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The research argues that Ethiopia, Senegal, and South Africa generally adopt a 'cautious' posture internationally—characterized by non-alignment and partnership diversification—while tending toward more 'assertive' approaches regionally. However, South Africa serves as a partial exception, exhibiting assertiveness internationally (notably regarding Gaza) and a more cautious or less effective approach regionally (such as in the DRC). The paper uses these cases to argue for a plural conception of 'African agencies' driven by national interest and the goal of strategic autonomy.

The document explores how indigenous and rural communities in Indonesia, India, Mexico, and Colombia are implementing community-centered connectivity and media to resist digital colonialism and preserve cultural integrity. It highlights specific models of digital sovereignty, such as the Kasepuhan Ciptagelar's hybrid network in Indonesia and indigenous mobile virtual network operators in Mexico, while arguing that communication justice requires moving beyond simple technical access to protect local languages and knowledge systems.

Nedbank implemented the TNFD LEAP framework to assess nature-related dependencies, impacts, risks, and opportunities (DIROs) within its credit portfolio, primarily focusing on the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region. Using a double materiality lens and tools like ENCORE and the WWF Water Risk Filter, the bank identified six priority sectors—real estate, manufacturing, wholesale and retail trade, mining and quarrying, energy, and agriculture—based on financial exposure and nature-related scores. While real estate had the highest financial exposure but low nature impact, primary sectors like agriculture and mining showed high dependency and impact. A specific review of a mining client revealed operational interfaces with Critical Biodiversity Areas and Strategic Groundwater Resource Areas, highlighting risks associated with South Africa's water scarcity. The bank is now moving into Phase 2 to quantify financial risks and identify nature-positive lending opportunities.

Laos has updated its Investment Promotion Law to reform the design and administration of tax incentives, moving away from overly generous and broad benefits that led to revenue leakage. With support from the IISD, the government introduced narrower eligibility criteria, capped incentive durations, and strengthened monitoring and screening processes to ensure investments align with sustainable development priorities and fiscal stability.

The document argues that integrating decarbonization into core capital investment decision-making allows real estate investors to move from reactive compliance to proactive value creation. It highlights that sustainable building features are increasingly demanded by occupiers, with LEED-certified buildings in the US seeing rent premiums of 3%–4% and energy-efficient properties outperforming less efficient ones in total returns by 5% since 2021. The paper proposes six key principles for strategic planning: managing energy demand, life-cycle-based expense planning, aligning upgrades with trigger events, phasing in quick wins, using integrated design, and considering risk overlays.

Danfoss is implementing a decarbonization strategy at its Grodzisk, Poland facility by combining the construction of near-zero emission halls with the retrofitting of older facilities. Key measures include replacing natural gas with electric heat pumps and boilers, implementing a 'Shutting Off Initiative' for idle machinery, and installing waste heat recovery systems. These actions have resulted in significant energy savings, including 4,600 kWh per day from powering down machines and €420,000 in annual savings from air handling unit retrofits.

The document examines urban heat islands (UHI) in Pärnu, Estonia, highlighting how urban density and coastal dynamics intensify heat. It argues that heat risk is an interaction between physical hazards and social vulnerability, particularly for children and the elderly, and advocates for targeted planning based on spatial mapping of these factors.

The report examines asset ownership, lease-to-own, and energy-as-a-service models for solarizing health facilities in India and Kenya, highlighting the need to shift from philanthropic grants to blended finance and flexible service-based models to ensure long-term operational sustainability.

The report evaluates the implementation of the MTE and +TE programs, which introduced 405 electric vehicles across 10 Chilean regions to modernize minor public transport. Key findings include an average economic saving of over 3 million pesos per beneficiary and a positive shift in driver and citizen perceptions of electric vehicle technology. While the programs successfully addressed gender gaps and demonstrated operational viability for trips under 300 km daily, challenges remain regarding residential charger installation delays, digital gaps among older drivers, and initial distrust regarding battery autonomy.

The document highlights the decline of natural water storage in the Canadian Prairies due to drainage and land conversion, which increases vulnerability to climate-driven extremes. It advocates for a combination of wetland conservation and constructed water retention projects to improve water security, reduce flood peaks, and enhance water quality. The brief provides specific examples of successful projects in Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba, while outlining a strategic framework for future expansion, including prioritized conservation and increased funding.

The report examines how mining-producer countries use local content policies to translate extractive activities into domestic economic development. Key findings indicate a primary focus on local employment and contracting, with a significant emphasis on benefits for communities near mine sites. While many governments employ mandatory requirements and incentives, the report identifies critical gaps in the use of 'rules of origin' and data-based monitoring tools. Despite challenges such as limited technical capacity and infrastructure deficits, the report concludes that these policies are generally successful when they balance local community benefits with national development and avoid unrealistic industry burdens.

The document details the COMPACT Local Government Collaboration Model, which uses a five-step process—Purpose, Making Sense of the Challenge, Vision and Hope, Implementing and Adapting, and Reflection and Learning—to improve municipal governance. The model was piloted in 2025 in the Blue Crane Route and Newcastle local municipalities to address water crises and local economic development, respectively. Key findings emphasize the necessity of immersive problem-understanding, constructive problem framing, and strong local political buy-in for sustainable collaboration.

The document examines how Chinese firms in Zimbabwe are coupling mining investments with energy infrastructure to overcome local power shortages and support mineral beneficiation, particularly in the lithium sector. While this model has increased Zimbabwe's lithium revenues from $70 million in 2022 to over $600 million in 2024, it has raised significant concerns regarding environmental degradation, lack of community consultation, and the risk of perpetuating an extractive 'pit-to-port' model where high-value refining remains in China.

The document argues that climate justice is unattainable without 'communication justice'—the ability of all people to access, share, and be heard in public discourse. It highlights how digital divides, language barriers, and coordinated disinformation campaigns by the fossil fuel industry undermine climate action. Through case studies in Zimbabwe and the Amazon, it advocates for blending AI and digital tools with indigenous knowledge and community-led media to build resilience. The text calls for mandatory information integrity standards and a shift toward 'constructive journalism' to combat climate fatigue and empower vulnerable populations in the Global South.

The document identifies PET, PETG, and PVC shrink sleeves as priority problematic plastics in South Africa because they disrupt the PET bottle recycling process. It argues that substituting these materials with floatable polyolefin sleeves (PE or PP) allows for effective separation via float-sink mechanisms, thereby increasing the number of bottles successfully recycled. While early adopters like Woolworths and SPUR Corporation have successfully transitioned, the report notes that market-wide adoption is hindered by cost premiums and technical adjustments, though these are mitigated by collaboration through the South African Plastics Pact.

The document details a three-year partnership between the Anglo American Foundation and GreenCape to catalyse South Africa's fragmented Black Soldier Fly (BSF) sector. Central to this effort was the establishment of the Southern African Mass Insect Rearing Organisation (SAMIRO), a member-based industry body designed to provide a unified voice for advocacy and regulatory navigation. Despite achieving significant investment and job creation, the sector continues to face challenges from global volatility and waning investor risk appetite, leaving SAMIRO operating as a "minimum viable product."

The report addresses the definitional ambiguity of 'systemic risks' in the Digital Services Act (DSA) by proposing a structured research agenda. This framework operationalises risk assessment through six dimensions: severity (scale, scope, and remediability) and likelihood (platform characteristics, historical patterns, and contextual factors). Using asymmetric amplification of political content during elections as a case study, the authors demonstrate how a plurality of observational and experimental methods is necessary to generate the evidence required for regulatory decisions. The report concludes that current data access constraints, including limited API functionality and restrictive Virtual Computing Environments, hinder the ability of researchers to fulfill their legally recognised role under the DSA.

The research paper argues that hybrid threats—combining hostile state operations with extremist violence—require a 'whole-of-society' prevention approach. It suggests adopting a 'public health' model of prevention, categorised into primary (building resilience), secondary (targeted vulnerability efforts), and tertiary (minimising acute harm) interventions. The authors emphasize the need to break down government silos between domestic and foreign security, avoid the over-securitisation of communities, and integrate gender and intersectional analysis into threat assessments.

Palau is developing its first stand-alone national adaptation plan (NAP), expected in 2026, to address critical vulnerabilities including sea level rise, coastal erosion, and saltwater intrusion. The process, led by the Office of Climate Change (OCC) and supported by the Green Climate Fund, employs a "whole-of-society approach" across 10 priority sectors. Adaptation strategies combine high-tech monitoring—such as LiDAR and drones—with traditional ecological knowledge and community-led initiatives. Key actions include nature-based coastal protection via mangrove conservation and reforestation, the use of climate-resilient taro varieties in agriculture, and community-organized sea wall repairs in Melekeok State. The framework emphasizes that durable resilience must be rooted in local stewardship and the intergenerational transmission of environmental knowledge.

The report positions democratic communication as a critical infrastructure for climate justice, asserting that environmental policies often fail when disconnected from local social and cultural systems. Through three case studies, it illustrates how community radio in Colombia's páramos, public dialogues on hydropower in Nepal, and community-led data collection in Nigeria's Niger Delta empower marginalized populations. These initiatives combat disinformation, validate indigenous expertise, and transform communities from passive recipients of climate policy into active participants and producers of evidence. The document concludes that investing in independent journalism, community media, and digital inclusion is a strategic necessity for effective and equitable climate action.