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This synthesis brief details the Stockholm Environment Institute's (SEI) efforts to support the implementation of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement. Key areas of focus include the need to phase down fossil fuel production, the creation of a transparent reporting framework, and the importance of equitable mitigation shares, noting that wealthy nations like the US and EU are currently falling short. The brief highlights specific case studies in Kenya and sub-Saharan Africa, and introduces tools such as LEAP and the NDC Explorer to help countries plan and track their climate goals.

This research paper examines the infrastructure financing challenges facing 54 African nations, specifically contrasting the needs and capacities of low-income countries (LICs) and middle-income countries (MICs). It argues that while multilateral development banks (MDBs) provide critical low-interest loans and technical expertise, they face increasing competition from private and bilateral investors and must tailor their bureaucratic processes and financial offerings to the specific economic realities of individual sovereign states to remain relevant.

The document summarizes the conclusions of a seminar held on 9 December 2016 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, focused on assistance and capacity-building for the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1540, disarmament, and non-proliferation of chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) weapons in Africa.

This research paper examines the challenges facing Nigeria's foreign policy since its return to electoral democracy in 1999, arguing that domestic instability and leadership failures have undermined its regional and global influence.

This policy brief by the Institute for Security Studies examines the global framework for preventing violent extremism (PVE) and evaluates South Africa's position within this context. It argues that while the current threat of violent extremism in South Africa is relatively low, the country should proactively implement evidence-based prevention measures, update its legislation, and leverage its civil society to address emerging risks such as foreign terrorist fighters.

This briefing summarizes a standardized review of adaptation actions across 15 African and Asian countries conducted by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) for the Collaborative Adaptation Research Initiative in Africa and Asia (CARIAA).

This research paper by the South African Institute of International Affairs examines the potential implications of Donald Trump's 2016 election on US-Africa relations, noting a lack of specific policy detail regarding the continent during his campaign.

This research paper analyzes the Global Goal for Adaptation (GGA) under the Paris Agreement, focusing on the proposals of the African Group of Negotiators (AGN) to achieve parity between mitigation and adaptation. It argues that while the Paris Agreement establishes the GGA, its operationalisation requires clearer guidelines on minimum information for adaptation communications (a-NDCs) to allow for the aggregation of data and the assessment of adequacy during the global stocktake. The paper highlights the significant domestic investments made by developing countries like Ethiopia and Uganda and calls for a hybrid approach—combining bottom-up national needs with top-down scientific benchmarks from the IPCC—to determine and provide adequate adaptation support.

This briefing by Friends of the Earth International argues that the pursuit of 'dirty energy'—including fossil fuels, nuclear power, and megadams—is causing severe environmental and social harm across Africa while failing to resolve energy poverty. The document highlights specific case studies of destructive energy projects in South Africa, Nigeria, Uganda, and Mozambique, and calls for a transition toward community-controlled renewable energy and 'energy sovereignty'.

This report by Friends of the Earth International examines the impacts of 'dirty energy'—including coal, oil, gas, nuclear, and mega-dams—across the African continent. It argues that these energy systems exacerbate climate change, cause severe health and environmental damage, and fail to provide universal energy access, while often benefiting corporate elites over local communities.

The report critiques the prevalence of polluting energy sources in Africa, highlighting the environmental and social costs of coal in South Africa, oil in Nigeria and Uganda, and large dams in Mozambique. It emphasizes the paradox of high energy production alongside extreme energy poverty in Sub-Saharan Africa and advocates for a systemic shift toward decentralized, renewable energy.

This briefing note by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) outlines trends in climate change adaptation planning based on a standardized review of 15 African and Asian countries conducted for the Collaborative Adaptation Research Initiative in Africa and Asia (CARIAA). The review examines vulnerability profiles, national priorities, policy responses, and the nature of adaptation programming, highlighting a strong focus on agriculture but significant gaps in subnational planning and monitoring systems.

This research paper examines the rapid pace of urbanisation in Africa, forecasting population trends and identifying the structural challenges that hinder sustainable urban development. It focuses on the emergence of megacities and the disconnect between urban growth and economic structural transformation.

This policy briefing argues that subnational governments and cities are essential for implementing international climate agreements but are often excluded from the formal negotiating tables of the UNFCCC. It highlights the role of transnational actors like ICLEI in bridging this gap and recommends a shift toward 'co-production' between national and local governments to ensure climate targets are implementable at the local scale.

This briefing by Friends of the Earth International advocates for a legally binding UN treaty to hold transnational corporations (TNCs) accountable for human rights and environmental violations, specifically highlighting systemic impunity and access-to-justice barriers in Africa.

This report by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) and the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) estimates the public and private investment required to end hunger by 2030, defining the goal as reducing the hungry population to less than 5 per cent of a country's population.

This research paper examines the commercial tax evasion component of illicit financial flows (IFFs) in five African countries: Nigeria, South Africa, Morocco, Zambia, and Egypt. It clarifies the distinctions between transfer pricing, abusive transfer pricing, trade mispricing, and trade-based money laundering (TBML), while estimating the scale of these flows using IMF Direction of Trade Statistics (DOTS) and a developed TBML model. The authors highlight significant data anomalies in international trade databases and advocate for the implementation of the Unique Consignment Reference (UCR) to improve accuracy and curb illicit outflows.

This chapter examines the state of land tenure and administration in Africa, identifying systemic barriers to agricultural productivity and proposing reforms to secure land rights and improve land market efficiency.

This research paper argues that consumptive use policies for African elephants have yielded mixed results due to corruption and poor governance, and calls for African policymakers to shift toward a permanent global ivory trade ban, improved governance of trophy hunting, and the promotion of photographic tourism.

This executive summary by Friends of the Earth International argues that the global financial losses caused by tax havens are sufficient to fund a total transition to renewable energy in the Global South by 2030, asserting that the primary barrier to an 'Energy Revolution' is political will rather than a lack of funds.