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As of 31 March 2015, the Green Climate Fund Trust Fund had received total contributions of USDeq. 171.20 million, with USDeq. 128.00 million deposited by 23 contributors. The GCF Board approved funding totaling USD 65.11 million for administrative budgets and readiness activities, while the interim trustee transferred USD 19.62 million. Total funds available to support GCF Board funding decisions were USD 63,147,206.

The document examines Integrated Coastal Management (ICM) as a multi-sectoral governance approach to balance the development, use, and protection of coastal zones. It traces the global shift from sectoral 'command-and-control' methods to ecosystem-based management and analyzes South Africa's transition from a conservation-focused model to one prioritizing sustainable livelihoods and poverty eradication. The author highlights the 2008 Integrated Coastal Management Act as a key legal framework but notes significant failures in local-level implementation, particularly in the Eastern Cape, where unregulated sand mining and illegal development persist due to a lack of municipal capacity and political will.

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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.

Climate Investor One is an integrated financing mechanism designed to overcome barriers to renewable energy investment in low and lower-middle income countries. It combines a Development Fund for early-stage bankability, a Construction Fund to reduce debt costs and negotiation complexity, and a Re-financing Fund to attract institutional investors to de-risked projects. A pilot phase aims to deploy 300 MW of capacity and reduce 600ktCO2 emissions annually, with a goal to mobilize USD 2 billion in private finance by 2020.

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 document evaluates technical and commercial viability for several associated gas utilization technologies in US tight oil fields. It identifies gas gathering, CNG trucking, NGL recovery, gas-to-power, and Mini-GTL MT as technologies that pass initial screening, while gas reinjection, Mini-LNG, Mini-GTL FT, and ammonia production are rejected due to scale, maturity, or economic constraints. The report provides detailed technical specifications, cost models, and case studies for these options, specifically focusing on the Bakken region of North Dakota.

The report argues that sustainable urban design, guided by 'The 8 Principles' (Walk, Connect, Transit, Cycle, Mix, Densify, Compact, Shift), delivers significant environmental, economic, and social benefits. It provides a comprehensive review of data from Chinese cities and international examples to demonstrate that reducing car dependence and increasing density improves air quality, boosts property values, and enhances public health. The document specifically highlights China's unprecedented scale of urbanization as a critical area for applying these principles to avoid the pitfalls of 'superblocks' and car-centric planning.

The Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) evaluated the land sector (AFOLU) plans within the initial INDCs of the US, EU, and Mexico. The analysis finds a stark contrast between developed and developing nations: while the US and EU provide reasonable accounting standards, they lack specific action plans to realize their substantial mitigation potentials. In contrast, Mexico provides a highly transparent and ambitious plan, including a goal of zero deforestation by 2030 and a target for emissions to peak and decline by 2026. The report emphasizes that the land sector is critical for closing the global emissions gap, but current INDCs from developed nations are insufficient in detail to determine if their ambitions match their capacities.

Carbon Market Watch asserts that the EU's plan to link the EU ETS with the Swiss carbon market necessitates an increase in the EU's domestic reduction target beyond 40%, as the current target is intended to be achieved without international credits. The organization warns that a surplus of emission allowances, estimated to reach 2.6 GtCO2 by 2020, could dilute the 2030 target by 7%. Additionally, the document highlights risks from accounting tricks involving Member State surpluses and artificial gains in forest management, which could further weaken the target by 5% each.

The author critiques the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) for focusing on income poverty and development aid rather than structural inequality and the link between social and environmental dimensions. While noting progress in poverty reduction and water access, the text highlights that global inequality is rising and environmental degradation is accelerating due to the consumption patterns of an expanding global middle class. The author asserts that industrialised countries, particularly the European Union, must assume global responsibility by meeting the 0.7% GNI official development assistance target and drastically reducing their per capita CO2 emissions to allow the Global South scope for sustainable development.

The IISD Arctic Initiative focuses on bottom-up transformations to sustainability in the Arctic, addressing climate change adaptation, extractive industries, infrastructure, and transformative knowledge. It emphasizes the region's rapid warming—twice the global average—and the resulting pressures on ecosystems and food security, alongside increasing interest from global actors in shipping and resource extraction.

A coalition of international environmental organizations is calling on Norway to halt plans to dump 330 million tons of toxic mining waste into Førdefjord and Repparfjord. The group argues that such actions threaten marine biodiversity, including IUCN red listed species and Atlantic salmon, and jeopardize the seafood and tourism industries. They highlight that the Norwegian Environment Agency, the Directorate of Fisheries, and the Institute of Marine Research oppose the plans for Førdefjord.

A group of international environmental organizations is calling for an end to the practice of dumping mining waste in Norwegian fjords, specifically citing plans to release 300 million tonnes of waste into Førdefjord and 30 million tonnes into Repparfjord. The statement argues that these actions threaten marine biodiversity, including endangered species and Atlantic salmon, as well as the seafood and tourism industries. The authors highlight that the Norwegian Environment Agency, the Directorate of Fisheries, and the Institute of Marine Research oppose the plans for Førdefjord.

The report details the corporate structures and financial standings of Ecoener and Hidralia Energía, two Spanish companies involved in the Hidro Santa Cruz dam project in Guatemala. Ecoener holds an 85% stake in Hidro Santa Cruz, while Hidralia Energía holds 15%. The document outlines the financial assets and liabilities of both firms as of 2012-2013 and identifies the financial institutions supporting the dam project, including Norfund and CIFI.

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 examines the role of diaspora populations in international development, highlighting that their financial contributions often exceed official development assistance. It analyzes the challenges of integrating diaspora-led initiatives into the formal Norwegian aid system (Norad), the value of 'diasprenuer' (diaspora entrepreneurship), and the importance of recognizing transnational bonds as a resource rather than a barrier to integration.

Return migration to Pakistan is highly diverse, ranging from the lifestyle-driven back-and-forth mobility of naturalized citizens from Europe to the forced return of irregular migrants via deportations and assisted voluntary return programmes. While the country relies heavily on remittances—receiving 18.4 billion USD in financial year 2014—returnees often face a context of instability, poor living conditions, and a lack of trust in state institutions due to corruption and nepotism. The Pakistani government's approach to return migration has primarily focused on short-term laborers from the Middle East and the promotion of formal remittance channels, leaving the needs of other diaspora groups largely unaddressed and the country's broader socioeconomic potential untapped.

The document examines how Islamic charity, specifically zakat, intersects with migrant remittances and organized diaspora development efforts among Pakistani-origin Muslims in Oslo. It argues that these religious motivations create lasting transnational ties across generations but remain largely invisible or misunderstood by mainstream Norwegian society and the Global North's development sector. The authors suggest a need for greater recognition of religious frameworks in development and a critical re-evaluation of who defines 'development' activities.

The policy brief examines how temporal perspectives influence the integration of immigrants in Norway. Based on interviews with 67 individuals from diverse backgrounds, the authors argue that a sense of belonging is not a linear process but is shaped by the age at which a person arrives, how long they have lived in the country, and their current life-cycle phase (such as parenthood or old age). The brief critiques the use of 'generation' labels, suggesting that such categorizations homogenize heterogeneous groups and can hinder the sense of belonging. It concludes that focusing on these temporal and social dimensions, rather than primarily on national origin, is essential for improving integration efforts and social acceptance.