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The document explores Africa's potential to become a leader in synthetic carbon dioxide removal, particularly through direct air capture (DAC). It identifies the East African Rift, especially Kenya, as an ideal hub due to its abundant geothermal energy and basaltic rock formations suitable for permanent carbon mineralization. The report details current projects, such as Octavia Carbon's Project Hummingbird, and outlines necessary innovations in energy efficiency, geological storage, and project development to scale the industry. It also emphasizes the role of voluntary carbon markets and supportive regulatory frameworks in overcoming financing gaps for first-of-a-kind projects.

The document explores the potential of Black Soldier Fly (BSF) larvae as an alternative source of chitin and its derivatives (chitosan and glucosamine), reducing reliance on crustacean aquaculture. It highlights a significant opportunity in South Africa, where approximately 10.3 million tonnes of food waste could potentially yield between 4,258 and 9,036 tonnes of BSF chitin annually, with a theoretical optimistic value of up to $498 million. While the global market for chitin products is projected to grow to $24.9 billion by 2030, the document identifies barriers such as high production costs, lack of industrial-scale extraction expertise in South Africa, and onerous regulatory registration processes. It suggests focusing on niche, high-quality products for biomedical and pharmaceutical sectors and leveraging urban waste streams to strengthen the business case.

The document explores the role of Black Soldier Fly (BSF) larvae in transitioning South Africa from a linear to a circular economy by converting organic waste into high-value protein meal, oil, and frass. It identifies significant opportunities in waste management, livestock and pet food ingredients, and soil security, while highlighting regulatory barriers and the need for updated legislation to support the sector's growth.

The report identifies subnational pension funds as a significant source of untapped capital for urban climate action, estimating at least USD 9.5 trillion in assets across Brazil, Canada, Germany, the Netherlands, South Africa, the UK, and the US. It details structural barriers such as low risk appetite and limited fund size, as well as external barriers like a lack of bankable project pipelines and ticket size mismatches. To overcome these, the document recommends the use of financial instruments such as blended finance, green bonds, and supply-side aggregation (pooling), while urging funds to make net zero commitments and build internal capacity.

The report identifies five key Water-Smart Agriculture (WSA) innovation clusters in South Africa: irrigation systems, smart farming, undercover farming, sustainable practices, and drought-tolerant crops. While commercial farms have adopted many of these technologies due to economies of scale, adoption remains low among smallholder and emerging farmers. The analysis estimates significant market sizes for high-tech greenhouses (R11.78 billion) and no-till machinery (R4.48 billion), while identifying remote sensing services as a high-growth area. Major barriers include high upfront costs, limited technical skills, and an unfriendly regulatory environment. The report recommends developing innovative financing models, increasing farmer awareness, and strengthening government support through tax rebates and policy integration.

The report identifies that most humanitarian and social protection cash transfers in Nigeria are delivered as physical cash due to a bank-led market and a lack of robust digital financial service (DFS) ecosystems. Key barriers include restrictive agent e-float limits set by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), low recipient digital literacy, and a lack of economic incentive for financial service providers (FSPs) to maintain permanent accounts for poor recipients. The document recommends segmenting beneficiaries by digital readiness, strengthening foundational identity through National Identification Number (NIN) registration, and digitising merchant payments to reduce the liquidity burden of cash disbursements.

The paper explores how citizen science can help achieve SDG 12.3 by addressing 26 priority research questions on food loss and waste. It argues that citizen science serves as both a data collection tool and a catalyst for behavioral and policy change by building shared understanding among food system actors.

The South African energy services market, comprising small-scale embedded generation (SSEG), energy storage, and energy efficiency, is projected to reach a total available market value of approximately R125 billion by 2035. Growth is driven by rising Eskom electricity tariffs, falling costs of renewable technologies, and supportive regulatory shifts, such as the unbundling of Eskom and the 2019 Integrated Resource Plan (IRP). Key emerging opportunities include the bundling of rooftop solar PV projects to attract larger investors, solar PV for energy resellers in property developments, and the retrofitting of existing buildings for energy efficiency. While the C&I sector currently dominates solar installations, the energy storage market is expected to grow significantly through grid management and resource adequacy applications, potentially valued between R15 billion and R30 billion by 2030.

The report identifies five primary lignocellulosic waste streams in the Western Cape: invasive alien vegetation (IAV), industrial composite wood materials, pallets, paper sludge, and green waste. It evaluates the current utilisation of these resources, the barriers to unlocking their value—such as high logistics costs for IAV and chemical toxicity in composites—and identifies potential business partners and stakeholders. The analysis concludes that while some streams like paper sludge and green waste have established markets, others like IAV and composite woods offer opportunities for higher-value products and energy recovery if technical and logistical challenges are addressed.

The report identifies significant volumes of organic waste from dairies, piggeries, poultry farms, and abattoirs in the Western Cape, noting that most are currently underutilised or disposed of via landfill and burial. It highlights anaerobic digestion and composting as primary value-addition opportunities, while noting regulatory hurdles regarding fertiliser sales and strict landfill requirements for animal carcasses. The document provides a directory of waste providers and technology partners to facilitate business-matching.

The report identifies a significant gap in the adoption of value-addition technologies for industrial organic wastewater in the Western Cape, noting that only 1% of companies have implemented such solutions. While biogas generation is the most common application, other recovered resources include white starch, whey, and composting materials. Key barriers to adoption include high capital requirements, lack of awareness, and the fact that many Western Cape companies produce wastewater volumes below the 1ML/D threshold typically required for a viable business case. The document highlights specific companies already implementing these solutions, such as Simba PepsiCo and Parmalat, and identifies potential partners and technology providers within South Africa.

The South African energy services market is expanding due to rising electricity costs, decreasing technology prices, and supportive policies. Growth is primarily driven by the commercial and industrial sectors, particularly through rooftop solar PV and energy efficiency retrofits. While national regulations have lagged behind the rapid uptake of small-scale embedded generation (SSEG), local municipalities, especially in the Western Cape, are developing their own guidelines to unlock investment. Significant opportunities exist in public building retrofits, the water-energy nexus in municipal wastewater treatment, and industrial solar thermal applications in the food and beverage sector.

This briefing by GreenCape outlines the potential for processing and reusing builders' rubble in South Africa, highlighting road construction as a primary opportunity and emphasizing the necessity of regional operations to manage logistics costs.

The report argues that rising input costs, water scarcity, and international market pressure are driving a transition toward green agriculture in South Africa. It highlights specific opportunities in energy efficiency, solar PV, conservation agriculture, precision agriculture, biological control, and biogas, while noting barriers such as high import costs, regulatory delays, and a lack of technical skills.

The report identifies the California water sector as a major electricity consumer, accounting for nearly 20 percent of the state's demand. It argues that while growing needs for groundwater pumping, desalination, and water recycling increase energy intensity, utilities can mitigate this by investing in on-site renewables, power purchase agreements, and demand response services. Key barriers include a lack of standardized electricity source data, regulatory misalignment, and financial constraints like Proposition 218.

The document introduces the CaRROT toolkit, an MS Excel-based tool for Kenya's flower industry to account for GHG emissions, energy, and water consumption. It outlines the assessment methodology based on ISO, IPCC, and GHG Protocol standards, and identifies climate-related business opportunities such as the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) and voluntary carbon markets. The report recommends establishing sectoral baselines and enhancing capacity building to transition the industry toward a low-carbon model.

The document explores the intersection of Black Soldier Fly (BSF) agriculture and carbon markets, specifically within the South African context. It identifies three primary pathways for BSF farmers to access carbon credits: diverting organic waste from landfills to avoid methane, producing low-carbon alternative proteins for animal feed, and enhancing soil carbon sequestration through the use of BSF frass. The brief details the mechanics of mandatory and voluntary carbon markets, the specific phases of South Africa's Carbon Tax Act, and the complex 10-step process for project registration. It also highlights significant barriers to entry, including high upfront costs (starting at R1 million for small projects), a lack of BSF-specific methodologies, and legal restrictions in the Western Cape that prohibit credits for landfill diversion due to a 2027 organic waste ban.

The document explores the role of Black Soldier Fly (BSF) larvae in converting organic waste into frass, a nutrient-rich excrement that serves as a bio-fertiliser. It argues that BSF frass can support regenerative horticulture by improving soil health and reducing the ecological impact of synthetic fertilisers. In South Africa, where fertiliser is heavily imported and food waste is significant, the brief identifies a potential market for frass production valued between R3.1 and R12.4 billion per year. However, growth is hindered by scaling challenges, low market awareness, and significant regulatory delays in product registration through the Department of Agriculture Land Reform and Rural Development.

The document identifies Cape Town as a strategic hub for textile recycling due to its concentration of clothing manufacturers and retailers. It argues that transitioning from a linear to a circular textile economy can mitigate supply chain volatility and reduce landfill pressure. The brief highlights two primary opportunities: creating a commercial open-loop recycling hub to process over 70,000 tonnes of annual textile waste and establishing Africa's first commercial-scale closed-loop fibre-to-fibre recycling facility. Key barriers include a lack of textile-specific waste data, high capital requirements for advanced technology, and the complexity of processing post-consumer mixed materials. The document recommends the development of mandatory Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) requirements and the use of the Retail-CTFL Masterplan to unite the industry under circularity targets.

The document argues that Black Soldier Fly (BSF) agriculture can transform organic waste liabilities into economic opportunities by producing high-value protein meal, oil, and frass. It highlights Cape Town as a global leader in BSF innovation and identifies key opportunities in waste management, livestock and pet food, and soil security to future-proof food supply chains against climate instability and geopolitical tensions.