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The Centre for Environmental Rights and Natural Justice, representing several community and environmental networks, submitted formal objections to the Scoping Report for the Motuoane Production Right application. The project proposes hydrocarbon exploration and extraction over approximately 14,400 hectares in the Free State Province, involving up to 43 production wells and associated infrastructure. The objectors argue that the Scoping Report is deficient in its assessments of air quality, climate change, hydrogeology, and social impacts, and that the public participation process was not meaningful.

The South African Renewable Energy Policy Scan evaluates the country's transition frameworks, finding that while legal structures enable rapid renewable energy growth, industrial localisation remains fragile and the promise of decent, stable employment is not yet realised. The report argues that a just transition requires integrating energy reform with broader industrial, labour, and municipal governance strategies to avoid 'low-carbon poverty' and reduce reliance on imported technologies.

This briefing note by the Institute for Economic Justice (IEJ) argues that the 2026 National Budget should pivot from a narrow focus on fiscal stability and debt reduction toward a 'full employment agenda.' The IEJ contends that current macroeconomic policies are insufficient to address mass unemployment and poverty, proposing instead a developmental strategy based on increased public investment, progressive taxation, and the rebuilding of state capacity to drive structural economic change.

This case study examines Renewvia's transition from traditional mini-grids to Okra's mesh-grid technology in Nigeria. After facing reliability issues and high costs with mini-grids, Renewvia deployed a 75-connection mesh-grid pilot in Emakalakala in 2024, which resulted in significantly lower capex, higher uptime, and improved revenue performance, leading to a strategic shift to deploy over 21,000 mesh-grid connections.

This briefing by Zero Carbon Analytics examines whether increasing liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports can guarantee energy security for Southeast Asian nations. While ASEAN members are investing USD 20.4 billion in LNG infrastructure to meet rising demand and declining domestic supplies, the document argues that this dependence exposes the region to geopolitical supply shocks, price volatility, and competition with Europe. It suggests that investing in domestic renewable energy, upgrading grids, and accelerating the ASEAN Power Grid would provide a more resilient and secure energy future.

This research paper argues that the development relationship between Germany and Ghana has narrowed from a strategic industrial partnership to a limited, skills-focused donor model. The author contends that Germany's current emphasis on Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) is misaligned with Ghana's '24-Hour Economy' (24HE) initiative, which requires systemic industrial coordination rather than broad skills diffusion. The paper proposes a 'vanguardist' model based on selective value-chain acceleration and the creation of industrial corridors to drive large-scale youth employment.

The Institute for Economic Justice presents a conceptual framework for a research project in South Africa, Ghana, and Kenya. The framework examines how the localisation of renewable energy technologies—defined by domestic manufacturing, ownership, and employment—can lead to both economic and social upgrading. Using a Global Production Networks (GPN) perspective and an operational assessment matrix, the project analyzes value creation, power relations, and the distribution of gains across various social axes to inform policies that align energy expansion with decent work and sustainable livelihoods.

This research paper argues that Nigeria can align its economic growth with its 2060 net-zero emissions goal by shifting from a raw 'extract-and-export' model to domestic value addition of transition minerals. By processing minerals like lithium, nickel, and cobalt locally, Nigeria could significantly increase its GDP contribution from the mining sector, create high-skilled jobs, and generate revenues to fund national climate initiatives.

A research paper by ARE Member Phaesun detailing a field study in Kenya on the economic and social viability of solar cooling technologies in agricultural value chains, identifying four distinct operational models and an 'impact capital gap'.

Ember provides a response to India's draft National Electricity Policy 2026, arguing for a shift from sequential to co-optimised generation and transmission planning to address bottlenecks and stranded assets. The brief recommends integrating grid-enhancing technologies to manage stability as renewable energy penetration increases, unbundling state transmission utilities to allow private sector participation, and reforming DISCOM procurement to avoid over-reliance on long-term coal contracts. It also emphasizes the need for a robust data-sharing and cybersecurity framework to manage the increasing volume of electricity data from private aggregators and smart infrastructure.

The report 'India's Clean Cooking Shift' by the International Institute for Sustainable Development argues for a diversification of India's clean cooking energy sources to reduce reliance on liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and piped natural gas (PNG). It proposes a 'twin-track' strategy: scaling electric cooking (e-cooking) in urban and peri-urban areas and biogas in suitable rural areas to address issues of affordability, import volatility, and service gaps.

This technical noteC note by Climate Policy Initiative/PUC-Rio analyzes a February 11, 2026, decision by the Tribunal Regional Federal da 4ª Região (TRF-4) regarding a legal conflict between the Atlantic Forest Law (LMA) and the Forest Code. The TRF-4 extinguished a public civil action without judging the merits, effectively maintaining the application of the Forest Code's 'consolidated areas' regime in Paraná and avoiding the immediate imposition of the more restrictive 1990 temporal milestone for environmental regularization.

This briefing note from the Institute for Economic Justice (IEJ) argues that while South Africa has seen modest economic improvements in 2025, including better public finances and stabilized network industries, these gains have not translated into reduced poverty, hunger, or unemployment. The IEJ urges President Ramaphosa to use this window of opportunity to implement a state-led structural transformation focused on job-intensive growth, expanded social services, and a developmental macroeconomic framework, rather than relying on marginal reforms or private-sector-led investment.

This research paper by the International Institute for Sustainable Development analyzes the state of World Trade Organization (WTO) agriculture negotiations ahead of the 14th Ministerial Conference (MC14). It outlines persistent disagreements over domestic support, public stockholding, and market access, while identifying three specific areas where progress could be made for least developed countries (LDCs): reducing cotton subsidies, improving market access for cotton products, and securing exemptions from export restrictions.

The automotive industry is a major driver of India's economy, contributing 7% of GDP and supporting 37 million jobs. To address the transport sector's role as the third-largest GHG emitter, India is transitioning to electric vehicles (EVs) with a target of 30% EV sales share by 2030, supported by schemes like FAME and PM e-DRIVE.

A study in the Kibera informal settlements of Nairobi assessed emissions of CO, CO2, and PM2.5 from charcoal, kerosene, LPG, and electricity, finding that charcoal and kerosene produce the highest pollution levels while ambient PM2.5 levels significantly exceed WHO guidelines.

China is strategically transitioning its coal power fleet from a baseload generation role to providing system flexibility to support the rapid expansion of wind and solar energy. The country is on track to fully retrofit its existing coal fleet for flexibility by 2027, though the report emphasizes that clean flexibility solutions, particularly battery energy storage, must scale up to avoid locking in emissions beyond 2030.

This executive summary describes a pilot project in rural Kenya that tested the feasibility of using solar irrigation systems and batteries to power electric pressure cookers (EPCs). The pilot found that while the technology is feasible and accepted by users, its impact was limited by battery constraints, competing energy needs, and gendered dynamics regarding energy control.

This report evaluates a pilot project in Uttar Pradesh, India, that used the spare capacity of solar irrigation pumps (SIPs) to power village grain mills, identifying both the socio-economic benefits and the operational constraints of such secondary power uses.

The Institute for Economic Justice (IEJ) argues that modest economic improvements in South Africa during 2025 provide a critical window for structural transformation. While GDP and network industries like energy and logistics have stabilized, the IEJ warns that these gains have not translated into significant job creation, poverty reduction, or food security, urging President Ramaphosa to move beyond marginal reforms toward a state-led developmental macroeconomic framework.