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This briefing note by the Forum on Trade, Environment, & the SDGs (TESS) examines the intersection of agricultural trade, climate change, and net-zero pathways, focusing on the implications for developing countries. It analyzes how climate change disrupts production and trade flows, the sector's contribution to global greenhouse gas emissions, and the potential for international trade cooperation to foster climate-resilient food systems.

This report by the Climate Bonds Initiative analyzes post-issuance reporting practices for Green, Social, and Sustainability (GSS) bonds, based on a sample of 75 entities that issued USD 1.4 trillion between 2020 and 2023. While reporting is widespread and generally high quality, the study identifies significant gaps in project-level granularity, impact methodology disclosure, and the quantitative linking of bond-level impacts to entity-level sustainability strategies.

The 2025 Global Forum, hosted by Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL) and the Government of Barbados in Bridgetown, brought together over 1,300 participants to address energy poverty and the energy transition in the Global South and Small Island Developing States (SIDS). The event resulted in the Barbados Declaration, the launch of several Energy Transition and Investment Plans (ETIPs), and the mobilization of over $500 million in new financial commitments for clean energy projects.

This report by Ember analyzes the gap between national renewable energy targets and the global goal to triple renewable capacity by 2030, as agreed upon at COP28. It finds that while market forecasts for solar and battery storage are surging, government targets have remained largely stagnant, collectively aiming only for a doubling of capacity rather than a tripling.

This research paper by the Africa Policy Research Institute examines the intersection of gender inequality and climate change, specifically within the African context. It argues that existing societal disparities magnify women's vulnerability to climate risks and that transformative climate action requires gender-responsive strategies, financial inclusion, and the integration of gender equity into international negotiations like COP29.

This report by Ember evaluates the feasibility of three clean flexibility proposals put forward by the COP29 Presidency in Azerbaijan: achieving 1,500 GW of global energy storage by 2030, expanding grid infrastructure by 25 million kilometres by 2030, and unlocking a global clean hydrogen market. The analysis concludes that while the storage goal is highly achievable due to surging battery manufacturing capacity and falling prices, the grid expansion goal requires a significant increase in build rates and faces substantial regulatory and supply chain hurdles. The report also notes that the deployment of hydrogen electrolysers remains highly uncertain despite large-scale announced projects.

A briefing by the South African Institute of International Affairs outlining the expected agenda for the 2024 BRICS Summit in Kazan, Russia, focusing on post-expansion integration, trade in local currencies, global governance coordination, and climate transition strategies.

The report by RMI and the Green Hydrogen Catapult proposes the creation of 'green iron corridors' to decarbonize the steel sector. This strategy involves splitting production: ironmaking occurs in regions with abundant iron ore and renewable energy, while steelmaking remains in manufacturing hubs. This approach aims to reduce emissions and costs by leveraging renewable hydrogen-based ironmaking.

This report outlines strategies for scaling investment in Nature-based Solutions (NbS) through blended finance, highlighting the critical role of the public sector in providing technical assistance and concessional capital. It identifies guarantees as highly catalytic tools for de-risking private investment and emphasizes the need for ecosystem building and the creation of new revenue streams via beneficiary engagement and regulated markets (e.g., carbon and blue markets) to prove commercial viability.

This research paper by Global Energy Monitor analyzes the market dominance of the top three gas turbine manufacturers—GE Vernova, Siemens Energy, and Mitsubishi Power—and the financial and geopolitical risks they face as the energy transition accelerates. The report highlights the industry's reliance on 'hydrogen-ready' technology and long-term service contracts as precarious strategies in the face of rising renewable energy capacity and potential gas power overcapacity.

This briefing by Zero Carbon Analytics examines debt-for-nature swaps as a tool to address the intersecting crises of public debt, climate change, and biodiversity loss, with a specific focus on Latin America and the Caribbean. It argues that while these swaps are gaining popularity, they are not a 'silver bullet' due to their limited scale, reliance on local currency, and potential risks to national sovereignty and Indigenous land rights.

This briefing by Zero Carbon Analytics examines the causal link between fossil fuel emissions and the increasing frequency and intensity of extreme weather events. It details the role of 'Carbon Majors' in global emissions, the financial disparity between industry profits and climate damages, and the growing use of litigation to hold these companies accountable. The document argues that a managed phase-out of fossil fuels, through both supply and demand reductions, is essential to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius.

This briefing by Zero Carbon Analytics provides an overview of the global petrochemical industry, highlighting its growing contribution to oil and gas demand and greenhouse gas emissions. It details the specific impacts of nitrogen fertilisers and plastics, the rapid expansion of production capacity—particularly in China—and the limitations of current recycling and substitution strategies in mitigating climate and health risks.

In 2023, the share of renewables in the global electricity mix exceeded 30% for the first time, driven by record growth in wind and solar. However, a record fall in hydropower generation and rising electricity demand led to a marginal increase in fossil fuel generation, resulting in global power sector emissions reaching a new record high of 14,153 million tonnes of CO2.

This report by the Climate Policy Initiative (CPI) maps the landscape of cross-border guarantees used to mobilize private capital for climate finance in emerging markets and developing economies (EMDEs). Through a scoping analysis of 52 guarantee instruments from 34 entities, the report identifies a fragmented landscape dominated by debt-focused, climate-agnostic products that primarily cover commercial risks. It highlights significant gaps in coverage for low-income countries, equity investments, and political and currency risks, while providing recommendations for future research to scale these tools to meet the estimated USD 2.4 trillion annual need for green transitions in EMDEs.

The Climate Bonds Resilience Taxonomy (CBRT) Methodology provides a science-based classification system and interim screening criteria to identify and scale investments that contribute to climate adaptation and resilience. It establishes a framework to distinguish between different types of resilience investments and ensures they provide a measurable reduction in vulnerability without causing maladaptation or significant harm to other sustainability goals.

This report, published by the Stockholm Environment Institute, provides recommendations for the operationalization of the Loss and Damage (L&D) Fund established at COP27. Based on focus groups with stakeholders from the Global South, the document outlines strategies to ensure the fund is inclusive, accessible to local actors, and capable of addressing both economic and non-economic losses while upholding human rights and climate justice.

This executive summary, published by the Stockholm Environment Institute, provides recommendations for operationalizing the Loss and Damage Fund established at COP27. Based on workshops with stakeholders from the Global South, the document advocates for participatory governance, direct access for local communities, and a comprehensive approach to reparations that includes non-economic losses and human rights.

This executive summary, published by the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) in 2024, provides recommendations for the operationalization of the Loss and Damage Fund established at COP27. Based on consultations with stakeholders from the Global South, the document advocates for a participatory governance structure, direct access for local communities, and a comprehensive funding approach that addresses both economic and non-economic losses while prioritizing human rights and dignity.

This briefing note by the Institute for Security Studies examines the outlook for natural gas in Africa up to 2043, highlighting the tension between significant proven reserves and a global market facing slowing demand and potential supply gluts.