Need for standardized climate tools

Africa is staring at a USD2.5 trillion climate finance gap by 2030. To fill this gap, one requirement must be met: African countries and companies must establish and publish credible and standardized climate transition plans. Global capital is chasing certainty. Investors managing billions in assets need standardized, comparable data to make informed decisions. Without clear transition plans, African projects, no matter how innovative, will remain invisible in markets that speak the universal language of climate disclosure. IFRS S2 (climate-related disclosures) is the global benchmark for transition plan transparency issued by the International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB). The standard doesn't require companies to have a transition plan, but if they do, they must clearly explain it covering strategy, targets, timelines and progress. This transparency helps investors identify which businesses are serious about climate action and ready for green finance. Africa cannot afford to be invisible in green capital markets. If investors can’t see us, they won’t fund us. A glance at this week’s newsletter:   • 7 African countries are pioneering climate disclosure standards that will help unlock green finance flows • IFRS S2 transition plans are becoming the financial passport for accessing international climate capital • Standardized reporting will help Africa close the forecasted gap of USD2.5 trillion in climate finance by 2030 • Current adopters are jumping ahead directly to global best practices Read ‘No Climate Transition Plan, No Capital’ here https://lnkd.in/dbDfPuHT

You can’t manage what you don’t measure — and this guide makes measurement accessible. The Carbon Footprint Assessment Manual, developed by the Climate Change Secretariat of Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Mahaweli Development and Environment, is one of the most practical tools I’ve come across for organizations and individuals looking to understand and reduce their emissions. In a region where capacity-building is just as critical as carbon reduction, this guide is a reminder that rigour doesn’t have to be complicated. 🔍 What I took away: Clear breakdown of Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions with sector-relevant examples Methodologies for organisational, product, and project-level footprints Practical tools for applying cradle-to-gate vs. cradle-to-grave assessments Region-specific emission factors based on real energy data A replicable model for emerging economies building their own GHG systems. 🎯 Who should take a closer look? Sustainability professionals new to GHG accounting Policymakers designing national MRV and disclosure systems Businesses preparing for climate reporting, certification, or offsets Educators and trainers delivering foundational carbon literacy This is the kind of foundational resource we need more of — especially in the Global South, where climate ambition is high but technical tools are often underdeveloped. #planetaryhealth #planetaryboundaries #sustainability #ClimateAction #carbonfootprint #NetZero #ClimateEmergency #SDG #ESG #GHG #netzero #CarbonAccounting #GHGProtocol #ClimateCapacity #MeasurementMatters #SustainableSystems #GreenTransition

Climate risks don’t act alone, especially in vulnerable regions. They combine with political tensions, livelihood stress, and weak institutions to create complex, fast-moving challenges for peace and human security. And so, we need tools that can answer critical questions faced by practitioners today: 🔹 Where is climate amplifying conflict and insecurity? 🔹 How do shocks to food, water, and livelihoods drive tension? 🔹 How can we integrate community knowledge with data for early warning? 🔹 What gaps in policy or institutions stall effective response? This is why my colleagues and I developed the Integrated Climate Security Framework (ICSF) - a tool to inform real-world decisions in fragile and climate-vulnerable settings. So what can our integrated framework do in the field? ✔️ Help target interventions in climate-security hotspots ✔️ Profile vulnerable groups with layered socio-economic and exposure data ✔️ Understand how food and nutrition insecurity mediates conflict risk ✔️ Reveal policy and institutional gaps that shape (or stall) adaptation ✔️ Build shared understanding across stakeholders—from local to national The ICSF was applied in many countries across the globe, but was designed to be adapted. If you’re a practitioner, implementer, or policymaker working on climate and security, it may offer a useful structure for your context too. 📄 We published the framework on PLOS Climate. Read here: https://lnkd.in/e8djSPUG

By being both an investor and a advocate for climate investments, one of the main paradox I struggle with is the Pipeline vs. Financing in Climate Deals one. Let me explain. There’s a growing dichotomy at the heart of climate finance: on one hand, we hear about a lack of bankable pipelines—high-quality, investable climate projects; on the other, we often point to a lack of financing as the main barrier. But what’s really missing—and what needs to happen between the two? 🔍 The Reality Check • A clear pipeline alone doesn’t guarantee capital—it needs standardized project structures, de-risking tools, matched timelines, and trusted verification. It needs offtaking agreements into place! And it also needs a way to navigate through all the mandates and actors that can provide financial resources. Not easy!! • Funding commitments fall short when projects lack financing readiness: technical feasibility, legal clarity, revenue certainty, ESG compliance, and clear impact metrics. COP30 is right around the corner. At SBCOP - Finance Working Group we are committed to bring a clear Action Agenda for Emerging & Developing Economies that could indeed bridge this gap. Some potential alternatives can include: 1. Pipeline Readiness Funds – Cover project preparation: feasibility, financial modeling, ESG review. 2. Risk Mitigation Schemes – Expand use of guarantees, insurance, blended capital to lower entry barriers. And that are adapted to the region reality! 3. Standardization & Market Infrastructure – Globally adopt model contracts, KPIs, certifications (like ICVCM, GCF standards). 4. Capacity Building – Fund local deal architects who can assemble bankable proposals. 5. Innovative Matchmaking Platforms – Use digital tools to connect projects with funders and match risk appetites transparently. 6. Anchor Deals by DFIs – Develop flagship projects that crowd in private finance and establish market precedents. COP30 must go beyond high-level pledges. We need a practical, resourced roadmap—not just more capital, but better-prepared pipelines and incentives that make private-sector commitments real. Emerging and developing economies deserve climate solutions that are not only financed, but truly achievable. Let’s connect the pipeline and the financing—and push for action at COP30. What ideas or models have you seen that close this gap? Let’s discuss! #SBCOP #COP30

Why aren't we treating climate data like financial data? I’ve been asked that question a lot. In fact, it begs a few more questions, like… How do we know if climate reports are trustworthy? Accurate? Are competitors within the same industry being held to the same standards? Who verifies the integrity of those standards? Similar to financial accounting, we need consistent standards across different companies and industries, capturing the details, complexities, and legal nuances of climate reporting. The foundation of any standardization effort is data. Without accurate, transparent, and comparable data, we cultivate a culture of unaccountability, hinder progress, dilute confidence, and jeopardize our collective resolve to tackle the climate crisis. At nZero, we believe the right data can free us to think and act boldly on climate change, and we built a leading edge data and decarbonization platform for sustainability leaders to achieve precisely that level of security and trust. #Climate #sustainability #netzero

🌍📢 Pleased to share that our paper on the role of open standards in climate-adaptive care has just been published in npj Digital Medicine! As climate change threatens decades of health progress, digital health infrastructure is uniquely positioned to generate patient-centred health insights—a key enabler for advancing research at the intersection of climate and health. Our work explores how integrating environmental exposure into patient-level data creates a powerful proof of concept. It shows the potential of open collaboration infrastructure to personalise care and drive innovation in public health. 🔍 We propose a Delphi study approach to build consensus on relevant climate and environmental variables—captured in a formal ontology—to inform future research. 📂 Embedding these use cases in an open standards repository would support scalable, ongoing evaluation of how climate hazards affect human health. It’s critical that this process includes diverse stakeholders and accounts for localised data variations, especially in LMIC contexts, to ensure inclusivity and relevance. Excited to contribute to this timely conversation on how digital tools can enable resilient, climate-aware health systems. 🌿 🩺 I would love to hear your thoughts! 🔗 Orton, M., Swann, O., Samuel, G., Drury, P., Kalogeropoulos, D., Pencheon, D., Celentano, K., Babayeju, B. and Grant, L. The role of open standards in catalysing knowledge transfer to deliver climate adaptive care. npj Digit. Med. 8, 191 (2025). https://lnkd.in/dqMVrH7D Maeghan Orton Kristina Celentano Gabrielle Samuel Peter Drury David Pencheon Olivia Swann Jide Babayeju Liz Grant #DigitalHealth #ClimateHealth #OpenStandards #npjdigitalmedicine #PublicHealth #PublicHealthInnovation #PersonalisedCare #DelphiStudy #HealthInnovation #AI