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This report by FSD Africa, BII, and Copernican Securities examines the potential for securitisation to deepen capital markets in sub-Saharan Africa. It identifies a significant private credit gap and argues that while South Africa has a mature market, other African nations face substantial regulatory, legal, and capacity barriers. The report recommends a holistic approach to regulatory reform, increased technical assistance from MDBs and DFIs, and the adoption of standardised data reporting to attract institutional investors.

This research paper analyzes the resurgence of 'resources-for-security' deals in Africa, driven by the global demand for critical raw materials (CRMs) for green energy and military technology. It contrasts three primary models: Russia's use of private military companies (PMCs) for mining rights, the US's transactional 'peace-brokering' approach to secure supply chains, and China's 'infrastructure-for-resources' strategy via the Belt and Road Initiative. The paper argues that while these deals offer short-term security or development gains, they often reinforce dependency and authoritarianism, mirroring colonial and Cold War extractive patterns.

This briefing by the World Resources Institute (WRI) presents a financial case for climate adaptation, arguing that such investments are highly profitable and synergistic with general development goals. Based on an analysis of 320 projects, WRI finds that adaptation investments can yield significant returns through a 'triple dividend' of avoided losses, induced economic development, and additional social and environmental benefits.

This policy brief argues that South Africa's 2025 G20 presidency provides a strategic opportunity to integrate subnational governments into the global climate and environmental agenda. It highlights the role of municipalities as frontline implementers of climate adaptation, mitigation, and biodiversity goals, while identifying systemic financial and capacity barriers that hinder their effectiveness in Africa and the Global South.

This policy brief outlines priorities for South Africa's G20 presidency to mainstream crop insurance as a tool for climate resilience in Africa. It evaluates the evolution of insurance models—from multi-peril to index-based and digital solutions—and recommends that the G20 promote high-quality, inclusive products, holistic risk management, and evidence-based subsidy frameworks to support smallholder farmers.

The China Energy Transition Review 2025 by Ember analyzes China's rapid shift toward clean energy and electrification, detailing how its domestic policies and manufacturing scale are driving down global costs and pushing global fossil fuel demand toward a structural decline.

This briefing by the Stockholm Environment Institute explores how development and climate financiers can scale up locally led adaptation (LLA) by leveraging complementarity between different funding models, building on community-led development (CLD) legacies, and integrating private sector capital.

This briefing note by the Forum on Trade, Environment, & the SDGs (TESS) examines the 'twin transition'—the simultaneous pursuit of digital and green transformations. It analyzes how digital technologies can both enable climate action and contribute to greenhouse gas emissions, focusing on the implications for developing countries and the pathways toward a net-zero digital economy by 2050.

This report by RMI examines the potential for Distributed Green Ammonia (DGA) production to reduce Africa's reliance on expensive, volatile, and imported nitrogenous fertilizers. It highlights how modular, small-scale green ammonia facilities can lower costs for smallholder farmers, reduce transportation emissions, and leverage renewable energy to improve food security and agricultural yields across the continent.

This report by Ember analyses Chinese customs data to demonstrate a significant increase in solar panel imports into Africa in the 12 months leading up to June 2025. The analysis suggests a structural trend toward increased solar adoption across the continent, potentially driven by distributed solar, which could significantly expand electricity supply and reduce reliance on imported diesel.

This report by the Africa Policy Research Institute examines the role of Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) in accelerating the transfer and adoption of green technologies (greentech) across Africa. It argues that while patents are often prohibitively expensive for local innovators, non-patent IPR—such as utility models, trademarks, and geographical indications—can drive incremental innovation and job creation. The document analyzes the IPR landscapes of Kenya, Ghana, and Nigeria, highlighting the gap between high-level regional strategies (like AfCFTA and the AU Green Recovery Action Plan) and the practical, detailed IPR mechanisms needed to scale green businesses.

The International Youth Day Solidarity Statement 2025, issued by the Youth For Tax Justice Network (YTJN) and the African Forum and Network on Debt and Development (AFRODAD), advocates for global tax and debt justice to support Africa's youth population. The statement highlights the contradiction between high youth entrepreneurship and a lack of decent employment, arguing that unsustainable sovereign debt and tax abuse divert essential funding from education, healthcare, and climate resilience.

This report by the African Future Policies Hub analyzes whether carbon credits generated under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement should be eligible for deduction from liabilities under the European Union's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM). It argues that allowing such credits would mitigate the negative economic impact of the CBAM on African exporters, retain climate finance within African borders, and provide policy flexibility to host governments, while proposing specific design measures to prevent carbon leakage and ensure credit integrity.

This fact sheet from the Institute for Economic Justice examines the structural causes of the African debt crisis, the impact of high interest rates on public services, and the limitations of G20 initiatives. It argues that the crisis is rooted in a 'rigged global system' and calls for systemic reform and debt cancellation through movements like Jubilee 2025.

This fact sheet by the Institute for Economic Justice examines the inequities of global climate finance, arguing that current G20-led mechanisms often exacerbate debt vulnerability in developing nations through a reliance on loans and 'de-risking' strategies that prioritize private profit over public welfare.

A case study on the installation of a PV-powered 'Low-Carbon Cold Room' in Homabay, Kenya, developed by Phaesun GmbH and partners to reduce food loss and emissions in agricultural markets.

This policy brief by the South African Institute of International Affairs argues for the 'ring-fencing' of development expenditures in Africa to protect long-term investments from short-term fiscal and political pressures. It identifies a 'perfect storm' of challenges—including trade fragmentation, the 'securitisation' of economic policy, high debt burdens, and technological disruption—that threaten development financing. The document proposes five specific policy mechanisms to institutionalise this protection and suggests that development finance should be framed as complementary to security priorities to leverage international funding.

This document details the methodology used by the Climate Policy Initiative (CPI) to evaluate the 'investability' of the finance components within the third round of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs 3.0). The framework uses seven indicators to assess how effectively non-Annex I countries communicate climate finance needs and strategies to attract private and international capital.

This guide by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) provides a comprehensive overview of the negotiations for an international legally binding instrument (ILBI) to end plastic pollution. It details the scientific evidence of plastic's impact on human health and the environment, the history of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) process, the contested elements of the proposed treaty, and the diverse interests of national governments and non-state stakeholders.

This briefing note by the Forum on Trade, Environment, & the SDGs (TESS) examines the intersection of international trade and the sustainable bioeconomy. It provides a typology of trade-related policy instruments—including price-based measures, economic incentives, and regulatory requirements—that governments can use to promote nature-positive economic growth. The document emphasizes the need for international cooperation, particularly through the G20, to align these policies, avoid trade frictions, and support low- and middle-income countries in their transition to a sustainable bioeconomy.