As the demand for natural infrastructure continues to grow across the Canadian Prairies, it's essential to build more professional capacity. Successful projects are supported by various professionals and skilled tradespeople, including not only those traditionally involved in grey infrastructure, like engineers and planners, but also experts who work closely with nature, such as landscape architects, biologists, agrologists, and horticulturalists.

This report shows that professional associations are key to the future of the natural infrastructure sector. Without targeted capacity building for related professions and skilled trades, grey infrastructure will remain the default option.

The province of Pampanga in the Philippines, located in the north of Metro Manila, has a total area of 200,220 hectares and a population of more that 2 million inhabitants as of 2015. Pampanga, although a predominantly agricultural-based economy, is home to three main cities: San Fernando, Angeles, and Mabalacat.

The recently proposed mass-rapid transit (MRT) system will cover the entire province of Pampanga, link its main cities, and generate economic activity across the region. It will also improve access to transport, reduce congestion and time spent on transportation, as well as reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and exposure to air pollution. The MRT system will consist of five transport lines, including four bus rapid transit lines and one light rail line.

This sustainable asset valuation (SAVi) assessment of the proposed MRT system’s impacts at regional level estimates the multiple socio-economic and environmental benefits of its implementation. The assessment aims to provide knowledge and raise awareness around the impact of sustainable infrastructure on parameters such as congestion, commuting times, CO2 emissions, and employment creation as well as demonstrate its economic benefits to society, including avoided costs of traffic accidents, vehicle operating costs, and fuel use.

The SAVi assessment shows that the MRT project will contribute to the economic, social, and environmental development of Pampanga. The MRT system will have significant economic benefits related to avoided costs of traffic accidents, time savings, and avoided vehicles operating costs, as well as positive changes in property value, retail revenues, and reduced levels of air pollution.

Highlights:

• The MRT system will generate a cumulative, discounted (at 3.5%) net benefit of PHP 360.3 million (USD 6.402 million) considering a project period of 30 years, from 2023 to 2053.
• When accounting for the full range of the project’s economic, social, and environmental benefits, the results show an integrated benefit to cost-ratio of 1.72.
• The greatest positive impact of the MRT in Pampanga is the avoided cost of traffic accidents as a result of the shift from private vehicles to the use of the MRT system. Time savings make up the second biggest impact, followed by the avoided vehicle operating costs.

This report critically examines the mining sector's role in the global energy transition and its alignment with international climate commitments. Recognizing the urgent need to decarbonize to address climate change, this scoping study provides an in-depth analysis of the mining industry's current status, challenges, and opportunities in participating in the global effort to curb greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

The urgency to decarbonize our societies to limit global GHG emissions is driven by global climate goals and commitments under the Paris Agreement. This report focuses on the essential role of the mining sector in supplying critical minerals and metals necessary for energy transition technologies. However, the sector's energy-intensive nature makes it a significant source of GHG emissions, necessitating strategic management to reduce its own GHG emissions and prevent exacerbating other major planetary crises, such as pollution and biodiversity loss.

The report covers the extraction and processing of minerals and metals, including coal, but excluding non-metallic materials. It explores the mining sector's contribution to nationally determined contributions (NDCs) and the efforts of mineral-rich developing countries to meet the surging demand for minerals and metals. It specifically examines the sector's GHG emissions, informed by case studies from Chile, Indonesia, and South Africa, and provides practical recommendations to support decarbonization efforts.

The report begins by outlining the international framework for decarbonization, focusing on the Paris Agreement and NDCs. It highlights national policies and strategies that drive these efforts, emphasizing the importance of coordinated global actions to meet climate goals.

The report then dives into the mining sector's critical role and responsibility in the energy transition, identifying sources of GHG emissions and factors impacting these emissions. It addresses the specific challenges faced by coal mining, understanding that close to 80% of all GHG emissions related to mining are fugitive methane emissions from coal mines. It also examines the implications of global demand shifts linked to the energy transition for producing countries. Here, the concept of a "just transition" is central, emphasizing fair and inclusive distribution of benefits. Challenges and policy choices in selected nations are then discussed.

The next section highlights the mining industry's commitments to reducing its carbon footprint. The industry's response to the decarbonization challenge is explored, including voluntary disclosures, legal reporting requirements, international transparency initiatives, and how decarbonization could be used as a corporate communication tool.

For more background, we have also published a case study on decarbonization that informed this report.

This study provides an analysis of national MEL systems for adaptation across nine countries: Canada, France, Kenya, Namibia, Peru, Somalia, Tonga, the United Kingdom, and Vietnam. The report highlights the unique approaches each country takes in designing and implementing their MEL systems, reflecting their distinct economic, governance, and environmental contexts.

Since 2014, significant strides have been made, with more countries integrating MEL into their national adaptation plans (NAPs). The study showcases how nations like Kenya have developed legal frameworks to guide MEL, while Canada, Somalia, and Namibia have reinforced systematic approaches through their NAP processes. Despite these advancements, the report identifies ongoing challenges, particularly in the areas of evaluation and learning activities, which are less prominent than monitoring efforts.

While monitoring and reporting activities are prevalent, evaluation and learning activities remain less prominent under current MEL systems. Nonetheless, nearly half of the countries reviewed have produced monitoring progress reports or evaluations that have informed subsequent policy cycles.

The integration of GESI considerations is another critical focus, with Kenya and Vietnam setting examples by incorporating specific GESI indicators. However, the systematic integration of GESI considerations remains insufficient. The study emphasizes the necessity of a tailored, context-specific approach to developing effective MEL systems, emphasizing the iterative nature of these processes.

The report provides valuable insights and recommendations for policy-makers, adaptation practitioners, and MEL specialists, highlighting the importance of continuous learning from MEL systems in supporting climate resilience. Additionally, it explores the critical links between national MEL systems and global United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change processes, including the UAE Framework for Global Climate Resilience.

By exploring diverse national experiences, the study can inform governments working to strengthen their national MEL systems and contribute critical data to global reporting and assessment processes.

In Kochi, India, canals have been used for transportation, fishing, and flood control for generations. Over time, these canals have severely degraded, polluting waters and increasing flood risks. According to a survey of over 300 households on the canalside, 44% experienced flooding during heavy rainfall and 39% experienced tidal flooding. This is expected to worsen as climate change leads to more extreme monsoons and sea-level rise.

To address these challenges, bechtel.org (the social impact arm of engineering company Bechtel) collaborated with ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability, South Asia, and Swiss Re to design a pilot canal restoration project using nature-based and hybrid infrastructure along 2 km+ of the Pandarachirathodu Canal.

Our report analyzes the socio-economic and environmental impacts of three potential intervention scenarios:

1. a new grey-green hybrid solution called integrated wetland technology (IWT), which treats wastewater and prevents floods,
2. IWT combined with nature-based interventions such as floating wetlands and mangroves, as well as the removal of culverts to further restore the canal, and
3. all of the above, integrating a biodiversity park to support ecotourism and create jobs for the community.

Our assessment found all three scenarios to be investment worthy, with the highest net benefit produced by scenarios 2 and 3 (INR 325-331 million): the combination of IWT with a form of NBI. However, the highest benefit-to-cost ratio (BCR) was Scenario 1, the baseline intervention of hybrid IWT. Here, for every INR 1 invested can result in INR 9.78 net benefits for society, the economy, and the environment.

This country report is based on background research by IISD and the Royal Institute of International Affairs – Chatham House to assess the proposed United Kingdom Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) from design to implementation to its potential impact on trading partners, including on developing and least developed countries (LDCs). The research is supplemented by detailed discussion in two dialogues organized within the country. The two dialogues heard the views and perspectives of national stakeholders from the government, industry, think tanks and academics, civil society, finance providers, labour, and international stakeholders. While acknowledging the need of CBAMs/border carbon adjustment schemes to reach the Paris Agreement goals, these views and perspectives also outline the challenges. These challenges include

• potential implementation difficulties, particularly because the UK CBAM does not envisage any transition period;
• potential impacts on trade and trading partners; and
• the need to consider the special situation of smaller developing countries and LDCs.

The report's conclusions include the critical importance of identifying potential implementation challenges as well as aligning it, as best as possible, with the EU CBAM to its smooth implementation and to avoid creating multiple administrative and bureaucratic requirements for the trading partners.

This report is based on background research by IISD and Cindes to assess the potential impact of BCA schemes—particularly the EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM)—on Brazil, supplemented by detailed discussion in two dialogues organized within the country. The two dialogues heard the views and perspectives of stakeholders from the government, industry, think tanks and academics, civil society, finance providers, and labour. While acknowledging the need for BCAs to reach the Paris Agreement goals, these views and perspectives also outline the challenges for countries like Brazil, which include

• adverse impact on exports and thus on economic activity and employment in the short term,
• substantial cost of compliance,
• the investment needed to transform current production methods in the affected sectors.

The stakeholder discussion also led to recommendations for achieving balance between climate action and equity. One key conclusion is the need for international collaboration and use of best practices in the design of BCAs.

This country report is based on background research by IISD and the University of the West Indies – St. Augustine campus (UWI-SAC) to assess the potential impact of BCA schemes, particularly the European Union Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) on Trinidad and Tobago, supplemented by detailed discussion in two dialogues organized within the country. The two dialogues heard the views and perspectives of stakeholders from government, industry, think tanks and academics, civil society, finance providers, and labour. While acknowledging the need for BCAs to reach the Paris Agreement goals, these views and perspectives also outline the challenges for countries like Trinidad and Tobago. These include:

• adverse impact on exports and thus on economic activity and employment in the short term,
• substantial cost of compliance and limited availability of finance and investment to transform the current production methods in the affected sectors, and
• need for the consideration of the special situation of developing countries like Trinidad and Tobago.

The stakeholder discussion also led to recommendations for achieving balance between climate action and equity. One key conclusion is the need for international collaboration and use of best practices, including for the special treatment of developing countries in the design of BCAs.

The Reventazón River basin, to the east of the country’s Central Valley, is a critical nexus of water, food, and energy in Costa Rica. Home to 500,000 inhabitants, the basin supplies the region’s eight hydropower dams (generating 38% of national energy) and the capital city, San José, with 25% of its drinking water.

The Reventazón region is also a productive agricultural area, supplying 85% of the country’s vegetable crops. Nature also thrives in the 25 protected wilderness areas around the basin, including more than 250,000 hectares of forest (almost the size of Hong Kong), which play a fundamental role in protecting water resources.

Restoring the ecosystem is crucial to stabilize hydrology and ensure a reliable water and energy supply. The World Resources Institute is working with local stakeholders to identify nature-based interventions to provide the services required for a sustainable ecosystem, funded by the Global Ecosystem-based Adaptation Fund. We worked with them to assess the costs and benefits of a proposed pilot project consisting of reforestation, agroforestry, and development of contoured croplands, to help regulate water flow, reduce erosion, and increase agricultural production.

Our assessment found that this nature-based approach would generate a total net benefit of USD 3.17 million, with each dollar invested in NBI yielding USD 1.23 in returns for society.

In this study, we also explored a more ambitious scenario, scaling NBI in the pilot site to a basin-wide approach, representing nearly twice the number of NBI activities. Here, we find USD 6.31 million net benefit for society over 30 years.