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The report details a virtual workshop held on January 21, 2021, which brought together over 200 participants from more than 60 countries to discuss domestic climate finance tracking. Key discussions centered on integrating climate budget tagging into national planning, the role of taxonomies in mobilizing private capital, and the necessity of credible sectoral roadmaps to align financial flows with the Paris Agreement. The document highlights specific national examples, such as Indonesia's use of budget tagging for Green Sukuk issuance and South Africa's development of a green finance taxonomy.

The annex evaluates the gap between the economic mitigation potential of forests and the quantitative targets set in NDCs for 32 high-potential countries. It identifies a global annual finance need for forest protection and restoration ranging from USD 45 billion to USD 460 billion, while noting that current 'green finance' flows are significantly lower than 'grey finance' flows directed toward sectors like agriculture.

The Green Economy Coalition (GEC) held a five-day global meeting in November 2021 to identify interventions for a green and fair COVID-19 recovery. The event focused on four primary themes: the 'Code Red' status of nature and climate, the role of a new social contract in addressing inequality, the need for a nature-positive economy, and the alignment of recovery packages with the energy transition. Key outcomes include the finalization of a 'Declaration on a Green COVID-19 Recovery' and a strategic decision to prioritize green recovery advocacy leading up to Stockholm+50 in June 2022. The GEC also agreed to restructure its growth around three working groups: policy, funding, and communications.

The Cango Caves installed a decentralized wastewater treatment system for R2.5 million to replace an inefficient reed bed facility. The system treats and reuses approximately 70% of effluent for flushing and irrigation, resulting in a 60% reduction in potable water demand (over 3.6 million litres per annum) and R163,200 in municipal water savings during its first year of operation (September 2019 – September 2020).

The Clothing Bank, established in 2010 in Cape Town, addresses the dual problems of retail waste and poverty by collecting unsold or damaged clothing from corporate retailers and providing it to unemployed single mothers. Through a 24-month training programme, these women are equipped to run sustainable clothing sales businesses. As of May 2021, the initiative has diverted 13.7 million textile items from landfill and supported 229 women in Cape Town alone, who have generated R72.8 million in revenue. The model is largely self-funding, with a self-funding ratio of 89% in the 2019 financial year, and has scaled to five branches across South Africa.

The document outlines a resilience framework—survive, adapt, and thrive—applied to support green businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic. It highlights the role of international collaborations, such as the International Cleantech Network and the EU Delegation, in providing financial and strategic support to green SMMEs. Key outcomes include the retention of 760 jobs and the creation of 41 new jobs through the Green Outcomes Fund, as well as the integration of South African cleantech solutions into the Solar Impulse Foundation's global portfolio.

The document details a refrigeration upgrade at Pick ‘n’ Pay Ceres provided by Energy Partners Refrigeration (EPR) using a CaaS model. By replacing an end-of-life simplex system with an air-cooled, direct expansion multiplex rack configuration using R407F refrigerant and variable speed drives, the store reduced average refrigeration energy consumption by 35% and overall cost per refrigeration-hour by 30%. The CaaS model eliminated upfront costs for the client, with EPR owning and maintaining the system over a 10-15 year term, funded by a portion of the monthly energy savings.

The document outlines the financial landscape for rooftop solar PV in South Africa's commercial and industrial (C&I) sectors. It highlights that while high upfront costs are a perceived barrier, a variety of funding options exist, including traditional commercial bank loans, Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs), and emerging models like Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) and Pay As You Save (PAYS). It also details specific tax incentives and grants available to reduce the cost of solar installations.

Excellent Meat achieved a 30% reduction in water consumption between 2017 and 2020 by implementing smart water flow meters and internal awareness campaigns. These measures, which cost R 360,958, resulted in a total cost saving of R 1,500,312, including water and wastewater costs, yielding an overall benefit of R 1,139,355.

The Century City Urban Square (CCUS), a mixed-use development by Rabie Property Group, utilizes treated effluent (TE) from the Potsdam treatment works for irrigation, cooling tower consumption, and toilet and urinal flushing. This strategy, combined with water-efficient fittings and real-time monitoring, significantly reduces potable water demand and operating costs. In 2017, the CCUS consumed 0.18kl of potable water per annum per m2 of Gross Build Area (GBA), compared to 1.09kl per annum per m2 in a comparable development without these resilience measures. The use of TE offsets approximately 44,000 kl of potable water annually, resulting in R2.3-million in water and sanitation savings based on 2021 tariffs.

The South African small scale embedded generation (SSEG) market, dominated by rooftop solar PV, has grown to over 100,000 systems (over 1GW) as of 2020. However, market growth is hindered by an indistinct regulatory landscape and stakeholder uncertainty regarding licensing and registration. The document outlines a tiered regulatory framework based on capacity: systems under 100kW generally do not require NERSA registration (provided local utility conditions are met), those between 100kW and 1MW require NERSA registration, those between 1MW and 10MW require licensing, and those over 10MW require both licensing and ministerial determination. It emphasizes that all grid-connected generation must be registered with the relevant transmission or distribution grid operator, and for systems between 100kW and 1MW, a connection application to the distributor must precede the NERSA registration application.

The document outlines the regulatory requirements for embedded generation in South Africa, specifically focusing on the transition to a 100 MW license-exempt threshold. It details the two-phase process involving connection approval from a licensed distributor (municipality or Eskom) followed by registration with the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (NERSA).

The City of Cape Town (CCT) is transitioning from landfilling wastewater sludge to anaerobic digestion at bio-solids beneficiation facilities (BBFs) due to national and provincial landfill bans on liquid and organic wastes. The CCT generates approximately 199 dry tonnes of dewatered sludge per day, which it currently spends ~R60 million annually to dispose of or apply to land. The city plans to establish two regional BBFs over the next 15 years to produce A1a class treated digestate cake and recover energy and nutrients. Potential circular economy options include agricultural use, energy recovery (biogas, combustion, pyrolysis), and commercial applications like brick manufacturing. Additionally, the CCT is exploring broader organic waste diversion for garden greens, animal carcasses, and household food waste to meet a 100% organic waste landfill diversion target by 2027.

The document outlines the architecture of smart water systems, presenting case studies from Cape Agulhas, Saldanha Bay, and Bergrivier municipalities to demonstrate benefits such as cost savings and improved billing. It provides a checklist for municipalities to assess their readiness and a cost-benefit analysis comparing ultrasonic smart meters to conventional mechanical meters, while listing funding resources like SIDAFF and the DBSA's Non Revenue Water Programme.

The document outlines the structure of smart water networks and provides evidence from South African municipalities on how sensor-based systems can reduce costs and improve billing. It emphasizes that smart systems must address specific problems and be supported by internal IT capacity to avoid magnifying existing inefficiencies.

The document outlines the strategic importance of groundwater in South Africa, detailing the legal requirements under the National Water Act and providing technical recommendations for borehole monitoring to prevent depletion and contamination.

The document provides a guide for businesses in South Africa to evaluate waste-to-energy (WtE) options, categorising technologies into anaerobic digestion, thermal processes, and biofuels. It outlines the regulatory landscape, including the National Environmental Management: Waste Act and NERSA regulations, and highlights upcoming policy shifts such as organic waste landfill bans in the Western Cape. The brief emphasizes a structured project development process—from scoping and pre-feasibility to execution—to ensure financial and technical viability.

The document argues that South Africa's social protection systems are inadequate to ensure a dignified standard of living, a crisis exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. It highlights the gap between the recommendations of the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (UNCESCR) and the government's actual responses, noting that budget cuts and 'fiscal consolidation' threaten the realization of rights to food, housing, and social security.

The report calculates that nature-based infrastructure (NBI) could cover between 9% and 14% of the global infrastructure gap, representing a potential annual investment of approximately USD 489 billion. Through a literature review and SAVi assessments, the document demonstrates that NBI often provides significant cost savings—averaging 50.6% less than grey infrastructure—and generates higher value, returning USD 10 for every dollar invested compared to USD 3.6 for traditional built infrastructure.

The NAP Global Network's 2020-2021 progress report highlights its efforts to accelerate climate adaptation in developing countries, particularly LDCs and SIDS. Key achievements include supporting 20 countries with their first Adaptation Communications (ADCOMs), expanding short-term technical assistance via the Country Support Hub, and advancing thematic work on gender-responsive planning and monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL). The Network's 2025 strategy focuses on transitioning from planning to implementation and enhancing inclusive, locally led adaptation.