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This briefing describes the 1972 United Nations Conference on the Human Environment in Stockholm, Sweden, as the foundational event for modern environmental diplomacy. It details the conference's origins, the tensions between developed and developing nations, the resulting Stockholm Declaration and Action Plan, and the subsequent establishment of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

The September 2020 Peace & Security Council Report examines the African Union's (AU) operational challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic, the precarious state of peace agreements in Sudan and Libya, the root causes of coups in Africa with a focus on Mali, and the potential for national dialogue in Ethiopia.

This policy brief examines the role of green financing in scaling renewable energy investments across Africa, using Kenya as a primary case study. It argues that while Africa has vast renewable potential, public funds are insufficient to meet the estimated $120 billion annual investment requirement through 2040. The document highlights how blended finance, risk mitigation instruments, and strategic partnerships between governments, development finance institutions, and the private sector can unlock the capital necessary for universal energy access and a low-carbon transition.

This briefing outlines strategic priorities for a green transition and energy access partnership between Africa and Europe. It highlights Africa's severe energy deficits and the potential of its solar resources, while warning against the contradiction of simultaneous fossil fuel expansion in countries like Kenya and South Africa. The document recommends focusing on 'nexus issues' (agriculture, digital economy, trade), de-risking private investment, and ensuring a 'just transition' through reskilling and gender mainstreaming, all while navigating the socio-economic disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

This guide by the World Resources Institute outlines the necessity of transitioning from a linear "take-make-waste" economic model to a circular economy to mitigate the climate crisis and resource depletion. It proposes three primary strategies for this transition: reducing overall consumption, improving the quality and nature of consumption, and implementing systemic changes through design and policy.

This report examines how insurance regulators in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) have adapted their supervisory processes and communication strategies in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. It identifies a tension between providing regulatory relief to insurers and maintaining prudential soundness and consumer protection. The document highlights opportunities for regulators to drive long-term market development through digitalisation, the adoption of supervisory technology (suptech), and the responsible consolidation of fragmented insurance markets.

This report examines how disruptive technologies, specifically renewable energy and ICT, can address global food security, environmental degradation, and economic vulnerability in low- and middle-income countries, with a specific case study on solar-powered electric cookers in Kenya.

This document consists of formal submissions by Natural Justice to the Kenyan Ministry of Environment and Forestry regarding the Draft Forest Policy 2020. The submissions argue for a shift away from 'fortress conservation' and the current Community Forest Association (CFA) model toward a human-rights-based approach that recognizes the ancestral rights and conservation roles of indigenous and local communities.

Natural Justice submitted comments on the Statute Law (Miscellaneous Amendments) Bill, 2020, opposing the removal of Council of Governors nominees from the boards of the Energy Petroleum Regulatory Authority and the Rural Electrification and Renewable Energy Corporation.

This policy brief describes a small-scale study in peri-urban areas outside Nairobi, Kenya, examining the use of advanced biomass pellet cookstoves. It advocates for a service design-driven approach combining behavioral insights and social-ecological systems thinking to better align stove development with user needs and archetypes.

The Climate Bonds Initiative's Green Bonds Global State of the Market 2019 report analyzes the growth and trends of the global green bond market in 2019. It highlights a record issuance of USD 258.9 billion, the expansion of the market into new countries, the dominance of non-financial corporates as the top issuer type, and the increasing role of Certified Climate Bonds and external reviews in ensuring alignment with climate goals.

This executive summary of a scoping study by FSD Africa examines the emerging market for gender bonds, which are debt instruments designed to support the advancement, empowerment, and equality of women. The document outlines the current state of the market, identifies gaps in reporting and standards, and assesses the potential for issuing such bonds in sub-Saharan Africa, specifically in South Africa, Nigeria, and Kenya.

This report by the Institute for Security Studies provides a scenario analysis of the long-term impacts of COVID-19 on Africa through 2030. Using the International Futures (IFs) forecasting platform, it examines three economic recovery paths (V, U, and L-shaped) and their effects on GDP, poverty, health expenditure, and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The analysis concludes that the pandemic is likely to undo several years of development progress, increase extreme poverty, and exacerbate debt sustainability issues across the continent.

This report by the Institute for Security Studies analyzes the systemic human development crisis caused by COVID-19 in Africa as of July 2020. It examines the tension between economic mitigation and health risks, the specific vulnerabilities of energy-exporting nations, the potential for digital and green energy leapfrogging, and the risk of a debt crisis compounded by falling tax revenues and remittances.

This policy brief examines the intersection of demographic growth, climate change, and waste management in Mombasa, Kenya. It argues that while the city faces significant risks from flooding and sea-level rise, there is substantial potential for nature-based solutions—such as constructed wetlands and mangrove restoration—to build ecological, economic, and social resilience.

This report describes a participatory workshop conducted in February 2020 by the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) and Hivos with residents of non-grid connected villages in Machakos county, Kenya. The exercise used a 'backcasting' methodology, asking participants to imagine a 2030 scenario where their entire villages used electricity for cooking and then determine the necessary sequence of changes required to achieve that goal. The study emphasizes the need to prioritize sociocultural factors—such as gender roles, cultural norms, and cooking practices—over a traditional focus on technical efficiency when scaling clean cookstove access.

A tribute from Natural Justice honoring Mzee Abubakar Al-Amudy, the Chair and co-founder of Save Lamu, following his death on June 21, 2020.

This policy brief from the African Center for Economic Transformation outlines ten priority policy areas to support Africa's economic recovery and long-term transformation following the COVID-19 pandemic. The recommendations are categorized into resource mobilization, governance, business environment, and digital innovation.

This report by the Stockholm Environment Institute describes a participatory backcasting exercise conducted with a rural off-grid community in Machakos County, Kenya. The study aimed to co-develop a transition pathway to achieve 100% electric cooking by 2030, exploring the behavioral, cultural, and infrastructural changes required from the perspective of rural households.

This fact sheet presents findings from a June 2020 survey of 68 insurance sector players across 19 jurisdictions in Eastern and Southern Africa, conducted by FSD Africa, the Organisation of Eastern and Southern Insurers (OESAI), and Cenfri. The document details how COVID-19 accelerated digitalization, negatively impacted operational stability and premium collection, and highlighted gaps in risk coverage for businesses.