COP31 in Antalya is being billed as an “implementation COP”. We analyse agenda items, including electrification and key climate finance questions, in the context of the unique Türkiye-Australia dual s...

Türkiye Industrial Decarbonization Investment Platform, backed by major global financial institutions, aims to mobilize over $6 billion by 2030 to target carbon-intensive industries, reducing emission...

The European Union has ruled out new climate finance commitments at COP31 as rising energy costs strain budgets and developing countries push for increased funding.

Nepal’s reconstruction challenge raises a bigger question: can infrastructure finance prevent the next loss, rather than simply paying to rebuild after disaster strikes? by Arvind Mayaram, BasisPointI...

Print article Share Article Contents Expand menu Close Just transition Climate finance Adaptation and mitigation Global stocktake and NDCs Action agenda and...

A Jaipur school’s engagement with the UN Sustainable Development Goals offers a lesson in sustainability, showing how education, local action and institutional responsibility can shape a more sustaina...

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Although global warming is set to exceed 1.5°C, financing to help communities adapt to climate change falls far short of needs, the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) said in a report published on Wednes...

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YEREVAN, Armenia, October 30 (IPS) - The second week of COP17 was dominated by discussions on biodiversity finance, with new pledges announced and donor outreach intensifying. Yet as the summit approached its close, the financing gap for implementing the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF) remains largely unchanged.

State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) Governor Jameel Ahmad has said that climate change and financial exclusion are deeply interconnected, and the people most exposed to climate shocks are smallholder farmers, micro and small enterprises, and low-income households. "They are also the least likely to have insurance, savings, or access to formal finance. Climate finance must do more than support green investments. It must also help communities anticipate risks, build resilience, and adapt to a changing climate," he said. Jameel Ahmad inaugurated a four-day SBP and Alliance for Financial Inclusion (AFI) Joint Learning Programme on Inclusive Green Finance Policy Implementation in Islamabad. The programme brings together 38 international participants of the AFI network, representing central banks and financial regulators of 24 countries from four continents, to move from policy commitments to real-world implementation. In his address, the central bank governor pointed to Pakistan's experience during the devastating floods of 2022. The deluge caused physical damage of nearly $15 billion and economic losses of another $15 billion. It affected more than 30 million people and damaged 2.2 million homes. He said this showed why financial systems must be both green and inclusive. Highlighting Pakistan's progress, he noted that financial inclusion had reached...

The World Bank is celebrating a major achievement. According to a paper prepared for the Development Committee meeting held on 15 October 15 2026, it has more than tripled the amount of private capital mobilised, from $35bn in 2022 to $112bn in 2026. But among the examples it highlights as evidence of success is support for up to $2.bn in commercial financing for liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports in Bangladesh. This raises a fundamental question: is the World Bank mobilising finance to help countries build more resilient economies, or risking reinforcing the fossil fuel dependencies they need to escape? Mobilising private capital is often presented as the solution to widening development and climate financing gaps. Yet private investors seek returns, while many of the investments needed to deliver long-term development and climate outcomes do not generate profits quickly, if at all. More investment does not necessarily mean more progress The World Bank’s mandate extends far beyond climate action. Supporting economic development, job creation and energy access remains essential, particularly in countries facing significant development challenges. But decisions about energy infrastructure also shape their economic resilience, energy security and exposure to climate risks for decades. The Bangladesh example illustrates this tension...

From urban forests and solar microgrids to women-led green enterprises, Shakti Foundation outlines how accessible finance, local partnerships and community-driven investment can strengthen Bangladesh’s climate resilience. As Bangladesh prepares for the 31st UN Climate Change Conference (COP31) in Antalya, Türkiye, questions over climate finance accessibility, rising debt burdens and the slow delivery of international commitments are becoming increasingly urgent. For a climate-vulnerable country like Bangladesh, the challenge extends beyond securing funding to ensuring that it reaches frontline communities, particularly women and other marginalised groups. Shakti Foundation, which works on women’s economic empowerment, climate resilience, and community-based green initiatives, advocates grant-based adaptation finance, simplified funding procedures, and greater direct access for local organisations. In an exclusive pre-COP31 interview with Md Ibrahim Khalilullah, Executive Editor of The Climate Watch, Labiba Rahman, Joint Director, Climate Change Program at Shakti Foundation, discusses reforms to international climate funds, financing solutions for urban resilience, women-led green businesses, renewable energy investments and the role of community-driven initiatives in addressing Bangladesh’s climate challenges. The interview is part of the “Shakti–The Climate Watch COP31 Dialogue Series,” which aims to bring critical perspectives on climate action and justice into the global climate conversation. The Climate Watch: What specific reforms to...

Officials outlined plans to expand solar power and support electric vehicles at a Dhaka dialogue where participants sought stronger links between pollution research, government policy and practical action. Dhaka black carbon dialogue highlights research-led pollution control, solar energy and support for climate-vulnerable countries. Bangladesh has urged closer cooperation between scientists and policymakers to tackle air pollution, alongside equitable international financing to help climate-vulnerable countries cope with global warming. Speaking at a science-policy dialogue in Dhaka on Sunday, State Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Shaikh Faridul Islam said research must guide policy and its implementation to ensure cleaner air and protect public health. The University of Dhaka and Stockholm University jointly organised the event at Pan Pacific Sonargaon, with support from the Clean Air Fund. The dialogue focused on black carbon and other short-lived climate pollutants. Black carbon, commonly known as soot, is a component of fine particulate air pollution that contributes to global warming. Reducing its emissions can benefit both public health and the climate, according to the World Health Organization. Faridul, who attended as chief guest, said coordination among government bodies, universities, research institutions and international development partners was essential to turn scientific findings into practical solutions...

The World Bank Group delivered $48 billion in own-account climate co-benefits in Fiscal Year 2026, representing 44% of total commitments. The World Bank Group also mobilized a record $48 billion in private capital with climate co-benefits, bringing total climate-related financing to $96 billion, 21% higher than FY25. IFC and MIGA climate-related mobilization increased by approximately 50% from FY25, helping drive record levels of climate-related financing. In FY26, $15 billion in climate co-benefits supported adaptation, representing 31% of World Bank Group climate co-benefits. In IDA countries, 51% of climate co-benefits supported adaptation. The World Bank Group remains the largest MDB provider of climate finance to low- and middle-income countries, accounting for 50% of total MDB climate finance and 53% of adaptation finance between 2021 and 2025. The World Bank Group is increasingly focused not only on financing climate-smart development, but also on measuring the outcomes and impact those investments deliver for people, jobs, resilience, and growth. The World Bank Group’s active portfolio is expected to help 465 million people become more resilient to climate risks, a 45% increase over FY25. It is also expected to contribute to 345 million metric tons of CO₂ equivalent in net emissions reductions per year, a...

Developing countries face growing uncertainty over transition funding, while African nations prepare to demand a tripling of climate adaptation finance at the Turkey summit. The European Union will not make new climate finance commitments at the upcoming COP31 conference, EU Climate Commissioner Wopke Hoekstra said, describing the prospect of further funding for emission reductions as “dead in the water”, according to Bloomberg. The EU has been the world’s most generous provider of climate finance for several years, but funding has become tighter as other concerns have taken the spotlight from carbon dioxide emissions. Soaring fuel and gas prices, along with a shortage of refining capacity, have shifted the bloc’s most pressing concerns towards hydrocarbons. Addressing those pressures also requires substantial spending through direct subsidies and tax cuts to cushion the impact. EU officials are also increasingly concerned that other wealthy countries are not contributing enough to climate finance, Bloomberg reported. The EU and its member states provided €32.3 billion, or around $36 billion, in public climate finance to developing countries in 2025, according to official EU data. The figure was roughly €600 million higher than in 2024. The funding supports efforts to reduce emissions and adapt to climate change. Much...

Developing countries face growing uncertainty over transition funding, while African nations prepare to demand a tripling of climate adaptation finance at the Turkey summit. The European Union will not make new climate finance commitments at the upcoming COP31 conference, EU Climate Commissioner Wopke Hoekstra said, describing the prospect of further funding for emission reductions as “dead in the water”, according to Bloomberg. The EU has been the world’s most generous provider of climate finance for several years, but funding has become tighter as other concerns have taken the spotlight from carbon dioxide emissions. Soaring fuel and gas prices, along with a shortage of refining capacity, have shifted the bloc’s most pressing concerns towards hydrocarbons. Addressing those pressures also requires substantial spending through direct subsidies and tax cuts to cushion the impact. EU officials are also increasingly concerned that other wealthy countries are not contributing enough to climate finance, Bloomberg reported. The EU and its member states provided €32.3 billion, or around $36 billion, in public climate finance to developing countries in 2025, according to official EU data. The figure was roughly €600 million higher than in 2024. The funding supports efforts to reduce emissions and adapt to climate change. Much...

UN CBD COP17 (Yerevan, Armenia): Strategic Imperatives vs. Ground Realities for Sri Lanka 🇱🇰 As world leaders, scientists, and environmental policy makers gather in Yerevan, Armenia for CBD COP17, th...

SINGAPORE – Nearly 200 countries will gather at Antalya in Turkey from Nov 9 to 20 for the UN climate change conference COP31, where they will discuss how the worldcan tackle climate change. This year’s conference comes more than 10 years after the Paris Agreement was first adopted. The global pact has three main targets: to limit global warming by reducing emissions, to ensure communities are protected from climate impacts, and to ensure developing countries get financial help from developed countries for low-emission, climate-resilient development . Multiple observers have billed COP31 as an “implementation COP”. This is a reference to how the conference is expected to provide guidance and solutions that help countries put in place policies and initiatives to tackle climate change, instead of just setting targets or making political statements. Melissa Low, a research fellow studying global climate policy at the NUS Centre for Nature-based Climate Solutions, said: “An implementation COP should be judged less by the number of new pledges announced and more by whether existing commitments are translated into policies, investment, projects and measurable emissions reductions and resilience outcomes.” This year’s conference will also take place against a backdrop of an escalating energy crisis due to...