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Algeria's trade is heavily dominated by hydrocarbons, which accounted for 94% of exports in 2017. The country faces significant obstacles to industrialisation and diversification due to the influence of politically connected importers and a lack of regional economic integration within the Maghreb. While the European Union remains its primary trading partner, substantial informal trade exists with Tunisia and Mali, driven by tax and subsidy differentials.

The report highlights the high energy and feedstock intensity of the EU's plastic production industry, noting its significant reliance on Russian fossil fuels. It argues that reducing plastic production, particularly packaging, is a critical but overlooked lever for enhancing EU energy security and meeting climate goals.

The report identifies over 230 advertising and PR companies that continue to work for the fossil fuel industry despite making public net-zero or sustainability commitments. It specifically examines holding companies like WPP, IPG, Dentsu, Publicis, and Omnicom, as well as the PR firm Edelman, noting that many have erased fossil fuel clients from their websites or refuse to disclose client lists. The document highlights a disconnect between internal corporate goals—such as WPP's 2030 net-zero value chain target or IPG's 2040 net-zero goal—and their continued representation of companies like ExxonMobil, Shell, and Saudi Aramco. It also details legal challenges and accusations of greenwashing linked to these partnerships, such as lawsuits against WPP's work for BP and Shell. The report concludes by calling for the advertising industry to stop supporting fossil fuel clients to avoid complicity in climate disinformation.

The document examines the tension between Africa's significant natural gas resources and the global shift toward net-zero emissions. It argues that while gas provides short-term revenue and energy security, long-term investments face high risks of becoming stranded assets due to declining global demand and the falling costs of renewable energy. The paper advocates for leveraging climate finance to scale up renewables and green hydrogen, which it presents as more sustainable pathways for economic diversification and energy access.

The document examines the feasibility of using Canadian LNG to replace Russian gas in the EU, concluding that the 3-to-5-year timeline for building new Canadian facilities is incompatible with the EU's immediate needs and its medium-term goal of phasing out gas by 2025-2027.

The document explores the evolving relationship between Korea and Africa, focusing on how Korea's carbon-neutrality goals and technological expertise can support Africa's climate resilience. It identifies key areas for partnership, including renewable energy, green minerals for batteries, smart city development, and climate-resilient agriculture, while emphasizing the need for these initiatives to be African-led and aligned with the AU's strategic framework.

North Africa possesses significant solar and wind potential, with Egypt and Morocco emerging as the region's largest renewable energy markets. While Egypt's power sector is dominated by gas and Morocco's by coal, both are aggressively expanding their renewable capacities through policy shifts and international investment. Egypt has seen rapid solar growth, exemplified by the Benban solar farm, while Morocco has focused on onshore wind and concentrated solar power, aiming to become a global green hydrogen exporter by 2050.

The document examines how the Russia-Ukraine war has destabilized energy markets, undermining Russia's role as an 'energy superpower' and creating significant economic pressure on the Global South. It presents three scenarios: 'Stable high' prices, 'Persistent volatility', and 'Business as usual', analyzing how each affects national budgets, regional stability in the Middle East and Africa, and the global transition to renewable energy. The authors argue that while the crisis may incentivize some decarbonization, it also risks locking in fossil fuel production in the Global South and prioritizing immediate energy security over Paris Agreement goals.

The document examines Algeria's struggle to attract foreign direct investment compared to other middle-income countries, citing regulatory hurdles and the dominance of state-owned enterprises. It notes a shift in investment sources from Europe toward China and Gulf investors, while highlighting the positive impact of remittances on poverty and inequality reduction.

The report concludes that Algeria faces significant economic stagnation due to a bloated bureaucracy, heavy dependence on hydrocarbons, and political instability. It recommends a transition toward a diversified economy, improved education quality, and a shift toward renewable energy to ensure long-term growth and food security.

Algeria has significantly reduced income poverty and improved its Human Development Index deficit between 1990 and 2015. While universal social services and subsidies have lessened inequality, poor targeting has created new disparities, including a 28% consumption gap between the rich and poor. Poverty is heavily concentrated in the south, with rates twice as high in the Sahara and three times the national average in the Steppe region. Current estimates indicate approximately 2% of the population lives on less than US$3.20 per day, while the 2019 Multidimensional Poverty Index estimated 2.1% of Algerians as multidimensionally poor, with education being the primary driver of deprivation.

The report examines Tunisia's basic infrastructure, noting successes in water and sanitation access and telecommunications penetration, while highlighting critical challenges in water scarcity, heavy energy subsidies, and a slow transition to renewable energy. It projects that Tunisia will not meet its 30% renewable electricity target by 2030, instead reaching it by 2040 unless more aggressive measures are taken.

The report projects a modest average GDP growth rate of 1.8% for Algeria between 2020 and 2040, which is deemed insufficient to improve livelihoods due to a state-led economic system and heavy dependence on hydrocarbons. It highlights that the country faces critical pressures from climate change, water scarcity, and poor agricultural yields, alongside political instability and regional security threats. The authors argue that Algeria must implement comprehensive social, economic, and governance reforms to diversify its economy and rebuild its social contract.

The report examines Tunisia's transition from a state-led development model under Habib Bourguiba and Zine El Abidine Ben Ali to the post-revolution era. It highlights early successes in gender equality and education, contrasted with later systemic corruption, cronyism, and economic stagnation. Despite the 2010 revolution, the document notes that structural economic reforms remain unfulfilled, with GDP growth slowing from an average of 4.5% (2000-2010) to 2% (2010-2018), and political uncertainty persisting under President Kais Saied.

Russia has increased its presence in Africa through defense and security partnerships, positioning itself as an alternative to Western paternalism. However, the document argues that Russia lacks the financial capacity to compete with the U.S., EU, and China, as evidenced by its modest trade volume and the contrast with China's massive infrastructure investments. The war in Ukraine has further complicated this strategy by draining resources and increasing international sanctions.

The author contends that free ETS allowances violate the 'polluter pays' principle and have failed to reduce emissions in the EU cement industry, which saw gross CO2 emissions rise from 103 million to 108 million tonnes between 2013 and 2019. The text asserts that the cement industry gained approximately €3.5 billion in 'over allocation' profits following the 2008 recession, which were invested in plants outside Europe rather than in Best Available Techniques (BAT) within the EU. Consequently, the author calls for the full implementation of CBAM and the complete phase-out of free allowances by the end of the decade to ensure a level playing field and meet the goals of the Fit for 55 package.

The study compares the levelised cost of hydrogen (LCOH) for different carriers and transport methods to Rotterdam. It finds that pipeline imports from Norway (2030) and Algeria (2040/2050) offer the lowest LCOH. Among marine carriers, cracked ammonia is the most cost-effective for delivering liberated hydrogen, while uncracked ammonia is the cheapest overall if used directly as fuel. Saudi Arabia is identified as the most economical export location for all marine carriers due to low natural gas prices and favorable construction costs. Carbon emissions are lowest for liquid hydrogen (LH2) among liberated hydrogen chains, but uncracked ammonia is the least carbon-intensive overall. The report also details the technical, safety, and infrastructure challenges associated with each carrier, noting that while ammonia has mature transport infrastructure, large-scale cracking technology is still in development.

The report finds that total EU methane emissions were 15.2 Mt in 2019, with livestock agriculture contributing 53%, waste 27%, and energy 13%. While a business-as-usual trend suggests a 13.4% reduction by 2030, the report estimates a maximum theoretical reduction potential of 49% to 68%. Achieving the 30% (Pledge) and 45% (Science) targets requires significant behavioral changes in livestock agriculture, specifically a shift toward healthier diets with lower meat and dairy consumption, alongside technical measures in the energy and waste sectors.

The briefing reports that Arab nations are rapidly expanding renewable energy, with current combined solar and wind capacity exceeding 12 GW. It identifies Egypt and the UAE as current leaders, while Oman, Morocco, and Algeria are emerging as major players with ambitious future projects. The region is increasingly focusing on giant-scale projects and green hydrogen production for export to Europe, with some projects, like Oman's 'Al Wusta', aiming for world-leading storage capacities.

The report argues that governments are reacting to the energy crisis by prioritizing short-term fossil fuel security over long-term decarbonization, risking a 'gold rush' for new gas infrastructure and domestic production. While some progress in renewables and green hydrogen is noted, the authors highlight a prevalence of 'bad practices' such as fossil fuel subsidies, tax cuts for petrol, and the expansion of LNG facilities. The document provides a framework of 'do's and don'ts', urging governments to instead focus on energy efficiency, electrification, behavioral changes, and the reinvestment of fossil fuel windfall profits into clean energy to avoid stranded assets and irreversible warming.