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The document examines how international human rights law can reshape sovereign debt restructuring to protect socio-economic rights in the Global South. It identifies key principles—including the right to development, self-determination, and good faith—that should replace the current 'non-system' of contractual negotiations. The authors advocate for a legally binding statutory mechanism under the United Nations to ensure transparency, prevent abusive holdout litigation by vulture funds, and prioritize minimum standards of living over creditor interests.

The document analyzes sovereign debt in the Global South as a tool of neocolonial control that perpetuates structural dependencies in food, energy, and manufacturing. It critiques existing G20 restructuring mechanisms for treating debt as a liquidity issue rather than a structural one. Drawing on the failure of the 1980s Cartagena Initiative, the authors advocate for a Global South Debtors’ Coalition to leverage collective bargaining power. This coalition would pursue 'The Bargain of the Century,' proposing that Global South nations use their strategic mineral wealth and market size to secure technology transfers from major powers like China, the US, and the EU. The paper specifically urges South Africa to use its G20 Presidency to advance this framework, linking debt justice to food sovereignty, renewable energy independence, and regional industrial policies.

The report examines how rising external debt service costs in Africa are crowding out essential spending on health, education, and climate adaptation. It critiques the G20's Common Framework as slow and insufficient, proposing reforms such as automatic debt standstills, enhanced Debt Sustainability Analyses (DSAs) that include climate risks, and a 'fair' comparability of treatment rule for creditors.

The report argues that low-income countries face a systemic balance of payments crisis rather than a simple liquidity or solvency problem, driven by a rise in expensive, short-maturity non-guaranteed private debt and reversed capital flows. It proposes the Debt for Resilience (D4R) initiative, which would provide a standardized 50% reduction in the net present value (NPV) of official bilateral and multilateral debt for IDA-eligible countries. Participation would be contingent on an active IMF program and the development of nationally determined growth plans supported by the United Nations and World Bank to avoid austerity. The report also evaluates existing proposals like the Bridge Initiative and the Debt Relief for a Green and Inclusive Recovery (DRGR), arguing they rely on a flawed binary between liquidity and solvency and fail to account for the heterogeneity of countries' credit compositions.

The document analyzes how climate change disrupts agricultural yields and trade flows, particularly in developing regions, while contributing significantly to global GHG emissions. It highlights the risks of food insecurity and the potential for trade-related climate measures to marginalize vulnerable economies. The author argues for a comprehensive international cooperation agenda focused on reducing trade tensions, reforming harmful subsidies, facilitating technology transfer, and securing global food stocks to ensure a fair transition to sustainable agriculture.

The report analyzes the first 149 companies to adopt SBTi FLAG targets, finding that while uptake is rapid—particularly in Europe and the food and beverage sector—mitigation plans are uneven. Most companies focus on agricultural emissions reduction and food waste, but few engage in forest management or biochar. The report highlights the role of FLAG targets in accelerating no-deforestation commitments and identifies the need for more robust transition plans as target deadlines approach.

The document argues that SADC must transition from reactive to anticipatory skills governance to address critical gaps in access, relevance, and applicability. It advocates for the integration of 'skills foresight' and 'systemic innovation' to prepare the region's workforce for green and digital economies, emphasizing the need for regional accreditation systems and updated curricula that include systems and futures literacy.

The document analyzes pandemic preparedness in Africa, categorizing nations into scientifically advanced, policy-advanced, and fragile states. It argues that while global actors like the WHO promote standardized frameworks and securitization, these often clash with local needs for long-term health system strengthening. The author highlights a disconnect where funding is directed toward reactionary measures and 'pre-approved studies' rather than sustainable infrastructure, particularly in authoritarian or fragile states.

This research paper outlines the priorities of South Africa's 2025 G20 presidency regarding climate finance, emphasizing the mobilization of resources for just energy transitions and the elevation of African concerns within the G20 framework, building upon the foundations laid during Brazil's 2024 presidency.

The analysis finds that human-caused climate change increased heat-related health risks for billions globally between December 2024 and February 2025, with a significant impact on Africa.

The report finds that human-caused climate change significantly increased extreme heat and health risks globally from December 2024 to February 2025. At least 1.8 billion people experienced temperatures at least twice as likely due to climate change every day of the period, with exposure peaking at 3 billion people on February 28, 2025. Africa was particularly affected, with 293 million people experiencing 30 or more 'risky heat days' added by climate change. The analysis also highlights that 110 out of 220 analyzed countries and 287 out of 940 cities saw the average person experience strong climate influence for at least one-third of the season.

The IEJ statement advocates for G20 High-Level Principles on Green Industrial Policy that prioritize state-led investment and structural transformation over private-sector-led, export-oriented models. It emphasizes that green industrialization can create approximately 24 million new jobs globally and reduce inequality by shifting developing economies away from commodity extraction toward green manufacturing and domestic technological capabilities.

The document analyzes proposed EU amendments to the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) intended to simplify compliance for EU importers. While the briefing notes that changes to the scope and payment timing may have minimal material impact on African exporters, it warns that modifications to 'default values' for embedded emissions and carbon pricing could negatively affect exporters. Specifically, the shift toward global averages for the most carbon-intensive countries rather than EU-specific benchmarks may increase costs for African producers lacking reliable data. The report concludes that the amendments primarily benefit EU importers and may penalize African exporters who lack the administrative capacity to provide actual installation data.

This policy note examines the Compact with Africa (CwA), an initiative launched in 2017 to increase private investment and infrastructure in African countries through coordinated reform agendas and stakeholder cooperation.

The G20 Compact with Africa (CwA), initiated in 2017, aims to boost private investment and infrastructure in Africa through reform agendas in macroeconomic, business, and financing frameworks. While CwA countries often show stronger growth and trade performance, a direct causal link to investment flows remains unproven, and foreign direct investment to Africa rose only by $4.5 billion between 2017 and 2023. To enhance the initiative, the author recommends that South Africa's G20 presidency facilitate the admission of interested countries such as Angola, Kenya, and Zambia, and elevate the African Advisory Group (AAG) to a permanent G20 working group. Additionally, the note suggests spotlighting critical minerals and energy investment, improving investment grades to reduce Africa's $75 billion risk premium, and implementing 'country platforms' to increase private sector engagement in reform agendas.

The RE-GAIN programme is a 5-year initiative designed to strengthen food security and climate resilience in seven African countries by scaling the adoption of Food Loss-Reduction Solutions (FL-RS). The programme addresses climate hazards—such as extreme heat, erratic rainfall, and flooding—that cause grain shattering, rotting, and mycotoxin contamination. It employs a three-pronged strategy: increasing farmer demand through awareness and training, enhancing supply and affordability via MSME business development and innovative financial models (including 'smart-subsidies'), and creating an enabling environment through policy reform. The project targets 2.63 million direct beneficiaries and expects to reduce GHG emissions by 111,275 tCO2e over 10 years.

The Mirova Sustainable Land Fund 2 (MSLF2) is a private sector-focused investment programme targeting Costa Rica, Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Malaysia, Morocco, Peru, and the Philippines. With a total target size of EUR 350 million, the fund uses a blended finance structure—including a GCF-funded junior tranche—to de-risk investments for institutional investors. The programme consists of an investment facility providing long-term debt and equity to companies in the agriculture, forestry, and other land use (AFOLU) sector, and a Technical Assistance Facility (TAF) to improve company bankability and impact monitoring. The fund aims to sequester 17.2 MtCO2e and enhance the resilience of 63,000 direct beneficiaries through practices such as agroforestry and soil conservation.

The International Institute for Sustainable Development calls for the inclusion of natural resource taxation in the FfD4 outcome document, noting that the current zero draft overlooks this critical revenue source. The author highlights that resource rents are vital for many lower- and middle-income countries but are often undermined by tax avoidance and weak governance. The statement proposes specific amendments to the FfD4 draft to ensure fair fiscal terms and better benefit-sharing, particularly regarding critical energy transition minerals.

In Chamwino, Tanzania, the transition from diesel-powered to solar-powered water pumps for the AMCOS farming cooperative led to significant increases in mango yields and farmer incomes. Between 2021 and 2022, average production rose from 40 to 97 fruits per tree, with those using drip irrigation exceeding 120 fruits. Monthly incomes nearly doubled from TZS 150,00 to TZS 297,000. Despite these gains, the project faces limitations including clogged pipes, insufficient storage, and a lack of processing facilities. The document argues that scaling such renewable energy initiatives requires integrated policies for water management, improved agricultural training, and better market infrastructure.

The report assesses the nascent green bond market in Africa, which has raised approximately USD 9.6 billion through 76 issuances since 2013. While the market is growing, it remains a niche segment constrained by high issuance costs—up to 5% of total deal value compared to 0.9% in Europe—and macroeconomic instability. The analysis finds that green bonds provide financial additionality for issuers through faster capital raising and access to diverse investors, but primarily fund mitigation projects, with only 7% of proceeds going to pure adaptation. Social inclusion and gender considerations are generally absent from design but occur as indirect co-benefits, such as job creation. The report recommends the development of an African Sustainable Finance Taxonomy, the mandatory inclusion of 'Do no harm' and gender provisions, and the use of project preparation facilities to make adaptation projects more bankable.