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The report examines government capacity in Africa, primarily through the lens of revenue mobilization and the tax-to-GDP ratio. It notes that while Africa's average tax-to-GDP ratio is around 15.6% to 16.5%, this remains lower than in Asia, Latin America, and OECD countries. The document highlights that low-income and larger African countries, such as Nigeria and the DR Congo, struggle more with resource mobilization and are often characterized by neo-patrimonialism and corruption, which undermine the effective use of revenues. However, it suggests that significant unmet tax potential remains, particularly in low-income countries, which could be unlocked through appropriate policies to improve public finances and reduce borrowing.

Ethiopia's climate finance averaged USD 2.3 billion annually in 2022/23, significantly below the USD 10.6 billion annual requirement of its NDC 3.0. The country is heavily dependent on international public finance, which accounted for over 93% of flows, while private investment remains minimal at less than 5%. Adaptation finance dominates the landscape, reflecting high vulnerability in the agriculture and water sectors, whereas mitigation finance is concentrated in energy and remains insufficient. Despite institutional reforms and the launch of the Ethiopian Securities Exchange, macroeconomic constraints and limited project preparation capacity hinder the mobilization of domestic and private capital.

The IEJ argues that the Just Transition Mechanism must be equity-oriented, grant-based, and non-prescriptive to support developing countries' national priorities. It emphasizes the need for technical assistance that covers labour markets and social protection, and calls for governance that ensures the participation of affected stakeholders and avoids exacerbating debt burdens.

The African Forum and Network on Debt and Development (AFRODAD) asserts that Africa's water insecurity is driven by a global financial architecture that imposes high borrowing costs and austerity on African nations. The statement highlights a significant annual funding gap of at least $30 billion for water infrastructure and links this shortfall to a debt crisis where African governments spend an average of 18.7% of public revenue on repayments. AFRODAD calls for systemic reforms, including a UN Framework Convention on Sovereign Debt and the recognition of historical injustices through the Africa Decade of Reparations (2026–2036), to enable sustainable investment in water and sanitation.

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 finds that while India has achieved a non-fossil electricity capacity share exceeding 50% in 2025, public finances remain heavily tied to fossil fuels. In FY 2024, fossil fuel revenues contributed nearly INR 9 lakh crore (USD 108 billion) to the exchequer, and 83% of central state-owned enterprise capital expenditures were directed toward fossils. Although clean energy subsidies grew by 31% year-on-year in FY 2024 and fossil fuel subsidies declined by 12%, the latter was attributed to cyclical price movements rather than structural policy. The study recommends improving the targeting of electricity subsidies, redirecting state-owned enterprise capital toward clean-tech, and diversifying government revenue through carbon pricing and green taxes.

This research paper by the Climate Policy Initiative (CPI) proposes a quantitative approach to tracking the quality of public climate finance. It builds upon a three-level conceptual framework—project, market, and system levels—to identify practical indicators that can reduce subjectivity in quality judgments and improve coordination among public finance providers.

Adaptation finance for Africa remains critically insufficient, with 2023 flows to Sub-Saharan Africa reaching only USD 12.9 billion against an annual need of USD 51 billion. Public finance is the dominant source, providing 95% of Africa's adaptation funding in 2023, as adaptation projects are often small-scale, localised, and lack the standardised metrics or predictable returns required to attract private investors. Structural barriers, including complex international funding procedures and fragmented government coordination, have led to less than half of committed adaptation funds in Africa being disbursed between 2014 and 2018. While the private sector's contribution grew to USD 654 million by 2023, it remains a supporting role, with the document emphasizing that grants and concessional loans are essential to avoid exacerbating debt distress in countries where debt interest spending already exceeds health or education budgets. The briefing highlights the upcoming COP30 as a critical juncture to finalise the Global Goal on Adaptation and establish standardised indicators to improve the tracking and bankability of resilience investments.

The document argues that while the South African government frames social grant fraud as a problem caused by beneficiaries, data indicates that the most significant fraud is perpetrated by state officials and predatory third parties. It criticizes the National Treasury and SASSA for implementing automated monitoring and verification tools—such as risk algorithms, bank account checks, and biometric verification—which the author claims are ineffective and lead to the wrongful exclusion of thousands of eligible poor, elderly, and disabled people.

The guide argues that fossil fuel subsidies (FFSs) are misaligned with climate and fiscal goals and proposes a three-step approach to phase them out: establishing a whole-of-government coordination mechanism, categorizing subsidies into three timelines based on risk and feasibility, and executing detailed implementation plans with clear accountability. It emphasizes that while developed countries should lead with faster reforms, developing countries may require longer timelines and more robust social protection measures to ensure a just transition.

The document details the methodology used to evaluate investment risks and attributes for the livestock sector in Latin America and the Caribbean, categorizing risks into governance, financial, physical climate, market, infrastructure, and nature. It establishes a framework for matching these risks with the preferences of public and private investors and models three capital scenarios: business-as-usual (BAU), improved financial strategies (IFS), and improved financial and political strategies (IFPS). The analysis distinguishes between small-scale farms (2-10 hectares) and large-scale commercial operations, noting that small-scale systems are more dependent on public funding. Geographically, it segments the region into Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, and the 'rest of LAC', highlighting Brazil's role as the region's primary beef producer and the significant underreporting of private climate finance in the sector.

Between 2017 and 2022, Viet Nam's power sector saw a total of USD 64 billion in reported investment, with renewable energy (RE) dominating at 64.54% (USD 41.3 billion) compared to fossil fuels (FF) at 35.13% (USD 22.5 billion). RE growth was primarily driven by generous Feed-in Tariffs (FiTs) and domestic private investment, which provided approximately 80% of RE finance. In contrast, FF finance was dominated by international sources, particularly Japan for coal. While gas investment surged in 2021 as a transitional fuel, coal investment ceased in 2022 following net-zero commitments. Despite RE growth, a significant financing gap remains; BloombergNEF estimates an annual requirement of USD 30.7 billion to meet a net-zero scenario by 2030, far exceeding the USD 6 billion invested in 2023.

The report finds that while CETP members reduced international fossil fuel finance by up to 78% to USD 4.7 billion in 2024, the scale-up of clean energy finance remains slow, with only USD 3.2 billion in increases compared to 2019–2021. It highlights that less than one-fifth of funds shifted from fossil fuels were redirected to clean energy and calls for a collective target of at least USD 42 billion for clean energy finance in emerging markets and developing economies.

The report estimates that public support for British Columbia's LNG sector will reach CAD 3.93 billion by 2031, including CAD 1.62 billion in federal public finance and CAD 2.16 billion from the BC government. It argues that these subsidies, provided through tax rules, preferential electricity rates, and infrastructure funding, de-risk private investment in projects that may become stranded assets due to global supply gluts and the energy transition. The document calls for the elimination of domestic fossil fuel finance, the enforcement of net-zero requirements by 2030, and increased transparency in reporting government funding.

The document examines the human and economic impact of the African debt crisis, asserting that high debt costs divert critical fiscal resources from public health, education, and industrial policy. It frames the crisis not merely as a result of poor governance, but as a product of a global system based on neo-colonialism. While borrowing is described as a standard tool to bridge revenue gaps for urgent needs, the text notes that Africa collectively owes approximately $746 billion, a burden that hinders job creation and economic growth.

The document proposes a shift from rigid fiscal rules to a 'constrained discretion regime' for emerging markets facing rising debt costs. It recommends implementing flexible debt anchors, embedding them within a broader fiscal policy regime with independent oversight, and increasing transparency to maintain market confidence.

The Institute for Energy Economics Japan (IEEJ) produces energy forecasts with significantly higher gas demand and carbon emissions than those of the IEA, ExxonMobil, and BP. This is driven by higher projected costs for solar and wind, a preference for thermal power as a backup to renewables, and optimistic forecasts for carbon capture and storage (CCS) deployment. The IEEJ maintains close ties to the Japanese government and industry, while Japan remains a major global financier and trader of gas.

The briefing argues that the global financial architecture requires far-reaching reform to make financial flows consistent with climate-resilient development, as current international institutions are failing to effectively redirect finance away from harmful activities.

South Africa has committed to an ambitious plan of action to prevent and respond to violence against children by 2027, including implementing parenting programmes in 52 districts and strengthening school safety via the 2024 Basic Education Laws Amendment Act. However, the authors contend that these goals are jeopardized by the Social Development Department's failure to pay NGO service providers in provinces like Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal, as well as a lack of operational competence and clean audits at the national level. The document emphasizes that because NGOs deliver most services, the state must implement the Sector Funding Policy and adopt a holistic approach to family services to succeed.