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The SADC–IISD Investment Facilitation Workshop, held in August 2018, aimed to transition the concept of investment facilitation toward a focus on sustainable development. Participants from 13 SADC member states analyzed the distinctions between trade and investment facilitation and reviewed the UNCTAD Global Action Menu. The workshop concluded that facilitation measures should primarily remain at the national level to preserve regulatory space, while the regional (SADC) and international levels should focus on information sharing, capacity building, and technical assistance rather than new legal obligations.

The report identifies 5.5 million km2 of 'REMAIN' land in sub-Saharan Africa potentially available for biofuel production after accounting for food security and conservation. Under current conditions, RSB-compliant production on prime and good quality land could yield 165 mt of aviation biofuel per annum, with miscanthus identified as the most promising feedstock. However, this potential is projected to decrease by approximately 40% by 2050 due to cropland expansion for food and climate change impacts. The study concludes that the region could meet between 30% and 90% of the projected 2050 global demand for alternative aviation fuels, depending on whether moderately suitable land is utilized.

The document examines the reciprocal relationship between climate and land in Africa, highlighting how desertification and land degradation exacerbate food insecurity and poverty. It identifies specific risks for arid zones, the disproportionate impact on women and marginalized groups, and proposes integrated governance and sustainable land management practices to build resilience.

The document examines how climate change and unsustainable land management drive desertification and food insecurity in Africa, while highlighting sustainable land management practices and the necessity of integrated governance and gender-inclusive policies to build resilience.

The document outlines how human-induced climate change is warming and acidifying oceans, causing sea level rise, and melting high mountain frozen lands in Africa. These changes threaten fisheries, coastal infrastructure, and water security. It argues that while adaptation and disaster risk reduction are essential and cost-effective, urgent global greenhouse gas mitigation is the primary way to limit long-term damage.

The Q4 2019 Risk Dashboard reports that the Green Climate Fund's portfolio concentration and liquidity remain within approved risk tolerance levels. As of December 31, 2019, the fund managed a portfolio of 124 approved funding proposals with a total value of USD 20.63 billion, including GCF's approved funding of USD 5.63 billion. The portfolio is distributed across Africa (39%), Asia-Pacific (34%), Latin America and the Caribbean (23%), and Eastern Europe (4%), with a funding balance of 42% mitigation and 21% adaptation (excluding cross-cutting projects). The fund reports no non-performing loans for the past eight quarters and maintains a foreign exchange commitment risk buffer of USD 86.9 million.

The report examines the global coffee market, highlighting a growth in VSS-compliant production which reached at least 34% of total production in 2016. While demand is increasing in emerging economies, the sector faces risks from price volatility and climate change. The analysis identifies Ethiopia and Uganda as having high potential for VSS expansion among LHDCs.

The report analyzes 104 mining projects across 21 countries, finding that while incentives are more common in primary law than in contracts, African countries rely more heavily on contract-based incentives. Tax stabilization and corporate income tax (CIT) incentives are the most frequent, with stability periods averaging 20 years and tax holidays averaging nine years. The analysis notes a correlation between the increase in incentives and the commodity price crash of 2014–2016, while highlighting that cost-based incentives remain uncommon despite being better suited for mining investments.

The report analyzes tax incentives across 104 mining projects in 21 developing countries, finding that while legislation is the primary source of incentives, African countries rely more heavily on discretionary contracts. The most common incentives are fiscal stabilization clauses and corporate income tax breaks, both of which pose significant revenue risks. The study notes that the use of these incentives peaked in the late 1990s and again during the 2014-2016 commodity price crash, suggesting a correlation between low commodity prices and more generous tax terms.

The report examines the global sugarcane market, noting that while demand is growing in Asia and Africa, it is stagnating in developed countries due to health concerns. It highlights the rise of voluntary sustainability standards (VSSs), which grew at a compound annual growth rate of about 52% from 2008 to 2016, though sales have not kept pace with production. The document identifies significant sustainability risks, including land grabbing, forced labor, and greenhouse gas emissions from field burning, and suggests that expanding VSSs in low human development countries like Sudan and Uganda could catalyze development benefits.

The document argues that private sector engagement is essential for successful National Adaptation Planning (NAP) because businesses and investors drive economic growth and provide the necessary financing, products, and services for climate resilience. It identifies four key enabling factors—information sharing, financing, institutional arrangements, and capacity building—that governments must address to overcome barriers to engagement. The guide outlines specific entry points for the private sector across the three phases of the NAP process: planning (consensus building and priority setting), implementation (climate-proofing operations and public-private partnerships), and monitoring and evaluation (designing metrics and reporting outcomes).

The guide outlines a framework for moving away from presentation-heavy meetings toward participatory knowledge co-creation in the context of National Adaptation Plan (NAP) processes. It details fundamentals of facilitation—including purpose, context, power dynamics, and monitoring—and provides specific methodologies for technical, relational, and reflexive interaction. These include expert presentations, participatory timelines, knowledge-sharing marketplaces, knowledge clinics, collective problem solving, and structured reflection.

The NAP Global Network's 2018-2019 progress report outlines its efforts to enhance national adaptation planning in developing countries through peer learning, technical assistance, and donor coordination. Key achievements include supporting Fiji's first NAP launch, facilitating gender-responsive planning in Africa, and promoting private sector engagement in Ghana, Saint Lucia, and Vietnam. The Network provided technical support to 33 countries this year and continues to focus on aligning NAPs with Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) to foster climate-resilient development.

The document argues that private sector engagement is essential for climate adaptation in developing countries, as businesses and investors drive economic growth and provide necessary products, services, and financing. It identifies four key enabling factors—information exchange, financing, institutional arrangements, and capacity development—that governments must address to overcome barriers to private sector participation. The guide outlines specific entry points for engagement across the three phases of the NAP process: planning, implementation, and monitoring and evaluation (M&E). It also provides case studies from countries such as Ghana, Kenya, and Jamaica to illustrate successful public-private collaborations in adaptation.

The document outlines a framework for facilitating peer learning among adaptation policy-makers to move away from passive, presentation-heavy meetings toward interactive knowledge exchange. It details seven core planning principles—purpose, context, people, power, place, process, and monitoring—and provides specific methodologies for technical, relational, and reflective interaction, such as 'Knowledge Clinics' and 'Participatory Timelines'. These methods were tested across seven Thematic Issue Forums involving government representatives from 23 countries to accelerate the development and implementation of National Adaptation Plans.

The document argues that private sector actors—including micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and private financiers—are essential for achieving climate adaptation goals due to their role in economic growth and capital flow. It identifies four key enabling factors for engagement: information sharing, financing, institutional arrangements, and capacity building. The brief outlines specific entry points for private sector involvement across the three phases of the NAP process (planning, implementation, and monitoring and evaluation) and provides case studies from countries such as Ghana, Rwanda, Kenya, and Jamaica to illustrate successful public-private collaboration in climate adaptation.

The guide outlines a framework for moving away from presentation-heavy meetings toward interactive peer-learning. It details seven core planning principles—objective, context, participants, power, venue, process, and monitoring—and provides five specific facilitation techniques: expert presentations, participatory timelines, knowledge marketplaces, knowledge clinics, and collective problem-solving. These methods are designed to balance technical input with relational and reflexive interactions to support the implementation of National Adaptation Plans in developing countries.

The 2019 Francophone Forum on the NAP process brought together representatives from nine countries to share best practices on integrating the private sector and gender dimensions into climate adaptation and improving direct access to international climate finance. Key outcomes include the identification of barriers to private sector engagement, such as low awareness and lack of incentive frameworks, and gender-related challenges, including cultural barriers and a lack of sex-disaggregated data. The forum also detailed the accreditation processes for the Green Climate Fund (GCF) and the Adaptation Fund (AF), highlighting the importance of scientific vulnerability studies and strong governance for successful funding applications.

The report finds that Madagascar faces significant energy deficits, with grid expansion stagnating at 11.4% since 2010. To reach universal access by 2030, the document argues that a shift toward decentralized solar and mini-grids is essential, requiring a total investment of 2.3 billion dollars for off-grid electricity and improved cooking solutions. Key barriers include the low purchasing power of rural households, a lack of quality standards for solar products, and a heavy reliance on traditional biomass for cooking.

Madagascar faces a significant energy access gap, with grid expansion stagnating and clean cooking adoption among the lowest in Africa. To reach SDG7 by 2030, the country requires approximately USD 2.4 billion in total financing for off-grid electricity and improved cooking solutions. While stand-alone solar is the primary driver for electrification, reaching 84.8% of households requires USD 1.8 billion, including USD 662 million to address affordability gaps. Mini-grids are projected to reach 1.4% of households with USD 92 million in financing. In the clean cooking sector, 99% of households lack clean solutions; achieving universal access via industrial improved cookstoves (ICS) requires USD 148 million for enterprises and USD 217 million for affordability gap financing.