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The workshop brought together officials and municipal representatives from WAEMU member states to analyze the implementation of mining local development funds (MLDFs) and other community development tools. Participants evaluated the current state of MLDFs in countries like Côte d’Ivoire, Burkina Faso, and Senegal, while discussing alternatives used in Mali, Niger, and Benin. The sessions explored the integration of MLDFs with environmental and social impact assessments (ESIAs), local content policies, corporate social responsibility (CSR), and community development agreements (CDAs). The workshop concluded that an ideal approach involves combining an MLDF with either mandatory CDAs or voluntary CSR plans, prioritizing transparency, alignment with local development plans, and outcome monitoring.

The document analyzes the 'right to food' (RtF) for indigenous peoples in Southern Africa amidst climate change, comparing legal frameworks and case-law in South Africa, Namibia, and Botswana. It notes that national implementation varies significantly across these states and highlights a data gap regarding the actual attainment of food rights for indigenous groups due to their omission from census data and studies. The authors argue that consulting indigenous representatives is essential to determine if states are meeting their obligations to respect, protect, and fulfill the right to food.

The report argues that Brazil can align economic growth with natural resource protection by intensifying production on underutilized pasture lands. It identifies three main directives for reform: improving risk management tools (insurance and derivatives), aligning rural credit with the 2012 Forest Code to incentivize environmental conservation, and simplifying the complex, public-sector-dominated credit system to increase private bank participation and predictability.

The document argues that Brazil can align economic growth with environmental protection by reforming its rural credit system to support the 2012 Forest Code. It identifies inefficiencies in the current credit design, such as annual planning horizons and a dominance of public banks, and proposes a phased transition toward risk management tools, private sector participation, and subsidies strictly tied to the provision of public environmental goods.

The report explores how jurisdictions can cooperate through 'carbon pricing clubs' to link carbon pricing instruments (CPIs) and reduce emissions cost-effectively. By analyzing non-climate institutions—specifically APEC, MTCR, OECD, and IFTA—the authors identify key governance dimensions: membership rules, decision-making processes, and compliance mechanisms. The report argues that 'hard coordination' and exclusive membership are essential for maintaining environmental integrity, while centralized secretariats can reduce administrative burdens and facilitate technical alignment. It concludes that a combination of strict accession criteria, peer-review processes, and flexible decision-making (such as majority voting) can help clubs adapt to changing political and economic circumstances while safeguarding their environmental goals.

The document outlines findings from a multi-year research project on FDI in SADC, highlighting that while FDI can catalyze regional trade and economic development, its success is heavily dependent on governance, policy certainty, and the transition from donor-led to private-sector-led investment. It examines the FDI regimes of South Africa, Namibia, Angola, Mozambique, and Tanzania, alongside specific analyses of the energy, transport, and agricultural sectors (specifically macadamia nuts and soybeans). The briefing concludes that regional value chains in SADC remain limited and that the primary barriers to deeper integration are trade facilitation and the lack of private sector opportunities rather than a lack of financing.

The document outlines the process for developing long-term low greenhouse gas emission development strategies, emphasizing their role in guiding near- and medium-term actions and avoiding stranded assets. It details essential design elements, including long-term visions, sectoral pathways, and the critical role of the energy sector. The paper also discusses the use of modeling, scenarios, and qualitative inputs to inform these strategies, while highlighting the importance of transparent communication and just transitions.

The research note analyzes California's consignment auctioning mechanism, where the government auctions free allowances on behalf of companies and returns the revenue to them. This hybrid approach is proposed as a solution for China's national ETS to enable price discovery and price collars while cushioning the economic impact on energy-intensive, trade-exposed sectors and bypassing institutional barriers regarding government revenue accounts.

The document examines the negative impacts of seismic surveys on marine fauna and evaluates the adequacy of current mitigation guidelines in South Africa and globally. It recommends that South Africa move away from company-led environmental impact assessments (EIAs) toward a national, legislated regulatory framework to ensure environmental integrity during oil and gas exploration.

The report analyzes 23 green bonds totaling USD 15.1bn issued in Q4 2017. It finds that USD green bonds generally achieve higher oversubscription and tighter pricing relative to initial price thoughts than vanilla bonds, while EUR green bonds perform similarly. Approximately 44% of allocations went to green investors. The 'greenium' (pricing inside the yield curve) was observed in only half of a limited sample of six bonds, indicating that a new issue premium is not always avoided. In the secondary market, over half of EUR green bonds outperformed their indices after 28 days, whereas USD green bonds lagged.

The report examines remittance flows in sub-Saharan Africa, highlighting that while they are a vital source of capital—often exceeding official development assistance (ODA) and foreign direct investment (FDI)—formal flows are constrained by high costs and regulatory barriers. Nigeria is the dominant receiver of remittances in the region. The study identifies a significant mismatch between migration patterns and formal remittance data, suggesting a high level of informality. It argues that shifting these flows to formal channels would enhance financial sector development and overall economic growth in SSA.

The analysis concludes that river flows in the Mokolo and Crocodile (West) catchments are very likely to decline due to a combination of projected precipitation decreases and increased evaporation driven by rising temperatures. Using the American Southwest as a semi-arid analog, the author argues that temperature-induced flow declines will occur even if modest precipitation increases happen. The report warns that these systems are already over-allocated and that further warming, potentially reaching 5°C under high-emissions scenarios, will exacerbate water shortages and increase the frequency of 'flash droughts'.

The report analyzes 19 green bonds issued in Q3 2017, finding that they generally achieve higher oversubscription and tighter pricing relative to initial price thoughts than vanilla bonds. While a 'greenium' (pricing without a new issue premium) was observed in a minority of cases, half the sample did not exhibit a new issue premium. EUR green bonds showed strong secondary market performance, consistently tightening more than their corresponding indices after 7 and 28 days.

The document argues that while there is significant overlap between G20 initiatives, the AU Agenda 2063, and the UN 2030 Agenda, the G20 can further support Africa by addressing gaps in regional economic integration, infrastructure financing, and inequality. It recommends that African G20 participants, particularly South Africa, prioritize areas where the G20 adds value to the African development agenda and advocate for a development-focused global dialogue on inequality.

The paper examines the decline of internet freedoms in Africa, noting that at least 10 states shut down internet access or social media in 2016 to curtail political mobilisation. While technology can improve government transparency and service delivery—as seen in Kenya's e-government initiatives—it is also used for surveillance and censorship. The author argues for a balanced regulatory approach that addresses cybercrime, which is growing rapidly in Africa, without infringing on civil liberties. The document highlights a lack of binding continental or regional frameworks, noting that most existing instruments are non-binding templates.

The report argues that for transitional justice to be effective in South Sudan, the African Union must move beyond the mere establishment of a hybrid court to support a coordinated, victim-centred strategy. This includes the Commission for Truth, Reconciliation and Healing (CTRH) and the Compensation and Reparation Authority (CRA), alongside traditional reconciliation mechanisms. The authors emphasize that security, psychosocial support, and the inclusion of civil society and the diaspora are essential preconditions for success. Drawing on lessons from other African nations, the report highlights the limitations of international trials and the critical importance of tangible reparations and local ownership to ensure the non-recurrence of violence.

The document examines the tension in South Africa between the desire to attract skilled migrants and the drive to deter irregular, semi-skilled migration. It critiques the 2016 Green Paper on International Migration for proposing regressive asylum policies, such as processing centres, while noting positive steps toward regional SADC integration and the retention of foreign graduates. The authors highlight systemic bottlenecks, including poor inter-departmental coordination and the negative impact of the Licensing of Small Businesses Bill on migrant entrepreneurs, and argue that xenophobia is exacerbated by government discourse linking irregular migration to national security.

The document argues that national risk assessments, while appearing scientifically objective, are inherently political because they rely on institutional biases and expert subjectivity. This political nature can reinforce existing power structures, justify current institutional landscapes, and influence the allocation of resources. The author highlights the challenge posed by new digital media, which reduces state control over risk perception but increases the need for authoritative, accessible information. Using examples from the UK, Netherlands, Ireland, and Norway, the brief outlines how different states categorize risks. It concludes by proposing that Norway merge its four separate risk assessments into a single, transparent, and expertise-based national risk management website to strengthen public awareness while maintaining political neutrality.

The document examines how countries customize the global Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) indicator set to fit national contexts. Analyzing nine countries, it finds that while 65% of reported indicators match the UN Statistical Commission (UNSC) suggestions, there is significant under-reporting of environmental goals. The authors argue that the choice of indicators reflects a country's policy commitment and recommend that nations build reporting capacity using existing systems while avoiding 'cherry-picking' easy targets.

The briefing analyzes China's 'Standard for Energy Consumption of Civil Buildings' (GB/T51161-2016), which establishes energy quotas based on metered performance relative to peer groups. It argues that U.S. entities can benefit from China's approach to whole-building metered assessment, the localization of performance targets to account for market dynamics, and the challenges of aligning operational energy targets with design codes.