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This technical explainer by RMI analyzes the voluntary carbon market (VCM) for ozone-depleting substances (ODS) recovery and destruction credits. It details how these projects provide high-additionality climate benefits by permanently destroying potent greenhouse gases like CFCs, while identifying significant logistical, legal, and technical barriers to scaling, particularly in developing nations.

This policy brief by the South African Institute of International Affairs argues for the 'ring-fencing' of development expenditures in Africa to protect long-term investments from short-term fiscal and political pressures. It identifies a 'perfect storm' of challenges—including trade fragmentation, the 'securitisation' of economic policy, high debt burdens, and technological disruption—that threaten development financing. The document proposes five specific policy mechanisms to institutionalise this protection and suggests that development finance should be framed as complementary to security priorities to leverage international funding.

This policy brief by the Africa Policy Research Institute examines the role of private sector investment in unlocking Africa's renewable energy (RE) potential. Using Nigeria as a case study, it identifies financial, regulatory, and infrastructural barriers that hinder the scaling of clean energy and provides strategic recommendations to create a more predictable and attractive investment environment.

This research paper examines the opportunities and challenges of integrating Indigenous Knowledge (IK) with Climate-Smart Agricultural (CSA) technology to address climate change and youth unemployment in Ghana. While CSA startups like Farmerline and AgroCenta are creating new digital and technical roles for youth, the document highlights a significant gap in technology adoption among young farmers and a lack of cohesive national policies that formally integrate IK into modern agricultural strategies. The authors recommend establishing multi-stakeholder platforms, creating a national digital IK repository, and providing targeted financial incentives for startups that blend traditional practices with climate-resilient technology.

This case study details the founding and growth of Green Afro Palms, a Ghanaian agri-tech startup established by engineer Kwame Ababio to modernize the oil palm industry. The company focuses on empowering smallholder farmers through technology, training, and processing yields into palm and kernel oil to reduce import dependence and discourage environmentally damaging activities.

This case study details the founding and growth of Complete Farmer, a Ghanaian startup established in 2017 by entrepreneur Desmond to digitize the agricultural value chain and connect smallholder farmers to global markets. The document outlines the company's operational model, its focus on youth employment, and the infrastructure and funding challenges it faces while scaling across Africa.

This policy brief by the South African Institute of International Affairs examines the role of Locally Led Adaptation (LLA) in Africa, focusing on the food sector. It argues that while African governments have set ambitious adaptation targets, governance barriers, financial constraints, and a lack of meaningful integration of local and Indigenous knowledge hinder effectiveness. The document advocates for decentralised finance, inclusive governance, and robust monitoring systems to ensure climate resilience is sustainable and context-specific.

This guide provides a strategic playbook for concessional capital providers to mobilize investment in climate-smart agrifood systems. It identifies a significant financing gap—with global climate finance for the sector reaching only USD 95 billion in 2021/22—and proposes five 'investment plays' to address market failures. These strategies include system-level alignment with national goals, large-scale natural capital restoration, strengthening shared infrastructure, expanding technical assistance for innovation, and scaling local financial intermediaries. The document includes a four-step framework for investor action and detailed case studies of blended finance vehicles operating across Africa, Asia, and Latin America.

This research paper introduces the Adaptation Triple Dividend of Resilience (AdapTDR) database, evaluating 320 adaptation investments across 12 countries to demonstrate that climate adaptation yields high economic, social, and environmental returns beyond simple loss avoidance.

This report by the NBI Global Resource Centre evaluates the economic, social, and environmental viability of implementing hybrid infrastructure—combining nature-based and grey infrastructure—to manage urban flood risks in Sekondi-Takoradi, Ghana. The analysis focuses on priority locations including Sekondi Market and Bakado, comparing a hybrid approach against a business-as-usual scenario.

This case study examines UNI2 Microcrédito, a Colombian microfinance institution, to evaluate the applicability of the Responsible Agricultural Investment (RAI) Tool to financial intermediaries rather than direct agribusinesses. The study analyzes how UNI2 supports business compliance with the Committee on World Food Security's Principles for Responsible Investment in Agriculture and Food Systems (CFS-RAI) among its rural and urban clients within agricultural value chains.

The May 2025 Peace & Security Council Report examines escalating tensions between Algeria and Mali, the institutional challenges of AU-ECOWAS collaboration, the rise of 'lawfare' to undermine democracy in Africa, and the role of illicit economies in fueling Sahelian extremism.

This policy brief examines the role of Locally Led Adaptation (LLA) in Africa, highlighting how centering decision-making at the community level can address the severe economic and social costs of climate change. While many African nations have integrated adaptation goals into national policies, the document identifies significant governance and financial barriers that hinder the effective implementation of LLA, particularly within food systems.

This briefing from the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) advocates for the use of model investment contracts in the agricultural sector to promote responsible investment and sustainable development, particularly in developing countries where domestic laws may be insufficient.

This policy brief by the Stockholm Environment Institute analyzes renewable-energy and clean-cooking interventions, primarily in sub-Saharan Africa, to identify drivers of success and barriers to socioeconomic development. It proposes a theory of change for energy interventions and provides five strategic recommendations for donors and development partners to improve the impact of clean-energy investments.

This policy note examines the Compact with Africa (CwA), an initiative launched in 2017 to increase private investment and infrastructure in African countries through coordinated reform agendas and stakeholder cooperation.

A statement by Trend Asia and a global coalition of civil society organizations arguing that large-scale forest biomass combustion for energy is not carbon neutral, harms biodiversity, violates community rights, and obstructs the transition to clean energy. The signatories call for the cessation of forest biomass expansion and the removal of related subsidies.

The '2030 Global Forest Vision' report outlines eight priority actions for governments to implement in 2025 to meet the goal of halting and reversing deforestation and forest degradation by 2030. The framework emphasizes integrating forest goals into national climate and biodiversity plans, scaling up finance through mechanisms like the Tropical Forest Finance Facility (TFFF), securing land rights for Indigenous and local communities, and reforming harmful agricultural subsidies.

This policy brief argues that Africa must transition from a reliance on international financial institutions to a model of economic, mineral, and energy sovereignty to unlock the full potential of its mining sector. The authors propose a 'resource leverage strategy' to exchange mineral access for technology transfer and local beneficiation, while advocating for the creation of independent African financial institutions and standardized resource reporting to reduce dependency on the Global North.

This report by the Stockholm Environment Institute examines the challenges of achieving equitable access to urban green spaces in low- and middle-income countries, with a focus on informal settlements. It argues that top-down planning often fails to meet the specific needs of marginalized populations and advocates for community-led, inclusive governance to improve public health and environmental resilience.