Search Climate Insights Directory

The document outlines the ROAM framework, which combines stakeholder engagement and data analysis to identify forest landscape restoration opportunities. It details a three-phase process: preparation and planning, data collection and analysis, and translating results into recommendations. The methodology employs tools for spatial mapping, economic valuation, carbon sequestration modelling, and institutional diagnostics to support national strategies and international commitments like the Bonn Challenge.

The African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM), launched in 2003, aims to improve governance in Africa through voluntary peer reviews. While it has successfully opened political space for civil society and provided frank assessments of 17 member states, it suffers from a lack of enforcement, insufficient political will at the continental level, and poor implementation of National Programmes of Action (NPoAs). The document argues that the APRM is often perceived as a technical exercise for elites and recommends that the APR Forum exercise more peer pressure, governments secure realistic budgets for NPoAs, and civil society be given a formal role in monitoring progress.

The document is an open letter addressed to ministers and delegates of UNFCCC signatory states, urging them to adopt ambitious climate protection measures and stop the use of emissions trading to weaken climate commitments. The signatories, representing 33 countries, demand the rejection of a pilot phase for emissions unit trading under the Framework for Various Approaches (FVA), the prevention of double counting, and the exclusion of non-additional projects and coal from the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM). They also call for the cessation of fossil fuel subsidies and the implementation of human rights safeguards in climate projects.

The report highlights that kerosene lamps emit significantly more black carbon than previously estimated, contributing to global warming and severe health risks. It argues that replacing these lamps with solar LED and other off-grid alternatives is a cost-effective climate mitigation strategy with substantial co-benefits. While many initiatives already exist, the report suggests the CCAC could add value by raising high-level awareness, promoting quality standards, and supporting finance for SMEs and consumers, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.

The document examines the complex 'bundle of rights'—control, management, and use—associated with forest resources in Ghana. It details how the 1992 Constitution establishes trusteeship (fiduciary relationships) where the state or stools manage resources for the benefit of the people. The briefing distinguishes between naturally occurring forests (on-reserve and off-reserve) and planted timber, noting that while natural trees generally follow land ownership, the state often superimposes trusteeship via the 1962 Concessions Act. It also reviews international obligations under the African Charter and ILO conventions, concluding that the legal framework requires clarification to ensure accountability and sustainable, collaborative management.

The document examines the distribution of benefits from forest resources in Ghana, highlighting a disconnect between constitutional mandates and actual practice. While the 1992 Constitution establishes a specific revenue-sharing formula for Stool and Skin lands, the Forestry Commission often retains significant portions of revenue (such as 50% of stumpage fees and contract area rent) without clear legal backing. The briefing also details various benefit-sharing mechanisms for naturally occurring and planted trees, and reviews international instruments like the African Charter and the Convention on Biological Diversity that support community rights to resource benefits.

The document examines the legal protections for access to information in Ghana's forest sector, noting a gap between constitutional rights and operational enforcement. It details specific obligations of the Forestry Commission and the goals of the 2012 Forest and Wildlife Policy, while reviewing international instruments like the African Charter and the EU-Ghana VPA.

The document outlines the legal framework for prosecuting forest and wildlife offences in Ghana, detailing specific acts, the court hierarchy, and preliminary findings from a field survey of 123 courts across five regions. It identifies significant gaps in judicial enforcement, including a lack of legal knowledge among prosecutors and the need for legislative consolidation.

The document examines the underutilisation of best practices within the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM), noting that while over 200 practices have been identified across 15 country review reports, they remain largely confined to those reports. It argues that best practices should serve as a central anchor for peer learning to drive governance reform. The author recommends that the APRM define best practices more clearly, integrate their identification into the initial country self-assessment phase to increase national ownership, and establish a central repository and dedicated learning forums to disseminate these home-grown solutions across the continent.

The document examines the intersection of G-20 financial regulatory initiatives and African economic development. It identifies five key G-20 focus areas—financial stability, financial inclusion, local currency bond markets, agricultural finance, and trade finance—and assesses the mechanisms through which non-member African states can influence these global standards. While acknowledging that the G-20 recognizes the needs of developing countries, the author argues that African representation remains limited and that the adoption of international standards like Basel II/III must be sequenced to align with local developmental goals.

The paper examines the debate surrounding the Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Amendment Bill of 2013, specifically the potential shift from a 'first-in, first-assessed' (FIFA) system to competitive bidding for mining rights. It outlines the advantages of auctions—such as rent maximisation and increased transparency—while warning of risks including high administrative burdens, delays in mine development, and the potential for corruption in weak institutional environments. Using examples from Afghanistan and Liberia, the authors argue that any such system must be clearly enshrined in law to limit ministerial discretion and should ideally be a mixed system based on the availability of geological data.

The report analyzes the adoption of the Direct Planting System (DPS) in Brazil, finding that while the method increases crop yields and reduces carbon emissions, adoption remains low at approximately 10% as of 2006. The authors identify 'social learning'—farmers learning from peers—as a primary driver of adoption, which is significantly hindered by soil dissimilarity within municipalities. The study finds that soil diversity has the strongest negative impact on adoption at intermediate levels (18% to 50%), whereas it has no effect at very low or very high adoption rates. To overcome these barriers, the report suggests that public policy should prioritize temporary, itinerant training programs in areas with high soil similarity to raise adoption to a threshold where social learning can naturally take over.

The report examines why the Direct Planting (PD) system, despite its benefits for farmers and the climate, has seen low adoption rates in Brazil. It identifies social learning—learning from neighbors and peers—as a key driver of diffusion, but notes that soil heterogeneity acts as a barrier because the system must be adapted to specific soil conditions. The study finds that soil diversity most significantly hinders adoption at intermediate levels (18% to 50%), while formal diffusion channels, such as cooperatives and training centers, complement social learning by helping regions reach a critical mass of users. The authors argue that public policy should prioritize temporary, itinerant training in areas with low soil heterogeneity to trigger autonomous social learning.

The report examines the 'land question' in Ghana, identifying a weak institutional base and the political manipulation of land as primary drivers of insecurity. It details how these issues lead to violent disputes, the rise of 'land guards', and economic instability. The document also addresses the impact of large-scale land grabbing by foreign corporations and the systemic marginalization of women and the poor in land access. It concludes that these problems are mirrored across other ECOWAS member states and calls for regional policy leadership and greater accountability for traditional chiefs.

Brazil provides technical assistance to Africa primarily through the Brazilian Cooperation Agency (ABC), focusing on South-South solidarity and the transfer of domestic expertise in agriculture, health, and social policy. While Brazil has established flagship projects like ProSavana in Mozambique and 'Cotton-4' in West Africa, the rapid expansion of these commitments has led to institutional overstretch, a lack of monitoring mechanisms, and a need for greater transparency and civil society involvement.

The author contends that soil carbon markets are financially and technically unviable due to low carbon prices, measurement challenges, and the high cost of implementation. The text argues that pushing for emission reductions in agriculture burdens small farmers in India, Africa, and Latin America, potentially leading to the takeover of agricultural operations by non-farmers. It advocates for agro-ecological approaches and financial support for adaptation over market-based mitigation burdens.

The report analyzes President Barack Obama's 2013 visit to Africa, framing it as an effort to shift US-Africa relations from a focus on security and counter-terrorism toward economic growth, trade, and democratic investment. It highlights the competitive pressure from China's dominant trade position and the US's efforts to address energy poverty and youth unemployment through initiatives like YALI and renewable energy financing.

The project utilized community-based participatory methods and the CRiSTAL tool to identify climate vulnerabilities in six Ghanaian communities, linking local findings to national policy discussions in Accra to improve coastal urban development and disaster management.

The report examines the challenges and mechanisms for attracting private capital to climate finance, noting that private funding is nearly three times larger than public funding but remains difficult to channel toward adaptation in developing countries. It identifies political, project-related, and financing barriers—particularly in Africa—and suggests a combination of policy reforms and financial instruments like loan guarantees and pledge funds to mitigate risk. The Green Climate Fund (GCF) is highlighted as a central vehicle for achieving the $100 billion annual target by 2020, though it must address the funding gap between mitigation and adaptation.

The policy briefing addresses the declining momentum of the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) and its National Programmes of Action (NPOA). It identifies causes for this decline, such as lack of interest from heads of state and insufficient financial support, and proposes reviving the process by integrating NPOA into National Developmental Plans (NDPs) and collaborating with African Union organs and regional economic communities.