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The GCF Secretariat report for the first trimester of 2021 highlights a record funding approval of USD 1.2 billion at a single Board meeting (B.28) and a portfolio implementation rate of 73%. Key priorities include the 'DAE Action Plan' to increase funding for Direct Access Entities, the development of a Private Sector Strategy to catalyze adaptation finance, and the implementation of the 'GCF People Plan' to enhance institutional capacity. The report also details a long-term vision for collaboration with the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and efforts to secure privileges and immunities through a potential relationship with the United Nations.

The guide argues that public understanding of net-zero is currently limited and that governments must adopt evidence-based, tangible, and inclusive communication strategies to mobilize society. It recommends avoiding technical jargon, using positive imagery, and focusing on local realities and immediate actions to build public confidence and support for climate targets.

Between January 2020 and March 3, 2021, G7 nations invested more in fossil fuels (US$189 billion) than in clean energy (US$147 billion), despite pledges to achieve net-zero emissions by mid-century. The report finds that over 80% of fossil fuel funding lacked 'green strings' or climate targets, while only 10% of COVID-19 response funds supported the cleanest energy measures. To align with the Paris Climate Agreement, the report recommends that the G7 end support for fossil fuel production, increase green recovery spending to at least 40% of total COVID-19 recovery funds, and double climate finance pledges to assist low- and middle-income countries.

The report argues that India's post-pandemic recovery should prioritize 'building back better' by investing in natural capital and nature-based solutions (NbS). It examines the role of public and private finance, the need for a green finance taxonomy, and the importance of integrating biodiversity values into agriculture, infrastructure, and sub-national climate action plans. Key focus areas include land restoration targets, the conservation of wetlands within the Central Asian Flyway, and the mitigation of illegal wildlife trade.

The global steel sector, responsible for 11% of CO2 emissions, remains heavily reliant on carbon-intensive blast furnace-basic oxygen furnace (BF-BOF) pathways. While over 75% of global capacity is now covered by net-zero pledges, the report warns of significant stranded asset risks—estimated between 47 and 70 billion USD—due to the continued construction of BF-BOF plants. The analysis emphasizes a transition toward electric arc furnaces (EAF), green hydrogen-based direct reduced iron (DRI), and carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS), while leveraging existing global overcapacity to retire inefficient plants.

Power Forward 4.0 finds that 60% of Fortune 500 companies have set at least one climate or energy target, a 12-percentage-point increase since 2017. While GHG reduction targets are most common (54%) and Science-Based Targets (SBTs) have increased sixfold, only 20% of the Fortune 500 have set or committed to an SBT. The report highlights a rise in net-zero commitments (17%) and 100% renewable energy targets (58 companies), though it notes significant gaps in the financial, fossil fuel, and retail sectors. Despite progress, the report argues that voluntary action is insufficient and calls for federal and state policies, such as carbon pricing, to align the US private sector with the Paris Agreement and the US Nationally Determined Contribution.

The report estimates that 1.2 billion tonnes of food are wasted on farms annually, representing 15.3% of global production. This waste contributes 2.2 gigatonnes of CO2 eq, approximately 4% of all anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions. The analysis reveals that high- and middle-income regions contribute a disproportionate share of harvest waste per capita. The document argues that farm-stage waste is driven not only by direct biological or technical factors but by indirect systemic drivers, including market power imbalances, rigid retail specifications, and the diversion of edible food to animal feed. It calls for a 50% reduction target from 'farm to fork' by 2030 and a shift toward holistic interventions involving governments, retailers, and citizens.

This report analyzes the role of COVID-19 fiscal stimulus packages in South Korea and Indonesia, evaluating how these recovery efforts align with each country's energy transition goals. While South Korea has integrated climate challenges into its recovery via the Green New Deal, Indonesia's National Economic Recovery program focuses primarily on short-term social and economic survival with minimal allocation to the energy transition.

The document highlights the necessity of public-private collaboration to decarbonize heavy industry, which contributes approximately 30% of global CO2 emissions. It identifies the Leadership Group for Industry Transition (LeadIT), launched by Sweden and India, as a key arena for international cooperation toward net-zero emissions by 2050. The brief examines specific policy tools such as green public procurement, carbon contracts for difference, and carbon border adjustments, while referencing implementation experiences in countries including South Korea, Denmark, Sweden, Canada, and the UK.

The statement argues that 100% clean power is a prerequisite for global carbon neutrality by 2050, as established by the IEA. It calls on P4G member countries to leverage recent momentum from the IEA and G7 to transition their power sectors away from fossil fuels, particularly coal, noting that the power sector must reach net zero well before the wider economy to enable the decarbonization of other sectors.

The document identifies three primary narratives in Russia: a dominant 'keep coal' discourse supported by political leadership, an emerging 'low-carbon trend' discourse focused on economic competitiveness, and a 'local environmental' discourse centered on pollution and health. It concludes that while external pressures like the EU's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) and declining demand are increasing, there is currently no active 'coal phase-out' or 'just transition' discourse within Russian national politics.

The Framework for Sustainable Finance Integrity provides a structured approach to evaluate and drive the sustainability commitments of financial actors. It establishes 'Minimum Benchmarks' that all institutions should adopt—such as aligning portfolios with the Paris Agreement and eliminating new coal finance—and 'Leadership Benchmarks' for those seeking to drive transformative change, including science-based five-year emissions targets and comprehensive TCFD alignment. The report emphasizes the need for a 'whole-of-government' approach, the integration of biodiversity and just transition into financial mandates, and the necessity of cross-sector collaboration to avoid siloed efforts that fail to meet global climate goals.

The report examines the impact of COVID-19 on the energy sectors of South Korea and Indonesia and evaluates their fiscal recovery programs. South Korea's Green New Deal (GND) explicitly integrates climate goals with economic recovery, focusing on green infrastructure and low-carbon energy. In contrast, Indonesia's National Economic Recovery (PEN) program primarily targets short-term health and social stability, with only 0.9% of its budget allocated to energy transition. The study identifies structural barriers in both nations—such as South Korea's centralized market and Indonesia's high financing costs—and recommends that future stimulus include specific emission targets and incentives to attract private investment.

Fiji has used its National Adaptation Plan (NAP) process to mainstream Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EbA), positioning it as a strategic priority across five priority sectors. The process involved creating a NAP Framework and a 'NAP catalogue' to coordinate adaptation actions, resulting in 160 priority measures. A key implementation example is the use of vetiver grass for riverbank protection and erosion control, supported by a new nursery in Labasa. Fiji's approach emphasizes the link between healthy ecosystems and socioeconomic development, integrating traditional and scientific knowledge, and aligning with international commitments like the Paris Agreement and the Sendai Framework.

Fiji has integrated Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EbA) as a strategic priority within its National Adaptation Plan (NAP), which was formally communicated to the UNFCCC on December 12, 2018. The NAP identifies 160 adaptation measures across five priority sectors, emphasizing the role of healthy ecosystems as the foundation for economic growth and the protection of vulnerable groups. Practical implementation is exemplified by the use of vetiver grass for riverbank protection and erosion reduction, supported by a nursery opened in July 2020 in Labasa. The process aligns international commitments, including the Paris Agreement, Sustainable Development Goals, and the Sendai Framework, while engaging the private sector and utilizing both traditional and scientific knowledge.

The Climate Action Tracker reports that recent Paris Agreement pledges and targets have reduced the estimated end-of-century warming to 2.4°C, down by 0.2°C. While the 2030 emissions gap for a 1.5°C pathway has narrowed by 11-14%, current policies still project a warming of 2.9°C. The most optimistic scenario, assuming full implementation of net zero targets, suggests warming could be as low as 2.0°C, though this remains above the Paris Agreement limit. The report emphasizes that stronger near-term 2030 targets are more critical for reducing warming than the addition of new net zero targets.

The report finds that the City of London is the world's third largest source of loans for the global coal industry, with top UK banks providing $56 billion to coal companies between October 2018 and October 2020. It highlights a significant gap between the UK's net-zero rhetoric and the actual activities of its financial sector, noting that no UK financial institution has adopted a robust coal exit policy. The document specifically identifies Barclays, HSBC, and Standard Chartered as major providers of coal finance, and Legal & General as the largest UK investor in coal. It contrasts this with the French financial sector, where many institutions have committed to ending support for coal expansion. The report concludes with a set of ten rules for UK financiers to exit coal and calls for an immediate end to the expansion of all fossil fuels, including oil and gas.

The analysis evaluates Estonia's readiness for a hydrogen economy, focusing on the transport and industrial sectors as primary drivers for decarbonization. It models two scenarios (low and high) for hydrogen penetration by 2050, estimating that total investments could reach EUR 22.4 to 44.7 billion. The report highlights that while the transport sector—particularly shipping and rail—and the production of green ammonia and methanol offer the highest potential, significant barriers exist, including a lack of refueling infrastructure, high initial costs, and the need for a national hydrogen strategy. To unlock this potential, the study emphasizes the necessity of increasing renewable electricity capacity, specifically through offshore wind, and providing public investment to kick-start the market.

The We Mean Business coalition highlights the role of corporate advocacy in the US government's decision to increase its 2030 emission reduction target to 50-52% below 2005 levels. The statement emphasizes that over 400 businesses and investors, representing $4 trillion in annual revenue, urged this increase to provide the policy clarity needed for private sector investment in a zero-carbon economy. It further calls for other global economies to align their NDCs with the 1.5ºC trajectory to maintain economic competitiveness.

The authors contend that while corporate pledges to reduce emissions are increasing, the decarbonization of heavy industry—which accounts for approximately 18% of global carbon emissions—requires significant government funding and regulatory support. They highlight the 'Global Framework Principles for Decarbonizing Heavy Industry' as a tool to coordinate these efforts and criticize the gap between the climate rhetoric and actual policy actions of leaders in the US, China, Japan, and India.