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The document analyzes the economic relationship between South Africa and the BRICS nations, noting that while trade has grown, it remains unbalanced and dominated by raw material exports to China. It identifies three primary 'enablers' for deepening these ties: the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA), the shift in global manufacturing due to US-China rivalry (including 'friend-shoring' and 'Chexit'), and the potential expansion of BRICS membership. The author recommends that South Africa use its 2023 BRICS chairship to promote Special Economic Zones (SEZs) and business-to-business engagements to attract diversified investment into Africa.

The report analyzes the viability of first-of-a-kind clean fuel projects in Canada, finding that most are currently unprofitable without public support. It distinguishes between standard market risks, which investors can manage, and systemic failures—such as policy uncertainty, infrastructure deficits, and regulatory delays—that require government action. Through financial modeling of five project archetypes, the report highlights that only blue ammonia in Alberta shows consistent viability, while others struggle with high costs and technological immaturity. It emphasizes the need for Canada to rapidly implement a permissive policy environment to compete with the United States' Inflation Reduction Act and to foster equitable partnerships with Indigenous communities.

The author contends that Europe's current climate approach is too narrow and lacks coordination, risking failure to meet net-zero targets. To mitigate risks such as supply chain dependence on China for rare earths and the slow deployment of renewables, the document advocates for a strategy that supports nuclear power, carbon capture and storage, and zero-carbon fuels alongside renewables. It highlights the need for long-term investment planning, as historical data shows technology commercialization takes decades, whereas current net-zero models assume unrealistic compression of these timelines. Furthermore, the text calls for the EU to streamline its 'kaleidoscope' of conflicting policies and adopt incentive structures similar to the US Inflation Reduction Act to drive cost reductions and infrastructure deployment. Finally, it emphasizes the necessity of proactive system planning to determine future energy demand and the required clean firm power capacity, estimated at over 100 GW by 2035.

The report examines the South African cannabis industry, arguing that current legal and regulatory frameworks create high barriers to entry that exclude traditional growers and small enterprises. It identifies critical bottlenecks in medical cannabis exports, such as the lack of mutual recognition for SAHPRA licenses in European markets, and a lack of processing capacity for industrial hemp. The authors advocate for a tiered licensing system, the legalisation of a regulated adult-use market to support inclusive growth, and the establishment of a specialised state agency to coordinate the sector's development and ensure decent work and environmental sustainability.

The author argues that international trade policy is shifting from a primary focus on trade liberalization and economic efficiency toward a 'multipurpose' approach. This new framework integrates broader objectives—including climate action, supply chain resilience, and national security—directly into trade policy rather than treating them as externalities. The document outlines domestic challenges, such as balancing incommensurable goals and breaking down departmental silos, and international challenges, including the increasing tension between national policy imperatives and World Trade Organization (WTO) rules. It concludes that while this shift addresses the perceived failures of globalization, it risks fragmenting international cooperation and increasing the divide between developed and developing nations.

The author argues that while the EU views the energy transition as a path to energy security and global leadership, it currently lacks a comprehensive strategic plan. Internally, the EU faces risks of redundant spending and political friction between Western and Eastern member states over the distribution of benefits. Externally, the transition shifts dependencies from fossil fuel imports to critical materials and clean technology competition with the US and China. The document suggests the EU must integrate energy, infrastructure, and industrial policy to secure its markets and maintain stability in its neighborhood.

The report examines how developed nations are adopting 'climate-justified' protectionist measures, specifically the EU's CBAM and the US's IRA, which depart from previous neoliberal trade doctrines. It argues that these unilateral policies threaten African economic growth and industrialisation by creating market barriers and restricting policy space. The author suggests that Africa should oppose the CBAM, leverage the US's use of localisation to justify its own local content requirements, and campaign for the treatment of green technologies as global public goods through the reform of TRIPS rules.

The Corporate Climate Stocktake 2023 reveals that while clean technology adoption is accelerating in sectors like power and road transport, systemic barriers—including infrastructure gaps, high 'green premiums', and workforce shortages—persist. The report argues that national emissions targets alone are insufficient and calls for multilateral coordination of industrial policy and sector-specific strategies to drive the diffusion of clean technologies.

The document analyzes the synergistic effect of the Energy Act of 2020, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021, the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, and the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022 on the U.S. energy transition.

The report analyzes the African medical manufacturing landscape, highlighting a heavy reliance on imports (over 70% for health technology) and a concentration of capabilities in North Africa, South Africa, and Nigeria. It identifies critical gaps in Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient (API) production and medical device manufacturing, while noting that vaccine production is limited to four countries. The study argues that localization is a political project requiring a shift from generic-drug business models to more complex technologies, supported by patient capital, innovative public procurement, and the establishment of specialized pharmaceutical parks. It emphasizes the need for regulatory harmonization and the development of local 'notifying bodies' for medical devices to reduce compliance costs.

The Institute for Economic Justice advocates for a Universal Basic Income Guarantee (UBIG) in South Africa, defining it as a government commitment to ensure all adults have a regular cash benefit to meet basic needs as a right. The document highlights that while social grants have been effective, gaps remain for able-bodied adults aged 18-59, and the current Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant is temporary and limited. It asserts that a UBIG, supported by complementary policies like a just energy transition and industrial policy, could eliminate poverty for the 18.3 million people unable to meet basic food needs, improve health and education, and reduce gender inequality.

The Institute for Economic Justice calls for a radical shift in South Africa's 2022 MTBPS, advocating for the expansion of the Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant to at least R624 and the eventual introduction of a Universal Basic Income Guarantee. The authors argue against budget cuts in education and healthcare, suggesting instead that the government utilize an estimated R110-billion revenue overrun and implement a wealth tax and luxury VAT to fund social support and infrastructure. Additionally, the document recommends reversing the corporate tax rate cut from 28% to 27% and increasing support for the Industrial Financing Programme to combat deindustrialisation.

The briefing advocates for SADC member states to move from reactive to anticipatory governance to better navigate uncertainties like climate change and digitisation. It identifies five strategic opportunities: reskilling for the green economy and 4IR, fostering regional innovation ecosystems to leapfrog legacy industries, implementing open-data policies and improving internet infrastructure, developing green economy clusters for mineral value-addition, and repositioning the mining sector toward circular or bio-economy models.

The Institute for Economic Justice (IEJ) critiques the SAREM draft for lacking definitions of 'decent work', failing to provide a robust framework for monitoring local content compliance, and ignoring the potential for a local recycling industry. The document argues that the current market-led approach risks a 'race to the bottom' on price, which undermines local manufacturing. To counter this, the IEJ recommends aggressive local content requirements (LCRs) of 50% for future public procurement, the use of import tariffs to protect nascent industry, and the provision of low-cost public debt to offset the higher costs of locally produced components. It further advocates for a Technology Transfer System (TTS) to build local technical capacity and the establishment of municipal-level recycling depots for solar PV modules to prevent environmental damage and create jobs.

The Institute for Economic Justice (IEJ) proposes a shift away from fiscal consolidation toward a macroeconomic framework that prioritizes social infrastructure, public services, and a just energy transition. Key recommendations include expanding the Social Relief of Distress (SRD) grant into a Universal Basic Income Guarantee (UBIG), increasing public infrastructure investment to R900 billion, and restructuring Eskom's R400 billion debt to facilitate renewable energy investment. The IEJ also advocates for progressive taxation, including reversing the Corporate Income Tax reduction and utilizing windfall taxes to fund industrial policy and social protection.

The report analyzes the financing of low carbon transitions for India's MSME sector, which is highly GHG intensive due to fossil fuel reliance. It identifies a significant credit gap—estimated at USD 240 billion in 2018—and a lack of awareness and technical capacity as primary barriers. While national schemes like RAMP and ZED certification exist, the report finds fragmented implementation and varying levels of alignment between central and state policies, noting that Gujarat partially aligns with national goals while Maharashtra shows significant divergence. Recommendations include scaling incentive-based models, leveraging supply chain pressure from large companies, and mobilizing international climate finance.

The document outlines the current state of South Africa's solar PV market, noting that while the Integrated Resource Plan targets 10% solar PV generation by 2030, local manufacturing remains limited. It identifies specific opportunities across the value chain—from mineral extraction of chromium and manganese to the assembly of modules and inverters—and recommends policy certainty, concessional finance, and skills development to foster a domestic industry.

The document outlines the potential for South Africa to expand its local wind energy industry, noting that while some components like towers and transformers are produced domestically, most turbine parts are imported. It highlights the need for targeted industrial support, such as concessional finance and the development of precast concrete facilities, to increase local content. The text also notes that South Africa's Integrated Resource Plan targets a wind energy share of 21% (17,742 MW) by 2030, which would require approximately 5,000 new large turbines.

The Government of Ghana formally requested an IMF bailout on July 1, 2022, to address macroeconomic instability and debt sustainability. This decision follows a period of high inflation, significant depreciation of the Ghana cedi, and rising public debt, which the government attributes partly to COVID-19 and the Russia-Ukraine war. The move is contentious due to the current administration's previous commitment to 'home-grown' policies and the 'Ghana Beyond Aid' agenda, as well as public fear of restrictive IMF conditionalities such as public sector employment freezes.

The author contends that Africa's industrialization is hindered by a fragmented policy landscape where countries are often subject to three or more overlapping industrial strategies. This coordination failure, combined with poor infrastructure and low innovation capacity, has led to 'de-industrialisation' in Sub-Saharan Africa, where the industrial sector's contribution to GDP has declined relative to the primary sector. To leverage the AfCFTA, the paper proposes a unified industrial policy focusing on pooled resources for infrastructure, regional product specialization, SME growth, clean energy transitions, and the development of indigenous technologies.