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This report identifies and delineates Strategic Water Source Areas (SWSAs) for surface water and groundwater across South Africa, Lesotho, and Swaziland. It defines SWSAs as areas providing disproportionate runoff or high groundwater recharge that are nationally important for water security. The study identifies 22 national surface water SWSAs (SWSA-sw) and 37 national groundwater SWSAs (SWSA-gw), analyzing their contribution to urban centers, agriculture, and industry, while assessing threats from land-cover change, mining, and invasive alien plants.

The Climate Bonds Taxonomy is a science-based guide published by the Climate Bonds Initiative to identify assets and projects compatible with a low-carbon, climate-resilient economy aligned with the Paris Agreement's 2-degree Celsius warming target. It provides a 'traffic light' system to categorize assets as automatically compatible (green), potentially compatible (orange), incompatible (red), or requiring further work (grey), serving as the basis for the Climate Bonds Standard certification process.

The Climate Bonds Initiative's H1 2018 report on the Chinese green bond market details a total issuance of $13.02 billion, with a significant portion aligned with international green definitions. The report highlights the dominance of financial institutions, the growth of offshore issuances, and the prevalence of renewable energy as the primary use of proceeds, while noting discrepancies between domestic and international standards regarding working capital.

The China Green Bond Market Mid-Year Report 2018 by the Climate Bonds Initiative analyzes the performance and alignment of Chinese green bonds from January to June 2018, highlighting a growth in issuance driven by the private sector and a continuing gap between domestic and international green bond definitions.

This briefing by the Climate Bonds Initiative explores the synergies between green bonds and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), arguing that climate mitigation and adaptation are essential for achieving the 2030 Agenda. It identifies six specific SDGs that benefit directly from green bond investment and emphasizes the need for climate risk disclosure across all thematic bond labels to ensure long-term sustainability.

This briefing by the Climate Bonds Initiative outlines key public sector green bond policy developments from the first half of 2018, focusing on sovereign issuance, national guidelines, financial incentives, and the role of central banks in supporting the energy transition.

This July 2018 briefing by the Climate Bonds Initiative analyzes the state of the green bond market in India, highlighting a cumulative issuance of USD 6.5 billion and a strong dominance of renewable energy projects. The report details the roles of public and private sector issuers, the prevalence of external certifications, and potential growth areas in transport, buildings, and agriculture.

The Climate Bonds Initiative conducted a scoping exercise to identify the potential for US municipal issuers to scale up green bond issuance. The study identified USD 264 billion in outstanding bonds from 1,436 'pure-play' climate-aligned issuers—entities deriving more than 95% of their revenue from climate solutions—most of which are not currently labeled as green bonds.

This briefing by the Climate Bonds Initiative explores the critical role of climate adaptation and resilience in infrastructure investments to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It highlights the current investment gap in the green bond market, where adaptation is significantly underfunded compared to mitigation, and proposes principles for improving definitions and disclosure to scale capital mobilization.

This policy brief by the Climate Policy Initiative analyzes the complexity and fragmentation of the National Rural Credit System (SNCR) in Brazil. It argues that the current system, based on a 1960s framework, creates artificial obstacles to credit access and inconsistent loan conditions based on geographic location, farm size, and revenue, rather than agricultural potential.

This policy brief by the Climate Policy Initiative (CPI) and the Núcleo de Avaliação de Políticas Climáticas da PUC-Rio (NAPC) analyzes the complexity and fragmentation of the Brazilian rural credit system. It argues that the current policy design, based on a structure from the 1960s, creates significant obstacles to credit access and financing conditions due to a multiplicity of rules tied to geographic location, property size, and agricultural revenue.

The report finds that Berau Regency can meet its palm oil production goals and fill its mill capacities by increasing productivity on existing land rather than expanding into forests. While company plantations operate efficiently, smallholders face significant barriers, including lack of land certificates (only 28% have them), limited access to finance, and poor integration into the supply chain, often forcing them to sell to distant mills or intermediaries. Additionally, Berau lacks CPO refineries, meaning most crude palm oil is exported to other provinces or Malaysia, limiting local value addition.

This research note by Energy Innovation analyzes the economic and environmental impacts of a proposed Trump Administration policy to freeze federal fuel economy standards for cars and SUVs at 2020 levels, undoing planned increases for model years 2022 to 2025.

A case study on Iselula Crushing in Blackheath, Cape Town, detailing the processing of builders' rubble into construction aggregates and the diversion of waste from landfills.

This research paper evaluates the integration of gender and climate change considerations into Uganda's water and watershed management. While Uganda has successfully implemented gender-responsive budgeting and representation quotas in water user committees, gender mainstreaming in climate change policies remains minimal. The report highlights that women are the primary users of water but are often excluded from formal decision-making and have limited access to climate information. It concludes that while policy frameworks are strong, implementation is hindered by customary laws and a lack of practical understanding at the local level.

This guide by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) provides a strategic framework for governments to design and implement local content policies in the mining sector. It outlines a four-step process—aligning with national objectives, taking stock of capabilities, crafting specific policies, and establishing monitoring mechanisms—to ensure mining investments contribute to sustainable, inclusive economic development and diversification.

This briefing by the South African Institute of International Affairs examines the cooperation between BRICS nations and Africa, focusing on industrialisation and infrastructure financing. It evaluates the role of South Africa in promoting African interests within the BRICS framework, the potential of the New Development Bank (NDB), and the challenges of debt, transparency, and unequal trade.

This policy briefing argues for the expansion and improved management of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in South Africa to enhance socio-ecological resilience. It highlights the gap between South Africa's current MPA coverage and global conservation targets, while discussing the benefits of MPAs for fisheries, climate adaptation, and biodiversity, alongside the challenges of sectoral conflict and customary rights.

This policy briefing examines how the EU–SADC Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA), which entered into force in October 2016, can be leveraged to develop Lesotho's agriculture and agro-processing sectors. While the EPA provides tariff preferences and an EUR 6 million development envelope, Lesotho struggles with low production volumes and stringent EU standards. The author recommends that Lesotho integrate into South African value chains as a stepping stone to the EU market and improve coordination between government and donor programs.

This policy brief by the South African Institute of International Affairs argues that the BRICS bloc should move beyond gender-specific forums to mainstream gender perspectives across its broader strategic priorities, including the Fourth Industrial Revolution, peacekeeping, and healthcare.