Search Climate Insights Directory

The document examines the African Union's (AU) unprecedented attempt to use military compellence against the government of Burundi in December 2015. After diplomatic efforts and targeted sanctions failed to stop violence against civilians, the AU Peace and Security Council (PSC) issued an ultimatum threatening a non-consensual military intervention under Article 4(h) of the AU Constitutive Act. The authors argue that this threat failed to materialise due to the Burundian government's strategic use of its status as a troop-contributing country, a lack of unity among AU member states, and a regional culture of autocracy where neighbouring leaders were reluctant to challenge the extension of presidential term limits.

The research employs a lobby group model and cross-country data from 104 countries to analyze the drivers of environmental policy stringency. The authors find that a higher number of environmental lobby groups generally leads to stricter policies. Crucially, the study identifies an interaction effect where political competition increases policy stringency primarily in countries with high levels of democratic participation, whereas participation alone has no effect in pure dictatorships. The results suggest that supporting local environmental NGOs in developing countries may be an effective channel for international donors to improve global environmental quality.

The Strategies of Resistance Data Project (SRDP) provides a global dataset of 1,124 organizations involved in self-determination disputes between 1960 and 2005. Unlike previous datasets that focus on mass campaigns or violent actors, SRDP uses the organization as the unit of analysis to track tactical shifts. Findings indicate that nonviolent tactics are more common than violence in these movements, and organizations are more likely to switch from violence to nonviolence than vice versa.

In this address, Ebrahim Ebrahim discusses the evolving nature of global conflict, noting that climate change and resource scarcity are increasing tensions. He argues that Post-Conflict Reconstruction and Development (PCRD) is often under-resourced and suggests that lasting peace requires sustained security, broad-based social participation, and home-grown solutions. He highlights South Africa's commitment to peace support through the African Union and SADC, and advocates for South-South cooperation via the G77 plus China to secure the financial resources and technology transfer necessary for effective PCRD.

The document advocates for the use of Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EbA) to help African coastal and island communities adapt to climate change impacts such as sea level rise and tropical storms. It provides a set of nine key recommendations for SADC stakeholders to integrate EbA into Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), align biodiversity and ocean policies, and ensure the inclusion of local communities and gender equity in project design. The statement emphasizes the need for a regional SADC EbA strategy and a resource mobilisation plan to support sustainable investments across the region.

The document lists ten financing programs providing grants, seed funding, and technical assistance for renewable energy technologies. These programs target various stages of business development, from R&D and pilots to scaling and commercial expansion, primarily within African nations and other low-income or developing regions. Funding amounts vary significantly, ranging from small grants of US $15,000 to large-scale transition grants of up to US $15 million.

The report finds that the majority of the world's coral reefs are threatened by human activities and climate change, with projections that nearly all reefs will be threatened by 2050 if current trends continue. While 27% of reefs are in marine protected areas, only 6% are in effectively managed areas. The document emphasizes that reducing local pressures like overfishing and pollution is critical to increasing reef resilience against warming seas and ocean acidification.