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The Climate and Development Knowledge Network (CDKN) is implementing a five-year programme (2022–27) focused on accelerating locally-led, equitable, and ecosystem-based climate action. The initiative targets disadvantaged groups, including women, Indigenous Peoples, and migrants, across Africa, South Asia, and Latin America. CDKN's strategy centers on three priority areas: integrating gender equality and social inclusion into climate policies, enabling inclusive finance for local action, and implementing effective ecosystem-based adaptation. The approach emphasizes 'knowledge-into-action' by combining local, Indigenous, and scientific knowledge to strengthen Southern leadership and institutional capacity.

The COP27 Resilience Hub served as a physical and virtual space to accelerate ambition and investment in climate resilience, representing over 1,500 non-state actors. The report identifies five cross-cutting messages, emphasizing that scaling adaptation is a prerequisite for containing Loss and Damage and that locally-led adaptation (LLA) requires radical collaboration. The document details thematic analysis across nine areas—including finance, food, water, and health—and highlights the role of Regional Resilience Hubs in amplifying under-represented voices from Africa, South Asia, Asia Pacific, and Latin America and the Caribbean.

The methodology identifies four risk profiles based on income and electricity access: rural poor, urban poor, lower-middle income, and middle-income. It utilizes three forecasting scenarios—Current trends, SDG7.1 (universal electricity access), and a combined SDG7.1 and SDG1.1 (universal electricity and extreme poverty reduction to 3% or less)—to analyze vulnerability to heat. The analysis covers 54 high-impact countries and 22 additional countries with extreme heat hazards, incorporating data on population growth, urbanization, and informal settlements.

The report highlights the escalating risks of extreme heat on human health and productivity, noting that 356,000 people died from extreme heat in 2019. It argues that while cooling demand is expected to soar—with space-cooling units potentially reaching 2.5 billion by 2030—this must be managed through sustainable solutions to avoid tripling global electricity demand by 2050. The text advocates for a mix of passive cooling, nature-based solutions, and energy-efficient active cooling, supported by policies like Minimum Energy Performance Standards (MEPS) and the appointment of Chief Heat Officers in cities such as Athens and Miami Dade County.

The document argues that digital communication often amplifies existing offline injustices and creates new ones through digital divides, surveillance, and the weaponization of information. It advocates for a transformative movement based on communication rights, inclusive design, and the protection of privacy to ensure digital spaces serve human dignity rather than corporate profit or state control.

The document argues that digital justice is an extension of social and ecological justice, requiring a multi-dimensional approach to address the digital divide, surveillance, and the weaponization of information. It emphasizes that communication is a fundamental human right and calls for a faith-inspired movement to resist the concentration of power in tech monopolies and state surveillance. The guide highlights specific vulnerabilities of women, ethnic minorities, and disabled persons, while linking digital consumption to environmental degradation through electronic waste and energy use.

The Global Resilience Partnership (GRP) reports on its 2021 activities, highlighting the launch of the Innovating for Climate Resilience Fund, the establishment of the Resilience Hub at COP26, and the creation of South to South Resilience Academies. The partnership focused on scaling coastal resilience through the Ocean Risk and Resilience Action Alliance (ORRAA), supporting innovative finance in fragile regions like Sudan and Uganda, and promoting locally-led adaptation through catalytic grants and the Resilience Knowledge Coalition.

The Global Landscape of Climate Finance 2021 reports that annual climate finance reached USD 632 billion in 2019/2020, though growth has slowed. The report highlights a massive investment gap, noting that an increase of at least 590% is needed to meet 2030 climate objectives. Mitigation remains the dominant focus, particularly in renewable energy and low-carbon transport, while adaptation finance continues to lag, relying almost entirely on public sources. Geographically, investments are heavily concentrated in East Asia & Pacific, Western Europe, and North America, with China accounting for an estimated 81% of investments in its region.

The Supreme Court of Nepal ordered the government to enact a new climate change law after finding that the Environmental Protection Act of 1997 was inadequate for mitigation and adaptation. The court ruled that inaction violated constitutional rights to a dignified life and a healthy environment, as well as international commitments under the UNFCCC and the Paris Agreement. Following the decision, Nepal passed the Environment Protection Act of 2019 and the Forests Act of 2019.

The document examines the failure of grant-based 'design, procure, install' models for electrifying public institutions, which often lead to premature system failure due to neglected operation and maintenance (O&M). It proposes a service-based model where private providers install and maintain systems over 10-15 years, with governments paying for performance verified by third parties. The brief identifies key barriers—including public sector affordability, private sector capital risks, and grid arrival—and presents case studies from Benin, Kenya, Niger, and Nigeria to demonstrate the model's potential.

The report advocates for a shift in urban development metrics toward the quality, reliability, and affordability of essential services to address the needs of over 1.2 billion under-served city dwellers. It identifies seven necessary transformations across infrastructure, service provision, data, employment, finance, land management, and governance to create more equitable and sustainable cities.

The South Asia Regional Resilience Dialogue emphasizes the need to reposition local actors, particularly women and youth, as agents of change rather than victims. It identifies systemic barriers such as top-down interventions, limited recognition of women's efforts, and inflexible financial architectures. The document advocates for decentralized finance delivery, the co-creation of knowledge, and the mobilization of diverse funding sources, including private sector investment and microfinance, to ensure climate resources reach the most vulnerable populations.

The document analyzes coal finance in 18 high-impact countries (HICs) with significant electricity access gaps. It finds that while global coal investment is declining, finance persists in HICs, largely driven by Chinese state-owned institutions and a few South Asian nations. The report argues that coal is misaligned with Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG7) due to long development timelines and high infrastructure costs, contrasting this with the efficiency of distributed renewable energy. It highlights the risk of stranded assets in Bangladesh and Pakistan and the operational hurdles facing coal in Africa, concluding that a shift toward renewables and finance-based carbon accounting is necessary to achieve net-zero goals.

The document analyzes coal finance in 18 high-impact countries (HICs) in South Asia and Africa, highlighting that while global trends shift toward renewables, significant coal investment persists, largely driven by Chinese state-owned institutions. It argues that coal is an inefficient path to universal electricity access compared to distributed renewables and warns of stranded asset risks, citing overcapacity in Bangladesh and Pakistan.

The Powering Healthcare Solutions Catalogue provides a directory of companies offering off-grid energy systems and medical appliances for low-income regions. It highlights a variety of technical solutions, including plug-and-play systems, containerized microgrids, and solar-powered medical equipment, aimed at improving healthcare delivery in areas with unreliable electricity, such as Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.

The 2021 State of Cities Climate Finance report finds that annual urban climate finance averaged USD 384 billion in 2017/2018, which is significantly lower than the estimated annual need of USD 4.5 to 5.4 trillion. Investment is heavily concentrated in OECD countries and China, with critically low levels in South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa. The report emphasizes that while cities act as providers of infrastructure and stewards of regulation, their ability to mobilize finance depends on national-level governance, city-level capacity, and the alignment of climate-specific financial instruments. It recommends strengthening municipal finance fundamentals, integrating carbon pricing into capital planning, and utilizing catalytic funding to de-risk private investment in developing economies.

The 2021 State of Cities Climate Finance report finds that annual urban climate finance averaged USD 384 billion in 2017/2018, which is significantly lower than the estimated annual need of USD 4.5 to 5.4 trillion. Investment is heavily concentrated in OECD countries and China, leaving developing regions like Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia severely underfunded. The report emphasizes a critical gap in adaptation and resilience finance, which accounts for less than 10% of urban climate finance. To bridge this gap, the report recommends strengthening municipal finance capacities, aligning city and national climate policies, and utilizing innovative financial instruments like blended finance and green procurement.

The 2021 report on the state of urban climate finance reveals a significant gap between current investments and the trillions of dollars needed for urban climate action. While global urban climate funding averaged 384 billion USD per year in 2017/2018, these flows are heavily concentrated in OECD countries and China, leaving rapidly urbanizing areas in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia severely underfunded. The report emphasizes that mitigation efforts, particularly in transport and buildings, dominate current spending, while adaptation and resilience receive less than 10% of funding. To bridge this gap, the document outlines 'enabling conditions' across national, city, and climate-specific levels, urging a systemic approach to align planning, budgeting, and policy to attract both public and private investment.

The report finds that while urban climate finance averaged 384 billion USD annually in 2017/18, this is far below the estimated annual need of 4.5 to 5.4 trillion USD. Funding is heavily concentrated in OECD countries and China, with severe deficits in developing regions like Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, and a critical lack of investment in adaptation and resilience, which accounts for less than 10% of tracked project data. The document argues that cities must act as both 'providers' of green infrastructure and 'guardians' of regulatory standards to attract private and public capital, requiring stronger alignment between municipal and national climate policies.

The 2021 report on the state of cities climate finance reveals a significant gap between current investment levels and the trillions of dollars needed for urban climate action. While global urban climate finance averaged 384 billion USD annually in 2017/2018, funding is heavily concentrated in OECD countries and China, leaving developing regions like Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia severely underfunded. The report emphasizes a critical shortage in adaptation and resilience funding, which accounts for less than 10% of urban climate finance. It argues that mobilizing further investment requires 'enabling conditions' across national, city, and climate-specific levels, urging governments and international financial institutions to provide predictable funding and technical support to help cities transition to sustainable development paths.