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The document serves as a contribution to the G20 Climate Sustainability Working Group, prepared by the World Resources Institute and the United Nations Development Programme for the Argentine G20 presidency. It argues that long-term low greenhouse gas development strategies allow the G20 to provide leadership in steering the world toward a viable climate future. The paper encourages countries to develop strategies tailored to their unique circumstances by learning from existing international experiences and complementing their own domestic processes.

The document examines why many countries have integrated climate adaptation into policy documents without translating these plans into concrete projects. It identifies key barriers including lack of finance, technical knowledge limitations, and insufficient political will. By analyzing 'early movers'—Afghanistan, Colombia, Germany, India, and Rwanda—the paper highlights five critical success factors: sustained political leadership, legally binding policy mandates, inter-agency coordination, access to tailored information, and supportive budgetary processes.

The document analyzes Pune's efforts toward urban sustainability and equity, highlighting the role of civil society organization (CSO) coalitions in collaborating with the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC). While progress was made in sustainable transport (via the BRTS) and solid waste management (via the SWaCH cooperative), these gains are threatened by fragmented governance, the corporatization of waste, and a shift toward centralized, high-tech infrastructure like the Metro rail. The authors argue that lasting transformation is hindered by the PMC's lack of financial and political autonomy from the state government of Maharashtra.

The report assesses the potential for natural infrastructure to complement the Cantareira Water Supply System in São Paulo, Brazil. Using a Green-Gray Assessment, it finds that targeted reforestation of 4,000 hectares could reduce sediment pollution by 36%, yielding a 28% return on investment over 30 years by reducing water treatment and dredging costs. While forest restoration is likely to slightly increase dry season water flows through a 'sponge effect' and fog capture in cloud forests, the overall impact on annual water availability is estimated to be marginal. The document provides a roadmap for scaling these investments, suggesting blended finance models and improved landowner engagement to overcome risks and uncertainties.

The report identifies a growing "restoration economy" where businesses generate financial returns by improving the ecological function of degraded landscapes. It categorizes these opportunities into four main investment themes: technology, consumer products, project management, and commercial forestry. Through case studies of 14 companies across eight countries, the authors illustrate how various models—from drone-based reforestation and climate-smart credit for smallholders to sustainable timber and bamboo plantations—can scale. The document highlights that while significant market opportunities exist due to government pledges and rising resource demand, investors face hurdles such as high transaction costs, low liquidity, and insecure land tenure in developing regions.

The document argues that global agricultural production has declined by 1-5% per decade over the last 30 years due to climate change, necessitating an urgent transition to climate-resilient systems. It identifies critical risks, including heat stress, extreme weather, and pests, which disproportionately affect smallholder farmers and women in the tropics. The authors propose a roadmap based on five pillars: promoting resilient and low-emission technologies, expanding digital climate information, mobilizing innovative finance, strengthening farmer organizations, and delivering enabling policies. The paper highlights successful examples of 'no regret' options, such as stress-tolerant crop varieties and sustainable intensification, and emphasizes the need for context-specific, participatory approaches to scale these solutions.

The paper frames climate change adaptation as a development challenge, arguing that while financial resources are often a constraint, non-financial barriers such as market failures, governance issues, and behavioral biases are equally critical. It highlights that adaptation and development are inextricably linked, and that 'climate-informed' development can significantly reduce economic losses and poverty. The document reviews various global and local cost estimates, noting that these vary widely based on the reference point used. It recommends a broad definition of adaptation and a focus on removing structural obstacles to maximize the benefits of resilience investments.

The World Resources Institute (WRI) collaborated with the Brazilian government to implement a new law in March 2017 that mandates 3C standards for the Minha Casa, Minha Vida (MCMV) social housing program. This law aims to prevent the isolation of low-income housing from urban centers, promoting public transport, walking, and cycling to benefit approximately 1.8 million people and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Bhopal launched India's first fully automated public bicycle sharing (PBS) system in June 2017, featuring 500 bicycles, 60 docking stations, and 11 kilometers of segregated bike lanes. Developed with support from WRI India and the Bhopal Municipal Corporation through a public-private partnership, the system aims to integrate with the Bhopal Bus Rapid Transit System to address the 'last-mile problem'. In its first five months, the system registered over 25,000 users, more than half of whom are women. There are plans to expand the dedicated bike lane network to over 50 kilometers.

The document outlines a strategy for companies to drive global climate action by engaging with governments. It recommends that CEOs use high-profile events to advocate for the Paris Agreement, align corporate emissions-cutting efforts with national 'nationally determined contributions' (NDCs), and meet with government ministers to break down policy silos. The text highlights a gap in NDCs, noting that while 114 NDCs highlight renewable energy, far fewer address energy storage (31) or water conservation and reuse (33).

The briefing proposes the creation of 'America’s Climate Fund,' a nonfederal initiative to mobilize climate finance for low-income and vulnerable nations. While not intended to replace federal obligations or fill the $2 billion gap in Green Climate Fund promises, the fund would signal continued U.S. commitment to the Paris Agreement. The proposal suggests housing the fund in a nonprofit to ensure tax deductibility and political stability, with contributions coming from corporations, philanthropies, and crowdfunding. Disbursal options include direct contributions to multilateral funds like the Adaptation Fund and the Green Climate Fund, or co-financing specific low-carbon and climate-resilient projects.

The document analyzes the potential impact of the Trump administration's reversal of climate policies, such as the repeal of the Clean Power Plan, on U.S. emissions. It synthesizes data from seven organizations, estimating that 2025 emissions under Trump's policies would range from 5.6 to 6.8 GtCO2e, exceeding the U.S. Paris Agreement target. It also examines the potential for states, cities, and companies—represented by the 'We Are Still In' campaign—to offset these increases through clean energy transitions and local policy defense.

The briefing challenges the perception that burning trees for energy is carbon neutral, noting that wood combustion can emit more CO2 per unit of energy than fossil fuels and creates a 'carbon payback time' that can last decades or centuries. It warns that increasing the EU's renewable energy targets may drive higher demand for tree harvesting, including imports from the U.S. and Canada, which would release a pulse of CO2 into the atmosphere at a time when rapid emissions reductions are required to meet global temperature goals. The author recommends that the EU phase out subsidies for stemwood and stumps and instead invest in wind, solar, and energy efficiency.

The guide defines fundamental concepts of international climate diplomacy, including the roles of the COP and CMA, the function of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), and the development of the 'Paris rulebook' (Modalities, Procedures and Guidelines). It also outlines financial mechanisms like the Green Climate Fund and the $100 billion goal, as well as processes for increasing climate ambition such as the Global Stocktake and the Talanoa Dialogue.

The briefing describes the effort at COP23 to develop the 'Paris rulebook', which establishes how governments implement Paris Agreement requirements. Key components include transparency frameworks for reporting emissions and adaptation, accounting rules for global impact, the global stocktake mechanism, and the communication of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). Major sticking points include balancing flexibility for developing countries without returning to a bifurcated approach, clarifying the scope of processes like loss and damage, and addressing the lack of data capacity in developing nations. The goal for COP23 is to produce a document of key decision points and a 2018 roadmap to finalize the guidelines in Poland.

The document argues that the window to close the gap between current greenhouse gas emissions trajectories and the goals of the 2015 Paris Agreement is narrowing. It proposes a framework of options for Parties to update their NDCs by 2020, focusing on increasing mitigation ambition, strengthening adaptation plans, improving implementation, and enhancing the clarity and transparency of their commitments.

The document argues that current NDCs are insufficient to limit global warming to 1.5°C or 2°C and provides a framework for countries to update their pledges by 2020. It defines 'enhanced mitigation ambition' as actions that result in lower cumulative emissions than the original NDC. The proposed 'menu of options' includes strengthening GHG and non-GHG targets, aligning short-term actions with long-term decarbonization pathways, updating adaptation planning, and improving the transparency and clarity of reported data.

The document asserts that informal settlements, which house over a billion people, are critically exposed to climate change yet largely excluded from climate planning and finance. It advocates for the meaningful participation of these communities in urban development and calls for a redirection of climate finance to reach the urban poor to avoid deepening vulnerabilities and carbon lock-in.

The World Resources Institute criticizes the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's proposal to repeal the Clean Power Plan, which aimed to reduce power plant carbon emissions by 32 percent below 2005 levels by 2030. The organization argues that the repeal disregards the U.S. obligation to mitigate global climate impacts and falsely suggests that such a move would revive the coal industry, which is declining due to the lower cost of natural gas and renewable energy.

In remarks delivered at the UN General Assembly, Manish Bapna emphasizes that open government is essential for achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Agreement on climate change. He warns that trust in government is at a historic low and that civic space is under attack, citing specific instances of activists being targeted in India, Kenya, and Mexico. Bapna calls for the Open Government Partnership (OGP) to make civic space a central component of National Action Plans and highlights examples of successful citizen engagement and transparency efforts in Argentina, Spain, Nigeria, and Indonesia.