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This document is a joint public comment submission by the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) and the Institute for Economic Justice (IEJ) regarding the draft South African Renewable Energy Masterplan (SAREM). The submission argues that the current draft over-relies on private investment and market liberalisation, neglecting the role of state-led industrial policy, public ownership, and the protection of workers' rights during the energy transition.

This fact sheet by the Institute for Economic Justice examines the systemic causes of the global food crisis, arguing that hunger is driven by corporate greed, market concentration, and climate change rather than food scarcity. It critiques the G20's historical failure to implement structural reforms and outlines South Africa's priorities for its G20 presidency, including the establishment of a Food Security Task Force to study commodity price volatility and stabilisation techniques.

This fact sheet by the Institute for Economic Justice examines the challenges and progress of phasing out fossil fuels within G20 nations. It highlights the economic and social dependencies that hinder the transition, the failure of G20 countries to meet subsidy reduction promises, and the specific goals of South Africa's 2025 G20 presidency to champion a people-centered, just energy transition.

This policy brief by the Institute for Economic Justice analyzes the impact of President Donald Trump's second administration's tariff policies on African nations and proposes a strategic response based on rerouting trade, subverting US policy through industrialization, and collective negotiation.

The Institute for Economic Justice (IEJ) delivered a statement on 18 March 2025 to the G20's Task Force 1 on Inclusive Economic Growth, Industrialisation, Employment, and Reduced Inequality. The statement advocates for the development of G20 High-Level Principles on Green Industrial Policy to drive a global green transition that prioritizes structural transformation, inclusive growth, and the reduction of global inequality.

The Institute for Economic Justice (IEJ) critiques South Africa's 'National Budget 2.0' (13 March 2025), arguing that while it signals a shift away from strict spending cuts, it fails to reverse austerity damage and relies on regressive taxation. The IEJ advocates for a pro-poor fiscal strategy focusing on job creation, wealth redistribution, and increased funding for social grants and public services.

The Institute for Economic Justice (IEJ) submitted a matrix of policy recommendations to the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Extreme Poverty and Human Rights. The submission advocates for a shift away from regressive fiscal policies and growth-dependent poverty eradication, proposing instead a comprehensive social protection floor, progressive taxation, and the democratization of the budget process in South Africa, alongside global reforms to the World Bank and IMF.

A letter dated 14 October 2025 from a coalition of 165 global and regional civil society and debt justice organisations to President Cyril Ramaphosa, urging South Africa to use its G20 Presidency to lead radical reforms of the international debt architecture to support the Global South, particularly Africa.

This research paper finds that approximately half of the target population for South Africa's Covid-19 Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant is excluded, with an average of 76% of those excluded being eligible. The study identifies that rapid digitalization and automation, lacking transparency and oversight, create systemic barriers to application, verification, payment, and appeal. These barriers disproportionately affect those already marginalized by digital, financial, and spatial inequalities, leading to severe hardship and hunger.

The research paper by Nicolas Lamp explores the emergence of 'multifunctional trade policy,' a paradigm shift where trade policy is used to achieve broad political goals—such as climate mitigation, national security, and labor rights—rather than focusing primarily on economic efficiency and trade liberalization.

This research paper by the International Institute for Sustainable Development examines critical development issues facing the World Trade Organization (WTO) ahead of the 13th Ministerial Conference (MC13). It focuses on the long-standing struggle to operationalize Special and Differential Treatment (S&DT) for developing economies and the need for a smooth transition for Least Developed Countries (LDCs) upon their graduation from that status.

This briefing analyzes the historical and systemic link between poverty and environmental degradation, arguing that sustainable development requires integrating these two goals. It highlights how extreme wealth inequality drives resource overconsumption and how the world's poorest populations are disproportionately affected by climate-related disasters, conflict, and zoonotic pandemics like COVID-19. The text advocates for shifting government metrics from GDP to national well-being indices and limiting the resource consumption of the wealthiest 10% to allow the poor to escape poverty within planetary boundaries.

This research paper analyzes the implications of the OECD/G20 Inclusive Framework's international tax reforms—specifically Pillar One and Pillar Two—for resource-rich developing countries and the mining sector. While some aspects of the reforms protect the taxing rights of producer countries, others may undermine national sovereignty or create unfair tax burdens due to the specific accounting nature of mining operations.

This report analyzes energy subsidies in South Africa for financial year (FY) 2025, finding that they totaled at least ZAR 198 billion (USD 10.8 billion). The analysis highlights a heavy reliance on fossil fuel subsidies, significant financial bailouts for the state-owned power company Eskom, and inefficiencies in the Free Basic Electricity (FBE) policy. The document recommends a comprehensive action plan for subsidy reform, a financial recovery plan for Eskom, and a redesign of the carbon tax and liquid fuel subsidies to better support low-income households and the energy transition.

The 'Guidebook on the Management and Financing of Soil Rehabilitation Projects in China' is part of a five-year project supported by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs to explore green finance approaches and financial mechanisms for remediating contaminated soils in China.

This research paper by Nicolas Lamp explores the emergence of 'multi-purpose trade policy,' a paradigm shift where trade policy is no longer focused solely on economic efficiency and liberalization, but is instead used as a tool to achieve broader goals such as climate mitigation, national security, and labor rights.

The 'Step Off the Gas' report by the International Institute for Sustainable Development analyzes international public finance for natural gas expansion in the Global South, arguing that such funding locks countries into high-carbon pathways despite the availability of cheaper renewable alternatives.

This research paper analyzes the state of agricultural negotiations at the World Trade Organization (WTO) ahead of the 14th Ministerial Conference (MC14). It details persistent disagreements over domestic support, public food stocks, and market access, while identifying three specific areas where Least Developed Countries (LDCs) could achieve tangible progress: the reduction of trade-distorting cotton subsidies, improved market access for cotton products, and exemptions from export restrictions.

The paper argues that the current divide between the WTO's non-binding environmental dialogues and unilateral trade measures (like the EU's CBAM) is insufficient for global environmental governance. It advocates for 'hybrid' plurilateral agreements—such as the one initiated by New Zealand—that integrate trade and environment goals into binding, cooperative frameworks.

This research paper by Robert Howse analyzes the current state of the World Trade Organization (WTO) dispute settlement system following the blockage of the Appellate Body by the Trump administration. Howse argues that despite the absence of a functioning Appellate Body, the system remains resilient as panels continue to follow established jurisprudence, and some members are experimenting with ad hoc arbitration mechanisms like the MPIA.