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Phaesun and partners implemented solar-powered milk cooling systems in Kenya to reduce post-harvest losses for smallholder dairy farmers. By deploying the 'Milky Way' and 'SelfChill' modular technologies, the project reduced milk losses by approximately 25% across 10 farms and cooperatives, increasing income for at least 50 people while eliminating operational CO2 emissions.

This briefing by the Stockholm Environment Institute maps the green bond landscape in Africa as of January 2021. It identifies the market as nascent and underdeveloped, dominated by a few states and entities, and outlines the structural barriers and opportunities for scaling up green finance to meet climate mitigation and adaptation needs across the continent.

This 2021 report by the Climate and Development Knowledge Network (CDKN) examines Non-Motorized Transport (NMT) in Nairobi, finding that 48.2% of daily trips are made by walking or cycling. Despite its popularity, NMT users account for 66.3% of traffic fatalities, with pedestrians being the most vulnerable. The study identifies 10 deadliest corridors responsible for 55.5% of deaths and highlights severe infrastructure deficits, including a lack of protected footpaths and cycle lanes. It recommends adopting a 'Vision Zero' strategy, improving street lighting, and enhancing law enforcement to protect low-income users who rely on NMT due to a lack of affordable alternatives.

This executive summary describes a scoping study on Ecosystem-based Flood Risk Management in five Sub-Saharan cities: Accra, Cape Town, Durban, Nairobi, and Mombasa. It evaluates the integration of nature-based solutions (NbS) and Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EbA) alongside traditional grey infrastructure to address urban flooding exacerbated by climate change, rapid urbanization, and poor urban planning.

This research paper examines the impact of COVID-19 lockdown measures on Kenya's informal sector and the resulting strain on the country's fiscal social contract. The authors argue that a lack of fiscal legitimacy, driven by corruption and poor service delivery in healthcare, discourages the informal sector from participating in direct taxation, while government fiscal relief measures primarily benefited formal taxpayers.

This report by the Institute for Security Studies examines the process of developing Common African Positions (CAPs) within the African Union (AU) to enable the continent to speak with one voice in global diplomacy. While highlighting successful examples like the Post-2015 Development Agenda, the author identifies systemic challenges including a lack of member state ownership, over-dependence on external funding, and disconnects between AU headquarters and multilateral diplomatic hubs.

The FSD Africa Impact Report documents the organization's efforts since 2012 to reduce poverty in sub-Saharan Africa by strengthening financial markets. It details achievements in financial inclusion, capital market development, and institutional capacity building, while outlining a strategic shift toward 'FSD 2.0' to focus on jobs, basic services, and sustainable futures in response to challenges like Covid-19 and climate change.

This research paper examines the challenges of clean cookstove adoption in peri-urban Kenya, highlighting how user values and socio-cultural influences affect sustained use. The study utilizes service design methods and quantitative monitoring to evaluate a pilot project introducing biomass pellet cookstoves, identifying three distinct user archetypes based on their motivations: saving money, convenience, and health and safety.

This policy brief examines the 1972 United Nations Conference on the Human Environment in Stockholm, detailing its origins, the diplomatic tensions between developed and developing nations, and its lasting impact on international environmental law and the creation of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

This briefing describes the 1972 United Nations Conference on the Human Environment in Stockholm, Sweden, as the foundational event for modern environmental diplomacy. It details the conference's origins, the tensions between developed and developing nations, the resulting Stockholm Declaration and Action Plan, and the subsequent establishment of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

This document consists of formal submissions by Natural Justice to the Kenyan Ministry of Environment and Forestry regarding the Draft Forest Policy 2020. The submissions argue for a shift away from 'fortress conservation' and the current Community Forest Association (CFA) model toward a human-rights-based approach that recognizes the ancestral rights and conservation roles of indigenous and local communities.

This policy brief describes a small-scale study in peri-urban areas outside Nairobi, Kenya, examining the use of advanced biomass pellet cookstoves. It advocates for a service design-driven approach combining behavioral insights and social-ecological systems thinking to better align stove development with user needs and archetypes.

This policy brief by the Stockholm Environment Institute describes a small-scale study in peri-urban Kenya using service design, behavioural insights, and social-ecological systems thinking to evaluate the adoption of the Mimi Moto advanced biomass pellet cookstove. The study identifies distinct user archetypes and highlights systemic gaps in the cookstove value chain, particularly regarding fuel availability and after-sales support.

This case study by Natural Justice describes the illegal expansion of salt pans by Kurawa Industries Limited in Magarini Sub County, Kilifi County, Kenya. The expansion has caused water salinity that destroyed the coconut crops of a local family, while government agencies and the company have failed to provide licenses, permits, or compensation reports, a situation exacerbated by COVID-19 lockdown restrictions.

FSD Africa has shifted to virtual technical support and remote work, closing its Nairobi offices to visitors and canceling travel and events due to COVID-19, while planning to adapt its strategy to address the pandemic's challenges.

This interim report evaluates the Youth Enterprise Grants (YEG) pilot project, which provided cash grants and smartphones to 1,035 youth (aged 18-35) in the Mathare slum of Nairobi. The project tested two payment models: lump sums of ~$1,200 and monthly payments of ~$50. Initial findings indicate that cash transfers are feasible in urban slum environments and effectively encourage entrepreneurial behavior, with a significant shift from casual labor to self-employment. While pre-installed business apps saw low engagement, general internet and social media access via smartphones significantly aided market access and skill acquisition. The report also highlights gender-based differences in spending and saving, and the continued importance of informal saving groups alongside mobile money services.

The Green Bond Fact Sheet details a KES 4.3 billion (USD 41.5 million) green bond issued by Acorn Holdings on October 3, 2019, to finance residential construction in Nairobi, Kenya.

This research paper proposes a methodology for estimating in-use vehicle fuel economy in sub-Saharan African cities, using Nairobi as a case study to address data gaps caused by incomplete official records and the prevalence of informal transport.

The M-Akiba Post Issuance Survey, commissioned by FSD Africa and conducted by BFA, examines the low conversion rate of a mobile-money-based government bond in Kenya. While the product successfully attracted a broad new investor base and saw high registration numbers, only a small fraction of registered users actually invested. The report identifies critical failures in timing, communication, user interface, and customer support as the primary drivers of this low uptake.

This case study examines M-Akiba, the first mobile treasury instrument sold in Africa, launched by the Kenyan government in 2017. While the product successfully attracted new retail investors, it suffered from low uptake due to poor timing, confusing purchase processes, and inadequate customer support.