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This policy brief by the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) examines the legal distinctions between decisions made by a Conference of the Parties (COP) and the more formal processes of treaty amendments or new annexes. Using examples from various multilateral environmental agreements, it argues that COPs generally cannot fundamentally alter Party rights or obligations through simple decisions, highlighting the importance of securing strong provisions during initial treaty negotiations, particularly for the future plastics treaty.

This report analyzes the financial requirements for transitioning China's agrifood system to a net-zero, climate-resilient, and socially just future. It highlights that while China is the world's largest emitter in the agrifood sector, current climate finance is insufficient and poorly aligned with the sector's needs. The authors argue for the implementation of 'transition finance' to mobilize private capital, the creation of credible corporate transition plans, and the integration of 'just transition' principles to protect vulnerable small-scale farmers. Key recommendations include improving climate disclosure, aligning agricultural subsidies with climate goals, and enhancing policy synergy between transition and inclusive finance.

This report examines the financing gap in China's agri-food system transition, noting that while the sector is a major global emitter, it receives minimal climate finance. It argues that current green and inclusive finance policies are insufficient and advocates for a 'transition finance' framework. Key recommendations include improving GHG disclosure, developing credible entity-level transition plans, and aligning agricultural subsidies with climate goals to ensure a just transition for smallholders.

This guidance document outlines the framework, professional standards, and methodological requirements for Approved Verifiers and External Review Providers conducting certifications under the Climate Bonds Standard v4.2. It details the specific verification processes for Use of Proceeds (UoP), Asset, Entity, and Sustainability-Linked Debt (SLD) certifications, emphasizing independence, science-based criteria, and the role of the Climate Bonds Standard Secretariat in making final certification decisions.

This report by the Climate Policy Initiative (CPI/PUC-Rio) analyzes deforestation within agrarian reform settlements in the Brazilian Amazon. It finds that while settlements cover only 8% of the biome, they accounted for 24% of forest loss in 2023. The study highlights a high concentration of deforestation in a small number of 'critical' settlements and suggests that this loss is likely driven by external actors rather than the settled families, as the scale of clearing is inconsistent with family farming.

This report by the Climate Policy Initiative (CPI) outlines the methodology used to estimate 'bottom-up' climate finance needs, which are the financial requirements stated by countries in their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) to reach national climate targets.

This report, prepared by an Independent High-Level Expert Group (IHLEG) for the Brazilian G20 Presidency and the G20 Sustainable Finance Working Group, reviews the operations of the Vertical Climate and Environmental Funds (VCEFs)—the Global Environment Facility (GEF), the Adaptation Fund (AF), the Climate Investment Funds (CIF), and the Green Climate Fund (GCF). The review identifies a fragmented global climate finance landscape and recommends a 'process integration' approach to enhance the Funds' collective impact. Key proposals include harmonizing accreditation and reporting, shifting from individual projects to country-driven investment platforms, and expanding the use of diverse financial instruments to mobilize more private and public capital for emerging markets and developing economies (EMDEs) and least-developed countries (LDCs).

The 'General Guidance for Tracking Green Finance' provides a standardized framework for members of the International Development Finance Club (IDFC) and multilateral development banks (MDBs) to track and report financial flows related to climate mitigation, adaptation, and biodiversity. It establishes 'Common Principles' to ensure consistency, transparency, and accountability, moving away from a one-size-fits-all approach toward granular, project-component-based tracking.

The 'Sectoral Guidance for Tracking Green Finance' (October 2024), commissioned by the International Development Finance Club (IDFC) and produced by the Climate Policy Initiative (CPI) and Trinomics, provides a technical framework for national and regional development banks to track climate and biodiversity finance. The guide applies 'Common Principles' across five priority sectors: energy, transport, water, agriculture, forestry, and other land use (AFOLU) and fisheries, and the urban sector. It details eligibility criteria for mitigation, adaptation, and biodiversity activities, offering methodologies for ex-ante greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions assessments and financial quantification to ensure transparency and consistency in reporting.

This report by the Climate Policy Initiative (CPI/PUC-RIO) analyzes deforestation within agrarian reform settlements in the Brazilian Amazon. It finds that while these settlements occupy only 8% of the biome, they accounted for 24% of forest loss in 2023. The analysis reveals a high concentration of deforestation in a small number of settlements and suggests that this loss is driven by external actors rather than the resident settler population, as evidenced by the prevalence of large-scale clearing.

This technical brief by the Climate Policy Initiative analyzes the potential for green job creation in Jharkhand, India, between FY 2026 and FY 2030. It focuses on three primary sectors: clean power, clean mobility, and green molecules, projecting significant employment growth under two different policy scenarios while emphasizing the need for a 'just transition' for workers currently dependent on the state's extensive fossil fuel mining industry.

The report 'Panorama de Financiamento Climático para Uso da Terra no Brasil 2021-2023' by the Climate Policy Initiative (CPI/PUC-Rio) analyzes financial flows directed toward agriculture and forests aligned with climate goals in Brazil. It finds a significant increase in annual climate finance for land use, reaching an average of R$ 88.1 billion between 2021 and 2023, driven largely by rural credit and domestic private sources. The document details the instruments used, the sectors benefited, and the specific climate uses (mitigation, adaptation, and loss and damage), while highlighting gaps in transparency and the need for more rigorous verification of sustainable practices.

This report by Global Energy Monitor analyzes the power sector transition across the BRICS nations (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates). It finds that while the bloc continues to build fossil-fueled capacity, non-fossil capacity additions are accelerating, with the share of power capacity fueled by coal, oil, and gas potentially falling below 50% by the end of 2024.

This briefing by Global Energy Monitor (GEM) analyzes the expansion of liquefied natural gas (LNG) infrastructure in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) as of October 2024. It details significant planned investments in export terminals in Mexico and Argentina, and import expansions in Brazil, while warning that these projects risk becoming stranded assets in the energy transition and may conflict with global climate goals to limit warming to 1.5 °C.

This factsheet by the Institute for Economic Justice argues that a universal basic income guarantee (UBIG) is a necessary component of a Just Energy Transition (JET) in South Africa. It posits that while targeted support for displaced workers is essential, a UBIG provides a foundational safety net for those indirectly affected by the shift from fossil fuels to clean energy, builds climate resilience against extreme weather, and facilitates the adoption of sustainable habits.

The Institute for Economic Justice argues that food insecurity in South Africa is driven by income poverty, not food scarcity. It proposes a Universal Basic Income Guarantee (UBIG) to ensure all adults can afford a basic nutritional diet, noting that current targeted grants are insufficient. The document highlights the severe health and economic costs of malnutrition and argues that a UBIG, combined with a 'just food transition' and systemic food system reforms, can break intergenerational poverty cycles without causing significant inflation.

This fact sheet by the Institute for Economic Justice argues that food insecurity in South Africa is primarily a result of income poverty rather than food scarcity. It advocates for a Guaranteed Universal Basic Income (UBIG) to ensure all citizens can afford a nutritious diet, highlighting the severe health, social, and economic costs of malnutrition and the limitations of current targeted social grants.

This fact sheet from the Institute for Economic Justice argues that hunger and food insecurity in South Africa are primarily driven by a lack of income rather than a lack of food production. It proposes a Universal Basic Income Guarantee (UBIG) as a key mechanism to ensure all citizens can afford nutritious food, thereby breaking cycles of poverty and malnutrition.

This fact sheet by the Institute for Economic Justice argues against the implementation of job-seeking requirements for social grants in South Africa, specifically opposing proposals to replace the Covid-19 Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant with a conditional grant for job seekers. The document asserts that unemployment in South Africa is structural rather than a result of a lack of effort, and that imposing conditions would be costly, unfair, and counterproductive to economic growth.

This fact sheet by the Institute for Economic Justice argues against introducing work-seeking conditions for social grants in South Africa. It asserts that such conditions ignore the structural nature of the country's high unemployment, impose unfair financial burdens on the poor, and violate constitutional rights to social assistance.