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The Canadian Climate Institute proposes that Canada's commitment of over $13 billion in climate finance over the next five years should be treated as a strategic investment to diversify trade beyond the US market. The author suggests a three-pillar approach: increasing the global presence of Canadian clean energy expertise, establishing strategic partnerships based on host-country priorities, and ensuring high-integrity climate results through rigorous measurement, reporting, and verification (MRV). The document advocates for a governance framework that integrates climate finance with carbon markets and project development to mobilize private capital and create new export opportunities for Canadian technologies and services.

The report outlines the 'Large Infrastructure and Leapfrogging' scenario, which models the effects of targeted infrastructure investment in Africa from 2027 to 2050. It emphasizes the synergy between large-scale renewable energy, off-grid solutions, and ICT to lower barriers for private capital and formalize the informal economy. The analysis uses the International Futures (IFs) platform to categorize spending across traditional, ICT, and other infrastructure, benchmarking progress against developing regions in South Asia and South America.

Africa faces a significant infrastructure deficit, with an annual funding shortfall of US$68–108 billion. The report examines the role of the Programme for Infrastructure Development in Africa (PIDA), the potential of domestic capital—estimated at over US$1.1 trillion—and the challenges of public-private partnerships. It highlights that up to 90% of projects fail before financial close due to poor early-stage preparation, arguing for better project bankability and risk-sharing instruments to attract private investment.

The report analyzes Africa's economic growth drivers, arguing that while labour-fueled growth is unlikely to emulate other regions due to a late demographic dividend, future growth must rely on physical capital accumulation and multifactor productivity (MFP). It highlights that for low- and lower-middle-income African countries, poor physical capital is the primary drag on growth, whereas upper-middle-income countries are constrained by poor human capital.

The IEJ argues that the 2026 Budget fails to reverse a decade of austerity, instead implementing further cuts to non-interest spending and underinvesting in infrastructure and social services. The report criticizes the National Treasury's reliance on private sector investment and 'trickle-down economics,' noting that projected growth of 1.8% is insufficient to keep pace with labour force growth. The IEJ proposes increasing revenue through a net wealth tax and redirecting tax breaks for high-income earners, while calling for the South African Reserve Bank (SARB) to provide concessional debt for strategic industries, including green industrialisation. Additionally, the document critiques the Targeted and Responsible Savings (TARS) initiative and the Gender Budget Statement for failing to address structural inequalities and food insecurity.

The 2026 National Budget is criticized for maintaining austerity measures, reducing non-interest spending by R5.2 billion in 2026/27, and failing to address chronic food insecurity and unemployment. The document highlights that real spending on public services, including education and healthcare, is declining, while tax relief is skewed toward higher-income earners. It further critiques the second Gender Budget Statement for being peripheral to fiscal decision-making and failing to address the structural vulnerabilities of female-headed households.

The Institute for Economic Justice (IEJ) warns that modest GDP growth and improvements in network industries (energy, freight, and ports) in 2025 must be used as a springboard for structural transformation rather than a reason for complacency. Despite a projected 1.2% GDP expansion in 2025, unemployment remains critical at 31.9% (narrow) and 42.4% (expanded), while poverty affects 66.7% of the population. The IEJ argues that growth in finance and commodities does not create sufficient jobs and calls for a developmental macroeconomic framework. This includes a dual policy rate regime from the South African Reserve Bank, increased public investment in infrastructure and social services, and the implementation of a net wealth tax to fund these initiatives.

The Institute for Economic Justice (IEJ) asserts that while South Africa saw modest GDP growth of 1.2% in 2025 and improvements in energy and logistics, these gains have not reduced high unemployment, poverty, or food insecurity. The IEJ calls for a shift from market-centric policies to a developmental macroeconomic framework that prioritizes industrial policy, progressive taxation, and expanded social security to achieve inclusive growth.

The report highlights a trend of massive infrastructure spending by both electric and gas utilities in the U.S., which is driving up consumer energy bills. While the electric sector has a 'full toolbox' of regulatory and technical solutions to manage costs, the author contends that gas utility solutions are 'more nascent and uncharted.' The document proposes the use of a gas system analysis (GSA) to provide the foundational technical information necessary for decision-makers to avoid investing in redundant or irrelevant long-lived assets.

The document argues that CPEC's first decade has failed to deliver broad-based development or stability in Pakistan, as state-led growth has not reduced conflict or poverty. It highlights how domestic political fragmentation, weak governance, and security threats—including attacks on Chinese personnel—have hindered progress. The brief notes a shift in Chinese strategy from government-to-government loans to business-to-business collaboration and warns that Pakistan's strategic balancing between China and the US complicates alignment. It concludes that the top-down, centralized approach has led to uneven benefits, particularly in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and recommends more inclusive, transparent, and community-based development strategies for the next phase.

The paper examines the impact of global powers and internal fragmentation on ECOWAS, noting that while external partnerships can support infrastructure and security, they often exacerbate divisions. It highlights the critical blow dealt by the January 2025 exit of Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger, and recommends institutional reforms, including the creation of a High Representative for Foreign Affairs and a revamped communications strategy, to strengthen regional solidarity.

The document examines blended finance as a mechanism to bridge the gap between Canada's clean growth ambitions and its budgetary constraints. It defines blended finance as the strategic use of public funds to mitigate risks, thereby attracting private investment for large-scale infrastructure and industrial projects. The author identifies existing tools like the Canada Infrastructure Bank (CIB) and Canada Growth Fund (CGF) but argues that current efforts lack a coordinated strategy. To optimize this model, the document recommends harmonizing blended finance with other public incentives, clarifying the distinct mandates of various funding agencies to reduce transaction costs and competition, and integrating these mechanisms with a robust industrial carbon market to enhance project profitability and emission reductions.

The Canadian Climate Institute warns that Canada's trade infrastructure is vulnerable to climate change, citing the 2021 B.C. floods as a primary example of the economic risks. It calls for the federal government to embed climate risk assessments into new projects, upgrade existing corridors, invest in protective infrastructure, and provide stable funding for municipalities to avoid building assets based on outdated climate data.

The document argues that Africa's critical raw materials (CRMs) have triggered a resurgence of transactional deals where external powers provide security or infrastructure in exchange for resource access. It contrasts Russia's use of private military companies, the US's transactional 'peace-brokering' model, and China's 'infrastructure-for-resources' strategy, noting that these arrangements often prioritize foreign strategic gains over African long-term stability and sovereignty.

The EESI briefing discusses the role of federal investments in U.S. public transit, noting that such funding supports local economies, reduces air pollution, and improves land use. It specifically highlights that every dollar invested in transit generates $5 in economic returns and explores the integration of transit with other mobility forms and land use policies.

The document argues that the global trade, finance, and investment ecosystem—comprising approximately 200 organisations including the WTO, Bretton Woods institutions, and multilateral development banks—requires greater institutional coherence to address massive funding gaps. It highlights that aligning policies across these stakeholders is essential for smoother capital flows and sustainable economic growth in line with the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

The Institute for Economic Justice (IEJ) critiques the South African National Treasury's focus on debt stabilisation through expenditure cuts and a proposed 2 percentage point VAT increase. The IEJ argues that such a VAT hike would harm poor households and may not generate substantial revenue due to potential decreases in consumer spending. Instead, the IEJ proposes six alternative revenue-raising strategies: improving SARS's collection capacity, drawing from the GFECRA account, removing unnecessary tax breaks, implementing a differentiated VAT system for luxury items, raising corporate and high-income tax rates, and taxing wealth. The document also suggests lowering the cost of borrowing through capital management and replacing broad expenditure cuts with a transparent spending review process.

The report highlights a critical need for water infrastructure investment in South Africa due to ageing assets and recurrent droughts. It identifies two primary market opportunities: the localisation of manufacturing for water value chain components (particularly mechanical hardware for wastewater treatment works and pumps) and the adoption of innovative financing models to bridge a significant public funding gap. While metropolitan municipalities, including the City of Cape Town, have substantial planned expenditure, barriers such as complex procurement, technical skill shortages, and poor municipal financial management persist.

The document is a letter expressing concern over Energy Capital Partners' (ECP) pending acquisition of Lightstone Holdco LLC, which owns the General James M. Gavin Power Plant. The authors highlight the plant's high emissions and public health risks, contrasting this acquisition with Bridgepoint's public commitments to decarbonisation and sustainability. They request a commitment to retire the plant by 2028.

The document examines how the competition between the US, China, and Russia affects African states, noting a shift toward non-alignment and the diversification of international relations to avoid becoming geopolitical pawns. It argues that African agency can be strengthened by empowering the African Union (AU), leveraging the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), and demanding partnerships based on mutual benefit rather than great-power rivalry. The Lobito Corridor is cited as a model where competing interests can coexist to provide tangible regional benefits.