Search Climate Insights Directory

The document examines the impacts of coal, oil, gas, and megadams across Africa, highlighting how these 'dirty energy' sources drive climate change and cause severe social and health crises. It details specific cases, such as South Africa's coal reliance, Uganda's oil expansion, and Mozambique's megadams, while warning against the 'extreme energy' frontier of fracking and tar sands. The briefing concludes that African governments must reject these outdated pathways in favor of decentralized, sustainable energy systems supported by climate finance from developed nations.

The document examines the impacts of 'dirty energy' (coal, oil, gas, nuclear, industrial biomass, mega-dams, and waste incineration) across Africa. It highlights how these technologies drive climate change, cause severe health and environmental damage, and often benefit elites and multinational corporations over local populations. The report provides case studies on coal in South Africa, oil in Nigeria and Uganda, mega-dams in Mozambique, and the risks of 'extreme energy' like fracking and bitumen extraction in the Maghreb and Nigeria. It concludes by calling for 'energy sovereignty' and a just transition to decentralized, renewable energy systems.

The document examines the impacts of 'polluting energy'—including fossil fuels, industrial biomass, and large dams—across Africa. It highlights how these systems often benefit elites and corporations while leaving local populations to face health crises, land grabbing, and climate vulnerability. Specific case studies focus on South Africa's coal dependency, oil extraction in Nigeria and Uganda, the influence of European energy policies in the Maghreb, and the social and environmental costs of large dams in Mozambique. The report concludes that African nations must avoid 'locking in' obsolete polluting technologies and instead pursue energy sovereignty through decentralized renewables.

The Living Planet Report 2016 highlights a critical decline in global vertebrate populations, which fell by 58% between 1970 and 2012. It introduces the 'Anthropocene' as a new geological epoch where human activity is the primary driver of planetary change, pushing four of nine planetary boundaries—climate change, biosphere integrity, biogeochemical flows, and land-system change—beyond safe operating limits. The report emphasizes that current consumption patterns exceed the Earth's biocapacity, requiring 1.6 Earths to sustain annual demand. It advocates for a 'One Planet Perspective' to decouple human development from environmental degradation, specifically calling for the transformation of global energy and food systems through renewable energy and agroecological farming.

The 'Sustainable Landscapes in Eastern Madagascar' project is a cross-cutting mitigation and adaptation initiative requesting US$53.5 million from the Green Climate Fund. It employs a three-pronged financial approach: a US$15.3 million grant for public sector capacity building and sustainable agriculture, a US$35 million equity investment in a US$50.5 million private sector Investment Fund managed by Althelia, and a US$3.2 million grant to establish a national Climate Change Trust Fund. The project targets the Ankeniheny-Zahamena (CAZ) and Ambositra-Vondrozo (COFAV) forest corridors, aiming to reduce 10 MtCO2eq of emissions, provide 33 MW of renewable energy capacity, and benefit 562,000 direct beneficiaries. Key innovations include the use of a first-of-its-kind EIB Green/Climate Bond to mobilize private capital for a least developed country.

The policy brief examines how domestic xenophobia contradicts South Africa's 'diplomacy of ubuntu' and its aspirations for African leadership. It highlights specific incidents of violence and government failures, suggesting that South Africa must address the root causes of intolerance domestically and regionalise its policy responses to reclaim its international standing.

The document examines the systemic marginalisation of African communities affected by mining, highlighting the gap between official policy and the reality of environmental degradation, forced relocation, and health hazards. It details specific tools for empowerment, such as community protocols in Kenya and Zimbabwe, paralegal interventions in Sierra Leone, and strategic litigation regarding silicosis in South Africa. The text emphasizes the disproportionate burden on women and the necessity of moving beyond narrow legal definitions of 'indigenous peoples' to protect all customary landholders through the principle of Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC).

The document examines the complexities of land tenure in Africa, highlighting the tension between customary and statutory systems. It argues that while formal titling is a long-term goal, the immediate priority should be adapting informal systems to provide legal security, improving state administrative capacity, and addressing gender-based barriers to land ownership to foster economic development and reduce conflict.

The program aims to reverse the degradation of Madagascar's marine resources by integrating biodiversity conservation and fisheries management within a multi-sectoral marine spatial planning framework. It consists of two primary child projects: one led by the Ministry of Environment, Ecology, Oceans and Forests (MEEMF) to expand the MPA network, and another led by the Ministry of Marine Resources and Fisheries (MRHP) to improve small-scale fisheries governance (SWIOFish2). The program targets tripling MPA coverage to at least 2.5 million hectares by 2020 to meet Aichi Target 11. Key strategies include the establishment of Community-Managed MPAs (CMMPAs), strengthening legal and policy frameworks, and increasing economic benefits for coastal communities through sustainable value chains and ecotourism. The total program cost is estimated at $52,668,672, with $12,706,422 in GEF Trust Fund financing and $39,962,250 in co-financing from the World Bank, government agencies, and NGOs.

The document argues that while the SADC region faces severe energy pressures and a heavy reliance on coal and hydropower, renewable energy mini-grids offer a viable complement to national grid extension, particularly for rural populations. However, most current projects remain in the pilot phase due to unsustainable business models, vague policy frameworks, and a lack of private investment. The brief recommends adopting anchor-business-community (A-B-C) models and establishing clear regulatory frameworks to scale these solutions.

WWF advocates for science-based decision-making at CITES CoP17, emphasizing the need for increased resources for the Secretariat and a primary focus on National Ivory Action Plans to combat illegal trade. The organization supports Appendix I listings for all pangolin species and various Appendix II listings for sharks, rays, and rosewoods, while opposing proposals to allow legal trade in rhino horn or ivory. WWF also supports measures to combat wildlife cybercrime, corruption, and the laundering of captive-bred specimens.

The report examines Botswana's regional diplomacy from independence to 2015, highlighting a shift from the 'quiet diplomacy' of Presidents Masire and Mogae to the more outspoken, principle-driven approach of President Ian Khama. It analyzes the institutional framework of Botswana's foreign policy, the influence of the ruling Botswana Democratic Party (BDP), and the country's pivotal role in the creation of SADC. The author argues that Botswana's foreign policy has been heavily shaped by presidential personalities and suggests the need for a structured national consensus on foreign policy interests.

The document identifies infrastructure, human settlements, and mining as the primary non-agricultural drivers of deforestation, while logging is the main driver of forest degradation. Due to a lack of disaggregated global data, the report does not define quantitative indicators but instead reviews public policy interventions and private sector sustainability initiatives. Key public measures include import bans on illegal timber in the US, EU, and Australia, and the use of Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) and Strategic Environmental Assessments (SEAs) for infrastructure. Private sector efforts are highlighted through forest certification schemes like FSC and PEFC, though their global impact remains limited, and emerging responsible mining initiatives like IRMA and the Oro Verde Program in Colombia.

The 11th Annual General Meeting of the Intergovernmental Forum on Mining, Minerals, Metals and Sustainable Development (IGF) emphasized the necessity of integrating social and economic considerations into mine closure planning from the start of a mine's design. The meeting, attended by representatives from 67 countries, highlighted the role of the mining sector in achieving the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and reviewed assessments of the IGF Strategic Framework in the Dominican Republic, Uganda, and Madagascar.

The report assesses three IGF member states—the Dominican Republic, Uganda, and Madagascar—against the six pillars of the Mining Policy Framework (MPF). While these countries show medium readiness in legal environments, financial benefit optimization, and environmental management, they exhibit low readiness in socioeconomic benefit optimization, mine closure, and artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM). A critical systemic barrier across all three nations is the lack of financial and human resources to enforce existing laws.

The IMF's October 2015 Regional Economic Outlook for Sub-Saharan Africa describes a 'gloomy picture' for the region driven by falling commodity and oil prices, high energy costs, and a weak global financial environment. South Africa is highlighted as having the worst growth projection among its middle-income peers, with its economic performance hindered by critical electricity supply failures, poor export growth despite currency depreciation, and social unrest. The IMF recommends fiscal adjustments, currency depreciation, and long-term investments in productivity-enhancing infrastructure and education to counter these trends.

The document examines China's deepening security role in Africa, shifting from traditional military concerns to non-traditional threats. It analyzes how China protects its citizens from crime and terrorism, its response to the 2014 Ebola outbreak, and its dual role in the illegal wildlife and timber trades. The authors argue that these transnational challenges are compelling China to increase its engagement with multilateral organizations and move beyond its traditional policy of non-interference.

The report argues that expanding global networks of no-take marine protected areas (MPAs) is economically advisable, with benefits significantly outweighing costs across all analyzed scenarios. Using a cost-benefit analysis for the period 2015-2050, the study finds that expanding coverage to 30% can generate net benefits between US$490 billion and US$920 billion. The highest returns are associated with 'Protect to Preserve' scenarios that target high-biodiversity areas with low human impact. While MPAs enhance biodiversity, fisheries productivity through spillover, and carbon sequestration in mangroves, the report notes significant data gaps regarding the quantification of various ecosystem services and the specific impacts on high-seas and polar regions.

The report estimates the global ocean's total asset base at at least US$24 trillion, with an annual 'gross marine product' of US$2.5 trillion, making it the world's seventh largest economy. It warns that over two-thirds of this value depends on healthy ocean conditions, which are currently being eroded by overfishing, pollution, and climate change. The document proposes eight strategic actions, including expanding marine protected areas to 30% by 2030 and decarbonizing energy systems to prevent the projected disappearance of coral reefs by 2050.

The assessment finds that while Madagascar has a strong legal foundation and transparent permitting processes, its overall readiness to implement the IGF framework is low to medium. Key strengths include accessible geological data and a commitment to biodiversity net gain for large mines. However, significant weaknesses persist, including a freeze on mining permits since 2009, severe shortages of government human and financial resources for monitoring, and a largely informal artisanal mining sector. The report recommends developing an integrated national policy for socio-economic benefits, enforcing financial guarantees for mine closure, and improving the formalization of artisanal mining.