Search Climate Insights Directory

The report analyzes three case studies to demonstrate how purposeful, collective learning can improve climate adaptation planning. In Côte d’Ivoire, a national platform fostered a community of practice on the gender-climate nexus. Peru established a platform to integrate Indigenous Peoples' ancestral knowledge into its NAP. Rwanda implemented a monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) system to refine adaptation priorities. The report identifies key enabling factors such as inclusive leadership, legal institutionalization, and a culture of public accountability, while noting that sustained financial support remains a primary challenge for maintaining learning momentum.

Thirty-five Ivorian NGOs have issued a statement opposing Mondelez's call for a 12-month postponement of the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR). The NGOs argue that delays would prolong environmental and social degradation in Côte d'Ivoire, where deforestation rates exceed 80%. They reject Mondelez's claims that lack of planter identification and administrative inefficiency justify a delay, asserting instead that the EUDR provides the necessary impetus to finalize long-delayed mapping and identification processes and strengthen government systems.

A coalition of 35 Ivorian NGOs has rejected Mondelez's request for a 12-month delay in the implementation of the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR). The NGOs argue that postponing the regulation would prolong environmental and social harm, specifically noting that Côte d’Ivoire has lost over 80% of its forests. They contend that challenges cited by Mondelez—such as lack of farmer identification and mapping—should be addressed through action rather than used as pretexts for delay, asserting that the EUDR provides a unique opportunity to create a more transparent and sustainable cocoa sector.

The report examines Nigeria's potential to leverage its critical mineral deposits—including lithium, cobalt, and copper—to drive economic diversification and meet climate goals. It identifies significant gaps in exploration funding, processing infrastructure, and regulatory frameworks, while highlighting the risk of over-dependence on foreign investors like China. The document recommends a comprehensive national strategy, increased investment in geological mapping, and the development of domestic value-addition capabilities to move beyond the export of raw materials.

The September 2025 Carbon Minefields monitor reports that while licensing activity may decline slightly compared to 2024, significant global expansion continues. In August 2025, 8,700 square kilometers of acreage were awarded, with oil and gas volumes reaching their highest point for this stage of the year in five years. Over the past 12 months, 492 new licences were awarded, which could emit 1,777.8 MtCO2 if fully combusted. National oil companies (NOCs) are key drivers, acquiring over one third of these licences and accounting for half of global production. Future outlooks indicate 77 licences currently open or under evaluation and 454 additional blocks in planning, with China having the largest planned block emissions at approximately 2,670.4 MtCO2.

The document examines the failure of uniform utility reform models in Africa, emphasizing that success depends on local context rather than ideological blueprints like privatization or cost-reflective tariffs. It contrasts the struggles of Nigeria and Ghana with the more successful, context-specific approaches in Morocco and Côte d’Ivoire, while highlighting the tension between commercial viability and poverty-driven affordability in countries like Zambia and Ethiopia.

Deforestation in the Congo Basin risks reducing regional rainfall by up to 40%, which could lead to cumulative cocoa yield losses of 3.06 million tonnes across nine African countries by 2050. This supply shock is projected to drive cocoa prices to USD 68.1 per kilogram by 2050, with deforestation accounting for 40.2% of that price. EU importers could face cumulative additional costs of USD 256 billion by 2050. The report argues that investing in forest conservation, particularly community-led restoration, is more cost-effective than inaction, offering avoided costs of USD 1.8 to USD 6 for every dollar invested.

Africa's nitrogen fertilizer consumption is 5.5x below the global average, leaving 50 million small family farmers at a disadvantage due to high costs and price volatility of imported 'gray' fertilizers. The report argues that Distributed Green Ammonia (DGA) production—which is modular, smaller, and compatible with intermittent renewable energy—can provide a cheaper, more resilient local supply. It highlights emerging technologies such as novel Haber-Bosch systems, plasma catalysis, chemical looping, and direct electrochemical conversion. A commercial modular plant by TalusAg in Naivasha, Kenya, is cited as a proof of concept producing fertilizer over 50% cheaper than imports. Scaling these solutions requires cheap clean electricity, demand aggregation through partners like One Acre Fund, and access to local currency debt to mitigate currency volatility.

The study finds that unreliable power supply in Benin forces businesses to invest in defensive measures, with extra costs accounting for 44% of total electricity expenditures. These costs, primarily driven by power generator operations, push an additional 5% of businesses into a state of 'electricity burden' (spending >10% of revenue on power). The burden is most prevalent among informal businesses, home-based enterprises, and those in the production sector.

The report examines how technology transfer for climate change adaptation is handled within the UNFCCC and WTO frameworks, noting that these policy domains have largely evolved in isolation. It defines adaptation technology as comprising hardware, software, and orgware, and highlights that while trade is recognized as a driver for transfer, it is rarely explicitly integrated into national adaptation plans (NAPs) or technology needs assessments (TNAs). The author identifies significant divergences between developed and developing countries over intellectual property rights (IPRs) and the role of government incentives. Analysis of Small Island Developing States' BAEF reports reveals that high import duties and reliance on foreign imports are key barriers. The report recommends involving trade experts in the NAP process and developing actionable guidance to operationalize technology transfer.

The document examines the threats to Africa's development financing, including trade fragmentation, the 'securitisation' of economic policy, and high debt burdens. It proposes five ring-fencing mechanisms—public expenditure reviews, medium-term expenditure frameworks, independent funds, statutory protections, and debt-relief linkages—to ensure continuity in funding for education, infrastructure, and climate resilience. It further suggests that African governments frame development as complementary to security to leverage international financing and calls for reforms in the international financial architecture to support these protections.

The 2025 Utility Roundtable highlighted the need for African power utilities to move beyond dependency on foreign aid by adopting new financing strategies, addressing structural inefficiencies like commercial losses, and strategically integrating renewable energy into fragile grids through regional collaboration and private sector engagement.

Côte d’Ivoire is classified as a moderate economic transformer with an ATI score of 25.9, ranking 15th among 30 analyzed countries. The economy is characterized by a heavy reliance on agricultural exports—specifically cocoa, which accounts for over 40 percent of export revenues—and a manufacturing sector contributing only about 14 percent to GDP. While the service sector dominates at 54 percent of GDP and some productivity gains have been made in agro-processing, the country faces declining export competitiveness and slow technology upgrading due to a concentration in raw and semi-processed commodities.

The report analyzes gender inequalities in ten target countries to integrate gender equality and social inclusion (GESI) into the Global Green Bond Initiative (GGBI). It identifies systemic barriers—including gendered divisions of labor, educational gaps, and limited access to finance and property—that reduce women's resilience to climate change. The document outlines a strategy to mainstream gender into green bond issuances through gender-responsive policies, the use of gender-specific KPIs, and the appointment of gender experts to ensure equitable benefit-sharing and increased women's leadership in climate finance.

The strategy aims to make climate adaptation options visible and foster societal ownership of the National Adaptation Plan (NAP) in the Central African Republic by 2030. It identifies nine target groups, including the public sector, private sector, and indigenous peoples, and outlines four strategic axes: political and financial appropriation, public awareness of best practices, information sharing among stakeholders, and coordination/monitoring. The plan includes a wide array of activities such as community radio broadcasts, mobile applications, and educational outreach, with an indicative budget of 479,225,000 FCFA. Implementation is led by the National Climate Coordination (CNC) under the supervision of a steering committee.

The document examines Germany's engagement with African agrifood systems through the BMEL, BMZ, and GIZ, finding that while funding has grown, it remains primarily aid-driven and insufficient for systemic transformation. It recommends transitioning toward market-oriented partnerships, leveraging the AfCFTA and the CAADP Kampala Declaration to promote value addition and private sector investment.

The document analyzes the resurgence of military coups in West Africa between 2020 and 2023, specifically in Mali, Guinea, Burkina Faso, Niger, and Gabon. It argues that these events are not a uniform trend but are driven by a 'crisis of the democracy norm' initiated by 'pouvoiristes'—politicians who manipulate democratic systems to maintain power, such as by transgressing presidential term limits. The author distinguishes between the 'junta building' model seen in the Sahel (Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger), which leverages sovereigntist ideology and Russian alignment, and a 'supervisory junta' model in Guinea and Gabon. The paper concludes that geopolitical polarization has weakened Western influence on democratic norms, and that sustainable democracy requires supporting the 'culture of democracy' and a free press rather than just institutional 'hardware'.

The document argues that while US border crossings have declined due to restrictive policies, climate-driven pressures in the Americas persist. It encourages journalists to link economic migration to slow-onset climate impacts and provides resources for reporting on climate adaptation and displacement.

The document argues that while migrant crossings at the US-Mexico border have decreased due to restrictive policies, climate pressures in Central and South America persist. It encourages journalists to look beyond 'economic migration' to find the underlying climate drivers, such as crop failure and water scarcity, and to view migration as a form of climate adaptation.

The document outlines a methodological framework for gender mainstreaming within Senegal's climate adaptation planning. It identifies specific entry points across 14 process steps—from launch to notification—and provides seven key tools, including gender analysis and gender-responsive budgeting. It highlights the disproportionate impact of climate change on women in Senegal and offers a series of national and international best practices to ensure equitable benefits from adaptation measures.