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The report establishes a risk assessment framework for the commercial real estate sector in South and Southeast Asia, focusing on the financial impacts of energy insecurity, water scarcity, and climate change. It highlights that while these risks are increasing due to infrastructure limitations and physical vulnerability, green building investments can mitigate these risks and achieve net positive returns within three years. The analysis specifically examines commercial office buildings in India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam, with a primary focus on India.

The analysis finds that financial incentives and charging station deployment would yield net-positive benefits in Ho Chi Minh City during early EV adoption, with a benefit-cost ratio between 1.69 and 1.86 over eight years.

The report identifies increased agricultural input prices and higher processing costs as the most financially material impacts of climate change and water scarcity on the food and beverage (F&B) sector in South and Southeast Asia. These risks affect all examined F&B subsectors, including aquaculture, beverages, confectionary, dairy/poultry, edible oils, starches, and sugar. Financial risks are driven by decreased crop and animal yields, operational disruptions to manufacturing plants, and increased costs for water filtration and food safety. Additionally, competition for water resources creates reputational risks for food processors. The analysis specifically targets publicly listed domestic companies in India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam within a sector valued at USD 40 billion.

The report highlights the growing vulnerability of the power sector in South and Southeast Asia to water-related risks, noting that 74 GW of existing and planned capacity for major power companies is located in water-scarce or stressed areas. It argues that while regulatory protections have historically shielded shareholders from the financial impact of water-related outages, these protections may become unsustainable as climate change and demographic pressures intensify water shortages. The document also notes a trade-off between water mitigation and carbon emissions, as technologies like dry cooling reduce water dependency but increase carbon emissions per unit of power output.

An analysis of Hanoi's transport master plan indicates that emissions could have been stabilized at 2005 levels by 2020 through increased public transportation and stricter emission standards. Conversely, the study warns that failing to restrain individual vehicle growth, specifically the shift from two-wheelers to cars, would lead to significant increases in fuel use and severe urban congestion.

The research examines how contractual frameworks for coal-fired power plants in Indonesia, Pakistan, and Vietnam create financial barriers to early retirement, noting that host countries risk onerous fines from arbitration courts if they break contracts to meet climate targets.

The document identifies a significant global trend toward expanding coal-fired power capacity, with 1,199 new plants proposed across 59 countries. China and India are the primary drivers of this expansion, accounting for 76% of proposed new capacities. The analysis also highlights a shift in the global coal trade from Atlantic to Pacific markets, prompting infrastructure expansions in countries like Australia.

The document describes country platforms as a mechanism for governments to coordinate national and international finance, moving away from fragmented, project-based approaches toward structured, country-led plans. It highlights the role of Just Energy Transition Partnerships (JETPs) and emphasizes that success depends on institutional capacity, strategic coordination among various actors, and flexible implementation tailored to the specific country context.

The document examines the vulnerability of coffee cultivation in the Coto Brus region of Costa Rica, where up to 50% of suitable land may be lost by 2050. It identifies a gap between the awareness of sustainable practices and their implementation, particularly among resource-limited smallholders. The report argues that current short-term incremental adjustments are insufficient and advocates for 'transformative adaptation,' which includes diversifying incomes, replanting with resilient varieties, and potentially shifting livelihoods for farmers in areas where coffee is no longer viable.

The paper identifies five primary categories of challenges—definitions, classifications, financial instruments, sources, and institutional arrangements—that hinder Indonesia, the Philippines, and Vietnam from effectively monitoring climate finance. It argues that improving these capacities requires new institutional arrangements, standardized definitions, and international support from developed countries.

The document examines international subnational case studies to guide Vietnamese cities in creating electric mobility roadmaps. It highlights that while Vietnamese cities share contexts with other Asian cities, they are comparable to Californian cities regarding public transit usage. The paper suggests that Vietnam can move beyond narrow e-mobility uptake goals toward broader climate and air quality objectives, noting the unique presence of a local OEM, Vinfast.

The document outlines a four-phase framework for developing an e-mobility roadmap: planning and preparation, visioning, development, and implementation, monitoring, and revision. It emphasizes the importance of stakeholder engagement, prioritizing specific vehicle segments for electrification, and utilizing both monetary and non-monetary incentives to drive adoption. Key global examples include India's investment in battery manufacturing and one-stop shop information portals, Singapore's focus on charging infrastructure in multi-dwelling buildings, and Thailand's comprehensive target-setting for EV stock and production.

The document outlines Vietnam's use of the Power Development Plan (PDP) for 10-year power sector planning and investment. It specifically references the PDPVII (201120, vision to 2030) and the revised RPDPVII (201520, vision to 2030), noting that these plans assess current electricity system conditions, evaluate previous performance against capacity and transmission targets, and forecast electricity demand growth.

The WRI Results Framework establishes a structured system to plan and evaluate programmatic progress across three primary human systems: food, land & water; energy; and cities. It sets specific global targets for 2030 and WRI intervention targets for 2027, focusing on outcomes such as reducing agricultural land demand by 100 Mha, increasing the share of zero-carbon electricity by 9% in target geographies, and improving urban climate resilience. The framework integrates Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and utilizes a tiered approach of global, intervention, and country-specific targets, supported by impact indicators for people, nature, and climate.

This World Resources Institute working paper reports on three workshops held in Asia, Africa, and Latin America to identify challenges developing countries face in monitoring and tracking climate finance. It details nine primary technical, political, and capacity barriers, ranging from inconsistent definitions and lack of institutional coordination to the limited transparency of development partners and the difficulty of tracking private financial data.

The report evaluates corporate environmental and social reporting in India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam, finding that while reporting has improved, it remains largely focused on philanthropy and is often of limited relevance to mainstream investors. It highlights that Indian companies lead in reporting quality, while Vietnamese companies lag, and notes that investors frequently rely on non-public informal channels to obtain sustainability risk data.

The document examines the purpose, elements, and implementation of long-term climate strategies, emphasizing the need to align near-term actions (NDCs) with mid-century goals. It covers the role of modeling, the integration of adaptation and sustainable development, the necessity of climate-aligned finance, and the importance of a 'just transition' for workers in carbon-intensive industries.

The document evaluates the evolution of REDD+ from local projects to jurisdictional approaches, noting that while national initiatives have improved forest monitoring and governance, most have failed to reverse absolute deforestation. It highlights the emergence of subnational jurisdictional strategies as a way to link climate incentives with sustainable supply chains and recommends a rights-based approach that prioritizes indigenous peoples and local communities.

The report argues that traditional 'gray' infrastructure alone is insufficient to meet global development goals and climate adaptation needs. It proposes a 'next generation' approach that combines built solutions with 'green' systems—such as forests, wetlands, and mangroves—to improve water supply, flood management, and hydropower efficiency. The authors provide a framework for evaluating these projects across technical, environmental, social, and economic dimensions, emphasizing that green infrastructure can lower costs, increase resilience, and empower local communities if rigorously designed and supported by enabling policies and innovative financing.

The report argues that combining natural systems—such as forests, wetlands, and mangroves—with built infrastructure can lower costs and increase resilience against climate change. It provides a technical, social, and economic framework for project appraisal and highlights the need for enabling policies and innovative financing to mainstream these 'next generation' infrastructure solutions.