring, and ramping up ambition to limit global temperature rise to well below 2 degrees Celsius. Key points of contention include the verification of national commitments and the insufficiency of pledges to meet the $100 billion climate finance goal for developing countries by 2020. South Africa has ratified the agreement and set an emissions reduction target of 398–614 MtCO2e for 2025–2030, though this is largely conditional on external assistance and complicated by a continued reliance on coal and budgetary restraints.

The author asserts that the Paris Agreement's fast ratification demonstrates increasing political will to address climate change. The text highlights the role of business initiatives, such as the Low Carbon Technology Partnerships Initiative (LCTPi), in proving the feasibility of emissions reductions. It concludes that current Nationally Determined Contributions are insufficient to limit warming to 2°C or 1.5°C, necessitating further business-led efforts to provide policymakers with the confidence to increase their targets, specifically through the Low Emissions Solutions Conference at COP22.

The document introduces COP 22, held from November 7–18, 2016, in Morocco, emphasizing the urgency for negotiators to establish the modalities of the Paris Climate Change Agreement before 2020.

The document examines the impacts of coal, oil, gas, and megadams across Africa, highlighting how these 'dirty energy' sources drive climate change and cause severe social and health crises. It details specific cases, such as South Africa's coal reliance, Uganda's oil expansion, and Mozambique's megadams, while warning against the 'extreme energy' frontier of fracking and tar sands. The briefing concludes that African governments must reject these outdated pathways in favor of decentralized, sustainable energy systems supported by climate finance from developed nations.

The document examines the impacts of 'dirty energy' (coal, oil, gas, nuclear, industrial biomass, mega-dams, and waste incineration) across Africa. It highlights how these technologies drive climate change, cause severe health and environmental damage, and often benefit elites and multinational corporations over local populations. The report provides case studies on coal in South Africa, oil in Nigeria and Uganda, mega-dams in Mozambique, and the risks of 'extreme energy' like fracking and bitumen extraction in the Maghreb and Nigeria. It concludes by calling for 'energy sovereignty' and a just transition to decentralized, renewable energy systems.

The document examines the impacts of 'polluting energy'—including fossil fuels, industrial biomass, and large dams—across Africa. It highlights how these systems often benefit elites and corporations while leaving local populations to face health crises, land grabbing, and climate vulnerability. Specific case studies focus on South Africa's coal dependency, oil extraction in Nigeria and Uganda, the influence of European energy policies in the Maghreb, and the social and environmental costs of large dams in Mozambique. The report concludes that African nations must avoid 'locking in' obsolete polluting technologies and instead pursue energy sovereignty through decentralized renewables.

The document analyzes the patterns of clandestine migration from North Africa to Europe, noting that while North Africans are a smaller group than sub-Saharan migrants, they are often innovators of new smuggling routes. It identifies three primary corridors: the central Mediterranean (increasingly popular via Libya), the eastern Mediterranean (via Turkey and the Balkans), and the western Mediterranean (declining due to security). The author argues that migration is primarily driven by economic desperation and youth unemployment rather than conflict, and that securitized border responses fail to address these root causes.

One year after the Paris Agreement's adoption, the Climate Action Tracker (CAT) finds that national climate policies have made little progress. If NDCs are fully implemented, global warming by 2100 is estimated at 2.8°C, while current policies would lead to 3.6°C. A significant emissions gap remains for 2025 and 2030. The report highlights specific national trajectories, noting that most assessed NDCs are inadequate or medium in ambition, with particular concerns regarding the US, Russia, and Saudi Arabia, while noting positive renewable energy growth in India.

The GCF-EBRD SEFF co-financing Programme aims to mobilize private sector climate finance by providing credit lines and technical support to local partner financial institutions (PFIs). The programme targets 13 countries, with an initial focus on Egypt, Georgia, Morocco, Tajikistan, and Tunisia, to finance over 20,000 projects in renewable energy, energy efficiency, and climate resilience. With a total budget of USD 1,538.5 million, the initiative seeks to reduce carbon emissions by approximately 29 million tonnes over its lifetime and create around 11,500 green jobs.

The document analyzes Africa's epidemiological transition, noting that while communicable diseases currently cause a disproportionate share of deaths, non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are rising. Using scenario modeling, it argues that achieving SDG 3.3 (eradicating communicable diseases) would significantly boost GDP and life expectancy but accelerate the shift toward NCDs, potentially stressing health systems. Conversely, achieving SDG 3.4 (reducing premature NCD deaths) improves productivity through reduced disability but offers smaller overall economic gains than the eradication of infectious diseases.

The NAP Global Network provides a framework for developing countries to accelerate national adaptation planning (NAP) through peer learning, technical support, and donor coordination. The Network facilitates Targeted Topics Forums (TTFs) and South-South exchanges to share best practices on issues such as financing and sectoral integration. It also operates a Country Support Hub for expert advice and works to align bilateral donor investments with national priorities to avoid duplication of efforts.

The paper finds that climate actions across examined INDCs align with 154 of the 169 SDG targets, demonstrating significant potential for mutual benefits between climate and development agendas. While global alignment is high, the authors note that few countries explicitly referenced SDGs in their INDCs, often due to separate institutional oversight between environment and development ministries. Case studies of Colombia and Uganda show high goal-level alignment, though target-level alignment varies based on national priorities. The document advocates for a 'whole-of-government' approach to maximize resources and avoid implementation silos.

The report finds a significant lack of primary quantitative research on how fossil fuel subsidy reforms specifically affect women. It argues that while subsidies are generally regressive—benefiting wealthier households—their removal can disproportionately harm poor women due to their primary responsibility for domestic energy tasks and limited intra-household bargaining power. The document reviews the potential for mitigation measures, such as conditional cash transfers and targeted energy vouchers, and outlines a mixed-methods research plan for Bangladesh, India, and Nigeria to analyze impacts on women's welfare, productivity, and empowerment.

The Health Collaborative, representing 15 health organizations, argues that phasing out coal-fired electricity in Canada by 2025 is essential for mitigating climate change and reducing severe public health risks. The document highlights that while coal provided only 10.6% of Canada's electricity in 2014, it accounted for 72% of the sector's greenhouse gas emissions. It details the health benefits of coal closures, citing Ontario's experience where the phase-out led to significant reductions in sulphur dioxide and fine particulate matter, as well as a 23% decrease in air-pollution-related premature deaths in Toronto between 2000 and 2010. The submission also emphasizes the danger of mercury emissions from coal plants, which are linked to neurodevelopmental impacts in children. The authors recommend a complete phase-out by 2025, the development of renewable energy, and the implementation of energy efficiency programs.

The GCF Board's twelfth meeting resulted in the endorsement of the initial Strategic Plan (2015-2018) and the accreditation of 13 entities, including HSBC and the African Development Bank. Key operational milestones included the adoption of a Comprehensive Information Disclosure Policy, the establishment of a Budget Committee, and the approval of a risk register. The Board also addressed resource mobilization, noting a USD 3 billion contribution arrangement from the United States and approving a budget increase for Secretariat staffing to approximately 100 members by the end of 2016. Additionally, the Board initiated the process for appointing a new Executive Director and approved a USD 1.5 million grant for project preparation in Rwanda.

The report explores the concept of 'policy crediting'—crediting emission reductions resulting from policy actions—as a means to encourage the implementation or strengthening of energy pricing and carbon pricing reforms. While noting that no real-world case examples of this currently exist, the study uses case studies from Morocco, Indonesia, Mexico, and Beijing to propose three generic options for policy crediting: supporting reductions at the policy margin, supporting reductions within the policy instrument, and overcoming implementation barriers. The author concludes that further work is required to develop monitoring, reporting, and verification (MRV) frameworks and to understand the political economy challenges associated with these approaches.

The report examines the potential for 'policy crediting' to incentivize developing countries to implement or strengthen carbon pricing and energy subsidy reforms. Through case studies in Morocco, Indonesia, Mexico, and China (Beijing), the study finds that the financial value of carbon credits is generally very low compared to the fiscal gains from the base policies themselves, suggesting that credits are unlikely to be the primary driver for policy adoption. However, the report argues that crediting could still play a role by supporting mitigation at the 'policy margin' (complementary measures), funding the operational strengthening of ETS markets, or providing targeted compensation to vulnerable stakeholders. The authors highlight significant challenges in establishing baselines and monitoring, reporting, and verification (MRV) for policy-level reductions compared to project-level offsets.