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The African Union is pursuing a long-term goal of customs, monetary, and fiscal union. While the AfCFTA has seen initial tariff offers, progress in liberalising intra-African tariffs remains limited. Achieving monetary union requires the convergence of diverse exchange rate regimes toward an intermediate managed float or crawling peg referenced to a common currency like the XDR. Fiscal stability is hindered by persistent deficits and debt burdens, necessitating countercyclical debt rules and economic diversification to reduce reliance on volatile commodity exports.

The report analyzes Mozambique's climate risk and resilience across four areas: projected changes to the country's climate profile, implications for key economic sectors and the broader economy (including fiscal and trade impacts), an overview of existing and planned government adaptation measures, and strategic recommendations for funding mobilization.

The policy brief advocates for 'clean repowering'—the strategy of siting new renewable energy projects at existing or retiring fossil fuel plant interconnection points—to reduce interconnection times from nearly five years to less than one year. RMI's analysis indicates this approach could enable 250 GW of new renewable energy without transmission upgrades, resulting in average national savings of $12.7 billion annually from 2025 to 2035. The brief highlights the role of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and the Energy Infrastructure Reinvestment (EIR) program in making these projects financially viable and provides specific recommendations for regulators to ensure these savings reach customers through integrated resource planning and oversight.

The E-Mobility Program, managed by the Asian Development Bank (ADB), aims to replace fossil-fuel buses with battery electric buses (BEBs) and improve urban mobility in Armenia, Georgia, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Nepal, and Uzbekistan. The program integrates mitigation (reducing GHG emissions) with adaptation (increasing infrastructure resilience to floods and heat) and focuses on innovative business models to overcome high upfront costs. It requests USD 169.92 million from the Green Climate Fund (GCF) to leverage a total investment of USD 454.4 million.

The IEJ criticizes President Ramaphosa's SONA for lacking concrete plans to address South Africa's economic crises, poverty, and unemployment. The organization urges MPs to question the President on the sustainability of the Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant, the risks of private sector-led infrastructure and energy transitions, the 'starvation' of public services by the National Treasury, and the failure to hold state capture perpetrators accountable. The IEJ specifically calls for a transition to a Universal Basic Income Guarantee and the use of the Gold and Foreign Exchange Contingency Reserve Account (GFECRA) to fund developmental priorities.

The Clean Air Task Force (CATF) argues that carbon capture and storage (CCS) is indispensable for Austria to achieve climate neutrality by 2050, particularly for hard-to-abate sectors like cement, lime, and steel. The document recommends that Austria set specific deployment targets, remove legal barriers to geological CO2 storage, and develop a strategic plan for operationalising storage sites by 2035. To address the 'chicken and egg' problem of infrastructure investment, CATF suggests 'oversizing' transport networks and establishing an aggregation platform to match CO2 sources with sinks. Financially, the document proposes the use of carbon contracts for difference (CCfDs) to bridge the gap between EU ETS prices and decarbonisation costs, while advocating for long-term market demand through near-zero carbon product standards. Finally, it emphasizes the need for proactive public engagement and inclusive stakeholder dialogues to build political and social support for CCS.

The report argues that the initial impact of the G7 and EU oil price caps has faded as Russia redirected exports to China, India, and Turkey and developed a 'shadow fleet' of tankers to circumvent sanctions. While Russia's nominal GDP grew by 3.6% in 2023, the economy shows signs of overheating with labor shortages and skyrocketing military spending. The authors recommend closing the 'refining loophole,' gradually lowering the crude oil price cap to $30 per barrel, and using U.S. secondary sanctions to pressure third-country intermediaries.

The report establishes a technical framework for the pricing of lithium chemicals (carbonate and hydroxide) and concentrates (spodumene) using OECD transfer pricing principles. It details the physical characteristics of brine and hard-rock deposits, the production processes for different lithium products, and the economic drivers of demand, primarily linked to the electric vehicle battery market. The document identifies key contractual elements, such as Incoterms and pricing indices, and evaluates the role of Price Reporting Agencies (PRAs) in providing benchmarks for arm's length pricing. It concludes with guidance on comparability adjustments based on product quality, economic circumstances, and contractual terms.

The document outlines a technical framework for the valuation of lithium products—including brines, minerals, and chemicals—to ensure fair taxation in multinational mining operations. It details the physical characteristics of lithium deposits, the production processes for lithium carbonate and hydroxide, and the specific contractual elements that influence pricing. A significant portion of the guide is dedicated to analyzing price indices from major agencies like Argus Media, Fastmarkets, and Benchmark Mineral Intelligence, providing tax administrations with a methodology to adjust for product quality, economic circumstances, and delivery terms.

The report examines how the rivalry between the US and China in the technological domain threatens Indonesia's economic growth and national security. It highlights vulnerabilities in investment flows, market access for electronics and critical minerals, and risks related to cyber-espionage and technological interoperability. The authors argue that Indonesia's current regulatory and institutional framework is inadequate, as it fails to integrate geopolitical and security considerations into its technology strategies. To address these gaps, the report recommends investing in national tech champions, formulating domestic technological norms, and establishing a dedicated office for critical minerals, emerging technologies, and cybersecurity.

The global mini-grid market has seen significant growth, with installations in 2024 projected to be six times higher than in 2018. There is a clear transition from diesel to solar PV, with solar's share of installed capacity rising from 14% in 2018 to 59% in 2024. While funding has increased—with total committed funding for ongoing programmes exceeding USD 3.1 billion—a significant financing gap remains, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. The sector is shifting toward Productive Use of Energy (PUE) business models and innovative technologies like mesh grids and lithium-ion batteries to improve financial viability. However, the report notes that regulatory implementation often lags behind formal policy, and there is a critical need for standardized reporting and better data sharing to attract private investment.

The 2024 State of the Global Mini-Grids Market report highlights a significant expansion of the sector, with installations increasing six-fold since 2018. It documents a transition from diesel-heavy systems to solar photovoltaic (PV) and lithium-ion battery storage, driven by a 90% drop in solar panel costs over the last decade. The report emphasizes the shift toward Productive Use of Energy (PUE) to ensure financial viability and the emergence of innovative models like mesh grids for low-density areas. While total committed funding has exceeded 3.1 billion USD, the report identifies a persistent financing gap and slow disbursement rates, averaging 57% as of March 2024. It recommends the adoption of integrated energy planning, standardized regulatory tools, and a greater focus on local developers to achieve universal electricity access by 2030.

The document outlines the low-impact lifecycle of seaweed farming—from spore release in nurseries to ocean growth and spring harvest—and highlights its role in carbon absorption and coastal protection. It details how seaweed serves as a sustainable raw material for diverse industries, including biopackaging, biofuels, textiles, and livestock feed, while providing alternative income for fishers.

The Mekong River basin is the world's most productive inland fishery and the third most species-rich river for fish, hosting 1,148 recognized species. However, nearly 20% of these species are threatened with extinction due to hydropower dams, habitat loss, sand mining, pollution, and climate change. The report highlights the critical role of fish in regional food security—providing over half of the animal protein for many Lower Mekong populations—and their economic value in aquaculture, the aquarium trade, and potential eco-tourism. To reverse these declines, the document proposes a six-pillar Emergency Recovery Plan focusing on natural river flow, water quality, habitat restoration, sustainable resource management, control of invasive species, and the removal of obsolete barriers.

The report analyzes EU energy data from 2021 to 2023 to demonstrate how reliance on gas as a marginal electricity generator increases price volatility and energy inflation. It highlights that gas set electricity prices 55% of the time in 2022 and notes that energy inflation (HICP energy) typically rises between 20% and 45% when electricity prices exceed 150€/MWh. The author criticizes the EU's expansion of LNG infrastructure as a source of further volatility and calls on the European Central Bank to support renewable energy and energy efficiency to maintain long-term price stability.

The document argues that industrialisation is essential for improving living standards and creating youth employment in Africa, but notes a lack of focus on this goal during the 2022 and 2023 G20 summits. It identifies a productivity gap where large firms fail to generate sufficient employment and small firms lack productivity. The author recommends that the G20 adopt a unifying theme of industrialisation to support structural transformation, agricultural productivity, and the integration of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) into global value chains.

The report argues that nuclear energy is essential for a reliable, zero-carbon energy system but has stagnated since 1990 due to high costs and slow delivery. It proposes a 'fundamental reset' of the industry, shifting from bespoke mega-projects to standardized, manufactured products. Key recommendations include the creation of Independent Nuclear Development Organizations (INDOs) to integrate project delivery, a Global Licensing Authority (GLA) to harmonize international regulations, an International Technical Support Organization (ITSO) to assist embarking nuclear nations, and an International Bank of Nuclear Infrastructure (IBNI) to expand financing access. CATF analysis suggests these combined measures could reduce overnight construction costs by as much as 60% from first-of-a-kind to Nth-of-a-kind reactors.

The document evaluates the technical and economic performance of CCUS in power generation, highlighting that existing projects like Boundary Dam and Petra Nova have failed to meet theoretical capture rates. It notes that CCUS increases energy consumption by 20-30%, raises capital and operational costs significantly, and often facilitates enhanced oil recovery rather than permanent storage. Reclaim Finance concludes that CCUS in the power sector risks delaying the phase-out of fossil fuels and recommends that financial institutions prioritize mature sustainable energy sources like wind and solar.

The Thai Rice Project seeks to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase the climate resilience of approximately 253,400 smallholder rice farmers across 21 provinces in Thailand. The project focuses on the adoption of climate-smart technologies such as alternate wetting and drying (AWD), laser land levelling (LLL), and site-specific nutrient management (SSNM). It implements a bottom-up approach, providing farmers with training and financial incentives, while supporting service providers through capacity building and a new Climate-Smart Loan (CSL) scheme via the Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives (BAAC). Additionally, the project aims to strengthen the market for sustainable rice through the Thai Agricultural Standard (TAS) and develop a voluntary carbon market via the T-VER Rice Scheme. The project is expected to reduce 12.56 MtCO2e over its 15-year lifespan.

The project aims to protect approximately 799,445 direct beneficiaries in Bosnia and Herzegovina from intensifying climate-induced floods. It scales up a prototype from the Vrbas River basin to a national level, integrating a centralized and community-based Flood Forecasting and Early Warning System (FFEWS) with structural and ecosystem-based adaptation (EbA) measures. The initiative focuses on six target basins: Vrbas, Una-Sana, Bosna, Drina, Neretva, and Trebišnjica. Key components include upgrading the hydrometric network, mainstreaming flood risk into sectoral policies (agriculture, forestry, hydropower), and developing innovative risk financing and insurance mechanisms to ensure long-term sustainability.