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The document outlines the technical framework for analyzing a transition to 100% renewable energy in U.S. Climate Alliance states. It describes the use of the Regional Energy Deployment System (ReEDS) and Distributed Generation Market Demand (dGen) models to simulate various policy scenarios, including a '100% RES scenario' and a 'Clean Electricity Standard scenario'. The methodology includes specific retirement schedules for coal plants in Michigan and Minnesota, as well as a collaboration with Greenlink Analytics to model socioeconomic impacts, including public health benefits, macroeconomic shifts in employment and GDP, and changes to household energy burdens.

The document examines Redeyef, a marginalised Tunisian mining town where economic decline and corruption have made migration a primary strategy for hope. While most young adults aspire to migrate and many have ties abroad, regular pathways are increasingly difficult, leading to a rise in risky irregular migration. Despite strong transnational ties, remittances are limited to a minority of households and have not significantly contributed to the town's collective development.

The document argues that African states must shift from a strategy of blocking new negotiations to one of active participation to avoid becoming 'rule takers' in the global trade system. It specifically recommends narrowing the TRIPS waiver proposal to focus solely on COVID-19 vaccines to secure broader support and suggests that African states prioritize a few key development outcomes from the stalled Doha Round while engaging in Joint Statement Initiatives (JSIs) on e-commerce and investment. The brief also emphasizes the need for the African Union to coordinate common policy positions and the establishment of regional vaccine production hubs in countries like South Africa, Senegal, Algeria, and Tunisia.

The report examines the state of women's entrepreneurship in Africa, contrasting the 'market women' in the informal sector with a small cadre of successful formal entrepreneurs. It criticizes South Africa's proposed Women Empowerment and Gender Equality Bill, arguing that enforced numerical parity is an ineffective approach to empowerment. Instead, the author advocates for improving general business environments, prioritizing girls' education, and reforming laws regarding property and inheritance rights to support all entrepreneurs.

The document updates the status of the WTO e-commerce Joint Statement Initiative negotiations, examining how COVID-19 influenced e-commerce, economic development, and gender equality and social inclusion (GESI). It identifies areas of convergence and divergence among members as they prepare for the Twelfth Ministerial Conference (MC12).

The document argues that rural American communities can diversify their local economies by engaging with the renewable energy transition. It projects that new wind and solar capacity could generate $220 billion in lifetime value for rural areas by 2030, with annual revenues potentially exceeding $60 billion, comparable to the combined revenues of corn, soy, and beef production.

The report analyzes the transition of New York's medium- and heavy-duty (M/HD) vehicle fleet to zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs) under three scenarios: the Advanced Clean Trucks (ACT) Rule, the ACT Rule plus the NOx Omnibus Rule, and a highly ambitious '100 x 40 ZEV + Clean Grid' scenario. The findings indicate that while ZEVs have higher initial purchase costs, they achieve lifetime cost parity with combustion vehicles by 2030. The most aggressive scenario is projected to generate over $36 billion in cumulative net societal benefits by 2050, including significant reductions in premature deaths and greenhouse gas emissions. The transition is expected to have positive macroeconomic effects on the U.S., including net job gains and GDP growth, while potentially lowering electricity rates for New York residents and businesses due to increased utility net revenue.

The report examines community resilience and dialogue as tools to prevent violent extremism in three Kenyan counties. It identifies key risk factors, such as police brutality and socio-economic marginalisation, while highlighting existing strengths like inter-group collaboration. The authors argue for a shift from specific P/CVE interventions to broader, P/CVE-relevant development goals to reduce vulnerability.

The document examines how African governments and mining companies track local procurement, noting that aggregate spending figures often mask a lack of genuine local value addition. It highlights the gap between current reporting practices and the data needed to steer effective policy, while identifying emerging industry standards and country-specific examples that could serve as models for improvement.

The report analyzes the Zona Franca de Manaus (ZFM) as a public policy tool for industrial development in Brazil. It details the complex system of tax incentives—including exemptions and reductions in IPI, PIS/PASEP, and COFINS—and evaluates their distribution across key sectors such as two-wheelers, audio/video, and non-alcoholic beverages. The study compares the ZFM's industrial performance and workforce concentration against national Brazilian averages and provides a brief comparative overview of free trade zones in other countries including Argentina, Chile, Colombia, the US, Canada, and China.

The report examines the economic, political, and environmental risks associated with a potential decline in South African coal production, drawing on stakeholder workshops and interviews to identify the institutional arrangements and policy mechanisms required for a just transition.

The policy brief examines the disproportionate dominance of South Africa within SADC and proposes a model of 'regional champions'—member states taking lead roles in specific sectors—to foster more equitable regional integration. It analyses current power dynamics using economic, military, and diplomatic metrics, identifying potential leaders in industrialisation, infrastructure, and security. The author suggests that South Africa can reduce its regional hegemony and the associated accusations of 'bullying' by supporting a more distributed leadership structure based on the comparative advantages of other member states.

The Wood River Power Station in East Alton, Illinois, retired in 2016, leaving behind hazardous coal ash ponds that pose risks to groundwater and human life. Despite these dangers, the site's existing utility infrastructure makes it a viable candidate for a 46 megawatt solar farm and 10 megawatts of storage, which could support local economic development and leverage the Future Energy Jobs Act.

The Centre for Environmental Rights (CER) and a coalition of eight civil society organisations defend their legal opposition to a proposed coal mine by Atha-Africa Ventures (Pty) Ltd. CER argues that the mine would threaten a Strategic Water Source Area and a protected environment, while asserting that coal mining in Mpumalanga has historically failed to alleviate poverty or provide sustainable local employment. The document clarifies that CER does not represent local farmers or WWF-SA and disputes claims that its actions are 'anti-development', citing the constitutional right to a healthy environment.

The paper examines the evolution of US Arctic policy, noting a transition from a 'reluctant' actor to an active proponent of regional cooperation. Using frame analysis, it identifies a recurring focus on economic development and national competitiveness, while observing a shift in security perspectives from military-centric nation-building toward energy supply and climate change implications.

The study examines the relationship between economic growth and climate-related disaster vulnerability in China from 1949 to 2015. It finds that while higher per-capita income is correlated with a significant reduction in human fatalities, it is associated with an increase in direct economic losses. Despite regional differences between the West, Central, and East economic regions, the overall trend shows a decline in vulnerability—measured as a share of population and GDP—across all regions, with temporal changes converging over time.

The paper finds that agricultural expansion in the Matopiba region, driven by soy cultivation, significantly increased GDP per capita and improved access to durable goods and electricity in municipalities within the Cerrado biome. While agricultural and services GDP grew, there were no significant effects on manufacturing GDP, local population, or educational outcomes.

The document examines the political economy of coal subsidies in Colombia, identifying various fiscal incentives and the strategies used by a coalition of government and industry actors to protect them. It highlights how the coal sector benefits from both sector-specific and general mining incentives, often framed as essential for national economic development or the funding of the peace process. The paper analyzes three specific cases: the Plan Vallejo, a special income tax deduction for fixed assets, and a royalties rebate, to illustrate how these subsidies are introduced, maintained, or eventually removed through political and legal processes.

The report provides an evaluation of corporate peacebuilding initiatives, arguing that most 'Business for Peace' (B4P) efforts have yielded few positive impacts and can sometimes exacerbate local conflicts. It presents seven key questions for firms to assess their impact on conflict environments, local definitions of peace, socio-economic structures, and supply chain links to conflict actors. The authors conclude that the most peace-positive strategy is often to avoid conflict regions entirely and that substantive progress requires binding, independently verified regulatory initiatives.

The document argues that closing the gap between climate ambitions and implementation requires a shift from general capacity building to targeted 'capability development'. CDKN defines capability as the ability to apply tools, skills, and knowledge effectively combined with the willingness to act. The paper identifies four essential types of capability: technical, relational, strategic, and institutional. It proposes a seven-step iterative process for development, emphasizing context analysis, co-owned agendas, and adaptive programming. Case studies from Rwanda and India are used to illustrate how these capabilities enable governments to secure climate funding and implement action plans.