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The Climate Policy Initiative (CPI) mapped 52 cross-border guarantee instruments from 34 entities, including MDBs, DFIs, ECAs, and specialized institutions. The analysis reveals that while guarantees can mobilize 6-25 times more financing than loans, the current landscape is fragmented, predominantly focused on debt and commercial risks, and largely climate-agnostic. Most guarantees target middle-income countries, with a notable focus on Africa. The report identifies a lack of climate-exclusive guarantees and limited equity investment coverage, recommending further research into the cost, duration, and additionality of these instruments to help meet the estimated USD 2.4 trillion annual requirement for the green transition in EMDEs (excluding China).

Mavis Owusu-Gyamfi argues that the global financial system, established in the 1940s, must be reformed to meet current complexities and support Africa's development. She emphasizes the need for more concessional finance, fairer debt frameworks, and increased climate finance to enable green industrialization. The speech highlights the role of both international financial institutions and African multilateral institutions in achieving the goals of Agenda 2063.

The document examines the Global Shield (GS) and other climate insurance initiatives in Africa, arguing that they are insufficient substitutes for a well-funded Loss and Damage Fund (LDF). It highlights systemic failures in parametric insurance, such as 'basis risk' and the inability of poor populations to afford premiums, while critiquing the technocratic and paternalistic nature of these schemes. The authors conclude that insurance should only be a complementary tool, and that equitable climate finance must be based on historic emissions rather than market-based premiums.

The document analyzes COP 28 outcomes for Africa, noting a gap between high-level agreements and the actual financial resources provided for adaptation and loss and damage. While it highlights the historic agreement to transition away from fossil fuels and new food system initiatives, it argues that the scale of funding remains insufficient for Africa's urgent needs.

The report analyzes 52 cross-border guarantee instruments from 34 entities, finding that while guarantees are critical for mobilizing private capital in EMDEs, the current landscape is fragmented. Most guarantees are climate-agnostic and focused on commercial risk and debt instruments, with significant gaps in climate-exclusive products, equity guarantees, and coverage for political and currency risks. The study recommends increasing guarantees for low-income countries and high-emitting EMDEs, and expanding the role of Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs) in offering climate-specific instruments.

The report identifies four global municipal solid waste (MSW) management archetypes—Build the Basics (BtB), Build the Basics Plus (BtB+), Move up the Hierarchy (MuH), and Close the Circle (CtC)—and proposes specific abatement strategies for each. It emphasizes that diverting organic waste from landfills and dumpsites is the most significant opportunity for methane reduction. The authors recommend a combination of source-separated organics (SSO) programs, improved landfill gas collection and control systems (GCCS), and enabling policy frameworks, such as landfill taxes and organic waste bans, to align waste management with the waste hierarchy and limit global warming.

The document explores the transition from electronic money to CBDCs, focusing on China's e-CNY as a tool for renminbi internationalisation and its potential impact on Africa. It details the technical differences between cryptocurrencies and CBDCs, the specific two-tier design of the e-CNY, and the risks associated with privacy and financial disintermediation. For Africa, the paper highlights opportunities for financial inclusion and more efficient remittances, while cautioning against the risks of digital divide and state surveillance. It concludes with recommendations for African civil society and policymakers to engage in the design and standard-setting of digital currency frameworks to maintain monetary autonomy.

The document analyzes Russia's strategic use of public media (RT, Sputnik, TASS) and social media to expand its influence in Africa. It highlights the use of anti-imperialist rhetoric to appeal to African audiences and the deployment of 'troll farms' and local proxies to disseminate polarizing content. Case studies on Mali, Libya, and the Central African Republic illustrate how Russia combines digital influence with on-the-ground activities, such as funding local press and sponsoring cultural events, to present itself as a viable alternative to Western partners, despite operating with a limited budget.

The document evaluates G20 progress on international taxation, specifically the OECD/G20 Inclusive Framework and the Two-Pillar Solution, noting that while African countries have gained representation—including the African Union's permanent G20 seat—significant gaps remain in technical capacity and revenue generation. It argues that African countries, with a tax-to-GDP ratio of 16%, must prioritise Domestic Resource Mobilisation (DRM) to fund Sustainable Development Goals. The brief recommends that future G20 presidencies focus on digitalising tax administrations, implementing a global carbon taxation system, and adopting more progressive tax policies to fund social protection for the informal sector, which comprises 85.8% of jobs in Africa.

The research paper examines the implications of the lapsed 123 Agreement between the US and South Africa, which suspended export licenses for nuclear fuel supplier Westinghouse Electric Corporation. It details the critical life extension process at the Koeberg Nuclear Power Plant, including the replacement of steam generators for Unit 1 and Unit 2, and notes that the plant provides approximately 6% of South Africa's electricity. The document highlights a deadlock in US-South Africa negotiations over South Africa's right to produce its own nuclear fuel, and notes a new Memorandum of Understanding between the South African Nuclear Energy Corporation (Necsa) and Russia's TVEL. Finally, it mentions South Africa's plan to procure an additional 2500 MW of nuclear power to combat loadshedding, despite past legal challenges to nuclear deals with Russia.

The document is an event notice for a discussion featuring representatives from SEATINI UGANDA, Christian Aid, and AFRODAD. The participants aim to provide a CSO perspective on the outcomes of the sixth EU-AU summit in Brussels, specifically evaluating the "Joint Vision for 2030" and its goal to consolidate a "renewed partnership" between the two continents in relation to Africa's needs.

The document examines two primary tracks of e-commerce governance at the WTO: the multilateral Work Program on Electronic Commerce and the plurilateral Joint Statement Initiative (JSI). It highlights the reinvigorated thematic discussions under the Work Program and the 'slimmed-down' nature of the JSI negotiations following the US decision to withdraw support for data flow and source code proposals. A central point of contention is the provisional moratorium on customs duties for electronic transmissions, where developing economies argue that the loss of government revenue and restricted industrial policy space outweigh the trade cost reductions favored by developed economies.

The report examines the intersection of climate change, food security, and geopolitics, highlighting how food systems are being weaponized by actors like Russia and how China's food security challenges influence its global strategy. It argues that food insecurity acts as a threat multiplier for political instability and conflict, particularly in Africa. The document advocates for a 'nexus approach' that integrates defense, diplomacy, and development to build local agricultural resilience, focusing on smallholder farmers and women to mitigate long-term climate risks and reduce global vulnerabilities.

The document argues that international investment agreements (IIAs) and the ISDS mechanism act as legal barriers to climate action by allowing fossil fuel companies to sue governments for compensation when regulations impact their returns. It outlines a three-part framework for States: removing risk through treaty termination, carveouts, or removal of ISDS clauses; reducing risk via the adoption of 'right to regulate' provisions, interpretative statements, and the careful design of climate measures; and responding to active claims using jurisdictional challenges, the 'necessity defense', and arguments against the 'legitimate expectations' of investors. The toolkit emphasizes that the urgent need to limit warming to 1.5°C may justify the termination of treaties like the Energy Charter Treaty (ECT) based on a fundamental change of circumstances.

The report evaluates the impact of FSD Africa's regulatory interventions in African capital markets, highlighting the importance of tailoring international best practices to local contexts and the need for formal implementation support. It identifies capacity constraints at both regulator and market participant levels as significant barriers to the adoption of new frameworks, such as Islamic finance regulations in WAEMU and corporate bond guidelines in Ghana. The document recommends a sequenced and clustered approach to future interventions, with an increasing focus on green and sustainable finance once foundational regulatory structures are established.

The report examines the potential effects of International Maritime Organization (IMO) candidate mid-term GHG measures on African economies. Using a CGE model, it finds that a USD100/t carbon levy would generally reduce GDP and household incomes across Africa, increase global food prices, and reduce the supply of maritime services. A case study of Ghana highlights existing freight cost imbalances and the risk of a stranded fleet of older vessels. The authors argue that for such measures to be equitable, revenues must be redistributed as direct grants (not loans) for out-of-sector climate resilience and mitigation, based on criteria including climate vulnerability and historical emissions contributions.

The Maputo Manifesto 2024, issued following the 4th African Conference on Debt and Development, calls for a radical shift toward a feminist lens on debt and development in Africa. It highlights how rising debt servicing costs—which increased by 132% between 2010 and 2021—crowd out essential spending on health and education, disproportionately impacting women who comprise nearly 90% of Africa's informal employment. The document advocates for debt cancellation, the dismantling of patriarchal and neocolonial financial structures, and the implementation of gender-sensitive budgeting to ensure social justice and economic autonomy for the continent.

The document is a financial record of funding for the Basque Centre for Climate Change in 2024, listing various grants and contracts from international, national, and regional bodies. Key funders include the European Commission, the Basque Government (Eusko Jaurlaritza), and the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (MICINN). The funding supports a wide array of projects focusing on climate science, biodiversity, agri-food systems, and urban transitions, with individual project grants ranging from small amounts to over 2 million euros.

The brief presents evidence from the Gender Equality in a Low Carbon World (GLOW) programme, demonstrating that integrating gender-responsive policies and women's empowerment into business models enhances the productivity and viability of climate-smart SMEs. It highlights specific successes in aquaculture, hydroponics, and solar irrigation across Africa and Latin America, while urging impact investors and public financiers to adopt gender-lens investment strategies to unlock untapped markets and improve social equity.

The Climate Bonds Resilience Taxonomy (CBRT) Methodology establishes a science-based framework to scale private and public financing for climate adaptation and resilience. It categorises investments into four types—adapting measures, adapted activities, enabling measures, and enabling activities—across seven thematic areas including Resilient Infrastructure and Resilient Natural Systems. The methodology employs a tiered screening process to ensure a "measurable reduction in vulnerability (or exposure)" while managing maladaptation risks and ensuring no significant harm to climate mitigation. The framework is designed for global applicability and interoperability with existing standards like the EU Sustainable Finance Taxonomy and the MDB Joint Methodology.