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This briefing by the Climate Bonds Initiative outlines key public sector green bond policy developments from the first half of 2018, focusing on sovereign issuance, national guidelines, financial incentives, and the role of central banks in supporting the energy transition.

This report documents the 'Nutrients and Carbon Reuse Challenge,' an open competition launched by the BONUS RETURN project to identify and support emerging eco-technologies capable of recovering nutrients and carbon in the Baltic Sea Region. The document outlines the competition's criteria, the evaluation process conducted by a panel of experts, and the selection of three winning technologies—Biophree, TerraNovaUltra, and Ravita—to enter a pre-commercialization process.

This briefing by the Climate Bonds Initiative explores the synergies between green bonds and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), arguing that climate mitigation and adaptation are essential for achieving the 2030 Agenda. It identifies six specific SDGs that benefit most directly from green bond investment and emphasizes the need for climate risk disclosure across all thematic bond labels to ensure long-term sustainability.

Paula Caballero, WRI's Climate Director, assesses the UN climate negotiations in Bonn, noting that while progress was made, significant work remains before COP24 in Katowice, Poland. She emphasizes the need for finalized Paris Agreement guidelines, strengthened national commitments by 2020, and increased support for developing countries.

This briefing from the World Resources Institute discusses the necessity of developing a robust 'rulebook' (implementing guidelines) for the Paris Agreement to ensure effective international climate action and to bridge the gap between current Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and the goal of limiting global temperature rise to 2 degrees C.

This briefing by the Center for International Environmental Law describes the 2018 Talanoa Dialogue, a facilitative process designed to raise climate ambition and inform future Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement. The document provides a roadmap for civil society and indigenous peoples to integrate human rights, gender equality, and just transition principles into the dialogue's narrative through a specific, story-based methodology.

This briefing argues that without a carbon intensity limit of 550gCO2/kWh for capacity payments, Europe's coal plants could be 'supercharged,' extending their operational lives and crowding out cleaner energy alternatives. The document outlines existing EU policy gaps that favor coal and details how specific capacity market designs risk subsidizing fossil fuels over modern technologies like batteries and demand-side response.

This research paper by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) examines the role of infrastructure banks in closing the global infrastructure financing gap. It analyzes best practices from various international institutions and provides eight strategic recommendations for countries establishing their own infrastructure banks to mobilize private capital and promote sustainable development.

This briefing by the Climate Bonds Initiative explains the structure and potential of Green Covered Bonds, highlighting their ability to provide low-cost, long-term financing for climate-friendly infrastructure and buildings through a 'Dual Recourse' mechanism.

This briefing by the Climate Bonds Initiative outlines the progress of public policy regarding green bonds in 2016 and projections for 2017. It highlights the emergence of sovereign green bonds, the role of green bonds in financing Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), and various innovative financial tools used by governments to attract private capital for climate infrastructure.

This fact sheet by the Climate Bonds Initiative outlines public sector activities and policy developments in the green bond market during 2016, emphasizing the role of governments in leveraging private capital to meet climate-aligned infrastructure needs.

This briefing paper by the Climate Bonds Initiative explains the structure of covered bonds and argues for their application to low-carbon finance. It highlights how the dual recourse structure of covered bonds—providing claims over both a dedicated asset pool and the issuer—can lower funding costs for banks and increase institutional investment in green infrastructure and energy-efficient buildings.

The 'Green Bonds Highlights 2016' fact sheet by the Climate Bonds Initiative reports that 2016 was a record-breaking year for the green bond market, with annual issuance aligned with international definitions reaching USD 81 billion. The document highlights the market's diversification across countries, issuer types, and sectors, noting the significant rise of China as a leading issuer and the emergence of sovereign green bonds, starting with Poland.

Lifting Europe's Dark Cloud is a report published in October 2016 by a coalition of environmental and health organizations. It analyzes the health impacts of air pollution from coal-fired power plants in Europe and evaluates the effectiveness of the EU's Industrial Emissions Directive (IED) and the proposed revised Large Combustion Plants Best Available Techniques Reference Document (LCP BREF). The report argues that current pollution limits are undermined by widespread 'derogations' (exemptions) and that adopting stricter, proven Best Available Techniques (BAT) would significantly reduce premature deaths and healthcare costs across the continent.

This report by Ember analyzes European Union Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) data for 2015, excluding aviation. It details a slight overall decrease in emissions, driven by trends in the power and heat sectors and specific national shifts in fuel use, while noting that 10% of emissions data—primarily from Poland—was unavailable at the time of publication.

This report by Sandbag analyzes how flaws in the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) have created perverse incentives for the European cement sector, leading to over-allocation of free allowances and a failure to incentivize deep decarbonization. The authors argue that the ETS has effectively subsidized the production of high-carbon clinker, resulting in a net import of emissions into the EU.

This final report details the outcomes of the CADWAGO project (October 2012 – March 2016), an international research initiative led by the Stockholm Environment Institute. The project aimed to address global water security and climate change adaptation by promoting systemic transformations in water governance to reconcile food security, renewable energy, and ecosystem services.

The report reviews the European power sector in 2015, noting a record increase in renewables generation that was largely offset by increased electricity demand and a decline in nuclear and hydro output. Consequently, power sector CO2 emissions fell by only an estimated 0.5% in 2015, following a much larger 7.5% drop in 2014. The author maintains a forecast that EU ETS emissions will fall 21% from 2014 to 2020, potentially leading to 30% economy-wide CO2 cuts by 2020.

This directory, compiled by the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) with financial support from Denmark, provides an inventory of assistance and capacity-building programmes available to African states in chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) areas. It details the offers of nearly 50 states, various international and regional organisations, and civil society entities, primarily within the framework of UN Security Council Resolution 1540 and other international non-proliferation treaties.

This briefing by the World Resources Institute outlines six critical areas of climate finance to monitor during the COP 21 negotiations in Paris. It emphasizes the need for developed countries to meet the $100 billion annual funding goal by 2020, the importance of increasing adaptation funding, and the necessity of transparent reporting and a predictable finance cycle to support developing nations.