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The document explores the use of bilateral agreements as an alternative to European Commission certification for biofuels to meet the sustainability criteria of the EU Renewable Energy Directive, specifically considering their potential to offer more flexibility for exporting developing countries and to address broader land use and natural resource management policies.

The document identifies five priority policy intersections for the SADC region, noting that over half of the region's countries have economies where fewer than eight sectors account for 75 per cent of exports, primarily focusing on minerals or agriculture.

The document examines the tension between the Africa Mining Vision's goals of sustainable development and the legal constraints imposed by Bilateral Investment Treaties (BITs). It evaluates ownership-related policies and performance requirements, concluding that while these tools can be effective for creating national champions and local linkages, they often conflict with treaty obligations regarding national treatment and expropriation.

The document examines the tension between the 'Africa Mining Vision'—which seeks to use national champions and performance requirements to drive sustainable development—and the legal constraints imposed by international investment treaties. It evaluates ownership options (such as joint ventures and state-owned enterprises) and performance requirements (such as local content and technology transfer), concluding that while these tools can be effective if integrated into broader strategies, they often conflict with treaty obligations regarding national treatment, fair and equitable treatment, and expropriation. The briefing provides strategic drafting options for states to preserve their 'policy space' in future treaties.

The document outlines a framework for transitioning African governance toward the 2030 SDGs, emphasizing the need for National Councils for Sustainable Development (NCSDs) and integrated planning. It identifies current gaps, such as poor policy implementation and a dearth of data, and proposes capacity-building strategies and the establishment of Communities of Practice (CoP) to foster knowledge sharing across the continent.

The policy brief examines the emerging architecture of extractive governance in Africa, focusing on the Africa Mining Vision (AMV) and its implementing agency, the African Minerals Development Centre (AMDC). It highlights a critical gap between the economic contributions of the mining and oil sectors and the local socio-economic realities. The author argues that for these home-grown initiatives to succeed, they must leverage research from institutions like SAIIA's Governance of Africa's Resources Programme (GARP), coordinate better to avoid duplication with other bodies like the AfDB's African Natural Resources Centre, and form strategic partnerships with established global mechanisms such as the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) and the Kimberley Process (KP).

The document analyzes the gap between current and ideal governance practices for sustainable development in Asia-Pacific, focusing on multistakeholder processes, vertical and horizontal integration, and monitoring and evaluation. It identifies a prevalence of 'silo' approaches where sustainable development is managed primarily by environment ministries and recommends a comprehensive capacity-building agenda to improve long-term strategic planning, data quality, and subnational implementation.

The document examines how National Sustainable Development Councils (NCSDs) can support the transition from Millennium Development Goals to Sustainable Development Goals. Based on survey data from 12 countries, it identifies that while most nations have national sustainable development strategies, they face significant financial and structural barriers, including institutional resistance and poor data quality. The briefing highlights the advisory role of NCSDs and recommends a participatory approach, vertical alignment between government levels, and the strengthening of existing institutional frameworks to achieve national SDG targets.

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.

The paper uses the Sesheke district in Western Zambia as a case study to analyze how climate variability affects the livelihoods of men and women dependent on natural resources. It evaluates the extent to which gender considerations were integrated into the formulation of agriculture and environmental policies and assesses the practical implementation of these policies, focusing on whether government funding for local adaptation activities is gender-responsive in its allocation and disbursement.

The policy brief argues that market discount rates are unsuitable for evaluating long-term environmental impacts and proposes the 'equivalency principle' to determine social discount rates. This principle assumes that undeveloped and developed land of identical attributes should provide equal utility to future generations. Using a case study of a proposed seaport in Pasaia, Basque Country, the authors demonstrate that applying this principle results in lower, site-specific discount rates (between 0.96% and 3%) that would lead to the rejection of the project, whereas a market rate of 11% would justify it in some scenarios.

The analysis of 39 Belizean policy documents and laws reveals a significant gap in climate change integration, with only 15% of reviewed documents addressing climate impacts. While some frameworks support sustainable development, many are outdated or use vague language, failing to provide concrete steps for adaptation. The report recommends urgent revisions to key instruments, including the Sustainable Tourism Master Plan and the Coastal Zone Management Act, to integrate climate-smart measures and protect natural capital.

The 2014 SAIIA Young Leaders Declaration outlines youth-led recommendations for the Sustainable Development Goals, focusing on economic inclusivity, environmental protection, and social equity in South Africa and globally.

The document argues that conventional formal institution building is insufficient for sustainable development and calls for new collaborations between governments, civil society, and the private sector. It emphasizes the need to link livelihoods in low-income regions with consumption patterns in affluent regions and to integrate disaster risk reduction (DRR) into development planning to build resilience. SEI highlights various projects, including palm oil governance in Southeast Asia, Arctic resilience, and sanitation in East Africa, to illustrate the need for 'hybrid accountability' and 'institutional bricolage' in governance.

The document examines the complex 'bundle of rights'—control, management, and use—associated with forest resources in Ghana. It details how the 1992 Constitution establishes trusteeship (fiduciary relationships) where the state or stools manage resources for the benefit of the people. The briefing distinguishes between naturally occurring forests (on-reserve and off-reserve) and planted timber, noting that while natural trees generally follow land ownership, the state often superimposes trusteeship via the 1962 Concessions Act. It also reviews international obligations under the African Charter and ILO conventions, concluding that the legal framework requires clarification to ensure accountability and sustainable, collaborative management.

The document examines the gap between legal provisions and practice regarding the right to participate in Ghana's forest sector. It identifies that while the 1992 Constitution and international agreements like the African Charter and the UNCCD support participation, specific national forestry laws offer limited, often non-binding, protections. It highlights that many participatory processes are relegated to non-binding manuals of procedure, leaving stakeholders without judicial redress when these processes are ignored.

The document examines the distribution of benefits from forest resources in Ghana, highlighting a disconnect between constitutional mandates and actual practice. While the 1992 Constitution establishes a specific revenue-sharing formula for Stool and Skin lands, the Forestry Commission often retains significant portions of revenue (such as 50% of stumpage fees and contract area rent) without clear legal backing. The briefing also details various benefit-sharing mechanisms for naturally occurring and planted trees, and reviews international instruments like the African Charter and the Convention on Biological Diversity that support community rights to resource benefits.

The document examines the legal protections for access to information in Ghana's forest sector, noting a gap between constitutional rights and operational enforcement. It details specific obligations of the Forestry Commission and the goals of the 2012 Forest and Wildlife Policy, while reviewing international instruments like the African Charter and the EU-Ghana VPA.

The paper examines the debate surrounding the Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Amendment Bill of 2013, specifically the potential shift from a 'first-in, first-assessed' (FIFA) system to competitive bidding for mining rights. It outlines the advantages of auctions—such as rent maximisation and increased transparency—while warning of risks including high administrative burdens, delays in mine development, and the potential for corruption in weak institutional environments. Using examples from Afghanistan and Liberia, the authors argue that any such system must be clearly enshrined in law to limit ministerial discretion and should ideally be a mixed system based on the availability of geological data.

The vulnerability assessment in the Virunga landscape reveals that climate-related disturbances affect different social groups and activities unevenly. While non-Batwa women identified that direct consequences of events like flooding can be mitigated to reduce impacts on income, Batwa groups perceive themselves as more severely affected by destructive disturbances such as strong winds. The Batwa are identified as a particularly vulnerable group due to extreme poverty, high dependency on the park, and displacement resulting from restricted park access, leaving many in poor housing.