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The report finds that energy access finance remains critically below the levels needed for SDG7, with a significant mismatch between where finance is committed and where the need is greatest. While electricity finance increased to USD 43.6 billion in 2018, much of this was driven by fossil fuel projects in a few countries, while Sub-Saharan Africa remains chronically underfunded. Clean cooking finance is even more limited, dominated by a few large projects in Bangladesh. The report advocates for a shift toward renewable energy, the termination of fossil fuel financing, and the adoption of innovative business models and gender-responsive tracking methodologies.

The report identifies 24 'deforestation fronts' across Latin America, sub-Saharan Africa, Southeast Asia, and Oceania where over 43 million hectares of forest were lost between 2004 and 2017. It argues that while commercial agriculture, tree plantations, and extractive activities are primary drivers, responses must be tailored to local contexts and integrated across area-based and sector-specific approaches to be effective.

The report analyzes the fragile political alliance between President Felix Tshisekedi's CACH coalition and former President Joseph Kabila's FCC, which dominates the DRC's parliament. It identifies key priorities for the 2019–2023 period, including reforming the CENI and Constitutional Court, addressing socio-economic needs, and stabilizing the eastern DRC. The author presents several scenarios ranging from a best-case transition to democracy to a fragmentation and chaos scenario, while emphasizing the role of the international community and regional neighbors in supporting transformational change.

The report identifies colonial history, border changes, and poor civil registry systems as primary drivers of statelessness in Southern Africa. It warns that some states are increasingly using the deprivation of nationality as a tool for migration management and political exclusion. The document highlights the critical role of birth registration and the persistence of gender discrimination in nationality laws, while detailing case studies from Zimbabwe, South Africa, Madagascar, and Angola to illustrate these systemic failures.

The report assesses South Africa's approach to marine and coastal ecosystem-based adaptation (EbA), highlighting a strong policy framework but significant challenges in local-level implementation and funding. It emphasizes the interconnection between biodiversity, climate change, and human well-being, arguing that maintaining ecosystem integrity is primary for social resilience.

The report identifies significant funding gaps for universal energy access, noting that 2017 electricity access finance for new households reached only a quarter of the required annual investment. It highlights critically low investment in Sub-Saharan Africa and a severe shortfall in clean cooking finance, which represents less than 1% of the needed amount. Additionally, it argues that continued investment in fossil fuel power plants is incompatible with the Paris Agreement and the SDGs.

The report examines South Africa's historical and recent involvement in Burundi, highlighting a transition from significant military and diplomatic leadership during the Arusha Peace and Reconciliation Agreement to a more peripheral role following Burundi's 2015 political crisis. While South Africa has provided tangible support in electoral capacity building and civil service training, the report finds that bilateral agreements have been implemented in a fragmented manner. It emphasizes the value of 'citizen diplomacy' through civil society and academic exchanges, particularly in supporting Burundi's Truth and Reconciliation Commission. The authors argue that South Africa should leverage its remaining political capital and technical expertise through a holistic strategy that navigates complex regional dynamics involving the East African Community (EAC) and the International Conference for the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR).

The report analyzes Zimbabwe's trajectory to 2040, warning that the 'Current Path' of state-centric governance and economic instability will lead to persistent poverty and food insecurity. It contrasts this with the 'Great Zimbabwe' scenario, where pro-growth policies, transferable land titles, and expanded irrigation could significantly boost GDP and reduce undernourishment. Conversely, the 'Things Fall Apart' scenario predicts a decline into internal conflict and severe humanitarian deterioration if political accountability is not established. Key recommendations emphasize rehabilitating irrigation, improving democratic accountability, and partnering with the IMF to stabilize the economy.

The report provides a comprehensive assessment of Namibia's governance, highlighting systemic challenges such as executive dominance over the legislature, persistent poverty and inequality, and a lack of transparency. It offers specific policy recommendations across 13 key areas, including corruption, youth unemployment, education, healthcare, gender-based violence, land reform, and environmental sustainability, to support the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) process.

The report details how developing countries approach investment treaty negotiations, highlighting a trend toward renegotiating outdated agreements and the use of model treaties. It identifies the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and investment authorities as the primary leads in negotiations and provides a detailed mapping of ratification processes across various nations.

The document analyzes the precarious transition of power in the Democratic Republic of Congo following the announcement that Félix Tshisekedi won the December 30 election with 38.57% of the vote. It highlights immediate hurdles, including contested election legitimacy, the risk of violence from supporters of Martin Fayulu, and the necessity of securing the acquiescence of Joseph Kabila's regime and the military. The author argues that regional stability depends on Tshisekedi's ability to cooperate with leaders in Rwanda, Burundi, Uganda, South Africa, and Angola, as well as the continued engagement of the UN Security Council through MONUSCO.

The SADC–IISD Investment Facilitation Workshop, held in August 2018, aimed to transition the concept of investment facilitation toward a focus on sustainable development. Participants from 13 SADC member states analyzed the distinctions between trade and investment facilitation and reviewed the UNCTAD Global Action Menu. The workshop concluded that facilitation measures should primarily remain at the national level to preserve regulatory space, while the regional (SADC) and international levels should focus on information sharing, capacity building, and technical assistance rather than new legal obligations.

The document outlines how human-induced climate change is warming and acidifying oceans, causing sea level rise, and melting high mountain frozen lands in Africa. These changes threaten fisheries, coastal infrastructure, and water security. It argues that while adaptation and disaster risk reduction are essential and cost-effective, urgent global greenhouse gas mitigation is the primary way to limit long-term damage.

The policy brief examines the disproportionate dominance of South Africa within SADC and proposes a model of 'regional champions'—member states taking lead roles in specific sectors—to foster more equitable regional integration. It analyses current power dynamics using economic, military, and diplomatic metrics, identifying potential leaders in industrialisation, infrastructure, and security. The author suggests that South Africa can reduce its regional hegemony and the associated accusations of 'bullying' by supporting a more distributed leadership structure based on the comparative advantages of other member states.

The document reports that 1.05 billion people remained at the highest risk of cooling insecurity in 2019, down from 1.1 billion in 2018. It identifies the 'Critical 9' countries with the largest populations at high risk, including India, China, and Nigeria, and notes that China and India have already developed National Cooling Plans, while Brazil, Nigeria, and Bangladesh are currently developing them.

The document identifies a "missing middle" in climate finance—a systemic gap where mobilized funds fail to reach local and subnational actors due to bureaucratic barriers, capacity constraints, and a preference for international intermediaries. It argues that the direct access modality is a critical tool for overcoming this gap by empowering national and subnational entities. The authors highlight that while the AF has pioneered direct access, the GCF remains dominated by Multilateral Implementing Entities (MIEs), with only 16% of approved funding channeled through Direct Access Entities (DAEs) as of March 2019. The paper recommends shifting toward a principle of subsidiarity, increasing grant-based financing, and holding MIEs accountable for transferring capacity to national institutions.

The document examines the shift in Africa's debt structure toward non-concessional and domestic loans, identifying drivers such as commodity price shocks and fiscal deficits. It assesses the debt-carrying capacity of various African nations using IMF and World Bank frameworks, noting that several countries are in debt distress or at high risk. The briefing details current coping mechanisms, including the issuance of long-term Eurobonds and novel financial products, and recommends enhancing domestic revenue mobilization, economic diversification, and the establishment of autonomous debt management offices.

The document analyzes the resurgence of debt in Africa, noting that 19 countries have exceeded the 60% debt-to-GDP threshold. It identifies key drivers such as commodity price shocks, exchange rate volatility, and a shift from concessional to market-based loans. Through case studies of Nigeria and Morocco, it examines debt management strategies, including the use of Eurobonds and the importance of autonomous debt management offices, while recommending economic diversification and improved domestic resource mobilization to ensure long-term sustainability.

The document examines the potential for African public pension funds and Sovereign Wealth Funds (SWFs) to address an annual infrastructure investment deficit of $130–$170 billion. While these institutional investors possess long-term horizons and substantial assets—such as South Africa's $318 billion retirement fund industry—actual infrastructure investment remains low due to a preference for traditional assets, a lack of bankable project pipelines, and regulatory constraints. The paper analyzes the landscapes of five countries and identifies key barriers, including a shortage of liquid financial instruments and a lack of internal expertise to appraise complex infrastructure risks. It suggests that capacity building, resource pooling, and early engagement between developers and regulators are essential to stimulate institutional appetite for this asset class.

The document examines how host governments can stimulate direct local employment in mining to drive socioeconomic growth and maintain a social licence to operate. It outlines a five-step process for developing local employment policies: assessing the sector's role in national development, evaluating labour supply and demand, setting goals, formulating policies, and monitoring outcomes. The report categorizes interventions into regulatory 'stick' policies—such as employment quotas, mandated training, and visa restrictions—and facilitative 'carrot' policies, including bidding preferences, fiscal incentives, and support for training facilities. It emphasizes the need for context-specific strategies that address gender inequality and the inclusion of Indigenous Peoples, while warning that automation and technological trends may shift future workforce requirements.