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Between 2010 and 2014, Tonga received US$67.4 million in grant-equivalent finance specifically targeting climate change, with a majority (59.7%) supporting mitigation. The primary contributors were Japan and the Climate Investment Funds (CIFs), with significant funding directed toward renewable energy and environmental policy. Additionally, Tonga was allocated US$2.64 million from the Global Environment Facility for a renewable energy project between January 2015 and September 2016.

Between 2010 and 2014, Tuvalu received US$37.9 million in grant-equivalent finance specifically targeting climate change, with a significant portion dedicated to renewable energy. Major contributors during this period included New Zealand, the United Arab Emirates, and the Global Environment Facility. Additionally, between January 2015 and September 2016, Tuvalu was allocated US$36 million from the Green Climate Fund for coastal adaptation and US$2.64 million from the Global Environment Facility for national energy targets.

Between 2010 and 2014, Vanuatu received US$49.4 million in grant-equivalent finance specifically targeting climate change, with a majority supporting mitigation. The primary sources of this funding were the Global Environment Facility, Australia, and the United Arab Emirates, focusing on environmental policy, renewables, and disaster preparedness. Additionally, between January 2015 and September 2016, Vanuatu received further allocations from the Green Climate Fund, the LDCF, and the Scaling Up Renewable Energy Program.

The document argues that development often exacerbates disaster risks due to poor decision-making and trade-offs. It introduces a typology of five trade-offs (power, equity, temporal, risk, and aggregation) to help decision-makers identify and manage these risks. The brief applies this typology to the 'Building Back Better' approach to post-disaster recovery, suggesting that inclusive, long-term, and holistic planning can lead to more resilient development.

The document details a workshop involving government officials, Sami representatives, and researchers to address the gap between legal requirements to promote Sami culture and the actual practice of authorities in planning and permitting. Key discussions focused on the necessity of early dialogue, the recognition of traditional knowledge, and the systemic failure to account for cumulative effects of land exploitation. The report highlights a strong convergence between authorities and Sami representatives on the primary obstacles, such as resource shortages and the problematic assumption of 'coexistence' between industry and reindeer husbandry.

The 5th ASEAN Energy Outlook (AEO5) analyzes energy trajectories for 10 ASEAN Member States through 2040. It compares a Business-as-Usual (BAU) scenario with two target-based scenarios: the AMS Targets Scenario (ATS) and the ASEAN Progressive Scenario (APS). The report finds that while the region is on track to meet energy intensity targets, achieving the 23% renewable energy share by 2025 requires significantly more ambition than current national targets provide. It highlights a continuing heavy reliance on fossil fuels, particularly coal in the power sector, and projects increasing import dependency for natural gas and crude oil. The report recommends strengthening energy efficiency and renewable energy policies, including the use of auctions and expanding renewables beyond the power sector, to improve energy security and reduce CO2 emissions.

The document examines the tension between 'mainstreaming' climate change adaptation—integrating it into development, business, and other policy sectors—and treating it as a specialized 'silo' of expertise. Drawing on the Adaptation Futures 2016 conference, it argues that neither approach is inherently superior; rather, the choice depends on the specific purpose and context. While mainstreaming promotes resource efficiency and policy coherence (particularly regarding poverty reduction), the author notes that it can make adaptation progress invisible, complicating monitoring, evaluation, and the tracking of earmarked finance. The brief highlights the expansion of mainstreaming into business operations and city planning, while recommending a pragmatic approach that recognizes the value of both integrated and stand-alone adaptation efforts.

The document argues that while agricultural insurance can provide quick financial support after sudden disasters, it is ill-suited for slow-onset events like sea-level rise and gradual temperature increases. In Viet Nam and Thailand, insurance programmes have struggled with financial sustainability, low voluntary uptake, and high compensation rates. The brief suggests moving toward holistic risk management, including micro-finance, sovereign risk sharing, and transformative agricultural adaptations.

The report develops a methodology using the LEAP-IBC (Integrated Benefit Calculator) tool to assess the impact of short-lived climate pollutants (SLCPs) in Estonia. Focusing on the residential and transport sectors, it compares 'Business As Usual' (BAU) and energy efficiency (EE) scenarios. Findings indicate that while BAU leads to a 4-6% increase in emissions by 2030, the EE scenario could reduce NOx, PM2.5, and black carbon emissions by 13-15%. The report emphasizes that the most significant health risks are driven by fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and black carbon, and recommends strategic urban planning and building renovations to mitigate these risks.

The Arctic Resilience Assessment Synthesis for Arctic Leaders 2017 argues that building resilience in the Arctic requires an integrated understanding of social-ecological systems and coordinated action across local, national, and circumpolar scales. While the primary drivers of change are global, the document emphasizes that resilience-building must occur within the Arctic through integrated monitoring, knowledge integration—specifically bridging Indigenous and scientific knowledge—and increasing the capacity of local communities to shape their own development. It identifies 19 instances where climate change and other drivers could trigger abrupt, irreversible shifts and proposes a roadmap via the Arctic Resilience Action Framework to coordinate these efforts.

The document argues that consumption-based accounting provides a more nuanced view of climate responsibility than territorial accounting by attributing emissions to the final consumers of goods and services. Using data from the Eora and IOTA models, it demonstrates that high-income OECD members have increasingly imported emissions from middle-income countries between 1992 and 2010, suggesting that some territorial emission reductions in wealthy nations are the result of 'carbon leakage' to other territories.

The document argues that active participation by under-represented groups, particularly women, is essential for creating just and sustainable climate adaptation policies. It emphasizes that positive change requires conscientious action rather than mere intention, as 'gender blind' processes often reinforce existing inequities. To achieve this, the brief provides a 'toolbox' of guidelines for SEI-US trainers divided into three phases: starting the conversation (e.g., ensuring diversity among trainers), creating an inclusive learning environment (e.g., selecting accessible locations and prioritizing sanitation), and monitoring and evaluation (e.g., measuring the quality, not just the quantity, of participation).

The Mistra Geopolitics programme, running from 2017 to 2020, is an interdisciplinary research effort involving six Swedish core partners and international institutes. It aims to help Sweden navigate geopolitical insecurity and leverage innovation to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda. The programme is organized into five work packages: WP1 focuses on the frame of geopolitics and security in the Anthropocene; WP2 analyzes transnational impacts on Sweden including trade and migration; WP3 examines global governance responses to environmental security risks; WP4 explores the link between geopolitical landscapes and the SDGs; and WP5 integrates these findings through a co-creation process and foresight scenarios to strengthen Swedish competitiveness.

The document outlines a socio-technical research project under the EU Horizon 2020 TRANSrisk initiative to identify pathways for reducing greenhouse gas emissions from heavy-duty vehicles in Sweden. It highlights the challenges of road freight decarbonization compared to personal vehicles and examines various technological options, including biofuels, battery electric vehicles, hydrogen fuel cells, and electric road systems (ERS). The project utilizes stakeholder workshops and quantitative modelling to develop scenarios that align with Sweden's goal of a fossil-fuel independent transport sector by 2030 and zero net emissions by 2045.

The SEI Initiative on Sustainable Sanitation (SISS) promotes a 'whole-system perspective' to sanitation, moving beyond waste disposal toward resource recovery. The initiative focuses on low- and middle-income countries, integrating sanitation with broader Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to improve health, food security, and energy production. Key tools developed include REVAMP for urban resource mapping and the 'Clean and Green' model for rural communities. SISS emphasizes that sustainability depends on the synergy between technical hardware and enabling institutional, financial, and social factors.

The document analyzes the precarious state of Colombia's coal industry, which faces declining global demand, falling prices, and increasing domestic resistance. It details how the industry has shifted from a 'development locomotive' narrative to one linking extraction to the financing of peace processes. The paper highlights a significant shift in opposition strategies, moving from protests to institutional channels like 'acciones de tutela' and local consultations, which have empowered the Constitutional Court to challenge mining governance. In response, coal companies have increased spending on public relations, formed the Asociación Colombiana de Minería (ACM) to strengthen lobbying, and accused the judiciary of 'judicial activism'. The authors argue that a successful energy transition requires separating coal from other minerals and hydrocarbons in public discourse and developing alternative development models for affected regions.

The document analyzes the impact of governance on the implementation of the Robust Decision Support (RDS) process in Colombia and Peru. While both countries have restructured their water governance to be more inclusive, different institutional barriers hindered the process: Colombia's Regional Autonomous Corporations (CARs) faced capacity constraints due to broad environmental mandates, while Peru's fragmented system of national approval and local implementation created coordination challenges and marginalized local technical staff. The authors recommend formal agreements to secure staff time and the direct involvement of national data agencies to improve the success of science-informed water policy.

The document analyzes the impact of 'fast depreciation' and 'uplift' tax provisions on the profitability of over 700 licensed but non-producing oil and gas fields in Norway. It finds that these measures significantly increase the internal rate of return (IRR) for investors, making many fields economic that would otherwise be abandoned. At an oil price of USD 50 per barrel, the analysis suggests 95% of new oil investment depends on these supports, which could lead to an additional 8 billion barrels of production and 2.9 billion metric tonnes of CO2 emissions.

The Reducing Disaster Risk Cluster at SEI Asia focuses on the intersection of development and disaster risk across Asia. Its work is organized into four thematic areas: regional cooperation, disaster recovery and resilience, empowering vulnerable groups, and the role of culture in risk. The cluster supports the implementation of the 2015 Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction and the Sustainable Development Goals through research, policy engagement, and capacity-building, with specific projects targeting disability-inclusive DRR and long-term recovery analysis in Southeast Asia.

The report examines the conflict between the EU Water Framework Directive's environmental goals and Sweden's reliance on hydropower for approximately half of its electricity. It details efforts by the Swedish Agency for Marine and Water Management (SwAM) and the Swedish Energy Agency (SEA) to create a balanced national strategy, including a proposed cap on annual production loss to define 'significant adverse effect'. The document also reviews the Water Activity Review (WAR) recommendations, guidance for identifying Heavily Modified Water Bodies (HMWBs), and proposed financing mechanisms for environmental upgrades.