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The document argues that because climate change impacts and adaptation responses are not contained within political borders, the National Adaptation Planning (NAP) process should be leveraged to encourage transboundary coordination and collaboration to manage shared risks and opportunities.

The assessment of nature-based infrastructure in the Peruvian Andes indicates that land restoration provides systemic benefits including job creation, increased carbon storage, and improved climate adaptation by reducing landslide risks and enhancing water availability. The study utilizes the Sustainable Asset Valuation (SAVi) method to move beyond conventional cost-benefit analysis, highlighting that the most significant impacts are found in livelihood protection and agricultural resilience. Additionally, the document notes that restoration can foster gender equality by involving women and create economic opportunities through agroforestry and non-timber forest products.

The report examines the role of voluntary sustainability standards (VSSs) in South-South trade, noting that trade between developing countries grew from USD 600 billion in 1995 to USD 5.3 trillion in 2021. It highlights five examples of VSS integration in the Global South, including organic certification agreements between Chile and Brazil and regional standards in East Africa and the Pacific. The report concludes that integrating VSSs into trade policy can lower compliance costs, reduce trade barriers for smallholders and SMEs, and increase demand for sustainable products.

The report examines the sugar cane sector, noting that while it supports over 100 million people globally, many smallholder farmers in developing countries remain in poverty due to low farm gate prices and high production costs. It evaluates the role of Voluntary Sustainability Standards (VSSs) like Bonsucro and Fairtrade, noting that while approximately 8% of global production is VSS-compliant, the impact on farmer income is limited by a lack of demand for sustainable cane sugar. The document highlights that farmers face climate-related crop losses, biodiversity loss, and water depletion, alongside economic pressures from the COVID-19 pandemic and rising fertilizer costs.

The document argues that CCS costs remain persistently high due to design complexity and a high need for customization, which prevents the technology from achieving the experience rates and economies of scale seen in renewable energy. In Canada, actual project costs often exceed modelled estimates, and the technology's viability in the oil and gas sector relies heavily on ongoing government subsidies. While CCS may be useful for hard-to-decarbonize industries like cement, the brief suggests it is an inefficient use of public funds for the oil and gas sector compared to alternatives like methane reduction and electrification.

The document analyzes the persistent high costs of carbon capture and storage (CCS), particularly within the Canadian oil and gas sector. It argues that high design complexity and the need for customization prevent the cost reductions seen in renewable technologies like solar and wind. While CCS may be vital for hard-to-abate sectors like cement, the brief concludes that public investment in CCS for oil and gas is risky and inefficient.

The report analyzes 67 of the 129 measures in Canada's Emissions Reduction Plan (ERP), finding that while 44% may reduce poverty, 19% could increase inequality. It highlights that CAD 10 billion in funding is tied to measures that may exacerbate inequality without social safeguards. The analysis suggests that sector-specific risks—such as 'renovictions' from building retrofits or the regressive nature of ZEV subsidies—require complementary policies like public transit expansion and national energy poverty strategies to ensure an equitable transition.

The report defines relinquishment as the legal transfer of responsibility for a closed mine site from the operator to the next landowner after closure commitments are fulfilled. It identifies a global gap in clear relinquishment policies, noting that many jurisdictions either lack such frameworks or have processes that are difficult to achieve due to government risk aversion. The document highlights successful models in Saskatchewan, Queensland, and Chile, and proposes a six-step policy framework: requiring comprehensive closure plans, conducting independent inspections, establishing residual risk management plans, creating funding mechanisms, executing legal transfers, and implementing long-term monitoring.

The report defines restitution as the legal transfer of responsibility for a mine site from the operator to a new owner after closure activities are completed and approved. It argues that current global practices are often insufficient, leading to indefinitely managed sites or abandoned mines. The document outlines six recommended steps for governments: requiring comprehensive closure plans, conducting independent inspections, establishing residual risk management plans, creating funding mechanisms, executing legal transfers, and implementing long-term monitoring. It highlights successful models in Saskatchewan, Queensland, and Chile, while noting that risk aversion and lack of clear legal frameworks often hinder restitution in developed mining jurisdictions.

The document defines mine relinquishment as the legal transfer of responsibility for a closed mine site once closure obligations are met. It argues that a lack of clear relinquishment policies leads to sites remaining indefinitely with operators or being abandoned. The report analyzes practices across 40+ jurisdictions, highlighting successful models in Saskatchewan, Queensland, and Chile. It proposes a six-step process: requiring comprehensive closure plans, conducting independent inspections, planning for residual risk management, establishing funding mechanisms, executing legal transfers, and implementing long-term monitoring.

The report examines the global sugar cane sector, highlighting the role of voluntary sustainability standards (VSSs) in promoting resilience and sustainability. It analyzes how climate change, geopolitical conflicts, and government interventions distort market prices and affect the livelihoods of millions of smallholders. The document provides a detailed look at the value chain, where refiners and traders capture the most value, and suggests pathways for improving farmer incomes through diversification, better policy frameworks, and the expansion of sustainable sourcing.

The report analyzes India's vulnerability in the lithium supply chain, characterized by high import dependence and geographical concentration of production and processing in China. It forecasts a significant surge in lithium demand between 2022 and 2030, driven primarily by electric vehicles and grid storage. To mitigate risks, the report recommends a multi-pronged strategy: streamlining domestic exploration in states like Jammu and Kashmir, forming strategic partnerships with mineral-rich nations such as Australia and Argentina, leveraging state-owned enterprises like KABIL to support private sector offtake, and incentivizing the development of domestic lithium refineries and recycling infrastructure.

The report examines India's strategic position in the electric vehicle (EV) battery supply chain, identifying opportunities in mineral processing and cell manufacturing. It analyzes key investment drivers—such as guaranteed demand, infrastructure, and policy incentives—and evaluates India's comparative advantages, including low labor costs and a strong chemical sector, against challenges like critical mineral dependency and the need for more upfront capital subsidies to attract multinational firms.

The report examines how voluntary sustainability standards (VSSs) can be integrated into trade policies to foster sustainable South-South trade. It identifies key barriers, such as high compliance costs and lack of demand, and provides case studies from Africa, Asia, and Latin America to demonstrate successful integration strategies, including mutual recognition agreements and participatory guarantee systems.

The document emphasizes that financing strategies for adaptation should not exist in isolation but should be aligned with other national financing strategies to ensure a coordinated approach to public and private finance. Such alignment facilitates better prioritization, consistent messaging to international partners, and the integration of climate risks into all national investments and public budgeting.

The document argues that while harmonizing all border carbon adjustments (BCAs) is impossible due to diverse national carbon pricing methods, international cooperation is essential to manage the proliferation of these instruments. It highlights that a diversity of BCAs increases uncertainty and administrative burdens for traders in sectors like steel, aluminum, cement, and fertilizers, which are critical for the export revenues of many developing countries. The brief suggests that strategic international discussion is a necessary alternative to trade disputes within the World Trade Organization's dispute settlement system.

The document examines the challenges of implementing border carbon adjustments (BCAs), focusing on the need for international cooperation to standardize embedded emissions calculations, determine geographical exemptions, establish credits for foreign climate policies, and decide on the use of revenues. It evaluates various multilateral, regional, and bilateral venues for these discussions, noting that while the WTO is a primary site of tension, substantial multilateral progress is currently lacking.

The document examines the necessity of aligning national financing strategies for climate adaptation with other financial frameworks, such as NDCs, SDGs, and national development plans. It highlights that fragmentation caused by ministerial silos or varying partner influences can lead to duplicated efforts. By integrating adaptation finance into the broader economic decision-making process, countries can better identify cross-ministerial synergies, improve the evidence base for investment, and ensure that adaptation actions are resilient to macroeconomic pressures like sovereign debt. The briefing provides lessons on engaging finance and planning ministries to move from a project-based approach to a systemic portfolio approach to adaptation investment.

The document analyzes border carbon adjustments (BCA) as tools to prevent carbon leakage and support domestic carbon pricing. It details a 'decision tree' of design options, including trade flow coverage, geographic exemptions, emission scopes (Scope 1, 2, and 3), and methods for calculating embedded emissions. The brief highlights the tension between environmental objectives and industrial protectionism, noting that fragmented national BCA regimes could create a 'spaghetti bowl' of conflicting requirements that increase administrative burdens for exporters and strain international trade and climate cooperation.

The report details the data sources and estimation techniques used to track G20 financial support for fossil fuels, including subsidies, state-owned enterprise (SOE) investments, and international public finance. It highlights significant data gaps and transparency issues, particularly regarding subnational support and Chinese SOE reporting, and explains the methods used to approximate 2022 subsidy levels during the energy crisis.