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The document examines the historical evolution of poverty definitions and the growing recognition of the link between poverty and environmental degradation. It highlights how climate change, conflict, and the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbate systemic inequalities and push millions into poverty. The author argues that current global systems cannot provide acceptable living standards for all without exceeding planetary boundaries unless the wealthiest 10% of the population reduce their excessive resource consumption. The briefing recommends that governments shift from GDP-focused economic indicators to national wellbeing indices that incorporate the environment and marginalized groups.

The guide outlines a structured process for building a national landscape of climate finance, moving from scoping and definition to data collection and final analysis. It emphasizes the importance of stakeholder engagement, the use of taxonomies to categorize climate-beneficial versus harmful flows, and the application of tools like Sankey diagrams to visualize financial flows from source to end-use. The document draws on Climate Policy Initiative's (CPI) experience in countries such as India, Indonesia, and France to provide practical examples of tracking both public and private climate finance.

The 'Agua Sin Límites' initiative seeks to evolve water management beyond traditional Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM), which the authors argue has failed to produce sustainable results. The initiative focuses on three pillars: analyzing water connections beyond the immediate basin, implementing multi-scale participatory approaches to address inequalities (including gender and poverty), and integrating ecosystem needs early in the planning process. These frameworks are being tested through pilot studies in the Mekong and Magdalena river basins, as well as reflecting on work in California.

The document examines how corruption—including bribery, collusion, nepotism, and favoritism—affects the trade of wild plants and fungi (NTFPs). It identifies key risk points from harvesting and permitting to international export and final product manufacturing. To address these, it recommends improved resource governance, the use of voluntary certification standards like FairWild, and the implementation of traceability technologies such as blockchain.

The report finds that finance for energy access in high-impact countries (HICs) remains critically insufficient. In 2019, tracked electricity finance in HICs fell to USD 32 billion, with residential access funding at less than one-third of the required annual investment. Clean cooking investment has stagnated around USD 130 million annually, far below the USD 4.5 billion needed. While private investment in clean cooking reached a peak of USD 56 million in 2019, multilateral DFI support plummeted. The report emphasizes the need for climate-resilient infrastructure, as seen in Mozambique, and highlights divergent technological paths in Ghana (LPG) and Vietnam (biogas).

The report finds that global investment for energy access is critically insufficient. Finance for electricity in high-impact countries (HICs) fell to USD 32 billion in 2019, while clean cooking commitments stagnated around USD 130 million, far below the USD 4.5 billion annual need. While grid-connected renewables became the top electricity sector in 2019, decentralized solutions remain severely underfunded. The report emphasizes the need for climate-resilient infrastructure, as seen in Mozambique, and explores divergent clean cooking pathways in Ghana (LPG) and Vietnam (biogas).

The document argues that while climate obstruction is well-studied in the Global North, it remains largely unexplored in the Global South. It proposes ten research themes to analyze how developmentalism, political leadership, transnational links, and domestic energy policies contribute to the delay of climate action. The authors highlight the role of 'organized hypocrisy' where sovereignty claims are used to shield unsustainable practices, and note the influence of external donors and the potential for green technology to create new socio-ecological injustices.

The NAP Global Network's 2020-2021 report highlights a shift toward short-term technical assistance via its Country Support Hub and a focus on transitioning from adaptation planning to implementation. Key achievements include supporting 20 countries with their first Adaptation Communications (ADCOMs), facilitating peer learning on gender-responsive action and conflict-sensitive planning, and developing knowledge products on climate and disaster risk finance and insurance (CDRFI). The Network's 2025 strategy emphasizes enhancing monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) systems and elevating underrepresented voices, particularly women, in adaptation decision-making.

The report estimates that achieving universal Tier 1 electricity and Tier 4 clean cooking access in Ghana, Mozambique, and Vietnam will cost between USD 38 billion and 48 billion by 2030. It identifies a significant finance gap, noting that current commitments are far below the required levels, particularly for clean cooking. The analysis highlights that while standalone solar is a primary pathway for electricity in rural areas, mini-grids are hindered by regulatory uncertainty. The report recommends a combination of results-based financing, demand-side subsidies, and the removal of fiscal barriers like VAT on solar equipment to bridge the affordability gap for low-income households.

The report finds that energy finance in high-impact countries (HICs) is critically insufficient to meet SDG7 targets. In 2019, tracked electricity finance in HICs fell to USD 32 billion, with residential access funding at only one-third of the required annual investment. Clean cooking investment has stagnated around USD 130 million annually, far below the USD 4.5 billion needed. While there is a positive shift away from fossil fuel electricity generation and an increase in private finance for clean cooking, significant gaps remain, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa. The report advocates for increased climate resilience in infrastructure, the scaling of decentralized energy solutions, and the integration of clean cooking into national climate policies and NDCs.

Vietnam faces a funding gap to reach universal clean cooking by 2030, with an estimated 5.9 to 13.7 million households likely to remain without access under business-as-usual scenarios. Achieving Tier 4 access (clean fuels like LPG, ethanol, and electric cooking) would require USD 19-22 billion, while universal access to Tier 2/Tier 3 improved cookstoves (ICS) requires USD 183 million. Key barriers include limited private sector finance for ICS enterprises, high distribution costs for last-mile delivery to ethnic minorities, and affordability gaps for approximately 1.3 million households. The document recommends expanding consumer finance, creating a national carbon credit scheme, and providing USD 143 million in private sector finance for ICS.

The report finds that global investment for energy access is critically insufficient. Finance for electricity in HICs fell to USD 32 billion in 2019, with residential access receiving only USD 12.9 billion—less than one-third of the estimated USD 41 billion annual need. Clean cooking investment has stagnated around USD 130 million annually, far below the USD 4.5 billion required. While renewables saw record highs and fossil fuel finance declined in some areas, significant gaps remain, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa. Case studies in Mozambique, Ghana, and Vietnam highlight the need for climate-resilient infrastructure and diversified technological approaches to clean cooking.

The report analyzes the finance gaps for universal electricity and clean cooking access in Ghana, Mozambique, and Vietnam. It finds that achieving universal Tier 1 electricity and Tier 4 clean cooking access across these three countries will cost between USD 38 billion and 48 billion. The study highlights significant affordability gaps for end-users and a lack of private sector finance, particularly for small and medium enterprises. It recommends a blend of grants, concessional debt, equity, and results-based financing (RBF), alongside regulatory reforms and gender-inclusive policies, to unlock private sector capacity and reach the most vulnerable populations.

The report details the critical state of primates in the Greater Mekong, where over half of the 44 species are classified as Endangered or Critically Endangered. It identifies habitat loss and the illegal wildlife trade—driven by biomedical research, traditional medicine, and the pet market—as the primary drivers of decline. The document also highlights the ecological importance of primates in seed dispersal and pollination, the risk of zoonotic disease transmission, and various conservation initiatives led by WWF and other NGOs to protect these species through habitat management, rescue centers, and community engagement.

In 2020, 224 new species were discovered in the Greater Mekong region, including 155 plants, 35 reptiles, 17 amphibians, 16 fishes, and one mammal. The report details specific discoveries across Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, and Viet Nam, emphasizing that high discovery rates underscore the region's status as a biodiversity hotspot. It argues that many of these species are range-restricted and vulnerable to habitat destruction, illegal wildlife trade, and human encroachment, calling for accelerated international cooperation and the use of the IUCN 'One Plan Approach' to link in situ and ex situ conservation.

Freshwater fishes, comprising 51% of all known fish species, are facing an unprecedented extinction crisis due to habitat degradation, pollution, and climate change. Despite their critical role in global food security for hundreds of millions of people and their contribution to multibillion-dollar industries, they remain overlooked by policymakers. The report calls for a strategic global transition to restore freshwater ecosystems through a six-pillared recovery plan.

The report finds that Spanish supermarkets are failing to address the sustainability of their aquaculture supply chains, with none setting targets to eliminate wild fish from feed. It highlights the ecological damage caused by the production of Fish Meal and Fish Oil (FMFO) in regions like Peru and West Africa and criticizes the industry's reliance on certifications as a substitute for genuine sustainability.

The policy brief examines the restart of WTO agriculture negotiations under Chair Gloria Abraham Peralta, identifying seven key negotiating areas and the political obstacles hindering progress. It highlights the impact of COVID-19 on food export restrictions and the ongoing tension between developed and developing nations over farm subsidies and market access. The author suggests a phased approach to negotiations, identifying 'low-hanging fruit' such as humanitarian food aid exemptions and transparency improvements, while proposing compromise frameworks for domestic support and public stockholding to foster more equitable global food markets.

The review examines six key ASEAN guidelines, including those on Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA), crop insurance, responsible investment, public-private partnerships, and gender mainstreaming. It finds that while these guidelines often lack documented evidence of national-level implementation due to ASEAN's non-binding governance and lack of funding, they serve as critical tools for regional consensus and multilateral policy-making, such as submissions to the UNFCCC. The report recommends moving toward more strategic, intersectoral policy-making, improving the accessibility and readability of documents, and pairing guidelines with concrete implementation plans and monitoring frameworks.

The report argues that while social protection is frequently used to respond to sudden-onset disasters, its potential to address slow-onset hazards like sea-level rise is underutilised. It highlights that the gradual nature of these hazards provides a unique window for transformative structural changes to address root causes of vulnerability. The authors identify significant knowledge gaps regarding urban coastal contexts and the adaptive functions of social protection, proposing three research principles: integrating slow-onset risks into social protection, prioritising transformative potential, and adapting mechanisms to specific coastal contexts.