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The report details how the oil, gas, and coal industries contribute significantly to anthropogenic methane emissions and the associated health risks from co-emitted pollutants. It advocates for a transition to clean energy and the adoption of specific technical solutions to reduce methane leaks and flaring, highlighting the immediate health benefits of such actions.

The Centre for Environmental Rights (CER) submitted a legal argument to the High Court of South Africa stating that, as a registered and accredited law clinic that provides free legal services and does not handle client funds or property, it is legally entitled to litigate without a fidelity fund certificate or a trust account.

The Gauteng High Court dismissed a review application by Industrial Zone (Pty) Ltd, upholding the MEC's decision to require a stream to remain in its natural course rather than being diverted for a light industrial development. The court found the Department's decision to be rational and reasonable under the Promotion of Administrative Justice Act (PAJA), while noting that the landowner maintains a duty to rehabilitate the stream.

The Centre for Environmental Rights (CER) is a South African public interest law organisation that uses litigation and advocacy to defend the constitutional right to a healthy environment. Between 2009 and 2023, CER achieved landmark judgments on climate change (Thabametsi), air pollution (Deadly Air), and the protection of activists against SLAPP suits. The organisation operates four main programmes: Pollution & Climate Change, Corporate Accountability & Transparency, Activist Support & Training, and Mining. CER emphasizes an intersectional approach, focusing on the disproportionate impact of pollution on poor and Black communities and promoting women's leadership within the environmental justice movement.

The report details a conference focused on the slow implementation of the Zondo Commission's recommendations. Key discussions highlighted failures in parliamentary oversight, the need for a dedicated anti-corruption agency for public procurement, and the structural flaws of state-owned enterprises. It emphasizes that while the Presidency claims progress in legislative reform and criminal investigations, civil society and legal experts argue that systemic corruption requires a broader approach beyond mere prosecution, including incentivised whistleblowing and a fundamental shift in political culture.

Good Governance Africa calls on the re-elected ANC leadership to move beyond internal divisions and address critical national challenges, specifically the energy crisis and the need for stable coalition governance ahead of the 2024 elections.

The report outlines a strategic framework to transition South Africa's TVET system toward a green hydrogen economy (GHE). It identifies critical gaps in current vocational training, such as low throughput and poor industry alignment, and proposes a 'demand-led' model using Centres of Specialisation (CoS). Through four quantitative scenarios, the report forecasts that an 'All-inclusive Portfolio' of domestic use and exports would maximize GDP growth and TVET job creation by 2050. Key recommendations include developing a Green Skills Master Plan, implementing nano-credentialing, and reskilling workers from sunset industries like coal mining into growth sectors such as platinum mining and green steel.

The Public Affairs Research Institute (PARI) and the Council for the Advancement of the Constitution (CASAC) hosted a conference on September 14-15, 2022, to analyze the final report of the Commission of Inquiry into Allegations of State Capture. The conference focused on enhancing state and private sector accountability through themes such as public procurement reform, whistle-blower protection, and the strengthening of governance institutions in South Africa.

A summary of a High Court of South Africa judgment where the City of Ekurhuleni Municipality successfully obtained an interdict against New Star Technology CC and Zhibing Yuan for operating a waste recycling facility without required environmental authorisations.

The report details a conference hosted by PARI and CASAC to examine the Zondo Commission's findings on state capture in South Africa. It identifies systemic failures across Parliament, public procurement, and personnel practices, while proposing the creation of an independent anti-corruption agency and stronger whistleblower protections. The document emphasises that 'greed on steroids' and institutional deficiencies enabled state capture, and calls for a coordinated effort between government, civil society, and the private sector to implement reforms and ensure accountability.

The Public Affairs Research Institute (PARI) and a coalition of civic organisations condemn Councillor Nkululeko Mbundu of ActionSA for hate speech, xenophobia, and doxing directed at the South African Informal Traders Forum (SAITF) and the Socio-Economic Rights Institute of South Africa (SERI). The statements highlight that these actions followed a successful court application by SERI and SAITF to reverse the illegal eviction of informal traders from the De Villiers trading precinct. The signatories argue that such behaviour by an elected official violates the Constitution and the POPI Act, and they call for the City of Johannesburg and ActionSA to condemn the threats of violence.

The authors argue that South Africa's vulnerability to climate change is rooted in its political economy, specifically the fossil-fuel-dependent 'minerals-energy complex' (MEC). To move beyond simple coping strategies toward 'transformative resilience,' the paper outlines three pillars: a Green Decent Work Agenda (GDWA) to create sustainable livelihoods, social protection (specifically a universal basic income guarantee) to provide safety nets, and radical, state-led land reform to reduce exposure to risk and enhance adaptive capacity.

The paper examines the rise of Eurobond issuance in Africa as governments seek alternatives to aid, noting that sovereign credit ratings from Moody’s, Fitch, and S&P are essential for market access. It finds that most African countries' ratings have deteriorated since their first assessment, leading to higher borrowing costs and prioritizing debt repayment over human rights and health during the COVID-19 pandemic. The authors criticize the 'big three' for their oligopolistic nature, unreliable methodologies, and limited physical presence in Africa, recommending increased regulation, accountability, and transparency in how Eurobond funds are utilized.

The document examines the rise of Eurobonds as a development financing tool in Africa and the corresponding increase in sovereign credit ratings assigned by Moody's, Fitch, and S&P. It finds that most African countries' ratings have deteriorated since their first assessment, increasing borrowing costs and sometimes forcing governments to prioritize debt repayment over public health and human rights during crises like COVID-19. The authors criticize the 'big three' for their oligopolistic nature, lack of local presence, and use of unsolicited ratings, recommending stricter regulation, better local knowledge, and transparent project-linked borrowing.

The paper assesses how the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) and the sustainability movement shape the industrialisation trajectory of the SADC region. It argues that while 4IR technologies offer opportunities for leapfrogging legacy industries and formalising the informal sector, they also risk creating high-tech enclaves, global monopolies, and 'gig-economy sweatshops'. The authors propose a reimagined strategy that integrates 4IR and green economy goals to achieve broad economic wellbeing rather than focusing solely on job creation.

The report examines the role of informal waste reclaimers in African cities, highlighting their significant contribution to recycling and waste diversion despite facing severe health risks, social marginalization, and low pay. It argues that the current linear 'take-make-waste' model is unsustainable and that an 'inclusive circular economy' must integrate these vulnerable workers into formal policy and value chains. The document provides a comparative analysis of the informal waste sector in Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, and Uganda, detailing specific policy gaps and opportunities for reclaimer integration and formalization.

The South African Youth Climate Action Plan (SA YCAP) is a comprehensive framework developed by young people aged 13-30 to advocate for an intersectional and just transition to a decarbonised economy. It calls for the integration of youth in policymaking, the implementation of a national climate education plan, and a shift from fossil fuel dependency to decentralised renewable energy. The plan emphasizes the need for good governance to combat corruption in climate finance and proposes specific nature-based solutions and sustainable agricultural practices to protect South Africa's biodiversity and food security.

The report identifies southern Africa as a climate change 'hotspot' where warming in the interior is occurring at approximately twice the global average rate. It warns that global warming of 3 °C could lead to the collapse of key crops and the livestock sector. Freshwater availability is projected to decline due to reduced rainfall and increased evaporation, while the risk of multi-year droughts and intense heat waves is expected to rise. These changes threaten food security, increase human mortality in urban areas, and place thousands of unique species at risk of premature extinction. The document emphasizes that the severity of these impacts depends on global mitigation efforts, with 'low mitigation futures' posing significantly higher risks than those limiting warming to 1.5 °C or 2 °C.

The report argues that insurance is an underutilized tool for urban climate resilience, providing not only financial recovery but also risk awareness and incentives for mitigation. It details various insurance mechanisms—micro, meso, and macro—and the roles municipal governments can play as consumers, stewards, and conveners. The document highlights a significant 'protection gap,' noting that 76% of natural catastrophe losses were uninsured in 2020. Key barriers to scaling include a lack of technical capacity in city governments, behavioral biases among urban dwellers, and the difficulty of incorporating long-term climate projections into short-term insurance products. It recommends increased investment in risk assessment, the development of integrated resilience plans with the insurance sector, and the use of concessional finance from development finance institutions to support vulnerable cities.

The document introduces the Sustainable Asset Valuation (SAVi) methodology, a simulation-based tool designed to calculate environmental, social, governance, and climate risks, as well as externalities in infrastructure projects. It details the three-pronged modelling approach—system dynamics, project finance, and spatially explicit models—to provide a more comprehensive cost-benefit analysis than traditional financial valuations. The report provides sector-specific examples (energy, buildings, roads, wastewater, irrigation, and natural infrastructure) and outlines how these modules can be integrated into Indonesia's Vision 2045 (IV2045) system dynamics model to bridge top-down national strategy with bottom-up project implementation.