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The authors advocate for the transition from global to regional value chains in Africa, emphasizing that digital transformation—specifically through blockchain, AI, and IoT—is essential to overcome high trade costs, poor infrastructure, and inefficient customs procedures. The paper highlights the AfCFTA as a critical framework for this shift, noting that while Africa currently exports raw materials with little value addition (e.g., coffee and cocoa), digital tools can enable MSMEs and women-led businesses to scale and integrate into more productive regional networks.

The document examines the political challenges hindering the coordination of climate finance, focusing on the relationship between the Climate Investment Funds (CIF) and the Green Climate Fund (GCF). It highlights how divergent governance structures, domestic bureaucratic politics in recipient countries, and fragmented development coordination frameworks create inefficiencies. Using examples from Kenya and Zambia, it illustrates the tension between different government ministries over who should lead climate finance coordination. The brief recommends that contributor governments provide more consistent guidance and that the UNFCCC Standing Committee on Finance helps clarify the organizational strengths and roles of various funds.

The document argues that smart city developments often prioritize technology and business interests, risking the exclusion of marginalized groups, the urban poor, and women. It proposes a participatory approach to urban planning that utilizes stakeholder mapping, gender-sensitive data collection, and social equity impact assessments to ensure that digital and infrastructural transformations do not exacerbate existing social inequalities or displace vulnerable populations.

The document highlights the critical role of cold storage in Rwanda's horticulture sector, where a lack of reliable electricity—with only 23 percent of the rural population having access in 2018—contributes to significant food losses, such as an estimated 56 percent of tomatoes. An FAO assessment indicates that achieving the government's export target of 46,000 tonnes of horticulture products by 2024 could create a market potential for solar cold storage of up to USD 6,105,000, assuming a 75 percent adoption rate.

The Measuring Wealth to Promote Sustainable Development Project argues that GDP is an inefficient measure of national well-being and economic health, particularly during the recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. The project promotes a 'comprehensive wealth' approach that accounts for natural, produced, human, financial, and social capital. This framework has influenced Canada's Ministry of Finance in developing a Quality-of-Life Framework. The project is currently expanding its research partnerships to Ethiopia, Indonesia, and Trinidad and Tobago to advance expanded wealth measures within their specific socio-economic contexts.

The study examines flood risk in Windsor, Ontario, by combining geospatial hazard data with socioeconomic indicators. It finds that while riverine flood risk is relatively evenly distributed across social groups, pluvial (surface) flood risk is significantly higher for Black households, Indigenous people, and other visible minorities. The authors argue that traditional risk assessments focusing only on physical exposure overlook these environmental injustices, and recommend that mitigation resources and communication strategies be targeted toward socioeconomically vulnerable communities to improve cost-effectiveness and equity.

The study uses geospatial and quantitative analysis in Windsor, Ontario, to demonstrate that combining flood hazard exposure with a neighbourhood deprivation index reveals 'hot spots' of risk that traditional physical assessments miss. It finds that marginalized and racialized populations, particularly Black households, are disproportionately exposed to pluvial (surface water) flooding, while no such significant disparity was found for fluvial (riverine) flooding. The authors argue that integrating socioeconomic vulnerability into risk management allows for more equitable allocation of resources and targeted social programs to reduce overall vulnerability.

Manamuz Electric LTD has developed a modular, solar-powered walk-in commercial refrigeration unit to provide 'cooling as a service' to rural farmers in Nigeria. A pilot project launched in July 2021 in the Ngwo community, Enugu State, has already integrated 151 farmers and stored over 6,000 kg of tomatoes. The innovation aims to address energy access gaps in the agricultural sector, reduce food waste, and increase farmer income by extending the shelf life of produce without relying on fossil fuels.

The document highlights the work of Gregory Dugas within the Mi’kmaq Pollinator Project, focusing on how climate warming contributes to the rise of parasites like the gallerid, which devastate bumblebee colonies. To protect these essential pollinators, Dugas recommends that the provincial government test the use of traps on artificial hives to block parasite entry.

The document describes the 'double perspective' approach used by the Sahtú people in the Northwest Territories, where intercultural camps in nature facilitate the co-production of knowledge between Indigenous knowledge holders and scientific researchers. These camps aim to address climate change impacts—such as rising temperatures and changing caribou behavior—while promoting youth leadership, cultural reclamation, and community-led environmental monitoring. Key initiatives include the Dene Ts’ı̨lı̨ school for youth and water knowledge camps to address pollution and climate risks. The study highlights that successful implementation requires a focus on participant well-being, structured learning combined with traditional activities, and the provision of professional certifications to incentivize participation.

The Sahtú Renewable Resources Board implements 'Cross Cultural Research Camps' to facilitate the co-production of knowledge between Indigenous community members and researchers. These camps address climate change impacts in the Northwest Territories—where temperatures are predicted to rise by 4 to 8 degrees by the 2050s—by combining traditional Dene and Métis knowledge with science-based monitoring. Key initiatives include youth-focused skills training, water knowledge camps to address contamination and climate risks, and the Tracking Change project focusing on fish ecology. The document highlights the necessity of integrating wellness supports for youth and developing cultural safety plans, while noting that these camps strengthen community resilience and cross-cultural relationships.

The REDD+ programme aims to curb carbon emissions by providing financial incentives to developing countries for protecting forestry resources. While small-scale projects in Kenya and Cambodia have successfully preserved biodiversity and created jobs, large-scale implementation has faced significant failures. In Indonesia, the programme has been undermined by the misclassification of palm oil plantations as revegetation projects, alleged double counting of credits, and the displacement of indigenous communities. Despite these issues, the document notes that REDD+ has improved forestry monitoring and kept rainforests on the global policy agenda.

The report examines the role of nuclear energy in producing zero-carbon fuels (ZCFs) to decarbonize the marine shipping industry, which accounted for 2.6% of global CO2 emissions in 2018. It identifies ammonia as a particularly promising fuel due to its energy density and compatibility with existing engine technology. The authors argue that nuclear energy is well-suited for ZCF production because of its high capacity factor, low land-use requirements, and ability to provide high-temperature steam for electrolysis. The document proposes using the U.S. Jones Act and other federal programs to incentivize the construction of ZCF-powered vessels and the development of regional production hubs, specifically suggesting the Houston region as a potential case study.

The document argues that climate change adaptation policies in Canada often ignore that risks are socially created and inequitably distributed. It uses case studies from Nova Scotia to demonstrate how structural determinants—such as poverty, systemic racism, and lack of education—combine with environmental racism to make racialized communities more sensitive to and more exposed to climate hazards. The author highlights specific instances of environmental racism, including toxic waste sites and industrial pollution in Mi’kmaw and African Nova Scotian communities, and calls for race-based data collection and health equity impact assessments to build climate resilience.

The document argues that climate change adaptation policies in Canada often ignore how structural inequalities and environmental racism increase the vulnerability of marginalized groups. Using case studies from Nova Scotia, it demonstrates how historical racism and systemic failures in education, employment, and justice create health disparities that make Mi’kmaw and African Nova Scotian communities more susceptible to climate-related hazards. It details specific instances of environmental racism, such as the pollution of Boat Harbour and the forced relocation of Africville, and calls for health equity through disaggregated data, increased representation, and environmental justice legislation.

The document details the application of reflective cool roofs in Bangladesh and Indonesia, demonstrating significant reductions in indoor and surface temperatures for low-income housing and industrial facilities.

The Matongo Birthing Clinic in Kenya installed an 8.7 kW solar and storage microgrid to combat frequent power outages that previously deterred patients. Since August 2020, the facility has seen facility-based deliveries increase to 95%, reduced energy costs, and improved 24-hour operational reliability.

Tribal governments from the Kuskokwim River region are challenging the Donlin Gold mine, which would be one of the world's largest open-pit mines. The project is opposed due to threats to the subsistence lifestyle of the Yukon Kuskokwim River Delta and the potential for permanent damage to water, fish, and game resources.

The report analyzes the value chain of wind and solar projects to identify which components are suitable for local production versus global sourcing. It argues that while highly centralized components like solar modules and wind turbines are best imported to keep costs low, significant economic opportunities exist in localizing structures, towers, and electrical subsystems. Through case studies of countries like Mauritius, Namibia, Cambodia, and the Philippines, the report demonstrates how different tariff strategies—ranging from revenue generation to industry protection—impact renewable energy deployment and suggests that international cooperation to reduce trade barriers on environmental goods can accelerate the energy transition.

The report examines the global market for lithium-ion batteries and the critical role of lithium and cobalt. It uses Chile and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) as case studies to illustrate how developing countries can capture value from the electric vehicle (EV) boom while managing risks such as price volatility, technological shifts toward cobalt-free batteries, and social or environmental degradation. The document argues that while lithium demand remains stable, cobalt faces higher uncertainty, suggesting that producer countries should diversify into mining-related services to avoid stranded assets.