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The document provides executive summaries of national reports for Bulgaria, Estonia, Germany, Greece, Italy, Serbia, and the UK. It evaluates various energy efficiency scenarios—including Business as Usual (BAU) and those incorporating the impact of socio-economic barriers—using LEAP modelling and a Decision Support Tool (DST). The analysis consistently shows that while ambitious energy efficiency measures can meet EU targets, the presence of socio-economic barriers significantly reduces potential energy savings and GHG reductions across most studied countries and sectors.

The report evaluates the Makeni Project, a 400 million EUR sugarcane bioethanol investment by Addax Bioenergy Sierra Leone (ABSL). While the project has introduced infrastructure, formal wage labour, and high-productivity rice cultivation through its Farmer Development Programme, it has also created challenges including labour scarcity during growing seasons, price inflation, and increased competition for water and food. The study concludes that while FDI can provide significant capital and technology, it cannot replace the public sector, and the transformative potential of such investments is diminished without supporting government investment and strong governance.

The document analyzes the strategic efforts of the US government (via USAID), the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and companies like Monsanto to introduce GM crops into African markets. It argues that these actors bypass national precautions by promoting 'harmonized' regional biosafety policies through bodies like COMESA and ECOWAS. The report highlights the failure of GM projects, such as the virus-resistant sweet potato in Kenya, and the socio-economic risks of the 'Green Revolution' model, citing South Africa's experience where GM adoption has allegedly increased food insecurity and wealth inequality. It advocates for the adoption of the African Union's Model Law on Biosafety and a shift toward agro-ecology to ensure food sovereignty.

The report evaluates the Makeni Project, a 400 million EUR sugarcane-to-ethanol investment by Addax Bioenergy Sierra Leone (ABSL). While the project has introduced formal wage labour, new infrastructure, and agricultural support through the Farmer Development Programme (FDP), it has also created pressures on natural resources, such as fuelwood and water, and highlighted significant gaps in local skills and government governance. The study concludes that while FDI can catalyze development, it cannot replace the public sector, and the transformative potential of the project is limited by weak institutional capacity and a lack of coordinated public investment to complement private efforts.

The report examines how the removal of fossil-fuel subsidies for LPG, kerosene, diesel, and electricity affects men and women differently in India. It finds that current subsidies largely fail rural women, who rely heavily on biomass, and that shifting to cash transfers via bank accounts creates barriers for women due to lower financial inclusion. The author argues for gender-responsive budgeting and targeted interventions to prevent women from reverting to dirtier fuels while promoting their empowerment.

The report argues that GM crops are an extension of an unsustainable industrial agricultural model that benefits a few multinational corporations while harming smallholder farmers and the environment. It highlights the failure of herbicide-tolerant and insect-resistant traits to reduce pesticide use, the emergence of resistant weeds and pests, and the socio-economic risks of seed monopolies. The document advocates for agroecology as a sustainable, farmer-led alternative to tackle hunger and malnutrition.

The evaluation of the Kotkasim pilot project reveals that while direct cash transfers effectively reduced kerosene leakages to the black market, they also led to a dramatic decline in household kerosene consumption due to higher upfront costs and poor banking access. The study highlights significant implementation gaps, including inadequate information dissemination and the financial burden placed on Fair Price Shop (FPS) dealers. Recommendations include improving financial literacy, digitizing records, and ensuring better coordination between district authorities and beneficiaries.

The document examines Mozambique's transition from aid dependence to potential resource-based sovereignty following the discovery of over 100 trillion cubic feet of natural gas in the Rovuma Basin. It argues that while the 'gas boom' offers a significant opportunity for poverty alleviation and industrialization, the country faces risks of the 'resource curse' and 'Dutch disease' due to high levels of corruption and a history of 'mega-projects' that have failed to provide broad-based benefits. The author emphasizes the need for transparent governance, the renegotiation of inequitable contracts, and a strategic balance between LNG exports and domestic industrial use to ensure tangible benefits for the general population.

The document argues that India's fuel subsidies are fiscally unsustainable and create market distortions. It proposes a phased roadmap to eliminate diesel under-recoveries, phase out LPG subsidies through capping and price increases, and replace PDS kerosene subsidies with targeted cash transfers. To manage the resulting inflationary pressures and political opposition, the brief suggests specific compensation measures for transport sectors and the implementation of a biometric-based cash transfer system for low-income households.

The discovery of oil and gas in Ghana's Western Region in 2007 created high expectations for economic development and job creation that have not been met. Local populations, particularly youth, fishermen, and farmers, report marginalisation, loss of livelihoods, and rising costs of living. The lack of tangible infrastructure and employment opportunities has led to frustration and threats of illegal roadblocks. The author recommends that the government engage local chiefs, provide skills training for youth, and initiate urgent infrastructure projects to avert potential conflict.

The document examines the multifaceted relationship between China and Kenya, highlighting a trade imbalance where Kenya exports raw materials and imports value-added, often counterfeit, products. It analyzes how Chinese construction firms provide efficiency and quality but create unfair competition for local contractors through government-backed financial advantages. The paper evaluates Kenyan legislative responses, such as the Anti-Counterfeit Act of 2008 and the National Construction Authority Act 2010, and suggests regional coordination within the East African Community (EAC) to mitigate negative effects.

The report assesses the risks associated with Uganda's transition to an oil-producing state, focusing on the Lake Albert region. It identifies significant local grievances regarding land tenure and marginalisation, warns of the 'resource curse' potentially undermining democracy through patronage and militarisation, and examines regional security threats, including the alliance between al-Shabaab and the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The report investigates the reality of jatropha production in Mozambique, challenging the narrative that it is a sustainable 'miracle crop' for marginal lands. Through case studies and interviews, it finds that jatropha is typically grown on fertile land, displacing food crops and endangering food security for the 87% of Mozambicans who are subsistence farmers. The document highlights significant failures in industrial projects, including low yields, high pest vulnerability, and broken promises of community development. It also criticizes the Mozambican government for manipulating land laws to favor foreign investors, leading to land grabs and the marginalization of local communities.

The report analyzes the 'Global Europe' strategy as a political and economic tool used by the EU to secure access to raw materials, energy reserves, and open markets in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. It argues that 'Association Agreements' go beyond trade in goods to include the liberalization of services, investments, and government procurement, which the author claims undermines the sovereignty of developing nations. The document highlights specific negative impacts, such as the promotion of agrofuels in Central America, the pressure on African nations to sign Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) to maintain tariff preferences, and the role of European financial institutions like the European Investment Bank in funding extractive projects. It concludes that the strategy prioritizes corporate competitiveness over human rights and environmental sustainability.

The document examines the transition of Zambia's copper industry from state control under Zambia Consolidated Copper Mines Limited (ZCCM) to private ownership. It argues that while privatisation increased production and corporate profits, it led to a decline in social services, poor labour conditions, and environmental degradation. The author highlights a 'resource curse' where the state's failure to negotiate fair development agreements and its tendency to protect foreign investors have left local communities with minimal benefits and increased insecurity.

This fact sheet by Friends of the Earth International contends that GM crops, primarily soya, maize, and cotton, fail to increase yields or reduce poverty in developing regions. It asserts that the GM model benefits large-scale industrial farmers through 'convenience' while harming small-scale farmers via high seed costs, land displacement, and increased pesticide use. The document specifically highlights negative outcomes in South America, Africa, India, and China, and disputes claims that GM technology makes food cheaper or is necessary for the livestock industry.

The report argues that GM crops, particularly herbicide-tolerant varieties, have not increased yields and have instead led to an increase in pesticide use due to the emergence of resistant 'superweeds'. It highlights the monopolization of the seed market by a few agrochemical giants, specifically Monsanto, and documents negative socio-economic impacts on small farmers in India, South Africa, and South America, including increased debt and land displacement.

The report critiques the 'agro-business revolution' of GM crops, specifically targeting Monsanto's influence on global agricultural policies and the misleading data provided by the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-Biotech Applications (ISAAA). It argues that GM crops have led to increased pesticide use, land concentration, and the erosion of farmers' rights through restrictive intellectual property regimes. The document concludes that the primary beneficiaries of this technology are biotechnology companies, while small-scale farmers and the environment suffer negative impacts.

The document analyzes the rapid integration of transgenic crops in Argentina, particularly glyphosate-tolerant soybean, examining the interplay between structural economic reforms, intellectual property laws, and biosafety regulations. It assesses the distribution of benefits between farmers and technology providers, the environmental effects of combining GMOs with no-till farming, and the challenges posed by the illegal seed market and international trade barriers related to labeling.

The report evaluates TANESCO's rural electrification efforts, finding that while basic services like lighting and health care improved, wider economic goals—such as industrialization and deforestation reduction—were largely unmet. Technical reliability is low, particularly in diesel-supplied areas, and the program is financially unsustainable due to heavily subsidized tariffs and high operating costs. The authors recommend restructuring TANESCO's organization, revising tariff policies to reflect marginal costs, and adopting project selection criteria based on economic net present value.