Search Climate Insights Directory

This document is a speech delivered by a representative of the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA) regarding the domestic governance and economic priorities necessary to restore South Africa's international influence and internal stability.

The African Borrowing Charter (2018), published by the African Forum and Network on Debt and Development (AFRODAD), is a policy framework designed to prevent unsustainable public debt accumulation in Africa. It establishes guiding principles for debt contraction, management, and transparency, while proposing a robust legal framework and a Fiscal Responsibility Act to ensure that borrowing supports inclusive development and protects future generations.

This report summarizes progress toward Goal 10 of the New York Declaration on Forests, which focuses on strengthening forest governance, transparency, and the rule of law, while empowering indigenous peoples and local communities. It details developments in producer and consumer countries regarding illegal timber trade, the rising violence against environmental defenders, and the status of financial resources and data collection for land tenure security.

This report assesses progress toward Goal 4 of the New York Declaration on Forests, which focuses on supporting alternatives to deforestation driven by basic needs, such as subsistence farming and fuelwood collection. The document highlights a significant lack of aggregate global data to measure progress, relying instead on proxy indicators like the distribution of clean cookstoves and related financial funding.

This report assesses progress toward Goal 8 of the New York Declaration on Forests, which focuses on providing support for strategies to reduce forest emissions. The assessment highlights a significant imbalance between 'green' finance aligned with forest goals and 'grey' finance that potentially drives deforestation, noting that international public and private investments in sustainable forestry remain insufficient compared to the scale of the challenge.

The 2018 Progress Assessment Goal 4 Update evaluates efforts to support alternatives to deforestation driven by basic human needs, such as subsistence farming and woodfuel use. While the distribution of clean cookstoves has increased significantly, financial support for woodfuel interventions has declined. The report highlights various regional case studies in the Amazon, West Africa, and Southeast Asia that employ sustainable landscape approaches and community-based management to alleviate poverty and protect forests.

This report details a civil society training workshop held on April 17-18, 2018, in Windhoek, Namibia. The event, part of the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) Sensitisation Project in Namibia (ASPIN), aimed to engage civil society in the Namibian APRM process. Organized by the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA) and the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR), the workshop provided guidance on the APRM's structure, the importance of early civil society submissions, and lessons from other African nations.

The 2018 Regulatory Indicators for Sustainable Energy (RISE) report provides a global inventory of policies and regulations supporting Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG7), focusing on electricity access, clean cooking, energy efficiency, and renewable energy across 133 economies from 2010 to 2017.

This report by the Institute for Security Studies examines the African Union's (AU) use of mediation as a conflict-prevention tool. It analyzes the institutional gaps, the tension between formal and informal approaches, and the need for a more structured, long-term strategy to address the root causes of conflict in Africa.

This case study describes the resistance of the Doevi Kope community and other coastal villages in Togo against offshore oil exploration. It details how local communities, supported by Les Amis de la Terre Togo, successfully campaigned to cancel an initial exploration contract with the Italian company ENI after learning about the environmental and social devastation caused by similar projects in Nigeria, Chad, and Ghana.

This case study by Friends of the Earth International describes the efforts of the Doevi Kope community and Les Amis de la Terre Togo to resist oil exploration in Togo. It details how local communities, after being uninformed by their government, campaigned to cancel an exploration contract with the Italian company ENI and sought evidence of the negative impacts of oil extraction in neighboring countries.

Local communities in Doevi Kope, Togo, supported by Friends of the Earth Togo, are resisting offshore oil exploration. After the termination of a 2010 contract with ENI, residents cite environmental disasters in Ghana, Nigeria, and Chad—including the destruction of fisheries and agriculture—as reasons for their opposition. The region has already experienced significant coastal erosion and displacement due to port construction since the 1960s, and residents fear further devastation if the government proceeds with oil extraction via a new partner.

This executive summary assesses progress toward Goals 8 and 9 of the New York Declaration on Forests (NYDF), focusing on forest finance. It concludes that 'green finance' aligned with forest and climate goals is insufficient and vastly outweighed by 'grey finance'—investments and subsidies that drive deforestation. While some progress is noted in results-based REDD+ payments and impact investing, the report argues that a dramatic shift in investment is required to achieve zero deforestation.

The October 2017 Peace & Security Council Report by the Institute for Security Studies analyzes several African security crises, including the transition of AMISOM in Somalia, the resurgence of violence in the Central African Republic, the pro-Biafra movement in Nigeria, and the African Union's initiative to combat illegal weapons. It also details the ongoing funding disputes between the AU Peace and Security Council (PSC) and the UN Security Council (UNSC) regarding AU-led peace operations.

This research paper examines whether climate change-related expenditures are appearing in the national budgets of Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, and Uganda to support the implementation of their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). The author finds that while some budget projections show increasing resources for key ministries, there is a significant discrepancy between these estimates and actual spending, and many NDC-related projects remain heavily dependent on international donor support.

This research paper analyzes the German G20 presidency in 2017, focusing on Germany's strategic initiatives for Africa and the challenges posed by the United States' shift toward protectionism under President Donald Trump.

This policy briefing examines the institutionalisation of pan-Africanism and the African Renaissance within African institutions, specifically the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM). It explores the tension between universal governance norms and the need for African-led ownership and localisation to avoid neo-colonialism.

This policy briefing by the South African Institute of International Affairs examines the opportunities and constraints of transitioning to low-carbon energy in Africa, focusing on West Africa and Nigeria. It argues that while the continent has vast renewable potential, progress is hindered by fragmented governance, inadequate investment, and a lack of coordination between niche projects and national grids.

This report, developed by FHI 360 and funded by the Rockefeller Foundation, provides an inventory and summary of digital technologies used to enhance resilience, primarily in Asia. It details a wide array of tools—ranging from mobile apps and IoT sensors to big data analytics and geospatial mapping—designed to support disaster preparedness, emergency response, and long-term livelihood stability for vulnerable populations.

This market scoping study by Nathan Associates for FSD Africa examines the agricultural equipment leasing landscape in eight sub-Saharan African countries. It identifies systemic market failures across supply, demand, support functions, and regulatory environments that hinder the growth of leasing as an alternative to traditional asset financing for farmers and SMEs.