Search Climate Insights Directory

Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL) advocates for a 'Just and Equitable Energy Transition' to achieve universal energy access by 2030 and net-zero CO2 emissions by 2050. The organization focuses on scaling renewable energy, energy efficiency, and storage, specifically targeting decentralized solutions and clean cooking to combat energy poverty. SEforALL emphasizes the need for low-cost finance to overcome high capital costs in the Global South, particularly in Africa. Its operational approach includes results-based financing via the Universal Energy Facility, support for carbon markets, and a manufacturing initiative for green jobs in Africa and Southeast Asia. The organization maintains a strict policy against accepting funding from fossil fuel companies or projects that promote fossil fuels over sustainable alternatives, while acknowledging nuclear energy as a low-emission source.

The document examines how the competition between the US, China, and Russia affects African states, noting a shift toward non-alignment and the diversification of international relations to avoid becoming geopolitical pawns. It argues that African agency can be strengthened by empowering the African Union (AU), leveraging the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), and demanding partnerships based on mutual benefit rather than great-power rivalry. The Lobito Corridor is cited as a model where competing interests can coexist to provide tangible regional benefits.

FSD Africa is implementing a program to promote the adoption of the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD) across Africa, focusing on adapting the global framework to local contexts. The initiative includes capacity building, the creation of the African Natural Capital Alliance (ANCA), and strategic outreach to G20 and sovereign stakeholders. A key partnership with FirstRand has involved piloting the TNFD framework through nature-risk assessments in the agricultural and extractive industries and evaluating organizational readiness for disclosure.

The research paper examines the role of vertical industrial policies in Africa, contrasting them with horizontal policies and global value chain (GVC) theories. It highlights how Nigeria and Morocco successfully developed their cement sectors through targeted government interventions, while noting that replicating these specific tools in other sectors, such as sugar and tomato paste in Nigeria, has failed due to different raw material coordination needs.

The report details the Green Climate Fund (GCF) pipeline, which consists of 333 total projects with a combined total value of $46,244M (including GCF and co-financing). The pipeline is divided into funding proposals and concept notes, with a significant concentration of projects in the public sector (DMA) and a high volume of cross-cutting and adaptation themed initiatives. Geographically, the Asia-Pacific region holds the highest total project value at $18,794M, followed by Africa at $17,218M.

The report examines benefit-sharing mechanisms (BSMs) in African carbon projects, highlighting the need for transparency, fairness, and community agency to attract high-integrity investment. It categorizes projects by risk—identifying community land-based projects as the highest risk—and proposes five core principles for best-practice BSMs. The authors argue that current low carbon prices fail to cover the costs of robust community engagement and call for regulatory frameworks and commercial financing tailored to the African context.

The report examines the strategic importance of critical raw materials (CRMs) for OACPS member states, highlighting their significant global production shares in minerals like cobalt, platinum-group metals, and manganese. It identifies a critical gap in local beneficiation capacities, noting that most CRMs are exported as raw ores, which results in lost economic value. The document analyzes the impact of new industrial policies from the US, EU, and China—such as the US Inflation Reduction Act and the EU Critical Raw Materials Act—which emphasize reshoring and 'friendshoring' and may conflict with OACPS industrialization goals. It concludes that OACPS countries must move beyond extractive 'pit-to-port' models through regional cooperation, strategic partnerships, and robust regulatory frameworks to maximize socio-economic benefits while managing environmental and social risks.

The document examines the gap between high popular support for democracy in Africa and the low satisfaction with its actual implementation. It highlights a trend of disputed elections and popularly celebrated coups as symptoms of leadership failure and the inability of democratic systems to provide basic socio-economic rights. Using examples from Zimbabwe and Gabon, it argues that when elections fail to reflect the will of the people or improve living conditions, the stability of democratic institutions is threatened.

The document examines the tension between African developmental goals for critical minerals and the geopolitical priorities of external powers, specifically the US-led G7 and China. It highlights China's early-mover advantage in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Zimbabwe, while noting that G7 counter-initiatives often prioritize supply chain security over African local value addition. The authors argue that African nations must develop comprehensive national and regional strategies to avoid repeating colonial extraction patterns and to leverage their resources for sustainable industrialisation.

Japan is transitioning its Africa strategy from Official Development Assistance (ODA) toward private sector-led investment, specifically targeting critical minerals and green energy. This shift is driven by strategic competition with China, particularly regarding supply chain security for rare earth elements and the G7's desire to provide alternatives to Chinese infrastructure loans. While the Japanese government is actively promoting this 'business-based' approach through initiatives like the Green Growth Initiative for Africa and the Minerals Security Partnership, the transition is hindered by high risk perception among Japanese companies.

The report analyzes methane emissions in Nigeria's oil and gas sector, noting that 73% of the estimated 439.8 kilotons of methane emissions come from gas production, processing, and distribution. While existing policies like the NUPRC Guide 0024 - 2022 align with the Global Methane Pledge, the report identifies gaps in regulatory enforcement, stakeholder coordination, and academic research. It estimates a funding requirement of US$1.5 billion between 2023 and 2030 to reduce emissions, with oil and gas majors expected to contribute US$300 million. The document advocates for a data-driven approach using satellite technology, such as the Satellite-based Methane Emission Tracking (SMET) platform, and calls for innovative financing through green bonds and public-private partnerships.

Africa possesses vast untapped renewable energy resources, including 60% of global solar resources, yet accounts for only 1.6% of global installed renewable capacity. The continent faces significant barriers to energy transition, including a massive financing gap—requiring $557 billion by 2030—and a heavy reliance on imported technologies, with Africa contributing less than 1% of global clean energy patent applications. While the region holds 40% of global critical mineral reserves essential for green technologies, it primarily serves as a raw material supplier. The document advocates for strengthened partnerships with the G20 and Global North to improve climate finance, facilitate technology transfer, and develop local green value chains to move beyond the export of primary commodities.

Friends of the Earth Africa rejects the claim that fossil fuel expansion serves African interests, asserting that such projects lead to environmental degradation and human rights abuses rather than energy access. The organization advocates for a people-led transition to clean energy, the rejection of gas as a transition fuel, and the demand for technology transfers and grants to cover ecological debts owed to the region.

South Africa's foreign policy is centered on 'active non-alignment' and the 'universality' posture, aiming to mediate global conflicts and promote the interests of the Global South. A primary focus is the African continent, specifically through the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and the pursuit of Agenda 2063. The government seeks to enhance economic diplomacy by supporting South African investments in Africa and developing regional value chains for critical minerals like lithium. Additionally, South Africa maintains a commitment to human rights and self-determination, evidenced by its legal actions at the International Court of Justice regarding Palestine and its support for Western Sahara. On a multilateral level, the country advocates for the reform of the UN Security Council and leverages its membership in BRICS and the G20 to amplify African influence.

The webinar 'Youth Action for Climate and Clean Air Now' brought together over 140 youth leaders and experts to discuss the role of young people in mitigating short-lived climate pollutants (SLCPs) and improving air quality. Key discussions focused on the science of 'super pollutants' like methane and black carbon, the importance of youth engagement in the 2025 Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) update process, and the implementation of community-led solutions such as solar dryers in Ghana and indoor air quality monitoring in UK schools. The event emphasized that reducing SLCPs can provide rapid climate benefits and improve public health, particularly for children in the global south who are disproportionately affected by pollution.

The report outlines the development of updated eligibility criteria for agriculture production (crop and livestock) under the Climate Bonds Standard. It establishes a science-based framework for transition finance, focusing on absolute intensity pathways to reach net-zero by 2050. The document details mitigation strategies, including the reduction of methane and nitrous oxide and the enhancement of carbon sequestration, while introducing safeguards for adaptation, biodiversity, water, and animal welfare.

The paper analyzes e-government in Mauritius, South Africa, Seychelles, and Tunisia, arguing that a modular approach focusing on user experience can bypass the slow progress of traditional 'whole-of-government' strategies.

The report details the GCF's overall pipeline, which consists of 345 projects with a total value of $46,101M (including co-financing). The pipeline is split between Funding Proposals (77 projects) and Concept Notes (268 projects). Geographically, Africa has the highest total project value at $17,457M. Thematically, cross-cutting projects represent the largest financial value at $32,002M, while adaptation and mitigation projects are more evenly split in terms of project numbers.

The document examines the role of social protection—including contributory insurance and non-contributory transfers—in mitigating the economic shocks of climate change in Africa. It highlights the African Risk Capacity (ARC) and Ethiopia's Productive Safety Net Program (PSNP) as key models, while urging the use of international funds like the Loss and Damage Fund and Green Climate Fund to finance these systems.

The report highlights that steel and cement are the largest industrial emitters, accounting for over 7% and 6% of global CO2 emissions in 2022. It argues that credible corporate transition plans are essential for unlocking private capital, particularly through sustainability-linked bonds (SLBs). An analysis of 20 companies reveals that while 90% have published transition plans, there is a significant lack of consistency in financing disclosure and a critical gap in concrete 'just transition' objectives. The document emphasizes that emerging markets will lead demand growth and hold the majority of coal-based blast furnace capacity requiring reinvestment by 2030, making international coordination and supportive public procurement policies vital for a credible transition.