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The report assesses the impact of China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) on African infrastructure, economic growth, trade, and debt sustainability. While finding that Chinese investment helps close the infrastructure gap and can boost GDP, the authors note risks including debt distress in specific countries, environmental degradation, and the crowding out of local manufacturing by Chinese imports. Case studies in Kenya, Ethiopia, and Nigeria demonstrate positive outcomes in transport and energy, though the failure of Nigeria's NIGCOM satellite highlights risks of using the continent as a testing ground. The report concludes that benefits generally outweigh costs, provided African nations improve project management and negotiate more symmetrical trade and loan terms.

The IAI Directorate is participating in a two-year Interacademy Partnership initiative to define, measure, and address the impact of predatory academic journals and conferences. A global survey of over 1,800 researchers indicates that 11% have published in predatory journals and 4% have attended predatory conferences, with over 80% of respondents viewing these practices as a serious or growing problem. The initiative aims to identify root causes—such as lack of awareness and career pressures—and provide recommendations to prevent the erosion of public trust in research and the spread of misinformation in public policy. A full report is expected in late 2021.

The South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA) and Jasoro Consulting launched the South African APRM Youth Submission on 26 May 2021. The submission resulted from a process starting in August 2020 involving over 100 youth volunteers across all provinces who identified nine key governance issues. The South African APRM National Governing Council (NGC) indicated that these inputs will form the basis of a dedicated youth section in the NGC's Country Self-Assessment Report.

The assessment examined the awareness and challenges of transport planners in Ethiopia, Rwanda, Uganda, and Zambia, as well as other African regions, regarding the needs of disadvantaged groups and climate change risks. Using a mixed-method approach involving a regional survey, focus groups, and interviews, the study aims to inform a Guidance Framework for inclusive climate-resilient transport planning in Africa.

The report examines the rise of ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) regulations to combat greenwashing, highlighting the EU's Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation (SFDR) as a key driver. It argues that ESG-aligned funds are outperforming non-aligned ones, making ESG compliance essential for accessing global capital. This shift poses a significant risk to fossil fuel-dependent firms, especially in Africa, while benefiting those providing minerals for renewable energy, provided they adhere to genuine sustainability principles.

The document argues that transport is a critical driver of development but a major source of emissions, accounting for 23% of energy-related CO2. It defines sustainable transport as safe, affordable, and efficient mobility that minimizes environmental impacts. The report details the evolution of international policy from the 1972 Stockholm Conference to the Sustainable Development Goals, and provides examples of successful interventions, such as Jakarta's BRT system and various cities' shifts toward active mobility (cycling and walking). It specifically notes the COVID-19 pandemic as a catalyst for structural changes in urban transit, though it warns that 30 major economies continue to provide significant subsidies to fossil fuels over clean energy.

The document examines the disparity in green finance between developed and developing nations, noting that while the EU and other developed markets have integrated substantial green recovery measures into their COVID-19 stimulus packages, developing countries often lack explicit green budgets and remain heavily dependent on North-South financial flows. It highlights challenges in the global South, including infrastructure deficits, governance issues, and a 'dependency syndrome' regarding international aid. The brief recommends institutional reforms to enhance capital markets, increased South-South cooperation, and globally coordinated efforts to improve the design and monitoring of green projects.

The Framework for Sustainable Finance Integrity is a consultation draft designed to provide guardrails for the financial sector's move toward net zero and sustainability. It identifies a gap between the proliferation of individual financial coalitions and the actual pace of real-economy impact, noting that current commitments may not align with a net zero trajectory. To address this, the framework establishes benchmarks across three categories: targets and objectives, implementation, and metrics and transparency. It also introduces investment blueprints for Recovery Bonds and Results-based Financing to facilitate cross-institutional collaboration.

Friends of the Earth International calls for the implementation of a TRIPS waiver to remove corporate monopolies on Covid-19 vaccines, arguing that current distribution is alarmingly unequal and prioritises pharmaceutical profits over human rights.

Friends of the Earth International calls for the removal of pharmaceutical monopolies and the implementation of a TRIPS waiver to address the 'vaccine apartheid' between high-income and low-income nations. The statement highlights severe disparities in vaccination rates, noting that high-income countries vaccinate 25 times faster than low-income ones, and criticizes wealthy nations and pharmaceutical companies for prioritizing profits over human lives during a global health crisis.

Friends of the Earth International calls for the suspension of TRIPS intellectual property rights to end 'vaccine apartheid' and enable local production of affordable vaccines in the Global South. The statement highlights the disparity in vaccination rates between rich and low-income countries and criticizes pharmaceutical companies for prioritizing profit over human rights.

The authors contend that the transition to renewable energy technologies, such as wind turbines and solar panels, relies on destructive mineral extraction that mirrors the harmful patterns of the fossil fuel era. Through initiatives like the WINDPLAN and Green Curses and Violent Conflicts projects, the researchers examine socio-environmental conflicts and protests against renewable projects in Norway, Uganda, Chile, and Bolivia. They argue that energy justice must move beyond simply increasing energy access to addressing the imbalances and contestations caused by the green transition's global value chain.

A coalition of civil society organizations is demanding that the World Bank fulfill promises of a participatory review for its Africa energy strategy. The signatories urge the Bank to prioritize renewable energy and energy access, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa, while unequivocally ending financial support for fossil fuel-based development.

The report finds that while post-issuance UoP reporting is widespread, impact reporting is less common and highly unstandardised. It highlights a positive correlation between reporting availability and the presence of external reviews, particularly post-issuance reviews. The analysis reveals that larger issuers and more mature markets generally report more frequently, though average quality scores remain relatively constant across deal sizes. The document argues for a shift toward a common global reporting framework and the use of absolute rather than relative metrics to provide a holistic view of environmental performance.

The Youth Enterprise Grants (YEG) pilot project provided approximately $1,200 in cash and a smartphone to 1,018 youth in Mathare, Nairobi. The project found that mobile money transfers are highly feasible in urban slum environments and lead to a significant shift toward self-employment, with the proportion of youth working for themselves increasing from 37% to 79%. While smartphones enhanced market access and technical skill acquisition via the internet, specific business-management apps had limited take-up. Financial well-being improved markedly, with the percentage of recipients able to meet daily expenses rising from 28% to 82%. The report highlights a strong preference for grants over loans and an unmet demand for digital financial services that allow users to 'lock' or compartmentalise funds for saving.

The paper analyzes how international lending influences African countries' integration into global value chains. It finds that Chinese lending, which focuses heavily on transport and communication infrastructure, increases the overall intensity of GVC participation. In contrast, World Bank lending, which prioritizes social sectors like education and health, helps countries move toward higher value-added, upstream positions in production networks. The study emphasizes that reducing trade costs through infrastructure is key to initial GVC access, while human capital investments support economic upgrading.

The paper analyzes how COVID-19 has disrupted climate finance, noting a tension between the need for economic recovery and the fulfillment of the $100 billion annual climate finance pledge. It highlights that while the pandemic created opportunities for 'green recoveries' through stimulus packages, early funding often favored carbon-intensive sectors. The authors emphasize a growing need for adaptation finance and the mobilization of private capital to support a sustainable transition in Africa.

The document assesses the global and regional shortfall in biodiversity finance, noting that the world failed to meet any Aichi Biodiversity Targets by 2020. It argues that conservation should be viewed as an investment with a financial return on investment (ROI) rather than a cost. The author explores several 'green' financial instruments—including debt-for-nature swaps, green bonds, 'blue' financing, payment for ecosystem services (PES), and biocredits—as viable options for Africa. It specifically highlights the opportunity provided by COVID-19 recovery packages to implement a 'build forward better' approach, urging African governments and the African Development Bank to lead in mobilising these resources and realigning harmful subsidies toward nature-positive outcomes.

The report details SEforALL's efforts over a 100-day period to accelerate the clean energy transition. Key activities include the launch of the 'Be Bold' campaign, coordination of the UN High-level Dialogue on Energy and its Energy Compacts, and supporting the COP26 Energy Transition Council. The organization also highlights research on sustainable cooling, a youth summit, and specific technical assistance for energy access in Nigeria and Sierra Leone, alongside a new healthcare electrification partnership with USAID and Power Africa.

The document outlines a comprehensive educational campaign by WWF South Africa and The Greenpop Foundation to teach students in grades 4-7 about groundwater, aquifers, and the risks of contamination. It includes detailed lesson plans using physical models to demonstrate aquifer structure and borehole extraction, as well as a poster competition designed to spread awareness within the Cape Town community. The materials highlight the specific vulnerability of the Cape Flats Aquifer due to its sandy soil and high permeability.