This report highlights the role of information and communication technology (ICT) to prevent the effects of climate change related emergencies in Africa. The objective of the case study on Mozambique is to uncover the pattern of municipal ICT impact that may exist in other low capacity countries with similar political economy structures in connection with leveraging ICTs in public sectors. According to the report, geographic information systems (GIS) assist local governments in the identification of flood zones on maps, measurement of communities’ vulnerability and planning for new prevention infrastructure. The study concludes by suggesting measures to link Africa’s ICT boom in citizen-based mobile and internet usage with the rapid rise of public sector ICT phenomena as a promising means to plug service delivery gaps.

This report describes how climate change effects will damage human rights in Latin America. It seeks to aid the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) in its investigation of the links between human rights and climate change. The report also urges governments to fulfil their international human rights obligations and recommends that all regional actors incorporate human rights concerns into their energy and climate change policies. The report argues that under the principles of international law, governments have an obligation to protect the human rights of all those within their jurisdiction and to avoid activities that cause harm in other countries. As such, all governments are obligated to mitigate human rights impacts of climate change. Additionally, developed countries that have contributed disproportionately to climate change must assume greater responsibility and help developing countries adopt climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies.

Brazil’s climate policies are often associated with its efforts to curb emissions resulting from the deforestation of the Amazon forest. This working paper reviews Brazil’s exiting climate policies and governance structures, many of which target emissions resulting from deforestation. However, the paper reveals that, if the current objective to reduce emissions resulting from deforestation is met and if no additional policies and measures are implemented in other sectors, energy emissions could overtake forest emissions by 2030, resulting in an increase in Brazil’s national emissions. Therefore, the authors call for a more ambitious energy and climate policy during the coming decade.

Compared to the global average and other emerging countries, India’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and income per capita remain low. Nevertheless, this working paper shows that India is making important efforts to decouple energy consumption and GHG emissions from growth, pushed in particular by the challenges of energy security and poverty. The paper details the mechanisms of two innovative, market-based support schemes: Renewable Energy Certificates (REC) to enhance flexibility and improve the efficiency of Renewable Purchase Obligations (RPO); and Perform Achieve and Trade (PAT), an energy savings market, to improve energy efficiency in the Indian industry, which is characterised by a big diversity in energy performances.

China's national energy and carbon intensity targets are well known, as are the central government’s commitments to low carbon development. The recent low-carbon policy developments in China have relied primarily on Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Actions (NAMAs) defined by the central government. However, this working paper argues that the provincial and local levels are key, both in the implementation of the national strategy and in the design of sub-national policies. The paper reviews some of the provincial and local experiments in low carbon development, calls for more diversity in the design of sub-national policies to better reflect local circumstances and makes concrete policy recommendations for better coordination between the sub-national and national levels.

This study examines how energy needs for human and economic development can be met in a way that is compatible with long-term sustainable development at the global scale. It pulls together insights from global energy and sustainability scenarios, case studies of socio-technical transformation of energy systems on both the supply and demand sides, and reviews of policy mechanisms and governance frameworks. The report argues that there is a need for transparency in how climate finance and Overseas Development Assistance (ODA) commitments contribute to investment in sustainable energy for all, particularly in developing countries. It also calls for a shared global development agenda in which energy goals are set as sustainable development goals.

This publication provides an analysis of the 20 year history of the Global Environment Facility (GEF). The aim is to document the ongoing evolution of the GEF and its approaches to biodiversity conservation, development, sustainability, climate change mitigation and adaptation, land degradation, pollution control and other areas of concern, by exploring in detail some of the most salient experiences of the past two decades at the GEF. The publication consists of an analysis of 20 select projects that illustrate the key lessons learned.

This publication on the risks posed by climate change on Large Marine Ecosystems (LMEs) shows that warming ocean waters as a result of climate change are threatening LMEs and thus the livelihoods of billions of people who are dependent on them. The Large Marine Ecosystem (LME) approach recommends a baseline of information at the LME management scale on changing states of productivity, fish and fisheries, pollution and ecosystem health, and socioeconomic and governance conditions. This information provides data to assess the extent of overfishing, nutrient over-enrichment, habitat loss and warming in LMEs around the globe, which can then inform issue prioritisation, strategic planning and adaptive management of LMEs towards sustainability. The report argues that there is an urgent need to invest in a green economy and mainstream climate change into sustainable development planning at all levels.