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The document argues that the Southern African Development Community (SADC) can accelerate economic resilience and regional integration by transitioning from fragmented digital systems to a cohesive Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI). While the region has strong foundations in payment systems like RTGS and TCIB, it faces systemic risks from a 'regulatory deficit', specifically the low adoption of the AU Malabo Convention. The authors propose a 'Triple-A' agenda: accelerate the federated e-Know Your Customer (e-KYC) framework to include 3.7 million cross-border nationals, anchor governance using 'techno-legal' safeguards inspired by India's DPI Sutras, and assert a unified global position via the African Digital Compact. The brief emphasizes that technical capacity is not the primary barrier; rather, policy fragmentation and the digital divide—particularly affecting rural populations and people with disabilities—must be addressed to achieve digital sovereignty.

Industrial decarbonisation is essential for the global energy transition, as the sector accounts for 37% of total final energy use and one-third of global greenhouse gas emissions. While advanced economies have decoupled growth from emissions, emerging economies are seeing surges due to the relocation of heavy industries. The paper highlights that for emerging markets and developing economies (EMDEs), the transition is a business opportunity to leapfrog to sustainable technologies, avoid stranded assets, and enhance competitiveness against mechanisms like the EU's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM). However, significant bottlenecks exist, including high capital costs and limited access to critical technologies like hydrogen-based steelmaking and carbon capture. The authors propose a global partnership framework based on four pillars: technology transfer, finance mobilisation, policy alignment, and capacity building, suggesting the Climate Club as a potential governance platform.

The authors propose a 'strategic resilience' framework to elevate climate change adaptation from 'low politics' in environment ministries to the heart of government. Using a UK case study, the paper highlights the failure of traditional territorial adaptation to address cross-border risks—which propagate via trade, finance, people, and biophysical routes. It warns against the 'securitization' of adaptation by defence ministries and suggests three pathways for reform: empowering environment ministries, establishing central coordinators, or creating dedicated ministries of resilience.

The report finds that while Kenya has successfully increased its renewable electricity generation to 87% by 2022, the transition lacks policy coherence regarding affordability and equity. High electricity tariffs, driven by infrastructure investments and a distribution monopoly, hinder industrial competitiveness and limit energy access for vulnerable groups. The analysis identifies a significant trade-off between coal-based industrialization goals and climate mitigation targets, though the latter has gained dominance due to international financial pressure. Institutional barriers, including corruption and limited resources for social equity, further impede a just transition.

The document examines the alignment of Indonesia's business sector with the 2035 NDC, highlighting a potential investment opportunity of USD 3.8 trillion. While over 100 Indonesian companies have adopted science-based targets, the report identifies significant barriers including regulatory uncertainty, fragmented institutional responsibility, and a lack of a standardized 'green investment' definition. It proposes solutions such as 'power wheeling' for renewable energy access, blended finance mechanisms, and sectoral decarbonization roadmaps for energy, industry, and transport to ensure the NDC is 'investible' and supports the national goal of net-zero by 2060.

The document outlines the economic and environmental necessity for South Africa to raise its climate ambition in its second NDC. It emphasizes that transitioning from a coal-dependent economy to one powered by renewables is an economic imperative to avoid trade risks from Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanisms (CBAMs) and to unlock new industries like green hydrogen and electric vehicles. The briefing provides sector-specific recommendations for power, transport, and heavy industry, while stressing the need for deep public-private collaboration and the inclusion of SMEs to achieve a net-zero target by 2050.

The Global Goal on Adaptation (GGA) is an international framework established under the Paris Agreement to monitor and evaluate climate adaptation progress. While an overarching framework was agreed in 2023, the process now focuses on defining specific indicators to be finalized at COP30 in Belém. These indicators, covering both outcomes (e.g., water stress levels) and means of implementation (e.g., finance), aim to replace vague pledges with measurable targets. The document highlights a critical adaptation financing gap, noting that developing countries' needs are estimated at USD 310-365 billion annually, far exceeding current flows. It argues that quantifiable metrics can incentivize investment, citing research that every dollar invested in adaptation can generate over ten dollars in benefits over a decade.

The report finds that 27 countries have set national offshore wind targets, with global capacity projected to almost triple from 83 GW in 2024 to 238 GW by 2030. While targets have driven market growth, many countries are expected to miss their 2030 goals due to cost inflation, supply chain pressures, and permitting delays. The analysis highlights a significant gap between current projections and the 413 GW required by 2030 to align with the UAE consensus for tripling renewable capacity.

The document highlights Africa's strategic position as the holder of over 30% of the world's critical mineral reserves, essential for the global transition to renewable energy. It warns that without regional coordination, African nations risk remaining locked into raw materials extraction while major economies like the US, EU, and China compete for access. The authors advocate for the implementation of the Africa Green Minerals Strategy (AGMS) through a coordinated diplomatic framework and a continental task force to enhance negotiation power and promote regional value chains.

The document analyzes Nigeria's climate policy through four 'policy moments', highlighting a persistent struggle with institutional overlap and fragmented governance. It examines how internal competition between bodies like the National Council on Climate Change (NCCC) and the Office of the Special Presidential Envoy on Climate (OSPEC) dilutes Nigeria's international bargaining power. The paper also discusses the impact of global energy market shifts, the divestment of onshore assets by International Oil Companies (IOCs), and the challenges of removing fuel subsidies. It concludes that Nigeria must move away from transplanting foreign institutional models and instead develop a domestically driven, streamlined framework that integrates the petroleum sector into its climate goals.

Nigeria's climate agenda is hampered by overlapping institutions and a lack of elite consensus, which diminishes its bargaining power internationally. While the Tinubu administration has attempted to centralize governance through the Office of the Special Presidential Envoy on Climate (OSPEC) and the Presidential Climate Action Committee (PCAC), these moves risk further fragmentation by sidelining statutory bodies like the National Council on Climate Change (NCCC). Externally, Nigeria faces declining oil exports to China and India and increased competition from the US in European markets, intensifying the need for a successful energy transition. The report highlights a trend of International Oil Companies (IOCs) divesting from onshore assets due to regulatory instability, while noting that agile local firms are better positioned to navigate domestic complexities.

The paper examines the geopolitical and economic landscape of mining in West Africa, highlighting a shift toward resource nationalism in countries like Burkina Faso and Ghana. It discusses the influence of foreign powers such as France, Russia, and China, and identifies critical barriers to growth, including mineral smuggling, illegal artisanal mining, and a lack of processing infrastructure. While ECOWAS has attempted to harmonize mining regulations through directives and policies, the document notes that poor coordination and political instability have hindered their effectiveness.

The authors report a 71% decline in global shark and ray populations due to overfishing and bycatch, noting that slow reproductive rates hinder recovery. While some U.S. regions like Florida and Hawai’i show signs of recovery, this has led to increased 'depredation'—sharks taking fish from fishers' lines. The authors criticize the SHARKED Act (S. 2314/ H.R. 207) for potentially allowing shark culls as a mitigation strategy and for excluding Indigenous and tribal communities from its task force. They advocate for collaborative, non-lethal strategies, such as reassessing fishing practices and locations, to ensure coexistence between sharks and the fishing industry.

The report examines the fiscal and non-fiscal conditions necessary for resource-rich developing countries to optimize the balance between mineral production revenues and the benefits of downstream processing. It identifies stable legal frameworks, reliable infrastructure, and domestic markets as primary enablers, while production- and cost-based fiscal incentives serve as secondary supports that require careful calibration to avoid inefficiency.

The author argues that as more jurisdictions implement border carbon adjustments (BCAs), the lack of harmonized standards for measuring, reporting, and verifying emissions could create a "trade-restrictive, costly mess." While full harmonization is deemed unrealistic due to differing national economic and political realities, the document proposes "interoperability" as a viable alternative. This approach would involve splitting emissions accounting into discrete modules, harmonizing basic reporting information, and mutually recognizing accredited verifiers. The author suggests that existing forums like the OECD's Inclusive Forum for Carbon Mitigation Approaches and the Climate Club are appropriate venues for this coordination, warning that interoperability will be harder to achieve once multiple regimes are fully operational.

The document argues that while North-South just energy transition partnerships are innovative, they are limited by issues of financing, local ownership, and equity. South-South cooperation (SSC) is presented as a complementary approach that can foster peer learning and context-specific, justice-centred solutions focusing on energy access, job creation, and socio-political inclusion. The brief highlights South Africa and Colombia as examples of countries facing transition challenges with untapped potential for cooperation in mine closure, green industrialization, and community benefit-sharing.

The authors argue that policy delays regarding deforestation do not mitigate the physical risks to business continuity, such as soil degradation and disrupted water cycles. They urge companies to engage with the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) public consultation on Forest, Land and Agriculture (FLAG) Guidance and to continue preparing for the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) to ensure long-term supply chain resilience and market access.

The document argues that the AfCFTA can mitigate Africa's youth unemployment crisis by fostering a regional market for greentech goods and services. It highlights a significant trade deficit in green goods and suggests that localising production—supported by tax incentives, digital skills training, and the revitalisation of Indigenous environmental practices—can create millions of jobs. While carbon-intensive sectors may lose up to 4.2 million jobs by 2050, the energy transition could create up to 12 million jobs in the same period, provided that regulatory barriers are removed and investment is facilitated.

The report assesses gender disparities across five African nations to inform the investment strategy of the $200m Novastar Ventures Africa People and Planet Fund III (NV III). It identifies pervasive gender-based violence, gaps in STEM education, and the disproportionate impact of climate change on women in agriculture and informal employment. To address these, NV III commits to the 2x Criteria, targeting specific gender quotas for employees, management, consumers, and suppliers within its portfolio companies, while implementing a Gender Lens Investment Policy.

The report assesses gender-specific vulnerabilities and capacities in Cambodia to ensure the LGCC-3 project effectively supports women and marginalized groups. It identifies deep-seated patriarchal norms, limited land rights, and financial exclusion as key drivers of women's disproportionate susceptibility to climate change. The document proposes a Gender Action Plan (GAP) that includes gender-specific investment criteria for performance-based climate-resilient grants (PBCRG), mandatory gender-responsive safeguards, and a survivor-centric grievance redress mechanism to prevent sexual exploitation, abuse, and harassment (SEAH).