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The Tracking SDG7: The Energy Progress Report 2026 by Sustainable Energy for All indicates that the world is off track to meet all Sustainable Development Goal 7 targets by 2030. While global electricity access has improved, progress is decelerating and heavily concentrated in Asia, leaving Africa with the vast majority of the unelectrified population. Clean cooking access is failing to keep pace with population growth in Africa, and global renewable energy and energy efficiency improvements are too slow to meet the required trajectories.

This executive summary from the Stockholm Environment Institute examines policy coherence between the Paris Agreement and Agenda 2030, drawing on research from nine countries. It argues that incoherence is driven by power asymmetries, vested interests, and the prioritization of economic growth over social and environmental goals, rather than simple coordination failures.

This report by FSD Africa, BII, and Copernican Securities examines the potential for securitisation to deepen capital markets in sub-Saharan Africa. It identifies a significant private credit gap and argues that while South Africa has a mature market, other African nations face substantial regulatory, legal, and capacity barriers. The report recommends a holistic approach to regulatory reform, increased technical assistance from MDBs and DFIs, and the adoption of standardised data reporting to attract institutional investors.

The Panama Declaration, issued on 21 October 2023, outlines a commitment by representatives from the Americas to utilize science diplomacy as a tool to bridge gaps in science, technology, and innovation to address global challenges and support evidence-informed public policies.

This policy brief by the Stockholm Environment Institute examines the gap between global Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) indicators and the lived experiences of Indigenous Peoples and local communities in the Argentine Altiplano affected by lithium mining. It argues that for the energy transition to be socially equitable and environmentally responsible, the UN and national governments must incorporate local and Indigenous perspectives into the creation and monitoring of development indicators.

The 'Progressing National SDG Implementation 2024' report, produced by a coalition of civil society organizations, analyzes Voluntary National Review (VNR) reports submitted to the United Nations in 2024. It identifies slow progress across many Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly regarding the climate crisis, poverty, and social inequality, while highlighting the roles and barriers faced by multi-stakeholder partners, civil society, youth, academia, and parliaments.

This policy brief by the South African Institute of International Affairs advocates for global participation in the Global Solidarity Levy Task Force (GSLTF) to mobilize finance for climate action and sustainable development. It outlines 16 proposed tax options targeting undertaxed, high-emission sectors to address a significant global financing gap, urging developing countries to engage in the design and assessment of these levies to ensure equitable access to funds.

The Stockholm Environment Institute presents an updated computational method and a corresponding WEAP tool plugin to estimate seasonal water stress by spatially separating regions to avoid double-counting freshwater resources.

This report by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) provides detailed recommendations to strengthen the first draft of the outcome document for the Fourth Financing for Development Conference (FFD4). The document focuses on enhancing domestic resource mobilization, reforming private finance, improving climate financing for vulnerable nations, updating international trade rules, and establishing more robust debt-relief mechanisms.

The Climate Bonds Social and Sustainability Bond Dataset Methodology (2025) outlines the criteria and screening processes used by the Climate Bonds Initiative to identify and classify credible social and sustainability (S&S) bonds. The methodology focuses on ensuring that the use of proceeds (UoP) provides substantial benefits to defined target populations and aligns with global sustainability goals while avoiding absolute exclusions such as fossil fuel exploration.

This report by the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA) synthesizes the climate, sustainability, energy, and climate finance commitments made by G20 member countries from 2008 to 2024. It tracks the evolution of these commitments through various summits, highlighting the shift from general statements to specific frameworks like the Paris Agreement and the challenges posed by inconsistent national policies, particularly those of the United States. The document also details the priority areas for South Africa's 2025 G20 presidency, which emphasizes solidarity, equality, and sustainability.

This policy brief by the Stockholm Environment Institute examines the drivers of deforestation in Colombia and the coherence of the policies designed to combat it. Using a framework based on ideas, institutions, and interests, the authors analyze how conflicting economic goals, institutional weaknesses, and the influence of powerful mining and agricultural interests hinder environmental progress. The brief highlights a significant gap between national conservation goals and the rights of local peasant communities, specifically citing the negative impacts of military-led enforcement strategies.

This policy brief by the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA) argues for the integration of natural capital accounting (NCA) into global economic models and national systems of accounting. It highlights the critical importance of natural assets for low-income countries and Africa, and provides specific recommendations for the 2025 South African G20 presidency to champion the natural capital agenda, build conceptual consensus, address data gaps, and implement bioeconomy initiatives.

This perspective article explores the potential of combining artificial intelligence (AI) and Earth observation technologies to enhance forest management and sustainability, while also addressing the associated risks and the need for governance mechanisms.

The report 'Improving energy data to enhance gender equality' argues that the lack of sex-disaggregated data in the energy sector leads to gender-blind policymaking and hinders the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It calls for a collaborative effort to standardize data collection and integrate gender-responsive indicators into energy planning to ensure an equitable transition to net zero.

The Stockholm Environment Institute's (SEI) Finance for Sustainable Development (FSD) Program, established in 2022, focuses on bridging the gap between micro-level business viability and macro-level climate and development finance policies. The program specifically targets low- and lower-middle-income countries (LLMICs) to identify how sustainable projects can generate private economic value and attract private-sector investment through research, advisory services, and training.

The Global Research and Action Network for a New Eco-Social Contract (GRAN-ESC), convened by UNRISD and the Green Economy Coalition, submitted recommendations to the UN Summit for the Future. The submission argues that the 'Pact for the Future' must incorporate 'eco-social contracts' that integrate ecological, social, and economic elements to revitalize the 2030 Agenda and ensure a just transition.

This feasibility study by FSD Africa explores a mechanism to transfer non-sovereign asset portfolios from Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs) to domestic institutional investors in Africa using a local currency solution. The goal is to free up MDB capital for new investments while deepening local capital markets and reducing foreign exchange risks for borrowers. The study focuses on seven markets in East and West Africa and proposes the creation of a permanent investment vehicle (SPV) managed by a professional Fund Manager to facilitate these transfers.

This report evaluates the environmental, social, and governance (ESG) practices of Chinese-financed infrastructure projects in Africa, specifically focusing on energy and industrial park sectors in Egypt, Nigeria, and Ethiopia.

This briefing by the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) provides the scientific foundation and methodology for the "Time to Lead – science to accelerate the Global Goals" campaign. It synthesizes recommendations from five key scientific reports published between 2022 and 2023 to guide decision-makers in accelerating the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) ahead of the September 2023 SDG Summit.