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The paper defines Zombie Energy Systems (ZES) as outdated, inefficient, and environmentally harmful energy assets that persist in Africa despite being obsolete. It argues that the current international focus on new renewable energy projects overlooks the necessity of decommissioning or rehabilitating these failing systems, which include ageing power plants, inefficient grids, and second-hand appliances. The authors trace the origins of ZES to colonial legacies, poor maintenance, and political corruption, and propose a holistic strategy involving comprehensive system assessments, regulatory strengthening, and local capacity building to ensure a just and effective energy transition.

The report identifies 140 organizations and institutions in the Central African Republic operating at the intersection of gender and climate change adaptation. It assesses their technical capacities, influence, and engagement levels, highlighting a systemic gap in 'nexus' expertise—the ability to integrate gender and climate adaptation systematically. While national civil society organizations possess high mobilization and influence capabilities, they lack specific technical expertise. Conversely, international agencies and government bodies have higher technical skills but limited political influence or resources. The report recommends strengthening the capacity of all stakeholders, establishing focal points across all ministries, and creating a multi-actor dialogue space involving high-level political decision-makers and technical and financial partners to implement the National Gender and Climate Change Strategy (SNGCC).

The document argues that Africa's potential for a demographic dividend depends on accelerating the demographic transition—reducing child mortality and fertility—and converting a larger working-age population into economic growth through job creation and governance. It contrasts the youthful population of Africa with the ageing populations of Europe and the Netherlands, suggesting strategic opportunities for labour mobility and trade. Using the International Futures (ifs) model, the author presents a 'Demographics and Health' scenario where targeted investments in contraceptives, maternal health, and WASH infrastructure lead to a smaller, wealthier, and better-educated population by 2050, reducing extreme poverty by 48 million people.

The report analyzes the integration of human mobility into National Adaptation Plans (NAPs), finding that while 83% of submitted NAPs reference mobility, most lack detailed strategies for sub-national implementation. Through case studies in Costa Rica, Senegal, and Sri Lanka, it identifies gaps in financing, data, and coordination between national and local governments, while proposing a typology of approaches for localizing mobility actions.

The report finds that human-induced climate change significantly increased the frequency and intensity of extreme heat globally from May 2024 to May 2025, affecting billions of people and making all 67 identified significant heat events more likely. It highlights the disproportionate impact on vulnerable populations and the systemic failure to accurately document heat-related mortality, while advocating for a combination of urban heat action plans and aggressive fossil fuel mitigation.

The report finds that while 96% of reviewed NAP documents mention gender, women are overwhelmingly positioned as vulnerable groups (86%) rather than agents of change (16%). It highlights a trend toward more frequent gender references in recent documents and an increase in the recognition of other vulnerable groups, such as youth and Indigenous Peoples. The report also showcases practical examples of gender-responsive adaptation in countries like Senegal, Rwanda, and Argentina, while emphasizing the need for intersectional approaches and stronger institutional arrangements.

The report finds that while 96% of analyzed National Adaptation Plans (NAPs) mention gender, women are predominantly framed as vulnerable groups (86%) rather than agents of change (16%). It emphasizes the need for gender-responsive processes that ensure equitable participation and outcomes, supported by institutional arrangements, funding, and intersectional analysis. The document highlights specific national examples, such as Rwanda's use of visual storytelling and Argentina's municipal-level gender-disaggregated data, to advance gender-responsive adaptation.

The report examines how risk mitigation and transfer (RMT) instruments, such as political risk insurance and guarantees from development finance institutions (DFIs), help utility-scale renewable energy projects reach financial close in West and Central Africa. While these tools are critical for addressing offtaker and political risks, the authors argue they are insufficient to overcome structural macroeconomic barriers, including high sovereign debt and insolvent state-owned utilities. The report highlights innovative models, such as the re-deployable modular solar solution in Cameroon and the use of viable businesses as anchor loads in Ghana, as potential pathways for deployment in high-debt contexts.

The report argues that the 'environment' pillar of One Health is often under-prioritized and proposes six key strategies—landscape immunity, wildlife trade regulation, preventive medicine, pathogen monitoring, sustainable livestock management, and behaviour change—to reduce zoonotic spillover and spillback. It emphasizes transdisciplinary collaboration, gender equity, and the inclusion of Indigenous Peoples and local communities to create resilient ecosystems and improve public health outcomes.

The document presents an Evidence Gap Map (EGM) developed by SEforALL and 3ie to guide policymakers and researchers toward rigorous evidence on sustainable energy in low- and middle-income countries (L&MICs). Based on a search of 22 academic databases and 29 grey literature sources, the EGM includes 703 studies (668 impact evaluations and 35 systematic reviews). The evidence base is geographically skewed, with nearly half of the impact evaluations focused on China or India, and significant gaps exist for countries with the most pressing electrification needs, such as Burundi and South Sudan. While improved cookstoves are the most evaluated technology, there is a total lack of rigorous evidence for interventions involving insurance, risk guarantee instruments, push and pull finance, and advocacy and diplomacy.

The document analyzes Russia's strategic pivot toward Africa as a means to diversify partners and evade Western sanctions following the invasion of Ukraine. It argues that while Africa is not a central priority for the Kremlin, it serves as a critical 'theater' for projecting power, securing natural resources, and challenging US-led unipolarity. The paper details Russia's approach across several sectors, including arms sales, nuclear energy, and mining, while highlighting the role of the Wagner Group in providing security in exchange for resource access. It concludes that Russia leverages African support at the UN to maintain its status as a global power and to promote a multipolar international system.

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 NAP Global Network's 2023 report details its efforts to accelerate climate adaptation in developing countries through technical support, peer learning, and knowledge generation. Key achievements include supporting 41 countries with technical assistance, facilitating regional peer learning cohorts in Central America and West Africa, and advancing gender-responsive and monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) frameworks. The Network is currently tracking progress toward its 2025 strategic targets, with significant success in expanding its Country Support Hub and In-Country NAP Support Programs.

Between 2013 and 2023, scientists described at least 742 new species in the Congo Basin, including 430 plants, 140 invertebrates, 96 fish, 42 reptiles, 22 amphibians, 10 mammals, and 2 birds. The report emphasizes that the region is a critical carbon sink and biodiversity hotspot, but faces severe threats from illegal logging, poaching, mining, and infrastructure development. WWF is implementing conservation strategies including biomonitoring, FSC-certified forestry, and human-wildlife conflict insurance to protect these ecosystems.

The document analyzes the increasing debt distress in Africa, noting that public debt reached 65.6% of GDP in 2022. It highlights the shift toward non-concessional debt and the role of private creditors, who now hold over 40% of Africa's total external debt. The brief argues that the G20's Common Framework needs reform to be more inclusive of middle-income countries and private creditors. It advocates for the establishment of an African Credit Rating Agency to counter perceived biases from global agencies and the creation of an African Debt Monitoring Mechanism by June 2024 to improve transparency. Key recommendations include restructuring multilateral development banks, extending debt repayment periods, and increasing IMF Poverty Reduction Growth Trust access limits.

The report forecasts a significant increase in Africa's energy demand due to population growth, projecting that it will overtake the EU27 by 2043. While Africa possesses vast oil, gas, and hydropower reserves, its current energy mix remains heavily reliant on fossil fuels, with 'other renewables' making up only 1.6% of production in 2023. The document highlights a trajectory where Africa will eventually become a major global source of carbon emissions from fossil fuels, overtaking the EU by 2034.

The report projects that Africa's total energy demand will rise from 4.589 BBOE in 2023 to 10.26 BBOE by 2043, driven by population growth and development needs. It highlights significant current disparities in per capita energy use across African nations and compares these figures to the United States and India.

The Central African Republic's National Gender and Climate Change Strategy (NGCCS) 2023–2030 seeks to integrate gender equality and social inclusion (GESI) into all climate actions. The strategy is jointly led by the Ministry of the Environment and Sustainable Development (MEDD) and the Ministry of Gender Affairs and the Protection of Women, Families and Children (MPGPFFE). It identifies five strategic areas of focus: governance and finance, priority sector actions, capacity strengthening, awareness-raising, and the empowerment of women and vulnerable groups. Out of 112 total actions, 31 have been prioritized with an estimated cost of USD 575,000. These priority activities include establishing gender and climate focal points in ministries, creating a GESI and climate database, and promoting gender-sensitive budgeting in climate finance.

The National Gender and Climate Change Strategy (SNGCC) 2023–2030 of the Central African Republic seeks to integrate gender equality and social inclusion (EGIS) into all climate actions to ensure sustainable and equitable results. The strategy is structured around five strategic axes: governance and finance, sector-specific actions, capacity building, communication, and the empowerment of women and vulnerable groups. It identifies 112 total actions, with 31 prioritized activities estimated to cost 575,000 USD. Implementation is led jointly by the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development (MEDD) and the Ministry for the Promotion of Gender, Protection of Women, Family and Children (MPGPFFE).

The report by the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) and the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) examines the status of Pterocarpus erinaceus (rosewood) trade in West Africa following a March 2022 CITES trade suspension. While international trafficking has slowed, the authors find that illegal logging persists in countries like Mali, Ghana, the Gambia, and Nigeria, often facilitated by corrupt officials. The report specifically criticizes Sierra Leone's request to export 160,000 cubic meters of stockpiled timber without a sustainable export quota and Mali's approved Non-Detriment Finding (NDF), which the authors claim is based on outdated or biased data and ignores critical environmental pressures. The document concludes that lifting the suspension for any country would undermine regional conservation efforts and risk a return to unsustainable 'boom and bust' logging cycles.