The IMF’s April 2025 Regional Economic Outlook for Sub-Saharan Africa presents a clear warning: regional growth is slowing, debt pressures are mounting, and donor assistance is declining. Yet the report outlines critical opportunities particularly in domestic revenue mobilization, structural reform, and private sector activation that can shape a more resilient …
As billions of people in the developing world seek to increase their living standards, their aspirations pose a challenge to global efforts to cut greenhouse gas emissions. The emerging middle class is buying and operating energy intensive durables ranging from vehicles to air conditioners to computers. Owners of these durables …
The study aims to close a research gap by examining international climate finance’s capacity in mobilising adaptation finance from the private sector in developing countries. Given multilateral climate funds’ readily accessible project information, the analysis herein focuses on Adaptation Fund (AF) projects and adaptation projects (including the adaptation component of …
This report analyses potential links between global finance to small-scale clean energy projects in developing countries. The analysis identifies key barriers, market enablers, case studies, insights and recommendations to wider adoption of financial aggregation as a means to enable capital flows at scale toward small-scale low carbon energy initiatives.
As part of the workplan agreed under the workstream to complement the implementation of the Kigali Amendment, the Climate and Clean Air Coalition to Reduce Short-Lived Climate Pollutants (CCAC) has commissioned a study to provide a profile of current and projected hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) consumption in Montreal Protocol Article 5 countries …
The war in Ukraine has triggered a costly humanitarian crisis that demands a peaceful resolution. At the same time, economic damage from the conflict will contribute to a significant slowdown in global growth in 2022 and add to inflation. Fuel and food prices have increased rapidly, hitting vulnerable populations in …
Despite years of donor country engagement, developing countries’ efforts to fight climate change and its consequences remain stifled by important capacity gaps. This paper reviews the experience of development co-operation partners in strengthening capacities in this area. It provides an in-depth analysis of official development assistance trends and flows, as …
Institutional weaknesses limit the capacity of local governments to support efficient urbanization in developing countries. They also lead to the emergence of large developers with the clout to build entire cities. This paper analyzes the urbanization process when local governments are weak and large developers are powerful. Results from a …
This policy brief formulates five key asks to the G7 governments on climate finance in 2022. Five key asks to the G7 governments: 1. Meet and surpass the US$100 billion goal with new and additional finance. 2. Significantly scale-up grant-based adaptation finance. 3. Increase finance for the just-transition and meaningful …
This paper examines the short-term implications of the COVID-19 pandemic for inequality in developing countries. The analysis takes advantage of high-frequency phone survey data collected by the World Bank to assess the distributional impacts of the pandemic through the channels of job and income losses, food insecurity, and children’s education …
Transport is a key component to climate solution and therefore, pivotal to reach benchmarks established by the ambitious Paris Agreement. We have the technology, tools, and opportunities to advance markets, unlock investments, and scale up action. The climate action pathway – transport provides clear insights to advance and align transport …
To meet the Paris Agreement’s long-term goals, it is crucial that developed countries support developing countries in achieving their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and mobilizing the required climate finance. For this paper, analyzed the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on climate finance and climate action implementation in 17 developing countries, …
This paper aims to support trade negotiators in leveraging trade for climate change adaptation and to explore the critical role National Adaptation Plan (NAP) processes can play in this regard. It is well understood that climatic impacts on trade can be addressed by a host of climate adaptation measures, ranging …
Developing countries have experienced growing structural weaknesses over the last decade. COVID-19 and climate change have further aggravated these, worsening poverty and inequality, and starkly exposing the interdependence between people, the planet, and the economy. This report charts out the Green, Resilient, and Inclusive Development (GRID) approach, which departs from …
The world needs more effective multilateral coordination, without which recovery efforts in advanced countries will damage development prospects in the South and amplify existing inequalities, says UNCTAD’s Trade and Development Report 2021. The pandemic has seen governments in the North abandon parts of the 40-year long neo-liberal policy dogma to …
This report identifies options that negotiators and policy-makers could pursue in order to reach a permanent solution at the World Trade Organization (WTO) to the problems some developing countries say they face when buying food at government-set (or government-administered) prices under their public stockholding programs for food security purposes. The …
Wastewater-fed aquaculture has a long history, especially in Asia. This report examines three empirical cases of integrated wastewater treatment and aquaculture production. From an aquaculture entrepreneur’s perspective, the combination of fish farming and wastewater treatment in common waste stabilization ponds allows significant savings on capital (pond infrastructure) and running costs …
Agriculture is the largest single source of environmental degradation, responsible for over 30% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, 70% of freshwater use and 80% of land conversion: it is the single largest driver of biodiversity loss (Foley et al. 2011, 2005; IPBES 2019; Willett et al. 2019). Agriculture also …
This research report presents the first comprehensive framework of business models in terms of developing, marketing and scaling Index-based flood insurance (IBFI). The report evaluated ten case studies on agricultural insurance schemes (macro, meso and micro levels), globally, to develop public-private partnership business models for creating value (product development) and …
This study shows how transformative change can bring about sustainable development, prevent climate change from spiralling out of control and address the unavoidable consequences of climate change in a development-friendly manner. In view of the multiple crises facing the world, unprecedented efforts are required to achieve resilient, climate-compatible and sustainable …
Climate change policies including net-zero commitments, green new deals, and circular economy plans often combine carbon-reduction objectives with a set of policy and market interventions needed to reach those goals. When implemented, these policies are likely to impact international trade, and potentially hamper the development of lower-income countries. This report …
