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The 2018 Regulatory Indicators for Sustainable Energy (RISE) report provides a global inventory of policies and regulations supporting Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG7), focusing on electricity access, clean cooking, energy efficiency, and renewable energy across 133 economies from 2010 to 2017.

The 2018 Energy Progress Report, a joint publication by five custodian agencies, evaluates global progress toward Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG7). It concludes that the world is not on track to achieve universal access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy by 2030, as current progress falls short across all four SDG7 targets: electricity access, clean cooking, energy efficiency, and the share of renewable energy.

This policy brief by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) evaluates the effectiveness of public investments in agriculture to improve food security, specifically focusing on farm support and rural development in low- and lower-middle-income countries in Africa and Asia.

This case study describes the efforts of Natural Justice and the community-based organization Vision of Hope to address environmental and public health violations caused by a slaughterhouse in Isiolo town, Kenya. By utilizing access to information requests and formal complaints based on the Environmental Management and Coordination Act and the Public Health Act, the group successfully pressured the National Environmental Management Authority (NEMA) and the Isiolo county public health office to issue a closure notice to the facility in July 2017.

This research paper by the South African Institute of International Affairs examines the fragility of Kenya's democratic institutions and social cohesion following the divisive repeat elections of 2017, contrasting the country's economic strength with its political instability.

This executive summary describes the role and impact of executive education (ExEd) within the financial sectors of sub-Saharan Africa. It identifies a growing demand for these non-degree graduate-level programmes to address the 'underdeveloped' nature of the continent's financial sector, while highlighting a need for more practical, less theoretical curricula and better alignment between education and employee compensation.

This policy brief analyzes the evolving migration relations between the African Union (AU) and the European Union (EU) leading up to the November 2017 AU-EU Summit in Abidjan. It highlights a fundamental mismatch in priorities: the EU focuses on stemming irregular migration and border control, while African nations prioritize development, employment, and the management of remittances. The author critiques the EU's use of aid conditionality through the EU Emergency Trust Fund for Africa (EUTF) and notes the lack of a unified African position on migration, which weakens the continent's leverage in bilateral and international negotiations.

This research paper examines mechanisms for decentralizing climate finance to local levels, specifically analyzing the Climate Resilient Green Economy (CRGE) facility in Ethiopia and the County Climate Change Funds (CCCFs) in Kenya to evaluate how local community priorities are balanced with national policies.

This guide by the Climate and Development Knowledge Network (CDKN) provides six recommendations for funders and technical assistance practitioners on delivering effective country programmes to support climate compatible development in developing countries, based on CDKN's experience in 12 priority countries and the Caribbean.

This working paper by the Climate and Development Knowledge Network (CDKN) provides lessons on leveraging private sector finance for climate compatible development based on projects in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. It emphasizes the need for country-specific approaches, strong public sector leadership, and the use of innovative financial instruments to bridge the gap between commercial interests and climate goals.

This research paper examines the 'use of country systems' (UCS) approach by multilateral development banks (MDBs) in Africa, analyzing the benefits of utilizing domestic processes over external conditionalities and the challenges that hinder its implementation.

Remarks by Manish Bapna, WRI Executive Vice President and Managing Director, delivered on September 18, 2021, at the UN General Assembly in New York City upon concluding his term as co-chair of the Open Government Partnership (OGP).

This research paper outlines a strategy for the United Kingdom to align its post-Brexit trade policy with climate and development goals. It identifies a potential global market of £1.0–1.8 trillion for low-carbon goods and services by 2030 and highlights UK strengths in offshore wind, green finance, and insurance. The authors propose a 'Trade and Climate Checklist' for Free Trade Agreements (FTAs), focusing on 'triple wins' such as tariff elimination for environmental goods and increased market access for professional services, while cautioning against the use of contested carbon border adjustment mechanisms.

This research paper examines whether climate change-related expenditures are appearing in the national budgets of Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, and Uganda to support the implementation of their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). The author finds that while some budget projections show increasing resources for key ministries, there is a significant discrepancy between these estimates and actual spending, and many NDC-related projects remain heavily dependent on international donor support.

This research paper examines how voluntary sustainability standards (VSS) act as both barriers and enablers for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) attempting to enter global value chains (GVCs) coordinated by multinational corporations (MNCs), with a specific focus on South Africa and Kenya as regional economic gateways.

This research paper by the Climate and Development Knowledge Network (CDKN) identifies five critical success factors for increasing the climate resilience of water infrastructure. Based on a review of six projects across Africa, South Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean, the paper argues that resilience requires moving beyond engineering design to include strategic planning, stakeholder engagement, and institutional capacity building to avoid 'stranded assets' and protect economic growth.

This report examines the potential of Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT), including public blockchains like Bitcoin and private distributed ledgers, to improve funds transfers and financial inclusion in emerging markets. It analyzes how these technologies can reduce remittance costs, streamline inter-institutional clearing and settlement, and enhance regulatory oversight for Anti-Money Laundering (AML) and Know Your Customer (KYC) processes.

This case study examines the state of e-commerce in South Africa as of 2017, analyzing its scale, regulatory environment, and potential for economic inclusion. It highlights a growing market dominated by a few key players and a legislative framework primarily governed by the Electronic Communications and Transactions Act 2002. The document identifies significant supply-side infrastructure gaps and demand-side trust issues as primary barriers to growth, while suggesting that e-commerce could be a vital tool for the empowerment of women and the poor.

EcoPost, founded by Lorna Rutto in 2009 in Nairobi, Kenya, recycles plastic waste into durable building materials to combat urban pollution and deforestation. The company targets 1 million kilos of recycling annually, employs over 2,250 people (including 2,000 casual collectors), and provides health benefits and above-average wages. By replacing timber, EcoPost helps mitigate the loss of 5,000 hectares of Kenyan forest per year.

This report, based on opening remarks by Sam Bickersteth at a July 2017 conference, reviews the activities of the Climate and Development Knowledge Network (CDKN) from 2010 to 2017. It evaluates the progress of 'climate compatible development'—the principle that climate action should not hinder poverty reduction—and identifies systemic gaps in institutional capability, finance, and the implementation of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) in developing nations.