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The report outlines a transition toward sustainable agriculture in South Africa, driven by resource scarcity, rising input costs, and international market pressures. It identifies key opportunities in smart farming, undercover farming, regenerative and organic agriculture, and renewable energy. A significant portion of the analysis focuses on solar PV, solar-powered irrigation, and biogas, while also detailing the policy landscape including carbon tax, land reform, and cannabis legislation. The Western Cape is highlighted as a strategic hub for these greentech investments.

The document examines the intersection of circular economy practices and international trade as a means to achieve net-zero emissions. It highlights the carbon-reduction potential of shifting from primary to secondary materials, the growth of circular business models like the sharing economy and product longevity, and the need for trade policies to remove barriers to green goods and services. The authors advocate for the use of bilateral and regional trade agreements to establish standards for circularity, noting that current international frameworks like the WTO and the Basel Convention are insufficient.

The report uses a case study of 62 South African pasture-based dairy farms to argue that sustainable management practices lead to higher gross margins and lower environmental impacts. Key findings indicate that optimizing milk production relative to cow size and land area, rather than maximizing production per cow, reduces carbon footprints and increases profitability. The study highlights a strong negative correlation between soil carbon and nitrogen fertiliser application, suggesting that healthy soils reduce the need for chemical inputs. Projections suggest that widespread adoption of these practices in the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal could reduce total carbon emissions by 10% and excess nitrogen by 27% over five years.

The document argues that African nations should leverage the post-COVID-19 recovery to 'build back better' by adopting green finance mechanisms. It identifies green bonds as a primary tool for raising large-scale capital and emphasizes the need for targeted public finance to de-risk investments and attract private capital. The briefing details several pathways for a green transition, including the establishment of environmental funds, the deployment of renewable energy as an economic stimulus, and the implementation of green fiscal reforms such as carbon taxes. It also highlights the critical role of central banks in 'greening' the financial sector through macroprudential regulation and the development of green taxonomies to reduce information asymmetries.

The document argues that the COVID-19 pandemic provides an opportunity for Ghana and other African nations to shift from natural resource-based development to a socially inclusive green economy. While Ghana has established frameworks like the National Green Jobs Strategy (2021–2025) and the National Climate Change Policy, its immediate pandemic recovery measures, such as the $17 billion Ghana-CARES programme, have focused on short-term stabilisation rather than structural greening. The author suggests that the G20 and multilateral institutions should condition medium-term financial support on green interventions to ensure a sustainable transition.

The analysis examines the declining value of Uganda's oil reserves in the Albertine Basin, the East African Crude Oil Pipeline, and the Hoima oil refinery. It finds that the value of these reserves has already decreased by over $40 billion since 2013, with further declines expected under a Paris Agreement-aligned low-carbon transition.

The report finds that the value of Uganda's upstream oil reserves has declined by 70% since 2013 due to structural changes in the global oil market, with a further $10 billion at risk in a transition aligned with the Paris Agreement. Current commercial terms are deemed insufficient for international oil companies like Total and CNOOC to reach a final investment decision, likely necessitating costly renegotiations for the Ugandan government. The authors argue that relying on oil for economic development is increasingly risky and recommend diversifying the economy, potentially through electrification, while incorporating climate transition and physical risks into public debt sustainability forecasts.

The SADC region possesses the raw minerals necessary for lithium-ion battery production but currently exports most as raw materials, missing value-addition opportunities. While South Africa has some R&D and assembly capabilities, the region lacks battery EV manufacturing plants due to policy gaps, infrastructure deficits, and a limited local market. The paper argues for regional collaboration, alignment with the SADC Industrialisation Strategy and Roadmap, and a 'just transition' to create jobs and economic growth.

The document examines how the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated existing debt distress in Africa, where average debt-to-GDP ratios rose from 60% to 70%. It critiques the G20/Paris Debt Service Suspension Initiative (DSSI) for its limited scope, noting that private creditors and multilateral development banks (MDBs) have largely refused to participate. The brief highlights the role of credit rating agencies in discouraging participation due to fears of downgrades and argues that many nations face solvency crises rather than temporary liquidity issues. It recommends extending the DSSI, reallocating IMF Special Drawing Rights, and establishing a permanent UN-led forum for debt monitoring and restructuring.

The document examines the decline of the U.S. coal industry, driven by cheaper alternative energy and rising extraction costs, and the resulting workforce crisis. It evaluates various federal legislative proposals and existing programs aimed at economic diversification, such as the RECLAIM Act and EDA grants. The brief highlights opportunities for transition in renewable energy, energy efficiency, environmental restoration, broadband deployment, and entrepreneurship, emphasizing that a 'just transition' requires a holistic, community-driven approach rather than a simple shift from one single industry to another.

The report argues that a coal-free Czechia by 2030 is feasible through a least-cost pathway focused on rapid expansion of wind and solar power, supplemented by flexible gas generation and large-scale heat pumps. It estimates that this transition would reduce power sector emissions by 85% and create approximately 45,000 direct jobs, while requiring €11bn in power sector capital investment.

The report analyzes Russia's strategic return to Africa, driven by Western sanctions and falling oil prices. It focuses on Zimbabwe and Mozambique, highlighting a pattern of elite-directed cooperation centered on extractive industries, arms trade, and political support. While Russia's economic footprint is significantly smaller than China's, it leverages an 'anti-West narrative' and a high tolerance for corruption to secure access to natural resources and political loyalty, often utilizing proxy organizations for election monitoring and paramilitary groups for security.

The document examines subsidies for South Africa's coal-to-liquid (CTL) sector, dominated by Sasol. It identifies two primary support mechanisms: market price support via the Basic Fuel Price and exemptions from the Carbon Tax Act 15 of 2019. In 2019, these combined to a total value of ZAR 6.6 billion (USD 380 million). The brief argues that these subsidies increase costs for consumers, contribute to high coal use in transport, and conflict with South Africa's Paris Agreement commitments.

The document examines the role of the circular economy in the economic recovery of the EU and AU following the COVID-19 pandemic. It highlights the EU's Green Deal and its goal of carbon neutrality by 2050, while noting that African countries often practice circular economy principles without formal policies. The brief suggests that the EU's desire to shorten global value chains for food and medical security presents an opportunity for Africa to enhance its regional value chains in mining and agriculture through partnerships. It recommends that the EU-AU Summit prioritize a circular economy baseline for all future programmes to ensure sustainable development and the attainment of Sustainable Development Goals.

The chemical industry, with 2017 sales of US$5.7 trillion projected to reach US$11 trillion by 2030, does not pay for the health and environmental costs of its products. The document argues that the public currently bears these costs, including a global disease burden of 1.6 million annual premature deaths from chemical mismanagement. To address this, the authors propose a coordinated 0.5% fee on basic chemicals (feedstocks), which could raise US$11.5 billion annually. This funding would support the development and enforcement of laws and infrastructure for chemicals management, particularly in low- and middle-income countries, and would implement the 'polluter pays principle'.

The Canadian Climate Institute identifies 11 indicators to track clean growth, categorized into goals (low-carbon growth and economic resilience), catalysts (technology development, adoption, trade, and infrastructure), and foundations (jobs, affordable energy, inclusive resilience, clean air, and ecosystems). The analysis reveals that while Canada has decoupled GDP from GHGs, progress is uneven across provinces, and significant data gaps hinder comprehensive policy tracking.

The document argues that CCfDs can mitigate regulatory and price uncertainty in carbon markets while providing innovation incentives for low-carbon industrial technologies. It positions CCfDs as one element of a broader five-part policy package including climate contributions, renewable CfDs, green public procurement, and product carbon requirements. The brief examines the economic costs and social values of CCfDs, suggests national-level implementation to be practical despite state aid complexities, and discusses their potential integration with COVID-19 Recovery Funds to ensure long-term business cases for green industrial investments.

The document analyzes the Government of India's economic recovery package (~INR 20.90 lakh crore), arguing that it is primarily supply-side focused and largely 'sector-neutral' or 'brown', with only about 1.5% directly supporting green projects. It proposes specific modifications to existing fiscal and monetary measures—such as credit guarantees for MSME solar adoption, prioritizing renewable energy (RE) payments in DISCOM liquidity support, and greening the MGNREGA scheme—to generate immediate employment while advancing India's decarbonization goals.

The document details how climate indicators from the Copernicus Climate Data Store (CDS) are integrated into the SAVi tool to improve the analysis of infrastructure resilience. It covers a literature review of climate impacts on energy, irrigation, wastewater, buildings, roads, and nature-based infrastructure, providing specific equations to link climate variables to asset performance. The report includes simulation results for Johannesburg, South Africa, demonstrating how climate variables like temperature and precipitation affect load factors, thermal efficiency, and maintenance costs, ultimately impacting the economic viability and societal costs of these assets.

The document argues that renewable energy (RE) is now a viable, low-cost alternative to grid and diesel power for mining operations, particularly through hybrid systems. While high initial capital expenditure and intermittency pose challenges, the long-term total cost of ownership is lower over a 20-year period. The paper highlights the role of energy storage in stabilizing supply and the potential for portable solar systems to support exploration. It also notes that the shift toward electric vehicles in mining will further drive RE demand. In South Africa, major mining companies are already seeking to self-generate solar power to reduce grid dependence.