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This briefing by the South African Institute of International Affairs examines the role of Regional Value Chains (RVCs) and Global Value Chains (GVCs) in promoting sustainable development and regional integration in Southern Africa, highlighting South Africa's central role in providing intermediate goods to neighboring countries.

This case study examines how different sources of foreign direct investment (FDI)—specifically international versus regional—impact value chains, skill development, and local linkages within Lesotho's apparel sector.

This case study examines the capacity of natural resource exploitation to foster local and regional value chains in the construction industry, specifically focusing on the rail infrastructure developed for coal discoveries in Tete, Mozambique.

This research paper investigates the impact of Chinese and Indian investment in Africa's extractive industries on local industrialisation, specifically focusing on the dynamics of Zambia's copper value chain and the role of mine ownership in the development of upstream linkages.

This report examines the expansion of South African and other SADC supermarket chains across Southern Africa, analyzing the drivers of this growth, the retail models used, and the resulting impacts on local suppliers and regional trade.

This report analyzes the maize value chain within the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region to inform the Southern African Trade Hub’s (SATH) implementation strategy, focusing on production, trade, utilization, and the necessity of coherent regional policy.

This case study outlines a value chain analysis of the maize sector in Tanzania, intended to inform the National Strategy for the Maize Industry. It identifies systemic inefficiencies in the value chain and lists specific institutional and infrastructural barriers that hinder investment and growth.

This fact sheet provides a quantitative overview of the South African beef industry, detailing production distribution, supply chain integration, and international trade patterns including key import and export partners.

This fact sheet describes a project led by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and supported by the Climate and Development Knowledge Network (CDKN) to address climate change vulnerabilities in Belize's tourism sector. The initiative focused on identifying at-risk coastal sites, assessing policies, and proposing adaptation strategies, culminating in the adoption of an integrated coastal zone management plan in February 2016.

This fact sheet describes a CDKN study and pilot project conducted with the Municipal Government of Quito and Ecopar Corporation to address climate vulnerabilities in Quito, Ecuador. The initiative focused on restoring ecosystems and promoting sustainable farming to protect low-income communities from landslides, wildfires, and erratic rainfall.

This case study describes a CDKN-supported project in Belize that assessed the vulnerability of the coastal tourism sector to climate change and promoted the integration of adaptive management into national policy. The project emphasized the use of 'grey-green' infrastructure and stakeholder collaboration to balance economic growth with the preservation of critical coastal ecosystems.

This working paper by the Climate and Development Knowledge Network (CDKN) examines the challenges and opportunities in financing Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Actions (NAMAs) in developing countries. It identifies a significant gap between the demand for NAMA financing and the available supply of dedicated funds, while highlighting barriers such as narrow donor focus, lack of financial planning expertise, and misalignment with multilateral development banks. The paper suggests that integrating NAMA pipelines with the Green Climate Fund (GCF) is a critical path forward for scaling up mitigation finance.

This case study examines GreenCape, a nonprofit sector development agency established in 2010 by the Western Cape Government in South Africa. The document details how GreenCape acts as an independent bridge between the public and private sectors to mobilize a local green economy, starting with a focus on renewable energy before expanding into water, waste, agriculture, and green finance. It highlights the agency's governance structure, its role in removing regulatory barriers, and its impact on investment and job creation in the region.

This case study describes the 'Future Proofing Cities' project in Madurai, India, which focuses on strengthening 'blue-green infrastructure' to mitigate climate risks. Implemented by Atkins in partnership with University College London (UCL) and the UK Department for International Development (DFID), with the DHAN Foundation as the delivery partner, the project resulted in the Madurai Action Plan for Blue-Green Infrastructure. The plan employs a multi-stakeholder, participatory approach to address flooding, water scarcity, and urban growth through 14 integrated projects across six themes, aiming to align city development with climate resilience and 'smart city' goals.

This report examines the challenges and opportunities for subnational renewable energy development in West Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia. It highlights that while the region has significant mini-hydro potential, development is hindered by a combination of technical, institutional, and policy barriers, including land acquisition issues, slow asset transfers, and poor coordination between on-grid and off-grid electricity supply. The document advocates for a Public-Private-People Partnership (PPPP) approach and improved capacity building at the provincial level to unlock investment from Independent Power Producers (IPPs) and community-level producers.

The Climate Policy Initiative and PUC-Rio propose that Brazil expand Rural Credit limits for producers who comply with the Forest Code or are formally regularizing their properties. This proposal aims to accelerate environmental compliance ahead of the government's 2018 plan, which only requires registration in the Rural Environmental Registry (CAR). Drawing on examples from the EU's CAP and the US's Regional Conservation Partnership Program, and citing a 15% reduction in Amazon deforestation following a 2008 Central Bank resolution, the authors argue that redirecting existing subsidies is a viable way to treat forest conservation as a public good without requiring new Treasury funds.

This report evaluates the role of the Climate Investment Funds (CIF) in the current climate finance landscape. It finds that the CIF provides a unique comparative advantage through its programmatic approach, high risk appetite for novel technologies, and strong partnership with Multilateral Development Banks. Despite the emergence of the Green Climate Fund, the report recommends maintaining the CIF to bridge investment gaps and maintain momentum for transformative climate activities in developing countries.

This research paper argues that traditional Cost of Service Regulation (COSR) incentivizes investor-owned utilities to over-invest in capital infrastructure at the expense of more efficient, non-utility-owned or non-capital alternatives. Through three case studies, the authors demonstrate that multiyear revenue caps and Performance Incentive Mechanisms (PIMs) can better align utility shareholder profits with societal goals, such as carbon reduction and cost-effective grid modernization.

This report by Energy Innovation debunks four common myths regarding the clean energy transition, arguing that decarbonizing the electricity sector is possible without sacrificing reliability or affordability. The authors contend that grid variability, overgeneration, high costs, and the role of natural gas are often misunderstood or based on outdated data, and that demand-side management, regional trading, and energy efficiency are key drivers of a low-carbon future.

This policy brief from the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) provides recommendations for G20 countries to reform fossil fuel subsidies. It advocates for the use of voluntary peer review processes to increase transparency, the establishment of an ambitious and defined timetable for phasing out inefficient subsidies, and the implementation of targeted support to protect the poorest populations during the transition.