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The document analyzes coal finance in 18 high-impact countries (HICs) with significant electricity access gaps. It finds that while global coal investment is declining, finance persists in HICs, largely driven by Chinese state-owned institutions and a few South Asian nations. The report argues that coal is misaligned with Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG7) due to long development timelines and high infrastructure costs, contrasting this with the efficiency of distributed renewable energy. It highlights the risk of stranded assets in Bangladesh and Pakistan and the operational hurdles facing coal in Africa, concluding that a shift toward renewables and finance-based carbon accounting is necessary to achieve net-zero goals.

The Smallholder Resilience Fund (SRF) is a proposed blended finance mechanism and venture studio aimed at bridging the $65 billion financing gap for agricultural SMEs in Sub-Saharan Africa. By employing a 'synchronized investment' strategy—providing equity, debt, and working capital across entire value chains—the SRF seeks to de-risk investments and enable smallholders to diversify into climate-smart, high-value crops. The initiative, proposed by One Acre Fund, will pilot in Rwanda's avocado value chain with a $4.2 million grant requirement to catalyze an estimated $50-100 million in total capital over ten years, aiming to increase the annual income of over 100,000 farmers by approximately 15%.

The document explains that Adaptation Communications (ADCOMs) are voluntary reports under the Paris Agreement designed to synthesize a country's climate adaptation priorities, efforts, and needs. It outlines four primary goals: enhancing the visibility of adaptation relative to mitigation, strengthening support for developing countries, providing inputs for the global stocktake, and enhancing learning. Countries have flexibility in submission, choosing to provide ADCOMs as standalone documents, in conjunction with other reports, or as components of existing documents like NDCs or NAPs. The guide emphasizes that ADCOMs are country-driven and should not create additional burdens for developing nations, suggesting that countries can synthesize existing information from their NAP processes to meet submission goals, particularly for the 2023 global stocktake.

The report examines gender inequality in the African maritime sector, highlighting that current frameworks often equate gender equality solely with women's inclusion. It advocates for an intersectional analysis—considering race, age, and class—to address the systemic exclusion of youth and other marginalised groups. The document reviews African Union maritime instruments, finds a lack of implementation and data, and provides examples of gender-sensitive initiatives in fisheries and coastal management.

The report assesses the development prospects of the Horn of Africa, highlighting how governance failure, insecurity, and climate-driven food instability hinder progress. It uses the International Futures platform to project that without intervention, no country in the region will eliminate extreme poverty by 2030. The analysis identifies a critical 'youth bulge' and severe infrastructure deficits in energy, transport, and water. To counter these trends, the authors propose an 'Integrated Development Push' scenario combining improved governance, agricultural modernisation, and investments in human capital and basic infrastructure to boost regional GDP and reduce poverty by 2040.

The document explains that Adaptation Communications (ADCOMs) are voluntary reports under the Paris Agreement designed to synthesize a country's climate adaptation priorities, needs, and lessons. It outlines four primary purposes: increasing the visibility of adaptation relative to mitigation, mobilizing support for developing countries, providing data for the Global Stocktake, and enhancing learning. The text details flexible submission methods—as standalone documents, linked to other reports, or as components of existing documents like NDCs or NAPs—and emphasizes that ADCOMs should not create additional burdens for developing nations. It also provides a detailed list of optional content elements and explains how countries can leverage their ongoing NAP processes to inform their ADCOMs.

The document explains that Adaptation Communications (ADCOMs) are optional reports under the Paris Agreement used by countries to share climate adaptation priorities, needs, and lessons. It outlines four main objectives: increasing attention to adaptation, strengthening support for developing countries, contributing to the Global Stocktake, and improving knowledge of adaptation measures. Countries can submit ADCOMs as standalone documents, jointly with other reports, or as components of existing documents like NDCs or NAPs to minimize administrative burdens. The text emphasizes that ADCOMs are country-driven, flexible, and not intended for direct comparison between parties.

The Climate Action Tracker (CAT) 2021 rating methodology employs a dual-framework approach, combining 'fair share' principles and 'modelled domestic pathways' to assess government climate action. It evaluates targets (domestic and international), implemented policies, and climate finance to determine an overall rating. The system distinguishes between developed countries, which are expected to provide finance and meet stringent domestic targets, and developing countries, which may require international support to achieve full decarbonisation. The methodology specifically excludes land use, land-use change, and forestry (LULUCF) from main ratings but flags them when they significantly impact a country's emissions profile.

The document examines the viability of nuclear energy in Africa, noting that the continent provides 14% of global uranium supply. It identifies Russia and China as leading international vendors due to their state-owned models and willingness to provide financing. The paper highlights significant barriers to deployment, including high costs, corruption, unstable electrical grids, and a lack of local expertise. It also discusses the potential of Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) to mitigate some of these infrastructure and financial challenges.

The document analyzes the multidimensional relationship between China and West Africa, highlighting significant asymmetries in trade and foreign direct investment. It identifies health cooperation, economic recovery, regional integration, and debt restructuring as primary priorities for the FOCAC 8 summit. The author argues that West African nations should move beyond bilateral opportunism toward a strategic regional approach led by ECOWAS, incorporating non-state actors and civil society to address concerns over transparency, debt sustainability, and environmental impacts.

The authors advocate for the transition from global to regional value chains in Africa, emphasizing that digital transformation—specifically through blockchain, AI, and IoT—is essential to overcome high trade costs, poor infrastructure, and inefficient customs procedures. The paper highlights the AfCFTA as a critical framework for this shift, noting that while Africa currently exports raw materials with little value addition (e.g., coffee and cocoa), digital tools can enable MSMEs and women-led businesses to scale and integrate into more productive regional networks.

The document analyzes coal finance in 18 high-impact countries (HICs) in South Asia and Africa, highlighting that while global trends shift toward renewables, significant coal investment persists, largely driven by Chinese state-owned institutions. It argues that coal is an inefficient path to universal electricity access compared to distributed renewables and warns of stranded asset risks, citing overcapacity in Bangladesh and Pakistan.

The document examines the political challenges hindering the coordination of climate finance, focusing on the relationship between the Climate Investment Funds (CIF) and the Green Climate Fund (GCF). It highlights how divergent governance structures, domestic bureaucratic politics in recipient countries, and fragmented development coordination frameworks create inefficiencies. Using examples from Kenya and Zambia, it illustrates the tension between different government ministries over who should lead climate finance coordination. The brief recommends that contributor governments provide more consistent guidance and that the UNFCCC Standing Committee on Finance helps clarify the organizational strengths and roles of various funds.

The report identifies critical transboundary climate risks in global agricultural trade, noting that a few major exporters like the US, Brazil, and China disproportionately transmit risk to dependent importers. It argues that traditional risk management, such as diversification, is insufficient against systemic climate shifts and calls for multilateral cooperation and system-level adaptation finance.

The WWF-US FY20 Corporate Partnerships Report outlines the organization's strategic approach to collaborating with the private sector to address environmental degradation. It categorizes partnerships into four types: driving sustainable business practices, communications and awareness raising, philanthropic partnerships, and employee engagement. The document lists specific corporate partners across various revenue tiers, highlighting collaborations on issues such as plastic waste, deforestation, and climate change, and notes that corporate partnership income represented 4% of the WWF-US office's total income in FY20.

The document outlines a framework for discussing universal education and sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) as climate solutions. It emphasizes that these interventions are synergistic and that centering gender equality and bodily autonomy is essential for effective climate mitigation and adaptation. The guide warns against oversimplifying these complexities or using coercive language regarding family size, arguing instead for a rights-based approach that addresses systemic oppression and empowers women and girls as agents of change.

The policy brief examines how African pension funds can bridge the renewable energy investment gap in sub-Saharan Africa. It proposes the use of 'renewable energy-backed' (RE) bonds to align long-term pension obligations with energy infrastructure projects, reducing reliance on foreign currency and mitigating exchange risks. The author identifies a significant funding gap, noting that Africa requires approximately $70 billion in annual renewable energy investment until 2030, while actual investment in sub-Saharan Africa was only $10 billion in 2018 and $30 billion in 2019. To unlock this potential, the document recommends the creation of green banks to coordinate finance, the implementation of government-backed guarantee schemes to lower risk perceptions for regulators, and the removal of fossil fuel subsidies to improve the competitiveness of clean energy.

The REDD+ programme aims to curb carbon emissions by providing financial incentives to developing countries for protecting forestry resources. While small-scale projects in Kenya and Cambodia have successfully preserved biodiversity and created jobs, large-scale implementation has faced significant failures. In Indonesia, the programme has been undermined by the misclassification of palm oil plantations as revegetation projects, alleged double counting of credits, and the displacement of indigenous communities. Despite these issues, the document notes that REDD+ has improved forestry monitoring and kept rainforests on the global policy agenda.

The document outlines the development of certification criteria for electrical grids and storage to mobilise private capital for low-carbon infrastructure. It establishes that most modern grid investments are eligible if they support the integration of renewables or are part of a system on a trajectory toward decarbonisation, adopting the EU taxonomy as a baseline. It specifically excludes pumped hydropower and hydrogen storage from this sector's scope. The criteria also mandate that issuers demonstrate climate resilience by assessing physical risks and implementing mitigation measures over the assets' operational lifetimes.

The study evaluates six electricity generation scenarios for Kenya (2010-2040), finding that the 'Full Renewables' (FRE) and 'UN Agenda 2030 SDGs' (SDGs 2) scenarios offer the highest greenhouse gas abatement and lowest health impacts at the lowest costs. Under the SDGs and AU scenarios, GHG emissions are projected to be 99.7% and 97.6% lower, respectively, than the Vision 2030+Least Cost Power Development Plan (VLCPDP).