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The Institute for Economic Justice argues that South Africa must implement bold, decisive economic stimulus measures focused on four objectives: supporting households and communities, protecting workers, sustaining businesses, and managing the economy for long-term transformation. The authors advocate for universal income transfers, emergency paid sick pay, conditional business relief, and a 'Green New Deal' to ensure a more equitable and sustainable recovery. They emphasize that financing these measures should avoid austerity-driven reprioritization and instead rely on solidarity taxation and increased borrowing.

The report analyzes 49 green bonds totaling USD36bn issued in H2 2019. It finds that green bonds generally outperformed vanilla equivalents in terms of book cover and spread compression. Approximately 50% of these bonds were allocated to investors identifying as green. The analysis also highlights a 'greenium' (pricing inside the yield curve) for several bonds and examines the growing market for sovereign green bonds, where 12 governments had issued such instruments by December 2019.

The document argues that while large youth cohorts are not inherently a security threat, they increase the risk of armed conflict and terrorism when combined with high unemployment, poor governance, and economic marginalization. In the Sahel, particularly Mali, these demographic pressures, coupled with environmental degradation and resource scarcity, create conditions where disenfranchised youth are more susceptible to recruitment by terrorist groups. The author recommends a holistic approach focusing on demographic policies to lower fertility and political and economic reforms to boost youth employment, rather than relying solely on military solutions.

The Islamic Finance Toolkit provides a comprehensive overview of Shariah-compliant financial systems, detailing key contracts, the global industry landscape, and specific strategies for integrating Islamic finance into African economies. It identifies significant underdevelopment in Africa—where the region holds only 1% of global Islamic banking assets despite housing 27% of the world's Muslim population—and offers a framework of eleven recommendations covering legal, tax, and regulatory reforms to unlock the potential of Sukuk, Takaful, and Islamic fintech.

China provides the largest amount of fossil fuel support among G20 countries, averaging USD 134.2 billion annually from 2017 to 2019. While ranked highly for transparency and commitments, China has seen a 35% increase in overall fossil fuel support relative to 2014–2016 averages, driven largely by state-owned enterprise (SOE) investments in oil and gas production.

The Climate Solutions Partnership (CSP) report details the results of a five-year philanthropic commitment to scale climate innovation and nature-based solutions. Key achievements include unlocking US$635.4 million in finance, avoiding 7.81 million tonnes of GHG emissions, and managing 13 million hectares for biodiversity. The program implemented diverse projects, such as renewable energy aggregation for SMEs in China, solar-powered dairy cooling in India, and the development of environmental compensation laws in Mexico and El Salvador. It also focused on supply chain transparency in the palm oil sector and the creation of financial toolkits to combat environmental crimes.

The report finds strong public support for closing illegal and unregulated wildlife markets in four of the five surveyed Asian markets to prevent future pandemics. While awareness of COVID-19 was nearly universal in March 2020, perceptions of the virus's origin and transmission varied by market. In Myanmar, the wildlife trade was identified as the most concerning global issue, whereas in Japan, climate change was the primary worry. The survey also highlights a trust gap between the perceived importance of national governments in combating the outbreak and the actual trust placed in them, with medical professionals being the most trusted actors overall.

The author asserts that a just transition is impossible without 'radical collaboration' across sectors, highlighting the need to bridge the gap between climate action and social justice. The text emphasizes that while many governments have committed to a just transition, policy and investment are lagging. It advocates for partnerships between employers, unions, and governments to create decent green jobs that respect labor rights, noting that businesses must act on their accountability to all stakeholders to avoid worsening conditions for workers and communities during the shift to net-zero.

The report details the creation of the Hong Kong Energy Policy Simulator (EPS), an open-source system-dynamics model used to project energy-related CO2 emissions and evaluate policy combinations through 2050. It compares a 'Current Policy Scenario' with a 'Decarbonization Scenario,' demonstrating that while current trends project emissions to drop from 36 million tonnes in 2017 to 22.5 million tonnes by 2050, a targeted decarbonization strategy could reduce them to approximately 5 million tonnes. Key levers for this reduction include carbon capture and storage (CCS), electric vehicle mandates, and increased imports of renewable energy from Mainland China.

The document argues that while governments hold primary responsibility for climate policy, central banks and financial regulators (CBFRs) should actively use their powers to 'green' the financial system. It identifies systemic risks from 'brown' assets and the 'tragedy of the horizons,' where short-term financial metrics undervalue long-term climate risks. The briefing proposes a comprehensive toolkit for CBFRs, including the creation of a 'brown taxonomy,' mandatory climate disclosures, and the adjustment of risk-weightings and collateral haircuts to penalize carbon-intensive assets and reward green ones. It also suggests reforming quantitative easing (QE) and reserve management to move away from 'market neutrality' toward a model that supports sustainable investment.

The report finds that while the 2017 ivory ban significantly reduced purchase rates compared to pre-ban levels, demand remains persistent among 'Diehard Buyers' and regular overseas travelers. By 2019, self-reported ivory purchase in the past 12 months rose to 17% from 14% in 2018. The study identifies three consumer segments: Rejectors, Ban Influenced Citizens, and Diehard Buyers, noting that the latter are increasingly likely to purchase ivory in the future. Overseas travel to Thailand, Hong Kong SAR, and Cambodia is a primary channel for ivory acquisition. Awareness of the ban is high when prompted, and conservation campaigns are generally viewed positively, though they are less effective at persuading the most persistent buyers.

The report argues that Kenya suffers from 'state capture,' where a political elite has repurposed state institutions—specifically the Presidency and the Treasury—for private profiteering and to fund electioneering. It contends that conventional anti-corruption efforts, including high-profile arrests and commissions of inquiry, are tactical 'stagecraft' that fail to address the deep roots of the problem. The document details three major cases of state capture: the Goldenberg, Anglo Leasing, and Eurobond scandals. It further analyzes how the electoral management body, the police, and the judiciary have been compromised to maintain this system. The report concludes that while democracy has been hollowed out, it still offers potential for rupture through economic crises or the emergence of powerful anti-corruption coalitions, and suggests that civil society should focus on archiving evidence for future prosecutions and pursuing international indictments.

The report finds that while Nestlé removed sucrose from products for babies aged 0-12 months, it failed to remove vanilla flavourings in China and Hong Kong. It further argues that Nestlé continues to breach the WHO Marketing Code by comparing its products to breastmilk and employs 'premiumisation' pricing strategies that lack scientific justification, resulting in significant price disparities between products and markets.

The Hong Kong green bond market experienced significant growth in 2018, driven by government incentives and private sector activity. While local entities issued USD 2.3bn in 2018, Hong Kong also serves as a major platform for non-local issuers, particularly from mainland China, with total issuance reaching USD 11bn according to HKMA data. The market is characterized by a high prevalence of external reviews and a concentration of proceeds in low-carbon buildings, water, and renewable energy.

The report argues that Japan's domestic ivory market remains insufficient to prevent illegal trade and recommends a comprehensive market closure with narrow exemptions. It compares Japan's regime with those of China, Hong Kong, Thailand, the United States, the United Kingdom, and the European Union, highlighting gaps in Japan's traceability, registration, and stockpile management. Key recommendations include mandating the registration of privately held ivory, implementing permanent marking for tusks, and adopting stricter legal acquisition verification processes.

The paper argues that Africa can leapfrog into sustainable development by learning from China's infrastructure successes and failures. It highlights the 'Avoid-Shift-Improve' framework for transportation and examines case studies in high-speed rail, automated ports, and urban mass transit to suggest low-carbon alternatives to road-based development.

Lenovo has implemented a comprehensive climate strategy focusing on energy efficiency and renewable energy to reduce its global Scope 1 and 2 emissions. Since 2009/10, the company has achieved a 32 percent reduction in these emissions, tracking toward a 40 percent target for 2020. Key initiatives include a low-temperature solder manufacturing process that cuts carbon emissions by 35 percent and the implementation of over 150 energy efficiency and renewable energy projects worldwide. Lenovo also manages supply chain impacts by requiring at least 75 percent of direct suppliers by spend to have climate change reduction targets and collaborating with Green Freight Asia to improve fuel efficiency in transport.

In Q3 2018, China's green bond market saw $8.5 billion in issuances, with financial institutions accounting for 51% of the total. While total issuance for the first three quarters of 2018 ($21.5 billion) exceeded the same period in 2017, only 49% of Q3 issuances aligned with international green bond definitions. Renewable energy remained the largest investment area, while water-related projects saw an increase in funding share to 18%. The report also details updated Climate Bonds Initiative (CBI) classification criteria for underground utility tunnels and hydropower projects to better align with the People's Bank of China's guidelines.

The report analyzes China's green bond market in Q3 2018, noting a total issuance of USD 8.5bn. It highlights that while total issuance for the first three quarters of 2018 (USD 21.5bn) exceeded the same period in 2017, only 49% of Q3 volumes aligned with international definitions. Financial corporates dominated issuance, and renewable energy remained the largest sector for proceeds. The document also details new regulatory guidelines from the PBoC, SSE, and CSRC, and updates to the Climate Bonds Initiative (CBI) taxonomy regarding utility tunnels and hydropower.

The author contends that Africa's high fertility rates, particularly in countries like Tanzania, hinder economic growth by maintaining a high ratio of dependents to working-age people. By comparing Africa to the 'Asian Tiger' economies and the US, the text illustrates how a higher ratio of working-age persons per dependent drives income growth. The document suggests that improving water, sanitation, education, and contraceptive access could lead to a significantly larger economy and the elimination of poverty by 2063.