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The paper analyzes the institutional design of the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), focusing on the tension between bilateral, multilateral, and unilateral implementation models. It proposes an "open architecture" approach to reconcile these conflicting visions and outlines the necessity of a common regulatory framework involving project validation, registration, verification, and certification to ensure environmental integrity and investor confidence.

The document outlines the role of southern U.S. forests in carbon sequestration and the function of forest carbon offsets as a cost-control mechanism for emitters. It identifies four project types—reforestation, afforestation, forest conservation/avoided conversion, and improved forest management—and emphasizes quality criteria such as additionality and permanence. While carbon offset income may not outcompete real estate development, it can help cover incremental costs like property taxes.

The paper argues that while a sustainable food future ideally requires no further conversion of natural ecosystems, current yield trends and demand may make some cropland expansion inevitable. It critiques the vague concept of 'degraded lands' and instead proposes a strict four-part biophysical criteria to identify lands with 'low environmental opportunity costs'—those not already supporting crops, having minimal impact on biodiversity, low carbon loss ratios, and a low blue water footprint. To implement this, the author suggests a three-pronged approach: mapping these lands, providing legal and financial incentives for their use, and enforcing moratoriums or deforestation-free commitments to discourage expansion into high-cost natural ecosystems.

The document examines two projects implemented by Development Alternatives in India's Bundelkhand region to analyze how various data sources—including climate projections and environmental monitoring—are used in agricultural adaptation decision-making and the challenges associated with this process.

The guidebook identifies three primary renewable energy procurement options for commercial and industrial customers in Colombia: on-site turnkey purchases, on-site third-party power purchase agreements (PPAs) or leases, and off-site third-party PPAs. It notes that national policies and falling technology costs have created opportunities for corporations to reduce electricity expenses through these investments.

The document outlines how estimating the costs of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) allows governments to identify financing gaps and select appropriate financial instruments. It details various costing methodologies—including econometric, macroeconomic, and integrated assessment models—and highlights the challenges of data gaps and uncertainty. Case studies from Colombia, South Africa, and Indonesia illustrate the application of these tools in national planning.

The document highlights the necessity for Indonesia to establish a long-term strategy (LTS) for climate action, as the country currently lacks a decarbonization plan beyond its 2030 commitments. It argues that an LTS would protect the economy from long-term costs, provide investment certainty, and optimize land-use and energy systems. The paper suggests that the Low-Carbon Development Initiative (LCDI) led by BAPPENAS could serve as a foundation for this strategy. Key priorities identified include avoiding stranded assets in the energy sector and enhancing the protection of pristine forests and peatlands to mitigate future economic losses from fires.

The paper presents the City Climate Policy Assessment Framework, which evaluates city-level climate policies across seven sectors: community-wide initiatives, building policy, transportation policy, energy and water utilities, waste management, local government operations, and green finance. Based on an analysis of 12 cities in China and abroad, the study finds that while cities often excel in government operations and utilities, gaps persist in transportation, building policies, and community initiatives. It highlights that many cities set goals more ambitious than national standards and recommends improving data transparency and strengthening financial instruments like tax incentives and climate investment funds to address funding gaps.

The document defines cap-and-trade as a market-based system that sets a maximum limit on greenhouse gas emissions, creating a carbon price through the supply and demand of emission allowances. It details the differences between upstream and downstream regulation, compares cap-and-trade to carbon taxes, and lists existing programs such as the EU-ETS and RGGI.

The analysis finds that while current G20 pledges are insufficient, aligning G20 targets with a 1.5°C pathway and reaching net-zero by 2050 could limit end-of-century warming to 1.7°C, closing three quarters of the gap to the 1.5°C goal.

The paper argues that local governments are underutilized actors in locally led adaptation (LLA) and demonstrates how the Local Climate Adaptive Living Facility (LoCAL) supports them through performance-based grants and capacity building. Using case studies from Niger, Lesotho, and Cambodia, the text shows that while local governments can effectively bridge the gap between national policy and community action, they may also reflect exclusionary power dynamics that require broader engagement with non-state actors to ensure inclusivity.

The document examines strategies to reduce nitrogen runoff from agricultural land in the Mississippi River Basin to address the 'Dead Zone' in the Gulf of Mexico, identifying market-based mechanisms as the most efficient solution.

The document argues that climate-readiness initiatives can serve as entry points for wider urban transformation by addressing compounding pressures such as inequality and infrastructure gaps. Analysis of five finalists from the 2023–2024 WRI Ross Center Prize for Cities demonstrates that these initiatives provide benefits across governance, mobility, and community cohesion that extend beyond climate goals. The paper identifies seven types of 'infrastructures' or enabling conditions that facilitate the scaling of these actions into routine governance and proposes six priority actions for cities to strengthen climate readiness and guide systemic change.

The study finds that climate adaptation investments yield high returns, with every $1 invested potentially generating over $10.50 in benefits. By applying the Triple Dividend of Resilience framework to 320 projects in agriculture, water, infrastructure, and health, the analysis demonstrates that returns often exceed the value of avoided losses, meaning project viability does not rely solely on the occurrence of a disaster. Additionally, nearly half of these investments provide mitigation co-benefits, suggesting opportunities for carbon finance.

The document is a guide published by WRI and UNDP to assist countries in enhancing their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). It focuses on three primary dimensions: strengthening mitigation targets to reduce emissions, enhancing adaptation for climate resilience, and improving communication to facilitate implementation and trust. The guidance includes methods for identifying enhancement options, aligning finance with NDC objectives, and maximizing synergies with the Sustainable Development Goals, while ensuring transparency in accordance with the Paris Agreement.

The document argues that capacity-building support is vital for developing countries to meet the more stringent requirements of the Paris Agreement's enhanced transparency framework. It utilizes 13 case studies to derive six key lessons for making capacity-building efforts more effective, integrated, and sustainable, while emphasizing that new efforts should build upon previous UNFCCC transparency history rather than starting from scratch.

The U.S. is leading global CCUS development, driven by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the Inflation Reduction Act, with over 120 projects in planning or construction. China is rapidly expanding its capacity, having commissioned its first million-ton project in 2022 and developing several large-scale demonstration projects. Both nations face significant barriers: the U.S. struggles with commercial bank financing and public perception, while China lacks a comprehensive regulatory framework and large-scale transport infrastructure. Under the Sunnylands Statement, the two countries aim to advance at least five large-scale cooperative CCUS projects each by 2030.

The document provides a comparative analysis of climate policy tools in the US and China. It details the US's reliance on subnational carbon pricing and evolving SEC disclosure rules, and China's implementation of the world's largest emissions trading system (ETS) and its 'common but differentiated responsibilities' approach to international finance. It concludes by suggesting cooperation on sustainable procurement, emission accounting standards, and subnational carbon market exchanges.

The briefing examines the climate policy landscapes of the U.S. and China, noting that while the U.S. lacks a national carbon price, it has significant subnational activity. China has established the world's largest emissions trading scheme (ETS) but maintains that it is not obligated to provide international climate finance as a developing nation. Both countries are advancing corporate climate disclosure rules, though they differ on the requirement for Scope 3 emissions. The paper suggests cooperation on sustainable procurement, data standards for emission accounting, and subnational carbon market exchanges.

The document analyzes energy efficiency as a 'first fuel' for decarbonization, detailing the historical decline in energy intensity for both the US and China. It outlines specific national targets, such as China's goal to reduce energy intensity by 13.5% by 2025 and the US goal of net-zero emissions by 2050. Additionally, it reviews the history of US-China bilateral cooperation, including the Energy Efficiency Action Plan and the US-China Clean Energy Research Center, noting a recent agreement in November 2023 to restart the US-China Energy Efficiency Forum.