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This report examines the necessity of gender-disaggregated data for air pollution policies in the ASEAN region, highlighting how social and power inequalities create differentiated exposures and health impacts. Through case studies in Viet Nam, Thailand, and Cambodia, it demonstrates that current research and policy often rely on stereotypes or lack the granularity to protect the most vulnerable. The authors recommend that national statistical offices and policymakers adopt an intersectional lens to ensure that air pollution mitigation is equitable and inclusive.

This guide provides strategies for Project Preparation Facilities (PPFs) to help small and intermediary cities—defined as those with 10,000 to 200,000 residents—access climate finance. It addresses critical barriers such as limited municipal capacity, small project sizes that deter investors, and poor creditworthiness, which prevents borrowing on commercial terms. The document recommends tailored PPF interventions, including specific calls for proposals, project aggregation models, blended finance, and community-based funding instruments to unlock investment for low-carbon and resilient infrastructure.

This policy brief by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) examines how voluntary sustainability standards (VSSs) can help reduce poverty among smallholder farmers. Based on a study of 13 major standard initiatives and 12 meta-studies, the document analyzes VSSs across three dimensions of poverty: access to resources, opportunities and choice, and power and voice. While VSSs can provide benefits such as better crop prices and improved natural resource management, the brief concludes that their overall impact on poverty reduction is inconclusive and context-specific, requiring significant external support from governments and the private sector to be effective.

This policy brief, published by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) in March 2023, examines the role of Voluntary Sustainability Standards (VSS) in reducing poverty among smallholder farmers. Based on a 2021 study of 13 major agricultural standards, 12 meta-studies, and 57 interviews across six countries, the document argues that while VSS can support poverty reduction through improved crop prices and resource conservation, they are not a standalone solution and require supportive ecosystems, government intervention, and improved governance to be truly effective.

This policy brief, published by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) in March 2023, examines whether voluntary sustainability standards (VSS) can help reduce poverty among smallholder farmers. Based on a 2021 study that analyzed 13 VSS initiatives, 12 meta-studies, and 57 interviews across six countries, the document argues that VSS can be a tool for poverty reduction when integrated into broader strategies. It identifies key barriers to access for smallholders and provides recommendations for VSS designers and policymakers to enhance the socio-economic and environmental benefits of these standards.

The Mekong Thought Leadership and Think Tanks Network is a 3-year program supported by the Australian Government's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT). Led by the Stockholm Environment Institute - Asia Centre, the program aims to develop evidence-based solutions for water, energy, and development challenges in the Mekong Region to improve policy and practice for vulnerable and marginalized communities.

This briefing note by the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) and the Global Initiative for Economic, Social & Cultural Rights (GIESCR) reviews the 2023 activities of the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR) regarding climate change. It details the Committee's focus on mitigation policies, adaptation strategies, and the transition away from fossil fuels across various State parties' Concluding Observations (COBs) and Lists of Issues (LOIs).

This document provides the technical annexes for the 2023 Forest Declaration Assessment, detailing the definitions, regional aggregations, and methodologies used to track forest loss, degradation, restoration, and biodiversity. It includes a specific data table comparing 2022 deforestation levels against a 2018-2020 baseline for 30 high-impact countries.

This report analyzes whether 67 countries integrated climate adaptation and resilience into their COVID-19 recovery measures between January 2020 and December 2021. The analysis reveals a paradox where a country's income level was a more significant determinant of climate-responsive recovery than its actual vulnerability to climate risks.

The Resilience Evidence Forum 2023 Synthesis Report documents a global gathering of over 1,200 participants aimed at taking stock of evidence on building resilience across people, communities, urban systems, socio-ecological systems, and market systems. The report emphasizes the need for 'locally led adaptation,' the integration of mixed-methods evidence (combining quantitative data with lived experience), and the bridging of funding gaps for climate resilience, noting that less than $50 billion is spent annually against needs of $160 billion to $340 billion.

This policy brief examines ESG implementation in Chinese-led infrastructure projects in Africa and Southeast Asia. It identifies key challenges including lack of transparency in loan contracts, weak domestic regulatory environments in recipient countries, and inadequate planning for long-term local capacity and land acquisition. The document recommends that the AU and ASEAN create joint platforms for ESG standards, that recipient governments increase transparency through the publication of loan contracts, and that local capacity building be prioritized to ensure project sustainability.

H2 Energy Sdn Bhd installed a 2.88 kWp solar-powered hydrogen system at the Long Loyang Clinic in Sarawak, Malaysia, on 8 August 2022. The system provides 24/7 power for essential medical services, replacing an unreliable diesel supply, and is estimated to avoid 6 tonnes of CO2 annually. H2 Energy is now scaling this technology for other rural clinics and settlements in Malaysia, as well as projects in Australia and Cambodia.

The October 2022 Theme 1 report by the Forest Declaration Assessment evaluates global progress toward two primary 2030 goals: ending the loss and degradation of natural forests and restoring 350 million hectares of degraded landscapes and forestlands. The report concludes that no global indicator is currently on track to meet these targets, though it identifies regional variations and specific country successes.

This research paper describes a review of 24 financing strategies for adaptation in developing countries, conducted as part of a four-year project to scale up development finance. The authors analyze the diversity of these strategies—ranging from high-level support documents to detailed costing frameworks—and provide emerging insights and established good practices to help governments better secure and manage funding for climate adaptation.

This report by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) analyzes 24 financing strategies for climate adaptation in developing countries, categorized into discrete adaptation strategies and general climate action strategies. It evaluates how these documents are developed, the role of multilateral development banks (MDBs), and their effectiveness in mobilizing finance. The report identifies a need for better integration between ministries of finance and climate leads, more strategic use of public grants to leverage private investment, and improved country-level tracking of climate finance flows.

This policy brief examines the challenges and opportunities for securing sustainable finance to support Africa's regional infrastructure agenda, specifically within the framework of the Programme for Infrastructure Development in Africa (PIDA) and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). It highlights the gap between Africa's high climate vulnerability and its low access to sustainable finance, proposing lessons from the ASEAN region to improve project bankability and regulatory harmonisation.

The report 'BOOM AND BUST 2022' by Global Energy Monitor and partners analyzes the global state of coal-fired power plants as of April 2022. It highlights a stark divergence: while many OECD and non-OECD countries are committing to end new coal construction and accelerate closures to meet Paris Agreement goals, China continues to expand its coal capacity significantly, offsetting global reductions.

This policy brief examines the global challenge of providing universal access to safe drinking water and sanitation, tracing the history of international efforts from the 1972 Stockholm Conference to the current Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It highlights the gap between political targets and actual infrastructure needs, the disproportionate impact of water risk on poor and marginalized populations, and the critical intersection between water security, environmental health, and climate change.

This briefing by the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) and the Global Initiative for Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (GI-ESCR) synthesizes the activities of the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR) regarding climate change during 2020 and 2021. It details the Committee's use of the State reporting procedure to address mitigation, adaptation, extractive activities, and climate finance, while also reviewing the Committee's General Comments on science and land rights.

This briefing by Global Energy Monitor analyzes the impact of China's pledge to stop building new coal-fired power projects abroad on the Asian energy pipeline. It argues that Chinese withdrawal, combined with similar pledges from Japan and South Korea, could reduce the pre-construction coal pipeline in Asia (excluding China and India) to 22 GW, most of which is unlikely to be completed due to financing obstacles.