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The document examines the geopolitical competition between the US and China in Africa, suggesting that African nations can increase their agency by playing rival powers against each other to obtain better investment, infrastructure funding, and trade agreements. It highlights examples from Guinea and Ethiopia where this strategy yielded better contract terms and infrastructure packages. The author proposes five measures for African governments: avoiding opportunistic short-term offers, adopting integrated strategic plans (citing Senegal's Plan Emergent Senegal), learning from other regions like Latin America and Southeast Asia, enhancing bureaucratic capacity and local expertise on foreign partners, and promoting trilateral or quadrilateral cooperation between traditional and new partners.

Natural Justice and the Inclusive Green Economy Network (IGEN-East Africa) condemn the arrest of six staff members from the Africa Institute for Energy Governance (AFIEGO) in Uganda. The organization asserts that these arrests are part of a trend of harassment against environmental defenders challenging the East Africa Oil Pipeline (EACOP), which they describe as the longest heated oil pipeline in the world. The statement calls for global solidarity and urges the Ugandan government to operate within the law to protect human rights and environmental activists.

The document analyzes three case studies from the Global Innovation Lab for Climate Finance to demonstrate how linking financial instruments to policy tools—such as national land-use regulations, insurance subsidies, and subsidized rural credit—can stimulate demand, identify project pipelines, and attract private capital. It provides specific design considerations to mitigate risks like market distortion, political instability, and 'leakage' of deforestation.

Friends of the Earth International (FoEI) rejects Nature-based Solutions (NbS), characterizing the term as a 'wolf in sheep's clothing.' The organization contends that NbS is too vague, allowing harmful practices like industrial monoculture plantations to be labeled as 'natural.' FoEI argues that NbS serves as a greenwashing tool for fossil fuel and agro-industrial companies to justify 'net zero' claims through carbon offsetting rather than actual emission reductions. The document warns that the scale of land required for these projects leads to land grabbing and violates the rights of indigenous peoples and local communities, particularly in the Global South. Instead of NbS, FoEI advocates for systemic change through agroecology, community forest management, and a coordinated phase-out of fossil fuels.

The report examines how gender norms and power dynamics influence vulnerability and adaptive capacity in the ocean economy of SIDS and coastal LDCs. It highlights the undervalued roles of women in small-scale fisheries and tourism and analyzes how climate change, market shifts, and COVID-19 disproportionately affect women due to socio-economic structures. The document advocates for the systematic collection of sex-disaggregated data, the implementation of gender-transformative policies, and the alignment of international finance, such as Official Development Assistance (ODA) and climate risk insurance, with gender equality goals to enhance overall community resilience.

The document examines the trade-offs between universal and targeted Basic Income Guarantees (BIG) for South Africans aged 18-59. It argues that targeting creates administrative burdens, high exclusion errors, and social stigma, whereas a Universal Basic Income Guarantee (UBIG) ensures broader coverage and social cohesion. The brief contends that a UBIG is fiscally feasible through progressive taxation, such as a Social Security Tax, and provides superior poverty reduction by allowing households to pool resources. It specifically critiques the use of employment status or household-level targeting, noting that the latter can exacerbate gender inequalities. The brief recommends a universal BIG as the most efficient path to economic recovery and social stability.

The document investigates whether Russia exerts significant influence over African states in the UN Security Council (UNSC) by analyzing voting patterns between 2014 and 2020. It argues that Russia's influence over the A3 is often exaggerated, as statistical evidence shows that African member states remain more aligned with the P3 (US, UK, and France) and are largely independent of Russian vetoes and abstentions. While the A3 have increasingly sought to present unified positions on African peace and security issues, their voting behavior on non-African files shows a declining coincidence with Russian positions over time.

The document investigates whether Russia exerts significant influence over African states in the UN Security Council (UNSC) by analyzing voting patterns between 2014 and 2020. It argues that Russia's influence over the A3 is often exaggerated, as statistical evidence shows little coordination and a trend of increasing divergence. While the A3 are increasingly presenting unified positions on African issues, their voting behavior remains more aligned with the P3 (US, UK, and France) than with Russia. The brief concludes that Russia's role as a 'loud dissenter' has not translated into a strategic alliance with the African grouping.

The report examines the governance trajectories of Kenya, Mozambique, and Uganda, the only three African countries to have completed the APRM review process twice. It finds that while all three made legislative and constitutional strides in democracy and political governance, they remain vulnerable to ethnic conflict and struggle with persistent issues of corruption, poverty, and gender inequality.

The paper assesses the synergy between the AfCFTA and the BRI, arguing that targeted, structured cooperation—such as sector-specific preferential trade agreements and the strategic use of Special Economic Zones (SEZs)—is more beneficial for Africa than a status-quo ad hoc approach or a full continent-wide Free Trade Agreement (FTA). It highlights the potential for growth in manufacturing and agriculture while warning against the risks of increased Chinese imports and the complexities of rules of origin.

The document outlines a methodological plan to evaluate the effectiveness of adaptation finance in sub-Saharan Africa, specifically focusing on projects funded by multilateral climate funds and bilateral donors from the UK and Sweden. It proposes a theory of change to link financial inputs and project design to outcomes such as reduced climate risk and vulnerability. The protocol details a multi-pronged search strategy across academic and grey literature, and a synthesis approach combining meta-analysis, framework synthesis, and qualitative comparative analysis. However, the authors note that funding for the review was discontinued in March 2021, and the review will not be completed as described.

The evaluation finds that while the GCF is uniquely positioned to finance large-scale, high-risk adaptation projects, it has not yet fully utilized this potential. The adaptation portfolio is dominated by small-scale grant projects implemented by international accredited entities, with significant delays in project approval and legal arrangements. Private sector engagement remains extremely low, and the Fund lacks a specific strategy for adaptation impact measurement and innovation. Key recommendations include diversifying financial instruments, streamlining the business model for direct access entities, and establishing a clear private sector strategy for adaptation.

The document reviews digital policies across Africa, finding that while most countries have strategies focusing on infrastructure, e-government, and cybersecurity, there is a lack of continental harmonization. It highlights the significant role of external actors, noting that China provides much of the physical infrastructure (e.g., 70% of 4G base stations via Huawei) while the EU exerts regulatory influence through development assistance and agreements like the EU-ACP, which incorporates GDPR standards. The authors argue for an Africa-led, harmonized digital strategy to avoid fragmented standards and better leverage the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

The document assesses the decarbonisation of Kenya's power sector, highlighting the role of geothermal, hydro, wind, and solar energy. It warns that the Lamu coal power plant could cause oversupply and reduce system flexibility, while noting that further integration of variable renewable energy (VRE) and distributed energy resources (DER) will require increased flexibility and continuous investment in clean capacity.

The Independent Evaluation Unit (IEU) found that the SAP Pilot Scheme has not significantly accelerated project approvals or simplified requirements for proponents. While the SAP has increased access for African States and Least Developed Countries (LDCs), it has failed to attract Small Island Developing States (SIDS) or the private sector. The median time from concept note submission to Board approval for SAP projects is 365 days, only 8% shorter than comparable regular projects. The IEU recommends developing a formal SAP strategy, simplifying review criteria, and delegating approval authority to the Executive Director.

As of May 24, 2022, 43 companies have committed USD 458 million across 48 countries to support the Zero Hunger Private Sector Pledge. The largest individual commitments come from Bayer (USD 160 million) and PepsiCo (USD 100 million), with significant regional focus on Africa, Asia, and Latin America.

The Subnational Climate Fund (SnCF), approved by the GCF in 2020 and running through 2028, aims to mobilize USD 750 million to support approximately 40 subnational projects with deal sizes between USD 5 million and 75 million. The fund utilizes a Technical Assistance Facility and USD 150 million in concessional equity from the GCF to attract USD 600 million in commercial equity, targeting subnational governments that lack fiscal autonomy or the ability to borrow from international capital markets. The fund involves 42 countries, including 16 in Africa, and focuses on projects aligned with NDCs that incorporate Nature-based Solutions.

The Africa Sustainable Forestry Fund II (ASFFII) is a USD 150 million private equity fund managed by Criterion Africa Partners that invests in sustainable forestry value chains in Africa. The fund utilizes a blended equity structure comprising one commercial investor, Calvert Impact Capital, and five development finance institutions (DFIs): AfDB, BIO, EIB, FinDev, and FMO. ASFFII focuses on plantation rehabilitation, expansion, sustainable downstream manufacturing, and biomass, requiring investees to adhere to Forest Stewardship Council guidelines. The fund provides both mitigation and adaptation benefits through reforestation, sustainable harvesting, and conservation set-asides. Current investments are located in eSwatini, Gabon, South/Southern Africa, Tanzania, and Uganda, with Botswana, Kenya, and Rwanda identified as potential future markets.

Climate Investor Two is a fund managed by a consortium including Climate Fund Managers and FMO to deploy EUR 160 million from the Dutch Fund for Climate and Development. It utilizes a three-stage financing structure—development, construction, and re-financing—to target water, oceans, and sanitation subsectors. The fund aims to attract institutional investors and local banks into low- and lower middle-income countries by offering investable securities and building local capacity to manage climate project risks. Success depends on a strong ecosystem of project developers, favorable policy environments, and moderate currency stability in target countries.

The African Conservancies Fund (ACF), established by Conservation International (CI), provides debt capital to the Maasai Wilderness Conservation Trust (MWCT) to fund sustainable revenue-generating activities like eco-tourism and carbon credit generation. Having provided USD 500,000 in loan capital, CI aims to scale this to USD 5 million over two years and eventually USD 100 million. The model relies on local land ownership and a legal trust structure to ensure community-led management and income generation, with plans to expand the concept across Sub-Saharan Africa.