The uptake of higher-tier (4+) clean cooking solutions, especially in last mile communities, is a critical but often underfunded and insufficiently prioritised need. Despite a diversity of viable technologies, including pure electric cooking (eCooking) powered by photovoltaic systems (solar PV) and PV-supported biomass gasifier stoves, as well as ethanol stoves, their widespread adoption remains a challenge due to various barriers, […]

This publication serves as a comprehensive guide to financing and developing business models for Nature-based Solutions (NbS) addressing climate challenges in urban areas. The publication is designed as a knowledge resource for NbS project developers in the public and private sectors and other stakeholders involved in NbS planning and implementation. Its primary intention is to support the adoption of NBS […]

Climate change and rapid urbanization challenge sustainable development and human well-being in the growing cities of low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Asia, Africa, and Latin America, in particular, are at the forefront of the world’s urbanization today, with several low- and middle-income cities in these regions poised to become the most populous in the following decades. However, the rapid pace […]

The report highlights the critical role of electrification, renewable energy, and green hydrogen in decarbonizing key sectors such as industry, transport, and urban development. It underscores Gujarat’s leadership in integrating advanced technologies into its energy ecosystem while addressing challenges like variable renewable energy integration, demand-side management, and infrastructure scaling. By focusing on pragmatic and actionable strategies, the report demonstrates how […]

Belize’s updated NDC (2021) sets ambitious targets for both adaptation and mitigation aimed at achieving 5,647 KtCO2e of emission reductions between 2021 and 2030 compared to a business-as-usual scenario, while building resilience, adapting and minimizing loss and damage due to the impacts of climate change. To achieve this, a wide range of mitigation and adaptation measures have been identified. The […]

The challenges of climate change and rapid urbanization present central obstacles to sustainable development in cities of low- and middle-income countries. Urban Nature-based Solutions (NbS) receive growing attention as potential remedies for these challenges because they offer environmental and social co-benefits in comparison to conventional grey or engineered solutions. In practice, NbS co-exist and positively complement conventional grey or engineered […]

Climate change and rapid urbanization are central challenges to sustainable development in cities of low and middle-income countries. Nature-based Solutions can address these challenges and offer environmental and social benefits over traditional engineered solutions, and in practice co-exist and positively complement engineered solutions. However, the uptake of NbS in urban planning remains limited and implementation faces several barriers. The need […]

Floods, flash floods and droughts are central climate impacts in urban areas in Zambia according to the scientific literature. This is underscored by recent examples of flash floods in Lusaka during the 2024/25 rainy season and increasing stress on Lusaka’s water supply. These impacts are likely to further aggravate as climate change intensifies. Urban Nature-based Solutions (NbS) like bio-retention basins, […]

This report was developed in support of the 2024 Emissions Gap Report (EGR) of UNEP. It provides the analysis and findings that are used as background for the development of Chapter 6 of the EGR 2024: “Bridging the gap: Sectoral transformations, benchmarks, potentials, and needed investments”. The report addresses two critical questions: can the emissions gap identified for 2030 and […]

Since the establishment of the first global agreement to limit greenhouse gas emissions – the Kyoto Protocol – the idea of trading in emissions units, or emissions reduction, has been an essential part of the architecture, motivated by calculations showing that costs of emissions mitigation vary widely among countries. So why not exploit the more cost-efficient mitigation options first if […]