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The Just Transition Planning Masterclass provided practitioners from Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, Mozambique, Malawi, Zambia, and Namibia with frameworks to ensure nature-based solutions (NbS) are equitable. The program highlighted that while NbS are often seen as 'win-win', they can cause socio-economic disruptions, such as loss of employment in extractive industries or displacement of communities without formal land tenure. Participants explored the Climate Investment Fund’s Just Transition Planning Toolbox and identified strategies to mitigate negative impacts, including livelihood diversification, re-skilling, and social protection measures. The report also notes barriers to implementation, such as limited institutional capacity, financial constraints, and community mistrust.

The 2025 Impact Report details the Fossil Fuel Treaty Initiative's progress in securing diplomatic support, engaging subnational governments, and conducting research to create a 1.5ºC-aligned mechanism for phasing out fossil fuels. Key achievements include the announcement of the First International Conference on Transitioning Away from Fossil Fuels for April 2026, the addition of Cambodia and Saint Kitts and Nevis to the participating nations, and a resolution in support of the treaty passed by the IUCN. The initiative has grown to include 18 participating countries from the Global South, over 140 cities, and 4,200 civil society organizations.

The Lilongwe City Profiling Report 2025 provides a comprehensive analysis of the capital city of Malawi, detailing its urban geography, governance, socio-economic status, and service delivery. The report highlights a city facing significant challenges including high poverty levels, limited infrastructure, and a governance structure where the local council has minimal de facto control over essential services like health and education, which remain managed by the central government.

The report compares 10 SADC cities, revealing stark disparities in economic wealth and infrastructure. While South African cities like Johannesburg and Cape Town are the wealthiest, they face high inequality and unemployment. Most other cities are characterized by high proportions of informal housing (60-86%) and a heavy reliance on national parastatals for engineered services. Sanitation remains the most critical service gap, with sewered sanitation being rare outside of South Africa and Zimbabwe. Local government finance varies wildly, with some cities relying heavily on national transfers while others, particularly in Zimbabwe, receive no transfers despite high service obligations.

The report outlines nine fundamental principles of resilience science designed for decision-makers. It defines resilience as the capacity to cope, adapt, and transform, emphasizing that it is an active process rather than a passive state. Key themes include the necessity of diversity, the role of social and ecological relationships, the importance of managing trade-offs through collaborative governance, and the requirement to address power imbalances to ensure equitable outcomes. The document argues that proactive investment in resilience provides a 'triple dividend' by avoiding losses, stimulating economic growth, and delivering social and environmental benefits.

The report examines the prevalence and impact of mining tax incentives in Africa, concluding that they are largely ineffective at attracting foreign direct investment (FDI) and instead facilitate revenue loss and illicit financial flows. It highlights that factors such as mineral quality and political stability are more critical to investors than tax breaks. The document argues for a shift toward performance-based incentives, the adoption of the OECD/G20 global minimum tax, and regional tax harmonization to prevent a 'race to the bottom' and support the goals of the Africa Mining Vision.

The report analyzes the prevalence and effects of tax incentives in Africa's mining sector, concluding that these measures frequently result in substantial public revenue losses and encourage aggressive tax avoidance. It argues that mining investments are driven more by resource quality and political stability than by tax breaks. The document recommends that African nations move away from generous, contract-based incentives and instead adopt regional tax harmonization and targeted, time-limited incentives linked to specific development goals, such as mineral processing and the energy transition.

The document examines how African youth are transforming peacebuilding through AI and digital tools, shifting from passive consumers to active knowledge creators. It highlights the decentralisation of early warning systems and the use of digital platforms for peace messaging and mobilisation. However, it warns that digital divides, gender gaps, and linguistic biases—where 88% of African languages are ignored by computational tools—threaten to marginalise rural youth and women. The brief notes a disconnect between the AU's Continental Framework on Youth, Peace and Security and digital strategies, urging for integrated policies and the institutionalisation of youth roles in AI governance to ensure digital peacebuilding is ethical and inclusive.

The document examines the transition of South Africa to a coalition-based national government following the May 2024 elections, where the ANC lost its majority. It argues that for the GNU to be effective, partners must prioritize accountability and service delivery over the retention of power. By analyzing the instability of local coalitions in South Africa and comparing them with experiences in Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, and Western Europe, the brief advocates for the adoption of formal, written coalition agreements to manage ideological tensions and improve governmental stability.

The report argues that COP29 failed to advance human rights-based climate action, citing a weak new climate finance goal, the operationalization of flawed carbon markets, and a restrictive civic environment in the host country. It highlights the removal of references to the right to a healthy environment and the lack of progress on just transition and gender justice, calling for stronger legal obligations and human rights safeguards in future UNFCCC processes.

The document argues that the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) is essential for reversing the marginalisation of African countries in global trade, with the potential to generate $450 billion in additional income by 2035 and lift 30 million people out of absolute poverty. However, full implementation has been delayed since January 2021 due to resource constraints, debt distress in over 50% of African countries, and fears of tariff revenue losses. To address this, the AfCFTA Secretariat introduced the AfCFTA Implementation Review Mechanism (AFIRM) in July 2024. The author suggests that AFIRM should move away from a narrow focus on compliance and instead adopt the broader, transparency-based approach of the WTO's Trade Policy Review Mechanism (TPRM). The TPRM is credited with enhancing adherence through peer pressure and factual reporting without being a tool for dispute settlement, a model that could reduce resistance among AfCFTA state parties.

The Climate Resilient Health and Well-Being for Rural Communities in southern Malawi (CHWBRC) project aims to reduce the adverse health effects of climate change—specifically malaria, cholera, malnutrition, and heat-related stress—across the districts of Ntcheu, Balaka, Machinga, Mangochi, Phalombe, and Zomba. The project employs a multi-pronged approach: establishing a climate-informed Health Early Warning and Response System (EWARS), upgrading 79 health facilities and 400 schools with solar energy and climate-resilient WASH infrastructure, and training healthcare staff and community members. It specifically targets marginalized groups, including pregnant women and children under two, to address gendered vulnerabilities and food insecurity. The project is implemented by Save the Children Australia (Accredited Entity), the Malawi Ministry of Health, and Save the Children International.

The report details a scenario exercise conducted by the Council on Strategic Risks to explore how biodiversity loss in the Lake Victoria Basin (LVB) can trigger security crises. Using a hypothetical 2034 'Cichlid Collapse' as a starting point, the study identifies social resilience and economic stability as the primary drivers of future security outcomes. It presents four potential futures ranging from a virtuous cycle of cooperation to a 'death spiral' of widespread conflict and ecological collapse. The report argues that biodiversity loss exacerbates resource competition, governance fragility, and the influence of violent extremist organizations, recommending a 'whole of system' approach integrating defense, diplomacy, and development to mitigate these risks.

The report details the disclosure of an Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA), an Environmental and Social Management Plan (ESMP), and an Environmental and Social Management System (ESMS) for the Ampyr - Dhule subproject in Maharashtra, India. It confirms that these documents were made available in English and Marathi to satisfy GCF requirements for Category B sub-projects, ensuring disclosure at least 30 days before an investment decision. The report also notes that the project adheres to an IFC-compliant ESMS and lists specific dates for stakeholder engagement and public disclosure in Mhasale Village.

The document outlines the structure of climate negotiations at COP29, listing various negotiating blocs such as the G77+China, EU, and AOSIS, while providing a glossary of terms and a calendar of thematic focus areas.

The document examines the transition of South Africa to a national coalition government following the May 2024 elections, where the ANC lost its majority. It contrasts the 2024 GNU—born of political necessity—with the 1994 GNU, which was mandatory for reconciliation. The authors analyze the instability of local-level coalitions in South Africa and review coalition models in Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, and Western Europe. The brief concludes that South Africa should adopt formal, written coalition agreements to prioritize governmental accountability and service delivery over the retention of political power.

The report finds a significant disconnect between sanitation and climate policy, with only 2% of activities in analyzed NDCs addressing sanitation. While some countries like Jordan, Bolivia, and Uganda show detailed integration, many national sanitation policies are outdated and ignore climate risks. The authors argue that integrating these frameworks can unlock climate finance, reduce greenhouse gas emissions (which currently account for approximately 1.3% of global totals), and enhance community and ecosystem resilience.

The statement criticizes the 2024 IMF and World Bank Annual Meetings, asserting that the global financial system is extractive and neo-colonial. It highlights that over half of African countries are in debt distress, with many spending more on debt service than on health and education. The document condemns IMF-mandated fiscal consolidation and austerity, arguing these measures crowd out essential social investments and disproportionately affect vulnerable populations. It further claims that the G20 Common Framework is ineffective and exclusive, favoring Paris Club creditors, and calls for African leadership via South Africa's G20 Presidency to seek sovereign debt solutions through the United Nations.

The research paper analyzes the withdrawal of the SADC Mission in Mozambique (SAMIM) from Cabo Delgado on 15 July 2024, arguing that the exit was driven by financial constraints and poor coordination rather than security improvements. It highlights that the insurgency, involving groups like Ahlu Sunnah Waljama’a and linked to ISIS, is fueled by a complex mix of religious extremism, poverty, unemployment, and state violence. The author contends that the withdrawal may have created a security void, as attacks have increased in 2024, and argues that military intervention alone is insufficient without addressing the root governance failures and economic inequalities in Mozambique.

The GCF Board approved 17 funding proposals totaling over USD 1 billion and accredited several new entities. Key discussions centered on the 'Partnerships and Access Strategy', a joint action plan for complementarity and coherence with other multilateral climate funds, and the restructuring of the GCF Secretariat to enhance regional presence and operational efficiency.