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The document examines how national governments can engage the private sector to support climate adaptation, noting that business participation depends on a strong business case. It suggests that governments must move beyond treating the private sector as a homogenous unit and instead target specific actors—such as small and medium enterprises or specialized solution providers—whose interests align with public goods. While 'win-win' scenarios exist in sectors like water purification and agriculture, the paper warns of 'negative alignment' where private investments can lead to land grabbing or the displacement of local populations. It recommends a policy mix of incentives, procurement contracts, and collaboration with civil society to ensure private actions support rather than undermine community resilience.

The author, Dan Bena of PepsiCo, advocates for a 'new collaborative era' where blurred boundaries between public and private sectors enable more effective climate adaptation. The document identifies two primary opportunities for government intervention supported by private sector expertise: instituting systems for efficient natural resource use and creating financial vehicles to provide credit to underserved communities. To illustrate these points, the paper details PepsiCo's initiatives in India, including 'direct seeding' in paddy cultivation to reduce water use and the formation of potato farmer cooperatives to mitigate credit risk. It also describes a partnership in Mexico with FUNDAR to develop sustainable agribusinesses for corn farmers and a project in Ceará, Brazil, where the PepsiCo Foundation supports the Columbia Water Center in integrating climate forecasts into state water allocation decisions via COGERH.

The document evaluates the 2009 OECD checklist on private sector participation in water infrastructure. It acknowledges positive additions regarding responsible business conduct and sustainability but criticizes the checklist for contradictions regarding decentralization, a perfunctory treatment of international investment arbitration risks, and the omission of the 'duty of efficiency' as a legal requirement for providers.

The report evaluates development financing experiences to provide evidence on how climate change mitigation finance can be effectively channelled to developing countries. It finds that donor guidelines, rather than sector or country, primarily determine the nature of financial assistance and reporting. The authors argue that programme-based funding is generally preferable to project-based funding for achieving large-scale change, and suggest that a multi-donor trust fund could facilitate the necessary harmonisation of reporting and verification standards.

The document analyzes the growth of China's wind power sector, highlighting the role of the 2005 Renewable Energy Law and strategic technology transfers from European companies. It uses Goldwind as a case study for successful private-public partnerships and argues that further international cooperation in turbine design and offshore technology is essential to meet future CO2 emission constraints.

The Borough of Dolphin Coast municipality engaged the private sector, via a deal involving SAUR Services and Siza, to upgrade failing water and sanitation infrastructure. While targets were met in wealthier areas, poorer areas suffered from unmet targets and tariff increases, contributing to 140 cholera cases in the first year. The concession faced financial instability by 2001, necessitating contract adjustments that reduced municipal fees and investment commitments while raising consumer prices.

Africa faces a severe road infrastructure crisis, with 90% of passengers and freight relying on tarmac that is frequently neglected due to budget deficits and diverted funds. The World Bank estimates the annual cost of this neglect at $1.2 billion in lost productivity, with nearly a third of the $150 billion invested in roads by the late 1980s already lost. While some countries like South Africa and Kenya are exploring private sector concessions, tolls, and Chinese financing, challenges such as low traffic volumes in Malawi and the high cost of vehicle overloading persist.

The case study examines a water concession involving Siza and SAUR Services, noting that while wealthier areas met water and sanitation targets, poorer areas did not. The arrangement faced financial instability due to rising bulk water costs, leading to contract adjustments that increased consumer prices and reduced investment. Key failures included a cholera outbreak caused by the poor accessing unhygienic water to avoid tariffs and a lack of municipal capacity.

The N4 toll road was established via a 30-year, R3 billion concession signed in 1996 between South Africa and Mozambique, operated by Trans-African Concessions (TRAC). The project utilized a financing structure of 20% equity and 80% debt, with the latter guaranteed by both governments. To manage user payment risks in Mozambique, TRAC implemented cross-subsidization using revenues from the South African section and provided discounts to regular Mozambican users. The road acted as a catalyst for further regional investment, including the Maputo Port and the Mozal aluminium smelter.

The 1995 power purchasing agreement between Tanesco and IPTL in Tanzania is cited as a failed public-private partnership due to alleged corruption, lack of feasibility studies, and the procurement of unnecessary diesel-generated power at inflated costs.

The document assesses the role of agricultural biotechnology in Eastern and Southern Africa, arguing that while the technology can address biotic and abiotic constraints for small-scale farmers, a significant gap exists between technical potential and actual benefit. It identifies key barriers including weak public breeding systems, high transaction costs related to Intellectual Property Rights (IPR), and inadequate biosafety regulatory frameworks. The paper recommends increased public investment in research, the integration of formal and informal seed systems, and the development of regional biosafety cooperation to facilitate the dissemination of improved crop varieties.

The paper examines NEPAD as a holistic development initiative for Africa, contrasting it with earlier plans like the Lagos Plan of Action and the Abuja Treaty. It highlights NEPAD's focus on globalisation, good governance via the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM), and its specific administrative structures. While the author notes progress in policy development and some specific projects, such as the West Africa Gas Pipeline and e-School Initiative, the report concludes that overall implementation is hindered by inadequate capacity in regional economic communities and a lack of sufficient funding from developed partners.

The report examines the record of public-private partnerships (PPPs) in Africa, arguing that while they can address infrastructure backlogs, they are not a 'magic bullet' and are prone to the same failures as privatisation, including corruption and high consumer costs. Through eight case studies in transport, prisons, telecommunications, water, power, and eco-tourism, the document highlights that success depends on thorough feasibility studies, strong political commitment, and effective regulatory frameworks. Key failures are attributed to a lack of transparency, poor risk management, and unrealistic design specifications. The report recommends that African governments build institutional capacity, implement integrity pacts to combat graft, and adopt a phased approach by starting with smaller projects.

The report examines Chile's transition from military dictatorship to a stable democracy, highlighting how the combination of liberal economic policies and progressive social initiatives led to an average GDP growth of 7% in the 1990s. Key success factors include pragmatic leadership, public-private partnerships, and a strategic focus on trade diversification and foreign direct investment. The document suggests that African nations can emulate Chile's approach by completing structural reforms, prioritizing infrastructure, and using increased tax revenues to fund social services without abandoning long-term macroeconomic stability.

The document analyzes Brazil's approach to small, medium and micro enterprise (SMME) development, highlighting the success of SEBRAE as a public-private partnership that provides non-financial logistical support. It contrasts this with the finance-centric approach often found in developing African nations and argues that clear business categorization and a decisive national strategy are essential for integrating survivalist businesses into the formal economy. The report also includes a case study on the challenges and potential of SMMEs in Lesotho.

The author argues that the Africa Commission must avoid the pitfalls of previous economic liberalisation efforts, which have often yielded disappointing results. To be effective, the commission should help African nations move beyond the vague goal of 'creating an enabling environment' and instead develop specific, country-by-country strategies based on actual investor needs and comparative advantages. The text highlights a critical lack of focus in regional bodies like SADC and Comesa, which maintain overly long lists of priorities, and notes a significant funding gap in the Nepad short-term action plan that must be filled by the private sector through public-private partnerships.

The document describes the European Investment Bank (EIB) as a public bank that operates like a private one, providing long-term financing to support EU objectives. It details the EIB's governance structure, including the Board of Governors, the Board of Directors, and the Management Committee. The text argues that the EIB lacks sufficient oversight, transparency, and adherence to current EU environmental regulations, particularly in its projects outside the EU. It also highlights the EIB's reliance on private banking partnerships and its complex legal relationship with EU oversight bodies like OLAF and the European Court of Auditors.

The document examines the role of agricultural biotechnology in meeting future food demands in developing countries, contrasting the market-driven approach of transnational corporations (TNCs) with the needs of small-scale farmers. It argues that while GM technology can improve yields and nutritional content, its success depends on an 'enabling environment' consisting of R&D capacity, functional biosafety regulatory regimes, and clear biotechnology policies. The authors highlight significant obstacles, including the high cost of biosafety compliance, intellectual property rights (IPR) restrictions, and trade conflicts between the EU and USA. It recommends that donor agencies like Sida focus on institutional capacity building, particularly for 'GM-local crops' developed by public sector institutions to benefit the poor.

The document argues that the human right to water requires states to maintain regulatory autonomy and flexibility, which may conflict with the trade liberalization goals of the WTO's GATS. It specifically examines how market access commitments, national treatment obligations, and proposed disciplines on domestic regulation could restrict a government's ability to use public monopolies, implement universal service obligations, or maintain environmental zoning and quality standards. The authors propose a 'progressive approach' where trade law is interpreted in deference to national regulatory autonomy to ensure that basic services are not left to the 'whim of markets'.

The paper argues that while GATS does not explicitly mandate privatization, its market access and national treatment obligations can indirectly encourage it and limit a government's capacity to implement universal service obligations (USOs) and subsidies. By analyzing environmental services commitments from the US, Estonia, the EC, and Nordic/Swiss countries, the authors demonstrate how specific 'carve-outs' and conditions in schedules can preserve regulatory flexibility. The document highlights the particular risk to developing countries, where privatization is often driven by international financial institutions, potentially locking them into GATS commitments that hinder the fulfillment of the human right to water.