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This policy brief by the Institute for Security Studies examines the disconnect between the African Union's (AU) African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA) and the African Governance Architecture (AGA). It argues that while poor governance is a primary driver of instability in Africa, the AU's responses remain reactive and fragmented due to institutional differences between these two frameworks. The author proposes several options to integrate governance and security, ranging from amending the Peace and Security Council (PSC) protocol to creating a unified 'Architecture for Stability in Africa' (ASA).

This policy brief by the Institute for Security Studies examines the practical application of 'sustaining peace' in Liberia and Sierra Leone. It analyzes the transitions from UN peacekeeping to peacebuilding, arguing that while both nations have shown resilience, UN transitions have often failed to address the root causes of conflict. The document provides recommendations for the UN and regional partners to enhance local ownership, capacity building, and economic diversification to ensure long-term stability.

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This PhD thesis examines the historical relationship between climate impacts and violent conflict to determine if climate change will increase future conflict prevalence. The author argues that the effects of climate shocks are context-dependent, primarily impacting communal conflicts in resource-scarce areas with poor government services, and emphasizes that continued socio-economic development is essential to mitigating future climate-driven conflict.

This report by the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) explores how electric utilities can move beyond traditional bill assistance to collaborate with low-and moderate-income (LMI) customers. It identifies new business models leveraging distributed energy resources (DERs) to reduce energy burdens, improve health and environmental outcomes, and create grid value.

The 2018 report by RMI and the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG) analyzes the commercial minigrid market in Nigeria, identifying it as a high-potential investment opportunity to address the fact that 55% of the population lacks electricity. Through audits of ten commercial projects, the report establishes best practices in site selection, community engagement, and owner-operator business models. It outlines a regulatory environment that is generally supportive but hindered by overlapping mandates and import barriers, and proposes specific interventions across the project development, construction, and operation phases to scale the market toward a potential annual revenue of ₦2.8 trillion (US$8 billion).

This report details a civil society training workshop held on April 17-18, 2018, in Windhoek, Namibia. The event, part of the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) Sensitisation Project in Namibia (ASPIN), aimed to engage civil society in the Namibian APRM process. Organized by the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA) and the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR), the workshop provided guidance on the APRM's structure, the importance of early civil society submissions, and lessons from other African nations.

This executive summary from Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL) analyzes finance commitments for electricity and clean cooking access in 20 high-impact developing countries, comparing the 2015-16 period to 2013-14. While electrification finance increased, it remains insufficient to meet 2030 goals, and clean cooking finance has declined. The report highlights a significant geographical imbalance, with Sub-Saharan Africa falling behind and a heavy reliance on a few Asian countries for total finance flows.

The 2018 Regulatory Indicators for Sustainable Energy (RISE) report provides a global inventory of policies and regulations supporting Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG7), focusing on electricity access, clean cooking, energy efficiency, and renewable energy across 133 economies from 2010 to 2017.

The 2018 Energy Progress Report, a joint publication by five custodian agencies, evaluates global progress toward Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG7). It concludes that the world is not on track to achieve universal access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy by 2030, as current progress falls short across all four SDG7 targets: electricity access, clean cooking, energy efficiency, and the share of renewable energy.

This policy brief examines the implementation gap of the United Nations Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS) in national legislation, particularly in low-income countries. It identifies regulatory capacity and GDP per capita as primary barriers to implementation and proposes strategies such as regional collaboration, integration into national chemicals strategies, and alignment with the Agenda 2030 to increase global coverage.

This report, commissioned by the Swedish research council Formas and produced by the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI), examines how research and innovation can support the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It identifies critical research gaps, proposes a four-fold role for science, and suggests structural reforms to the Swedish research system to better align with global sustainability targets.

This fact sheet describes the CASCADE (Community Safety Action for Supporting Climate Adaptation and Development) project, an initiative designed to improve urban and macro-regional resilience in the Baltic Sea Region (BSR) by developing local-level climate change risk assessment methodologies and fostering cooperation between climate professionals and civil protection experts.

This briefing by the Stockholm Environment Institute examines the socio-economic and climate-related vulnerabilities of the Mendoza wine region in Argentina. It highlights a divide between large, efficient growers and smallholders who struggle with quality standards and economic stability. The document also analyzes the region's dependence on mountain snowmelt and glaciers for water, noting that current water laws are outdated for current climate trends, and suggests looking to California's groundwater management as a potential model for reform.

The report 'Nordic Green to Scale for countries' evaluates the potential for Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, and Ukraine to reduce emissions by scaling up 10 proven climate solutions. It finds that these measures could cut 2030 emissions by 149 Mt (13%), with the highest relative impacts in the Baltic States. Energy efficiency in buildings and industry offer the greatest reduction potential and are cost-effective, potentially saving the five countries 1.2 billion euros by 2030. The report identifies barriers such as high investment costs and fossil fuel subsidies, recommending ambitious targets and stable legal frameworks to accelerate implementation.

This policy brief examines the challenges of managing natural resources in three Rwandan districts—Rutsiro, Bugesera, and Kirehe—amidst national goals to modernize agriculture and increase energy output. It highlights a critical tension between national development targets and local resource scarcity, particularly regarding water and woody biomass, and recommends tailored local actions supported by national policy and financial incentives to ensure sustainable growth.

This 2018 guide by the World Resources Institute helps businesses navigate the legal requirements for sourcing wood, focusing on the regulatory frameworks of the United States, Australia, and the European Union. It emphasizes that illegal logging drives forest degradation and greenhouse gas emissions, and distinguishes between legal and sustainable sourcing. The guide outlines the role of trade regulations, procurement policies, and certification services in mitigating the risk of illegal timber in supply chains.

This research paper, produced by WRI and UNDP for the Argentine G20 presidency, provides approaches and methodologies for G20 countries to develop long-term low greenhouse gas emission development strategies tailored to their unique national circumstances.

This research paper examines the "action gap" between national commitments to integrate climate change adaptation into social and economic development and the actual implementation of concrete projects. By analyzing five "early movers"—Afghanistan, Colombia, Germany, India, and Rwanda—the paper identifies critical enabling factors such as political will, legislative mandates, inter-agency coordination, accessible knowledge, and supportive budgetary processes to accelerate the transition from planning to action.

This report by WWF South Africa explores the business case for introducing electric orchard tractors in South Africa's horticultural sector. It identifies a significant market opportunity to replace small diesel tractors with electric alternatives for low-energy applications, highlighting potential carbon emission savings, socio-economic benefits through local manufacturing, and the financial viability of a lower total cost of ownership despite higher initial capital costs.