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The policy brief advocates for the adoption of marine and coastal ecosystem-based adaptation (EbA) to protect vulnerable coastlines and livelihoods from climate change. It highlights the potential for 'soft' and 'hybrid' adaptation strategies in Southern and East Africa, while identifying barriers such as lack of political prioritisation, insufficient quantitative data for the private sector, and fragmented institutional governance. The author recommends mainstreaming EbA into Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and national budgets, promoting innovative financing like blue bonds and blue carbon credits, and ensuring the active participation of coastal communities and women in project design.

The report advocates for the integration of marine and coastal ecosystem-based adaptation (EbA) into national climate policies and strategies in Southern Africa. It defines EbA as the use of biodiversity and ecosystem services to help people adapt to climate change, highlighting the value of mangroves, coral reefs, and seagrasses. The document identifies significant barriers to scaling EbA, including fragmented institutional governance, lack of quantitative cost-benefit data, and insufficient financing. It proposes innovative funding mechanisms like blue carbon projects and environmental impact bonds, and emphasizes the necessity of community-led partnerships and gender-inclusive approaches to ensure sustainable implementation.

Friends of the Earth International expresses deep disappointment with the revised text of the UN's proposed binding treaty on transnational corporations. The organization argues that by expanding the scope to all companies rather than focusing on transnational corporations, the text ignores the power structures of parent companies and their supply chains. While acknowledging the inclusion of victims' rights, the group contends the document lacks international mechanisms to hold corporations accountable and fails to establish the supremacy of human rights over trade and investment agreements.

Friends of the Earth International expresses deep frustration with the July 16, 2019, Revised Draft of the UN Binding Treaty, claiming it dilutes the scope of the instrument by shifting focus from transnational corporations to all business activities. While the organization acknowledges the integration of victims' rights and human rights coverage, it argues the draft only sets obligations for States and fails to create international jurisdiction or direct obligations for corporations. The organization calls for a more ambitious text ahead of the October 2019 IGWG session to end corporate impunity and prioritize human rights over profit.

The document examines the material risks climate change poses to global supply chains and the current state of private sector adaptation. It argues that while companies recognize climate risks, they often misdiagnose them by focusing on exposure rather than underlying vulnerability. Using the cotton industry as a detailed example, the paper proposes a resilience framework based on six capital assets—natural, human, social, physical, financial, and political—and provides recommendations for companies to commit to science-based resilience strategies and gender-transformative empowerment of women workers.

The document details various direct and indirect U.S. tax subsidies for coal, oil, and natural gas, as well as federal R&D funding and overseas financing. It highlights the contradiction between these subsidies and global climate targets, noting that global fossil fuel subsidies reached $5.2 trillion in 2017. The text also analyzes the 'externalities' of fossil fuels, including the social cost of carbon, public health crises, and environmental degradation, while reviewing legislative efforts in the 116th Congress to reform energy tax credits.

The briefing argues that while private sector financing is often promoted to bridge Africa's infrastructure deficit, it carries significant risks including higher costs, a lack of development mandates, and extreme risk aversion. It suggests that public funds should be strategically targeted toward social infrastructure and project preparation where private interest is low, while emphasizing the need for capacity building to prevent exploitation and improve project quality.

This written submission by Friends of the Earth International (FoEI) analyzes the 'Zero Draft' of a proposed UN legally binding instrument to regulate transnational corporations (TNCs) and other business enterprises in regarding human rights. FoEI argues that the Zero Draft is too weak, lacks direct obligations for corporations, and fails to provide effective mechanisms to end corporate impunity, calling for a revised version that prioritizes human rights over commercial interests.

The report identifies a massive global expansion of LNG infrastructure, with at least 202 terminal projects in development representing $1.3 trillion in capital outlays. This growth is heavily concentrated in North America, where the U.S. and Canada account for 74% of proposed new export capacity. The authors argue that this expansion risks creating stranded assets as renewable energy costs fall and that the lifecycle greenhouse gas impact of these projects is comparable to, or exceeds, that of new coal-fired power plants. Consequently, the report calls for a moratorium on new LNG construction to align with IPCC targets requiring gas use to decline by 2030 and 2050.

The document analyzes the impact and implementation of the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) across Africa, with a detailed focus on Zambia. It explores the benefits of trade facilitation, such as increased exports and regional integration, while highlighting systemic barriers including inadequate infrastructure, reliance on donor funding, and poor inter-governmental coordination. Through a case study of four Zambian border posts—Nakonde, Kasumbalesa, Kazungula, and Chirundu—the paper illustrates the gap between high-level political commitment and on-the-ground operational realities, such as the failure to implement functional Single Window systems and the regression of previously successful One-Stop Border Posts (OSBPs) due to lack of data-sharing and poor donor exit strategies.

The report provides a comprehensive overview of South Africa's biodiversity, highlighting its status as a megadiverse country while detailing the severe threats posed by illegal wildlife trade, habitat loss, and climate change. It argues for a multidisciplinary conservation paradigm that addresses historical social injustices and integrates local communities into the management of natural resources. The document details the legal frameworks governing wildlife, the mechanics of international trafficking networks, and specific conservation initiatives such as the Black Rhino Range Expansion Project and the Khetha Programme.

The document defines ecosystem-based adaptation (EbA) as the use of biodiversity and ecosystem services to help people adapt to climate change. It highlights that marine and coastal ecosystems, such as coral reefs and mangroves, are often missing from climate response measures and need better integration into national policies and Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). A specific project involving Tanzania, Seychelles, Mozambique, and South Africa aims to address barriers to EbA—including finance, policy alignment, and capacity building—through research and peer learning.

The author contends that the current global development model, which prioritizes infrastructure and economic growth, increases disaster risk and must be transformed. Citing the IPCC 1.5°C report and the Sendai Framework, the text emphasizes that sustainable development must address underlying causes such as poverty and inequality. It calls for the 2019 Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction to move beyond boardroom discussions and actively incorporate the knowledge of frontline communities and the energized public sector to create inclusive, resilient transformations.

The report argues that Kenya suffers from 'state capture,' where a political elite has repurposed state institutions—specifically the Presidency and the Treasury—for private profiteering and to fund electioneering. It contends that conventional anti-corruption efforts, including high-profile arrests and commissions of inquiry, are tactical 'stagecraft' that fail to address the deep roots of the problem. The document details three major cases of state capture: the Goldenberg, Anglo Leasing, and Eurobond scandals. It further analyzes how the electoral management body, the police, and the judiciary have been compromised to maintain this system. The report concludes that while democracy has been hollowed out, it still offers potential for rupture through economic crises or the emergence of powerful anti-corruption coalitions, and suggests that civil society should focus on archiving evidence for future prosecutions and pursuing international indictments.

The document analyzes the migration experiences of South Africa and Germany, noting that while both are regional economic hubs attracting diverse migrants, Germany has developed a more sophisticated, integration-focused infrastructure. South Africa struggles with high unemployment, xenophobia, and a securitized approach to migration, often lacking the resources and policy coordination seen in Germany. The author argues that South Africa can benefit from Germany's model of inter-departmental coordination, private sector involvement, and proactive integration to avoid the creation of 'parallel societies' and potential radicalization of unintegrated migrant populations.

The document argues that ecosystem-based adaptation (EbA)—the use of biodiversity and ecosystem services to help people adapt to climate change—is a sustainable development approach that provides socio-economic, adaptation, and conservation benefits. While South Africa has national frameworks for EbA, implementation in coastal cities faces significant hurdles, including a lack of promulgated Coastal Management Lines (CMLs), complex jurisdictional overlaps between national and local government, and a persistent preference for 'grey' engineering solutions over nature-based ones. Case studies of Cape Town and Durban highlight successes such as hybrid dune rehabilitation and the use of 'climate change champions' to break down institutional silos, but also reveal challenges like funding gaps and public lack of buy-in among poor communities who prioritize immediate economic needs over environmental resilience.

The report examines adaptation activities across 18 developing countries' NDC Partnership Plans, identifying critical gaps in climate risk assessments, project design, and M&E systems. It argues that these short-term plans can be leveraged to align NDC pledges with the more detailed NAP processes to improve climate resilience planning and implementation.

The study examines the forestry value chains of South Africa, Mozambique, and Tanzania, noting a divide between South Africa's plantation-dominated, high-value sector and the natural forest-based, low-value sectors of Mozambique and Tanzania. It highlights limited intra-regional trade due to logistics and divergent domestic markets, with most production destined for domestic use or international exports to China and Japan. The report suggests that the region could become a significant pulp production site, particularly in Mozambique and Tanzania, provided land access and community conflict issues are resolved. It recommends establishing regional forums, data initiatives, and skills development to enhance the forestry sector's integration and competitiveness.

The research assesses agro-processing opportunities in South Africa, Mozambique, Zambia, Tanzania, and Mauritius, highlighting the potential for regional integration. It identifies specific growth opportunities in soybean production in Zambia, Tanzania, and Mozambique, and processing opportunities for tobacco in Mozambique. The paper recommends harmonising SADC standards, reducing transport costs, and reviewing sugar sector policies to strengthen regional value chains.

The 4th session of the UN Environment Assembly (UNEA-4) focuses on 'Innovative Solutions to the Environmental Challenges and Sustainable Consumption and Production' to advance Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 12. The assembly integrates input from the Global Major Groups and Stakeholders Forum (GMGSF), including the African Ministerial Conference on the Environment (AMCEN), and technical data from the 6th Global Environmental Outlook (GEO-6) report. Key highlights include the exhibition of innovative projects such as the Flipflopi Dhow, a vessel made from waste plastic, and South African environmental risk and anti-poaching technologies.