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The briefing argues that the G20 and Rio+20 summits lack concrete deliverables and proposes a 'green growth guarantee' to provide developing countries with indicators, planning support, financial engagement, and peer review. The author highlights the growth of catalyst funds leveraging private investment and the need for a unified approach to sustainable development planning to avoid duplicating efforts across different international frameworks.

The document analyzes the results of the COP17 Durban Platform, highlighting the role of Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) countries in bridging gaps between developed and developing nations. It argues that LAC countries should leverage their 'creative diversity' and track record of voluntary emission reductions to lead a high-ambition coalition with Africa and Asia. Key recommendations include strengthening a political narrative that decouples development from emissions growth, improving communication of domestic low-carbon successes, and scaling up adaptation and resilience planning to protect vulnerable infrastructure and food security.

The author identifies three failures of 'first wave' environmentalism: a failure to establish the relative urgency of environmental crises compared to immediate economic crises, the lack of a convincing narrative on growth in Agenda 21, and the tendency for environmental agendas to be managed by environmental ministers rather than economic development ministers. While the author praises the UN Secretary General's High Level Panel report for addressing these issues through recommendations on fiscal policy and a sustainable economy, he warns that the 'zero draft' of the Rio+20 outcome document remains largely aspirational and risks falling back into the 'environmental trap'.

The author argues that first-wave environmentalism failed because it lacked a convincing narrative on economic growth, failed to establish relative urgency against immediate poverty and debt crises, and remained isolated within environmental ministries. He evaluates the High Level Panel on Global Sustainability's report as a successful attempt to address these gaps through recommendations on green jobs, carbon pricing, and private sector engagement. However, he warns that the 'zero draft' for the Rio+20 outcome document remains largely aspirational and risks falling back into the 'environmental trap'.

The document examines how National Agriculture and Food Security Investment Plans (NAFSIPs) in 14 African countries can be leveraged for climate-smart agriculture. Using a rapid screening methodology, the study finds that approximately 60% of planned activities in these plans address slow-onset climate change, while 18% address extreme events and 19% focus on mitigation. The paper concludes that all reviewed NAFSIPs have potential for both extreme event adaptation and climate mitigation, and recommends further analysis of cost-effectiveness, financing sources, and the integration of innovative climate financing mechanisms to transform these plans into climate-smart interventions.

The paper examines the challenges of scaling up community-based adaptation (CBA), noting that conventional linear communication often fails to engage citizens or account for cognitive biases like 'motivated avoidance' and 'omission bias'. The authors propose experiential learning—defined as knowledge created through the transformation of experience—as a way to help diverse stakeholders navigate complex climate risk management. The document details five case studies of participatory games used to communicate forecasts, manage risk investments, explain index-based micro-insurance, and understand the spread of mosquito-borne diseases. These games are presented as safe spaces for collaboration and 'aha!' moments that reveal the consequences of decisions. The authors conclude that while these tools are powerful, their success depends on skilled facilitators who can manage power dynamics, gender, and hierarchy within communities.

The document highlights the vulnerability of Africa to climate change and the limited adaptive capacity of the region. It specifically introduces the CBAA project, which supports community-led adaptation strategies for people affected by climate impacts in the Munyawiri ward of Goromonzi district, Zimbabwe.

The report assesses climate change adaptation preparedness in southern Africa to support requests for finance and fund administration. Focusing on Zimbabwe, it finds that the country lacks a specific climate change policy, relying instead on fragmented sectoral policies across environment, water, agriculture, and disaster management, highlighting a need for mainstreaming and harmonisation.

Zimbabwe lacks a formal climate change policy, strategy, or national adaptation strategy, relying instead on a fragmented collection of uncoordinated programmes and various pieces of legislation, including the Environment Management Act of 2002, to guide its climate activities.

The report focuses on identifying and detailing the accessibility of climate change datasets within the 10 member countries of the Association of Strengthening Agricultural Research in Eastern and Central Africa (ASARECA). It further evaluates how these nations have incorporated climate change adaptation strategies into their national development plans and examines their respective stances in UNFCCC negotiations, emphasizing the need to provide tools and incentives for the poorest and most vulnerable populations.

The report examines post-disaster reconstruction and rural planning in Europe and Asia, with a specific focus on Punjab, Pakistan. It argues for a shift from reactive, top-down planning to decentralized, 'bottom-up' approaches that integrate Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) and Climate Change Adaptation (CCA). The document identifies key climatic risks for Punjab—primarily flooding and high temperatures—and proposes a suite of adaptive design options and low-carbon technologies to increase the resilience of buildings and infrastructure.

Energy efficiency accounts for 44% of global GHG abatement potential in a 2°C scenario but receives a small share of climate finance, which is largely concentrated in emerging economies like China. The report suggests that multilateral development banks and bilateral financing institutions should scale up funding, particularly in low-income countries via grants and subsidies, to leverage private finance and address market barriers. Additionally, the IEA and OECD advocate for using the Green Climate Fund to establish an innovative financing framework for cost-effective energy efficiency actions in developing countries.

The 2012 Climate and Development Knowledge Brokers workshop brought together 36 participants from 26 initiatives to improve the sharing of climate information, particularly for developing countries. Key outcomes included the update of a 'knowledge map' to identify niche roles, the launch of seven CDKN-funded collaborative projects, and the agreement to maintain an informal 'steady as she goes' growth trajectory via a LinkedIn group. Discussions highlighted a shift in the climate agenda toward 'green growth', the challenges of communicating scientific uncertainty, and the critical need for user-centric design to overcome 'portal proliferation syndrome'.

The document outlines the interaction between climate change, human vulnerability, and disaster risk in Latin America and the Caribbean. It emphasizes that while climate change is altering the frequency and intensity of extreme events, human factors—such as unplanned urbanization and poverty—are primary drivers of increasing disaster impacts. The report advocates for an integrated approach that combines disaster risk management (DRM) with climate change adaptation (CCA) and sustainable development, moving from incremental to transformational changes in governance and infrastructure.

The CDKN Shubh Kal project conducted two training workshops in September and November 2012 at TARA Gram, Orchha, for reporters from four community radio stations: Radio Bundelkhand, Lalit Lokwaani, Chanderi Ki Awaaz, and Radio Dhadhkan. The training combined theoretical lessons on climate science and journalism with practical field visits to villages and research institutions. Participants learned to bridge the gap between scientific experts, policymakers, and rural farmers by producing simplified, engaging radio content on adaptation and climate risks.

The Climate and Development Knowledge Network (CDKN) is a demand-led alliance of NGOs, a think tank, and a private sector firm that provides research, advisory services, and knowledge sharing to help developing countries achieve low-carbon, climate-resilient futures. Operating in over 40 countries across Africa, Asia, and Latin America and the Caribbean, CDKN focuses on four strategic themes: development strategies, access to climate finance, disaster risk management, and support for climate negotiators from vulnerable nations. The network has supported policy changes in 23 countries and manages an annual disbursement of £20 million.

The report highlights that disaster risk in Asia is increasing due to higher exposure and vulnerability, even independent of climate change. It details observed and projected increases in temperature and precipitation extremes across various Asian sub-regions and argues for the integration of disaster risk management (DRM) with climate change adaptation (CCA) and sustainable development to build long-term resilience.

The document translates the global findings of the IPCC SREX report into a regional context for Latin America and the Caribbean, emphasizing that disaster risk is increasing due to rising vulnerability and exposure. It details observed and projected climate extremes—such as increased heatwaves and variable precipitation—and argues for the integration of disaster risk management (DRM) with climate change adaptation (CCA) and sustainable development. The report highlights the importance of both incremental and transformational changes, including the use of risk transfer mechanisms like insurance and the necessity of global greenhouse gas mitigation to avoid the most severe impacts.

The Climate and Development Research Review meta-synthesizes 572 research papers to inform policy-makers on climate compatible development. It identifies four critical themes: decision-making under uncertainty, natural resource management, climate finance, and the low-carbon transition. The review emphasizes that top-down adaptation policies often fail if not grounded in local realities, leading to 'maladaptation'. It highlights the lack of a universal definition for climate finance as a barrier to fund mobilization and argues that one-off technological breakthroughs are insufficient for a systems-level energy transition. Finally, it warns that without ambitious global mitigation, human society may exceed the limits of adaptation, shifting the focus toward managing loss and damage.

The document examines housing vulnerability to typhoons and floods in Vietnam, focusing on the region of Central Vietnam and the city of Da Nang. It identifies a 'two-fold source of vulnerability' where the adoption of modern materials without professional technical guidance has increased risk. Technical weaknesses in semi-permanent housing—such as flat roof angles, lack of ring beams, and inappropriate building shapes—are highlighted as primary failure points. Socio-economic factors, including low income and lack of awareness, prevent the adoption of disaster-resistant measures. While national strategies exist, the paper argues they lack local specificity, and local governance in Da Nang lacks the legal framework to enforce safe construction practices. Economically, the paper notes that while reinforcement costs 15-60% of construction costs, the lack of such measures leads to recurring repair costs that can double the initial construction investment over five years.