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The document outlines a structured approach to biodiversity monitoring, emphasizing the need for early planning and the selection of appropriate indicators based on project goals. It categorizes projects into four types—target-based, area-based, co-benefit, and restoration—and details various monitoring methods ranging from direct observation to advanced technologies like eDNA and AI. The guide highlights the importance of baselines, the distinction between correlation and causation, and the role of diverse actors, including rangers and citizen scientists, in data collection.

The document examines the intersection of green technology and youth employment in Nigeria, Kenya, and Ghana. It finds that while these countries have established frameworks for clean energy, e-mobility, and climate-smart agriculture, there is a persistent lack of coherence between climate policies and youth employment strategies. The analysis highlights that youth are often excluded from policy-making and that interministerial cooperation is inadequate, hindering the potential for green tech to address high youth unemployment and NEET rates in sub-Saharan Africa.

The document argues that Africa's critical raw materials (CRMs) have triggered a resurgence of transactional deals where external powers provide security or infrastructure in exchange for resource access. It contrasts Russia's use of private military companies, the US's transactional 'peace-brokering' model, and China's 'infrastructure-for-resources' strategy, noting that these arrangements often prioritize foreign strategic gains over African long-term stability and sovereignty.

The September 2025 Carbon Minefields monitor reports that while licensing activity may decline slightly compared to 2024, significant global expansion continues. In August 2025, 8,700 square kilometers of acreage were awarded, with oil and gas volumes reaching their highest point for this stage of the year in five years. Over the past 12 months, 492 new licences were awarded, which could emit 1,777.8 MtCO2 if fully combusted. National oil companies (NOCs) are key drivers, acquiring over one third of these licences and accounting for half of global production. Future outlooks indicate 77 licences currently open or under evaluation and 454 additional blocks in planning, with China having the largest planned block emissions at approximately 2,670.4 MtCO2.

The declaration calls for the 'decolonization of knowledge' and the operationalization of Locally Led Adaptation (LLA) principles to ensure African communities are central to climate action. It proposes the creation of a Local Climate Fund (FCL) and a readiness fund for the local private sector to reduce reliance on private financing that leads to 'climate over-indebtedness' in Least Developed Countries (LDCs). The document urges African governments to institutionalize a National Energy Transition Council and democratize energy entrepreneurship. Internationally, it demands that high-emitting countries mobilize at least $1.3 trillion annually by 2035 to support developing nations and prioritize grants over debt-increasing loans.

The document examines the failure of uniform utility reform models in Africa, emphasizing that success depends on local context rather than ideological blueprints like privatization or cost-reflective tariffs. It contrasts the struggles of Nigeria and Ghana with the more successful, context-specific approaches in Morocco and Côte d’Ivoire, while highlighting the tension between commercial viability and poverty-driven affordability in countries like Zambia and Ethiopia.

The EU has introduced Clean Trade and Investment Partnerships (CTIPs) to diversify supply chains and foster clean energy cooperation, starting with South Africa. To be effective, CTIPs must move beyond existing frameworks by providing predictable demand, mobilising private finance through innovative instruments, and ensuring transparent, coordinated governance to avoid being perceived as mere compliance tools.

The IEJ welcomes the conclusion of the G20 Task Force on Food Security, which focused on systemic drivers of hunger such as food price volatility, speculative market behavior, and climate shocks. The statement advocates for the implementation of buffer stocks, public food stock holdings, and agroecological approaches to build climate resilience and ensure food affordability. It highlights that 673 million people globally were impacted by hunger in 2024, with a significant rise in Africa. The IEJ, acting as a Resource Partner, emphasizes that the right to food must be central to global governance and that structural reforms should prioritize equity and the needs of smallholder farmers and low-income households.

The author contends that Africa must move from being a consumer of technology to an architect of its own future by leveraging assets like biodata and critical minerals through science diplomacy. The text critiques the implementation of the STISA-2024 strategy and proposes a shift from traditional Research & Development (R&D) to a 'Deploy and Refine' (D&R) model. It advocates for a BRICS-wide research council and a new economic paradigm based on collective flourishing and environmental regeneration rather than GDP growth.

The analysis compares four scenarios for Africa's emissions: Business-as-usual (BAU), Net-zero by 2050 (NZ50), Net-zero by 2070 (NZ70), and Net-zero by 2100 (NZ100). While all net-zero pathways see renewables become the dominant energy source and a sharp fall in fossil fuel reliance, the timing of the transition creates significant trade-offs. The NZ50 scenario achieves the fastest emissions decline, reaching -0.33 GtCO₂/yr by 2050, but incurs the highest marginal abatement cost (averaging $78 per ton of CO₂) and causes the most disruption to food systems, including a 31% contraction in cropland and a near doubling of staple food prices. All net-zero scenarios rely on bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS), which shifts water demand from agriculture to the energy sector. Regional challenges vary, with Western Africa facing steep decarbonization due to oil and gas reliance, and Southern Africa managing a coal-dependent system.

The policy brief highlights the critical role of local governments in Africa and the Global South as implementers of climate adaptation, mitigation, and biodiversity goals. It identifies systemic barriers—including severe finance gaps, technical capacity constraints, and data deficiencies—that hinder municipal action. The authors recommend that South Africa's 2025 G20 presidency establish a multi-level climate governance declaration, a dedicated local climate action forum, and a specialized finance access facility to empower subnational governments as equal partners in global climate governance.

The document highlights a misalignment in climate finance, noting that less than 10% of agricultural climate finance reaches the livestock sector in LMICs. It argues that livestock are multifunctional assets providing 'triple wins'—climate mitigation, adaptation, and socio-economic benefits—but are often viewed narrowly as sources of greenhouse gas emissions. The authors identify barriers to funding, including poor data, complex measurement, reporting and verification (MRV) procedures, and institutional fragmentation. To address this, the brief recommends that the G20 promote blended finance instruments, scale carbon credit standards for rangelands, update climate fund eligibility criteria, and develop standardized climate-smart livestock indicators.

The policy brief argues that while crop insurance can enhance climate resilience and food security by protecting livelihoods and encouraging investment, adoption in Africa remains low due to design flaws and affordability. It reviews lessons from multi-peril and index-based insurance, highlighting the need to reduce basis risk through AI and digital innovations. The authors recommend that South Africa's G20 presidency promote high-quality, inclusive insurance products, integrate them into holistic risk management strategies alongside social protection, and develop 'smart subsidy' approaches tailored to different farmer profiles.

The policy brief examines the role of Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI)—comprising digital identity, payments, and data-sharing systems—in addressing the shadow economy in Africa, which is estimated by the IMF to represent roughly 35% of GDP (approximately $1–1.2 trillion). It distinguishes between the general informal economy and the 'shadow economy,' focusing on high-value transactions deliberately structured to evade taxes. The document highlights that cash transactions enable this opacity, while digitalisation can increase visibility and audit trails. Drawing on lessons from South Korea's Tax Incentive for Electronically Traceable Payments (TIETP) and India's 'India Stack' and demonetisation, the brief suggests that incentivising consumers to use digital payments is more effective than solely targeting sellers. It notes that while Uganda has used DPI to register over 350,000 informal participants, revenue gains were limited by weak enforcement and data-sharing obstacles. The brief recommends that South Africa, during its 2025 G20 presidency, advocate for an 'Africa Stack' of open APIs and modular technology to spur private sector innovation and improve tax administration across the continent.

China is rapidly transitioning its energy system through massive investment in renewables, grid infrastructure, and whole-economy electrification. This shift is moving China toward a peak in fossil fuel use and is driving down the global cost of clean technologies, enabling emerging markets to leapfrog traditional development paths and potentially triggering a structural decline in global fossil fuel demand by 2030.

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) issued a unanimous advisory opinion on 23 July 2025, establishing that states have customary international legal obligations to prevent significant environmental harm and cooperate to protect the environment. The author contends that these obligations apply to the restructuring of African sovereign debt, as debt distress often forces states to choose between creditor payments and financing essential services like renewable energy and health. The document suggests three avenues for relief: using the ruling to bolster negotiations on the social and environmental costs of debt, reminding stakeholders of international norms such as the UNCTAD Principles on Promoting Responsible Sovereign Borrowing and Lending, and enabling activists to hold states and financial institutions accountable through mechanisms like National Contact Points or multilateral development bank accountability systems.

The report finds that while green tax incentives are widely used in emerging and developing economies, there is a mismatch between the common reliance on profit-based incentives and the actual barriers to investment, such as high upfront capital costs. It argues that these tools are most effective when integrated into broader policy frameworks and transitioned toward market-based mechanisms as sectors mature.

The report examines the intersection of Africa's blue economy and climate change, highlighting vulnerabilities in fisheries, maritime transport, and tourism. It argues for a transition toward renewable ocean energy, the expansion of blue carbon initiatives, and the implementation of integrated, regional governance to mitigate economic risks and environmental degradation.

The document examines the evolution of National Youth Policies (NYPs) in Africa, noting a steep increase in adoption that peaked in 2020. While these policies frequently address education, employment, and health, they often neglect youth political participation and face significant implementation gaps. Adoption is driven more by political and institutional factors, such as democracy and administrative capacity, than by demographic needs.

The report examines governance in Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe, highlighting a systemic gap between the adoption of policy frameworks and their actual implementation. It identifies executive dominance as a primary barrier to the separation of powers and notes that corruption and structural inequality continue to undermine economic development. Environmentally, the report emphasizes that while Africa contributes the least to global emissions, it remains the most vulnerable region to climate change, with poor environmental practices and inadequate policy coordination exacerbating the crisis. The author argues that empowering civil society and youth is essential for building state resilience and achieving sustainable development.