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The document outlines the necessity for businesses in Kenya to 'climate-proof' their operations by assessing risks and implementing adaptation measures. It highlights that climate change impacts—such as temperature increases and rainfall changes—affect all economic sectors, with droughts and flooding estimated to cost Kenya approximately 2.0 per cent of GDP annually. The briefing provides a sector-specific matrix of risks and opportunities and shares examples of Kenyan companies already adapting through supply chain diversification and innovative insurance products. It advocates for the use of risk assessment tools and calls for government leadership in demonstrating climate resilience.

The document analyzes China's multifaceted role in Liberia's recovery between 2003 and 2013, covering its participation in the UN Mission in Liberia (UNMIL), bilateral development aid, and large-scale investments. While China provided critical infrastructure and diplomatic support, the author argues that the economic relationship is characterized by a significant imbalance, describing it as a 'relative win' for Liberia and an 'absolute win' for China due to massive trade surpluses and favorable mining concessions.

South Africa's FDI environment is characterized by a transition from a liberal, open-door policy to a regime that prioritizes domestic socio-economic benefits, such as fighting unemployment and promoting inclusive growth. While the country offers a strategic gateway to the SADC region and possesses strong mining, finance, and retail sectors, it faces challenges in attracting manufacturing FDI due to high labor costs, technical skills shortages, and infrastructure constraints. Recent trends show volatile FDI flows, with a shift toward investments from developing Asia, though greenfield investment remains persistently low compared to mergers and acquisitions.

The report analyzes the systemic power imbalances in compensation processes for extractive industries, where benefits often accrue at the state level while costs are borne by local communities. It evaluates several mechanisms for improving outcomes: Community Development Agreements (CDAs) in mining, strategic human rights litigation, and Biocultural Community Protocols. A specific case study of the Chad-Cameroon Oil & Pipeline Project illustrates the failures of individual-based monetary compensation and argues for a paradigm shift toward livelihood restoration and 'land for land' replacement.

The report argues that sustainability issues—such as pollution, biodiversity loss, and social conflict—in supplier countries create strategic risks for China's security of supply. It introduces a methodology to identify 'hot spots' by analyzing demand-side vulnerability and supply-side hazards. Through pilot studies on copper and palm oil, the report demonstrates that while China is highly vulnerable to supply disruptions in these sectors, it lacks a coordinated national strategy to manage these risks. The authors recommend that the Chinese government build the capacity of its embassies, engage more deeply with international sustainability standards, explore fiscal incentives for sustainable sourcing, and integrate supply chain sustainability into green public procurement and national planning.

The document examines the expansion of transport infrastructure in central and northern Mozambique, driven largely by foreign investment in the mining and energy sectors. It argues that while public-private partnerships could improve connectivity, the current trend of foreign companies building infrastructure for their own export needs risks creating 'enclave' developments with limited trickle-down benefits for local populations. The authors highlight a lack of coherent state planning, weak local capacity, and regional frictions—particularly with South Africa—that hinder the potential for these projects to foster genuine regional integration and national economic growth.

The Simandou Mountain Range in Guinea contains a major 'tier-one' iron ore deposit, but production has been delayed by legal disputes and infrastructure gaps. The document details a contentious history of mining rights involving Rio Tinto and Beny Steinmetz Group Resources (BSGR), including an FBI probe into alleged bribery. It argues that building a new 700 km railway to Conakry is prohibitively expensive and suggests instead refurbishing the 350 km Lamco rail link through Liberia to Buchanan to accelerate production and foster regional economic integration.

The document identifies three primary pressure points affecting South Africa's mining outlook: a negative macroeconomic environment characterized by currency volatility and regulatory uncertainty, structural gaps in infrastructure and skills, and the need to better leverage existing strengths such as reserve size and financial services. It warns that internal instability and global headwinds, including slowing demand from China, are eroding South Africa's competitive edge relative to other sub-Saharan African nations and mature mining jurisdictions.

The IISD Mining and Sustainable Development Initiative seeks to shift the focus of mining investments from narrow fiscal benefits for governments to a broader 'win-win-win' model involving companies, governments, and communities. The initiative focuses on maximizing both fiscal and non-fiscal economic benefits—such as employment and local procurement—while treating the environment as a non-compromisable asset. To achieve this, IISD is developing an integrated toolkit and methodology for assessing project value, providing legal training on contract negotiations, and offering capacity-building services to developing countries.

The report documents a pattern of violence and judicial harassment against land and environmental rights defenders in 2013. It argues that these individuals are particularly vulnerable as global competition for land and resources increases, often facing threats from government forces and corporations. The document provides specific case studies from Europe, the Americas, Africa, and Asia, detailing arrests, murders, and forced evictions linked to opposition against extractive industries, mega-projects, and agribusiness.

The report examines Greenland's approach to sustainable development amidst rising international interest in its petroleum, minerals, and rare earth resources. While it praises the adoption of 'best-in-class' environmental and social impact assessments, it warns of gaps in emergency preparedness, dispute resolution, and the potential for a 'two-tier wage system' for migrant workers. The authors argue that Greenland must diversify its economy beyond extractives and improve its capacity to negotiate with powerful global investors to avoid the 'natural resource curse'.

The document argues that while South Africa was successful in peacemaking and peacekeeping in Burundi, it failed to maintain a substantive post-conflict presence after 2009, resulting in missed opportunities for development and peacebuilding. It recommends that South Africa develop a long-term, coordinated strategy for post-conflict engagement, leveraging its access to government authorities and building national skills in peacebuilding to avoid the ad hoc approach seen in Burundi.

The document examines the political, economic, and scientific ties between Russia and South Africa, noting a significant imbalance where political coordination is strong but economic and civil society linkages remain underdeveloped. While bilateral trade grew from $138.1 million in 2002 to nearly $1 billion in 2012, the authors argue that the relationship is hindered by a lack of mutual knowledge and limited cultural exchange. Key areas of cooperation include mineral resources, nuclear energy, and aviation, culminating in the March 2013 Joint Declaration on the establishment of a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

The document analyzes the evolution of Russia-Angola relations from the Cold War era to 2013, noting a strong political and military bond that has not yet translated into significant bilateral trade. While state-owned enterprises like ALROSA and VTB have found success, Russian SMEs face high barriers to entry in Angola. The authors argue that both nations must institutionalize their cooperation and diversify economic ties beyond hydrocarbons to achieve a fully-fledged strategic partnership.

The statement denounces the persecution of Berta Cáceres and other activists in Honduras, attributing the violence to a 'model extractivo minero' and 'energías sucias' driven by international financial capital and neoliberal globalization. It highlights the systemic impunity for officials who militarize indigenous territories while defenders of Lenca, Garífuna, and Miskito lands are targeted by state forces and private security for multinationals in the mining, oil, and hydroelectric sectors.

The Centre for Environmental Rights (CER) submitted comments to the Portfolio Committee on Mineral Resources regarding the Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Amendment Bill, 2013. The CER criticizes the Department of Mineral Resources (DMR) for failing to meaningfully consult civil society and mining-affected communities, identifies numerous drafting errors in the Bill, and provides detailed legal objections to proposed changes concerning environmental authorizations, penalty regimes, and the granting of mining rights.

A joint submission by five environmental and social justice organisations to the South African Portfolio Committee on Mineral Resources, asserting that the Mineral and Petroleum Resources Amendment Bill [B15-2013] does not rectify systemic failures in administrative justice. The authors argue that the Bill maintains inadequate consultation timeframes, restricts access to critical mining application data, and fails to protect the rights of rural and marginalized communities against the interests of mining companies and traditional authorities.

The Basque Country exhibits a high resource dependency, with a Total Material Requirement of 108 tons per capita in 2004, 83% of which is imported. This consumption pattern drives significant environmental and social degradation abroad, including oil spills in Nigeria, deforestation for palm oil in Indonesia, toxic pollution from nickel mining in Russia, and watershed degradation from tin mining in Bolivia. The document argues that the economic prosperity of developed regions is linked to an unsustainable use of global resources and calls for a transformation in consumption and production patterns to meet basic human needs without exceeding planetary limits.

The Centre for Environmental Rights is urging the Minister of Mineral Resources to clarify her intentions for the Chrissiesmeer Biodiversity Site and to formally prohibit prospecting and mining there for at least 20 years under the Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act, 2002.

The research investigates why South Africa is a founding member of the Open Government Partnership (OGP) but remains absent from the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI). It argues that the South African government's justifications—namely the existence of the Promotion of Access to Information Act (PAIA) and the Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act (MPRDA)—are insufficient because these frameworks do not provide the specific, multi-stakeholder corporate-state payment reconciliation that the EITI requires. The author suggests that South Africa's reluctance is partly ideological, tied to perceived double standards in the global North, and that the country may only join the EITI if it sees it as a means to bolster its status as an emerging global power.